Sandy M’s review of SEAL’s Honor (Alaska Force, Book 1) by Megan Crane
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 6 Nov 18
My first Megan Crane book…did not go well. I like the premise of the book and I definitely like the over-the-top men of Alaska Force. But Blue and Everly never gelled for me, I never warmed up to either of them to find out what their happily ever after would be like.
The biggest issue in this book is the repetitiveness. In Chapter 3 the times the blue glow of the night/early morning is mentioned over and over again, like the reader would forget the Aurora Borealis is casting its light on everything in sight, is really irritating. I don’t need reminders when I read, especially for an entire chapter, maybe more. In the thirteen chapters I did read, this goes on repeatedly.
Blue Hendricks is a former Navy SEAL – a deadly fighting machine thanks to Uncle Sam, as we’re reminded over and over about – and he’s now part of the brotherhood of Alaska Force, a unit made up of other lean and mean military men, who take on missions others can’t handle. All of the men need this in their lives, each having their own issues and dealing with those as best they can.
When Everly wakes up in her Chicago bedroom one night, she discovers men leaning over her roommate’s crumpled body. But when she flees and reports this to the police, there’s no sign of Rebecca, the men, or any struggle at all in the apartment. Then Everly discovers her stalkers and takes off on a 3,000-mile journey to find the grown-up version of Blue, who she remembers from her childhood because he lived on the same street as her family.
When they meet again, there’s attraction but they tell themselves they can’t think about that, there’s more serious things going on. Again, repeatedly. Blue is really just a jerk in the way he treats and talks to Everly, all because he has nothing to give her, doesn’t want a woman in his life, doesn’t have a normal life, and a number of other excuses. Everly really isn’t any better. She gives Blue attitude – because of his attitude, of course – even after he agrees to help her, and it makes her sound like a spoiled child. So despite the sexual tension, only one or two kisses are exchanged amid the admonishments to not think about each other and Blue taking on the role of bodyguard when they make it to Chicago to figure out what happened to Rebecca. I finally gave up after Blue takes care of an intruder in Everly’s place, dispensing with the curious neighbors who have opened their doors to the noise with a sharp command, but Everly tells him, “I barely heard a thing” and she’s right there in the apartment.
After that there’s just not enough for me to care any longer. There’s no chemistry between these characters when they’re tossing meanness back and forth. The little bit of sexual tension they exhibit doesn’t give the reader the incentive to stay invested. There’s too much time when they are internalizing when they should be taking care of matters at hand. Who has that much time when an intruder is on his way in? Unrealistic. And all of that doesn’t give this reviewer the incentive to try another book by this author.
Grade: DNF
Summary:
The last thing Blue Hendricks needs six months into his uneasy reentry into civilian life is trouble in the form of his old friend’s kid sister, all grown up and smack in the middle of a dangerous murder investigation. But he didn’t become a SEAL to turn his back on the hard stuff, and he can’t bring himself to ignore Everly’s call for help–no matter how much he knows he’s not fit to be around the soft, vibrant woman she’s become. Not after the things he’s done.
Everly Campbell is desperate. When her roommate is murdered and the body vanishes, Everly fears she might be next. With no one to believe her, Everly runs to a remote Alaskan town to find a man she only vaguely remembers and his crew of ex-military brothers who could be her only hope. Blue wants to keep things all business but Everly isn’t a little girl anymore and the commanding former SEAL is more temptation than she can resist.
As the men on Everly’s trail draw closer, Blue will do anything to protect the woman he’s starting to think of as his…
Read an excerpt.
