Sandy M’s review of SEALed Forever (SEALed Series, Book 4) by Mary Margret Daughtridge
Contemporary Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 May 11
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Mary Margret Daughtridge’s SEALs since I read SEALed with Promise, my first book of hers. Her stories flow seamlessly, her characters are always, of course, upstanding and charming (we are talking SEALs here!), and what captures me the most is the emotion she hits you with in her stories. So you can imagine my surprise, though I still had a good time with this book, it lacks the same punch of emotion as the previous editions in this series.
I’m really surprised at my reaction in this instance because there’s a child involved, and children always get to me in romance, especially when tall, dark, handsome, and alpha heroes succumb to the joy of kids along with their love for the heroines. So I was ready to be hit hard by Ms. Daughtridge when Garth finds a child stowed in a box on an airplane that’s used to cart around spies and the like. He’s stunned, amazed, and full of outrage that someone could do this to a child, one who is now half dead from such callousness. Garth first finds a doctor to help the little girl and then he begins investigating to find out what he can do for her and her circumstances. What he finds is the love of his life in the doctor he seeks out and then that he and his team had been deliberately sent into an ambush in Afghanistan, which resulted in the injury that has now placed him in isolation working for an out-of-the-way security company, all so he won’t and can’t tell anyone about the circumstances of his team’s attack.
Though Bronwyn and Garth have met once before, it was a short and hurried introduction and nothing came of it. Now with a twist of fate, they meet again and, though it doesn’t go well at first, their attraction slowly emerges as they work together to keep baby Julia safe. Garth knows almost immediately that Bronwyn is the one for him. It takes her a little more time to trust the man whom she first thinks is a kidnapper. Doing some fast talking and telling her what he can, Garth agrees to her terms to keep her from contacting the authorities as her job requires. In the meantime and in between his investigation and trying to get his job back, Garth sets out to prove to Bronwyn she belongs with him. And this is the only time I was disappointed in Garth.
He does things to sort of sabotages her new life so she’ll look toward life with him, which will be on the move from place to place, embracing the life of the wife of a SEAL. I feel he doesn’t put enough faith in Bronwyn when he resorts to this underhandedness. Yes, she makes it clear she wants to make a go of her new medical practice, wanting to slow down after her time as an ER doc. But he never gives any other option a thought, even though he’s thinking for a time his career might be over. I do have to give him points for keeping at it, going full bore to keep his job. That’s just not enough, however, with his little bit of deceit and hijinks when it comes to Bronwyn.
I’m happy to say Garth does wake up, of course, and then really goes after what he wants from higher-ups who call the shots, and he stands up for all that is right. He redeems himself marvelously. Bronwyn also wakes up, at last letting the past go, wanting and needing the future. And what about baby Julia in and among all the turmoil? Well, you need to read the book to find out!
Still a nice story, full of fun and mystery. I do enjoy Ms. Daughtridge’s detail and storytelling concerning SEALs. She gets the danger they go through and the camaraderie across to readers perfectly. My hankering for her stories will never die.
Grade: B
Summary:
He’s got a living, breathing dilemma…
In the midst of running an undercover CIA mission, Navy SEAL Lt. Garth Vale finds an abandoned baby, and his superiors sure don’t want to know about it. The only person who can help him is the beautiful new doctor in town, but she’s got another surprise for him…
She’s got a solution…at a price…
Dr. Bronwyn Whitescarver has left the frenetic pace of big city ER medicine for a small town medical practice. Her bags aren’t even unpacked yet when gorgeous, intense Garth Vale shows up on her doorstep in the middle of the night with a sick baby…
But his story somehow doesn’t add up, and Bronwyn isn’t quite sure who she’s saving—the baby, or the man…
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
