The Unsung Hero

Rating:
Summary: Moving story could well be best contemporary of 2000
Review: Both my mother and father served in the European Theatre during WWII and because romance novelists rarely tap into this dramatic time in history, I adored this book for mining its richness. Tom Paoletti is a Navy SEAL in trouble. After sustaining a life-threatening head injury he's ordered to take 30 days off to rest. One small problem: at the airport he spots a terrorist thought dead. The brass all think he has a screw loose. Luckily his Uncle Joe and Joe's best friend, Charles, two WWII vets, are willing to believe Tom and help him. Charles is dying and mad as hell at Joe for wanting to talk to an author about their time with the French Resistance. Tom's immediate need forces the friends into a truce and not a moment too soon. Tom's other problem is his overwhelming attraction to Charles's daughter Kelly. He's always loved her. She's always loved him. But can a SEAL commit? Can a woman afraid of failing at marriage twice commit? A third thread adds to the rich tapestry of THE UNSUNG HERO in Tom's troubled niece, Mallory, and her burgeoning relationship with a loveable geek. Believe it or not, Suzanne Brockman weaves all these stories into a satisfying whole, combining not one, but three love stories, including one told in flashbacks to WWII. The flashbacks are never distracting and provide a powerful setup for one of the most dramatic finishes to a book I've read in a long, long time.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I admit that I'm a big fan of Suzanne Brockmann's books, so I may have been predisposed to like The Unsung Hero. However, I can objectively say that the book surpassed even my high expectations with its attention-grabbing mix of action/adventure, long-simmering romance, young love and an important secondary story told in flashback.

Intricate? You bet, but Suzanne does an incredible job weaving it all together in a way that kept me spellbound.

Everything in this novel works for me. The plot of injured Navy SEAL Tom Paoletti returning to his small-town Massachutsetts home to recover from a possible-career-ending head injury and spotting someone who could be a deadly terrorist is a great set-up.

The conflict between hometown doctor Kelly Ashton and her terminally-ill father Charles touches the heart.

Even though there's a lot going on, the primary romance between Tom Paoletti and Kelly Ashton is dynamite. I love having two people who have known and been attracted to each other for years finally meet up again.

Some readers don't like the addition of the WWII backstory involving Charles Ashton and Tom's great-uncle Joe Paoletti. I disagree. I think the flashback segments are extremely well done and make for compelling reading. I HAD to find out the whole story.

So, count this a rave for The Unsung Hero because it is definitely at the top of list of my favorite books of the year.

Rating:
Summary: Might be my favorite in the Navy Seal Series
Review: I agree! WOW! Another winner from SB for me! I thought Tom Paoletti to be sexy as "all-get-out!" and Kelly Ashton perfect for his equal! This is one of those books that has a half-a-dozen things going on at one time. You can't get bored with it and the tension between the girl and guy is sooo strong! You can't wait to see what is going to happen next.

Kelly Ashton is the girl-next-door from Tom's youth who is now a pediatrician that has returned home to stay with her father while he is slowly dying. She is still on call but trying not to work as many hours so she can be home for her dad. During their youth Tom was the "bad boy" that all the girls were crazy for- the one with a reputation. Kelly was a good bit younger but had a crush on him hoping that one day he would look at her as a young lady instead of a tom-boy. She had it so bad that she would climb up into her tree house which had a perfect view into Tom's bedroom. Imagine the view she had. ha, ha!!! Well, she is no longer the tom-boy but a beautiful, intelligent, professional woman who can hold her own- but still wants to hold Tom Paoletti.

Tom Paoletti is Lt. of the Navy Seals. He is on medical leave after receiving a head injury during one of their recent missions. So he heads home to his uncle's house where he was raised- pretty much the only family he has except for his sister and her teenage daughter. Tom has changed too from the infamous "bad boy" to a well respected position of LT. over the Navy Seals. When Kelly discovers that Tom is back in town after years of being gone and still single- and Tom sees Kelly for the first time in years, my how she has grown, and discovers she is unattached (divorced) sparks start to fly! And there is no one-sidedness to this relationship. They can both carry their own. But neither wants to have a serious relationship--- they think! Tom because of his career and Kelly because of her career and heart. But the passion is just too strong - feels there were there a long time ago but were put away now come to surface.

Then you have everything going on around them like - Tom's uncle and Kelly's Dad are best friends and having to deal with the issue of death in the near future. Then there's Tom's niece finding a someone that cares for her and not just her well stacked body. Then there's the terrorist that Tom recognizes who is wanted by the FBI - what is he doing in a small New England town. And it just goes on from there. There's not a dull moment.

Well, it's just a book you need to read for yourself. A keeper for me! Now I am looking for Frisco Kid's story. After his name and circumstances being mentioned by Tom (Unsung Hero), Blue (Navy Blue, and Joe (Prince Joe) I want to see what his story is- bet it will be a good one!