Last month in our newest feature we introduced you to W.E.B. Griffin, one of my all-time favorite authors.  His books are definitely targeted for a male audience. This month we are going to introduce you to an author that does a remarkable job of bridging the gap of a romance and military suspense. Suzanne Brockmann not only writes, but also certainly popularized, if not outright pioneered, the genre of romantic military suspense, so her plots are all about action. While I have not read her earlier works from the early 1990’s published for the Silhouette Intimate Moments series. A few years ago while I was at a library book sale I came across a couple of her Tall, Dark and Dangerous series, I almost didn’t get them because they were “Romance” novels, but it was Sunday and it was $5.00 a bag no matter how many fit in so I took a chance that this series about a group of Navy Seals would at least be good filler while waiting for a real book to be available. I think I finished every book in two bags before I finally took out the first one called Prince Joe. I was truly impressed with the quality of the writing involved and the detail given to the characters. While it was a little heavy on the romance for me personally, the quality of the writing and the action driven plot convinced me to read the other’s in the series. In her next series “The Troubleshooter Series” the romance is still there but dialed back a little bit in my opinion, enough for the “Romance’ novel lovers and little enough for the general public. This series follows a group of Ex-Seals, Ex-FBI and other Special Operators in real life type situations, stalkers terrorist and more.

In addition, her stories are all in the present days, except some flashbacks to provide important background on a character or plot. They deal with things you can relate to, realationship problems occour with her characters, people make mistakes and yes they still end up living happily ever after for the most part. Just like real life these events happen here in the USA and around the world. Being the brother of seven sisters it is nice to see the women in her series are portrayed as strong, competent professionals. They don’t fall apart at the first inkling of trouble, they adapt and carry on in difficult situations, much like my sisters have always done. One of the problems in most “romance’ novels is that the women are always needing the man to fix everything for them, in her works, Suzanne Brockmann always the women to be apart if not the one to fix the crisis they become part of. They male figures she creates are definitely of the “image” of a “guys” guy. Navy Chiefs, Cops and all competent as  Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, just do whatever is right and hold the political correctness.

In closing, I would just say that every once in a while when choosing a book to read as in life, you do have to overlook some of the sterotypes associated with the genre and just enjoy quality a book for it’s quality of writing, attention to detail and obvious talent of the writer. Suzanne Brockmann is an example of an author that could probably write more “main Stream” such as a Nora Roberts has become, or stick to writing that she enjoys and does well. Would she be my first choice at the bookstore, no, but she definitely would not be ignored.

 

Kiss and Tell (1996)

The Kissing Game (1996)

Otherwise Engaged (1997)

 

1. Prince Joe (1996)

2. Forever Blue (1996)

3. Frisco's Kid (1996)

4. Everyday, Average Jones (1998)

5. Harvard's Education (1998)

6. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (1998)

7. The Admiral's Bride (1999)

8. Identity, Unknown (1999)

9. Get Lucky (2000)

10. Taylor's Temptation (2001)

11. Night Watch (2003)

 

1. Forbidden (1997)

2. Freedom's Price (1998)

 

1. The Unsung Hero (2000)

2. The Defiant Hero (2001)

3. Over the Edge (2001)

4. Out of Control (2002)

5. Into the Night (2002)

6. Gone Too Far (2003)

7. Flashpoint (2004)

8. Hot Target (2004)

9. Breaking Point (2005)

10. Into the Storm (2006)

11. Force of Nature (2007)

12. All Through the Night (2007)

13. Into the Fire (2008)

14. Dark of Night (2009)

15. Hot Pursuit (2009)