Customer Reviews

The Admiral's Bride (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, Book 7)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Out of Ms. Brockmann's many fabulous heroes, all of whom I adore, I *totally* fell in love with Admiral Jake Robinson! What a man! He is utterly idealistic and principled, but there is never a second of "sappiness" in the author's presentation of his heroism. She provides totally believable motivation for exactly why he seems so noble to others. In short: no matter how many people he has saved in Vietnam and throughout the rest of his illustrious career, he has always regretted the ones he wasn't able to save.

At 52, Jake has been widowed for several years after a happy, 30-year marriage to an artist. The heroine, Zoe Lange, is different in every way from Jake's deceased wife, but she is truly his soul mate. Like him, she works in covert operations and feels a huge adrenaline rush from the danger. Because their work is so similar, Zoe understands Jake's career as his dead wife never could.

Many times internal conflicts such as Jake's guilt about the age difference between him and Zoe can get tedious in romance because the hero's "angsting" gets excessive. Happily, Ms. Brockmann never crosses that line. The very traits of honor and commitment and deep, abiding love that make the heroine fall in love with Jake are the things that believably keep them apart until the tumultuous climax.

Zoe is a fabulous heroine. Brilliant, competent, and independent, she never wanted to marry because she put her career above everything else in life. She loves her work as a scientist specializing in biological warfare. Like Jake, she knows her work is very important because it saves so many lives. So up until Jake, she only got involved with men as potential lovers that she was sure she would fall in love with only a little bit.

However, almost immediately with Jake she realizes this is not going to be the case. She loses her previous control, because it is impossible to keep any distance from this incredible man.

As for the love scenes--whew! TOTALLY HOT! Because Ms. Brockmann writes in close-third point of view, we get to be intensely immersed in the passionate feelings of each character in these scenes as well as all others. The author never distracts us by the dizzying head-hopping many other romance authors succumb to. We are always close-in and utterly personally involved by her seamless writing style.

All in all this is a truly magnificent book worthy of the many awards it will undoubtedly win, as so many other of Ms. Brockmann's books have. The only "complaint" I have is that the book had to end!

I don't normally go for the older man/younger woman type books, but Ms. Brockmann's handling of the situation worked. And I can't think of a guy more deserving of finding love again than the widower, "Admiral."

I'm glad to see a few of Brockmann's original Tall Dark & Dangerous series are being republished, namely books 1 & 2, Prince Joe and Forever Blue. I hope they'll continue and republish all of them. I'd buy them again. Admiral's Bride is #7 in the series. If they don't... and if you can get your hands on this one, it's worth it. Although it's not absolutely necessary, I recommend reading Brockmann's "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" (book #6 in the series) to get a bit more of the Admiral's history before reading this one. While it's Crash's story, the Admiral and his first love, Daisy, are featured heavily in it.

I don't see this as her best effort (but not her worst, either). I think really the book is too short to get into the kind of character development she does in other SEAL books, and so you might not care as much about these characters as you do in other of her novels. Also, as another reviewer said, the "action" in this book is not believable (and I'm not even in the military, and I can tell). It reads a little like it was written by a teenager living out her fantasy on paper. Lots of thoughts from the main characters on their emotions, but not enough interractions to flesh out why they feel that way.

I was also a little disturbed by the repeated references to how the female lead had had a crush on the Admiral since she was a child. There was only lip service as to that her love now "was so much more" than her hero-worship crush. I wasn't convinced. Seemed to me that they hadn't been around each other enough for her to have other than a crush, and him to have other than a wish to end his celibacy.

Also, as others said, if you don't like may-december romances, skip this one, because the age difference is mentioned frequently (and then wrapped up in a neat little package and tossed aside right at the end).

I was entertained by this story (enough to finish the book), but there were a number of aspects concerning it that left me scratching my head in disbelief. The depiction of the military in this book is laughable at best (especially for those of us who have actually served in the military). The scenes where the Navy SEAL team are discussing Jake and Zoe's feelings for each other are laughably bad. I mean, seriosuly, to have one Navy SEAL telling another SEAL as they watch their team leader and the heroine on a monitor, "I think it must be very difficult for both of them. He cares a great deal for her. And Zoe..." He sighed. "She's falling in love with Jake." These are supposed to be Navy SEALS on a mission! Not girlfriends chatting on a lazy Sunday afternoon over a dessert coffee.

The characters were a little "Mary Sue-ish" at times (too good to be true). The Admiral has too many moments of indecision for me, as a reader, to believe that he is supposed to be as heroic and strategically gifted as the book keeps reminding us he is. And the heroine, Zoe, bounces back and forth between being a first rate operative to a wounded barbie doll.

There is some witty banter between characters, and I was curious enough to finish the book so I could see how the story would wrap up, but if you decide to read this book.... be warned that you will need to leave reality checked at the door.

I was getting so disgusted by category romances (very tired of the amnesiac virgins/pregnant brides/woman-hating ranchers/fabulously wealthy creeps that are so prevalent in the genre now!) but Suzanne Brockmann has restored my faith in the category romance. I really enjoyed this book. The writing was witty, Zoe was an awesome character, and Jake...well, I certainly wouldn't mind the fact that he was 20+ years older... (I kept picturing a blue-eyed George Clooney - yum!) I am now going to rush out and find all of her previous books. Bye!

A religious zealot and his cult of merry Montana polygamists have stolen a deadly nerve gas and plan to release it as a political statement. Admiral Jake Robinson decides that it's time to return to undercover SEAL duty to infiltrate the group using his elite "gray" ops group with the aid of Zoe Lange, a beautiful and young CIA agent/scientist.

It's been three years since his beloved companion of 30 years passed away (non-comformist artist Daisy only agreed to marry him just before dying), but this assignment has Jake taking a wife - at least for the mission. He soon finds himself attracted to his "intended." Turns out she's the daughter of the 427th person that Jake's team rescued in Vietnam.

I wanted to like this book. The character of Jake is so charismatic and deserving of his own story after appearing in Crash's story. I loved that Jake still mourned the loss of Daisy and had a difficult decision moving on without her. But at the same time - ick. Zoe was way, way too young for him. And I never got a feeling that she felt anything more than hero worship while he was just itching a scratch after three years of celibacy. It would have been better if her character was at least a little mature, but she was completely petulant and childish throughout the story. And if Zoe said "Holy Mike" one more time...

I wasn't really enamored with the plot line overall - the military action/suspense just wasn't there, and what little there was, was highly implausible. There was very little action in the plot. The fact that the highly trained active duty SEALS were relegated to basically hanging out and playing cards (or watching Zoe on video while chatting about her and Jake's relationship) was a complete joke. In order to fully appreciate Jake's character, read "Hawken's Heart" first which features Jake and Daisy in a secondary storyline, as well as giving insight to Jake's relationship with Crash Hawken.

Holy Cow! What a STUD! If my husband is like Jake when He is 50ish I am going to lock him up in a cage! Kidding aside, I really enjoyed this book. The only part I didn't like was Jake obsessing with his dead wife,however...that did add alittle sexual tension between him and Zoe. I also likes Zoe's character, she was a strong woman who was not afraid to show or say her feelings, and she definitly knew what a catch her hero Jake was. Go for it girl! This book is a fast read because it is good, and believe me once you get a mindful of the Admiral you will definitly want to keep reading!

Suzanne Brockmann's work just gets better and better, as far as I'm concerned. I'm not a big military/suspense fan, but Ms. Brockmann does such a terrific job with her characters, and never lets the suspense elements of the story overshadow the romance (which is why I'm reading the book, after all!) that I've yet to read one of her books that I haven't enjoyed, no matter what the storyline.

Zoe and Jake are simply wonderful characters, and Ms. Brockmann's sensitive handling of the age-difference issue was superb. Jake's conflicts regarding his attraction to Zoe while still in love with his dead wife were truly heart-wrenching, and the resolution believeable and oh-so-satisfying. Loved the characters, loved the book.

Thanks, Suzanne!

I realize the depths of her talent. While some may not like every character and love match she makes, it is impossible to deny that the woman knows how to keep you turning pages. I had no problem with the age difference between Jake and Zoe, but there is so much more to this book! If you like high intensity action and smart mouthed Alpha males, read Brockmann!

Admiral Jake Robinson, who lost his beloved wife in a previous book, has to pretend to be in love with scientist Zoe. Of course, there is little pretending here, and Zoe never cares about the age difference between them.

I usually don't like contemporaries with much older heroes but this one reeled me in. ANother great Brockmann SEAL book!