Love may be the toughest battle of all
Captain Bennett Oscar Sheraton
Navy SEAL, the best of the best
Dr. Kimberly Warren
Brilliant engineer, founder of secret space program
When scientists on Dr. Warren's super-secret space
mission start dying, Navy SEAL Captain Sheraton is sent in as an astronaut
candidate with a hidden agenda-find the person sabotaging the program.
Kimberly and Bennett's instant attraction may prove to be
a major distraction-or it might be the key to both of their dreams coming
true...
Terrific book that sucked me in from the first chapter
and didn't let go until the end. I've been a fan of the author since I read
SEAL at Heart, and this was my favorite book so far. I loved the blend of romance,
action, intrigue, and suspense. Another big plus was the space theme and the
SEAL history that went with it.
Dr. Kimberly Warren, a brilliant engineer, and designer
of the Warren Shuttle, has a problem. Trouble plagues her top-secret space
mission, from technical issues to several scientists and two Navy SEAL
astronaut candidates' deaths. A high-ranking Navy official and family friend
promises to get her some help.
Sent in as astronaut candidates, Captain Bennett Sheraton
and his teammate, Jonah Melo, also have the hidden agenda of searching for
solutions to the program's issues and finding out who murdered their SEAL brothers
and the other scientists.
First up is the romance. The sparks between Bennett and
Kimberly were evident from the moment they met. Usually focused almost exclusively
on work, Kimberly's reaction to Bennett surprises her. Bennett initially looks at
his reaction to Kimberly as a distraction he doesn't need. But those sparks
soon grow too strong to ignore. I liked that both Kimberly and Bennett are
mature adults (he's 40, she's in her 30s), tops in their fields, with terrific
senses of humor. Once Kimberly and Bennett make up their minds to pursue the
connection between them, they are all in. They don't play games with each
other's emotions, and when an issue crops up, they talk about it. They work
hard to prevent their romance from interfering with their work yet still manage
to carve out time to be together. Kimberly also takes care to show no favoritism
to Bennett when picking a pilot for the shuttle - perhaps going a little too
far in the other direction.
Each is
protective of the other, with good reason, as the launch grows closer. There
are some tense moments during the space mission, and both realize that they
want a future together. Bennett's post-mission recovery created some interesting
challenges for the couple. The ending was fantastic, especially the trip to DC.
Next up is the intrigue. The mission brings together
scientists and candidates from all over the world along with their accompanying
rivalries. Kimberly continually has to play referee and deal with a project
director, Kess, who seems intent on usurping all of her power. As Bennett and
Melo dig into the program's problems, they discover a variety of issues. I
loved their teamwork as they put their problem-solving skills to work. The
tension ramped up as both Bennett and Melo witnessed some troubling
interactions among two candidates and became increasingly suspicious of Kess
and his intentions. The discovery of another dead candidate answered some
questions, while an unexpected twist with Kess answered others. However, that
isn't the end, and Bennett and Kimberly must remain vigilant.
Last is the suspense that builds from the moment Bennett
arrives until the shuttle is safely back on earth. This was my favorite part,
as I thoroughly enjoyed all of the little details about the process. From the
start, there is the whole question of whether everything would be done in time
to make the launch window. I could feel the tension as the engineers stressed
over the software/hardware issues. Though there wasn't truly any question about
who would be chosen as the pilot, there was enough competition to add to
Bennett's stress. As an added complication, Kimberly was systematically pushed
further out of the loop of the mission. As the launch got closer, I had the
feeling that there was trouble yet to come. After the launch, I was glued to
the pages as Bennett conquered one hurdle after another. The comet part was a
nail-biter, as was its effect on the rest of the mission. I understood
Kimberly's fury with the powers-that-be and loved seeing her take matters into
her own hands with Melo's help. The landing had me on the edge of my seat until
it was over and Bennett was safe.
One of my favorite secondary "characters" was
Sally, Kimberly's computer system. There were times she seemed almost human.
Though I was a bit confused about how she could be all-seeing at times, yet
didn't know who committed the murders. I didn't let it bother me too much,
preferring to enjoy what she did do. I also liked Sally's counterpart, Sully,
the shuttle's onboard computer system. I loved how Sully got his name and
Bennett's enjoyment when he figured it out.
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