Over the Edge
4 Stars

Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok is the "go-to" man for solving any problem that arises with the headstrong SEALS of Team Sixteen. Thus, when he observes Lieutenant Teri Howe, a strong, dedicated and highly skilled naval reserves pilot, in a difficult situation, he does not hesitate to offer his assistance. Unfortunately, Stan's plan takes a troubling turn when he and Teri along with the rest of the team become involved in a hostage crisis involving the hijacking of a jet carrying the daughter of a US Senator.

This is another series that has been languishing on my TBR for several years. However, a group read provided me with the opportunity to continue, and I am glad it did as this is an exciting and entertaining read that lacks the irritating issues from book#2 that led me to put it aside.

Like the first two books, there are several intertwining threads including Teri and Stan's slow-burn romance, Alyssa and Sam's ongoing angst fest, the suspense of the hijacking, and the sad story of Helga Shuler's past as a young Jewish child in Denmark.

Of these, the WWII thread is the most problematic, which is also the case for the two previous books. The knowledge that the characters either died during or since the war makes it difficult to become immersed in their stories. For instance, here, it is clear from the start that Marte died of cancer, Herschel was killed, and Annabet lived a lonely life without the man she loved. As such, it is virtually impossible to become attached to any of them.

In contrast, the threads set in the present are captivating. Teri and Stan are simply adorable both as individuals and as a couple. Their conversations and interactions made me smile. Likewise, the developments in Alyssa and Sam's relationship are excellent - they certainly know how to set fire to the sheets. That said, there are times when Alyssa's prejudices and treatment of Sam become annoying, and the twist at the end is quite troubling.

Finally, the hijacking plot is nail-bitingly intense and had me riveted from the start. Gina Vitagliano is an incredible character, but the rape scene is completely unnecessary. I have said it before (see my review of Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs) and I'll say it again - there are better methods for building up a strong, intelligent and resourceful heroine without resorting to this trope.

Overall, this is an edge-of-the-seat read and I hope that the next one continues in the same vein.
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I love Suzanne Brockmann. This one is a favorite. The hero is not your standard handsome god. The heroine is very self confident and capable in her job but has issues with men outside of that. ( )

If you have read any of Brockmann's other Troubleshooter books you will know she has a formula for her plots. They all include Navy SEALs who are blindingly, devastatingly, glaringly, or outrageously handsome and the women they lust after, deeply love, or obsessively desire are all undeniably gorgeous, remarkably good looking, or intensely (or sinfully) attractive. Everyone, male and female, has exotic eyes or cheekbones, lush, full, or bee-stung lips, and they always, always, always a hard body to die for. No one seems to have an ounce of fat or ugliness or plainness anywhere. Despite everyone being impossibly beautiful that wasn't what really bothered me. What irked me is the amount of sex on the brain. Someone could be talking about the abuse they suffered as a child but thinking lustfully about the person across from them. A murder could happen right in front of someone's face and within minutes he or she has forgotten the death because they're too busy trying to unzip their pants. Every couple seemed to be either arguing, miscommunicating, making assumptions, or having blistering hot sex. Seriously, there were so many sex scenes I started to skip them to the detriment of the plot. I don't think it's a spoiler alert to say the hijack rescue, despite taking the whole book to set up, was over in a matter of minutes. Oh yeah, back to the plot:
In Over the Edge the plot alternates between a present day plane hijacking and a forbidden love during the early days of World War II. Terrorists land a plane in Kazbekistan in hopes of trading hostages. The Navy SEALs are brought in to negotiate a rescue of an American Senator's wayward daughter. The most interesting character who tied present day with the past was Helga Schuler, a journalist and Holocaust survivor who is losing her memory. ( )

Good romantic suspense novel. Is there another novel that picks up Roger/Sam's story? Loved all the characters in this story and have already ordered Book 4. Narrator Patrick Lawlor's voice was well cast to represent Stan Wolchonok. ( )

Senior Chief Petty Officer Stanley Wolchonok of the elite SEAL Team 16 Troubleshooters has earned a reputation as a man able to diffuse any messy situation with his calm, cool thinking and impressive countenance. Though respected and liked by his peers, Stan has never allowed any of them into his private life. When he witnesses Naval Reservist Lieutenant Helicopter Pilot, Teri Howe (who he has a huge crush on) freeze up in obvious fear while she’s being sexually harassed, everything changes. She is drawn to him because he's warm, caring, protective. Despite his "craggy" features she's falling for Stan. He believes he's too old for her and that she's only attracted to him because he helped her out of a tough situation.

In the meantime a group of terrorists have hijacked a commercial airplane in Kazbekistan and the whole team, plus Teri Howe, and our favorite FBI agents, Alyssa Locke, Max Bhagat and Jules Cassidy have accompanied them. There are some interesting moments involving the hijacked plane as well as a flashback to WW II story by Helga, an Israeli ambassador and best friend of Stan's deceased mother. Sam Starret and Alyssa continue their bizarre attraction that I personally find obnoxious.

There's a lot more sex and romance than you would expect during a hostage situation but I really loved Stan and Teri's story. I plan to read all the Troubleshooters novels so on to #4 [b:Out of Control|243746|Out of Control (Troubleshooters, #4)|Suzanne Brockmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386749271l/243746._SY75_.jpg|2451570]


TBR 1412 ( )