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All her life Melody Evans has wanted to marry a plain, average man who didn't take risks. But when the foreign embassy where she works as an aide is taken over by terrorists and she's rescued by a daring navy SEAL, Melody blames the extreme circumstances for their ensuing passion. When it comes to ordinary, Harlan "Cowboy" Jones is anything but, and their encounter leaves Melody with a little more than just memories....
Seven months later when Cowboy pays Melody a visit, he's surprised to find her pregnant--with his child. Now all he has to do is convince her that they are meant to be together. That he can be as ordinary as the next guy. The only problem is, once a hero, always a hero….
Brockmann's first novels were stand-alones. But as her career progressed, she noticed that romance mini-series, with their opportunities for character development and intersecting story lines, had become extremely popular. Seeking to increase her readership, she decided to write a mini-series of her own. She found her "hook" in a magazine article on Navy SEALs and, in 1996, she released Prince Joe, the first novel in her Tall, Dark and Dangerous series. The alpha males of Brockmann's fictional SEAL Team 10 proved to be the perfect romantic heroes, and the series was an immediate hit with readers. Four years later, she launched a second series of military/romantic thrillers centered on the friendships, romances, and working relationships among a team of Navy SEALS and members of an elite security agency called Troubleshooters, Inc. Starting with The Unsung Hero in 2000, the Troubleshooters books have catapulted the author to the top of the charts.
Brockmann is known in the industry as a risk-taker, having written stories around such sensitive topics as interracial romance and homosexuality, In 2004, she garnered attention for her eighth Troubleshooters novel, Hot Target, which involved one of her most popular recurring characters, openly gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, in a romantic subplot. Brockman, who dedicated the book to her gay son Jason, was not sure how readers would respond. To her surprise, the reaction from gay and straight alike proved positive. She stated on her website: "I love the fact that the world I've created in my books -- a diverse American world filled with the same variety of people who live in my urban American neighborhood -- has been so enthusiastically embraced by readers."
Brockmann's distinctive literary blend has come in for its fair share of praise. Writing in the Chicago Tribune, veteran Booklist reviewer John Charles stated: "Brockmann strikes the perfect balance between white-knuckle suspense and richly emotional romance." And USA Today has called her "[t]he reigning queen of militaray suspense." As further proof of her mainstream appeal, she remains one of a handful of Romance novelists to have made the leap from mass market paperback to hardcover.
A serious history buff from her youth, Brockmann has read widely on WWII and has been known to incorporate stories from that era into the books of her Troubleshooters series.
Brockmann loves music. She attended Boston University as a film major with a minor in creative writing but dropped out to perform with a rock and roll band. She also sang with and served as music director for a Boston-based a cappella group called "Serious Fun" and produced its first and only CD in 1998.
Brockman is married to novelist Ed Gaffney.
The mother of an openly gay son , Brockmann is a proud member of PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays).
In her writing, Brockmann employs a device she calls Deep Point of View. She explains it in an interview with the online writers' journal Writers Write: "In my books, I use subjective point of view, but I'm not satisfied with merely showing the reader what that camera sees from its perch atop a character's head. I bring the camera down, inside of that character's head, so we see the world through that character's eyes. We hear things through his ears. We smell what he smells, feel what he feels, think what he think. With deep POV, I write using words that that character would use. I tell the story with that character's voice."
Harlan "Cowboy" Jones was on the SEAL team assigned to rescue three embassy workers from a country taken over by terrorists. Melody Evans was one of the three and from the moment Cowboy showed up, she had absolute trust that he would save her life. Following the rescue, they were inseparable for days until it was time for her to return to her life in Appleton, Massachusetts and she ended it, knowing what they had wouldn't last.
Seven months later, Cowboy shows up in Appleton, not having been able to forget Melody. To his surprise, he discovers she's pregnant with his child and committed to raising this child alone. He begins his mission to prove that they need to marry for the sake of this child.
There are two stories here, the first and last halves of the book. The first was fantastic, with an exciting operation surrounding the rescue of Melody and her co-workers. It's always great to see the SEAL teams in action. The chemistry between Melody and Cowboy was powerful and the pages sizzled with that connection. However, I don't understand why Brockmann omitted Cowboy and Melody's post rescue interlude, granted it was revisited in some detail. The second half was laborious as we waited for Melody to meet Cowboy at least halfway. He made extreme sacrifices and she made him prove himself over and over again. On one hand, I understood Melody's reluctance to succumb to Cowboy since they really hadn't had an opportunity to "know" each other. On the other hand, you reach a point where you commit to try if you say you want the best for your child. Her stubbornness was maddening, to the extent where I almost wanted him to walk away.
Bottom line, though, I enjoyed the book even if the second half made it weaker. Cowboy is so appealing and sexy and handsome and.well I digress. I liked Melody but she drove me nuts. Maybe it was the hormones. My rating is based on the strength of the first half.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 15, 2006
The book was okay, but it wasn't one of her best. Jones, of course, was great, but Melody was irritating. I mean, really! Here is a man who can protect her in any given situation, and who wants to be a part of her life, and this is a problem for her? She keeps lamenting the fact that his job is dangerous. So what? So is driving on the freeway. Get over it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 8, 2012
## I enjoyed the first part of the book and cowboys character. Thats why i gave it two stars. After that, the book turned frustrating. The Melody character was awful. About 100 pages in the middle were rediculous. I just wanted to clobber her
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 10, 2004
I liked the story. It was predictable of course. I liked the energy in the beginning of the book, the excitement, and fast pace. The middle of the story slowed down more and some of the things the main character, Melody, did irrated me. I kept thinking, why is she letting the father of her child sleep in a tent outside her home, during the fall season in the northeast, for more than a couple of days? Doesn't she have a consience? She let him stay out there for weeks, while the poor guy kept trying to please her. This part was a little unbelievable. The end was positive and heart warming, but you feel sorry for the guy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 8, 2013
Great story! A real must buy
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Posted April 20, 2012
This book was great. I love cowbog hes such a gentleman and he sooo loves melody. But my favorite character is the kid that brings them closer together...andy... he gets into fights but finally finds a great home with those who love him
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is an unusual story yes, but unlike the negative feedback left for the story. I loved the connection with Melody and Cowboy. Were there times you wanted to say give it up already, yes but the other storylines surrounding the main story kept you intrigued.
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Posted July 16, 2005
W O W!!!! If I could meet someone like Cowboy Jones then I wouldnt mind being held hostage by terroists....Melody is extremely lucky this book has humor and love and all I can say is I will read it atleat 5 more times!
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Overview
All her life Melody Evans has wanted to marry a plain, average man who didn't take risks. But when the foreign embassy where she works as an aide is taken over by terrorists and she's rescued by a daring navy SEAL, Melody blames the extreme circumstances for their ensuing passion. When it comes to ordinary, Harlan "Cowboy" Jones is anything but, and their encounter leaves Melody with a little more than just memories....
Seven months later when Cowboy pays Melody a visit, he's ...