A SEAL's Desire - Tawny Weber (HB #896 - June 2016)

Series: Sexy SEALs (Book 13)
           Uniformly Hot (Book 63)

Subject: Petty Officer Christian "Cowboy" Laramie

Mission: Locate a missing person…without seducing the man's fiancée!

Navy SEAL Christian Laramie knows everything about explosives, including how to avoid them. But he sure as hell isn't prepared for Sammi Jo Wilson -- all gorgeous red hair and long-legged sexiness -- in a wedding dress, asking him to find her kidnapped fiancé. Yep, he is definitely dealing with one dangerous bombshell…

Laramie has a rep for thoroughly pleasing the ladies, but he's not interested in emotional entanglements. He has rules -- and engaged women are a definite no-no. Yet the searing heat between him and Sammi is like nothing he's ever experienced. Each touch gets hotter. Each kiss more intense. And if Laramie can't disarm this desire, it will blow up in the only way possible…in bed!

Good book. Laramie has gone home on his yearly visit, to hide out in his childhood cabin and rest and recharge. He's looking forward to peace and quiet and being left alone. He does not expect to have his childhood friend Sammi Jo show up and ask for his help finding her kidnapped fiance. Every instinct he has tells him to send her away, but he just can't do it.

I started out not being particularly fond of either Laramie or Sammi Jo. Laramie has a well-known reputation with the ladies. He sleeps with many of them, leaves them smiling and satisfied, and forgets them as soon as he does. He absolutely avoids allowing any kind of emotion to be involved. His attitude has been influenced by his memories of his parents' relationship and he wants no part of that. My initial impression of Sammi Jo was that she had no backbone at all. She worked hard to overcome the stigma of how she grew up, but now she is overly concerned with appearances. She is the assistant manager at a hotel owned by her fiance's father. She has been trying to become the manager, but her efforts are ignored by him. She became engaged to Sterling because his father wanted it, not because she loves him. It is now three weeks until the wedding and all her preferences are being overruled by him and the wedding planner he hired. She doesn't fight for any of the things she wants. To top it all off, there are rumors that Sterling is cheating on her and she simply accepts it. When she gets a call from Sterling telling her that he's been kidnapped and asking her not to tell anyone, she can't just let it go. So she goes to Laramie to ask for his help.

From the moment they see each other again, the sparks between them are hot. Sammi Jo is surprised, because she's never felt like this with anyone else, especially Sterling. She's always assumed that she doesn't have what it takes to have the sexy feelings that other women talk about. Discovering that Laramie does it for her is quite a shock. Laramie is stunned by the strength of his reaction to Sammi Jo. That has never happened to him before and he isn't so sure that he likes it. He also has a rule about getting involved with women who are taken, and she should definitely be off limits.

Though she is still engaged to Sterling, Sammi Jo can't resist her attraction to Laramie. I would have found this disturbing, except that she quickly realized that marrying Sterling was no longer an option. She simply couldn't end the engagement until she could see him again. I liked seeing the way that she and Laramie spent a lot of time talking and learning about each other. Laramie's treatment of her went a long way toward enabling her to find the backbone that has been missing for so long. I also enjoyed seeing Laramie's transformation from playboy to potential husband. It wasn't all smooth sailing, as Laramie has some trouble believing that she would be willing to give up the rich life for him. Sammi Jo also has some trouble believing that she is good enough for someone like him. After an instance of allowing their insecurities to come between them, I liked the way that Sammi Jo took matters into her own hands and finally stood up for what she wanted. Her big moment at the end was really good.

The portrayals of Mr. Barclay, Sterling and the wedding planner were all quite good. They were definitely easy to detest. Mr. Barclay's control freak persona was horrible, and the way he treated Sammi Jo was wrong on so many levels. I couldn't believe she took it for as long as she did. Sterling was just creepy. His complete disrespect for Sammi Jo was unforgivable and I really wished that Laramie had been a bit rougher with him. The wedding planner was a bitch, plain and simple. I hated seeing Sammi Jo buckle under to her. The twist at the end involving her wasn't really much of a surprise once I thought about it. I'd love to hear that, in the not too distant future, the Barclay hotel went out of business because Sammi Jo had been the one making it all work.

I did enjoy the teasing that Laramie got from his teammates as his feelings for Sammi Jo became more obvious. 

Christmas with a SEAL - Tawny Weber (HB #819 - Nov 2014)

Series: Sexy SEALs (Book 6)
           Uniformly Hot (Book 48)

Subject: Navy SEAL Lieutenant Phillip Banks

Mission: Resist one saucy redhead's attempts to de-Scrooge him…and seduce him!

Silversmith Frankie Silvera has lost her creative mojo. And she knows how to get it back -- by getting her sexy on with a certain hot sailor. Just the thought of Phillip's hard, Navy-trained body against her, and everything goes molten. He's the "inspiration" Frankie needs for the holidays!

Navy SEAL Phillip Banks is the prince of protocol. But after his last mission went horribly off-course, all of that control has dissipated. Now he's at the mercy of one very determined female who is pulling out all the stops on Operation Christmas -- including red-hot lingerie and the promise of oh-so-wicked delights… But does giving in mean giving up everything he's worked for?

Fun book. It starts out with Lara and Dominic's wedding (A SEAL's Fantasy). Lara is Phillip's sister, so he is there at the wedding, even though he really doesn't want to be. They weren't close growing up and have only recently reconnected. Also at the wedding is Frankie, one of Lara's friends. Frankie is the granddaughter of the Banks' family housekeeper and had a crush on Phillip while growing up. She is a jewelry maker who is currently going through a creative dry spell, and thinks that some hot sex with her girlhood crush will loosen things up. He doesn't recognize her and she doesn't tell him who she is, and disappears the next morning before he wakes up.

Phillip's reputation in the SEAL team is that of always being in control, focused on the rules and the right way to do something. But his latest mission had something go terribly wrong and he is having a hard time dealing with it. He's recovered physically, but his emotions are all over the place. Plus his career has hit a bump and he's sent on temporary duty to teach at the Naval Academy while the other members of his team go after the people who captured him. He's stunned to find his one night stand (who he hasn't been able to forget) at his parents' home. He knows he should keep his distance, but the attraction is just as hot now as it was then.

Frankie hadn't expected to see Phillip again, especially so soon. It was definitely a shock for both of them. Though she'd had high hopes for the return of her creativity, it hadn't happened. Now that he's there, she's hoping that some more exposure will do the trick. 

It was interesting to see these two very different people fall for each other. Phillip is controlled, rule-following, and focused. Frankie is creative, very emotional, and fun-loving. She is also pretty sensitive, and it doesn't take long for her to realize that he has something big eating at him. She also discovers pretty quickly that he doesn't talk about emotions. I ached for him at times because being back in his childhood home didn't bring back any happy memories for him - just the opposite. I enjoyed seeing Frankie drag him kicking and screaming into the holidays. And Phillip discovered that just being around Frankie helped ease his feelings of being out of control. Both of them do their best to avoid admitting that there is more between them than just sex. Frankie has herself convinced that there is no way that she is good enough for him. Phillip thinks he's too broken, plus marriage has never been in his career plan. I loved seeing his inner shock when he realizes that he's done something he never thought possible - fall in love. I wanted to shake Frankie when she allowed her own fears and insecurities keep her from accepting what he was offering. I grinned when Phillip got an unexpected pep talk from his sister, and I cheered when Frankie's friend Shayla read her the riot act for falling into the same trap she always does when things start to go well. The ending was really sweet, with Phillip really shining in the way that he understands Frankie and Frankie making sure that he knows that she loves him for himself and doesn't expect him to give up who he is for her.

There were several really emotional parts, but my favorite was when Castillo was filling him in on the results of the mission that Phillip wasn't allowed to participate in. Phillip was really blown away by what he learned.

I also loved the part with the leather dress. It was really fun to see Shayla try to show Frankie how she always sabotages herself. It was great to see how right she was about Phillip's reaction to the dress.

A SEAL's Touch - Tawny Weber (HB #879 - Feb 2016)

Series: Sexy SEALs (Book 12)
           Uniformly Hot (Book 59)

Subject: Navy SEAL Taylor Powell

Mission: Find a sexy fake girlfriend…with even sexier benefits!

Lieutenant Taylor "The Wizard" Powell has a reputation for getting out of tricky situations. Bad guys, bombs, weapons -- no problem. Finding a girlfriend in order to evade matchmaking friends? Not so easy. He's banking on contractor Cat Peres to help him out…not realizing his tomboy friend has a whole lot of sexy surprises hidden in her toolbelt.

Cat can't remember a time when Taylor wasn't the object of her hottest dreams -- so she can't help but agree to his plan. Their only rule? Friends, no matter what. Except the deliciously hot chemistry that ignites between them takes them both by surprise…and having nothing between them might just ruin everything.

Really good friends to lovers story. Taylor and Cat have been friends for a very long time. When Taylor comes home from his latest mission he discovers that the wives and girlfriends of his teammates have decided that it's time to find him a real woman instead of his usual "bimbo du jour". Desperate to find a decoy, he asks Cat to be his fake girlfriend to throw them off track.

Cat has been crushing on him for almost as long as she has known him, but realized very early that she wasn't his type, so has settled for friendship. Playing his girlfriend is like a dream come true - as long as it doesn't wreck their friendship. 

I loved their first meeting after awhile of not seeing each other. Taylor is stunned to realize that Cat is no longer just his buddy but has turned into an amazingly hot woman. It sort of fries his brain cells, but leads him to ask her to be his fake date for the team beach party. It was fun to see tomboy Cat take her friend's advice and look like a woman rather than just one of the guys, and I loved the effect it had on Taylor. In order to cement the deception, Taylor was a lot more "hands on" that he usually would be with her. Neither expected the effect it had on them, and it especially freaked out Taylor. But neither could deny the strength of their attraction. Both of them thought they could indulge in it and still keep their friendship intact.

I loved seeing their relationship develop. Because they had known each other for so long, there was already a strong foundation of knowing each other. Spending time as a couple deepens that knowledge, but for Taylor it is a two-edged sword. He is trying to deal with some stress from the events of a previous mission and it isn't going so well. The only thing that relieves it is the time he spends with Cat, but he doesn't want to dump his troubles on her. Cat senses that there is something bothering him, but can't get him to open up to her. I loved seeing the way that she fit in with the women of the group, and the insight it gave her to what it was like to care for a SEAL. Things were looking pretty good for them until the night of the military ball. Then Taylor's fears came crashing down on him and he pushed away the one person who could help him most. I loved Cat's reaction and how her strength enabled her to lay some truths on him. 

It was wonderful to see how that made both of them take a good look at their lives. Thanks to help from their friends, each one saw things they'd refused to face before. Dealing with those made it possible to see what they could have together. I loved the ending as they were finally able to share it all. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in future books.

Another bonus of a long running series like this is the opportunity to see characters from previous books. I loved seeing various couples and how they are doing now. I also loved the tight friendships and the support that was always there when it was needed. It was also pretty sweet to see how the SEALs' ladies took to Cat but were also watching out for Taylor. That conversation was pretty amusing. I also loved the appearance of Taylor's three buddies at the end and how they helped straighten him out in their own unique way.

A SEAL's Fantasy - Tawny Weber (HB #811 - Sept 2014)

Series: Sexy SEALs (Book 5)
           Unrated! (Book 4)

Subject: Navy SEAL Lieutenant Dominic Castillo

Mission: Protect -- not seduce! -- his sexy target

Dominic Castillo loves his SEAL team like brothers -- except one, who made sure Castillo was left behind during the latest mission. But when his rival is kidnapped by a vicious drug lord, Castillo receives a black ops mission of his own: protect his rival's sister. And any mistakes will either result in her death…or his.

Lara Banks clearly has no interest in being protected by a military man, especially an acquaintance of her estranged brother. So why is she doing her best to drive him crazy with pure temptation? Lara insists on having her naughty way with him -- over and over -- but is fulfilling their fantasies worth the price?

Very good and very steamy book. Lara is a woman who knows what she wants. She's made a few bad choices along the way, but she's gotten to the point where she's almost reached her goal. Only, she's about to get derailed again, this time through no fault of her own.

Lara wanted to be a dancer from the time she was a little girl. By the time she was a teenager, she had her goal of dancing on Broadway in sight, but her snooty parents were against it. So she packed up and set out on her own, achieving her dream pretty quickly. But she does have a weakness for good looking guys who end up being bad for her, which ends up with her working as a showgirl in Reno. Her last relationship succeeded in cleaning out her savings account too, so she has decided to cut men out of her life for the foreseeable future.

Enter Castillo. Dominic Castillo is on the same SEAL team as Lara's estranged brother. They don't get along at all, with Banks's strictly by the book attitude grating on Castillo's more relaxed attitude. He's especially mad right now because a minor injury has caused Mr "By the Book" to keep him off the latest mission. When the mission goes bad, Castillo is sent to protect Lara from becoming a pawn in the bad guy's game. Castillo is a man who believes that he has all the answers whenever anyone needs help, and tends to overrun others when he thinks he's right.

Their initial meeting is a contentious one. Lara notices him watching her dance and has to keep control of herself because he's the type she's attracted to. When he tries to talk to her after her show, she shuts him down, especially when she finds out he knows her brother. I loved seeing her use her brains to get away from him. Their second encounter, outside her apartment, is even more so, until she discovers that he's not kidding about her being in danger. She accepts his protection for the moment, and goes back to his hotel with him for the night. 

There's something else going on with them though, and that's the incredible attraction between them. Lara knows she has to stay away from him, because history tells her that getting involved usually ends up with her in trouble. Castillo is trying to resist because protecting her is his mission, and distraction could get them both killed. But they discover that they just can't keep their hands off each other. Their first time together blows them both away, leaving them both shaken up. Lara convinces herself she's not really in danger and runs off while he's in the shower, and nearly gets kidnapped because of it. Castillo comes after her, because that's his mission, and also because he can't believe she walked away after what they did together. Fortunately, he arrives in time to save her, then they take off for his fallback place - his cabin on his family's land.

During the week they are there, they begin to get to know each other outside the bedroom. Castillo is, at heart, a nice guy who really likes women, though he is determined to avoid commitment. He's impressed with Lara's determination to go after her goals, and doesn't look down on her for the way she is making that happen. I liked how he introduces her to his family. Seeing him with his family gives her some insight into why Castillo is the way he is. Their getting to know each other continues when he takes her to Coronado while they wait for her brother. At this point there are some big changes going on in Lara's life, as she has lost her job and apartment. I found it a little strange that she's suddenly okay with all that, just because she's with Castillo, but I figured she was just putting off facing it so that she could enjoy him.

She realizes that she has fallen for him and is trying to figure out what she's going to do about it, when he shows up with her brother in tow. He's also got all kinds of suggestions for her that would keep her close to him. Unfortunately, he goes about things in the wrong way, making her think that he doesn't care enough about her to have actually listened to what she has said about her plans and her feelings about her brother. I loved seeing her stand up to him and call him on what he has done. I ached for her when she told him they were through.

The ending was terrific, with Castillo fighting his feelings until he can no longer deny them. I loved his conversations with his one teammate who takes him to task about his attitude, and also with Lara's brother, whose attitude really confuses him. Their reunion at the end was really sweet as Lara nearly has to use simple words to make him realize where he had gone wrong. I loved seeing how each was finally able to understand that they were loved for who they were and not expected to change because of it.

I loved Castillo's family and how they treated Lara. It was great to see them accept her as she was. I really loved her conversation with his brother Lucas about computers and security, and the impact it had on her. I loved their part in the resolution of Castillo and Lara's problems. I'm also looking forward to finding out more about Lara's brother.

A SEAL's Kiss - Tawny Weber (HB #791 - Aug 2014)

Series: Sexy SEALs (Book 4)
           Uniformly Hot (Book 43)

Subject: Navy SEAL Petty Officer Aiden Masters

Current Status: On leave

Obstacle: Deploy "Mission: (Fake) Engagement"…without actually falling for his fiancée!

The goal of Mission: Engagement is simple -- a fake engagement concocted to bring happiness to Sage Taylor's ailing father.

The Rules:

1) Treat it like a military mission

2) Keep the truth undercover

3) The "engagement" lasts as long as the professor's health depends on it; and

4) No sex…especially with each other!

But the incredibly spirited (and a touch quirky) Sage has never been one for rules. Especially when they involve Aiden's rock-hard navy bod and a ton of smokin'-hot sexual attraction. Which means in order to seduce this sexy SEAL, she'll have to completely outmaneuver him….

Very good book. It starts out with flashbacks to the weddings of Sage's friends, with each one becoming more interested in finding The One for Sage. When the most recent wedding has all three of her friends now focused on her, Sage does the only thing she can think of - concocts a fake engagement with her friend Aiden. She figures that she can fake it for awhile, then end it, without Aiden knowing anything about it. Then her father is diagnosed with cancer, and word of her "engagement" gives him happiness and hope.

The first Aiden knows of the engagement is when he shows up on leave and people start congratulating him. I loved how he didn't get angry once he heard the story behind it, and was willing to keep up the deception. It was also pretty amusing to see how he treated it like a military mission in an attempt to keep things under control.

Aiden and Sage had known each other for a very long time and are familiar with each others' personalities. Sage is known to be a bit flaky, unable to settle on a particular job or keep up a relationship for more than a few months. She also has a big heart and cares deeply for the causes she gets involved in. Aiden is highly intelligent and has been focused on his career as a SEAL. Sage's father has been his mentor for most of his life and he'll do anything to make the man happy.

I loved the attraction between them. Sage had been well aware of Aiden's sexiness for a long time, but did nothing about it. Aiden has also been attracted to Sage, but she's his mentor's daughter which makes her off limits. I had a great time with the part where they are setting up the background and rules for the engagement. Aiden is very pragmatic and doesn't see the necessity for the emotional details of the deception, while Sage is quite aware of the things that could blow their story if they don't lock it down. However, Aiden is very determined to protect them both from the dangers of their deception and insists on a "no sex" rule. I loved Sage's reaction to that, and how she was determined to break that rule as soon as possible.

I loved the growth of the relationship between them. Aiden is so focused and logical, and keeps his emotions well hidden. He's always had a thing for Sage, but has seen enough military marriages crash and burn that there's no way he'd try to tie her down. I loved Sage's ability to pursue her happiness. She knows it's out there somewhere and she's willing to keep looking until she finds it. I loved seeing how Aiden and Sage balanced each other. Her quirkiness and positive attitude helped to center him when the stresses of his work bring him down. At the same time, Aiden's steadiness gives Sage the rock she can lean on when her life gets a little crazier than usual. 

Even better, I loved the way that each of them accepted the other just as they are. Aiden can see that Sage's causes are an integral part of who she is. I loved his support of her when thoughtless comments by their friends made her question herself. Sage is also very aware that being a SEAL is important to Aiden, that his commitment is a big part of his identity. I liked the way she supported him against those who were trying to use their engagement to change him. Things are going pretty well with Sage beginning to hope that their future can become a real one, when Aiden's self doubts cause him to back away. I loved seeing how it is the "flake" that has the clearer view of who they are and what drives them. She lays her heart on the line with Aiden and says some things to him that give him something to think about. I loved the ending and seeing how their feelings gave each of them the strength to take charge of their own lives. Aiden's big moment at the end was sweet and romantic.

A SEAL's Pleasure - Tawny Weber (HB #843 - May 2015)

Series: Sexy SEALs (Book 9)
           Uniformly Hot (Book 54)

Subject: Navy SEAL Gabriel Thorne

Mission: Initiate Operation: Romance…and prove that one night isn't enough!

Explosives expert and Navy SEAL Gabriel "Romeo" Thorne makes his living tempting fate. Pushing the limits. So far, he's never lost -- especially when it comes to women. That is, until his best friend's wedding, where Gabriel is suddenly face-to-face -- and deliciously body-to-body -- with the one woman hot enough to detonate his self-control.

Tessa Monroe is used to being in control with men. Gabriel, on the other hand, is pretty much her sex kryptonite. Hard, gorgeous, dark-eyed kryptonite. Even as her defenses whisper "danger," lust demands she take her pleasure with him and then run. Now they're skirting the edge of an explosive attraction…where one wrong move could mean disaster.

Very good book. Gabriel and Tessa met briefly at a Halloween party and hadn't been able to forget each other. Six months later they saw each other again and the sparks flew. They are very much alike, both known as "love 'em and leave 'em" types. 

I loved the encounters between Tessa and Gabriel. Tessa resists at first because Gabriel is one man who threatens the control she keeps on her emotions. But it doesn't take long for the attraction to overcome her caution. All she wants is a chance to have him and get him out of her system. Gabriel is usually the same way with women, but something about Tessa has him wanting to do things differently after hearing her echo some of his same attitudes. 

It was interesting that Tessa is more of a use them and lose them person. She doesn't believe in love and romance, partly because of her mother's example (six marriages) and what she has seen. Gabriel is a man who prefers a little romance with his lust. I loved how he decided he would romance her rather than just sleep with her, building the tension between them. Tessa is really confused by his actions and doesn't know quite how to react. Because Gabriel is away over the next few weeks, they spend a lot of time talking. Some of it is just normal, share your day stuff, but some of it was pretty hot. During that same time period, both of them realized that what they had was moving beyond the physical and it was scaring them both.

Gabriel and Tessa have something else in common. Both of them are intensely loyal to their friends, and tend to take on the responsibility for others' happiness and welfare. Gabriel has something going on with a member of his team that he feels is his alone to deal with. It's creating stress and problems and when it gets out of hand, Gabriel feels that the consequences are his fault, and that it was his distraction with Tessa that had him handling things the wrong way. Meanwhile, Tessa has some things going on with her own job that she would normally share with her friend Livi. But Livi is pregnant and planning her wedding (a stress all on its own) and Tessa doesn't feel right unloading on her. 

When Gabriel returns and sees Tessa again, the tension that's been building explodes between them. What happens next is so intense that it kind of freaks them both out. They avoid each other for a bit, but eventually are drawn back together. I liked seeing their moments of vulnerability and support for each other. But then Gabriel decides that everything that went on with his team means that he can't have both his career and Tessa so he pushes her away. That confrontation is emotional, as Gabriel says things that are at odds with how he really feels but what he thinks he has to do. I hurt for Tessa as she tries to deal with her heartbreak. A heart to heart with Livi shows Tessa that it's okay to lean on your friends, and gives her the courage to fight for what she wants. I loved the ending and seeing how both Tessa and Gabriel risk their hearts for a chance to have it all.

I liked seeing more of Mitch and Livi from A SEAL's Secret. Their example is one of the things that eventually showed Gabriel and Tessa what they could have.