REVIEW
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Faced Paced Military Romantic Suspense, November 24, 2009
The story opens in the jungles of Africa where Navy SEAL Lieutenant
Junior Grade Jake Hansen and his team have been forced to scatter to
complete their mission to secure missing equipment and the intel it
contains. Under the cloak of darkness with rebel gunfire erupting all
around a wounded Jake and his best friend and teammate Ensign Nick
Devane are making their way silently through the jungle to the
rendezvous point. They receive a call through their communication
devices that the rebels have reported a female hostage north of their
location. The woman, Dr. Isabelle Markham is believed to have been
kidnapped 72 hours previously and is Senator Cresswell's daughter. Dr.
Markham's reported location requires the SEALs to retrace their steps
and takes them back toward the line of fire. They do find Isabelle
inside an abandoned hut naked, bound and gagged, lying face down on the
dirt floor, very badly injured.
After stabilizing Isabelle to the best of their ability Nick is
forced to go ahead to bring back help as their communication devices
have failed. Isabelle is conscious and as the rebel forces move closer
Jake carries her into the jungle to hide and await help. Terrified and
in shock, Isabelle turns to Jake for comfort and shares a dark secret
with him. Jake, uncharacteristically, tells her something about his
past that has haunted him since his youth, after all, he never expects
to see Isabelle again. During that brief time lying in the jungle
hidden and waiting for the rest of the SEAL team to arrive and unlikely
bond is forged between these two people.
Dr. Isabelle "Izzie" Markham is a Harvard educated reconstructive
plastic surgeon, and instead of staying safely in America, setting up a
practice and marrying her former fiancé, she chose to volunteer with
Médecins Sans Frontières a.k.a. Doctors Without Borders. This is one
feisty, strong, brilliant and stubborn heroine who despite being
betrayed and brutalized by her bodyguard in Africa, prevails. All had
been well during Izzie's previous stints serving with Médecins Sans
Frontières until her strong willed and controlling mother was elected
to the Senate. Then threats against her life started and Izzie was
forced to accept "security" while volunteering in Africa.
Jake Hansen (like all highly trained men who serve on SEAL teams)
is focused, stubborn, deadly in combat, fiercely loyal to his
teammates, and accustomed to assuming control under the worst of
circumstances. He is, however a tortured hero, having endured extreme
hardship and abuse as a youngster until he was taken in by the
Waldron's. Jake lives in a big house off base with fellow teammates
Nick Devane and Chris Waldron. These men share the special bond that is
inherent as SEAL teammates, however they are also brothers, not
biological but Chris's father and mother adopted Jake and Nick and
raised all three boys. Each one of these men knows the other better
then they know themselves and Ms. Tyler wrote subtle sarcasm into the
dialogue shared between the guys that had me chortling with laughter on
a number of occasions. Let me tell you, these guys are hot, drip
charisma, just magnetic.
It takes 2 months for Isabelle to recover from her ordeal to the
point that she can consider resuming practice again. At that point,
with the help of her "Uncle Cal", who is an Admiral, signs on as a
civilian consultant for the Navy and is assigned to the same base where
Jake and Co. hail from. Isabelle needs to see Jake again to thank him
for saving her life. There is however more to what she feels for him
than just gratitude.
Jake is none to happy to see the stubborn and irascible Dr. Markham
again. He fights his attraction to Isabelle because of his position as
a SEAL. He also believes that she is attracted to him as a result of
the harrowing circumstances when they met. In addition, Isabelle was
brutalized and violated and is dealing with the aftermath of that
horrific experience.
However, when Admiral Callahan approaches Jake and orders him to
guard Isabelle because the man who kidnapped her is still at large, and
has threatened to take her again he has no choice but to agree. Jake
handles things his way, first by enlisting the help of a mercenary in
Africa to track the infamous "Rafe", Isabelle's previous bodyguard
turned tormentor. Then, against his better judgment, he offers her an
apartment in the upper story of the guy's house so he can keep a close
eye on her.
What I loved about this story is not only the characters, which are
well developed, and complex, but also the progression of the
relationship between Izzie and Jake. Their emotional connection grows
over the course of the story and is believable. Jake knows Izzie is not
ready for a physical relationship even though there is a powerful
sexual attraction between them. In a setting of danger, intrigue, and
an underlying conspiracy that involves people closest to Isabelle a
smoldering attraction ignites into a bond fire of passion that smokes
up the pages of this novel.
Readers are given insight into the rigors of SEAL training and what
is required of these men to stay at the peak of physical shape and
adept at the variety of skills that are required of them to complete
their missions in the worst of circumstances. It was quite an eye
opener for me and I think well researched.
Ms. Tyler wove a romantic sub-plot into the narrative involving
Sarah Cameron, an African photographer who is essentially a lost soul,
and `Clutch', a mercenary who works for a mysterious clandestine group
in Africa. Theirs is a harrowing tale as they travel through the jungle
in search of the `ghostly' and deadly Rafe at Jake's request.
The climax to Isabelle and Jake's story is heart in the mouth
riveting. Ms. Tyler infused a number of plot twists and turns, and
surprises into the narrative.
The best way I can describe "Hard To Hold", is a total RUSH. I read
this book over the span of 2 days and could barely put it down. I can
say without hesitation that "Hard To Hold", will be one of my favorite
reads of this year. If you enjoy romantic military suspense, you may
like to give it a try.
_________________
MUAH Amoruci for my banner
JAKE IS HERE
NICK IS COMING
CHRIS IS COMING
DEMON LORE IS COMING 
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Subject: Hard To Hold sneak peek 
Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:01 pm
...I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS SERIES :yay: ..THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! :KISS: 
Steph! Another hit on your hands without a doubt....not that I would know 
