Saving the SEAL
Being abducted by a beautiful woman in Cancun wasn't part of Sawyer Houston's R & R mission. Jenna Broyles claims she's rescuing the vacationing navy SEAL from unknown assailants. Only it's her life on the line when the jilted bride becomes a target.
The high-end Mexico resort was supposed to be Jenna's honeymoon destination. But after a dangerous discovery forces her to play hero, she's the one in need of the gorgeous stranger's expertise. As Jenna and Sawyer flee across treacherous tropical jungles, the heat between them builds to a fever pitch. Can they make safe haven before Sawyer's secrets get them both killed?
Good book that picks up with the SEAL team almost immediately after Navy SEAL Survival. The guys are on vacation in Cancun when they stumble on a human trafficking ring. Their buddy Duff falls for the woman in that book. Now they hope to finish out their vacation without any more unwanted excitement. This book opens with the gang getting ready to experience a zip-line into the jungle. Sawyer isn't any too enthusiastic, but the others aren't going to let him weasel out of it. Also on the platform are two women, one of whom is also reluctant. Jenna is in Cancun on the honeymoon that wasn't. Her fiancé had stood her up, claiming that he changed his mind about spending his life with someone so boring. Now she is determined to prove to herself that she can be adventurous. Jenna's friend has no trouble going, and also makes eyes at Quentin, another one of the SEALs. Jenna and Sawyer eventually take the plunge, though Sawyer's fears are realized when the cable breaks near the bottom.
Later, when Jenna returns to the hotel, she picks up her suitcase at the desk, only to discover that it isn't her suitcase at all. Instead, she finds a rifle, money, pictures and a note describing the man that the suitcase's owner is supposed to kill - Sawyer. Determined to warn him, Jenna tracks Sawyer down and all but kidnaps him to get him out of danger. Sawyer is incredulous at first, he thinks it's a ploy to get his attention. But the truth is undeniable when Jenna shows him the case and he realizes that not only is he a target, Jenna is also.
I loved the chemistry between Sawyer and Jenna. The attraction had been there from their meeting at the zipline, and their enforced proximity gives it the opportunity to grow. I loved the two of them together. Sawyer is protective and determined to make sure that Jenna is safe while he finds out who wants to kill him. Jenna refuses to be put in a safe little box and insists on being a full participant in the search for the truth. I liked how their relationship developed, with heat and attraction leading to the desire to get to know each other. I liked the way that Sawyer's attention built up Jenna's confidence in herself, especially his insistence that she is definitely not boring. I also liked how Jenna's attention made Sawyer realize that it's possible to have a relationship and his career at the same time. His experience growing up with a distant father had made him doubt that ability. I also found it interesting that he had kept his family ties a secret, even from his friends, in a desire to be accepted for himself. I loved the surprise he got from those same friends later in the book. I liked the way that Jenna and Sawyer agree that they want to pursue their relationship and see where it goes, rather than exhibit a case of instant love. I look forward to seeing more of them in the later books in the series.
The suspense of the story was terrific. From Jenna's discovery of the rifle to the last confrontation, the action was nearly nonstop. I loved the way that the team made sure that Sawyer knew that he wasn't in it alone, in spite of his desire to keep them out of it. I especially enjoyed the parts where it is the ladies who take the lead and the men are relegated to support staff. I also enjoyed seeing Natalie and Lance from the first book take an active role in this one. Each step that the group takes to find out who is trying to kill Sawyer brings an increase in danger, from street thugs to drug cartel kingpins. The ending was a bit of a surprise, with part of the mystery resolved and part of it still in question. I'm looking forward to the next book and hopefully getting more answers.