Eileen Nauman

Fantastic book. I read the whole thing in one sitting, staying up way past my bedtime. I just could not put it down. This is not unusual for any book written by Eileen Nauman/Lindsay McKenna. Rook has arrived at her first assignment as a search and rescue pilot. She is the first woman pilot there and she is nervous about her reception. She ran into a lot of problems while she was training and hopes that this will be different. On the way she is involved in an accident with a logging truck driven by Jim Barton. Jim is intrigued by Rook and would like to get to know her better, but Rook is very wary. Between the prejudices of some pilots, abusive treatment by her father and a couple of bad romantic encounters she doesn't trust men. She has to decide if she is willing to take a chance with him. I loved seeing the acceptance and friendship that Rook received from the other pilots. It went a long way toward boosting her confidence. She also had a chance to reconnect with her brother and mend the relationship that had been destroyed by their father. She had a lot of personal growth as she learned to let go of the past and open her heart to the future.

I loved Jim's whole personality. He was confident without being really cocky. He was very honest with Rook, letting her know he was interested in her. He was also incredibly patient with her fears. I loved seeing the way that he was always there for her when she needed him. He was also man enough to admit when he made a mistake and take steps to fix it. I also loved seeing his vulnerable side show when his father was injured and he was able to lean on Rook for support.

Besides the romance between Rook and Jim there were a lot of other things going on in the book. There is a new base commander who is straightening out the chaos caused by the previous commander. I loved seeing his leadership skills and the way that he earned the respect of his people. He was also fighting issues at home with his oldest son. Gil and his wife Eve were having problems. I really liked Gil but Eve was a first class bitch. I loved Gil's kindness to Rook from the very beginning and the way he made her feel comfortable. Tag was another pilot who was wonderful with Rook. I felt so bad for him with his wife dying of leukemia and the effect it had on his job performance. There were also some well done demonstrations of the problems that women had as they broke into fields that had been men only for so long. I really loved the look at the world of Coast Guard Search and Rescue. The rescues were intense and the disaster response at the end was amazing.… (meer)

This book started out with a bang and just kept going. The year is 1987 and Abby is with a group that is trying to stop whales from being hunted. When the ship she is on is rammed by a whale hunter she ends up in the water fighting to stay alive. Alec had been on a Soviet helicopter and saw what happened through his binoculars. His rescue of her opens a door between their two countries as Alec and Abby end up on news shows talking about what happened. As they spend time together they discover a connection that transcends politics.

I loved both Abby and Alec. I loved her strength of purpose and the way she stood up for what she believed was right. Abby is passionate about her work protecting the whales and dolphins. She throws herself completely into whatever she does and doesn't really think about the danger to herself. When she regains consciousness on the Soviet ship, Alec is by her side. She is drawn to the care he gives her and the emotions she sees in his eyes. I loved the way that they got to know each other over the next few days and were able to talk about their lives and views on many things. Abby was excited when she found out that Alec would also be doing the press tour with her. She looked forward to showing him America. Over those two weeks she became closer to Alec than she had ever been to anyone else. I really enjoyed the way that the improving relations between the US and Soviets made it possible for Alec to come to the US again and how their roles echoed the larger picture.

Alec was a fantastic foil for Abby. He was cool and calm to her fire and passion. He had been drawn to her from the moment he saw her through the binoculars. His relief at her survival was deep, but it was more than that. I loved his interest in everything that they talked about. He was also sensitive without seeming wimpy. He also knew when to make a stand and his actions on the conservation ship were intense and exciting. I really enjoyed his introduction to McDonald's and the subsequent discussion/comparison of the scarcity of things and long lines in his country versus the instant gratification and wastefulness of Americans. His love for his own country was also obvious even as he saw the differences between the two. I loved his coolheaded responses to Dr. Turner during one of their interviews and the way that he and Abby worked so well together during the interview. I also really liked Alec's somewhat old fashioned attitudes and how they affected his treatment of Abby. I loved the ending and how things turned out for them both.

I also really enjoyed the secondary romance between Tim and Susan. Tim's work with Abby and Alec during the whole whale protection issue was great. It was obvious what a great guy he was. I loved his gentleness with Susan and her daughter as they overcame their fears from her ex-husband's abuse.… (meer)