Force of Nature
4.5 Stars

P.I. Ric Alvarado is hired to locate a missing person, but the case takes a dangerous turn when his client tries to gun down the son of a local crime boss. Soon Ric and his assistant, Annie Dugan, find themselves in the middle of an FBI investigation when agent Jules Cassidy asks for their help in infiltrating the notorious mobster's compound. The situation is further complicated by the appearance of Robin Chadwick, Hollywood's latest heartthrob and Jules's former flame, on the scene. Ric, Annie, Jules, and Robin join forces but quickly learn that they will be risking more than their lives in attempting to stop a malicious killer.

Although connected to the Troubleshooters series, this installment focuses on four side characters rather than on the main group of SEALs and operatives. Nevertheless, the suspense plot is intense and exciting, especially the riveting events at the end, and the dual romantic pairings, Ric and Annie, and Jules and Robin, are engaging and keep the pages turning.

Ric and Annie are relatively unknown characters. Ric made a short-lived appearance in Gone Too Far and Annie is new to the series. Regardless, their friends-to-lovers romance is adorable as they fight their attraction (and each other). While they have incredible chemistry, there are moments where their bickering is overdone although not quite as bad as Sam and Alyssa's.

There is finally some closure to Robin and Jules's complex entanglement. Brockmann's portrayal of Robin's struggle with his sexual identity and his drinking problem is realistic and adds an edge both to his character and to his relationship with Jules. Readers who have been rooting for these two amazing men will not be disappointed in how their connection unfolds.

On a final note, Brockmann constantly refers to the passage of time between Robin and Jules' first meeting and the present as "a few years". However, it has only been two years since they first met and the implication of a longer duration is incongruous and confusing. This is a minor issue but had the effect of drawing me out of the story.

Overall, an entertaining installment and I look forward to the next one. ( )

This was probably my least favorite of the Troubleshooters series. I've read it twice and liked it better the second time. Annie is Ric's best friend's sister so he doesn't really want to do a romantic thing with her. It's sort of a left over 'she's off limits' thing. I guess I kind of felt that he didn't love her enough to suit me. Another thing is that this couple comes out of left field and never really plays into the series again so it's sort of a dangler. We did see Ric briefly in an earlier book hitting on Gina. ( )

Robin gets over his hangups and finally gets the guy. Annie makes Rick get over his hangups and gets the guy. If there's a home grown domestic terrorist in the way, the two couples have it all handled. ( )

Wanted to skip ahead from Hot Target (Book 8) to read about Jules and Robin's story (Book 11) It did tend to overshadow Ric and Annie's, though I enjoyed them a lot too and I'm certain they'll turn up in future stories. The humour in this was again immensely satisfying! which is why this series has scored so highly with me. Another 15+ hours listen, yet I thought the stories of the two sets of leads wrapped up too quickly - a shame. Patrick Lawlor - what a master! reminds me of Dick Hill in his mastery of voices, and how he gets the tone just right. ( )

Not my kind of romance -- and this has more alpha-male acceptance than my suspension of disbelief can support. I think this is my last Brockmann read. ( )