ARC Review: Headed for Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann

“This is an awesome addition to anyone who has followed the Troubleshooters series and would love all of the extras bound up in one edition.  It’s beautiful (damn, that’s a hot cover!)  and has some great original material.” ~Under the Covers

Those of us that have followed Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters for years can never seem to get enough.  I can say that she was my first romantic suspense obsession and the one whom I judge ALL SEAL stories by.  Her authenticity in the genre hasn’t been matched in my opinion.  So, after the last great installment of Breaking the Rules, we all thought that we were in for an extended hiatus while she worked on other exciting projects.  When I heard that Headed for Trouble was being released, I couldn’t contain myself!  Big happy dance!  This installment is actually a compilation of many of the short stories and interviews that have been released over the years, either in promo booklets, end of book bonuses, or in the Troubleshooter’s Readers Guide.   It also contains two original shorts and a bonus of Shane’s Last Stand, an introduction to her new series, Fighting Destiny.

On to the nitty gritty….One of my absolute favorite inclusions is the Troublshooters Series Timeline.  It shows each book in the series and places all of the short stories and vignettes in their proper place; really helpful for the die-hard fan.  Each of the short stories brings us back to a familiar character.  Perhaps my favorite of all time is here: When Frank Met Rosie.  (Spoiler Alert!)  Readers of the series will know that Frank meets an unfortunate end in one of the early Troubleshooters books.   This is his HEA, his falling in love story on the streets of New Orleans in the late 1990s.  It’s sweet and heartbreaking in its innocence.  There’s no consummation even, but it’s how we all want to fall in love.   Brockmann has never shied away from the sometimes tragic reality of military service and sacrifice and her love for servicemen always comes through.  There’s no shortage of suspense either.  We see Sam and Alyssa, one of the most beloved couples, when they meet their nemesis, the Dentist and Alyssa and Jules in a tight situation.  Seeing Izzy, Jenk, Gillman and Lopez in all their glory is hilarious, both when they meet Tony and in their interview.  The Kenny/Savannah and Tom/Kelly interviews were great.  We almost get to see every major character that’s graced the Troubleshooters pages.   The original stories are A SEAL and Three Babies and a Part II to Home is Where the Heart Is, one is a comedy of babies in third world countries (!), the other a continuation of Arlene and Jack’s story, a couple we met in All Through the Night.  All really enjoyable and heartwarming.

This is an awesome addition to anyone who has followed the Troubleshooters series and would love all of the extras bound up in one edition.  It’s beautiful (damn, that’s a hot cover!)  and has some great original material.  I wouldn’t recommended it now for those who are just getting into the series.  You really need to read the original books to have a full appreciation of Headed for Trouble.  But that should just be encouragement for those who haven’t.  They’re well worth  the time spent.

*ARC provided by publisher

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[about-author author=”Suzanne Brockmann”]