First published in 2000 by Random House
After a near-fatal head injury, navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counterterrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton-the sweet "girl next door" who has grown into a remarkable woman. The town's infamous bad boy, Tom has always longed for Kelly. Now he has one final chance for happiness, one last chance to win her heart, and one desperate chance to save the day . .
I really liked Ms. Brockman's Navy Seal series, but for some reason I have had this book (the first of her Troubleshooter series) on my TBR pile for a long time. After listening, I am not sure what took me so long to read it. I loved the characters and the complex relationships in the book. The Unsung Hero is more than just a romantic suspense. It's about love, loyalty and friendship.
The main romance between Tom and Kelly was a little underwhelming. The two do have a history, so their HEA was believable. But I thought that Kelly was kind of a jerk to Tom for most of the book. The relationship I loved more was the one between Tom's niece, Mallory and the geeky computer guy, David. I loved how Mallory realized that beauty is more about what is on the inside and has nothing to do with physical appearance. They were just too cute together. Joe and Charles friendship was so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Told through flashbacks, we learn how the two men met and ultimately became best and lifelong friends. I hated Cybele and what she did to both of the men in during the war. The sacrifice that Joe makes in the end had me tearing up.
Along with all of the complexities of the relationships, there is a real mystery going on. Tom thinks he keeps seeing a known terrorist show is supposed to be dead. Is he crazy or is there a real threat? There is a lot packed into this book. I definitely recommend this first one in the series. I look forward to continuing on and meeting more of Team 16. The audio version of the book was well done. Try it out if you missed it!
What a great and intriguing review! I’ve been looking for a few new books to add to my “must read” list, and this sounds like a book I'd really like. I love a thriller/love story and this kind of reminds me of the book I'm reading right now called “Tell Me When It Hurts” by Christine M. Whitehead. You can get check her out and get the book right off of her website, http://www.christinewhitehead.com. Thanks again for the post and suggestion!
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