Hero: Joe “Cat” Catalonotto
Heroine: Veronica St. John
Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Veronica St. John is facing the challenge of a lifetime. The media consultant has two days to teach a rugged Navy SEAL to impersonate a European prince who has been targeted by terrorists. It’s a tough assignment, but Veronica is sure she’s up to the task — until she actually meets Joe.

Despite his physical resemblance to the handsome prince, Lieutenant Joe Catalanotto is nothing like the stuffy aristocrat. Everything about the combat-hardened Navy SEAL — from the arrogant gleam in his eyes and streetwise attitude to the New York accent — says regular guy, not royalty. One conversation and Veronica knows nothing could turn this military man into nobility. Joe, on the other hand, is confident he’s got what it takes to complete his duty.

But neither of them expects their assignment to include falling in love . . .

I have been a Suz Brockmann fan since I first picked up Into the Night and fell in love with Michael Muldoon. I was sold on that series and have fallen in love with many a SEAL because of that series. Now, I started reading that series back in I think it was 2003 or 2004, I can’t remember but I remember falling for Muldoon and then wanting to know more about this Sam Starrett guy. And after I finished that series, I was so determined to try the Tall, Dark and Deadly series, only I never got around to it.

Until now.

I think I have fallen in love again.

I swear, Suz Brockmann knows how to write the hell out of a hero. I’m already addicted to her Team 10 guys. I already can’t wait to finish out this series. I’m starting Blue’s book and I can’t wait to dig right in.

So this story is about Lt. Joe Cattalonotto, Commander of Team 10 and how he looks exactly like Prince Tedric of Ustanzia and how there’s been a hit on Prince Ted’s life while he was on his tour of the United States and how he needs a double to stand in for him until the terrorists are caught.

In comes Navy Seal lookalike Joe.

Joe’s mission is to help find these bastards that tried to kill Prince Ted not because he wants to protect the Prince, oh no, he wants to find the bastards who tried to kill Princy Boy because those same guys killed a son of his friend’s. He wants to bring them down because of that. So in order to play this out, he needs to learn how to be a Prince in two days and the person who’s going to whip him into shape is Veronica St. John.

The story is filled to the brim with fast action and lots of running from the feelings. Some of it was bearable and others (Veronica’s reasons for loving Joe but not wanting to marry him) made me want to strangle someone…Ronnie being at the top of that list.

What I loved most about this book was how easy it was to fall into Joe’s world. To fall into his love story with Ronnie. It wasn’t rushed or anything but some of it was enough to make me roll my eyes down the street. Like, at the end I got that Joe was madly in love with Ronnie and that he would have done anything at all to be with her again but when you’re shot, bleeding all over the place, your helicopter crashes into the freezing ocean and you’re fighting for your life and the only thing you can think about is that Ronnie has finally agreed to marry you and that she loves you makes me want call you on my cell phone and when you answer, scream into the phone, “LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!” Because, who in their right mind is going to have time to think about the woman that they love admitting that they love him?

Seriously?

I mean, if it was a, “I don’t want to lose her, I love her too much to die” kind of thing, that’s understandable and even admirable but when you’re dying and losing ground and you’re thinking, “OMGOSH, did she really mean it? Did she mean it when she said that she loved me? Could she really love me? Truly? Love? Me?” That’s a load of bull, right there…I can’t believe that.

But other than that scene, this book was pretty great.

Joe was a fantastic hero, one that had me oohing and ahhing over how hot and strong and smart and everything good that he was. I loved him. It’s that simple, I shouldn’t have been surprised that I would love Joe because he was Alpha and he was honorable and he was just a good guy and strong and I can’t say good enough things about Joe because he was just a great hero.

Veronica, she was cool, I guess. I mean, she was great up until she made that idiotic decision. Suz loves to write those heroines who drive us readers crazy but Veronica made up for her stupid decision after they come to grips with the fact that they love each other. I’m itching to read the rest of the series so I’m just going to go get to it.

This was a great beginning to a series I know is going to be fantastic. You should definitely read this book if you haven’t…it’s great, great, great.

This book is available from Mira. You can buy it here or here in e-format.