I have been a long time fan of Jules Cassidy. How can you not love Jules? I want a BFF like Jules. That said, I really wasn’t feeling him in this book. I felt like it was more Suz’s voice coming through the character of Jules. I know that Suz is a huge gay rights activist which I think it’s really admirable. Still, this book came across as preachy to me. Jules came across as a whiny crybaby. Not the Jules that I know and love.
So Robin and Jules are in lurve. They’re going to get married. I don’t know how I feel about that b/c I still don’t know how I feel about Robin. When I read Force of Nature, I was kind of hoping that Robin would die. Blasphemy? Maybe. But I was still withholding judgement just like Sam. Come on. The guy was so far in the closet that he didn’t even know he was in the closet. He was a raging alcoholic. He could only have sex when he was so drunk that he wouldn’t have to admit that he liked men more than women. Especially unforgivable is him hooking up with Jules’ ex, Adam. That’s just really, really, really effed up.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the book b/c I did. Revisiting Sam and Alyssa is always fun. I love reading about how their relationship has progressed over the last several books. Alyssa is pregnant, which is a huge deal considering how her sister died. Jones and Molly make an appearance, which I loved b/c I love those two. I enjoyed reading the secondary romance between Jules and Robin’s assistant, Dolphina Patel and Will Schroeder. I liked seeing that though Jules is almost perfect, he hasn’t quite made it to perfect. The guy has a major jealousy problem. He hated that about himself which was what made it “aww” instead of “ugh”.
Bottom line, there was too much shoved into one book. It was over the course of a month, but still…
There’s Will Schroeder who crashes a surprise engagement party and pretends to be an invited guest. While talking to Robin, he’s recording the conversation. A few days later, the story hits the National Voice (like the National Enquirer?) which takes everything Robin said out of context. The day after that, the recording shows up on TMZ.com. How did that happen? Will’s computer got hacked. Yup. Hacked. I don’t buy it. The guy is a reported. Pul-lease. Tell me he didn’t have firewalls or whatever crap you have to make sure your shit doesn’t get hacked. Oh and at the party, he falls in love at first sight with Dolphina who obviously wants nothing to do with him after the story hits the media.
Jules is sent to Afghanistan and almost dies w/ Max. All the Team Sixteen wives arrive, along with Gina who is as terrified for Max as Robin is for Jules. Gina tells Robin that Jules made her promise that everyone would be there to support Robin if anything like this ever happened. We also find out that Gina is pregnant. Max tells Jules when it becomes apparent that they won’t make it out alive. Alas, they do make it out. How? Will has a friend who is the only person in Afghanistan that has internet access and sends Jules and Max’s location to Will who alerts Yashi (an Agent on Jules’ team) who then send in the Marines. Huh.
Though Jules and Robin sent an invitation to their wedding to the President and First Lady, they fully expected to receive their regrets. After all, they don’t want their wedding to become a political statement. Of course they RSVP will their thanks and that they will attend. That means that the Secret Service has to run all the guests, one of whom comes back red flagged. Yup, the man red flagged is none other than Jones. Will, being the report that he is, snoops through Dolphina’s files and sees that this Jones person has been flagged. He then does research and deuces that Jones is really Grady Morant, presumed dead. He doesn’t want to out him, however. He only wants his corroboration to right a book about it. In between all that, we find out Molly is also pregnant.
Is there something in the water?
While all this is going on, both Robin and Jules are receiving almost daily calls from Adam. They both don’t tell the other b/c they don’t to upset each other, but they soon both find out he’s been calling both of them. Jules goes all alpha on Adam and tells him that Robin is marrying him and he needs to stay out of their lives. Adam tells him that he’s being stalked and needs help. See, there’s this guy who thinks he’s a robot or alien or something. When the stalker leaves Adam a welcome home gift inside his house, Adam takes the next flight to Boston, leading the killer right to Robin and Jules’ door. At first I thought this was a person that was against gay marriage and wanted to kill Jules and Robin for even presuming to think they can actually marry. But no, he thought Adam was a robot. Jules and Sam, along with Cosmo and the rest of Team Sixteen come and save the day.
Jules and Robin do eventually get married after all this. That’s after Robin leaves the church b/c he forgot a gift he wanted to give Jules. He gets locked in the bathroom (old house, door knobs come off) and seriously digs a hole in the wall to get out. Meanwhile at the church, Jules is trying to stay calm but when he hears everyone is searching local bars, he loses it a little. Eventually he finds Robin and all is well.
As a whole, I did enjoy this story. Suz put in an Author’s Note at the end of the book saying that Robin demanded his HEA before she was ready to give it to him, which is how she ended up writing All Through The Night. I just thank God she did b/c I did not want to see Jules and Robin dragged out over 10 more books.
4 out of 5.
Side note: Suz has donated all of her earnings (advance, royalties and subrights) from this book to MassEquality’s Educational Fund. MassEquality is a group dedicated to preserving equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
Check out our trailer on Gay Marriage Produced to educate & defuse the controversy it has a way of opening closed minds & creates an interesting spin on the situation: http://www.OUTTAKEonline.com
Just finished this one too. I don’t think too much was crammed into the book. I just don’t have the need to know what all the past characters are doing. They need only appear as necessary and not have any continuing story at all. I give Robin leeway because he is, after all, Jane’s brother. He can’t be all bad.
Jules perfect? Nah.
I’m really not trying to be a jerk, but that wasn’t a review-it was a synopsis. It looks like you have a really nice site, but getting that many spoilers in a review of a book that’s only been out a week really turns me off.
hey Casee 😀
I was actually waiting to see reviews of this one, because although I’m not a fan of Suzanne Brockman, I liked Jules… However, I’m a bit disappointed that he gets his HEA with Robin…