Review: Too Far Gone by Marliss Melton

Posted November 25, 2008 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Ellie Stuart’s life ended the day her children were stolen from her. Driving on a Virginia backroad, Ellie was ambushed by two men who violently pulled her from her car and drove off with her three sons inside. Devastated, Ellie begs the police to bring her babies home. But the authorities wonder if this stressed-out single mom may not be telling the whole truth about what happened that day…

Navy SEAL Sean Harlan agrees to help Ellie find her children, but vows to keep their relationship professional. He’s got no room in his life for a woman and her kids–no matter how beautiful she is, or how desperate their situation. But when a sinister organization begins pulling strings behind the scenes, the investigation suddenly targets Sean. Can he and Ellie rescue her children and save themselves? Or are they already…

I’ve been hooked on this series since Forget Me Not came out. I loved the world that Melton created and I loved the heroes, too. Too Far Gone is the story of Sean Harlan, the carefree bachelor that we met in depth in Don’t Let Go. Ellie Stuart was introduced in the same book. A single mother with three young children, Ellie has never depended on anyone. I really admired Ellie from the moment she stepped onto the pages. She’s a character that may seem like a mousy, quiet, silly woman, but she’s far from that. She’s a strong, independent woman that would do anything for her children.

Sean Harlan refuses to entertain the idea of a relationship w/ Ellie. As a Navy SEAL, he roams far and wide, coming home only for brief periods of time. Sean sticks with women that know the score; know that he doesn’t want anything permanent. He knows that Ellie Stuart will never be that woman. Even knowing that, Sean will do anything for Ellie and her three boys. So when he comes back into town after a little R&R and finds that Ellie’s boys have been kidnapped, he immediately goes to her and promises to help her get them back.

Ellie can’t believe the nightmare that her life has turned into. Since the night that she was pulled from her car and forced to watch someone drive off with her children, Ellie has been in a state of disbelief. When she realizes that the police suspect that she had something to do with the abduction, she knows that the only person that can help her is Sean.

Sean is convinced that Ellie’s ex-husband has something to do with the kidnapping, while Ellie insists that is impossible. Still, it’s the only lead they’ve got, so they head to Savannah to track Carl Stuart down. It’s only after they get there that they realize that this goes far beyond a parent abduction or a random kidnapping.

I’ve read some other reviews that had a problem with the whole “Secret Society” thing. I thought it really fit. It was believable, which is always a plus. Also, the romance between Ellie and Sean was extremely sweet. Ellie is a character that deserves happiness; deserves a man that can be everything she could ever hope for. Sean is forced to admit to himself that he’s wanted Ellie for a long time and when they find her boys, he’s never going to let her go. The only thing he has to do first is keep them both alive, uncover a conspiracy within two different police departments and possibly the FBI, and find the three boys. Piece of cake.

4 out of 5.

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

Other books in the series:

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Tagged: 4.0 Reviews, Casee's Reviews, Forever Publishing, Hachette Book Group, Marliss Melton, Reviews, Romantic Suspense, SEAL Series

Don’t Let Go by Marliss Melton

Posted April 23, 2008 by Casee in Reviews | 3 Comments

Genres: Romantic Suspense

Book description:

It’s love that keeps teacher Jordan Bliss up at night…the lost love for a Venezuelan orphan named Miguel—and the memory of a Navy SEAL tearing him from her arms. Now in the U.S. and longing for her child, Jordan vows to somehow, some way, bring Miguel home.

To Navy SEAL Solomon McGuire, orders are orders. But the fierce passion in Jordan ‘s voice and the fire in her eyes when he separated her from her son haunt his dreams. Eager to make amends, Solomon promises to pull every string he can to find Miguel. Only time will tell if Jordan can trust him and forgive him. One thing is certain: his desire for her is relentless and irresistible. And soon their indestructible love will be tested by a terrifying trap of violence…

There was a lot going on in this book. A lot. I think that there were too many people and story lines to actually do justice to some great characters.

Jordan Bliss is in Venezuela to adopt the son that she’s fought so hard for. When guerrillas attack the town she’s in, rescue comes in the form of a team of Navy SEALs. Literally tearing her son from her arms, Jordan is forced into a helicopter that will take her back to the States. Frantic and hysterical, she tries to fight to get to Miguel when she is injected with a sedative.

Let me just say: wow. That scene was so intense. As a mom, I really thought Melton did a fantastic job of writing what happens when you take a child away from his/her mother. I had tears in my eyes as I was reading it.

So anyway, now Jordan is headed for home against her will. She holds Navy SEAL Solomon McGuire personally responsible as he was the one that took Miguel from her arms thus refusing to let her bring her son home. What she doesn’t know that after she parts ways with Solomon, he is haunted by thoughts of Jordan and Miguel. Fighting his own demons, Solomon understands Jordan better than she thinks. Five years ago, his then-wife kidnapped his son and ran while he was on a mission. Though he’s hired countless Private Investigators, he has been unable to find his son, Silas.

A stroke of fate brings Silas back to Solomon when his wife’s step-sister calls him. Finding out his wife is dead is not what turns Solomon’s world upside down. It’s being told that Silas is safe and Solomon should come get him as soon as possible. Though he wants to feel anger for Silas’ aunt, he finds that all he can be is grateful to everything Elise has done for Silas.

It’s only when he gets Silas home that he sees that things aren’t going to be as easy as he originally hoped. It’s then that Solomon comes up with what he thinks is one of his best ideas yet. *snort* He’ll call Jordan, whom he still hasn’t been able to forget. As a teacher, Solomon thinks that Jordan will be able to help Silas get to grade level before school starts in the fall. He also hopes that it will help her cope with her loss of Miguel. What he doesn’t tell her at first is that he’s already started making plans to get Miguel out of Venezuela.

There’s already a lot going on here, right? There’s Miguel and the fact that Jordan is planning to go back to Venezuela, Solomon is planning on having him brought back, Jordan is teaching Silas, Silas and Solomon are trying to get to know each other, and there is romance brewing between Jordan and Solomon.

In addition to all that, there’s the secondary story of Jillian, Jordan’s sister. Jillian is a widow who is 9 months pregnant with her late husband’s child. She’s also trying to get a business off the ground that will help disabled veterans. Bring in the FBI Agent whose family was killed by the mob years ago. There’s another romance. On top of that, there’s Elise, Silas’ aunt. It seemed like Melton couldn’t decide whether or not to tell Elise’s story in this book. It was like she started to, but then changed her mind.

While I really enjoyed this book and even enjoyed the secondary story lines (is there a thirdary??), it was just too much crammed into 350 pages. That doesn’t mean that I don’t recommend this book or this author, because I do.

4 out of 5.

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