Navy SEAL Team Sixteen Series

By Suzanne Brockmann

I cannot believe that after close to two years of endless browsing in a number of bookshops and their dusty bookstands, my collection of this six-part series is complete. Finally! Having to always pray that luck will be with me when I go bookhunting, I was so stunned when I found the last book missing in my collection--(book 3) Over the Edge. I couldn't believe what I found until I got home and started reading it.

(Book 1) The Unsung Hero was my very first mainline Brockmann novel. I didn't even notice I had other two Brockmann novels up until I put it with the rest of my books. I found it on sale in September 2003. (And now I have, like, a lot.) It was just a random book I picked from the rack because I couldn't find anything else that I thought would be a good read. And after reading about L.T. (that's Lt. Tom Poaletti to you) and Kelly, I was hooked. And the rest was one abso-f*cking-lutely beautiful history.

Well, I found the story of Nilsson and Meg next (book 2, The Defiant Hero). Although theirs was a beautiful story, this was where I really got to know my favorite characters of the series--Sam and Alyssa. (I'm grinning here just thinking about MY Sam.) And as I've said, I just found (book 3) Over the Edge, the story of Stan and Teri. Theirs was undoubtedly a good story but the book is very important for another reason: it's The Goblet of Fire for Sam and Alyssa's story. (Read the book for explanation.)

Wildcard and Savannah's story is in the fourth book, Out of Control. Next to Sam, Wildcard is my next favorite character in the series. One of the reasons why I like Ms Brockmann's mainline novels is because she puts in other stories of other characters who are somehow related to one of the main characters. The author being a "double-yew double-yew eye eye" junkie, these add-on stories are set in the WWII time--whether they are about the men of Tuskegee or the battles in the Pacific or in Normandy. In this one, it's Savannah's grandma's story as a 'Nazi' spy and an Austrian prince living as a Nazi while spying for the Allies. Theirs is my fave WWII story in this collection. (And by the way, four books down but Tom and Kelly are still not married.)

Suzanne Brockmann never disappoints and tackles just about any topic. She did just that in (book 5) Into the Night--when she puts in a colored character in the story (very hard to find in the romance novel scene). A colored Muslim more importantly. This might be Muldoon and Joan's love story but for me, the highlights in this book are the points tackling on terrorism and the stereotyping of Muslims.

And the last installment in the series is the most anticipated (book 6) Gone Too Far. Okay, so I'm biased about the book. (No kidding.) This is Sam and Alyssa's story hence my favorite (hence the best). But somehow it also gave some sense of closure to some of the stories from the previous books and finally, finally, Kelly ties the knot with Tom. (Two thumbs up to the CO!)

You might be thinking it's the end. Yeah, right. The Navy SEALs Team 16 series, yes. Their stories, nuh-uh. (More of Sam Starett and his colorful, salty-as-the-sea vocabulary.) Got another series to follow: Troubleshooters, Inc. It's the now married former Navy Commander Tom Paoletti leading the pack again--but this time, operating as a civilian. Tough. Old characters, new characters. Same staff, new clusterf*cked sit-reps. The second book is out this month. Can't wait.

(Originally posted at The Kookie Jar.)