In the Dark

SEAL Team 12 #2

by Marliss Melton

Hannah Geary wants revenge. A rogue SEAL commander had her Defense Intelligence partner killed, he threw her into a Cuban prison, and he’s still trafficking stolen weapons. But to catch a bad SEAL, she needs a good one.

Lt. Luther Lindstrom is used to calling his own shots-in combat and in the bedroom. He just ended his engagement to his pretty-in-pink, cheating fiancée. The last thing he wants is a relationship, especially with a sexy, strong-willed woman like Hannah. Yet danger has a way of driving people together. With Hannah and Luther only a step away from one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals, their attraction grows to explosive proportions.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Military Fiction, Suspense, Military Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Marliss Melton is the author of over twenty romantic suspense, medieval, and inspirational stories. She relies on her experience as a military spouse and on her many contacts in the Spec Ops and Intelligence communities to pen realistic and heartfelt stories about America's elite warriors and fearless agency heroes. Daughter of a U.S. foreign officer, Melton grew up in various countries overseas. She has taught English, Spanish, ESL, and Linguistics at the College of William and Mary, her alma mater., and to this day she lives in Williamsburg, Virginia. Marliss also writes inspirational romantic suspense as Rebecca Hartt. Be sure to “friend” Marliss on Facebook! Visit www.marlissmelton.com or https://RebeccaHartt.com for more information.

Series:
* SEAL Team 12

Reviews

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story centers around events from the first book as Gabe Renault is facing a court martial for the deaths of three servicemen and the wounding of Commander Lovitt (he's playing the victim). Hannah Geary, the Defense Intelligence officer who was bringing evidence to incriminate Lovitt, was abducted and is being held prisoner in Cuba. Navy SEAL Luther Lindstrom is on the team assigned to extract her. He and his fellow SEAL Team Twelve members also need her to help prove Gabe's innocence and Lovitt's betrayal.

Luther and Hannah have an immediate and undeniable connection that's exacerbated during their efforts to find the evidence to help Gabe. Their romance took awhile to develop given the focus on the search and seemed to escalate pretty quickly. Both were really likeable, admirable characters and I liked them together. However, Master Chief Sebastian León's pursuit and romance of Leila Eser was given much more attention.

The suspense and intrigue around the identity and capture of "The Individual" was more interesting (even if the moniker was a bit strange). It wasn't too difficult to deduce but still was exciting. I also liked the drama surrounding Gabe's court martial.

I enjoyed the story though the climax seemed a little rushed. I wanted more info following the reveal of the villain. Perhaps that will be covered in the next story, which I plan to read. It's an interesting series so far even with its imperfections. As there is a continuing story arc and connected characters, right now I strongly recommend the books be read in order. 3.5 stars

[Buggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Opening Line: "The high pitched whine of a mosquito roused Hannah from a drug induced sleep."

In The Dark is the 2nd book from Melton’s SEAL Team 12 series, which as a whole is pretty good. It's got a Brockmann-“ISH” feel to it, in that its well written, more romantic then suspenseful, and filled with great secondary characters as well as a couple of romantic sub plots. The story here relies heavily on events started back in book 1 (Forget Me Not) so I couldn’t recommend it as a stand alone.

Hannah Geary is a CIA agent introduced to us towards the end of Gabe's book. At that time she was investigating suspected arms dealers when her partner was killed and she was kidnapped. When we open Hannah is being held prisoner in Cuba, she’s no damsel in distress however and is doing a fine job of rescuing herself when Team 12 finally shows up. Hannah is then placed in the protection of SEAL's Luther and Westy who decide to work together to locate the arms dealers and prove Gabe "Jaguar’s" innocence as he���s somehow wound up back in jail since his HEA in the last book.

Where do I begin with our hero Luther? He’s nursing a wounded heart after finding out his fiancé was cheating on him so the last thing he’s looking for right now is a relationship. However being put in close quarters with Hannah is proving difficult, she’s perfect for him, and they have so much in common, including (unfortunately) a career. You see Luther only wants a woman who will stay home and have his babies while he goes off on missions. He definitely doesn’t want to get involved with someone who’ll be risking her life for country and not putting him first. Hmmm? Anyways Hannah agrees, there’s simply no future for them because she’s worked too hard to get to this stage in her career to give it up for a man. That doesn’t mean they can’t scratch a shared itch while they work the case together though.

Now I have to be honest here; while there was nothing particularly wrong with this book (save the chauvinist attitude of our heroes) I struggled to get through it, putting it down several times and only finishing on principle. I just couldn’t get engaged in the story, never felt any true connection between the H/h, the love scenes were meh, and I was less then surprised by the identity of the bad guy. (No kidding)

I also found the stalker-esque secondary love story between Sebastian and Leila unnecessary and just plain weird. When we first entered their POV I actually thought he was a bad guy not another romantic lead as he was sneaking around having crazy possessive thoughts while tampering with her car. All in the hopes that he would be able to come to her rescue and she would be forced to spend time with him. Nice basis for a relationship.

Maybe Cindy Gerard has just ruined me for any other romantic suspense?

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is why I wish Goodreads had a 3.5 rating. A fairly decent romantic suspense novel however the bad guy's identity was so obvious and some of the exploits of the heroine just way too far fetched.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, I am really enjoying this Seal Team series. I liked this second book in the series even better than the first one, and I am looking forward to reading the other Seal Team Twelve books. I felt more empathy for the characters in In the Dark than I did in the first book, Forget me Not. Both the hero and the heroine in this book were very likeable, and I was glad to see the unfinished storyline from the first book continue.

Hannah Geary, who works for a government agency called DIA, was trying to get evidence to Navy Seal Team 12 in Forget me Not, in order to clear the hero of book one, Gabe Renault, of wrongdoing, and to imlicate his superior, Commander Lovitt in stealing and selling arms. When this book begins, Hannah's coworker has already been killed over this case, and Hannah is kidnapped and held in a cell in Cuba. As she tries to escape, Seal Team 12 is coming in for a rescue after being taken in to confidence of her location by the FBI. The FBI is aware of Commander Lovitt's role in arms dealing, but they are trying to obtain evidence on the man he is working for, known as The Individual. In order to assure her safety, and to try to find the evidence that is now missing, Seal Team Twelve members Luther Lindstrom and Westy McCaffrey keep Hannah with them. Luther, former NFL pro football player, has just ended an engagement with an unfaithful coworker. He has dreams of a wife and children waiting at home for him after each mission. Hannah is the opposite of the woman Luther hopes to find, as she has put her dreams of being a CIA operative on hold for three years, and is ready to travel the world making a difference. She doesn't intend to think about marriage or children for years. Luther and Hannah almost immediately share a strong attraction, and they quickly realize that they truly like one another. After they succomb to one passionate encounter, they determine not to become more involved, as they both know they have no future together. As Luther and Hannah continue to work together to clear Gabe Renault and to keep Hannah safe, they must each decide if their growing feelings for one another are strong enough to warrant a compromise from each on what they want from life.

This book had plenty of action and was a fast read. I enjoyed the developing relationship between the hero and heroine. Both were strong and admirable characters, and I enjoyed seeing the return of others from the first book. This is a series that I will definitely continue reading.

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - I enjoyed In The Dark and found it to be a more cohesive, entertaining read than book 1. The plot flowed more fluently with characters that I was able to connect to and pull for - also an improvement over book 1. I still found the conversation to be a bit "stilted", sometimes feeling staged but overall the author seems to be settling in and getting in the groove in this book. Hopefully, that will carry over into the next book and rest of the series. A Good Read!

[Krasimira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in Marliss Melton's Seal Team 12 Series. You could read this as a stand alone but it would be more enjoyable with the background from the first since the storyline begins in the first book. It centers around Luther Lindstrom a Navy Seal and Hannah Geary who has evidence the Seals need to exonerate Gabe (who was the main character from book one). It actually enjoyed this book even more than the first book.

The second book takes off right where the first one left off. Hannah who was introduced towards the end of book one is being held captive in a compound in Cuba. Gabe has been framed by his commander Admiral Lovitt and without the evidence that Hannah has there is little chance he won't be found guilty. Two of the seals from Seal Team 12 (Luther and Westy) are sent to free Hannah although she has already done a lot of the work in freeing herself when they get there. Luther agrees to have Hannah stay with him and protect her until Gabe's trial.

Luther is used to women throwing themselves at him not only because of his seal status but he used to play for the Dallas Cowboys as well. He is financially well off but just coming off a broken engagement. He's now looking for a women to settle down with that will be there for him when he returns from his missions and have babies with him.
He is attracted to Hannah but she isn't that kind of woman. She wants to be a CIA operative and travel the world.

Hannah is an alpha female and while she is attracted to Luther she doesn't throw herself at him and in fact isn't sure he's the right guy for her.

Hannah and Luther are on the run from the bad guys and don't know who they can trust besides each other and his Seal Team. They decide to give into their attraction but both know the other isn't what they are looking for in a long term relationship.

I really enjoyed the side character of Westy and his reactions to some of Luther's decisions/thoughts. The only downside to this was I wasn't crazy about the way they got their HEA. It felt like Hannah gave up her dreams a bit too much for me and I would have liked to see Luther compromise a bit to make it work.

Still I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the third one.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Dark
3.5 Stars

Kidnapped and held captive in Cuba, DIA agent, Hannah Geary, swears vengeance against the rogue SEAL responsible for the murder of her partner and mentor. Following her rescue by SEAL Team 12, Hannah and Lieutenant Luther Lindstrom must work together to clear his commander’s name and find the evidence to bring the real culprits to justice.

An improvement on the first book, especially in terms of the heroine. However, there are still several problematic elements.

To begin with, Luther and Hannah’s romance is rather lukewarm. They have some solid chemistry but their constant whining about being incompatible gets very tedious very quickly.

The suspense plot is also disappointing as the villain is obvious from the start and his motive is underdeveloped. Moreover, the criminal charges against Gabe (the hero of book #1) feel contrived and neither the FBI nor NCIS behave is a manner that makes sense to the reader -Gibbs and Fornell would be very annoyed!

The secondary romance between Leila and Sebastian, which starts out so well in book #1, fizzles in this one mainly due to the fact that Leila does a complete about face that is not consistent with her initial characterization.

In sum, although In The Dark is certainly better than Forget Me Not it does not completely live up to the potential of its premise. Hopefully, the next book will be more successful.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure whether to give this 2 or 3 stars. I didn't like it as much as some 3 star books, but I think it's worth more than two. So three it is. To use Carrie's phrase, this is a "meh" three star read.

I liked the suspense and the story. I love reading about the Seals and I'll likely continue with the series (books 3 and 4 are in my TBR). I did like Luther, but I didn't quite buy the abrupt HEA. It occurs to me that it must be hard for an author to create a believable and satisfying HEA after having created enough conflict to separate a couple. I have to believe that even though they've separated, they did love each other. Then I have to believe that despite the separation, they've either resolved their issues or just realized they can't live apart. I'm not sure any of that happened here.

I also was not really interested in Sebastian and Leila's side romance. They both seemed a little immature in their feelings. I think I felt that way when they were introduced in the first book as well.

Over all though, it's not a bad book. The bad guy was obvious to me so it wasn't all that suspenseful. You do need to read Forget Me Not firs though I believe.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Dark is #2 in the series and this series should be read in order. This book starts right on the heels of the previous book. Better overall and a quick read, but still not what I would consider a good book.

We begin with Hannah, who was abducted toward the end of Book #1, in a cell in Cuba. Hannah's co-worker has been killed in an auto accident and he had information that would implicate a commanding officer, Lovitt, in an arms trafficking ring. Hannah got hold of that information and was turning it over to the FBI when she was abducted.

Luther and Westy have been asked by the FBI to rescue her. As it turns out, Hannah is very capable of doing that herself, but a little help is always welcome. Now, together, they have to find the proof that will put Lovitt in the brig and save Gabe from court martial. They also find that the best laid plans sometimes need alteration.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this second book in the SEAL Team 12 series. I enjoyed this better than book one. It has most of the right elements for a strong romantic suspense. I really enjoyed the relationship between the hero and heroine. I tend to gravitate towards heroines that have jobs that offer a level of parity with the Heroes. In this case, Hannah is a member of the intelligence community that has CIA field training. I also enjoyed and agonized with the characters when they discovered that bad timing and future plans are in conflict with one another. It feels a little tragic. The suspense part is fairly easy to figure out and in my opinion, resolves itself fairly quickly.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I really enjoyed this 2nd book in her SEAL Team 12 series!

[Jazzypom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Melton is known for her Navy SEAL romance novels. Her male protagonists are from the elite Navy SEALS (women aren't allowed to join, see, so it's all male. True story). In order to know why this rank is a big deal, I'd recommend that you do a bit of reading up on the SEALS and what they do (rather like the Brit SAS, or the Green Berets, but for the US Navy) while you're waiting on her books in the post.

This information really makes you appreciate the men's physical, technical and mental prowess so much better, they really are the best of the best. To her credit, Melton doesn't bother to explain acronyms (like BUD/S, SQT, teams PO1 and PO2 and a 'trident')so the writing feels authentic.

The story is what it says on the tin. I found myself liking Hannah Geary, in a way that I don't normally like romance heroines. Hannah is gutsy and gets the job done, but there's a sheen of vulnerablity that tugs at the strings. Luther Lindstrom is a really cool guy, like you could hang with him and have a beer, he feels like a real male. He's gone off women due to his cheating fiance, but he doesn't come across as bitter, just wary. I particularly liked his relationship with his teammate, Westy. They are colleagues, but not too chummy and it's alright that way.

This is Ms. Melton's strength, she makes the secondary characters (Westy, Valentino, a big wig at the FBI with a sad back story) just as interesting and entertaining as her primary characters. They also tend to appear in other books (Valentino and Hannah are in the latest one, for example), because that particular world is small. I like that detail, because that's how the US armed forces operate.

The only drawback with this book is how clumsily the chapters are linked. Normally, when you finish a chapter, there's a line or two prepping us for the other chapters, and when done well, the book runs smoothy. When done clusmily, it makes you stumble a bit in the story. Thankfully, this isn't a problem with the other books, but it irked me here, but not enough to stop reading. The ending was a bit unrealistic, and detracted from the suspenseful tone of the story, hence the three stars.

[Stephany · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Dark is a story about Hannah and Luther, both of whom we "met" in the first book in this series. When that book left off, SEAL captain Gabe and his guys had figured out their commander had been trafficking stolen weapons and was the man behind Gabe's disappearance a year ago. Unfortunately, his commander had a lot of clout and was able to shine suspicion upon Gabe's mental condition, landing him in jail & his men fighting to find evidence that proves his innocence.

Hannah's partner was killed in the last book and she disappeared, after finding evidence that tied the commander to the trafficking. She was found alive in Cuba and imprisoned. She, along with the help from Luther and another SEAL, got her out alive and begin a journey of proving Gabe's innocence and the commander's guilt.

I found this book a lot more interesting than her first one. The characters were more believable and likeable. Hannah was a tough cookie but she didn't annoy me as much as Helen did in this first book. And Luther was just an all-around good guy that you just wanted to keep rooting for.

I still say Suzanne Brockmann's cast in her SEAL Team 16 series is far superior and exciting, but this book tugged at my heart and I'll definitely try another one of her books.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lt. Gabriel "Jaguar" Renault is sitting in jail awaiting trial for a crime he did not commit. His SEAL team is determined to get the proof of his innocence and prove Commander Edward Lovett is guilty. In order to get Jaguar out of jail, Lt. Luther Lindstrom and his crew must rescue Hannah Geary from a Cuban prison. Hannah has information about the fact that Lovett is trafficking stolen weapons. Luther and his team have to get Hannah back to the U.S. and protect her until she can testify.

This is the second book in Melton's Navy SEALs Team Twelve series. I liked parts of it, but other parts really didn't work for me. Hannah Geary is a great character who doesn't need rescued by anyone. She takes charge of her own destiny and is determined to put Lovett behind bars. I also liked Luther. He was hurt when he learned his fiancee was sleeping around, and is wary of getting into another relationship.

One thing I didn't like was naming the bad guy "The Individual". Couldn't the author come up with something better? Everytime they talked about The Individual, it threw me out of the story. I also thought the identity of The Individual was obvious from the moment he was introduced. My rating: 3.5 Stars.

[Nile Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

So after really enjoying Book 1 of this series, I immediately got this one. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The romance between Hannah and Luther is drawn out way too long without going anywhere, and I really couldn't see how they would resolve such differing views of family and marriage. The secondary romance (Leila/Sebastian) suffered the same fate. I was not a fan of Leila, even from Book 1, so needless to say I wanted better for Sebastian. The fact that her angst dragged on into this book really hurt the story it just seemed to go around in circles.

The mystery itself was good, and I really love the authors' descriptions of the SEALS, their combat skills and missions but because the book was bogged down by the other elements I couldn't care enough to go on. Will give the third book a try, but after 60% I had to throw in towel on this one.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5*, but raising to 4 stars

This is the second of Marliss Melton's Seal Team 12 series. I found I liked it much more than I did the first in the series. Melton can write a good story, and one finds oneself rooting for the good guys to win and for the bad guys to pay their due penalty.

I liked the focus sets(s) of characters, the reappearance of people from the first book and the foreshadowing for the third book. What was a disappointment in this read was that the bad guy was obvious early on in the story.

Although nothing earthshaking makes this book different from many other Navy SEALs books, it was an altogether enjoyable read. If you like the Romantic Suspense genre, you may want to give this series a try [or even start with Book 2, and skip Book 1].

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in Marliss Melton's SEAL Team 12 series continues the story started in Forget Me Not. I would recommend reading this series in order but I don't think you would be totally lost if you didn't. Lt Lindstrom receives information that DIA employee, Hannah Geary, is being held prisoner in Cuba and heads out to rescue her. There's more to the story than they know and they need to work together to get to the truth. A truth that people have died for. A little more action packed than the first book, this one keeps up the fast pace, sliding away upon occasion to check up on Sebastien and Leila. It ties up a few loose ends from the previous novel.

[Kathrynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #2 in this series. This is a nice, uncomplicated romance with Luther (SEAL) and Hannah (CIA Agent). They worked well together and this book was a fun read. There is another romance within this that was very nice, too.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!! I read it in 5 1/2 hours. A real page turner, I could not put it down. I recommed reading the 1st book ( Forget Me Not) in the series b/c this book does tie up some lose ends.

[D.B. Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Not as good as Forget Me Not. I found the pervasiveness of corrupted SEALs in a single unit somewhat unlikely. But if you're continuing the series, this one fills in some of the blanks.

[Jo-Ann Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series. This one builds on the first story by the use of people and happenings.

This one centers around a SEAL in the first team. You also get to know more about the others in the team. This was after one of their higher ups was caught and they were assured he would be dealt with fully. However, now the hero from book 1 is now in jail for the crimes the higher up committed. All the guys were very upset over it.

When a female is found which can prove who did the crimes, the guys want to help. So like normal, they split up into groups to find what they can. In doing this the hero in this book finds and protects the heroine in this book after travelling to Cuba where she's being held by a contractor for someone. Our hero and some of his buddies go and get her out and protect her and the evidence she has for their boss. What they didn't expect was the fighting they did would lead to such great chemistry.

This was a good book with a bit of everything. I was shocked to learn in the first few pages the hero from book 1 being arrested and the other guy released. Not something expected that's for sure. Likable characters and it did have action. The introduction to even more people got confusing at times though.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the idea that there were actually two romances going on. The main characters are Luther and Hannah then you have Sebastian and Leila. Lots of action and suspense keep you engaged until the very end. Luther is sent to rescue Hannah after she was kidnapped with information that could clear Gabe. Hannah is a fiesty alpha female that gives as good as she gets. Her five year plan is already mapped out and it doesn't include a hot, sexy SEAL. Sebastian's one night stand with Leila has left him feeling lost. He didn't even get her name. Leila is aware who Sebastian is and only wants one thing from him. She has no plans to fall in love with a SEAL who will leave her like everyone else in her life. Will the couple's find their happily ever after? I recommend reading the first book in the series first.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. Hannah has disappeared on her way to give specific details on a case against a SEAL named Jaguar. She is kidnapped and taken to Cuba. From there Jaguar's team is looking for her as well as evidence to help Jaguar. Luther leads the way down to Cuba and is contacted by an FBI agent who says the Individual is behind this and he is trying to get him but it will take time and nothing can be told to anyone until this person is caught. What could go wrong??? Very good story as well as some romance.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting, action-filled story of Luther Lindstrom and Hannah Geary. Hannah is one tough lady and a good match for ex-NFL player, now Navy Seal Luther. If you enjoy a fast-paced, thrilling story, this is a must read!

[Gisela · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
A juice made of papaya, orange, and pineapple "crimson" in color? No way!

[Arlene D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story. Hannah was a strong heroine and a very likeable one. Also loved Luther.

[★¸. • * ° *Jillie* ° *•.¸☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read these awhile ago. Comments and review to follow.



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[Reed Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If was pretty good. A little predictable.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books in the SEAL Team 12 just keep getting better! I love getting to know Luther and Hannah, but also get to re-visit the other characters and it enhances the storyline immensely for me.