Alpha Bravo SEAL

Red, White and Built #2

by Carol Ericson

Navy SEAL Protector

When members of her film crew start being killed off, documentarian Nicole Hastings is relieved to find the man following her is Slade Gallagher--a navy SEAL sniper who once saved Nicole from Somali kidnappers. Now he's shadowing her to trap the terrorists behind the killings and find out just what they want.

Nicole couldn't be more different from the women Slade usually falls for. But he quickly learns that there's a lot more to this socialite than he first thought. And as Slade's admiration for her courage and resilience grows, so does his yearning. Protecting Nicole is an assignment, but can he let her go when it's all over?

Red, White and Built

Genres: Romance, Military Fiction, Fiction, Harlequin

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 18, 2017

About the author

Best-selling, award-winning romance author, Carol Ericson, has written more than 65 books, mostly romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue. Also indie pubbed, Carol is working on a spicy popstar romcom series about five members of a boyband. A California girl and graduate of UCLA, Carol lives near the beach with her husband and their giant dog. For more information about Carol’s books, please visit her website at www.authorcarolericson.com and follow her on Instagram @author.carol.ericson

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

She opened her mouth like a baby bird, and he placed the plastic utensil against her tongue. She closed her lips around it and sucked the gelato into her mouth. As the tart, cold flavor invaded her taste buds, she squeezed her eyes shut.

This book was bad. Unfortunately, that is usually my conclusion after reading romantic suspense.

The problem with romantic suspense is instead of focusing on a good thriller, romance is added in. Instead of focusing on a wonderful romance, they keep shoehorning in idiotic mystery or thriller elements.

Neither romance fans nor suspense fans end up happy.

Romantic Suspense authors also commonly have things happen in the novel (either random events, or things the characters say and do) that make NO sense and happen for NO reason except that they need to move the plot along.

Usually romantic suspense books feature MCs that are total idiots. This book was no exception. I was outsmarting them frequently and, trust me, I am about as far away from a Navy SEAL sniper or an FBI agent as possible.

Slade is a Navy SEAL sniper who - FOR SOME REASON - is assigned a spook job of guarding / spying on Nicole. Nicole is a woman he rescued from Somali pirates 18 months ago.

I'm pretty sure the government does NOT assign Navy SEALs to spy on / protect civilians, but whatever. o.O

Nicole catches him rifling through her mail (he's a terrible spy) and they team up to... find documentary footage she shot in Somalia.


CONS:

- These two are huge idiots. They make frequent and amateur mistakes throughout the novel.

For instance, she gets a text about the murder on her cell phone, rolls over and goes back to sleep - instead of telling Slade about it. Even though she doesn't recognize the number, she just ASSUMES it's from so-and-so. Why? Because she's braindead.

And our sniper is no brighter. He and Nicole receive a call from some guy they met ONCE who seems very suspicious... to meet in the park at night. A wide open, empty park. With no cover. Sniper just goes there with her and they sit on the swingset. Like the sitting ducks they are. At no point does THE SNIPER say, "Hey, this is a perfect place for someone to take us out! Like a sniper!" o.O I mean... how STUPID can you be?! This is your fucking job, man. The idea that a SNIPER would just be perfectly fine with this set-up makes me NUTS.

Later, we all know someone is trying to murder the heroine. And the dogwalker asks if she can borrow Nicole's sweater. Instantly I know that the bad guys are going to see her walking in Nicole's sweater, think she's Nicole and murder her. Instantly I know this. But it never occurs to these two knuckleheads.

Also, they always come back to her apartment. Even though she is being targeted by terrorists or whatever, and people are trying to murder her. o.O

- They're both very, very rich.

- The writing just...

A smile curved her mouth. When Slade Gallagher had your back - literally - it was like having a guardian angel flapping his wings around you. Except Slade's wings were a pair of muscled arms.

There's an explosion and Slade and Nicole get thrown to the pavement. THIS is what Nicole has to say to Slade after the explosion:

"Are you hurt?" She reached up and cupped his jaw. "Your beautiful golden eyelashes are singed."

*Carmen blinks* I can't.... I just... no one would ever say this IRL. And most especially no one would be focusing on shit like 'your beautiful golden eyelashes' after nearly DYING in a huge explosion. I mean, no.

Which brings me to:


HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?

Don't even get me started. >.<

I have NO idea why these two end up in bed together. Even less of an idea as to why they think they are 'in love.' They barely know each other. They have no chemistry. *shrug* WTF? If Ericson was trying to sell me on adrenaline - okay, a hot Navy SEAL sniper is glued to your side, protecting you, you're getting shot at all the time - that would be one thing. But anything deeper than a momentary fling was pushing it.

And the writing. THE WRITING. Let me give you some examples.

Okay, the first time they were going to have sex, he carries her to bed. But they get interrupted before they can do anything. So the second time, this happens:

"I'm not carrying you this time. You come of your own free will... or not at all."

What... the fuck are you talking about? There was no forcing of any kind ever. The carrying was cute. She was totally and completely there of her free will the first time. ??? Not sure what Slade is going on about here. He is just being a drama king. There's literally NO reason for him to say this or even think it.

Then we have to consider dialogue like this:

"When this is over, I go back to doing what I do."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. You're a warrior." She hugged him tighter, hugged him as if her life depended on it.

He turned in her arms and brushed the hair from her face. He kissed her temple, her cheekbone, her ear, her chin. "Then you're my warrior princess, Nicole Hastings."

OMG I was laughing so hard. Who talks like this!??!!?!? I just can't take this seriously and I can't believe Ericson would expect me to. This is atrocious.

When they actually started having sex, I was thinking my brain was going to explode from the excruciating experience of reading about it. Listening to what these two blockheads talking to each other having sex is torture.

His hands slid up her back. "Are you cold?"

"No - excited." She bent her head and tickled his chest with the ends of her hair.

"Me, too."

As she wriggled against his hard erection, she gave him her best wicked grin. "I can tell."

He closed his eyes, catching his breath. "That feels so... good, which is a really weak word for what I'm experiencing right now.

She shifted her body to the side, not wanting to end this too soon, and trailed her fingernails across his chest. Now it was his turn to shiver.

"Are YOU cold?"

"I'm so hot I'm surprised I don't have steam coming out of my ears."

"Who says?" She flicked his earlobe with her tongue, and he chuckled.

PLEASE. For the love of all that is holy, MAKE IT STOP. But it doesn't stop. It just keeps going.

"I want more of you." She slid down his body, burying her head between his thighs, taking him into her mouth.

He bucked against her, and his fingers dug into her scalp. "You could've warned me. My head just about exploded."

She replaced her mouth with her hand, stroking the tight flesh that she'd moistened with her tongue. "Is that a double entendre?"

"Why are are you asking me questions now, in French, no less? Just keep doing whatever it is you were doing down there."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

*At this point Carmen is bashing her head against the desk and moaning*

ANYWAY. Needless to say the sex wasn't enjoyable for me to read about.

THEN, to encapsulate what is wrong with romantic suspense, Nicole pulls out her phone to take some pictures of the naked SEAL she has in her bed.

WHAT?

Yeah, I know. I know. It's completely out of character for her to do this or even think about doing this, and it's completely out of character for Slade to just put his hands behind his head and go along with this with no questions or complaints. And you are reading this and you are like, "What the FUCK is going on?" But then a cocktail napkin falls out of her purse while she's reaching for the phone and you realize the ONLY reason Ericson put this little random nonsensical exhibitionist bit in was so that 'Nicole could find the clue.' Yeah. Real smooth. /s This is EXACTLY the kind of romantic suspense lameness I'm talking about. *rolls eyes*


Tl;dr - You'll notice there are no PROS listed in this review. That's because this book is awful. Now, that's not the worst sex I've ever read... not even close. Unfortunately for me. But let me just say that whether you are suffering through the sex, the idiotic decisions these two make, or the idea that these two would EVER 'fall in love,' it always comes down to you suffering. There's no redeeming value to this book at all in my opinion.

"I really don't regret making love with you, Slade, because that's what we did, isn't it? We made love, and it made me feel whole and safe and alive."

"We made love, Nicole."

And God help him, he meant it.

ROMANCE CATEGORIES
Contemporary Romance
Military Romance
Romantic Suspense
Non-Virgin Heroine

[Paula Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nicole Hastings is a rich girl, but also a documentary filmmaker. It seems that all the people involved in her last film are mysteriously dying! She knows something sinister is afoot when Navy SEAL sniper Slade Gallagher appears to protect her from assassins/terrorists willing to get hold of footage from that film, which was never completed. But where is the footage? Nicole and Slade go on an Amazing Race style adventure to locate it, all while we learn every last detail about their every meal along the way.

It feels like a computer program spat this one out! There's not much of a plot at all. Just Slade and Nicole going from person to person, and often willfully walking into dangerous situations, to locate the footage that someone wants Nicole dead for. Rinse and repeat. There is a bizarre fascination with what they have to eat, which I'm noticing seems to be a thing with books by Ericson. Way to notch up the word count or what? Like I said, if often feels like an episode of The Amazing Race as the two dash from person to person, location to location. While the plot of this book wraps up satisfactorily enough, we still don't know why the terrorists are doing what they're doing, which saps a lot of the strength from this one. I guess we have to wait until book 6 (BOOK 6?!?!?) before we find that out. Sigh.

Some questions I was left with:

Does the name Slade actually exist outside of bad romance fiction?

What sort of sniper is Slade? I assumed that job would require some degree of stealth, but this guy has none at all. Nicole catches him going through her mail!

Why do the heroes in this mini-series set up meetings with the heroines in such contrived ways? In the previous book, the hero broke into the heroine's car!

Why do informants always want to meet in dangerous locations and never want to speak over the phone?

With all this focus on Nicole and Slade's gastronomical pursuits, why do they never once stop for a toilet break?

Even Delores Fossen, Intrigue's worst repeat offender when it comes to writing on autopilot, can still deliver a 4 star story. There's no reason Carol Ericson can't either. This was lazy and uninspired, but easy enough to read, I guess. Not the worst Intrigue you'll find.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Nicole is a documentary filmmaker. She and her film crew had been captured by Somali pirates, then rescued by a group of Navy SEALs. Eighteen months later, the other members of her crew are dying under mysterious circumstances and Nicole suspects something is wrong.

One of those SEALs was Slade. He had been fascinated by her at the time, intrigued by a wealthy woman that doesn't act like the ones he's used to. Then he's assigned to protect her again, this time from deadly terrorists who are after her.

I liked both Nicole and Slade. Both have come from wealthy, privileged backgrounds, but prefer to make their own way in the world. Thanks to her work in frequently hazardous areas, Nicole is not easily flustered or frightened. She is also smart, feisty, and determined. Slade is smart, determined and protective. He has been burned pretty well by his few relationships with wealthy women and tends to steer clear of them now. I enjoyed seeing the development of their relationship. First up is the attraction between them, which simmers under the surface from the start. Neither had been able to forget the other, even though they hadn't actually met. Second was the connection between them that quickly became a friendship, then more. I liked that Nicole was strong and independent, but could lean on Slade when she needed to. I also loved that while Slade was protective, he trusted Nicole to know what she could handle. I liked how they came together at the end, with no angst or trouble, just an admission that they want to see where the relationship goes.

The suspense of the book was really good. We quickly learn that the bad guys are after some film footage, though not exactly why. They are ruthless and have no problem with leaving a high body count. Slade and Nicole follow the leads to track down the footage, but the bad guys are never far away. The intensity increases when they find the film, but Nicole is taken. The final confrontation is exciting, though doesn't go quite like I expected, but it certainly brings things into a nice neat circle, with just one loose thread. I can't wait to read the next one.

My only real quibble is with the cover of the book. It takes place almost entirely in New York City, so the African cover is a bit misleading.

[Valri Western · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was favorite book in the series so far! I really liked the two main characters a lot! Slade Gallagher was very likable as a Navy SEAL/bodyguard for Nicole Hastings. Both of them are from rich, privileged families but don't act like it! They go out into the world and take risks and try to help the world be a better place. Nicole is a film documentarian and gets captured in Somolia by pirates with her film crew while shooting. Slade and his sniper SEAL group are the ones that save her. Months later, Nicole's film crew all start getting killed and no one can figure out why. Slade begins to shadow her around New York City to see if he can trap the terrorists who are behind the killings and find out why they want the film that Nicole's crew was filming. There is TONS of action and some romance along the way. I really enjoyed the way Nicole and Slade got along. They had great chemistry and friendship! I also loved the little dog, Chanel! Nicole was a very strong woman, which is my favorite kind of heroine, but she still turned to Slade when she needed him! Slade admired Nicole's strengths a great deal and appreciated her toughness but knew when it was time to take the lead and save her! I highly recommend this book!

[Berta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess romantic suspense just isn't my gig anymore. :/ There was too much action and mystery and not enough chemistry and heat between the two main characters. Part of my 'meh' feeling might be from reading it in paperback... I have been spoiled by my ereader!

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Red, White and Built

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Red, White and Built

[Trenchologist · Rating 3 out of 5]

September Readathon

Yet another one out of an interconnected series. I realized that going in, but also knew the plot would be reasonably self-contained as most line categories are. And it was. I liked it well enough but don't have much pique about how the bigger plot touched on resolves.

It has good pace and sense of action and geography for that action. The main thing that kept kicking me out was how careless the leads were, given they knew they were being tracked and in danger. It's understandable for a choice to be made that moves the plot along and winds up in a jam, but they walked into jam after jam -- a world-wise heroine and a SEAL hero, so it very much felt in service of the plot even if it undermined the characters.

Even keeping the dog walker on was dumb; this didn't happen but a bad guy could easily have forced entry to the heroine's apartment using the dog walker, just for example. As it was, the dog walker was badly injured when mistaken for the heroine. Yes it's important to have stakes! and consequences! but that one was particularly, noticeably, avoidable.

The ending is quite tidy. All that running around and then the hero finally gets smarter about things and wraps it up.

I do like they're both rich as heck but that doesn't make them less layered or competent or ready to take on risks. And while wary of rich girls / rich boys get over it to trust each other. The love story is usually 'less' in action plots, and that was the case here; that was fine. It was still believable and they were written with good chemistry and reasons to come to desire, and then care for, about one another.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. I missed book 1 and I feel like it might have enhanced this more. Absolutely adore the intrigue and suspense, they are usually a complete fast read. This is one book that could have been a little shorter. Love that Nicole wasn't just a society daughter, but kick ass.

[Janell Hartzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being rescued from pirates Nicole is back in New York when she gets word of her crew having accidents. Slade is trying to protect Nicole while trying to find out what is happening to her friends and crew.

[Helen Bassett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story.

[Rebecca Delio · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT STORY

I love books by Carol Erickson and the Red, White and Blue Series is Wonderful, I hope all who read HARLEQUIN will look for her books....

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only took me a while to finish....awesome story!

Highly recommend!!! On to the next one. . .

[Elizabeth Mckernan · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was good and action packed. i look forward to the rest in the series.

[Leanna Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun quick read with just the right level of suspense to keep you interested.

[Maureen Hubley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the series was better than the first. Loved it...great reading on a snowy day.

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoy author Carol Ericson's thrilling romantic suspense reads with their intriguing and imaginative storylines and their captivating characters. "Alpha Bravo Seal" is Book 2 in the "Red, White and Built" series, and it is now one of my favorite books by Carol Ericson. I always become involved in following the action-adventure of the stories, but "Alpha Bravo Seal" has an extra-special love story at its core. Navy SEAL Sniper Slade Gallagher once saved the life of documentary film-maker Nicole Hastings when he freed her from captivity at the hands of extreme terrorists. The two of them didn't actually meet at that time, but now Slade is once again assigned to protect Nicole--this time on her home ground. Not exactly comfortable as a big-city bodyguard, Slade must think on his feet to keep Nicole safe. Smart, capable, and gorgeous, Nicole is more than a match for her handsome hero. The attraction is immediate, but the warm friendship which blooms between them grows into a real affair of the heart, with plenty of heat to keep sparks flying. Their relationship is natural and so well-written, and I couldn't wait to see how they could make the differences in their lives and lifestyles work out for a united, happy future. A great romantic suspense read from a great storyteller.

Book Copy Gratis Author

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a continuation of the first book in the Navy Seal Protector books. This is SEAL Slades mission as he protects Nicole a film editor who while doing a documentary was kidnapped with the film crew. They're saved by the SEALs and months later the film crew start dying. It's up to Slade to protect Nicole before she becomes the next victim.

[JL Coy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alpha Bravo Seal is the second installment of the Red, White and Built series by Carol Ericson. While I found the first book (Locked, Loaded and SEALed) to be tepid, at best, I really enjoyed this book. Slade Gallagher and Nicole Hastings were great characters – both strong and independent in spite of their privileged upbringing.

Nicole is a filmmaker and in the past had been captured by Somalian pirates while filming a documentary. She and her crew were saved by a group of Navy Seals. Slade Gallagher was one of the team. He was mesmerized by Nicole at the time his team took out the pirates. Now, a year and a half later, he’s there to save her again. This time the bad guy aren’t as easily identified, nor is their reason for wanting Nicole and all her crew from that day dead.

I don’t believe that a sniper would reveal that to most people, but I can overlook that for the sake of the story. This is fiction, after all. This was a fast-paced story, with a minimum of actual sexual content but still with plenty of sexual magnetism between Slade and Gallagher. Throw in a cute little dog and a lot of twists in the plot and it made for good reading.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good quick read.