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Bartlett Brothers #1
Forbidden
From New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann comes a thrilling tale of romance and suspense, filled with all the surprise, passion, and mystery of a new love.
When Kayla Grey travels from Boston to Montana, the last place she expects to end up is huddled beneath a blanket of dirt in the middle of a fierce snowstorm. And the last person she expects to rescue her is the very man she’d come to find. Cal Bartlett was a true-blue cowboy, complete with a horse, and the most amazing eyes Kayla had ever seen. He was also the brother of the man who’d wanted to marry her. But she didn’t discover that until it was too late–after they’d kissed by a roaring fire and Kayla felt a desire she’d never known. Cal could handle Mother Nature, but could he handle the news Kayla brought with her? That his dead brother might not be dead after all?
Cal couldn’t imagine why he was being tested in this way–irresistibly drawn to the woman his brother had loved. Now she was insisting he might be alive, asking Cal to join her on a dangerous search based on a rumor from a stranger…. And torn between guilt and longing, Cal would do just that, hoping against hope that wanting this woman wouldn’t mean losing his brother once again.
When Kayla Grey travels from Boston to Montana, the last place she expects to end up is huddled beneath a blanket of dirt in the middle of a fierce snowstorm. And the last person she expects to rescue her is the very man she’d come to find. Cal Bartlett was a true-blue cowboy, complete with a horse, and the most amazing eyes Kayla had ever seen. He was also the brother of the man who’d wanted to marry her. But she didn’t discover that until it was too late–after they’d kissed by a roaring fire and Kayla felt a desire she’d never known. Cal could handle Mother Nature, but could he handle the news Kayla brought with her? That his dead brother might not be dead after all?
Cal couldn’t imagine why he was being tested in this way–irresistibly drawn to the woman his brother had loved. Now she was insisting he might be alive, asking Cal to join her on a dangerous search based on a rumor from a stranger…. And torn between guilt and longing, Cal would do just that, hoping against hope that wanting this woman wouldn’t mean losing his brother once again.
245 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 3, 1997
54 people are currently reading
719 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Brockmann
253 books3,568 followersAfter childhood plans to become the captain of a starship didn’t pan out, Suzanne Brockmann took her fascination with military history, her respect for the men and women who serve, her reverence for diversity, and her love of storytelling, and explored brave new worlds as a bestselling romance author.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
July 20, 2010
This was a great read, although originally published in 1997 and just 245 pages, Brockmann still manages to spin a surprisingly deep adventure story. Our hero here is a true-blue Montana cowboy, that doesn’t stop him however from going all Troubleshooter-ish in the hunt for his imprisoned brother. Throw in a corrupt foreign government, assorted spies, bad guys and a heartbreaking romance, that although doomed from the beginning exudes so much sexual chemistry you just gotta hope, maybe, somehow… Well lets just say its unputdownable.
When Kayla Grey learns that her fiancé might not have been killed while on assignment in war-torn San Salustiano but is in fact being held prisoner, she travels to Montana to enlist the help of Liam’s older brother Cal Bartlett. In the hopes of if not rescue then at least closure.
Caught in a freak snowstorm on her way to the Bartlett ranch, Kayla’s first meeting with Cal is during her own rescue. As she thaws out in front of the fireplace the pair are immediately and inexplicably drawn to each other and this is one sexy scene. Quickly extinguished however when Cal learns that she was engaged to his brother. Now Cal only see’s Kayla as ‘forbidden’ This doesn’t stop the sparks from continuing to fly between them though.
Because Kayla’s information is based on a rumour from a stranger Cal is initially resistant to the idea that his brother might still be alive. He also doesn’t know if he could bear the pain of losing Liam all over again if the reported sighting are false. Of course the bottom line is he can’t let Kayla go on her own. This is when the story really takes off; with motorcycle chases through the jungle, bullets flying and palpable sexual tension. Yeehaw, this is one cowboy I enjoyed seeing on a motorcycle.
As our pair grows closer to each other and finding Liam, Cal becomes increasingly torn between guilt and longing. If they do somehow find his brother alive now, he’ll lose the woman he loves. And isn’t it heartbreaking to see a hero not afraid to cry.
My only problem with this book was the abrupt resolution to a great story. It would have been nice if we’d been allowed another 20 pages to flesh out what could have been a super exciting ending.
When Kayla Grey learns that her fiancé might not have been killed while on assignment in war-torn San Salustiano but is in fact being held prisoner, she travels to Montana to enlist the help of Liam’s older brother Cal Bartlett. In the hopes of if not rescue then at least closure.
Caught in a freak snowstorm on her way to the Bartlett ranch, Kayla’s first meeting with Cal is during her own rescue. As she thaws out in front of the fireplace the pair are immediately and inexplicably drawn to each other and this is one sexy scene. Quickly extinguished however when Cal learns that she was engaged to his brother. Now Cal only see’s Kayla as ‘forbidden’ This doesn’t stop the sparks from continuing to fly between them though.
Because Kayla’s information is based on a rumour from a stranger Cal is initially resistant to the idea that his brother might still be alive. He also doesn’t know if he could bear the pain of losing Liam all over again if the reported sighting are false. Of course the bottom line is he can’t let Kayla go on her own. This is when the story really takes off; with motorcycle chases through the jungle, bullets flying and palpable sexual tension. Yeehaw, this is one cowboy I enjoyed seeing on a motorcycle.
As our pair grows closer to each other and finding Liam, Cal becomes increasingly torn between guilt and longing. If they do somehow find his brother alive now, he’ll lose the woman he loves. And isn’t it heartbreaking to see a hero not afraid to cry.
My only problem with this book was the abrupt resolution to a great story. It would have been nice if we’d been allowed another 20 pages to flesh out what could have been a super exciting ending.
July 30, 2015
3.5 Stars!!! ***Audiobook***
This was a good audio listen.
Two years after Cal's brother's death, Kayla, his brother's ex-fiance has traveled from Boston to Montana to ask for Cal's help because she has reason to believe that he is still alive.
What ensues is a thrilling romance with some adventure and a surprising love connection.
This was a good audio listen.
Two years after Cal's brother's death, Kayla, his brother's ex-fiance has traveled from Boston to Montana to ask for Cal's help because she has reason to believe that he is still alive.
What ensues is a thrilling romance with some adventure and a surprising love connection.
Read
February 13, 20212/23/2021 - On sale for $2.99 all the places. Per Brockmann’s newsletter.
I know I read/listened to this forever ago... time for a reread. 🥰
I know I read/listened to this forever ago... time for a reread. 🥰
June 22, 2011
it read like a B-rated movie. the thing is: i like B-rated movies.
Kayla was told her fiance had died in a foreign war-torn country. nearly two years later, she hears a rumor this may not be true. so naturally she does what any 20-something single gal would do - she goes out in search of her fiance's older brother, to ask for his help to find the brother he thinks is dead - even though she's never met him.
lost in a storm, she is rescued by a cowboy. he digs her from the sod, where she has buried herself to keep warm. he returns her to the comforts of a hotel. even though she is chaste by habit and this cowboy is a stranger, she makes out with him. but! before it got all pizza-guy-delivers-to-a-nekkid-slumber-party-of-hot-girls, she pulls back and he tips his hat all "goodnight, ma'am."
ready for the predictable plot twist? that cowboy is the brother she was looking for. now they both feel guilty. they spend the bulk of the book denying their attraction for each other. there's some sleuthing in said foreign country, run ins with mercenaries, a visit to a pawn shop, a couple of scenes of mad hot lovin, and a happy ending.
roll credits, folks. i grade this with a B!
Kayla was told her fiance had died in a foreign war-torn country. nearly two years later, she hears a rumor this may not be true. so naturally she does what any 20-something single gal would do - she goes out in search of her fiance's older brother, to ask for his help to find the brother he thinks is dead - even though she's never met him.
lost in a storm, she is rescued by a cowboy. he digs her from the sod, where she has buried herself to keep warm. he returns her to the comforts of a hotel. even though she is chaste by habit and this cowboy is a stranger, she makes out with him. but! before it got all pizza-guy-delivers-to-a-nekkid-slumber-party-of-hot-girls, she pulls back and he tips his hat all "goodnight, ma'am."
ready for the predictable plot twist? that cowboy is the brother she was looking for. now they both feel guilty. they spend the bulk of the book denying their attraction for each other. there's some sleuthing in said foreign country, run ins with mercenaries, a visit to a pawn shop, a couple of scenes of mad hot lovin, and a happy ending.
roll credits, folks. i grade this with a B!
May 2, 2012
3.5* rounded up for goodreads.
Reviewed for Speaking of Audiobooks Column on All About Romance 5/1/12.
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8144
Before Suzanne Brockmann achieved fame for her Troubleshooter series, she wrote other series and stand-alone books. Most were on the short side (250 pages or so) and have a lot in common with other category romances. Forbidden is one of these titles published in print in 1997 and released in audio in 2007. I enjoyed the print version when I read it several years ago.
Forbidden has a simple plot. Liam, Cal Bartlett’s younger brother, was killed in a war-torn Caribbean country. Two years later, Liam’s girlfriend, Kayla, tracks Cal down at his Montana ranch with news that Liam may still be alive. The two set off in hopes of finding Liam and fall in love on the way. Brockmann uses several well-worn devices to jumpstart the relationship. Cal rescues Kayla from an early Montana snowstorm, forming an instant bond between them. Much of the book’s tension is built around the “forbidden” feelings each has for the other as they join forces to discover the truth about Liam’s death.
Traci Svensgaard is a new narrator for me and I was pleasantly surprised by her calm, nuanced performance of Forbidden. Her voice is melodic and soft – not so much in volume as in tone. The characters’ voices are well distinguished without sounding forced. Cal’s Montana drawl was a little too much at times, but that is a minor quibble. Brockmann emphasizes his drawl in the text so I understand why Svensgaard did the same when performing the audio. To this uninitiated ear, the narrator’s Spanish accents sound authentic and believable, and help immerse the listener in the story’s setting. This sense of place is one reason listening was a better experience than simply reading the book.
My only caveat about the audio version has nothing to do with the narration but rather the production. Although pauses were made at chapter breaks, I experienced a moment of confusion each time the scene changed as there was no pause to indicate that fact.
While not unique, I found the suspense satisfying and emotional and felt Brockmann did a good job developing the romance within the short space allowed. Yes, there are clichés and standard romance plot devices thrown in, but overall I was willing to go with the insta-attraction and the hero’s willingness to be self-sacrificing without first checking to see if it was even warranted. I liked the characters, enjoyed the action, and thought the narration added to the experience.
Reviewed for Speaking of Audiobooks Column on All About Romance 5/1/12.
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8144
Before Suzanne Brockmann achieved fame for her Troubleshooter series, she wrote other series and stand-alone books. Most were on the short side (250 pages or so) and have a lot in common with other category romances. Forbidden is one of these titles published in print in 1997 and released in audio in 2007. I enjoyed the print version when I read it several years ago.
Forbidden has a simple plot. Liam, Cal Bartlett’s younger brother, was killed in a war-torn Caribbean country. Two years later, Liam’s girlfriend, Kayla, tracks Cal down at his Montana ranch with news that Liam may still be alive. The two set off in hopes of finding Liam and fall in love on the way. Brockmann uses several well-worn devices to jumpstart the relationship. Cal rescues Kayla from an early Montana snowstorm, forming an instant bond between them. Much of the book’s tension is built around the “forbidden” feelings each has for the other as they join forces to discover the truth about Liam’s death.
Traci Svensgaard is a new narrator for me and I was pleasantly surprised by her calm, nuanced performance of Forbidden. Her voice is melodic and soft – not so much in volume as in tone. The characters’ voices are well distinguished without sounding forced. Cal’s Montana drawl was a little too much at times, but that is a minor quibble. Brockmann emphasizes his drawl in the text so I understand why Svensgaard did the same when performing the audio. To this uninitiated ear, the narrator’s Spanish accents sound authentic and believable, and help immerse the listener in the story’s setting. This sense of place is one reason listening was a better experience than simply reading the book.
My only caveat about the audio version has nothing to do with the narration but rather the production. Although pauses were made at chapter breaks, I experienced a moment of confusion each time the scene changed as there was no pause to indicate that fact.
While not unique, I found the suspense satisfying and emotional and felt Brockmann did a good job developing the romance within the short space allowed. Yes, there are clichés and standard romance plot devices thrown in, but overall I was willing to go with the insta-attraction and the hero’s willingness to be self-sacrificing without first checking to see if it was even warranted. I liked the characters, enjoyed the action, and thought the narration added to the experience.
June 4, 2009
This is another one of SB's that kind of snuck up on me, yet I think it turned into one of my favorites. There is just something about a cowboy.
Kayla Grey is in Montana on a mission. She needs to find the brother of the man that asked her to marry him before he left the country and was killed. Before she can really look for him she is caught in a storm while out walking, and burrows into the sod to keep from freezing.
Cal Bartlett gets a call one night just as a storm is hitting, that a tourist from back east is missing. She went for a walk and hasn't returned to the B&B. so he heads out to find her in the first bad storm of the season. When he and his dog find her she has burrowed into the sod to keep from freezing, and is covered in mud, but alive. When he takes her back to her room, and gets her warmed up, he is so attracted to her he can hardly keep his hands to himself. She is the first woman that he has been temped by in a very long time, in fact since his little brother died.
When Kayla finds out just who rescued her, she realizes she will have to tell him about her and his brother. She really doesn't want to, but she needs his help. Kayla thinks that Cal's little brother isn't really dead, that he could have been captured in the war torn country that he was supposedly killed in.
Cal can't believe his luck. He hasn't been attracted to a woman in years and now he is attracted to his little brothers girlfriend. But that isn't the worst of it. His little brother could be alive and been living in a prison camp for two years. He isn't sure what to believe, but he needs to know for sure.
Cal and Kayls go on a wild and turbulent trip trying to save Cal's brother if possible. They have to face rebel's, military, viscious killers, and maybe hardest of all, each other and their feelings.
Kayla Grey is in Montana on a mission. She needs to find the brother of the man that asked her to marry him before he left the country and was killed. Before she can really look for him she is caught in a storm while out walking, and burrows into the sod to keep from freezing.
Cal Bartlett gets a call one night just as a storm is hitting, that a tourist from back east is missing. She went for a walk and hasn't returned to the B&B. so he heads out to find her in the first bad storm of the season. When he and his dog find her she has burrowed into the sod to keep from freezing, and is covered in mud, but alive. When he takes her back to her room, and gets her warmed up, he is so attracted to her he can hardly keep his hands to himself. She is the first woman that he has been temped by in a very long time, in fact since his little brother died.
When Kayla finds out just who rescued her, she realizes she will have to tell him about her and his brother. She really doesn't want to, but she needs his help. Kayla thinks that Cal's little brother isn't really dead, that he could have been captured in the war torn country that he was supposedly killed in.
Cal can't believe his luck. He hasn't been attracted to a woman in years and now he is attracted to his little brothers girlfriend. But that isn't the worst of it. His little brother could be alive and been living in a prison camp for two years. He isn't sure what to believe, but he needs to know for sure.
Cal and Kayls go on a wild and turbulent trip trying to save Cal's brother if possible. They have to face rebel's, military, viscious killers, and maybe hardest of all, each other and their feelings.
April 13, 2011
This was a very fast read about a sweet story.
Kayla is finally able to face the brother of the man that asked her to marry him, the only catch is that Liam died 2 years ago. While in Montana working up the courage to see Cal, she is out walking and gets stranded by the weather. And who should come to her welcome, but Cal. Neither one knows who the other one is and sparks fly. But then the truth comes out, Liam may not be dead and Kayla needs Cal's help to try to find him.
Cal finds himself stunned on 2 fronts, his attraction to his brother's woman and that Liam may be alive. They both take off to see of the rumors of Liam being alive is true. On a corrupt island they have to fight the crooked officials and their attractions.
It is amidst all this turmoil that they are able to share secrets they haven't told anyone else and you are rooting for them to just give into their attraction and are hoping with them that Liam is alive.
I loved the ending and can't wait to read the next book.
Kayla is finally able to face the brother of the man that asked her to marry him, the only catch is that Liam died 2 years ago. While in Montana working up the courage to see Cal, she is out walking and gets stranded by the weather. And who should come to her welcome, but Cal. Neither one knows who the other one is and sparks fly. But then the truth comes out, Liam may not be dead and Kayla needs Cal's help to try to find him.
Cal finds himself stunned on 2 fronts, his attraction to his brother's woman and that Liam may be alive. They both take off to see of the rumors of Liam being alive is true. On a corrupt island they have to fight the crooked officials and their attractions.
It is amidst all this turmoil that they are able to share secrets they haven't told anyone else and you are rooting for them to just give into their attraction and are hoping with them that Liam is alive.
I loved the ending and can't wait to read the next book.
August 28, 2008
Well, I'm happy to say that I'm glad Brockmann moved on from writing category romance. This was a fun read, but it's pretty well steeped in genre convention. The hero and heroine spend an inordinate amount of time just pining for each other, such that even when their lives are in danger, they're still all, "wow, s/he's so sexy!" Plus there was a general lack of suspense, since I knew the book had a sequel, so I knew how things would pan out. Still, it's a fun, quick read with a little more depth than some similar books I've read in the genre.
February 20, 2021
It was okay. Didn't like it as well the second time around. Don't know why. I read it years ago and just decided to try it again.
July 19, 2015
It was an ok book. A little too predictable.
June 16, 2025
June 2025
2.5 stars
A Contemporary Romantic Suspense
(I didn't find it that suspenseful.)
The story started off well, with the h needing to be rescued by the H during an unexpected snowstorm. Their strong chemistry immediately ignites.
Once the push/pull started, the story went downhill. The romance is what's typically found in a Harlequin novel, with OTT feelings. I skimmed to finish, as the mystery/suspense wasn't good enough to overcome my annoyance with the MCs' rocky relationship.
🔻Their intense attraction leads quickly to love.
🔻 The h never listened to the H when he tried to keep her safe, repeatedly putting herself in harm's way to help him. She gave the orders and he reluctantly followed them. 😬
🔻 The exciting conclusion is rushed, in order to get back to the MCs' relationship, the primary focus.
🔻 The usual breakup.
★ Character descriptions are top-notch.
▪️One low-steam sex scene that's too wordy.
▪️There's plenty of kissing and sexual tension.
📕 BOOK SUMMARY 📕
Kayla, who according to the H is 'probably in her mid-twenties,' travels from Boston to Montana to tell the H that his younger brother, Liam, may still be alive. She needs his help for a risky mission to learn the truth.
Her backstory: She works at the Boston Women's Crisis Center. She switched her college major to social work after being raped. She claims to be afraid of sex, but when she falls for the H, she's ready and willing.
Cal Bartlett (37) is a strong, burly rancher with Native American roots. After their parents died in a car crash, he took on the burden of raising his younger half-brother. He worked tirelessly, sacrificing to put Liam through college, giving up his own dream of being a writer, which Liam pursued instead.
William (Liam) Bartlett is a reporter who went to the small island of San Salustiano, to cover the political and civil unrest. Two years ago, he was said to have been killed in a terrorist explosion. The truth was,
25%. After Kayla shared her findings about Liam, Cal believed he was likely still alive. They then fly to the small island, where most of the story takes place.
Liam had asked Kayla to marry him, but she only saw him as a friend. So Cal spends most of the time playing push/pull with Kayla, thinking his feelings for her are wrong. He believes once again, he has to give up his dream for his brother's sake. (This made no sense, because Kayla and Liam never had a romantic relationship and never would.)
37% - What Cal was feeling, what he wanted, was wrong. But he couldn't get away from it. From the moment he laid eyes on Kayla, he wanted her.
43% - He clung to Kayla almost desperately, knowing it was wrong to want her this way, but powerless to stop.
58% - She wanted him. And God knew he wanted her. Would it truly be so wrong to―Yes. The answer came immediately. Yes, it would be wrong.
80% - The MCs have sex.
92% - Learning Liam is still alive, is why Cal tells Kayla their lovemaking meant nothing.
95% - The MCs trick the "notorious Captain Death of the Special Forces Police," and they, along with Liam, fly to Boston.
Insignificant. The word was following Kayla around, popping into her head when she least expected it. She'd been back to work for nearly four weeks now. She would have thought the hurt would have begun to fade. It hadn't.
Cal ensures his brother's recovery and returns to Montana without saying goodbye to Kayla. After Liam discusses his brother with her, she heads to Montana to be with him. Cal, planning to go to her, now cancels his flight. Finally reconciled at 98%, they plan to marry.
🙄 Book Excerpts:
▪️But what about if he needed her? And he did. God, he needed her. Desperately.
▪️She wanted Cal desperately. Emotionally, totally, in every way imaginable. Even physically.
▪️She felt alive―thoroughly, fabulously, breathtakingly alive.
▪️"Cal, I am dying in your arms."
▪️He ached to touch her, taste her, bury himself inside her.
▪️...the powerful bond between them snapped immediately to life.
▪️He would have died if anything had happened to Kayla. He would have fought to the death to keep her safe. He loved her―more than life itself.
2.5 stars
A Contemporary Romantic Suspense
(I didn't find it that suspenseful.)
The story started off well, with the h needing to be rescued by the H during an unexpected snowstorm. Their strong chemistry immediately ignites.
Once the push/pull started, the story went downhill. The romance is what's typically found in a Harlequin novel, with OTT feelings. I skimmed to finish, as the mystery/suspense wasn't good enough to overcome my annoyance with the MCs' rocky relationship.
🔻Their intense attraction leads quickly to love.
🔻 The h never listened to the H when he tried to keep her safe, repeatedly putting herself in harm's way to help him. She gave the orders and he reluctantly followed them. 😬
🔻 The exciting conclusion is rushed, in order to get back to the MCs' relationship, the primary focus.
🔻 The usual breakup.
★ Character descriptions are top-notch.
▪️One low-steam sex scene that's too wordy.
▪️There's plenty of kissing and sexual tension.
📕 BOOK SUMMARY 📕
Kayla, who according to the H is 'probably in her mid-twenties,' travels from Boston to Montana to tell the H that his younger brother, Liam, may still be alive. She needs his help for a risky mission to learn the truth.
Her backstory: She works at the Boston Women's Crisis Center. She switched her college major to social work after being raped. She claims to be afraid of sex, but when she falls for the H, she's ready and willing.
Cal Bartlett (37) is a strong, burly rancher with Native American roots. After their parents died in a car crash, he took on the burden of raising his younger half-brother. He worked tirelessly, sacrificing to put Liam through college, giving up his own dream of being a writer, which Liam pursued instead.
William (Liam) Bartlett is a reporter who went to the small island of San Salustiano, to cover the political and civil unrest. Two years ago, he was said to have been killed in a terrorist explosion. The truth was,
25%. After Kayla shared her findings about Liam, Cal believed he was likely still alive. They then fly to the small island, where most of the story takes place.
Liam had asked Kayla to marry him, but she only saw him as a friend. So Cal spends most of the time playing push/pull with Kayla, thinking his feelings for her are wrong. He believes once again, he has to give up his dream for his brother's sake. (This made no sense, because Kayla and Liam never had a romantic relationship and never would.)
37% - What Cal was feeling, what he wanted, was wrong. But he couldn't get away from it. From the moment he laid eyes on Kayla, he wanted her.
43% - He clung to Kayla almost desperately, knowing it was wrong to want her this way, but powerless to stop.
58% - She wanted him. And God knew he wanted her. Would it truly be so wrong to―Yes. The answer came immediately. Yes, it would be wrong.
80% - The MCs have sex.
92% - Learning Liam is still alive, is why Cal tells Kayla their lovemaking meant nothing.
95% - The MCs trick the "notorious Captain Death of the Special Forces Police," and they, along with Liam, fly to Boston.
Insignificant. The word was following Kayla around, popping into her head when she least expected it. She'd been back to work for nearly four weeks now. She would have thought the hurt would have begun to fade. It hadn't.
Cal ensures his brother's recovery and returns to Montana without saying goodbye to Kayla. After Liam discusses his brother with her, she heads to Montana to be with him. Cal, planning to go to her, now cancels his flight. Finally reconciled at 98%, they plan to marry.
🙄 Book Excerpts:
▪️But what about if he needed her? And he did. God, he needed her. Desperately.
▪️She wanted Cal desperately. Emotionally, totally, in every way imaginable. Even physically.
▪️She felt alive―thoroughly, fabulously, breathtakingly alive.
▪️"Cal, I am dying in your arms."
▪️He ached to touch her, taste her, bury himself inside her.
▪️...the powerful bond between them snapped immediately to life.
▪️He would have died if anything had happened to Kayla. He would have fought to the death to keep her safe. He loved her―more than life itself.
March 6, 2022
Kayla Grey travels from Boston to Montana to find Cal Bartlett a Ranch owner and the brother of the man Liam that she had planned on marrying. She gets lost in a snowstorm and Cal is the only one available to rescue her. Long story short Liam is is missing and presumed dead and they set off to rescue him on an island taken over by a dictator. During the time spent together they fall in love. I will not give you any clues other than to say I had trouble putting this book down once I really got into it!
February 26, 2020
Well. What can I say? At 40%, I was having an extremely hard time with the story, characters, and dialog. It was becoming rather painful, so I put the book down for the day. When I started back on it today, it was still painful, but I'm really not a quitter, unless it's just completely ridiculous, so I forged ahead. The rest of the book was fast, which I appreciated, because it really didn't get any better.
December 2, 2025
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เพราะมันมีแต่ความกลัวไง ไม่มีมือที่3
นางเอกก็ไม่ได้มีความหลังกับน้อง
น้องก็เดาได้ว่าคงตัดใจแน่ๆ เพราะนางเอกไม่เอา
แถมนิสัยก็ดูเป็นคนดี (มองในมุมของพี่ชายกับนางเอก)
แล้วกุก็มีเล่ม2ในมือ 55555 เออไม่ได้กันหรอก
ฉะนั้นเหลือแค่อีพี่ชายนี่ละที่จะกล้าเมื่อไหร่
และมันก็ไม่ได้ปวดใจอะไรเท่าไหร่
เพราะมันมีแต่ความกลัวไง ไม่มีมือที่3
นางเอกก็ไม่ได้มีความหลังกับน้อง
น้องก็เดาได้ว่าคงตัดใจแน่ๆ เพราะนางเอกไม่เอา
แถมนิสัยก็ดูเป็นคนดี (มองในมุมของพี่ชายกับนางเอก)
แล้วกุก็มีเล่ม2ในมือ 55555 เออไม่ได้กันหรอก
ฉะนั้นเหลือแค่อีพี่ชายนี่ละที่จะกล้าเมื่อไหร่
July 21, 2021
Little baby Suzanne Brockmannn was so cute. Her voice is there but I'm glad she found Navy Seals to make the crazy sauce at least a teeny bit plausible. I still really loved it. Just like I love all her books.
August 15, 2021
It was pretty good. A handful of exciting action parts. Easy to listen to and enjoy.
There were a couple of huh moments. The lead character's hair changes just in the first few chapters.
I enjoyed the read.
There were a couple of huh moments. The lead character's hair changes just in the first few chapters.
I enjoyed the read.
May 7, 2017
This one started out with some hope that it would be pretty good, but it turned out to be a predictable and not a very interesting story.
October 16, 2017
3.5. Good story with an abrupt ending.
June 17, 2018
อ่านครึ่งแรกก็สนุกดีนะ แต่ครึ่งหลังรู้สึกเอื่อยๆไปหน่อย
November 25, 2018
A quick 2 day read. A fine generic romance.
July 2, 2019
Lots of hair raising parts, interesting characters, and a good plot. What more can a reader ask for? It's a short book that could have been longer with more fleshing out and more suspense.
January 23, 2021
I actually really liked this book and would have been totally okay with a more full sized read just to see a little more of these two together.
May 8, 2021
A bit too harlequin for me. It was not her best.
September 20, 2021
Although this book was very cheesy, I kind of liked it. It reminded me of a cheesy James Bond Movie, cowboy style.
January 29, 2022
I almost never read M/F anymore but this one was good (even though it’s an old reissue). I actually liked the female lead in this one 😳 And who doesn’t love a cowboy?
July 3, 2023
3.5 stars. This was okay. The story seemed scattered and not well-developed. I did like the characters and Traci Svendsgaard did a great job narrating.
August 21, 2023
Used in an effort to break myself out of a slump of not reading. I can see where it has its appeal.
December 11, 2016
This was an entertaining adventure/love story.
October 7, 2010
(Audiobook)
This book was okay for the most part, but there were lots of little things that annoyed me. I didn't like Kayla very much. She seemed inconsistent. She would be paralyzed with fear one moment, then the next, she'd insist on running off somewhere dangerous with Cal.
I didn't like the way they kept talking about what they were going to do. Kayla would ask, "Are you going to kiss me now?" Cal would answer, "I sure am." Really, I was only able to finish because I wanted to know if Liam was dead or alive, but after a while, I got tired of the whole back and forth thing.
One moment, Cal and Kayla were ecstatic because they heard rumor Liam was alive.
The next moment, they're given proof that he's dead.
Only to discover more evidence that he's alive a chapter later.
Which, of course, is disputed when they receive a death certificate from a guy who is corrupt and vicious. They actually believe that death certificate is the last of their hope, that Liam really is dead.
BUT, lo and behold, they meet up with rebels again (can someone explain why the rebels didn't tell them they had Liam earlier?) who tell them Liam IS alive. And everyone's happy again.
Still, I kept listening because I wanted to see their reunion with Liam.
The reunion was... blah. Just one little smile and one little sentence from Liam. They're wasn't even a spectacular escape scene. They're plan went perfectly, and they just left.
Then, we skip ahead 4 weeks. We get a little more of Liam, but only enough to show that he's interested in the 17 year old girl who leads the rebellion, so that there can be a sequel.
Extremely mediocre. I was disappointed because I liked the other Brockman book I listened to. I might try her again, but if the next book is as blah as this one, I won't try another time.
This book was okay for the most part, but there were lots of little things that annoyed me. I didn't like Kayla very much. She seemed inconsistent. She would be paralyzed with fear one moment, then the next, she'd insist on running off somewhere dangerous with Cal.
I didn't like the way they kept talking about what they were going to do. Kayla would ask, "Are you going to kiss me now?" Cal would answer, "I sure am." Really, I was only able to finish because I wanted to know if Liam was dead or alive, but after a while, I got tired of the whole back and forth thing.
One moment, Cal and Kayla were ecstatic because they heard rumor Liam was alive.
The next moment, they're given proof that he's dead.
Only to discover more evidence that he's alive a chapter later.
Which, of course, is disputed when they receive a death certificate from a guy who is corrupt and vicious. They actually believe that death certificate is the last of their hope, that Liam really is dead.
BUT, lo and behold, they meet up with rebels again (can someone explain why the rebels didn't tell them they had Liam earlier?) who tell them Liam IS alive. And everyone's happy again.
Still, I kept listening because I wanted to see their reunion with Liam.
The reunion was... blah. Just one little smile and one little sentence from Liam. They're wasn't even a spectacular escape scene. They're plan went perfectly, and they just left.
Then, we skip ahead 4 weeks. We get a little more of Liam, but only enough to show that he's interested in the 17 year old girl who leads the rebellion, so that there can be a sequel.
Extremely mediocre. I was disappointed because I liked the other Brockman book I listened to. I might try her again, but if the next book is as blah as this one, I won't try another time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2014
Lost 1/2 a point for the horse!
Mi(Kayla) Grey goes for a walk shortly after she arrives from Boston to Asylum, Montana, and gets caught in a storm. She's rescued by Calvin Bartlett. Kayla has arrived because she has information which leads her to believe that Liam, Cal's 10-years-younger brother, who he basically raised, is still alive. Liam had proposed to Kayla just before he left on a journalistic assignment two years before.
When Cal finds her, there's an ice storm, that becomes snow. She's buried herself in the sod, and his dog, Thor (named for Henry David Thoreau) finds her. Cal takes her back to the guest house to warm her up, and he LEAVES the horse at the hitching bar. Outside. While it's storming. He stays inside and runs her a bath, and other things, and there's discussion of the dog, who knows enough to stay downstairs when he's that muddy, but the poor horse!!
Anyway, eventually he leaves, and the next day she comes clean about the reason she's there, and he realises he can't be attracted to her, as he sees her as his brother's fiance.
They fly away to a tropical paradise, Puerto Norte, San Salustiano. They get there, posing as tourists, and go for a motorbike ride in the countryside, where they're shot at. She's wounded, glancingly on the arm. They meet the snake - Tomas Vasquez, who almost claims to be a representative of the tourist board, but is, in fact, El Capitan Muerte (Captain Death) with the SFP.
They manage to meet up with the local rebels, and with the help of Marisala and Armando, they get Liam out.
In typical Brockmann style, there's always a takeaway message. In this case, there's mention of Kayla's rape, while she was a college sophmore, an upper-classman date-raped her. She switched majors and went into social work for the Boston Women's Crisis Centre.
Mi(Kayla) Grey goes for a walk shortly after she arrives from Boston to Asylum, Montana, and gets caught in a storm. She's rescued by Calvin Bartlett. Kayla has arrived because she has information which leads her to believe that Liam, Cal's 10-years-younger brother, who he basically raised, is still alive. Liam had proposed to Kayla just before he left on a journalistic assignment two years before.
When Cal finds her, there's an ice storm, that becomes snow. She's buried herself in the sod, and his dog, Thor (named for Henry David Thoreau) finds her. Cal takes her back to the guest house to warm her up, and he LEAVES the horse at the hitching bar. Outside. While it's storming. He stays inside and runs her a bath, and other things, and there's discussion of the dog, who knows enough to stay downstairs when he's that muddy, but the poor horse!!
Anyway, eventually he leaves, and the next day she comes clean about the reason she's there, and he realises he can't be attracted to her, as he sees her as his brother's fiance.
They fly away to a tropical paradise, Puerto Norte, San Salustiano. They get there, posing as tourists, and go for a motorbike ride in the countryside, where they're shot at. She's wounded, glancingly on the arm. They meet the snake - Tomas Vasquez, who almost claims to be a representative of the tourist board, but is, in fact, El Capitan Muerte (Captain Death) with the SFP.
They manage to meet up with the local rebels, and with the help of Marisala and Armando, they get Liam out.
In typical Brockmann style, there's always a takeaway message. In this case, there's mention of Kayla's rape, while she was a college sophmore, an upper-classman date-raped her. She switched majors and went into social work for the Boston Women's Crisis Centre.
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