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Out of Control
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Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann (Troubleshooters #4) - April 2016
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I never doubted Gina's feelings for Max were real; I think he was scared of his strong feelings for Gina and he thought the age difference was improper.
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That is such a heartbreaking part in this series.I think Sam could have been a wonderful father without marrying Mary Lou. However I do realize that Sam felt he had a responsibility to the baby and Mary Lou too.
Alyssa's reasoning behind the rumors was to push Sam away, so that he would go back to his family and forget about her.
We can easily see how much Sam and Alyssa love each other - this is sooo sad!
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I too believe Sam could have been a great father without having to marry Mary Lou but that's not who he is.
I don't know if it was the right thing to do but Alyssa allowing Sam to think she and Max are dating was her pitiful attempt to help them both.
What a mess. *sigh*
I think Sam had preconceived notions of what it meant to be a father that included providing as stable an environment for a kid as possible. As Alyssa said, he is innately an honorable man and if he had not made the decision he did, Alyssa probably would have thought less of him despite that selfish moment in her apartment before he left her permanently. As the months have passed, it has become clear that Sam struggles to give Mary Lou her due in trying to make their house a home and caring for him and their daughter. But because his heart is not in it and he is not there consistently, it has to be next to impossible for him to do what he originally intended. And having Nils, and now Kenny, happy in their pairings, will probably make it all the harder. Alyssa, sadly, did give him the nudge he needed in letting her go. Despite telling her that he would really try to make the marriage work, it had to be hard for him knowing that Alyssa might be out there longing for him the way he yearned for her. This "clean break" definitely demonstrates Alyssa's understanding of his character in pressing all the right buttons to incite his resentment.
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Jonetta wrote: "Do you think Sam regrets his decision or is he too immersed in making do for Haley?"I think Sam regretted his decision and what made it worse was when he was having a conversation with Mary Lou (that Alyssa overheard) and she showed her blatant prejudice towards Alyssa. That was horrible.
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Jonetta wrote: "Mary Lou is just awful on many levels. That woman was determined to wrangle her a SEAL and she lassoed Sam. Now she's trapped a man that doesn't love her and she's miserable."Exactly!
I don't know that Sam even cares for Haley on a personal level. He associates her basically with crying. He is always eager to leave the house, giving the impression he is up for any assignment so he can avoid this terrible situation he has created for himself. I think that Sam's revulsion toward her when she reveals her prejudice and racism towards Alyssa actually is in keeping with the nature of his marriage. I mean what does he really know about Mary Lou and her values and beliefs? I doubt that was further most in his mind when he slept with her, unlike his wanting to know more about Alyssa. And I think even more terrible was how she characterized what a woman such as Alyssa thought about Sam. She objectified him in the most insulting manner. I think it showed a lot of restraint on Sam's part that he did not get more upset.
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I absolutely think Sam regrets his decision,I think he's regretted it from day one. I think he did what he thought he needed to and intended to make his marriage work but Mary Lou is awful and he loves Lys. Alyssa really thought that the rumors about her and Max would force Sam to forget about her; she was also doing what she thought was best. What a terrible situation.
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Jonetta wrote: "I agree, Emerson. I think Max is terrified of his own feelings. Deep down, he knows it's not transference. He's a trained negotiator so he knows how to read people's feelings better than most. Ma..."
I think it is ironic that Gina has Max terrified of the depth of his feelings for her, particularly because he is all about control. It must be a lot like how Savannah deals with being out of control, which is to become rigid and proper and distant. In this case, rendering himself inaccessible to Gina is the only way he knows how to deal with it while still attempting to minimize the pain it must inflict upon her. He must have felt desperate times called for desperate measures to enlist Alyssa's help in attempting a farce of a relationship.
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Jonetta wrote: "Brockmann continues to include historical subplots, this time Savannah's grandmother, Rose Von Hopf's story as a WW2 spy. How well did she integrate it into the storyline? Did you find it interesti..."Not done with the book yet but I find myself anticipating the next italics subplot. I love the storyline of WWII. I am reading on Kindle and I find that the switch from one set of characters and their setting to another has no demarcation in the kindle version of the book not even skipped lines - it is very confusing - I would have expected more from Kindle. However, once I switch gears, I find myself engrossed again.
I think Max is cognizant mostly of his age and is both embarrassed by how much older than Gina he is, and how much he cares for her.I got the sense that Gina must realize that Max was more than her lifeline, that he actually came to care for her as an individual. I guess we'll see in the future whether this goes anywhere.
Jonetta wrote: "Brockmann continues to include historical subplots, this time Savannah's grandmother, Rose Von Hopf's story as a WW2 spy. How well did she integrate it into the storyline? Did you find it interesti..."I loved this story. I thought it fit perfectly into the overall book with so many characters reading Rose's best selling novel about her life as a spy.
Jonetta wrote: "We learn that Max Bhagat is in contact with Gina Vitagliano, the hostage from the hijacked plane. Do you think her feelings are real for Max or transference as the psychiatrists imply? Your thought..."I agree with everyone. Max is afraid of his own feelings toward Gina. I'm hoping this story moves forward soon.
Jonetta wrote: "Alyssa is struggling to put her relationship with Sam behind her. He's struggling trying to make his marriage work. Did Sam do the right thing in marrying Mary Lou? Was it right for Alyssa to allow..."I don't believe that anyone should marry one person when they're in love with someone else. It doesn't matter that there is a baby on the way. He could still be a good father and support the child without marrying the mother. When the child is older, she will sense the antagonism between her parents unless their relationship changes drastically. I don't think this marriage was good for the child at all.
As far as Alyssa allowing Sam to believe she is in a relationship with Max, I really don't have a problem with that. I think she understands why Sam chose to marry Mary Lou and she wants to make sure he sticks to his choice and doesn't try to still have a relationship with her. The easiest way all around it to make him believe she is no longer interested in him.
Jonetta wrote: "Let's talk about the fourth couple in this story, Molly Anderson & Jones/Grady Morant. What did you think about their relationship? Who is he really? Should Molly have forgiven him? Is this the end..."I certainly hope this isn't the last we see of Jones and Molly. Their story kept me glued to this book. I wasn't happy when he took the money, but I understand why he did it. I'm glad he came to the rescue when he did.
Jonetta wrote: "Let's talk about the fourth couple in this story, Molly Anderson & Jones/Grady Morant. What did you think about their relationship? Who is he really? Should Molly have forgiven him? Is this the end..."I meant to reply to this earlier but was derailed by real life.
I was surprised by their relationship. I kind of expected Jones to be the one who was prickly and resistant to Molly. And he was, to a certain extent. But when he fell, he fell hard, like a lot of Brockmann's heroes. I guess I also expected Molly to be the one who was more vulnerable in the relationship, but she turned out to be the stronger one. I think Brockmann kind of trademarked this turnaround of opening up tough men by putting them in impossible situations and testing them. Throughout the series, up to this point, I feel this has gotten to be a stronger pattern. It was hinted at in Tom's story; I think it was probably reversed in Nils' story where Meg was put into an impossible situation and forced to open up. But Sam, Max, and Jones are definitely examples, at least to me as a reader, of Brockmann's evolution of this type of character development.
Interesting observation, Emerson. Thanks.
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I found Molly and Jones to be an interesting couple and for most of the story, didn't know what to make of them. Molly was so self assured and trusted Jones even when I couldn't see it. I agree with your perception that she was the stronger of the two.
I think all of the heroines to date are very strong women, which I've liked about this series.
Jonetta wrote: "Alyssa is struggling to put her relationship with Sam behind her. He's struggling trying to make his marriage work. Did Sam do the right thing in marrying Mary Lou? Was it right for Alyssa to allow..."I think we missed a bit of the point in Sam's relationship with Mary Lou though. He does give her some credit for staying sober for 2 months I think it was. I don't think he means to hurt her but obviously the baby is not an easy baby and they don't have the foundation to cover the bad parts.
It is clear that neither of them really know each other and I think that Sam thought a bad marriage was better for the baby then single parenting.
I think Alyssa had to do what she did, but main what a painful part of the series.
Sandy wrote: "Jonetta wrote: "Brockmann continues to include historical subplots, this time Savannah's grandmother, Rose Von Hopf's story as a WW2 spy. How well did she integrate it into the storyline? Did you f..."Yeah I found that too - it was very hard to keep straight - shame on Kindle!
Jonetta wrote: "Let's talk about the fourth couple in this story, Molly Anderson & Jones/Grady Morant. What did you think about their relationship? Who is he really? Should Molly have forgiven him? Is this the end..."I loved the story of Molly and Grady. It was interesting in comparison to the rest of the subplots where the man was always stronger. I hurt for her when she realized that Grady was gone and so was the money. She was really surprised.
Molly is on her way to Africa and we all know where Grady is off to - don't want to spoil it. With the nomad life they both have it can't be the end of their story. I think they are perfect characters for each other and different enough from other couples to be interesting.
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Yeah, we pick up a bit down the road but boy did I get their journey. Managing through an uneasy baby is tough on a couple madly in love with each other. They both just came across as miserable because they didn't have a strong enough foundation to lean on.
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1. Whose was your most favorite story?
2. Three of them are unresolved. Which are you the most interested in seeing come together?
3. Which seems the most hopeless?
My favorite story, actually, was Rose and Heinrich's. I had to laugh when he did about the spy vs spy plot they had just put themselves through. It was very Mr. and Mrs. Smith, if I remember the movie correctly. I feel badly that the marriage only lasted thirty years. Not that it isn't a long time or does not prove that their love endured, just that Rose has been alone for awhile. It reinforces how strong she was on her own.But if I have to choose of the contemporary couples, I did like Kenny and Savannah more than I remembered. They had to grow the most and the way they were tested made their development as a couple more believable.
I really want Sam and Alyssa to come together with Max and Gina a close second.
Sam and Alyssa's seems the most hopeless at this point especially is she and Max attempt the relationship they seem to be trying to carry out.
1) Because we are only discussing this book, and not the series thus far, I would say that Kenny/Savannah had to be my favourite story. However I also loved Rose and Heinrich's as well as Molly and Grady.2) Sam/Alyssa and Max/Gina have grabbed my heartstrings and won't let go. Their storylines are so emotional! I hope both couples end up together.
3) Sam and Alyssa's relationship seems the most hopeless at this point.
1) I'm not sure who had my favorite story. I liked Kenny & Savannah, but Molly & Grady were a close second. I'm hoping they pop up again in the series.2) I'm really rooting for Sam and Alyssa. They are my favorite couple. Their story has so many soap opera elements. It's certainly entertaining.
3) Sam and Alyssa seems the most hopeless, but I'm sure that will change.
I'm there with the rest of you. I am thoroughly enjoying this series. If everything was an automatic HEA, there wouldn't be as much suspense, would there?I really feel for Max; I wonder what will happen there.
Max is also concerned about their age difference. I don't think it's that big of a deal but the staid and buttoned up Max Baghat is completely undone by this young woman.
He needs to go for it.