Goodreads: The Defiant Hero

The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann



This series is amazing, so much in fact that I’m actually reading the books consecutively, though I’m skipping around the timeline they were written in. The series is fun, intriguing, romantic, and easy to lose yourself in. Having said that, I have to admit that so far, “The Defiant Hero” is my least favorite so far

Brockmann follows a basic formula: main storyline, side storyline, side storyline that takes place around the time of WWII. In “The Defiant Hero,” the main storyline is between John Nilsson, a linguistics specialist and member of Team 16 and Meg Moore, whose daughter and grandmother are kidnapped by terrorists. They’ve demanded that she bring them the leader of another terrorist group in exchange for the life of the other two. Desperate to save her family, she attempts to do as she’s directed, but John follows her, determined to help her and keep her safe from the very real possibility of death, especially because he’s been in love with her for several years.

This storyline took a backseat to the side one that actually winds through several novels, the story between Alyssa Lock and Sam Starrett. I’d already read their book, which take places two or three books later, but this back story was still great to read. Even though I like Alyssa’s character, she’s a complete witch in this one, so it was a relief to know what happens later so I didn’t completely hate her.

The WWII storyline was told by Meg’s grandmother Eve to the little girl and one of the terrorists. It was the story of her fifteen year old self having fallen in love with a British tutor several years her senior. This brings me to another point of Brockmann’s writing…she’s not afraid to “go there.” Besides this “underage” storyline, she has another one that also winds through a few of books, as well as an interracial storyline, a gay storyline, and a few other things I don’t often see in the fiction I read. Just a warning…she’s also not afraid to kill characters.

Because I didn’t connect with the characters as much as in the other books, I’m dragging the rating of this one down to a three star, but this in no way takes from the series as a whole.

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