I'm a sucker for a secret baby story. And even better, after he comes to visit her because he can't forget her, when she tells him "Let's just not," he won't give up and doesn't go away. A pretty good corollary with the 'never say die' attitude that is so essential in the special forces. This is one of my top 5 of the Tall Dark and Dangerous series. ( )

Overall Rating: 3.90
Action: 3.2 / Emotion: 3.5 / Romance: 3.2 / Sensuous: 1.3 / Suspense: 2.7 // Laughter: 2 / Giggles: 0 // Tears: 1 / Teary: 0

Everyday, Average Jones: 3.90:
While this book showcased Brockmann's {1} excellent storytelling skills, {2} her ability to write superb, interesting, fun dialogue, and {3} creating intriguing, well-written characters, this story just seemed to drag at times. Although Brockmann had plenty of entertaining side story events running through the plot, the fact that Melody was constantly rejecting Cowboy just got old and tiresome.

Hero: 3.9:
U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Harlan "Cowboy" Jones, Jr.: Although this hot, muscled, handsome, charming, SEAL got to strut his stuff in the first two chapters of the book, his personality was not as multi-faceted and well-developed as I would have liked. He was the only one working towards a happily-ever-after ending.

Heroine: 2.1:
Melody "Mel" Evans: Originally revealed as a quick-thinking (disguised herself as a man), intelligent (compared to her fellow hostages), brave (facing her demise by writing a final letter to her sister), and stalwart (doesn't complain on the two-day trek through a war-torn county) heroine, but her repeated rejections of Cowboy made her unlikeable.

Story Line: 2.5:
Although the details about the people inhabiting the small, gossip-ridden town of Appleton, Massachusetts was entertaining and the inclusion of twelve-year-old Andy Marshall into the story helped, the unexpected pregnancy troupe is just not my cup of tea.

Action: 3.2:
The book opened with an excellently written, entertaining action scene. The rest of the book revolved around Cowboy's everyday efforts to convince Melody that he was an ordinary enough guy for her to consider his marriage proposal.

Emotion: 3.5:
Even though there were tearful and laugh out loud moments, Brockmann failed to deliver that strong, deeply emotional connection between her readers and the protagonists that she usually brings to her stories.

Romance: 3.2:
The romance aspect of the story floundered, even though Cowboy managed to spend an inordinate amount of time with Melody despite her tendency to run and hide. The romantic aspect to the story was, basically, generated by Cowboy's and Melody's desire for the other as they remembered those six sexcapade days they spent together seven months ago.

Sensuous: 1.3:
The sensuality in the book was revealed through Cowboy's and Melody's memories about the heat and desire that flared between them during those six days they spent together. Brockmann did a great job of giving readers that degree of sensuality required in a romance book through those remembrances . . . because the one actual on-page love scene was very understated and, literally, in the dark.

Suspense: 2.7:
Suspenseful moments were briefly inserted into the story, but mostly this was just a Contemporary Romance story.

Secondary Characters: 4.3:
The book was greatly enriched by the appearance of several well-written, intriguing secondary characters added into the story. The interesting characters from Appleton included: {1} Brittany "Britt" Evans, Mel's sister; {2} Andrew "Andy" Marshall, the foster boy that lived next door to the Evans; {3} Estelle Warner, gossip extraordinare; and {4} Peggy Rogers, Estelle's sidekick. The members of Alpha Squad, in all their male camaraderie-type interactions, included: {1} Captain Joe "Cat" Catalanotto; {2} Lieutenant [Carter] "Blue" McCoy; {3} Senior Chief Daryl "Harvard" Becker; {4} [Luke] Lucky O'Donlon; {5} Wesley "Wes" [Skelly]; and {6} Bobby [Taylor].

A more in-depth, detailed, spoiler-ridden review of Everyday, Average Jones appears at Wolf Bear Does Books (http://goo.gl/vq9G7N). ( )

Everyday, Average Jones
TDD #4

Harlan "Cowboy" Jones & Melody Evans

After Cowboy's SEAL team rescues Melody from a near-death situation in a foreign embassy, the two of them get together for a week in Paris. Their chemistry is off the charts but Melody walks away at the end. They both can't stop thinking about each other, but Melody is stubborn, even after she discovers she is pregnant. He tracks her down seven months later and finds out the truth. He has to fight to make her believe that he truly wants to be with her and not just because of the baby. He is way more patient than I think most people would be, but she finally comes around after some tough love on his part. ( )

Typical SEALs book from Brockmann meets typical secret baby romance. ( )

If I had to rate this book on Jones alone, it'd be a five. If I had to rate it just on Melody, she'd be lucky to score a three. Honestly, what was WRONG with her? Her hesitation is understandable up to a point, but then it just got to be rediculous. She's darn lucky he stuck with her, because I would have been tempted to give up before that tent went up in her backyard. I find it hard to believe that anyone--especially with all those pregnancy hormones running rampant through her system--could be that coldhearted. It all ends up well in the end, of course, but if you ask me it's in spite of Melody, not because of her. ( )