Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific Friends to lovers story as the Deep Six team moves closer to finding the elusive treasure of the Santa Cristina. As the book opens, Romeo, Mia, and Doc prepare to return to Wayfarer Island while waiting for Alex and Mason to search the Spanish Archives for the key to the recently found code that might reveal its location. They need to collect the newly hired maritime lawyer who will hopefully protect their interests when they find it.
Romeo and Mia have been striking sparks since she first arrived on the island but firmly put each other in the friend zone. Romeo's reputation as a permanent bachelor is well-known, though the reasons behind it are heartbreaking. He'd love to get involved with Mia, but he believes that she has relationship written all over her, so he sticks to being friends. Mia doesn't let anyone get too close. A traumatic past has her convinced that she doesn't deserve anyone's love. I've loved watching their friendship develop, from their mutual love of a paranormal author's books to the fun banter and teasing between them. As time goes on, both Romeo and Mia realize they want more but fear of ruining their friendship and that the other doesn't feel the same way keeps them quiet.
The action picks up quickly when the lawyer, Cami, arrives at the airport, and Doc discovers she's his one-night-stand from the night before. Doc detests lawyers, and the zingers that fly between the two are like watching a rapid-fire tennis match. Add in the events of the night before, and their interactions are full of snark and sarcasm.
Complicating matters, during their flight, an explosion on board causes Romeo to have to crash land the plane in the ocean. The tension-filled moments as he struggled to keep control and as they fought to escape the sinking plane had me glued to the pages. A tiny deserted island gives them someplace to wait for rescue. They don't know that the explosion was no accident, and someone is unhappy that their target survived the crash. Though the reader is privy to the bad guys' plans, our intrepid foursome is clueless, though the SEALs' instincts warn there may be trouble.
In the meantime, the close call has been a wake-up call for Romeo and Mia. I loved that they finally admitted their attraction. It was wonderful to see them opening up to each other. Romeo is stunned to discover that Mia sees past the SEAL persona and his looks to the inner man, something nobody else has done. Mia shares her past with Romeo, her guilt over her brother's illness and death, and that he's the only person she's ever felt safe around. The chemistry between them is eclipsed only by the depth of feeling that goes with it, and each of them realizes they may be in a little deeper than expected.
The tension ramps up when the people responsible for the crash attempt to finish what they started. Going up against a pair of trained SEALs is never a good idea, and this was no exception. It's not a walk in the park, though, and there are some nail-bitingly intense moments before they are safe. It's not over, though, as Romeo ends up in the hospital, and one of the bad guys is still on the loose.
I had great hopes for the future of Romeo and Mia as they finally admitted to their feelings. I ended up wanting to shake Mia as she walked away from Romeo. She was positive that he would see her differently if he knew everything, so she didn't even try. I hurt for Romeo, who couldn't understand what happened. I loved his determination not to let her get away and couldn't wait to see what he would do. But it was Mia who made a discovery that broke the hold the past had on her. I loved her big moment when she arrived back on Wayfarer Island and the change it meant for both of them.
The book finished with Mason and Alex revealing what they'd learned from the deciphered code. But just when they think they can finally retrieve the treasure, lawyer Cami insists they hold off until she can finish her research on who gets dibs on the treasure - Deep Six or the Feds. I ached for the crew, who were so close to their goal but stuck having to wait even longer. I can't wait to read the next book and see how it all turns out.
I'm also looking forward to the next book and seeing more of Doc and Cami. The antagonism between them in this book does little to hide the sparks of attraction. I loved watching their interactions and how they thrived on their snarky exchanges. They are well-matched in intelligence and stubbornness, and I enjoyed how they pushed each other.
Romeo and Mia have been striking sparks since she first arrived on the island but firmly put each other in the friend zone. Romeo's reputation as a permanent bachelor is well-known, though the reasons behind it are heartbreaking. He'd love to get involved with Mia, but he believes that she has relationship written all over her, so he sticks to being friends. Mia doesn't let anyone get too close. A traumatic past has her convinced that she doesn't deserve anyone's love. I've loved watching their friendship develop, from their mutual love of a paranormal author's books to the fun banter and teasing between them. As time goes on, both Romeo and Mia realize they want more but fear of ruining their friendship and that the other doesn't feel the same way keeps them quiet.
The action picks up quickly when the lawyer, Cami, arrives at the airport, and Doc discovers she's his one-night-stand from the night before. Doc detests lawyers, and the zingers that fly between the two are like watching a rapid-fire tennis match. Add in the events of the night before, and their interactions are full of snark and sarcasm.
Complicating matters, during their flight, an explosion on board causes Romeo to have to crash land the plane in the ocean. The tension-filled moments as he struggled to keep control and as they fought to escape the sinking plane had me glued to the pages. A tiny deserted island gives them someplace to wait for rescue. They don't know that the explosion was no accident, and someone is unhappy that their target survived the crash. Though the reader is privy to the bad guys' plans, our intrepid foursome is clueless, though the SEALs' instincts warn there may be trouble.
In the meantime, the close call has been a wake-up call for Romeo and Mia. I loved that they finally admitted their attraction. It was wonderful to see them opening up to each other. Romeo is stunned to discover that Mia sees past the SEAL persona and his looks to the inner man, something nobody else has done. Mia shares her past with Romeo, her guilt over her brother's illness and death, and that he's the only person she's ever felt safe around. The chemistry between them is eclipsed only by the depth of feeling that goes with it, and each of them realizes they may be in a little deeper than expected.
The tension ramps up when the people responsible for the crash attempt to finish what they started. Going up against a pair of trained SEALs is never a good idea, and this was no exception. It's not a walk in the park, though, and there are some nail-bitingly intense moments before they are safe. It's not over, though, as Romeo ends up in the hospital, and one of the bad guys is still on the loose.
I had great hopes for the future of Romeo and Mia as they finally admitted to their feelings. I ended up wanting to shake Mia as she walked away from Romeo. She was positive that he would see her differently if he knew everything, so she didn't even try. I hurt for Romeo, who couldn't understand what happened. I loved his determination not to let her get away and couldn't wait to see what he would do. But it was Mia who made a discovery that broke the hold the past had on her. I loved her big moment when she arrived back on Wayfarer Island and the change it meant for both of them.
The book finished with Mason and Alex revealing what they'd learned from the deciphered code. But just when they think they can finally retrieve the treasure, lawyer Cami insists they hold off until she can finish her research on who gets dibs on the treasure - Deep Six or the Feds. I ached for the crew, who were so close to their goal but stuck having to wait even longer. I can't wait to read the next book and see how it all turns out.
I'm also looking forward to the next book and seeing more of Doc and Cami. The antagonism between them in this book does little to hide the sparks of attraction. I loved watching their interactions and how they thrived on their snarky exchanges. They are well-matched in intelligence and stubbornness, and I enjoyed how they pushed each other.
