TBR Challenge Review: Forever Blue

Forever Blue
Suzanne Brockmann
Romantic Suspense
Silhouette Intimate Moments #742/October 1996
Reissued by MIRA/February 2003
Tall, Dark & Dangerous/Book 2
Purchased

Blue McCoy was once the hero of Lucy Tait's teenaged dreams -- quiet, dart and dangerous. After high school he left Hatboro Creek, South Carolina, to join the military. Years later, now a Navy Seal, Blue was a man who embodied all of Lucy's fantasies.

Now Blue is back in town, and Lucy is not the person he remembered. She's a no-nonsense police officer -- and a woman Blue can't take his eyes off. But then Blue is accused of murder. And Lucy is assigned his case. Now their brief affair has became part of an extensive investigation, where what's at stake is critical -- Blue's future . . . and maybe Lucy's heart.

January's suggested reading was for a Category. I've decided to follow along with the suggestions since that will help with the selection process and believe me it's a process. :)


Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter series is well known but she actually started writing about Navy SEALs with her Tall, Dark and Dangerous series for Silhouette. I read the Troubleshooter series first, they are full length novels and I enjoyed them so decided to start gathering the Silhouette series. I'd only previously read Prince Joe, the first book in this series. I did like it but it didn't blow me away. It turns out the same can be said for Forever Blue. I liked okay but wasn't wowed by it.

Blue McCoy is a hero right out of every girls dreams. One of those girls is Lucy Tait. They knew each other in high school, barely. Blue was a senior and a popular guy. Lucy was a freshman and an outsider. Their interactions in high school were brief, Blue helped Lucy out a few times. She fell hard, he scarcely noticed her, at least not in the way she hoped he would. Fast forward twelve years - Blue McCoy is back and Lucy Tait is all grown up.

Blue is in town for his stepbrother's wedding. It's awkward since Blue's stepbrother Gerry is marrying Jenny Lee, Blue's high school sweetheart. Lucy still has a torch for Blue and Blue is surprised when he sees Lucy. She's not the tomboy he remembered. Some things never change and pretty soon Blue is helping Lucy out and then Lucy gets a chance to help Blue when he's accused of murder.

Part of the time I was reading Forever Blue I was hoping some of the other SEALs would show up. Maybe blow up a building or car, something. Sadly, it was left up to Blue and Lucy to fight the bad guys. I liked Blue and Lucy together, it was the small town, hicksville setting that I didn't find all that appealing. Too many of those small town stereo-types lived there. The good ole boys network that neither Blue nor Lucy were remotely part of. This put them at a distinct disadvantage when it seemed like nearly everyone in town had tried and convicted Blue.

The murder plot was a bit far fetched but Brockmann pulled most of threads together and finished it off with a rousing car chase. The plot did have some holes. Lucy, a rookie cop, is made the investigator in the murder that Blue is accused of. Blue, shunned by the townsfolk, is banned from the only motel and has nowhere to stay. Lucy has a big house so... that's where her suspect stays, in her house. Oh, boy. Eventually they're sharing a house and a bed. By this point it's obvious there's something shady going on and Lucy doesn't know who she can trust.

I did like how Lucy and Blue became friends then lovers. The memories of their time in high school were sweet as they discovered things about each other they hadn't suspected. Lucy's enthusiasm for everything SEAL was cute. She was a walking encyclopedia and impressed Blue with her knowledge and her interest in his work. Blue didn't intend to come back to Hatboro Creek and fall in love but when he did he fell hard. Of course he waits until the last minute to tell Lucy. Men! LOL

The next book in the series is Frisco's Kid, which I have on the TBR pile. I'll read it, just not sure how soon. I did find Brockmann's writing good but so far I think she does better in the longer format. It could be that I'm just more attached/invested in her Troubleshooter series but I find I simply connected better with them than the SEALs from Alpha Team. Still, a decent story.

Rating: B