Hot Target

Rating:
Summary: Interesting book!
Review: I bought this book and began reading it at 11:00 p.m. (luckily on a Friday night!). At about 3:00 a.m. I finished it. I liked Jane and Cosmo's story, but where Suzanne Brockmann really shines is the triangle between Jules, Adam, and Robin. In fact, I confess that I began skipping to that story line after I was about 3/4 of the way through.

I don't see Adam as being a difficult character to read because he was manipulative *and* heroic. People are complex, and I admire the author's ability to flesh out even very flawed characters. (I felt the same way about Mary Lou in "Into the Night" - we were supposed to hate her, because she had manipulated Sam into marrying her, but when she fought and won the battle with her alcoholism, that was impressive!)

I also understand how Jules would still be attracted to Adam even after their breakup. I was thrilled to see that Jules wasn't drawn into Robin's maelstrom of confusion and denial, and I do hope to see more of that relationship once Robin gets himself together. Honestly, though, if that does happen, I for one am not ready for a graphic gay love scene! The ones in this book tastefully never went beyond kissing (ok, and a little groping), except for one which took place "off camera" so to speak.

The rest of the book was good - not great. It was amusing to see Jane trying to "dress up" Cosmo for Sophia, but I was never really drawn into their romance. I agree with others who said that Cosmo being a card-carrying member of PFLAG went a bit too far; why couldn't he have been a little homophobic? That might have fleshed him out more as a character.

In truth, Max and Gina seems like a much more compelling story, and I can't wait for that book to come out! And yes, I want to see more of Jules; he's such a great guy.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I love Suzanne Brockmann's characters and plots. This book promised to be more of what I love. Only it was, and it wasn't.
She included some of her usual interesting characters and plots, but the book had an agenda that I found very disappointing. I should have realized when I read her opening pages describing her son and his recognition that he felt he was a homosexual. Because of Brockmann's desire to legitimize homosexuality she has incorporated in this story several men who are homosexuals or are struggling with that issue in their lives. This is at times a bit unbelievable, but my main concern is that it overpowers the story. I thought I was buying a romance. Instead this is a not-so-subtle argument for acceptance of homosexuality and those who struggle with this issue. That is not what was advertised.

Rating:
Summary: Used to be a fan
Review: I used to be a big SB fan and I've read everything that she's ever written. Her last book was sub-par, but this one was really bad. This has absolutely nothing to do with the gay storyline. It was simply poorly written. The characters are not believable, nor are they well-developed. They almost seem like cardboard cut-outs. Jules has always been one of my favorite characters - witty, cute, supportive - now suddenly every second line is about how people will react to his being gay. It was overdone. We didn't know a lot about Cosmo before this book, and we still don't (other than the fact that everyone that he meets thinks that he has weird eyes). The storyline was really thin, and quite frankly, I was bored! I would gladly wait another 6 months in between novels for an exciting read.

Rating:
Summary: Better than ever
Review: I've got about 20 pages left and I don't want this book to end! Suzanne definitely is back! The tension is incredible, holding you to the edge of your seat during all phases of each character's life. I love how Suzanne brings our favorite characters back and gently introduces us to new ones. You can't help but fall in love with Cos! Definitely worth reading, especially if you were turned off by the last book.

Rating:
Summary: Way to go Jules
Review: Not sure what the other reviewer's issues were with this book. Quite a few readers have negative comments regarding the 'Jules factor' and comments about how Suzanne wrote this book with a political agenda. Guess what? Jules has been with us throughout the series and has always been gay. No surprises! Not to mention, as the author, Suzanne can write about whatever she desires and we can choose to read or not read her books. She's not hand delivering the books to our homes! I liked the story line and if anything, would have liked to delve into Jule's story even deeper. He's a strong, cool character. A gay FBI agent that can kick serious butt. Feel free to throw him into any subsequent books!

Suzanne, I admire the forward you wrote in this book and the love and support you give your family and friends. We're with you.

Rating:
Summary: A Can of Worms
Review: Readers expecting a heterosexual romance involving Navy SEAL Cosmo need to be aware that they will get that in this book as well as a gay storyline involving FBI Agent Jules. Suzanne Brockmann has really opened a can of worms with this one. Do you or do you not mix the gay with the hetero in romance novels? I have no objection to the Jules character, but I was certainly not expecting such a heavy dose of his love life when I purchased this book. Therefore, I subtracted 2 stars. Perhaps he should have had his own book so readers would know what they were getting instead of mixing his story in with Cosmo's.



Rating:
Summary: Love Suzanne, but not her last 2 books
Review: Suzanne is my favorite author, but I've been disappointed in her last 2 books. I can't even remember too much about the one before Hot Target, but I bet I could win a Jeopardy round on her other previous books.
I was so looking forward to Hot Target, and it is a good book. The gay story line was good and gave me some insight into the challenges they must face. And I can understand why the sex scenes were underplayed for their story line. However, it didn't seem very steamy for Cosmo and Mercedes either compared to the rest of the Team 16 stories. I don't know what I expected for story development for Cosmo, but something different considering the way he was portrayed in previous books. His mom was loud & overbearing, so he is quiet?
A good read, but in my opinion not up to her usual standards...

Rating:
Summary: What a Winner!!!!!
Review: This book was excellent!!! By far, one of the best that I've read by Suzanne Brockmann. I don't know why people were so put off by the Jules/ Robin story. It was very TASTEFULLY done. This is America. Homosexuality is real, whether we agree with it or not. I recommend this book to just about anyone. It was GREAT!!!

Rating:
Summary: entertaining
Review: This was a typically entertaining Brockmann novel: there are bad guys, good guys, romance, a little violence, a little sex, and ...oh, yes this time there is a very large sub-plot focused on "Jules" the gay FBI agent. So what? I read this novel during a snowstorm in Buffalo, and I got out of it just exactly what I was expecting:I was entertained. Had I expected fine literature, I might have been disappointed, but the Romance Genre simply does not produce works--or character studies--like those of Jane Austen and Joseph Conrad. Brockman is a fine Romance/Suspence author, and this book (as well as the last that everyone seems to love to bash) are fine examples of that genre. She's a very competent writer who makes few errors. It is likely that the negative reviews reflect the fact that in this novel the "Jules" subplot is equally as strongly written as the central "Cosmo" plot. But then you wonder, what percentage of Romance readers would've bought this book had it been marketed as a "Jules" novel with a "Cosmo" subplot? Right. And what Romance publishing house would've printed it? Hm. A few reviewers have chided her for using the book as a soapbox, but that's nothing that other Romance authors don't do regularly via their main character's thoughts & actions--one writer's vehement anti-abortion sentiments come to mind, and another's very strong religious bent.I liked this book; I was never tempted to put it down and reach over to the TBR pile for a new one. The probability of my purching her next novel: 100%.

Rating:
Summary: Ick
Review: Well, the winning streak with the SEALS is definitely over. No one in this book I would care to get to know better.