Hell or High Water (Deep Six #1)
by Julie Ann Walker
Blurb:
Six
men. One sunken Spanish galleon. Millions in gold and silver coins lying on the
ocean floor. And a past that refuses to let the guys of Deep Six Salvage forget
the Navy SEAL motto: the only easy day was yesterday...
There's more than one kind of
treasure...
The
nation's security has always been CIA agent Olivia Mortier's top priority. But
a mission-gone-wrong has begun to make her wonder if there's more to life than
risking hers.
And more than one secret at the bottom
of the sea...
Only
two things could make Leo Anderson abandon his hunt for the legendary lost
ship, La Santa Christina, and return to the world of weapons and warfare he
swore to leave behind: a capsule of enriched uranium, lost on the ocean floor,
and a plea for assistance from the one woman he can't seem to forget...
Themes: contemporary
Rating: 4,25 stars
Review:
An all new group of badasses has set sail on
the high seas for adventure, romance, and the dangers that follow these retired
SEALs wherever they go. This series revolves around a group of men that have
decided they've paid their dues to their country and it is time to embrace
civilian life with as much gusto as they once embraced their lives as Special
Ops operators. The tragic loss of one of
their brothers-in-arms led them all to make the promise that they would live
life to the fullest, and the best way they know how to do that is to give the
life of treasure hunters a shot, but they refuse to break up their family. The series actually began with a short
prequel during the guys’ last mission, where one of their team found the love
of his life, so the remaining six bachelors are on their own in the treasure
hunt, living the life on their private island off the Florida Keys. But their leader, Leo Anderson, isn’t
enjoying his life as much as he should be, mainly because he cannot forget the
woman from his past that haunts him.
Walker takes us on a journey through a crazy twenty-four hours with
these folks as they work to stop terrorists, reclaim a stolen chemical weapon,
and unearth a traitor in the CIA. I have
read a lot of books, but all the drama, danger, and plot twists that happen
during the short time of this book is so packed my head was spinning and I felt
seriously bad for the characters. I
cannot wait to see where this story will go now that we have met all the guys
and a few female side characters, one that I’m really hoping will find their
mates with the Deep Six team.
This
story begins when Leo and the team’s small island is invaded by the least
likely visitor—Olivia, the CIA agent that captured Leo’s interest a year
earlier—and she isn‘t there for a beach vacation. Instead she comes with a mission for the
team, lucrative but dangerous, to help her and her boss uncover a mole in the
agency. Leo looks at this as an
opportunity for him to finally exercise his desire for Olivia from his system,
but as the rather long and action packed day passes, both Leo and Olivia begin
to understand that there is way more between them than simple lust. However when a secret Olivia has kept buried
for a year comes out, Olivia fears that Leo will never be able to forgive or
forget her mistakes. If they can live
through the danger surrounding them can they find a way to be together and
share their lives, despite the obstacles between them?
Leo
and Olivia are interesting characters and we do get to know them a lot in this
book, but really there was just not enough time to touch on all the aspects of
what makes a character truly great. So I
will say they were promising characters with interesting backstories and their
interactions and discussions more than made up for some of the emotional depth
that was lacking for me. Olivia and Leo
became friendly when they worked together the previous year, but when they meet
back up they are unable to resist the magnetic pull between them. Leo is a sensual man, used to being in charge
of his world and definitely a leader in every sense of the world, so when Olivia
challenges his control of situations again and again, it’s awesome to see him
blowing a gasket and then slowly accepting that there is just no gaining
control with her. He is obviously brave
and a man of honor, as most SEALs are, but being a team leader leaves him even
more determined to lead his men out of danger, even though he knows they are just as
determined to meddle in his relationship with Olivia. As he faces the fear of losing Olivia—again and
again—he begins to understand that his attraction to her has become something
more very quickly and he must come to terms with that before he can get her to
give them a real chance at a future.
Olivia
is a real enigma. A CIA agent that gets
sick when she sees death, a smartass operator that keeps tripping up her own
team, and a woman that has kept a secret from the man she loves. I found myself fluctuating on liking Olivia and
wanting to slap some sense in to her. It
is obvious to me she’s not cut out to be a field agent anymore and she should
just give up on that ridiculous plan. Allowing
Leo into her heart and finding a place in his for her would make for a much
better goal than working for the CIA until she’s either dead or forced into retirement. She has real moments of clarity and bravery,
but for the most part she was too wishy washy for me. And really why would you ever WANT to push
away a former SEAL that has decided to claim you for himself. In the end she finally accepts how important Leo
is to her and that any chance for them to be together is better than no
chance. I think she finally discovered
that her true abilities weren’t to be found in her skills as an agent, but in
the way she supports Leo and the Team and keeps them grounded.
Packed
full of action ranging from gun battles with terrorists, exploding boats, kidnappings
and rescues and even the uncovering of a life-long CIA mole, you will find it
hard pressed to remember that all but the last chapter happened in the space of
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS! (or less). Honestly I was just
exhausted reading all of the danger they dealt with, but the team didn’t seem
to blink an eye even when some new catastrophe swept through their lives. Leo is the best of an alpha male, a great
leader, a sweet lover, a deadly protector and the type of guy that forgives if
he has the right incentive, the most important of course being love. Olivia slowly begins to become a more
likeable character, seeming less like a mercenary and more like a woman that
has found herself in an untenable situation.
It is obvious as she faces the chance she might cause more deaths that
she cannot continue to live her life the same way any longer, and Leo is just
the man to show her an alternate option.
The passion between Leo and Olivia was undeniable, even when she was
trying to, and Leo is obviously a very sensual guy, especially after a 16 month
dry spell. ;) If you enjoy military dramas
or spy thrillers, Julie Ann Walker’s new Deep Six series is for you, and did I forget
to mention that during the majority of the book the SEAL hotties were usually
wearing swim trunks, JUST swim trunks, and were usually wet. ‘Nuff said I think. I am really looking forward to this departure
from her Black Knights Inc. series which I love as well, but fans of that
series should give Deep Six a try for sure, you might even get a couple of BKI surprises. *wink, wink.
Nudge Nudge* Another hit, Julie Ann, though that surprises me not at
all.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No
compensation was provided.
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