In all honesty I was not looking forward to this book as I'd tired of the Sam/Alyssa romantic mess in a previous "Team Sixteen" book and had all intentions of skipping it. Sam Starrett, in my book, had morphed from a sexy hero type into a Class A jerk, a bad boyfriend, a terrible husband, a lousy father and an all around sad sack. Fortunately (as it turns out) my local book reading friends chose this as a reading selection and I forced myself to begin what I assumed would be an irritating read.Gone Too Far is a bit different in format than the previous books in the "Troubleshooter" series which were very much action/adventure romances and I've seen a few complaints that the beginning was too slow but this wasn't the case for me. It had been months since I read the last book in this series but I quickly fell back into the flow of things and was immediately hooked by the gripping characterization and the suspenseful plot line. The story opens as Sam is headed to his estranged wife Mary Lou's home to claim the signed divorce papers she promised him three weeks earlier. Sam finds the divorce papers alright but he also finds a dead body that may or may not be Mary Lou's and their young daughter Haley is missing. Sam, of course, becomes prime suspect #1.Meanwhile Alyssa is sent to detain Sam and bring him in for questioning. I'm still not clear exactly why this happened but hey it gets them together (finally) so who am I to complain? Sam and Alyssa go on a search for the missing (and possibly dead) Mary Lou and Haley and learn a whole lot about each other in between arguments and fighting off their undeniable attraction to one another. Brockmann, in flashback and dialogue, allows the reader an in-depth look into Sam's troubled past and explains away much of his bad and difficult to understand behavior in previous books. Alyssa, always a cold and steely-type comes across as more human in this book as well. And it's about darn time too! Before long I found myself, if not liking them wholeheartedly, at least rooting for them to work things out once and for all.Rounding out the story is a multitude of subplots (too many if you ask me) all competing for attention. There's Sam's childhood memories, the World War II flashback story between a white female pilot and the black man she falls in love with, there's Max and Gina's compelling, pain filled on-going love story, Team Sixteen's former leader Tom Paoletti is accused of aiding terrorists and his sweetheart of a wife is . . . well it goes on and on and it all gets to be a tad too much to keep track of after awhile. This book would've been a much "cleaner" read if the author hadn't crammed in so many various (but interesting) plot lines into one book.Though Sam and Alyssa aren't always easy people to like their story is compelling, passionate and filled with intense emotion. I can't say this about most of the books I've been reading this year and am very thankful to my reading friends for "forcing" me to read this one.
To say I've been waiting for this book with enthusiasm is an understatement. It's not like I was delayed due to the release date. These books have been out for years. Since I read the second book this summer, I've been dying to get to the rest of Sam's story. My friend Jule almost had to bash me over the head so I wouldn't be tempted to book skip. Then she joked that book 6 wasn't that great and I should probably skip it anyhow. Jule...so not funny. It's just that the way Suzanne Brockmann tells these stories makes it impossible to book skip. Each book centres around one of the men that we've met in previous books but often, as in the case of Max and Sam, their stories start well before their books.We knew, after reading Into the Night, that there was one heck of a story building with Max and Alyssa and Mary Lou and the rest of the folks. Gone Too Far hit the ground running. I mean, HOLY CRAP! My head was spinning and I was texting my Troubleshooters Book Mentors like a crazy woman. They helped me through with unhelpful comments such as "Keep reading!" and by pasting stupid emoticons. A lot happened with this book. I was thrilled that we got more of Max and Tom as well as Sam's story from his childhood. I enjoyed the historical backstory in this book but perhaps not as much as the ones in other books in the series. I've also said this before: There is a whole lot of crying in these books. I know that Brockmann is trying to tell us that real men can show their feelings and not be afraid to cry but WHOA. I think they cry more than the women. But as Jule says, "These men are hawt and can do whatever they want." One of the things about Sam is that I don't think he's my favourite of the men, but somehow his story has sucked me in. I question his decisions and I don't always love the stuff that comes out of his mouth, but I guess that makes him interesting.This series is incredibly addictive. There are definitely cheesy moments but also some awesome lines and I've never been bored. I feel a little lucky that so many of them have been published and I'm discovering them for the first time. Now that Sam's had his book, I'm impatient for Max. I mean, it's MAX! I really wish I had more time in the day. Check out our blog: The Book BossesFind us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter
What do You think about Gone Too Far (2004)?
I am truly impressed by all of the threads from prior books, carefully developed, that came together with such intensity in this one. Normally the action at the end is window dressing, but I was glued to this book to the very last page. Though there is some of the typical Happily Ever After in this series, for the most part, Brockman gives us the behind the scenes and aftermath of each encounter, and these characters are so well done I look forward to every additional detail. A very impressive series, these books show what I've been missing in all those shallow, interchangeable, Alpha soldier series. The Troubleshooters are, indeed, the best.
—Julia
Update: This is definitely my favorite of the Troubleshooters Series, and a Favorite of all time. Suzanne Brockmann is again an interesting mix of suspense and romance in this continuation of the Troubleshooters Series. I have not read these books in order and I don't feel that it is necessary to understand what is going on to read them necessarily in order. I had some insight about the characters in this one from other books in the series, so I was curious to get their story. Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke are great characters with depth. I love that they are vulnerable and yet strong when the chips are flying. Sam's background is interestingly told and will break through barriers you might have about racial segregation. A truly Five star book
—Wendy
OMGoodness. I really enjoyed this book. I don't know if it was because I have been reading porn in writing (my term for erotica) for the last couple of books or what. There was great tension and intrigue. There was just enough action for my female mind and plenty of romance. Although it was suggested that you read the other books to get an understanding of the conflict between Sam and Alyssa, this book can stand alone because SB gives enough background to fill you in on what has happened.Also, there was this hint of mystery about the gardner that doesn't really get resolved until the end, but it's enough to keep you wanting more. Also, the background tidbits are not overwhelming or take away from the story, they are just enough to make you want to read the other stories. I definitely recommend this book!! The pull between Sam and Alyssa is outstanding and although I am not one for gay romance, I am kinda anxious about Jules (her partner) getting his own story as well as Max.
—Elise-Pinterest+Goodreads=The Perfect Book Boyfriend
