Rated: ♥ ♥ ♥ . ♥ {3.90}
Action: ♠♠♠.♠ / Emotion: ♣♣♣.♣ / Romance: ♥♥♥.♥ / Sensuous: ♦.♦ / Suspense: ♠♠.♠
Action: 3.2 / Emotion: 3.5 / Romance: 3.2 / Sensuous: 1.3 / Suspense: 2.7 // Laughter: 2 / Giggle: 0 // Tears: 1 / Teary: 0
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♥
1998 Romantic Times Best Silhouette Intimate Moments Nominee
♥ 1998 Romantic Times Gold Medal Review
♥ 1998 Romantic Times WISH Award for Lieutenant Harlan "Cowboy" Jones
♥ 1998 Rising Star Award for Best Long Contemporary of the Year
♥ 1998 RITA Finalist, Long Contemporary Category
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Setting: unnamed Middle Eastern Country {Chapters One and Two}
Appleton, Massachusetts {Main Setting}
Virginia {where Alpha Squad was stationed}
Era: Present Day {1998}
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Having read Everyday, Average Jones eight years ago {July 13, 2007}, re-reading it brought to mind why this was not a favorite book in The Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series. While this book showcased Suzanne Brockmann's {1} excellent storytelling skills, {2} her ability to write superb, interesting, fun dialogue, and {3} creating intriguing, well-written characters, this story just seemed to drag at times. Although Brockmann had plenty of entertaining side story events running through the plot, the fact that the heroine, Melody Evans, was constantly rejecting the hero, U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Harlan "Cowboy" Jones, Jr., got old and tiresome.
Brockmann opened the book in just the manner that works. She gives readers (particularly those who love a good Romantic Suspense novel) exactly what they're looking for in a book. First, we're given a dose of exciting action and suspense as SEAL Team Ten finds themselves tasked with rescuing three Americans from a terrorist-overthrown embassy somewhere in the Middle East. Second, we're given a brief glimpse of the camaraderie that exists between the SEALs as they perform the extraction. Third, the charming, muscled, handsome, skilled hero is introduced in all his 'saving the heroine' glory. Fourth, the quick-thinking (disguised herself as a man), intelligent (compared to her fellow hostages), brave (facing her demise by writing a final letter to her sister), and stalwart (doesn't complain on the two-day trek through a war-torn country) heroine is revealed. And, fourth, to top it off in a nice neat package, the hero and heroine are mutually attracted to each other . . . thus, we can expect to see some steamy romance somewhere in their future.
Brockmann starts out by creating a heroine that truly seems worthy of the adventurous, fun-loving SEAL that rescued her. Look at the really well-written scene featuring the beginning of the understanding that developed between Cowboy and Melody as they had to deal with the stupidity of Melody's two fellow hostages, Kurt Matthews and Christopher Sterling, who were against being rescued from the unnamed terrorist group that was holding them hostage in the embassy of the unnamed country. (Brockmann is usually much better at creating make-believe names for countries and terrorist organizations than she exhibited in this book.)
It is obvious to Cowboy, the Alpha Squad, and readers that during the intense, exciting, dangerous two-day exit from the unnamed country, that Melody had developed a psychological tie and trust in Cowboy. By the time they made it to safety, the die was cast. Cowboy had kissed the beautiful hostage that he'd saved and planned to meet her at her hotel after his debriefings. Thus, it was that Cowboy and Melody then spent six days and nights together, rarely leaving their hotel room -- apparently having tons of hot, insatiable sex.
But that hot, steamy romance that explodes between Cowboy and Melody occurs off the pages of the book, somewhere in the white space at the end of Chapter Two and the beginning of Chapter Three, which happens to be seven months later. The sensuality in the book was revealed through Cowboy's and Melody's memories about the heat and desire that flared between them during those six days they spent together. Brockmann did a great job of giving readers that degree of sensuality required in a romance book through those remembrances . . . because the one actual on-page love scene was very understated and, literally, in the dark.
♥ 1998 Romantic Times Gold Medal Review
♥ 1998 Romantic Times WISH Award for Lieutenant Harlan "Cowboy" Jones
♥ 1998 Rising Star Award for Best Long Contemporary of the Year
♥ 1998 RITA Finalist, Long Contemporary Category
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Setting: unnamed Middle Eastern Country {Chapters One and Two}
Appleton, Massachusetts {Main Setting}
Virginia {where Alpha Squad was stationed}
Era: Present Day {1998}
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Having read Everyday, Average Jones eight years ago {July 13, 2007}, re-reading it brought to mind why this was not a favorite book in The Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series. While this book showcased Suzanne Brockmann's {1} excellent storytelling skills, {2} her ability to write superb, interesting, fun dialogue, and {3} creating intriguing, well-written characters, this story just seemed to drag at times. Although Brockmann had plenty of entertaining side story events running through the plot, the fact that the heroine, Melody Evans, was constantly rejecting the hero, U.S. Navy SEAL Lieutenant Harlan "Cowboy" Jones, Jr., got old and tiresome.
Brockmann opened the book in just the manner that works. She gives readers (particularly those who love a good Romantic Suspense novel) exactly what they're looking for in a book. First, we're given a dose of exciting action and suspense as SEAL Team Ten finds themselves tasked with rescuing three Americans from a terrorist-overthrown embassy somewhere in the Middle East. Second, we're given a brief glimpse of the camaraderie that exists between the SEALs as they perform the extraction. Third, the charming, muscled, handsome, skilled hero is introduced in all his 'saving the heroine' glory. Fourth, the quick-thinking (disguised herself as a man), intelligent (compared to her fellow hostages), brave (facing her demise by writing a final letter to her sister), and stalwart (doesn't complain on the two-day trek through a war-torn country) heroine is revealed. And, fourth, to top it off in a nice neat package, the hero and heroine are mutually attracted to each other . . . thus, we can expect to see some steamy romance somewhere in their future.
Brockmann starts out by creating a heroine that truly seems worthy of the adventurous, fun-loving SEAL that rescued her. Look at the really well-written scene featuring the beginning of the understanding that developed between Cowboy and Melody as they had to deal with the stupidity of Melody's two fellow hostages, Kurt Matthews and Christopher Sterling, who were against being rescued from the unnamed terrorist group that was holding them hostage in the embassy of the unnamed country. (Brockmann is usually much better at creating make-believe names for countries and terrorist organizations than she exhibited in this book.)
It is obvious to Cowboy, the Alpha Squad, and readers that during the intense, exciting, dangerous two-day exit from the unnamed country, that Melody had developed a psychological tie and trust in Cowboy. By the time they made it to safety, the die was cast. Cowboy had kissed the beautiful hostage that he'd saved and planned to meet her at her hotel after his debriefings. Thus, it was that Cowboy and Melody then spent six days and nights together, rarely leaving their hotel room -- apparently having tons of hot, insatiable sex.
But that hot, steamy romance that explodes between Cowboy and Melody occurs off the pages of the book, somewhere in the white space at the end of Chapter Two and the beginning of Chapter Three, which happens to be seven months later. The sensuality in the book was revealed through Cowboy's and Melody's memories about the heat and desire that flared between them during those six days they spent together. Brockmann did a great job of giving readers that degree of sensuality required in a romance book through those remembrances . . . because the one actual on-page love scene was very understated and, literally, in the dark.
When the Alpha Squad is shipped to Virginia for a training mission, Cowboy decides to take a weekend off to pop over to Appleton, Massachusetts to visit Melody, the woman he hadn't been able to forget. To his shock and amazement, Melody was seven months pregnant with his baby.
All About Romance featured an article written by Brockmann, entitled The Company that Sells You Series Romance, in which she discussed the fact that 'unwed mothers' and 'secret baby' books sell better than any other troupe in the Harlequin/Silhouette industry. Maybe this works for the majority of "series" romance readers, but this unplanned pregnancy thing just does not rock my world. What is romantic about forcing a man to marry you because he knocked you up? Authors are always having to create scenarios that explain how the unplanned pregnancy came about. In this case, it was especially difficult to swallow the reason for the accidental pregnancy when Melody and Cowboy joined the Mile High Club. In just about every romance book on the market, the hero is constantly pulling a condom out of his wallet. Why, then, in this case, were Cowboy's condom's stored in his suitcase? Surely, this is the only time that Cowboy, who is revealed to be a ladies man, just happened to forget to stock his wallet with a condom or two because the story line needed for Melody to turn up pregnant. Oh well, on with the story.
Brockmann did an excellent job of realistically portraying the conflicted feelings that Cowboy began experiencing after learning that their little trip into the bathroom of the 747 resulted in Melody's pregnancy. While Cowboy was definitely still attracted to Melody, the thought of settling down with one woman for the rest of his life scared him. Nevertheless, Cowboy planned to do the right thing and marry the mother of his child.
It was clear as day that Melody was lying to herself about her feelings for Cowboy. It is just not believable that a small town girl (like Melody was so diligently portrayed) has six days and nights of phenomenal sex with a hot, skilled SEAL like Cowboy, and is able to turn off her emotional connection to that man. Particularly, since it was clear that Melody had already developed an emotional tie to Cowboy during the rescue operation. The fact that Melody had tender feelings for Cowboy was just as obvious to readers as it was to Brittany, who pulled Cowboy aside at one point in the story to prompt him not to give up on his 'courtship' of Melody.
Brockmann follows the same pattern in Everyday, Average Jones that she established in the first three books of this series ({1} Prince Joe, {2} Forever Blue, {3} Frisco's Kid) of under-developing the personality and background story of the heroine. All we know is that Melody is a slim, beautiful, small-town girl, who just wants to live a quiet, ordinary life. But Brockmann does not delve into Melody's psyche to reveal to readers why this strong-willed, courageous young woman is so determined to pursue a boring lifestyle. One can't help but assume that Melody must have had some sense of adventure in her make-up because, after all, she did apply for a job as an Administrative Assistant to a foreign embassy. (And look where that landed her!)
More time was spent on the character development of Cowboy. Again, because this is a shorter Harlequin "series" book, Brockmann was not able to create the depth to Cowboy's personality that she usually cultivates in her full-length, main stream novels. Nevertheless, Brockmann peeled away the layers to reveal the man that Cowboy had became, stressing that he was, above all, a SEAL and that a SEAL never quits. (In an aside, Brockmann never revealed Cowboy's age and because he was the newest member of the Alpha Squad, for some reason he "felt" too young to be the hero of his own book. Especially, a hero who finds himself unexpectedly facing marriage and fatherhood.)
All About Romance featured an article written by Brockmann, entitled The Company that Sells You Series Romance, in which she discussed the fact that 'unwed mothers' and 'secret baby' books sell better than any other troupe in the Harlequin/Silhouette industry. Maybe this works for the majority of "series" romance readers, but this unplanned pregnancy thing just does not rock my world. What is romantic about forcing a man to marry you because he knocked you up? Authors are always having to create scenarios that explain how the unplanned pregnancy came about. In this case, it was especially difficult to swallow the reason for the accidental pregnancy when Melody and Cowboy joined the Mile High Club. In just about every romance book on the market, the hero is constantly pulling a condom out of his wallet. Why, then, in this case, were Cowboy's condom's stored in his suitcase? Surely, this is the only time that Cowboy, who is revealed to be a ladies man, just happened to forget to stock his wallet with a condom or two because the story line needed for Melody to turn up pregnant. Oh well, on with the story.
Brockmann did an excellent job of realistically portraying the conflicted feelings that Cowboy began experiencing after learning that their little trip into the bathroom of the 747 resulted in Melody's pregnancy. While Cowboy was definitely still attracted to Melody, the thought of settling down with one woman for the rest of his life scared him. Nevertheless, Cowboy planned to do the right thing and marry the mother of his child.
His relief was edged with something else. Something sharp and pointed. Something an awful lot like fear. Yeah, he could take his time and make her see that marrying him was the only option. But then where would he be?Melody was not oblivious to the fear that Jones was experiencing at facing impending marriage and fatherhood. She didn't pull any punches when she addressed the issue either.
Saddled with a wife and a baby. Shackled with a ball and chain. Tied down, tied up, out of circulation, out of the action. A husband and a father. Two roles he'd never thought he would ever be ready to play. (Cowboy, page 136)
Melody saw it then. Jones made an effort to smile as she looked up at him, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was thoroughly unnerved. She was having his baby, and as long as he was with her, there was no way he was going to forget that. She could see from his eyes how disconcerted he was, how unsettled he felt. (Melody, page 124-125)So the reason that the story seemed to drag is that his book is all about how Cowboy camps out, literally, in Melody's back yard to try and convince her that she needs to marry him. Melody, however, believes she can out-stubborn and outlast Cowboy because, quite honestly, she wants to marry an ordinary, 'everyday, average' guy. And Cowboy doesn't have an ordinary, average bone in his hot, muscled body. Melody told Cowboy that he needed to get lost, that he didn't have to worry about the baby, that she had everything figured out. This book is the story of how Cowboy spends day after day trying to sway Melody to his way of thinking while, at the same time, Melody does everything in her power to hide from Cowboy so he can't tempt her.
". . . don't try to pretend that the thought of marrying me doesn't scare you to death -- I know it does."
He went for the truth. Why not? He had nothing to lose. "You're right," he said. "It does frighten me. But I've done frightening things before and come out a better man because of them." (Cowboy and Melody, page 184)
It was clear as day that Melody was lying to herself about her feelings for Cowboy. It is just not believable that a small town girl (like Melody was so diligently portrayed) has six days and nights of phenomenal sex with a hot, skilled SEAL like Cowboy, and is able to turn off her emotional connection to that man. Particularly, since it was clear that Melody had already developed an emotional tie to Cowboy during the rescue operation. The fact that Melody had tender feelings for Cowboy was just as obvious to readers as it was to Brittany, who pulled Cowboy aside at one point in the story to prompt him not to give up on his 'courtship' of Melody.
"She's been depressed and unhappy ever since she came back from Paris," Brittany told him. "And she may believe with all of her heart that marrying you won't make her any happier, but I've got to tell you, today in the hospital, I watched her when she looked at you. And for the first time in more than half a year, she actually seemed alive again. Don't let her chase you away, Lieutenant." (Brittany, page 98)For some reason, the degree of romance in this book was lacking. Yes, Brockmann was trying to unravel the layers that made up the personalities of Cowboy and Melody by letting them slowly get to know one another. But Melody's staunch stance on not getting married, and her tendency to hide from Cowboy resulted in feelings of dislike rather than generating those romantic feelings upon which one is supposed to build a relationship. It also seemed unfair that Cowboy had to do all the work in trying to build the relationship. We all know that it takes two people, giving one hundred and fifty percent, to make a relationship work. Melody gave nothing!
Brockmann follows the same pattern in Everyday, Average Jones that she established in the first three books of this series ({1} Prince Joe, {2} Forever Blue, {3} Frisco's Kid) of under-developing the personality and background story of the heroine. All we know is that Melody is a slim, beautiful, small-town girl, who just wants to live a quiet, ordinary life. But Brockmann does not delve into Melody's psyche to reveal to readers why this strong-willed, courageous young woman is so determined to pursue a boring lifestyle. One can't help but assume that Melody must have had some sense of adventure in her make-up because, after all, she did apply for a job as an Administrative Assistant to a foreign embassy. (And look where that landed her!)
More time was spent on the character development of Cowboy. Again, because this is a shorter Harlequin "series" book, Brockmann was not able to create the depth to Cowboy's personality that she usually cultivates in her full-length, main stream novels. Nevertheless, Brockmann peeled away the layers to reveal the man that Cowboy had became, stressing that he was, above all, a SEAL and that a SEAL never quits. (In an aside, Brockmann never revealed Cowboy's age and because he was the newest member of the Alpha Squad, for some reason he "felt" too young to be the hero of his own book. Especially, a hero who finds himself unexpectedly facing marriage and fatherhood.)
One thing that was particularly enjoyable in this book was that the members of the Alpha Squad spent more time on the pages of Everyday, Average Jones than in the previous three books of the series. Brockmann was able to shine as she wrote truly entertaining, male camaraderie dialogue that flowed over the pages as the team gathered in Virginia in a Quonset Hut to prepare for a training exercise with FinCOM Agents. Only two members of Alpha Squad were developed beyond their basic introduction. The rest of the squad, basically, just showed up in the story to paint a picture of how this squad worked together. The undeveloped Alpha Squad members were: {1} Bobby [Taylor], {2} Lieutenant [Carter] "Blue" McCoy, {3} [Luke] Lucky O'Donlon, and {4} Wesley "Wes" [Skelly]. Also, the former member of the squad, Alan "Frisco" Francisco, was mentioned as being included in the training session even though, sadly, he never actually appeared in the book.
Senior Chief Daryl "Harvard" "H." Becker and the newly promoted Commanding Officer, Captain Joe "Cat" Catalanotto were given more of a presence in this book. Brockmann does a great job of giving readers a brief glimpse into the life of the hero we came to love in Prince Joe as Joe Cat is shown to be an intuitive leader, who is happily married to Veronica and has a new son named Frankie.
Harvard gets quite a bit of page time as he was thrown into the perimeter of Cowboy's and Melody's world, first as Cowboy's partner when the team split up in the unnamed country during the initial rescue operation, and second as Cowboy's go-to man to help him get time off to pursue Melody. Harvard also showed up in Appleton to aid Cowboy in his search for a missing boy. The scene beside the quarry when Harvard spouts his 'I'm not listening to this private conversation' spiel when Cowboy and Melody were talking was priceless. This brief glimpse into the personality of this intelligent, supportive SEAL prompts readers to want to pick up the next book in the series, Harvard's Education.
Again, as is typical of Brockmann, she includes three fascinating secondary characters that grabbed the spotlight when they appeared on the pages of the book. The first memorable supporting member of the cast was Brittany "Britt" Evans, Melody's sister, who was minimally developed but generated great interest. You couldn't help but cheer for Brittany when she helped Cowboy in his pursuit of Melody. Brittany progressed from a negative naysayer into a remarkably caring woman by the time the book ended. (It is nice to know that Brockmann is going to tell Brittany's story in the last book of the series, Night Watch.)
The most fascinating and heart-winning supporting character was twelve year old Andrew "Andy" Marshall. Andy was in the foster care system and was currently living with Melody's and Brittany's neighbors, Vince and Kirsty Romanella. Melody saw beneath the tough, 'nothing can hurt me' façade to the kind, gentle boy underneath and was constantly trying to mother the stand-offish kid. The scene between Melody and Andy sitting together, talking about being the center of the small town gossip mill, included an especially poignant event.
Andy found himself involved in constant fights with an older boy named Alex Parks. Alex stayed in the shadows of this book, yet he ended up being one of the loose threads left hanging when the book ended. Brockmann set up a sequence of events involving Andy and Alex that had to do with fingerprints found in a vandalized house that she failed to clear up. Not the fingerprints in the house, but rather why was Alex targeting Andy and did Alex ever receive his comeuppance.
And finally, Brockmann revealed her talent at character development when she created two minor secondary characters, Estelle Warner and Peggy Rogers, who showed up for one or two brief scenes to show readers what kind of busybodies Melody had to deal with in her small town. Look at Brockmann's skill when it came to describing Estelle.
Senior Chief Daryl "Harvard" "H." Becker and the newly promoted Commanding Officer, Captain Joe "Cat" Catalanotto were given more of a presence in this book. Brockmann does a great job of giving readers a brief glimpse into the life of the hero we came to love in Prince Joe as Joe Cat is shown to be an intuitive leader, who is happily married to Veronica and has a new son named Frankie.
Harvard gets quite a bit of page time as he was thrown into the perimeter of Cowboy's and Melody's world, first as Cowboy's partner when the team split up in the unnamed country during the initial rescue operation, and second as Cowboy's go-to man to help him get time off to pursue Melody. Harvard also showed up in Appleton to aid Cowboy in his search for a missing boy. The scene beside the quarry when Harvard spouts his 'I'm not listening to this private conversation' spiel when Cowboy and Melody were talking was priceless. This brief glimpse into the personality of this intelligent, supportive SEAL prompts readers to want to pick up the next book in the series, Harvard's Education.
Again, as is typical of Brockmann, she includes three fascinating secondary characters that grabbed the spotlight when they appeared on the pages of the book. The first memorable supporting member of the cast was Brittany "Britt" Evans, Melody's sister, who was minimally developed but generated great interest. You couldn't help but cheer for Brittany when she helped Cowboy in his pursuit of Melody. Brittany progressed from a negative naysayer into a remarkably caring woman by the time the book ended. (It is nice to know that Brockmann is going to tell Brittany's story in the last book of the series, Night Watch.)
The most fascinating and heart-winning supporting character was twelve year old Andrew "Andy" Marshall. Andy was in the foster care system and was currently living with Melody's and Brittany's neighbors, Vince and Kirsty Romanella. Melody saw beneath the tough, 'nothing can hurt me' façade to the kind, gentle boy underneath and was constantly trying to mother the stand-offish kid. The scene between Melody and Andy sitting together, talking about being the center of the small town gossip mill, included an especially poignant event.
"He's kicking," she told Andy. "Give me your hand -- you've got to feel this."Andy's personality was brought further into the light as he began to spend time with Cowboy and Cowboy began practicing his 'tough love' parenting skills on this parent-less boy. Another memorable scene was when Cowboy decided to teach Andy a lesson about underage drinking.
Andy gave her a skeptical look.
"Come on," she urged him. "It feels so cool."
He wiped the palm of his hand on his grubby shorts before holding it out to her. She held it down on the bulge close to her belly button just as the baby did what felt like a complete somersault. (Melody and Andy, page 68)
Andy found himself involved in constant fights with an older boy named Alex Parks. Alex stayed in the shadows of this book, yet he ended up being one of the loose threads left hanging when the book ended. Brockmann set up a sequence of events involving Andy and Alex that had to do with fingerprints found in a vandalized house that she failed to clear up. Not the fingerprints in the house, but rather why was Alex targeting Andy and did Alex ever receive his comeuppance.
And finally, Brockmann revealed her talent at character development when she created two minor secondary characters, Estelle Warner and Peggy Rogers, who showed up for one or two brief scenes to show readers what kind of busybodies Melody had to deal with in her small town. Look at Brockmann's skill when it came to describing Estelle.
The elderly woman behind the counter at the local inn could have been a SEAL team's point man. Cowboy could tell that she missed nothing with her shrewd, sweeping gaze. She quickly took in his naval uniform, his perfectly shined shoes, the pile of medals that decorated his chest. No doubt she was memorizing the color of his eyes and hair and taking a mental picture of his face -- probably for reference later when she watched Top Cops or another of those reality-based TV shows just to make sure the uniform wasn't an elaborate disguise when, in fact, he was wanted for heinous crimes in seven different states. (Cowboy, page 93-94)Brockmann's skill at writing excellent, purely entertaining dialogue was showcased when Peggy arrived at the scene and she and Estelle began talking about Cowboy's actions as if he weren't there.
It was odd -- the way they talked about him as if he weren't there, even as they stood staring directly at him. (Cowboy, page 94)Brittany burst upon the scene to interrupt Estelle's and Peggy's discussion of Cowboy (and Cowboy's amazement at the skill with which Estelle and Peggy could monitor events and conversations) to reveal how Melody dealt with the Appleton rumor mill.
". . . my little sister crashed one of Estelle Warner's Ladies' Club meetings. The Ladies' Club is really just a cover name for Gossipers Anonymous. . . ."
"At first I thought Melody was there to give me support, but when Hazel Parks opened the floor for new topics of discussion, Mel stood up. She cleared her throat and said, 'I would like you all to know that I have no intention of getting married, but I am, however, two months pregnant.'" (Brittany, page 97)
As Cowboy spent time with Melody, trying to show her that he deserved to have a place in his child's life (by being married to the child's mother) he began to describe his time with the SEALs. Brockmann did not reveal quite as many details or define as many terms about the SEALs and their training as she did in the previous books of the series. Nevertheless, there was enough information to let readers know that SEALs were considered the best of the best. (And to re-emphasize to Melody that Cowboy was anything but ordinary.)
Brockmann failed to deliver that strong, tear-inducing emotional connection between readers and characters that she usually brings to her stories. For instance, look at the scene between Cowboy and Melody at the quarry after Cowboy and Harvard returned from their well-written deep dive. Brockmann was doing that thing that authors utilize upon occasion (and she has herself done successfully) where the reader is lead to believe that a member of the cast has died, which results in tears. Only this time, something was wrong, not a single tear was shed because Brockmann just wasn't convincing in her mislead this time.
Some Little Things:
[While Everyday, Average Jones was not the best book on the block, ({1} story-wise and {2} heroine-wise), I still gave it high marks (3.90 stars) because of Brockmann's writing style and because Suzanne Brockmann is a favorite author, therefore, it was impossible not to want to fudge the number upward.]
A brief mention about the cover of these books. For some reason, Harlequin/Silhouette was seriously off track when it came to creating appealing covers for The Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series of books. The background and the couples found on the front of {1} Prince Joe and {2} Forever Blue were, quite bluntly, fake looking and unattractive. The picture on the front of Frisco's Kid was marginally better. Thankfully, the front of Everyday, Average Jones was the first cover to feature a more realistic looking and attractive couple. (Despite Brockmann's words in the article mentioned above that Harlequin had put a pregnant woman on the cover of this book, the placement of the book title and author made it impossible to tell that the heroine was pregnant.) The one thing the cover designers do did well was to create an attractive manner in which they featured two graphic boxes encasing the book title and the author's name. This arrangement tied this series of books together nicely and made the book title and the author's name stand out in bold detail.
What did Melody call Jones during those six days of hot sex? All though the book, it seems Melody has a difficult time calling Cowboy anything but Jones . . . and she really wants to call him Harlan.
How did Cowboy just happen to have a set of workout weights somewhere in the proximity of Melody's back yard so they could be part of his daily physical training activities? Do SEALs have a set of workout weights conveniently nearby to take with them during their leaves?
A lot of detail was given about Cowboy's relationship with his father, Admiral Harlan Jones, Sr. But nothing was said about the relationship he had with his unnamed mother. Again, this is tied to the fact that Cowboy was not as well-developed a character as Brockmann usually dishes out.
In closing, Everyday, Average Jones, is not the most enjoyable book in The Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series. Sure, Brockmann delivered when it came to giving readers a well-written story with great dialogue and characters, but the unexpected baby troupe just didn't seem to work. Brockmann presented readers with: {1} a slightly under-developed hero, Harlan "Cowboy" Jones, who was the typical, adventurous, charming, muscled, hunky, handsome, 'never say quit' SEAL; {2} Melody Evans, a frustrating, almost totally unlikeable heroine; {3} a presentation of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad in action; {4} a few exciting action scenes; {5} a minimal degree of suspense; {6} the lack of a strong emotional connection between reader and the protagonists, even though there were tearful and laugh out loud moments; {7} the romance building between Cowboy and Melody was lackluster because of the prolonged rejections; {8} a different degree of sensuality was presented as most of the love scenes were delivered as memories; {9} the story was enriched by the appearance of well-written, intriguing secondary characters; namely, {a} Brittany "Britt" Evans, {b} Andrew "Andy" Marshall, {c} Estelle Warner, and {d} Peggy Rogers; and {10} the appearance of the members of Alpha Squad in all their male camaraderie-type interactions: {a} Captain Joe "Cat" Catalanotto; {b} Lieutenant [Carter] "Blue" McCoy; {c} Senior Chief Daryl "Harvard" Becker; {d} [Luke] Lucky O'Donlon; {e} Wesley "Wes" [Skelly]; and {f} Bobby [Taylor]. The only reason this book remains on my 'To Be Re-Read' List is because it is part of Suzanne Brockmann's Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series . . . and the series is re-readable.
--Vonda M. Reid (Sunday, June 14, 2015 : 8:49 p.m.) [373]
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Reviews Found On Good Reads That Describe Certain Aspects of This Book That I Missed
Brockmann failed to deliver that strong, tear-inducing emotional connection between readers and characters that she usually brings to her stories. For instance, look at the scene between Cowboy and Melody at the quarry after Cowboy and Harvard returned from their well-written deep dive. Brockmann was doing that thing that authors utilize upon occasion (and she has herself done successfully) where the reader is lead to believe that a member of the cast has died, which results in tears. Only this time, something was wrong, not a single tear was shed because Brockmann just wasn't convincing in her mislead this time.
Some Little Things:
[While Everyday, Average Jones was not the best book on the block, ({1} story-wise and {2} heroine-wise), I still gave it high marks (3.90 stars) because of Brockmann's writing style and because Suzanne Brockmann is a favorite author, therefore, it was impossible not to want to fudge the number upward.]
A brief mention about the cover of these books. For some reason, Harlequin/Silhouette was seriously off track when it came to creating appealing covers for The Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series of books. The background and the couples found on the front of {1} Prince Joe and {2} Forever Blue were, quite bluntly, fake looking and unattractive. The picture on the front of Frisco's Kid was marginally better. Thankfully, the front of Everyday, Average Jones was the first cover to feature a more realistic looking and attractive couple. (Despite Brockmann's words in the article mentioned above that Harlequin had put a pregnant woman on the cover of this book, the placement of the book title and author made it impossible to tell that the heroine was pregnant.) The one thing the cover designers do did well was to create an attractive manner in which they featured two graphic boxes encasing the book title and the author's name. This arrangement tied this series of books together nicely and made the book title and the author's name stand out in bold detail.
What did Melody call Jones during those six days of hot sex? All though the book, it seems Melody has a difficult time calling Cowboy anything but Jones . . . and she really wants to call him Harlan.
How did Cowboy just happen to have a set of workout weights somewhere in the proximity of Melody's back yard so they could be part of his daily physical training activities? Do SEALs have a set of workout weights conveniently nearby to take with them during their leaves?
A lot of detail was given about Cowboy's relationship with his father, Admiral Harlan Jones, Sr. But nothing was said about the relationship he had with his unnamed mother. Again, this is tied to the fact that Cowboy was not as well-developed a character as Brockmann usually dishes out.
In closing, Everyday, Average Jones, is not the most enjoyable book in The Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series. Sure, Brockmann delivered when it came to giving readers a well-written story with great dialogue and characters, but the unexpected baby troupe just didn't seem to work. Brockmann presented readers with: {1} a slightly under-developed hero, Harlan "Cowboy" Jones, who was the typical, adventurous, charming, muscled, hunky, handsome, 'never say quit' SEAL; {2} Melody Evans, a frustrating, almost totally unlikeable heroine; {3} a presentation of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad in action; {4} a few exciting action scenes; {5} a minimal degree of suspense; {6} the lack of a strong emotional connection between reader and the protagonists, even though there were tearful and laugh out loud moments; {7} the romance building between Cowboy and Melody was lackluster because of the prolonged rejections; {8} a different degree of sensuality was presented as most of the love scenes were delivered as memories; {9} the story was enriched by the appearance of well-written, intriguing secondary characters; namely, {a} Brittany "Britt" Evans, {b} Andrew "Andy" Marshall, {c} Estelle Warner, and {d} Peggy Rogers; and {10} the appearance of the members of Alpha Squad in all their male camaraderie-type interactions: {a} Captain Joe "Cat" Catalanotto; {b} Lieutenant [Carter] "Blue" McCoy; {c} Senior Chief Daryl "Harvard" Becker; {d} [Luke] Lucky O'Donlon; {e} Wesley "Wes" [Skelly]; and {f} Bobby [Taylor]. The only reason this book remains on my 'To Be Re-Read' List is because it is part of Suzanne Brockmann's Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series . . . and the series is re-readable.
--Vonda M. Reid (Sunday, June 14, 2015 : 8:49 p.m.) [373]
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Reviews Found On Good Reads That Describe Certain Aspects of This Book That I Missed
Cute little romance novel. Leaves you wondering though . . . Do Navy SEALS take their dress whites Everywhere with them? "Gee, I'm going to an unnamed country to rescue hostages, better take my dress whites!" or "Going to go see a girl I had relations with and want to get lucky, better take dress whites!" (I figure there must be a top secret government laundry bag in there somewhere to keep those uniforms white and unwrinkled!)
--Genny Moore (May 30, 2013) (★★★☆☆)
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You know when you read a book and there is just that something about it that just doesn't work, but you can't exactly put into words what that something is. Well, with this review, Cherie did a great job of revealing exactly what that something was in this book.
--Genny Moore (May 30, 2013) (★★★☆☆)
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You know when you read a book and there is just that something about it that just doesn't work, but you can't exactly put into words what that something is. Well, with this review, Cherie did a great job of revealing exactly what that something was in this book.
This book was such a disappointment. It started out great and exciting. The hero is a Navy SEAL. The heroine seemed smart and strong, up to the task of being equal partners with a Navy Seal built like a Greek god. That's how it started . . .
It deteriorated to not only a secret baby plot, but also a paranormal book apparently as Melody (the heroine) was apparently able to read the heroes thoughts, feelings, and true motivations, no matter what he said (yeah, major eye roll). I didn't mind the secret baby plot device so much, as I've seen it done well in other books before. However in this book it grew to hair-pulling out, banging your head against the wall, throwing the book across the room proportions. So let's hash it out. . . .
So Melody is pregnant with Cowboy's baby after he rescues her from the Middle East. Melody goes to the local gossip meal meeting and announces it to them, but doesn't even bother to give the father a heads up? Really?? She had built it up in her mind that he wouldn't want the baby. Wouldn't want her (even though he wanted to have a relationship with her and she broke it off). She had it built up in her mind that he only wanted to do the right thing by her out of some unmentioned code, and not out of a desire to get to know their child and be in that child's life. No matter what HE said, she was sure she knew his mind better than him. I cannot tell you how aggravating that merry-go-round of illogic became. I honestly didn't mind so much that she didn't want to marry him the minute he showed up. I would have been annoyed if she had caved so easily, but for her NOT to be willing to come up with some kind of compromise with him really was just selfish (and illegal, father's have parental rights too!)
Really the last straw for me was during a life or death situation mid-way through the book, during which Cowboy ordered Melody to safety, twice!!! While she just stood there. Now, ok, I will make room for the possibility that she was frozen by fear although that is not what we saw of her when they were in the Middle East. So afterwards he yells at her for not doing what she was told, and rightly so, clearly he was afraid for her. She instead has the nerve to lash out at him for ordering her around! Really?? He told her to go to safety but he's the bad guy?! And HE apologizes!! ugh!! After that point in the book, I flipped quickly through the rest of the book just to get to see how things would end with Andy (the kid in the book).
I have to say this one wasn't worth the read. Cowboy was practically a dream come true. Melody was a complete nightmare.
--Cherie (Oct 14, 2013) (★★☆☆☆)
It deteriorated to not only a secret baby plot, but also a paranormal book apparently as Melody (the heroine) was apparently able to read the heroes thoughts, feelings, and true motivations, no matter what he said (yeah, major eye roll). I didn't mind the secret baby plot device so much, as I've seen it done well in other books before. However in this book it grew to hair-pulling out, banging your head against the wall, throwing the book across the room proportions. So let's hash it out. . . .
So Melody is pregnant with Cowboy's baby after he rescues her from the Middle East. Melody goes to the local gossip meal meeting and announces it to them, but doesn't even bother to give the father a heads up? Really?? She had built it up in her mind that he wouldn't want the baby. Wouldn't want her (even though he wanted to have a relationship with her and she broke it off). She had it built up in her mind that he only wanted to do the right thing by her out of some unmentioned code, and not out of a desire to get to know their child and be in that child's life. No matter what HE said, she was sure she knew his mind better than him. I cannot tell you how aggravating that merry-go-round of illogic became. I honestly didn't mind so much that she didn't want to marry him the minute he showed up. I would have been annoyed if she had caved so easily, but for her NOT to be willing to come up with some kind of compromise with him really was just selfish (and illegal, father's have parental rights too!)
Really the last straw for me was during a life or death situation mid-way through the book, during which Cowboy ordered Melody to safety, twice!!! While she just stood there. Now, ok, I will make room for the possibility that she was frozen by fear although that is not what we saw of her when they were in the Middle East. So afterwards he yells at her for not doing what she was told, and rightly so, clearly he was afraid for her. She instead has the nerve to lash out at him for ordering her around! Really?? He told her to go to safety but he's the bad guy?! And HE apologizes!! ugh!! After that point in the book, I flipped quickly through the rest of the book just to get to see how things would end with Andy (the kid in the book).
I have to say this one wasn't worth the read. Cowboy was practically a dream come true. Melody was a complete nightmare.
--Cherie (Oct 14, 2013) (★★☆☆☆)
❀ . . Top . . ❀ . . Review . . ❀ . . Series . . ❀ . . Characters . . ❀ . . Quotes . . ❀ . . Links . . ❀ . . End. . ❀
Books In The Series: "The Tall, Dark and Dangerous Series" // Members of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad
| # | Date | Title | Hero | Heroine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | 06-1996 | Prince Joe | Lieutenant Joseph "Joe" Paulo "Cat" Catalanotto: Commander | Veronica St. John: Professional Image and Media Consultant |
| 02. | 10-1996 | Forever Blue | Lieutenant Carter "Blue" McCoy: Executive Commander | Lucy Tait: Hatboro Creek Police Officer |
| 03. | 01-1997 | Frisco's Kid | Lieutenant Alan "Frisco" Francisco: U.S. Navy Retired SEAL | Mia Summerton: Tenth Grade U.S. History Teacher |
| 04. | 08-1998 | Everyday, Average Joe | Lieutenant Harlan "Cowboy" Jones: Alpha Squad SEAL | Melody Evans: Administrative Assistant |
| 05. | 10-1998 | Harvard's Education | Ensign Daryl "Harvard" Becker: Alpha Squad SEAL | P.J. Richards: FInCOM Antiterrorist Team |
| 06. | 12-1998 | It Came Upon a Midnight Clear aka: Hawken's Heart | Lieutenant William R. "Crash" Hawken: | Nell Burns: Daisy Owen's Personal Assistant |
| 07. | 11-1999 | The Admiral's Bride | Admiral Jake Robinson: | Dr. Zoe Lange: |
| 08. | 01-2000 | Identity: Unknown | Mitchell Shaw: | Becca Keyes: worked at Lazy Eight Ranch |
| 09. | 03-2000 | Get Lucky | Lieutenant Luke "Lucky" O'Donlon: Alpha Squad SEAL | Sydney Jameson: Journalist |
| 10. | 07-2001 | Taylor's Temptation | Chief Bobby Taylor: Alpha Squad SEAL | Colleen Mary Skelly: Wes's Sister |
| 11. | 09-2003 | Night Watch aka: Wild Wild Wes | Chief Wes Skelly: Alpha Squad SEAL | Brittany Evans: Single Mother |
❀ . . Top . . ❀ . . Review . . ❀ . . Series . . ❀ . . Characters . . ❀ . . Quotes . . ❀ . . Links . . ❀ . . End. . ❀
Characters Found In "Everyday, Average Jones"
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Harlan "Cowboy" Jones [Jr.] | [Hero] Ensign; member of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad (10) currently O-1 pay level; gifted at interpreting information (11) didn't have a little sister (12) had the greenest eyes Melody had ever seen (14) smile lit his entire face and made his eyes sparkle; soft western drawl (15) over the past few years, he had learned to use his fear to hone his senses, to keep him alert; always gave a 150% or more; had learned to hide his fear (18) looked like a bigger, beefier, much younger version of Kevin Costner; a smile that could melt hearts as well as bolster failing courage (19) relaxed and charming in a war zone (21) made jokes, even at the most serious of times (25) notorious lady killer (26) from Texas (29) father was career Navy, moved around a lot as a child (31) rode the rodeo circuit for a year after high school to irritate his father; entered the SEAL program to tick off his father and to show his father that he could do something better than him (32) one of his specialties was psychology (33) Harvard called him Junior; Joe Cat called him kid (34) he showed up at BUD/S wearing an enormous rodeo ring and a cowboy hat (35) had been a SEAL for 6 years (36) he never shied away from taking out the enemy but he never liked it (38) promoted to Lieutenant (50) was amazing; could do anything, pilot a plane, bandage feet, cut his sandals down to fit Melody; spoke four different languages; knew how to scuba dive and skydive; could move through the center of an enemy compound without being seen; smarter and braver and sexier than any man Melody had ever known (53) exceptionally tall, exceptionally broad-shouldered; sunlight gleamed off sun-streaked brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck (70) soft hair was rich and gleamingly golden brown; freed from its restraint, it would hang wavy and thick around his face, making him look like one of those exotic man who graced the covers of historical romances; five thousand watt smile (79) had 13 medals on his dress whites (88) good-time, pleasure-seeking, no-strings disposition; strong sense of responsibility (92) action and adventure were his middle names (93) he liked things that went fast and spent his money accordingly (111) impossibly polite; seems very sweet; has excellent taste in jewelry; built like a Greek statue (122) looked dangerous, hard, and incredibly, mind-blowingly sexy (123) little plaques of brown and gold loading in the always changing green ocean of his eyes (124) astute when it came to reading Melody's needs (125) sun glistened off his tanned skin, gleamed off his gold-streaked hair; didn't know what it meant to quit (127) patient with Andy (131) doesn't like it when things were out of his control (152) nice hands, strong and capable looking (166) watched Melody closely, paid careful attention, as if what she had told him was the most important piece of news in the universe; being the center of his tight focus of all his intensity was somewhat overwhelming (167) ran away from home often as a kid (204) he was good at what he did; he had the strength and the willpower to keep his word, no matter how hard (220) |
| Melody "Mel" Evans | [Heroine] accepted job of administrative assistant to the American ambassador to a Middle Eastern country; 25-y-o (8) young looking; blue eyes; wavy blond hair that tumbled down her back; a country-fresh slightly shy smile and sweet face that reminded the Alpha Squad of their little sisters (12) could have been the poster model for the All-American girl (13) tall and slender with a body that was trim in some places, soft in others; her face was pretty despite her lack of makeup; had a small nose, a mouth that looked incredibly soft and crystal blue eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes; clear intelligence shown in those eyes (16) a smart woman who didn't suffer fools; strong; courageous, able to stand up for what she believed in; could play devil's advocate (17) ocean blue eyes (18) extremely nice feet, long and slender (31) slender neck; pretty face (34) baby due just in time for Christmas (47) face shaped delicately; long, graceful neck; gorgeous; make-up highlighted her natural beauty (59) working full time as AA for town attorney (61) baby due December 1 (76) liked to read Historical Romances (79) trail of freckles across her nose and cheeks; her pregnancy had added a lushness to her body, a womanly fullness to breasts and hips that had been almost boyishly slender before; even her face was fuller, less little-girl cute and more grown -woman beautiful (89) liked the hectic busyness of her job (121) beautiful; golden hair cascaded around her shoulders; arms were lightly tanned and slender (154) father died the summer she was sixteen; wasn't close to father (155) without any makeup on, she looked fresh and sweet -- barely old enough to babysit, let alone have a baby of her own; gorgeous lips, full and red even without the help of cosmetics (184) point-blank honesty; gentle kindness; fiercely supported her sister (233) |
| . . . | . . . |
| Mrs. Beatrice | [No Appearance] Appleton librarian (48) wife to Tom Beatrice (49) |
| Tom Beatrice | [Rare Appearances] Mrs. Beatrice's husband (49) caught Andy Marshall outside the liquor store on Summer Street (131) Appleton chief of police (132) |
| Tommy [Beatrice] | [No Appearance] Mrs. Beatrice's son (49) |
| Daryl "H." "Harvard" Becker | [Secondary Character] [Book 5 : Harvard's Education] Senior Chief; member of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad; deep voice dry with humor (13) big black man; taller than Cowboy (19) grew up in south shore of Hingham, Massachusetts; his family still lived there except for those who had gone off to college; littlest sister heading out to college in September; attended Harvard; sympathetic brown eyes (36) could debate an issue into minute detail for hours at a time (91) rich bass voice; never missed a thing, no matter how subtle the comment (119) towering over everyone; shaved head gleamed exotically in the sunlight (188) well-muscled body (197) |
| Brenda | [No Appearance] worked at the hospital with Brittany; called in sick with the flu (134) |
| Frankie [Catalanotto] | [No Appearance] Joe and Veronica's son; 1-y-o (57) |
| [Joseph] "Joe" [Paulo] "Cat" Catalanotto | [Secondary Character] [Book 1 : Prince Joe] Captain; commander of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad; flat New York accent (10) had a wagonload of experience that Cowboy couldn't compete with; promoted to O-6 pay level; the kind of leader who took note of his team's individual strengths and used each man to his full ability and beyond (11) married (37) dark hair (119) had a way of looking at a man that made you feel as if he could see clear through all the bull and camouflage to the heart and soul that lay beneath (238) |
| Veronica ["Ronnie" St. John Catalanotto] | [No Appearance] [Book 1 : Prince Joe] Joe's wife (57) |
| Abigail Cloutier | [One Appearance] taught Lamaze classes; had a waiting list a mile long (211) |
| Janette Dennison | [One Appearance] in Melody's Lamaze class; one of Melody's high school friends; pregnant with her fourth child (215) |
| Brittany "Britt" Evans | [Secondary Character] [Book 11 : Night Watch] Melody's older sister; had always been the adventurous one; nearly nine years older than Melody; patient; kind (8) after nearly 10 years of marriage she had filed for divorce and moved in with Melody (46) a nurse (48) volatile temper (67) her eyes were a different shade of blue from Mel's; her face was sharper, more angular, but it was clear the two women were closely related (76) ever since her divorce , she had been more likely to focus on the negative instead of the positive; when Andy was around she started laughing; musical laughter; she may have complained about Andy but she gave him his own screen name on her computer account and let him use it even while she was doing the evening or night shift at work (163) working long hours at the hospital because of flu running rampant (164) blond hair (212) |
| [Mr. Evans] | [No Appearance] Melody's and Brittany's father; he died the summer Melody was 16; wasn't close to daughter; an investment broker; worked 7 days a week, 18 hours a day (155) |
| [Mrs. Evans __] | [No Appearance] Melody's mother; had met a very nice, wealthy man; had remarried, packed up our bags and moved to Florida, leaving Mel to take care of the sale of the house (46) |
| Admiral [Michael] "Mac" Forrest | [No Appearance] Joe Cat's admiral pal; asked him to get Frisco assigned to training mission (55) |
| Hank Forsythe | [One Appearance] in Melody's Lamaze class; owner of local gym; Jones was bigger than him (215) |
| Sandy Forsythe | [One Appearance] in Melody's Lamaze class; Hank's wife; pregnant with first child (215) |
| Isaac Forte | [One Appearance] was clerking at Honey Farms when Melody and Jones stopped by to get something to eat; pale, gaunt face; painfully thin, almost skeletal frame, he reminded Melody of a vampire (169) had his problems; since Melody had become a frequent customers, she had come to know him rather well (170) |
| Alan "Frisco" Francisco | [No Appearance] [Book 3 : Frisco's Kid] Lieutenant; one of the top BUD/S training instructors; Joe Cat pulled strings to get him assigned to training mission in Virginia with the Alpha Squad; former member of Alpha Squad who had been pulled off the active duty list with a knee injury more than 5-y-a; Cowboy had been filling in for a missing member of the squad when Frisco had been injured (55) Cowboy had been assigned to Alpha Squad when it was determined his injury was permanent; missed being in action (56) |
| Harry Glenzen | [One Appearance] one of the original Glenzen brothers' great-great-grandson's; at Melody's home when she arrived home from work; hanging plywood to the frame of what used to be Melody's dining room window (46) |
| Uncle Harold | [No Appearance] Cowboy's mother's uncle; sold cars (139) |
| William [R.] "Crash" Hawk [Hawken] | [No Appearance] [Book 6 : Hawken's Heart] Cowboy's swim buddy; Melody met him when she was in Paris with Cowboy; was not a member of Alpha Squad, nor SEAL Team Ten; Cowboy hadn't been absolutely certain where the SEAL he'd called his best friend back in BUD/S training was now assigned; except for the accidental meeting it had been years since they'd seen each other, but the ongoing mutual trust and respect between the two men had been obvious (80) doesn't drink because of the lesson his uncle taught him regarding liquor (138) |
| Joe Hewlitt | [No Appearance] worked at the Sunoco gas station in Appleton (131) |
| Harlan Jones, [Sr] | [No Appearance] Cowboy's father; career Navy; just made full admiral; stationed in DC (31) had been by-the-book Navy; a perfectionist; harsh; demanding; cold; had run his family the same way he'd commanded his ships, which to both his young son and his wife, left much to be desired; smart; manipulated Cowboy into joining the Navy; wanted Cowboy to go to college after high school and then into the U.S. Navy's officer's program; when he was younger, he had gotten into the BUD/S program and went through the training to become a SEAL; he was one of the 85% who couldn't cut it; he was flushed out of the program, he wasn't tough enough; he appeared to carry around a great big grudge against the SEAL units; crafty; broke down and cried tears of joy and pride the day Cowboy got his Budweiser (32) Cowboy had rarely seen him smile let alone weep; turned out that by joining the SEALs, Cowboy had put himself exactly where he wanted his son to be; he didn't hate the SEAL units, he admired and respected them; he wanted Cowboy to know what it felt like to achieve his potential and to be one of them (33) had been a dismal failure in showing his son he cared; a by-the-book U.S. Navy Admiral; a perfectionist; harsh; demanding; cold; with the exception of Cowboy's joining the SEALs, he was never happy about anything Cowboy ever did (92) after moved to Texas, he was hardly ever home (138) |
| Tyler Jones | Cowboy's and Melody's baby boy (251) |
| Barney Kingman | [One Appearance] at Melody's home when she arrived home from work; hanging plywood to the frame of what used to be Melody's dining room window (46) |
| Andrew "Andy" Marshall | [Major Secondary Character] little juvenile delinquent threw a baseball through the dining room window; caused chaos ever since the Romanellas took him in; a great big behavior problem (47) fighting with two boys who had to be at least three years older and a foot and a half taller than he was (64) his knees and elbows were raw, his nose was bleeding pretty steadily; he had a scrape on his cheek underneath his left eye, and his lip was already swollen and split; his brown hair was messy and cluttered with dirt and bits of grass; his T-shirt was bloody and torn; he'd had the wind knocked out of him; tears of pain and humiliation filled his eyes; wouldn't let Melody touch him (65) kid from the big, bad city who blows up lawnmowers; he was James Dean and Marlon Brando rolled into one with this heavy-lidded eyes and curled lip; concealed all of his pain and angry tears behind a 'who cares' façade (66) skinny for a 12-year-old, just a narrow slip of a little boy; his injuries from the fight -- and probably from the battles he had been fighting all of his life -- went far deeper than a split lip, a bloody nose a few scrapes and scratches; although he may have looked like a child, his attitude was pure jaded adolescent (67) crooked front teeth, one of which was endearingly chipped; underneath the tough-guy exterior he was a good kid (68) father was in the Army; the only thing he had of his father's was his watch (103) hanging around with Cowboy as he worked in the yard (131) starved for affection and attention; had a sweet, caring soul deep inside (132) had been spending a great deal of time at the house working or playing with Britt on the computer; after Jones's tough love 'Drinking 101' lesson, he was acting more like a 12-y-o boy than a 23-y-o ex-con (162) a nice kid , despite his bad reputation; had a natural charm and a genuine sense of humor (164) |
| David Marshall | [No Appearance] Andy's biological father; private at Plainfield, New Hampshire Army base; had a rap sheet a mile long, filled with unsavory charges including sexual harassment and use of excessive violence in dealing with civilians (203) |
| Kurt Matthews | [One Appearance] acerbic voice; dripped scorn (8) one of the hostages being held in embassy with Melody (12) |
| [Carter] "Blue" McCoy | [Brief Appearances] [Book 2 : Forever Blue] Lieutenant; member of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad; team's point man; Joe Cat's second in command; south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-line voice (13) shorter than Cowboy; blond hair (24) married (37) XO (161) |
| Betty McCreedy | [No Appearance] worked at the hospital with Brittany; was going to help cover a shift when Brenda and Sharon called in sick (134) |
| Edie Myerson | [No Appearance] worked at the hospital with Brittany; called Brittany to come in when Brenda and Sharon called in sick (134) |
| [Luke] "Lucky" O'Donlon | [Brief Appearances] [Book 9 : Get Lucky] member of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad (14) quick to turn anything and everything into a joke; blond hair (58) |
| Alex Parks | [Brief Appearances] one of the two boys fighting with Andy Marshall in school yard; savagely backhanded Andy before running away from Melody (65) always fighting with Andy; a freshman or sophomore (137) |
| Hazel Parks | [No Appearance] attended the Ladies' Club meeting; opened the floor for new business (97) |
| Quentin | [No Appearance] Brittany's ex-husband (46) |
| Peggy Rogers | [Rare Appearances] behind the counter at the local inn; elderly; short; round; talked about Cowboy as if he weren't there, even as she stood staring directly at him (94) could probably teach the staff at NAVINTEL a thing or two about information gathering (96) |
| Kirsty Romanella | [No Appearance] took in Andy Marshall (47) Melody's next door neighbor (65) |
| Vince Romanella | [No Appearance] took in Andy Marshall (47) Melody's next door neighbor (65) might have looked like the kind of guy who would react with one of his big, beefy fists rather than think things through, but in the three years he and his wife had been foster parents, he'd never raised a hand to a child; would subject Andy to a trip to his bedroom tonight, where he would sit alone, writing a five-page essay on nonviolent alternatives to fighting (70) |
| Sharon | [No Appearance] worked at the hospital with Brittany; called in sick with the flu (134) |
| Hannah Shelton | [No Appearance] informed Peggy that Cowboy had bought a ring at Front Street Jewelers (94) |
| Ted Shepherd | [No Appearance] Melody's boss; town attorney; running for state representative (61) had a thing for Melody (209) average brown eyes (237) |
| Wesley "Wes" [Skelly] | [Brief Appearances] [Book 11 : Night Watch] member of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad (14) shortest member of Alpha Squad; Bobby's swim buddy (59) |
| Christopher "Chris" Sterling | [One Appearance] one of the hostages being held in embassy with Melody (12) |
| Bobby ["Bob" Taylor] | [Brief Appearances] [Book 10 : Taylor's Temptation] member of SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad (11) Wes's swim buddy; built like a restaurant refrigerator (59) |
| Kevin Thorpe | [No Appearance] Andy Marshall gave him ten bucks to buy him a six-pack of beer and cigarettes (131) |
| Estelle Warner | [Brief Appearances] elderly woman behind the counter at the local inn; missed nothing with her shrewd, sweeping gaze, no doubt memorizing the color of his eyes and hair and taking a mental picture of his face, probably for reference later when she watched Top Cops or another of those reality-based TV shows just to make sure the uniform wasn't an elaborate disguise when in fact he was wanted for heinous crimes in seven different states; tall; narrow; stern face (94) dour faced (95) hawklike nose (96) held a ladies club meeting (97) |
Locations, Organizations, Terms Found In "Everyday, Average Jones"
| Location / Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| Appleton, Massachusetts | [Book Setting] where Melody and Brittany grew up; charming New England town (8) West and a little north of Boston (36) a perfect little new England town, complete with eighteenth-century clapboard houses that surrounded a picture-perfect, rectangular-shaped common; the common was covered with thick green grass and crisscrossed with sidewalks; benches and stately trees were scattered here and there; town had a gossip network like you wouldn't believe; had the highest busybody per capita ratio in the entire state (96) fairly conservative community (217) |
| Audubon Bird Refuge | where Melody's volunteers (106) |
| Barrow, Alaska | where Alpha Squad was being sent (119) |
| Boston | near Appleton (36) |
| BUD/S | the training program for seal wanna-be's (35) |
| Budweiser | the SEAL pin (33) |
| Congregational Church | where Melody attended Sunday services (100) last year matched Hetterman's Orchards' $500 scholarship (167) |
| Connecticut Road | the street on which the convenience store was located (165) |
| FinCOM | agents being sent down from D.C. to learn as much as they could of SEAL Team Ten's successful counterterrorist operations; called Finks (55) |
| First City Bank | last year matched Hetterman's Orchards' $500 scholarship (167) |
| Fort Worth, Texas | Cowboy's family moved there when he was 12-y-o (31) |
| Front Street Jewelers | where Cowboy bought ring for Melody (94) |
| Glenzen Brothers Hardware | last year matched Hetterman's Orchards' $500 scholarship (167) |
| Hetterman's Orchards | sponsored a charity apple picking after church; had always had a problem hiring temporary help to pick the last of the apples; it was a self-service farm and people come out from the city all season long to pick their own apples, but there's always a lot left over; about seven years ago, they made a deal with one of the local Girl Scout troops; if the girls could get 20 people to come out to pick apples for a day, Hetterman's promised to award one of the high school kids a $500 scholarship; the girls outdid themselves, they got 100 people to come and got the job done in about three hours instead of an entire day; and the seven years since, it's become a town tradition (167) |
| Hingham, Massachusetts | the town in which Harvard grew up (36) |
| Honey Farms | the convenience store on Connecticut Road; Melody nicknamed it 'the criminal' because the prices they charged were criminal (165) depressingly bleak little store (169) |
| Huntington Street | street Melody was driving on when saw Andy Marshall fighting in school yard (64) |
| Ladies' Club | headed by Estelle Warner; was really just a cover name for Gossipers Anonymous; Melody crashed a meeting to announce her pregnancy (97) |
| March | the month in which Melody found herself a hostage of terrorists (9) {time frame for Chapters One and Two} |
| Marriott | where the FinCOM agents were going to be staying during the training (57) |
| October | seven months after the book opened, the start of Chapter Three (46) |
| Paris | where Cowboy and Melody spent 3 days together (51) |
| Plainfield, New Hampshire | where David Marshall was stationed; wasn't any kind of cushy silver-bullet assignment; men were assigned to Plainfield as a punishment just short of a jail sentence (203) |
| Route 119 and Hollow Road | where Melody had to stop on the way home to throw up (45) |
| Sarasota, Florida | where Melody's and Brittany's mother lived with her new husband (47) |
| SEAL | stands for Sea, Air and Land; they learn to operate effectively in all those environments; the military equivalent of a triathlon (37) only the strongest, toughest and smartest men get on the SEAL Teams; SEAL training is tough, most guys don't have what it takes and they end up dropping out of the program (102) trained to adapt to any environment and culture (127) |
| SEAL Team Ten's Alpha Squad | members: {1} Ensign Harlan "Cowboy" Jones; {2} Captain Joe "Cat" Catalanotto, commanding officer (10) {3} Bobby [Taylor] (11) {4} Lieutenant [Carter] "Blue" McCoy; {5} Senior Chief Daryl "Harvard" Becker (13) {6} [Luke] Lucky O'Donlon; {7} Wesley "Wes" [Skelly] (14) an elite seven-member team (56) |
| Summer Street | the street on which the liquor store was located (131) |
| Sycamore Street | where new housing development was being built (78) |
| tangos | SEAL slang for terrorists (10) |
| Virginia | where Cowboy was going to be stationed for a couple of months (50) |
| Virginia Beach | where Cowboy's power boat was docked (111) |
| Western Bar | where Bobby and Wes went the night before and met a couple of girls (117) |
| unnamed | group of terrorists that were holding Melody Evans, Kurt Matthews, and Chris Sterling hostage in the embassy; group of terrorists who weren't known for their humanitarian treatment of hostages; record of torture and abuse was well documented; intense hatred of all things American (13) |
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"Everyday, Average Jones" Quotations
| 18 | "They don't send us in, Melody," he said, talking directly to her, "unless they're desperate." (Cowboy) |
| 27 | The danger added the tremendous responsibility of preserving another's life and multiplied by a very natural and honest sexual attraction sometimes resulted in an emotional response above and beyond the norm. (Cowboy) |
| 37 | "It takes a strong man to become a SEAL," Harvard told her quietly. "And it takes any even stronger woman to love that man." (Harvard) |
| 66 | "Between the two of us, we've got the gossips working full-time, haven't we?" (Melody) |
| 88 | "You don't need me." Cowboy repeated Melody's words. "You don't want me. You've got it all figured out. You and you alone can give this baby be everything he or she needs. Except you're wrong. Without me, you can't give this child legitimacy. And you can't be his father." (Cowboy) |
| 91 | "Sometimes, Mel," he started slowly, hesitantly, "you've got to take what life dishes out. And sometimes that it's real different from what you hoped for or what you expected." (Cowboy) |
| 102 | "Is it really that tough -- you know, the training?" "It's insane," Jones said. "But you know what I learned from doing it?" "What?" "I can do anything." Jones paused and Melody could picture his smile. "There's no job that's too tough. There's no task that's impossible. If I can't climb over it, I'll swim around it. If I can't swim around it, I'll blow the damn thing up and wade through the rubble." (Cowboy) |
| 102 | Jones had already done the very same thing to her life. He'd blown it up and now was wading through the rubble. (Melody) |
| 107 | "I don't want to be married to someone like you. I want to find a boring, regular, average, normal man." (Melody) |
| 110 | marriage did need more than sex and physical attraction to make it work. Growing up in a household filled with arguments, anger and tension could well be worse than growing up in a household without a father. (Cowboy) |
| 159 | "it's hard to like yourself when one of the two most important people in your life deserts you." (Cowboy) |
| 160 | "And it's hard as hell to get ahead when you don't like yourself very much." (Cowboy) |
| 182 | "I was scared I'd lose you, Mel," he said. "That night -- I shouted at you because I was more scared than I've ever been in my life. It was wrong, but so's not letting me apologize." (Cowboy) |
| 184 | "Best thing to do is face your fear. Learn all you can about it. Then learn to live with it. Knowledge goes a long way when it comes to declawing even the scariest monsters." (Cowboy) |
| 190 | She knew him quite well, she realized. Over the past few weeks, despite her attempts to keep her distance, she'd come to know this man's vast repertoire of minutely different smiles -- what they meant, how they broadcast exactly how and what he was feeling. She'd come to know his silences, too. And she had a firsthand look at his method of dealing with fear. (Melody) |
| 198 | "One step forward, two steps back," Jones said softly, almost as if he was talking to himself, almost if he was able to read her mind. "This is your game, honey. You make up the rules and I'll follow them." (Cowboy) |
| 200 | "It's hard to trust someone unconditionally,"she told him. "Even the most powerful trust has its limits. I should know." She forced herself to look at him, to meet his eyes. "I would -- and I did -- trust you with my life. But I found myself unable to trust you with my heart. I expected you to hurt me and I couldn't get past that." (Melody) |
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"Suzanne Brockmann -- Everyday, Average Jones" Review and Information Links
| Rated | Posted | Site | Notes, Comments, Etc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | Suzanne Brockmann's Website | Author |
| -- | -- | Suzanne Brockmann's Facebook | Author |
| -- | -- | Suzanne Brockmann's Twitter | Author |
| . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| -- | -- | Books Series In Order | List of Suzanne Brockmann's Books |
| -- | -- | Fantastic Fiction | List of Suzanne Brockmann's Books |
| -- | -- | Fict Fact | List of Books In The "Tall, Dark and Dangerous" Series |
| -- | -- | Fiction DB | List of Suzanne Brockmann's Books |
| . . . | . . . | . . . | . . . |
| 4.50 | 02-....-2004 | A Romance Review | --Mary / very brief, simplistic |
| B / Subtle | 07-25-1998 | All About Romance | --Ellen Micheletti // great review |
| Interview | 02-19-2001 | All About Romance | --Claudia Terrones / A Chat With SB // personal details, really interesting |
| Write Byte | All About Romance | Suzanne Brockmann discusses "What's it All About, Alpha?" | |
| Write Byte | 04-15-2002 | All About Romance | Suzanne Brockmann discusses "The Company that Sells You Series Romance" |
| 4.0 average | 47 reviews | Amazon | as of: June 14, 2015 |
| 4.0 average | 44 ratings | Barnes & Noble | as of: June 14, 2015 |
| 7 out of 10 | 02-22-2007 | Bookabulary | --Kookie // very good, brief review {gr25} |
| 3.00 | 05-25-2011 | Buggy's Book Blog | --Buggy // excellent, spot on review {gr8} |
| If You Like | 07-28-2008 | Dear Author | --Dr. Sarah Frantz / Excellent, Excellent, Excellent Article |
| 3.90 average | 3,047 ratings | Good Reads | as of: June 14, 2015 |
| 3.00 | 10-14-2013 | Good Reads // Buggy | see: Buggy's Book Blog / read excellent comments here |
| 4.00 | 01-11-2012 | Good Reads // Sandy | love the "library" quote |
| 3.00 | 04-30-2012 | Good Reads // Monique Atgood | liked the unique interpretation on the story / excellent quotes |
| 2.00 | 10-14-2013 | Good Reads // Cherie | great job of detailing what didn't work in this story |
| 3.85 average | 95 ratings | Library Thing | as of: June 14, 2015 |
| -- | 10-xx-2001 | My Shelf | --Renee Wampler // Interview with Suzanne Brockmann |
| 4.1 average | 171 ratings | Paperback Swap | as of: June 14, 2015 |
| Interview | -- | RBL Presents | older, lengthy interview with Suzanne Brockmann |
| 4.5 / Top Pick | -- | Romantic Times Book Reviews | --Melinda Helfer // PR Review |
| 3.29 average | 7 ratings | Shelfari | as of: June 14, 2015 |
| 3.90 | 06-15-2015 | Wolf Bear Does Books | shorter post on Amazon, Fiction DB, Good Reads, Library Thing, Shelfari |
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♥ Disclaimer: I Purchased This Book
♥ Very Subjective Rating (my enjoyment of a book depends on what else is going on in my life, my moods, etc.)
♣ Will add your Everyday, Average Jones review link to table, just ask
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