herding cats & burning soup: 3 stars-- Going Dark (The Lost Platoon #1) by Monica McCarty

Yall. This is one of those reviews where you're gonna read the review and be like what the hell are you giving this book a 3 star for?

Yeah.

Going Dark and I did NOT get along. This book made me feel ranty damn near from the start and I have a near mile long list of issues I had with the book. Errors, characters, things that were just obnoxious.

And yet... it's still getting a 3 star. *boggles*

The Gist: A mission goes to hell and half a SEAL team is killed and the other half forced to 'go dark' because it's clear their team was set up and sold out by someone they trust. And while hiding out Dan flubs up and gets himself involved with a chick that has a mile long list of drama following her steps, too. Mmhm. She's hot, though. *shrugs*

What Made Me Stabby: (some of them, honestly the list is longer)

Highlight for Spoiler: For the first 60 pages you're there with the hero getting to know him. And then...he gets blown up and killed. And the book is all 'here! have this other guy who's actually the hero. Yall. My face when this happened. I just. I can't even.

The heroine. Lord. She's an activist and an idiot. Who kept insisting she wasn't an idiot. But she was. And got her dumb ass involved with eco-terrorists. She made really stupid choices and was a painfully naive idealist. She is NOT my kinda people.

It's really hard not to roll your eyes at activists who protest something...by using mass amounts of it. She flew round the world (twice) to protest an oil company in Scotland. Apparently on a special plane that flies on air alone.

The heroine is anti-military. And a condescending bitch. First intro to her is going on about how military men have good intentions but are really just muscle bound idiots that are too stupid to realize they're being used. Yeah. I was kind of done with her at this point, yall. (of course she wasn't above using said muscle bound idiot when her life was at risk)

I was all woohoo! the heroine is a vegetarian. Her saving grace! We're hardly ever in books! But then she's all I LOVE sushi. Yeah. She is NOT a vegetarian. Stop calling her that. She's a pescetarian. There's a pretty big difference.

Calling Marines...marines. They aren't aquatic life. The branch and the individual are both Marines. Capitalized.

It's real hard to buy their romance. Lust...sure. But long term gonna make it romance? Eh no, not really. I like an opposites attract storyline but a conservative military man and a liberal activists who's full of disdain for the military? Honestly?

There's a huge info dump at the start of the book that had my eyes crossing.

So Why 3 Stars?

Fuck all if I know. ::snort:: Something about Going Dark kept pulling me in even though it was pissing me off. Boggled the hell outta me.

I really liked the hero. He's in a tough spot since he's trying to lay low but does what he thinks is right even if it puts him at risk. I liked seeing his skills put to use, too.

I really hate politics in my books but appreciated that this one held both liberal and conservative sides. I think a pretty good representation of both of their opinions on each other as well.

I liked the overall series set up of a SEAL team being betrayed and having to go dark. The mystery behind that has me curious though very little was uncovered in this book.

So. Yes. A three star rating. Some how. And I'll read book two to see what happens next and just pray the heroine is one I don't want to hand over to the bad guys and be done with.

After walking into a trap on a covert op in Russia, the men from top secret SEAL Team Nine are presumed dead. Not knowing whom they can trust, and with war hanging in the balance, the survivors must go dark and scatter around the globe.

Marine ecologist Annie Henderson joins her new boyfriend on a trip to the Western Isles of Scotland to protest a hazardous offshore drilling venture. When she realizes that she may be swept up in something far more dangerous than she'd intended, there is only one man she can turn to. . . .

She and the mysterious but sexy dive boat captain haven't exactly gotten off to the best start, but something about his quiet confidence makes her think that he's the kind of man she can depend on. Because he's gruff and guarded, she can tell Dan Warren has secrets. But she could never imagine how high the stakes are for him to keep his cover, even as he risks everything to protect her. . . .

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