The political schism between these characters was not a lot of fun, and Annie's lack of agency was kind of annoying. Not my favorite read by this author.

Two stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

ARC provided by the Publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Going Dark ended up on my DNF list. I will not be finishing the story.

In Siberia, Russia, SEAL Team Nine's Retiarius Platoon conducts a covert, unsanctioned mission, only to discover too late that they have been set up. The survivors "go dark" and scatter until they can figure out who to trust and get rid of the traitor.

Dean Baylor is undercover as Dan Warren and working as a captain on a merchant boat in the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, at the time of his clash with marine ecologist Annie Henderson and her group of activists.

This story starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the very end. It was interesting to see two mysteries running concurrently with Dean and Annie trying to avoid a romance. Aside from the storyline, I enjoyed the locations, which featured some of Scotland's more obscure islands and towns. While there were times when the steamy romantic elements overshadowed the mystery and suspense, the balance was generally good.

4 Stars!

DNF at 10%

The first red flag I came across was the way the men "joked" about two POC teammates -- a Latino and a biracial Black man -- and the hero/narrator writes it off as "it's okay, teammates joke about everything, including race, and look they're laughing with us!" Which is not how it works and also ignores the fact that POC often have to pretend to be "okay" with shit that white people say in order to protect themselves and/or blend in.

Hesitantly, I continued for another chapter but I hated how this was written -- super Info Dump, as the author tries to tell us *everything* about each man on the team -- real name, nickname, what they're known for, etc -- into just a few pages, all in between them being on a Very Serious mission -- so we go from exposition about a SEAL to "oh yeah and we have to be super quiet and careful going through this part of the country on our secret mission -- back to telling you about SEAL XYZ!" So this both threw me off with the inconsistent tone and the bogged down writing that still managed to tell me nothing that was actually needed for me to enjoy the story.

I can't see there being any way that I'd grow to love this book so it's best for me to just stop now and move on to something else.

While there are readers who I will absolutely recommend this to, it was not my cup of tea. I avoid politically oriented books and this one just had too much liberal vs conservative arguing for me. I also am over books where the hero is a jerk to the heroine with the expectation that she should overlook that because of a physical attraction. Guys don't have to be jerks to women (or anyone) to be alphas.

*3.5 stars*

Not just another military romance…

I love this author’s historical romance. L-O-V-E them! Seeing a new series, in a new genre, had me dancing in the kindle aisles. From an explosive beginning, this foray into a new track, meant all kinds of surprises…

Annie and Dan’s relationship began with tension and soon danger dogged their every step. An eco-friendly and a military un-friendly meant sparks even as they came together to solve a mystery. Annie’s character was so smart in many ways but in others felt a bit immature. That’s where Dan provided the cool calm…

I admit the opening threw me a little. Rattled. I think the word I’ll use is rattled. It took me a bit to change gears and I think that’s why I struggled to immerse myself right away in the story. Once I got past that it was easy to get behind the story arc, behind the characters and their heated relationship. I have to find out what is next as justice still hasn’t been found. #GoSEALTeamNine.

Great beginning to this series! I went back and forth between listening and reading this one, and I liked reading more than listening this time. The story itself was great. Annie and Dean were awesome with their opposites attract thing going on. I look forward to seeing where this series is headed

Great book about a bunch of lost/forgotten men. The main character is recovering from a FUBAR mission and ends up helping this woman who has unwittingly gotten caught up in a plot she really isn’t a part of. In the beginning I thought I was getting one man only to have a switchers . The chemistry between the couple was great and the setting was everything I could want. This is a must read for any Monica McCarty fan.

I found this book compelling and romantic. The character's were relatable and the story kept me engaged throughout. I did not find anything in this book to be unique, different, or out of the ordinary, but overall, it was enjoyable. I would recommend this book to friends who enjoy romance, thrillers, and military men. I would try another McCarty book in the future.

DNF

Maybe its my fault, I was extremely excited to read this one and I had such high expectations. I had loved the authors historical romance books and her writing is beautiful there, extremely engaging and you really feel for the characters and the romance between them. It just wasn't the case here.

The heroine (Annie) how she got to where the Hero (Dean/Dan) was, which involved her being an eco activist and her boyfriend being part of an activist/terrorist group which she didn't know but then again her behaviour wasn't very commendable to begin with. She hated the military yet expected them to help her ? I also felt no connection to the characters or any connection between the couple. The suspense and action part wasn't enough to hold me when the characters were annoying me so much.

Maybe I'll come back to the series, or read the next one in the series because as I said, I really do enjoy the author's work and maybe it was because of her switch from HR to RS that'll take some time to perfect.

This was an interesting plot for a romance, but it didn't quite manage to capture my attention. Potentially my own fault for reading so many romances one after the other.

It's been a number of years since I read such a romantic mystery, but GOING DARK is worth the wait! The main characters are both very appealing, and the fact they're almost polar opposites adds to the tensions in both the mystery and their romance. I recently visited the area in which the book was set, and McCarty descriptions are spot on! Her many changes in voice are not jarring like those of some authors. This is the first of her books I've read, and it definitely whetted my appetite for more!!

Annie’s idealism has put her in a bad spot. She is surrounded by secrets and lies. Meeting Dan is the best thing that has happened to her but will it be the last for Annie?
Going Dark by Monica McCarty is the first in The Lost Platoon series. This story started a little too slow for me. I also struggled a bit with Annie’s idealism with Dan’s realism making it possible for a believable long term connection but those are my issues. Having said that, I really liked Dan. He was hiding somewhat in plain sight but still true to his honor. He was strong in ways that I appreciated. I liked seeing him as he navigated this new world he found himself in. While I didn’t necessary like him with Annie, I could appreciate what Ms. McCarty was trying to convey. I thought she wrote a well thought out story. I enjoyed the unexpected twists and will probably give this series another try.

DNF. Didn't catch my interest in the first chapter, so I stopped.

My first book from this author. A very good surprise for a fan of military romance- and especially the ones with SEALs- like me. I understand it's Monica's first trip in contemporary military romance. Her historical romance background (best heritage for good writing !) is lingering in her style.
Some parts are too cheesy and a little naive (huh, that may be the hero's line ;) ). It could be that the characters are young and I'm getting old.
The action is good, well driven, high level and can compensate enough the cheesy moments. The hot scenes are not in rest and the final result is kind of explosive.
Can't wait for the next one !

I haven't enjoyed a military romantic suspense story this much in a long time! I loved the characters, the banter, the romance, the twists...I wish there was more forward movement in what looks to be the series arc but I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next installment.

DNF

I couldn't get into this book; it took far too long to introduce the main characters and there was far too much inner dialogue to keep my interest.

Great start to a new series by a new to me author. Highlights were the setting/location and the multiple character arcs. Definitely looking forward to more in this series.

I didn't love this book at first. It took me quite awhile to get interested. I actually stopped and read 2 other books before coming back to finish this one.
I thought the beginning was very boring, and I didn't really like any of the characters. But I could tell there was chemistry between Annie and Dean/Dan, I was just waiting for it to happen.
Once all the action started happening, the story was rolling and I didn't want to stop reading.


*I received my copy from netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Originally posted on The Book Nympho

SEAL Team Nine’s Retiarius Platoon goes on a covert, unsanctioned mission into Siberia, Russia and realizes too late that they’ve been set up. The survivors “go dark” and scatter until they can figure out who they can trust and take down the traitor. Senior Chief Dean Baylor is undercover as Dan Warren and working as the captain on a merchant boat in the Isle of Lewis, Scotland when he clashes with marine ecologist Annie Henderson and her group of activists. What was supposed to be a simple excursion out to an oil rig turns into a nightmare that threatens to expose Dean's cover and more.

The story literally begins with a bang and the tension rarely lets up until the end. Dean is highly trained and formidable, which comes in handy when the naive but charming Annie Henderson gets them both in a fix. Despite their differences, they can’t get around their attraction to each other. There are plenty of harrowing moments and high intrigue as Annie gets herself mixed up in something that turns out to be more than a sit in on an oil rig. I really liked that there were two mysteries running concurrently with Dean and Annie struggling to avoid a romance.

I liked the premise of the story as well as the locales, which featured some of Scotland’s more obscure isles and towns. They’re very much a part of the plot, described vividly throughout. The mystery and suspense sometimes took a back seat to the romantic elements, which were pretty steamy, but overall the balance was on target. I liked both of these characters and them as a couple. While elements of the mysteries were resolved, the continuing story arc will be figuring out who was behind the catastrophe in Siberia. I’m definitely in for this series.