It's been a long time since I read a Brockmann book, but I quickly remembered why I like them so much. This book has lots of action, a little bit of romance, and a wide variety of secondary characters.

The story opens with a flashback to one of Ian's operations that very nearly goes wrong, but his quick thinking saves the day. Included are brief introductions to his team - the same people we see again later. It then jumps several years into the future. Ian is serving a prison sentence for getting drunk, busting up a bar, and crashing into a bunch of cars. He is visited by two lawyers, one a federal attorney and one from the law firm that represents him. The federal attorney, Martell, offers Ian a get out of jail free card in exchange for his help rescuing two kidnapped children, while Phoebe, his supposed attorney, encourages him to agree. Both are shocked when Ian turns them down flat. Martell doesn't accept the answer and pulls strings to get Ian released, while Phoebe has the unwelcome job convincing Ian to cooperate.

The action starts immediately, as Ian takes control of Phoebe's car in an attempt to head off the disaster looming because of his release. It seems that Ian cut a deal with a mob boss who has it in for Ian and his brother, Aaron, and Aaron's family. By taking the fall for someone else, Ian's family is safe. But that deal is null and void if the mob boss thinks Ian has double-crossed him. Meanwhile, Phoebe, a new hire to the law firm, suddenly feels in over her head.

The first half of the book covers Ian ensuring that his family is safe. A shoot out with the mob, rescue by the FBI, and secrets kept and revealed had me glued to the pages throughout this section. I liked getting to know Ian, who is much more than the jewel thief initially portrayed. He is smart, quick-thinking, and super-protective of those he cares for. The recipients don't always appreciate that protectiveness. He is also a natural leader and quickly takes command from the start. Several twists must be dealt with before anything can be done toward rescuing the children. As each of the secondary characters makes an appearance, relationships and secrets add complications to Ian's plans. I was most surprised by the link between Ian and the mob boss, but the rest made sense once I found out about it.

In the second half of the book, Ian and company move on to planning the children's rescue. They were kidnapped at the order of their father as a way of striking back at their mother. Ian has to move fast before the kids are spirited out of the country. The man holding the children is someone Ian knows well from previous encounters, and Ian knows what he is capable of. I loved the intricacy of the planning, from the high-tech equipment to the perfecting of the timeline. Of course, there's always the (likely) chance that something will go wrong. In this case, a hit team from the mob shows up at just the wrong time, and Phoebe comes to the rescue. Unfortunately, her involvement complicates matters even further, and she and Ian scramble to contain the problems. I was on the edge of my seat as the operation played out, with Phoebe held hostage and unknown players entering the game at the last minute. The final confrontation was intense, and I could feel Ian's fear for Phoebe and hers for him. I loved the ending.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Ian and Phoebe. To say there was a little antagonism at the beginning would be putting it mildly. Ian did not appreciate her messing up his prison gig. Phoebe started to grow on him a little when she didn't fall apart during the shoot-out at Aaron's house. She also didn't have any trouble standing up to him and held her own in their verbal battles. Phoebe was a bit naïve at the start when it came to what criminals were capable of doing, even to lawyers, but she learned quickly. Phoebe is also very observant, and it doesn't take her long to figure out that the jewel thief persona doesn't fit Ian very well.

About this time, sparks of attraction start popping between the two of them, and both fight hard against them. There are some funny parts where the sparks get the better of them before they retreat to their corners and come out swinging again. I loved watching them get to know each other in the downtime. Phoebe turns out to be a good listener, and Ian shares things with her he hasn't told anyone else. Neither one wants to admit the feelings that grow between them, though everyone around them is happy to point it out to them. I ached for Ian when a confrontation with Aaron points out Ian's tendency to think he knows best. It's a wake-up call for Ian, and he has a lot to think about, especially when he has to face Phoebe's unexpected involvement in the upcoming operation. I loved seeing him finally accept that he's allowed to be happy, too, and stop trying to push Phoebe away.

I also enjoyed the wide variety of secondary characters. The most important of those are Ian's brother, Aaron, and Aaron's husband, Sheldon. Their relationship is a central part of the story because of who Sheldon is. His father is the insane mobster who has the hit out on Aaron and Ian. Their history comes out in flashbacks scattered throughout the book, beginning in high school through the present day. There were times when their interactions were a little too sweet, but some serious problems had to be dealt with.

Another character was Sheldon's half-brother Berto, who was neck-deep in the family business. Sheldon's orientation caused a rift between them, as did Berto's subsequent actions, involving their adopted sister Francine. Berto did eventually redeem himself somewhat, but it was a slightly uneasy alliance. Francine was an interesting woman. Her history with Bento changed her life, and not necessarily for the better. I loved her relationships with Ian, Aaron, and Sheldon and how they all supported each other. She is an integral part of Ian's team and has earned the respect of those who work with her.

Martell is the federal lawyer who started the whole process with his need for Ian's help. Though he initially came across as ineffective, he also had unexpected depth. I appreciated that he was a good man, though he occasionally stuck his foot in his mouth. I'm not sure whether I'd like to see him end up with Francine or the female FBI agent, Deb. I loved Deb's versatility and take-charge attitude. There were some conflicts between her and Ian when it came to who was in charge, though Ian usually won out. The other agent, Yashi, was known best for being unflappable.

Ian Dunn is a former Navy SEAL now serving time in prison. One day, two lawyers show up at the prison–Martell Griffin and Phoebe Kruger. Phoebe has been newly hired by the law firm that represents Ian and was unexpectedly given the job of coming to the meeting when her boss is incapacitated by a serious accident. She cannot understand why he would immediately reject the incredible deal Griffin offers–the US government will get Ian out of jail if he agrees to help rescue some kidnapped children believed to be held at the Kazbekistani Embassy. Despite Ian’s objections, he is released from jail and the plot begins.

There is a LOT going on in this book! First, there is a mystery around Dunn’s past. What exactly was his “job,” and why was he really in prison? Then, for reasons not immediately apparent, Ian’s release from prison puts his brother and his brother’s family in jeopardy, so the first task when Ian gets out is to rescue them, which ends up getting Phoebe irrevocably involved. Finally, Ian, Phoebe, Martell Griffin, Ian’s rescued family, and a couple of FBI agents all have to devise a mission to save the kids with little-to-no backing from the US government and at the risk of creating a major international incident. Oh, and did I mention that the mob is also after them? Whew!

Ian and Phoebe are a great couple. Their relationship does move a bit fast, but no more so than most other romantic suspense stories. Ian is a pretty textbook alpha male hero. While his motivations are always selfless, he is used to controlling everyone and everything around him, which he starts to realize has hurt his relationships with those he loves, especially his brother Aaron. Of course, Ian thinks he can easily manipulate Phoebe, too, but she turns out to be smarter and stronger than he anticipates. While there are a few moments near the beginning of the book where Phoebe does things that put her in danger, those come across as genuine moments of inexperience rather than outright stupidity. In fact, Phoebe is exceptionally perceptive and clever. She doesn’t imagine herself to be invincible, but she also isn’t afraid to participate in some dangerous and tricky situations. The two of them felt like a real team by the end. I loved seeing the way she understood Ian in a way no one else did, and her candor and intelligence got beneath Ian’s defenses. We all know how hard those alpha males fall when they meet their match, right?

There are so many things I like about this book. The complex cons and interpersonal relationships remind me a little of that TV show Leverage (anybody see that one?), where a team works together to run elaborate, dangerous missions for good reasons. The cast of characters in Do or Die is fairly large, but they’re not window dressing. I feel like you really get to know and like most of them. The book does switch around between a few different characters’ perspectives, not just Ian and Phoebe. If that kind of thing bothers you, you might want to steer clear, but I felt like it was well done and allowed the reader to keep track of the many sub-plots. My favorite sub-story was definitely between Aaron and his spouse. They have an incredibly touching, sweet love story that’s slowly revealed through flashbacks and current interactions. It was a really moving, graceful portrayal of an established couple facing some challenges.

I thought Brockmann mostly held all the story threads together, no small feat given how much was going on in this book, but perhaps it was inevitable that there would be some things that never quite made sense. For instance, if Ian’s case was so sensitive, it’s not clear exactly how Phoebe could end up with it, despite the turmoil at the law firm. Plus, I wasn’t convinced she could simply return to her former life. Would her employer be understanding? Would she be safe? The fact that the US government has FBI agents working with Ian also seemed weird, since they are so adamant that the US not be implicated in the mission. I also didn’t quite understand how things are resolved so easily at the end with the mob, especially since the danger had been there for so long.

Still these are minor complaints that only arose when I looked for them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and as this is the first book in a series (Reluctant Heroes), I’ll definitely be anxiously awaiting the next story!

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

Another awesome story by Suzanne Brockmann! Full of Action, characters that come to life, and suspense.