Hot Target    by Suzanne Brockmann Order:  USA  Can Ballantine, 2004 (2004) Hardcover, Audio, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Martina Bexte After his mother suffers a serious fall, Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter takes a month's leave of absence from active duty. Needing something to keep occupied when he's not checking up on his mother, Cosmo temporarily signs on with private security firm, Troubleshooters Inc.. Tom Paoletti quickly assigns Cosmo his first case, and he joins a security team hired by a Hollywood studio to protect controversial movie producer, Jane Mercedes Chadwick. The flashy young producer has set off a storm of controversy over the movie she's written, which is currently in production - a World War II epic that frankly and honestly portrays the homosexuality of a real life war hero. Not only is a media storm brewing, but Chadwick has also drawn the attention of an extremist group. This has resulted in a string of threats aimed at Mercedes and at everyone else involved with the film. Jane is incensed over the studio's insistence in hiring Troubleshooters - she doesn't think the threats are as real as everyone else believes. But, never one to waste an opportunity, she uses the threats and tall, dark and silent Cosmo Richter, and tries putting a positive publicity spin on the situation. The normally unflappable Cosmo finally loses his cool and makes sure that Jane understands precisely how real the extremist group's threats are, and how real his feelings for her have become. As the danger escalates and people Jane knows get hurt and begin dying, she and Cosmo turn to each other for solace. But can their newfound love survive the relentless agenda of dangerous extremists willing to die for their cause? Brockmann has become well known for her action packed and character-rich Troubleshooters series. She once again provides the ingredients that readers have come to expect, including a touching love story between her two leads, the feisty and unstoppable Jane and the quiet, capable and mysterious Cosmo. Brockmann also tackles controversial subject matter in her sub-plot. Openly gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy has become one of the series' most popular characters (after Sam and Alyssa) and his ongoing search for true love is no secret. Unfortunately, his storyline doesn't do Jules justice - I just couldn't find anything to like about his two love interests: self-destructive old flame Adam and rising movie star Robin Chadwick, an equally troubled young man who's unwilling to face his homosexuality. In fact, Robin ends up getting much more angst time than Jules does. Taken as a whole however, Hot Target is another well written, briskly-paced, character driven romantic adventure that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next in the series, due out this summer. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews