Hell or High Water

I am a huge fan of Julie Ann Walker's BKI series, that being said, I will admit to being wary of a new series that is sort-of ~ but not quite a spin-off of that series. All wariness aside...I have read the first book in this new series, Hell or High Water, and I am in love with it!

This gives you idea of where this series will lead us.

"In a world on the brink…Six men. One sunken Spanish galleon. Millions in gold and silver coins lying on the ocean floor. And a past that refuses to let the guys of Deep Six Salvage forget the Navy SEAL motto: the only easy day was yesterday…"

Book #1 in the Deep Six series, Hell or High Water is written very similarly to the BKI series. It has action, adventure, sexy Alpha dudes, and is written with a fun sense of humor that I just adore in Julie Ann Walker's writing.

This book introduces us to some new characters, the sexy guys of "deep Six Salvage" who are all retired SEALS, with the main focus on Leo & Olivia's story and let me tell you the chemistry between these two is off the charts hot! The background story is fun and exciting, these guys are searching for a sunken treasure ship, but of course if it's found right away we won't have much of a series.

If you are a fan of the BKI series or just a fan of fun, feisty, fabulous adventures.
You will love this book!

A group of seals who promise their dying comrade to live life away from the military are preparing to find buried treasure in the ocean. However first, the CIA agent with them on their last mission has a favor to ask.

Boats sink, terrorists abound, a Texas yacht waiting to be boarder- twice, betrayal to country and love that comes full circle from the FUBAR from eighteen months ago.

Six retired Seals, six books, buried treasure. Another great start to a series.

*Complimentary ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.

After reading the prequel to this new series in the Way of the Warrior anthology, I knew I'd want to read the first, full-length novel. Julie Ann Walker did an amazing job of transporting me to the Florida Keys, and she kept me on the edge of my seat with the brilliantly described scenes of deep sea diving, tactical (underwater) SEAL action, and just an overall exciting plot.

Leo “The Lion” Anderson and his former SEAL team had honored their friend’s dying wish and embarked on a new journey: the quest for high-seas adventure and treasure hunting. Even after “retirement”, Leo still felt a responsibility towards his men; to make sure their venture would be profitable since they’d thrown their lot in with him. What I really liked about him was that he put others before himself, and he always deferred to the others before making big decisions. Once in mission mode, he was calm, focused and deadly.

Olivia (30) was a kicka** heroine. I loved her confidence and courage. Despite having grown up in an orphanage and excelling in a job that didn't allow much room for romantic stability, I loved that she didn’t shy away from her growing feelings for Leo. She embraced them and took from him what she could. I understood the guilt she carried over Rusty’s death, misplaced as it was.

Bran wasn’t off the mark with his jokes about their combustible chemistry. The push and pull between them developed at a good, steady pace, so that when they finally came together, it made the wait well worth while. There were several sexy scenes and one very steamy (pun intended) sex scene. I didn't really like that she didn't dare confess to Leo what had happened in Syria, especially when it became predictable that the truth would come out in a way she couldn't control.

The story was paced well, and above all else, a page turner. The romance didn't overshadow the great suspense. Along with the retrieval of chemical weapons plot, there was also the matter of flushing out a CIA mole, and the setup of Bran's story with the feisty Madison Powers. From the interaction between Bran and Madison. I loved how protective he was of Leo, and his team mates in general.

There were five different POVs in total, and a lot of pop culture references, mostly movies. The first few times it was cute, especially the Lethal Weapon reference (one of my favorite Murtaugh moments, by the way), but eventually the cuteness wore off. There was also a brief case of head hopping between Mason and Bran that threw me off a little. But aside from that, this book had EVERYTHING I love in romantic suspense—men of honor, strong female characters, good action and humor. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who shares my taste in books in that genre.