Risking It All

SEAL #2

by Stephanie Tyler

What is it about extreme surfer John "Cash" Cashman? Ambitious documentarian Rina Calhoun has filmed risk-taking sports enthusiasts before, but she's never made a private tape of one of these bad boys... And it turns out the daring, hot movie version's got nothing on the real thing!

But Rina's X-treme documentary is turning into an X-asperating docudrama, since Cash won't sign her release form. No paper from him, no big break for her.

Cash wants to help the fiery little number behind the lens, but he can't because his secret life as a navy SEAL has him deep undercover. Yet as Rina stumbles into the line of fire, all bets are quickly off. He's risking everything to save her. But will it be enough?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Blaze, Military Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Harlequin, Category Romance

243 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

New York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler writes what she loves to read - romantic suspense novels starring military heroes and paranormal romance novels novels starring warrior heroes, all complete with happy endings. She also writes as SE Jakes.

And because she's not busy enough, she also co-writes as Sydney Croft. She lives in New York with her husband, her kids and her crazy Weimaraner, Gus.

For more information on Stephanie, please visit www.stephanietyler.com or email her at stephanie@stephanietyler.com.

For more information on SE Jakes, please visit SEJakes.com.

For more information on Sydney, please visit www.sydneycroft.com or email Sydney at sydney@sydneycroft.com

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rina and her film crew are filming surfers for a documentary on extreme sports. She wants to use Cash's surfing footage in the film but she needs him to sign a release form first, agreeing to appear in the film. He refuses to sign, but the two are attracted to each other and have a one night stand. They don't plan to see each other again after that. Two weeks later Rina is working on a new documentary featuring Navy SEALs. Who does she run into but none other than Cash. She thought he was a beach bum surfer and had no idea he was a Navy SEAL. The attraction is still there, so the two pick up where they left off. The more Rina falls for Cash, the more she questions if she can handle being with someone in a career that is so dangerous and risky.

This was a quick and easy read with a likable hero and heroine. The story starts in Hawaii (where Rina and Cash first meet), and then moves on to the Naval base in Virginia. Although the story didn't completely engage me, it was still an enjoyable enough read.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rina Calhoun is in Hawaii filming for an x-treme sports special and a chance to win a grant to pursue her dreams of filming in Africa. But the extreme surfer she just filmed didn't sign the release and when she confronts Cash to ask him, he refuses. But the sparks fly between them and even though Cash has pretty much dashed her hopes, she sleeps with him and he's gone the next day. Weeks later, Cash, who is actually a SEAL who'd been working undercover with the DEA is recovering from an injury when Rina shows up with the big wigs wanting her to film an x-treme special about Navy SEALs. They're stunned to see each other, but once they iron out their differences, they're back in bed and heating up the sheets. Cash tries to be supportive of the woman he's falling for, but he doesn't want her filming his team. Nor does he want her to up and leave him to go to Africa, but he'll do what he needs to to make sure she risks it all and goes for her dreams.

Again with the flawed characters, which is a good thing. Cash has a knack for picking up the wrong women and this time, Rina was the wrong woman not because she's dishonest but because she's the niece of one of his officers. That doesn't exactly stop him from having a relationship with her. Cash is both terribly sweet and kind of an asshole to Rina. She's a bit uptight and not quite the risk-taker that he is and he seems to get really touchy when she tries to defend herself in that regard. She's emotional and shows those emotions visibly and he gets on her for being that way, insisting that emotions make someone weak. Meanwhile, he's got quite a bit of baggage himself. I didn't always like the way he treated Rina, especially when she's on base in front of others. I'm also seriously questioning the HEA since he's a SEAL and always traveling and she's a documentary film maker and always traveling in different locations from him. I'm imagining a life where they see each other 2-3 times a year for a week at a time.

Also - note to the author. Africa isn't a country, it's a continent. And when Cash says he was born and raised in Africa without mentioning the country and Rina says, "Oh you can help me learn about..." we're failing to acknowledge that Africa is huge, has hundreds (if not thousands) of various cultures and languages, and shouldn't be lumped together like that.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd in a series of books by Tyler about Navy SEALs. I actually am reading them in backwards order. I didn't mean to do it that way, but picked up the last one first. It doesn't hurt anything to do it this way, but I am seeing the heroes get the girls in reverse order. :)

This was a very face paced book. It only took me a few hours to finish it. I was drawn into the characters quickly and enjoyed the chemistry between Cash and Rina.

I'm not sure I completely understood Cash's hangups with his parents, though. It wasn't completely explained--just the basics and I didn't feel like I understood his reservations and fears enough. Rina, on the other hand, I think I got a little better. I would have liked a bit more depth to the characters, but the story works well as it is written.

I liked this one and am looking forward to reading the first one in the series. :)

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cash was...

Priceless! This story was related to the one that I finished from this author. I didn't intentionally get this book knowing it was by the same author. The fluke panned out by giving more information on the characters from the last book. This was more emotional than the lat one and I think that means that I got caught up in the story.

[Chantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I enjoyed the book from beginning to end.I would recommend it to be a must read book.you also learn from it.it also has soon sexy men in it.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopsis - US Navy SEAL John "Cash" Cashman is working undercover in Hawaii when he crosses paths with documentary filmmaker Rina Calhoun. She's captivated by the footage of him surfing, but he refuses to sign a release form and keeps her from using the images in both the commercial series she's working on and the grant proposal to fund the project of her heart: exploring people who make heroic choices to serve others in Africa. While following her to confiscate footage that could jeopardize his mission, they give into their intense attracting with the understanding that it will be for a single night.

Still needing some compelling footage for her grant proposal, Rina get permission to film Cash's SEAL team for a new documentary via her uncle, who is Cash's mentor. While she is fascinated by the heroism of others, she prefers to keep her distance from danger personally. Cash has countless personal and professional reasons to stay away from Rina, but neither can resist the promise the most intense relationship either has known. Plenty of fears and baggage await.

Review - While it's not a gripping premise, the plot is at least original. I did not find Rina compelling at all. She gets snaps for pursuing her dreams in the face of disappointment and disapproval from her mother glad she went to Africa instead of moping around the States waiting on Cash, but she never really engaged my sympathy, beyond the tear-jerking scene in the hospital. Cash drew me in more, but he was still a discordant mix of vulnerability and iciness. There are a couple of moments of purported danger, but all of the true conflict in the book is interpersonal. That's okay, but it felt like the book was trying to seem more dangerous than it was.

I'm not sure if I will finish Stephanie Tyler's SEAL series. Coming Undone was pretty good, but this one was torturous at times. The premise for Beyond His Control has one of my favorite tropes (childhood friend/unrequited crush reunited), so maybe I'll give it a whirl.

Minor point of annoyance: the characters continually refer to Africa as a country. It is, in fact, a huge continent filled with many countries. Perhaps a bunch of preceding "South"s were edited out? That would explain Cash's British-esque accent and the fact that he seems familiar with the country where Rina wants to film.

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Risking it all ของสเตฟานี ไทเลอร์

เล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่สองในชุดเรื่องราวของทหารหน่วยนาวีซีล แต่ไม่จำเป็นหรอกนะคะที่ต้องอ่านเล่มแรกในชุด (เพราะแม็กซ์ก็ยังไม่ได้อ่านเหมือนกัน) ที่จะทำความเข้าใจเล่มนี้ เพราะพล็อตเรื่องมันไม่ได้เกี่ยวข้องกันนักหรอก แค่ตัวละครในแต่ละเล่มในชุดเป็นซีลในหน่วยเดียวกัน

เล่มนี้เปิดเรื่องที่ฮาวาย เมื่อริน่าซึ่งเป็นผู้กำกับ/โปรดิวเซอร์สารคดีเกี่ยวกับกีฬาเอ็กซ์ตรีมได้เห็นวีดีโอการเล่นเซิร์ฟของนักเซิร์ฟที่ชื่อว่าแคช ปัญหาก็คือเธอไม่สามารถเอาวีดีโอนั้นมาเป็นส่วนหนึ่งในสารคดีของเธอได้ เพราะแคชไม่ได้เซ็นต์อนุญาตเอาไว้ และมันทำให้เธอต้องออกตามหาเขาตามหาดในฮาวาย

เรื่องก็คือ แคชไม่อาจเซ็นต์อนุญาตได้ เพราะเขากำลังอยู่ระหว่างการปฏิบัติภารกิจให้กับหน่วยปราบปรามยาเสพติด เขาไม่อาจให้หน้าของเขาไปปรากฎต่อหน้าสาธารณชนได้ ดังนั้นเขาจำเป็นต้องเอาวีดีโอนั้นคืนมาจากริน่า และแผนไหนจะดีไปกว่าการตีสนิทเพื่อหลอกให้เธอตายใจ ก่อนจะขโมยกุญแจห้อง แล้วให้เพื่อนของเขาเข้าไปขโมยวีดีโอออกมา

แต่เรื่องของทั้งคู่ก็เกินเลยไปกว่านั้น ทั้งคู่มีความสัมพันธ์กันอย่างที่ไม่ได้วางแผน และเช้าวันรุ่งขึ้นแคชก็จากไป พออ่านถึงตอนนี้แม็กซ์ชักจะอยากวางหนังสือเล่มนี้ลงเต็มที่แล้วล่ะค่ะ เพราะรู้สึกว่าการดำเนินเรื่องมันน่าเบื่อมาก แต่แล้วก็เกิดจุดหักเหในเรื่องขึ้น ซึ่งทำให้แม็กซ์เกิดอาการฮึดอ่านต่อจนจบมาได้

เพราะริน่าซึ่งผิดหวังกับสารคดีที่ไม่ได้ภาพของแคชมาใส่ เธอก็คิดโปรเจ๊คก์ใหม่ได้ คราวนี้เกี่ยวกับทหารหน่วยซีล ในสารคดีอาชีพแบบเอ็กซ์ตรีม โดยอาศัยเส้นของอาเขยซึ่งเป็นอดีตนายทหารหน่วยซีลให้เธอเข้าไปถ่ายทำในกองทหารได้

และก็เป็นเรื่องบังเอิญเฉพาะที่เกิดขึ้นในนิยายโรแมนซ์ได้เท่านั้น เมื่อแคชที่แท้จริงแล้วคือ จอห์น แคชแมน เจ้าของฉายาแคช ก็เป็นทหารหน่วยซีลแถมยังเป็นอดีตลูกน้องเก่าของอาเขยของริน่าอีกต่างหาก เขาซึ่งกำลังพักรักษาอาการบาดเจ็บจึงถูกหวยโชคดีกลายเป็นคนดูแลริน่าตลอดการถ่ายทำ พล็อตเรื่องจึงเริ่มน่าสนใจขึ้น

ถ้าในสรุปความรู้สึกระหว่างการอ่านหนังสือเล่มนี้ แม็กซ์ก็ขอเปรียบเทียบกับการนั่งรถไฟเหาะน่ะค่ะ มันจะมีช่วงเวลาที่น่าตื่นเต้นน่าติดตามอ่านมาก ๆ แต่ก็จะมีช่วงเวลาแห่งการรอคอยและน่าเบื่อนานพอกัน ข้อเสียหลักของเรื่องนี้ก็คือ มีประเด��นมากเกินไปจนไม่ชัดเจนว่าจะเล่นประเด็นไหนกันแน่

ทั้งเรื่องที่ริน่าอยากไปทำสารคดีที่แอฟริกาเพื่อเป็นอนุสรณ์ให้กับลุงของเธอที่ตายไป (ลุงของเธอเป็นนักข่าวที่ตายระหว่างทำข่าวในแอฟริกา) กับเรื่องการที่เธอจะยอมรับอาชีพที่เสี่ยงอันตรายของแคชได้ไหม แล้วยังมีประเด็นของแคชในเรื่องอดีตของเขา (ซึ่งแม็กซ์คิดว่าประเด็นน่าน่าสนใจที่สุด แต่กลับถูกพูดถึงน้อยมาก) มากประเด็นจนบางครั้งอ่านไปก็งงว่า นางเอกมีปัญหากับพระเอกใด้เรื่องอะไรกันแน่ เท่านั้นยังไม่พอนะ ยังเอาประเด็นความเข้าใจผิดมาเล่นอีก (ทำให้แคชเข้าใจผิดคิดว่าริน่าหลอกใช้เขาในการถ่ายวีดีโอ) แต่แล้วก็ทิ้งประเด็นไปเฉยเลย (แคชงอนได้พักเดียว อยู่ ๆ ก็หายงอนไปเอง ทำเอาคนอ่านงงค่ะ)

โดยรวมความไม่สม่ำเสมอของเล่มนี้คือปัญหาใหญ่ที่สุดค่ะ คะแนนก็เลยอยู่ที่ 67

[Natasja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rina Calhoun has one dream; she wants to step into the footsteps of her beloved uncle, who was a film journalist. She’s working on a grant, so she can go to Africa and finish what her uncle started. Now she has to impress her boss with her X-treme documentary, so when she’s editing the water sport film with extreme surfer Cash, she knows she hit the jackpot. The only down part is that one of her crew forgot to get the film release paper signed, so Rina is determined to find Cash to sign that paper.

Navy Seal John “Cash” Cashman is working undercover as a surfer to get the big guys in a drug deal. So when this journalist Rina wants him to sign the release papers for the X-treme film, Cash has to refuse so he won’t blow his cover. But he wouldn’t mind spending a night with this beautiful journalist and maybe get the original tape of his surfing.

Rina’s chances for the grant are ruined, so she needs to come up with another film idea. So she turns to her uncle who’s an admiral at the Navy Seal, in order to get approval to film a documentary about these Navy Seals. It turns out Cash and Rina will meet each other again, and Cash knows he cannot ruin her film twice.

Risking it all by Stephanie Tyler is another fabulous novel. We already met Cash team member Hunt in an early novel and I was curious about Cash. Well I wasn’t disappointed; Cash turns out to be the hero you expect him to be.

Cash and Rina meet each other when he is working undercover to catch a major drug dealer. He cannot let Rina use that X-treme tape, where they were filming him surfing. Now weeks later they meet again, when she appears on the military base where Cash is stationed. Her uncle is his boss and gave the approval for a Navy Seal documentary and Cash’s team is the one she’s working with.

The attraction between Cash and Rina was there from the beginning and grows more every minute they spend time together. But Cash don’t want to let the admiral know about his relationship with his niece. But that is not all, he has to keep her safe from a danger she doesn’t even know she’s in.

With Cash as a surfing Navy Seal and Rina as the film journalist, Stephanie Tyler created a fabulous couple. I cannot wait to read more about Justin Brand, who will be next.

[IkeaGoddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book, with very likeable characters. Only four stars, because there were too many side story lines that didn't do anything for the main story line. For my taste, it could have used more suspense and the sex scenes could have been more explicit. However overall ist was sweet and entertaining read.

[Lena Dublin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Stephanie Tyler book. I loved the story and the characters especially Cash. Both characters had to put a lot on the line for each other. Trust did not come easy for either one of them but they stuck it out and became stronger together for it.

[Suzanne Pierontoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story!
I couldn't put it down.
These seals are mighty addictive.
A definite keeper,ladies!

[ツ Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Cash's story. I wanted to shake both him and Rina at one point, but it all worked out nicely in the end. Hunt is still my favorite, but Cash isn't far behind with his sexy self.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

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