Breaking Point (Troubleshooters, Book 9)

Max Bhagat and Gina... at last! A few books ago Max - an elite FBI counter-terrorist agent - raged impotently as Gina was tortured and raped on a hijacked plane, unable to rescue her before it was too late. Eighteen years younger than him, Gina was brave and brilliant and strong, even when cruelly violated. Max fell in love with her but always struggled with the age difference. He used his dangerous job and his super-rigid control to keep them idiotically apart. It was cataclysmic for us readers when they finally went to bed together a couple of books later. Wow, yeah. (Still recovering.) Thankfully it's time for their defining love story, thankyou Suzanne Brockmann! A horrified Max now faces his worst nightmare: Gina is reported dead from a bomb blast in Europe. Fellow FBI agent Jules Cassidy - remember him, with the ability to morph from gay flirt to mega-alpha hero with a flick of his eyelashes, sweetie - goes with Max to identify Gina's body. Oh. My. Gosh. That is one incredible scene, with Max rendered inept and helpless and emotionally naked. Thank God for solid-as-a-rock Jules to help him through. To their shock, the dead body isn't Gina. To their further shock, they learn she's somehow tangled herself up with `Jones' - a dangerous ex-Special forces operative turned lethally criminal. And - just to emotionally cripple Max even further - Gina might be pregnant. This brilliant story, leaping from country to country and finally climaxing with guns blazing and raw, jagged emotion, shows why Brockmann has the ability to chain us to her pages. Her characters leap right into your heart, and the melting of iceman Max to `breaking point' has been a long time coming. Actually, I don't think he melts, I think he gets blowtorched by Gina! And omigosh, the kitchen table gets an amazing workout! Go Max, go Gina. Go read this. Now!

I'm not sure what the reviewers below are talking about, especially the ones who said it felt like there were editorial comments through the book. I'm not dense but I'm not sure what they're talking about. Brockmann is known for putting together a couple (or introducing them) as a subplot in a book and then throwing a HUGE obstacle in their way, sometimes several, and teasing the reader over the course of several books before finally putting them together. She did it first with Sam and Alyssa and now here with Gina (first introduced in "Over the Edge") and Max (FBI negotiator who has been in many books). Personally, I think "Breaking Point" works a million times better than "Gone Too Far," Sam and Alyssa's resolution book. Yes, the book starts with a series of scenes that move back and forth over about 2 years, yet Brockmann keeps things completely clear, using this tricky writing devise to heighten the tension (though this being romantic fiction, obviously Gina can't really be dead). Her pacing is fabulous. She also gets to bring back Molly and Jones/Morant from "Out of Control," a pleasant surprise that complicates the Gina and Max dilemma nicely. As someone who has been in the situation of loving someone you can't be with and knowing they feel the same, I can tell you that Max and Gina's frustration and longing for each other rang true. Max compares it to an addiction and that is what it feels like. Brockmann captures it beautifully. It was also great to finally slip behind Max's mask for more than a few seconds. This buttoned down, so-in-control man finally loses it and his grief is palpable. Jules Cassidy is always a welcome addition to any Brockmann book. She also gave a plausible reason why Max and Jules were on their own (initially) in trying to rescue Gina. I disagree with the reviewer who said the scenes in the bunker were like a walk in the park. After everything the characters had been through to this point, human nature is going to grasp at a breather if they can do it. Also, temporarily, the characters are safe. I think most people would try to grab a few moments together and try to be as normal as the situation will allow, especially since the clock is ticking with few options. I also loved the bit at the end in the airport. Let's put it like this -- not only could I not put this book, but it seriously put a crimp in me getting work done for the two and a half days it took me to read it. Considering the appointments I had those days, it's a testament to the book I was able to get it done that fast. Under different circumstances, like over the holidays, on vacation or such, I would have finished it in 24 hours.

There isn't a single Suzanne Brockmann book that I have not enjoyed. Some I like more than others. She is in a class by herself with her ability to create characters that you care about and that you will come back to again and again. This recent book is part of her trouble shooters series. I think it reads better if you work your way through the series, but will also hold up on it's own. It offers the story of Max and Gina. They first appeared in my favorite Suzanne Brockmann book "Over the Edge". You get a great deal more information about their relationship in "Gone too far". As is typical with Brockmann, she holds other story lines effortlessly in her books. This book also offers a continuation of the story of Jones and Molly Anderson from "Out of Control". The thing I love the most about Brockmann is her ability to create a fierce, proud, amazing, manly character with all of the foibles and insecurities and messy screw ups that all human beings suffer with. Max is no different. He is the super uber professional negotiator for the FBI. He is always in control and utterly capable. Inside he is a mess, learning to deal with his out of control feelings for Gina - a woman who bravely suffered a terrorist kidnapping plot and gang rape. This book shows her ability to be Max Beghat's hero. She, once again, is in danger and Max must face his fear and find his heart and the girl. I recommend the entire series... this book being a very satisfying answer to characters you come to care about.

I really enjoy Suzanne Brockmann's novels and especially this "series" about some FBI agents, a Seal team, and the "Troubleshooters, Inc.". This novel was a little harder to read as it not only skipped around in place, it skipped back and forth in time. I enjoyed getting to know Jules Cassidy in Hot Target and we get to know him even more in this story. To me, he is the real hero along with Gina Vitagliano. If you've read previous novels in this series you know that Gina and FBI agent Max Bhagat have this really weird on/off relationship. He has a couple of main issues with why he can't seem to tell her he loves her with the age difference being just one of them. We get to find out more about him and his "issues" in this story which is part of the cause of the time jumping. Max believes that Gina is with her best friend Molly in Kenya working at a special camp to help with AIDS and other relief work. While at work, Jules comes in and is told by another agent that he is elected to give Max some very bad news. There was a terrorist car bombing in Hamburg, Germany and Gina is among the dead. This news hits Max very, very hard and after seeing that Gina's family is informed, he gets a ticket to head for Germany to identify her body and bring it home and perhaps find out about what went down. Jules insists on accompanying him - Jules is a great friend to Max here and this plays out rather funny. When Max finally gets to Germany and the morgue at the airport, he and Jules discover that although the body looks much like Gina and has her passport - it is NOT Gina. Thus begins some real FBI detective work!! The reader does not know much of what happened either as when we last left Gina, she was in Kenya and her friend Molly's "boyfriend", Leslie known as David known as Grady Morant, has shown up in the camp in disguise. To help a young Kenyan girl trying to escape a horrible mutilation ritual, they get married by a priest in the camp. They save the girl but also find out Molly has a lump in her breast. The plot is very complicated especially with the time leaps but I really found it fascinating and with the adventure, romance and humor a great read!