Next to Die

NAVY SEAL Lieutenant Commander Joe Montgomery is the lone survivor of a mission that went horribly wrong. How can he forgive himself for the deaths of everyone serving under him? He comes home only to find his neighbor, Lieutenant Penny Price, offering him unwanted and unasked for assistance. Is she just a nosey busybody? Joe isn't sure at first, but now he finds himself wanting to protect her as the man who killed her father now wants Penny and her sister, Lia, dead. I've read one book before by Mariliss Melton, the first one in this Navy SEALS series, and actually wasn't all that enthusiastic about it. But NEXT TO DIE really hit a homerun with me! Joe is a tortured hero, blaming himself for a mission that went seriously wrong. He's the epitome of a good leader, however, as he doesn't take the lives of the men serving under him for granted at all. His journey back to living again is a powerful one, particularly as we see him survive through his grief and anger. Penny is the ideal heroine for a man like Joe. Her steadfastness and inner goodness shine through every single page. Marliss Melton does an excellent job at showing the love grow between these two characters. Meanwhile, there is a substory involving Lia and Vinny, a nice romance that adds an additional layer to the story. The intrigue involving the threats to Lia and Penny only enhance an already incredible story. There are reoccurring characters from some of the earlier books and I now find myself wanting to go back and read those books to see their stories. NEXT TO DIE captivated me from the first page. It isn't always an easy story and Marliss Melton definitely takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. But boy, am I glad I decided to give Marliss Melton another shot! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

NEXT TO DIE MARLISS MELTON Rating: 4.5 Enchantments Penelope Price, or Penny as her family and friends call her, is a Lieutenant and Physical Therapist in the Navy. Penny and her sister Lia have had a hard time of it lately and Penny has been taking care of Lia for a very long time. Penny is almost ready to say no the next time Lia calls but the fear in her voice convinces Penny to take her in again. It seems that Lia called the man both girls suspected of foul play in their father's death and told him he should be ashamed. Lia is definitely the more outgoing of the two and this time Lia may have gone to far. After a few threatening calls, Penny and Lia decide to go to the FBI and ask for their help. Penny goes one step farther and calls on her neighbor, the sexy, hot, and a little disturbed Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Joe Montgomery. Joe has a few demons of his own, since his last mission went fatally wrong. However, Joe somewhat grudgingly respects his neighbor and decides to help her out. Penny has had a thing for Joe for a long time, and with some pushing and prodding from Lia, she decides to make the first move. The only problem is that Joe doesn't want to trust anyone with his problems or Penny. Joe makes this problem even worse by trying to push her into the arms of other SEALS. One in particular shows a great interest and now Joe wonders what he was thinking when the Shark began circling his prey. Can Penny and Lia stay alive long enough to find happiness, will the FBI catch the Killer before its to late, and will Joe finally realize what has been in front of his face all along? The secondary characters in this story are unbelievably real, Ophelia or Lia and Vinny though secondary to Joe and Penny have their own love triangle and you find yourself not sure who you want to read about next, Penny and Joe, or Vinny and Lia. What a wonderful and insightful treat in the world of Navy SEALS, Ms. Melton has captivated this reviewer and I personally cannot wait to find out more about her and her Navy SEAL series. BrandyWine ENCHANTING REVIEWS September 2007

WOW! I loved the first three books in this series and this was an absolutely fantastic follow up! I am DYING for the next one - Spring of 2008???? Why so long? This series is one of the best mystery/suspense/romance I have read in a very long time. Melton does an amazing amount of research. Everything flows beautifully and the characters are very real. Dialogue is normal(not some of the cheesy stuff you get in romance novels). The story line is intense and moves quickly - but not in an unrealistic pace. The sex is always steamy. I highly recommend this series!!!

I loved this book, it was non-stop romance and action. Marliss Melton never disappoints. Lt Cmdr Joe Montgomery had lead his team into the worse SaEL defeat ever, this book is actually based on this real life event. Joe was the only one to survive it. He comess home damaged, both in body and mind. His next door neighbor Helen, has had a crush on him forever, but he is a playboy and doesn't know that she exsists. But Helen is a physicaltherepist, and ends up being his. She doesn't give him any leeway for self-pity and when he given his own command she encourages him. Now, Helen is in danger, her younger sister has gone and stired up their father's murder, putting the two of them in danger. Joe was there for her, helping to protect her. They became lovers - a no strings kind of thing. After they caught the Admiral that was behind Helen's father's murder Helen took an overseas assignment for the holiday season, letting soldiers with famtily come home. Her sister was off with a SeAL to his family's for the holiday, one she had met and fallen for. Vinny DeInnocentis was the youngest member of the SeAL teams, and was went after the older woman he wanted. Ophealia was 24 to his 20 and he decided that she was the woman for him. When Ophelia ment his family, Vinny through out that went his tour was up, he was going to retire and go back to medschool to become a doctor... this was the only part that didn't sit right to me. A young man that had joined the SeALs, fought his way through BUD/S to be one of the youngest SeALs, knowing what he wanted that much would give it all up after just three years. Just didn't sit right.... But in the end Helen came home and Joe met her with a huge sign being held up by two men under his command, Gabe and Luther, asking her to marry him. Wonderfully written book.

Lt. Penny Price is a physical therapist in the Navy. Her hunky next door neighbor, Joe Montgomery, is a Navy SEAL Lt. Commander recovering from injuries he suffered in a mission that went so horribly wrong that he was the only survivor. Joe is dealing with a lot of survivor's guilt and blames himself for the loss of his teammates and takes to the booze. His neighbor Penny (who has a long standing crush on him and who he has never really paid much attention to) coincidentally becomes his physical therapist (giving great massages!), then his friend, and eventually, his lover. But Penny doesn't expect much from Joe, because she's witnessed his love 'em and leave 'em lifestyle and she doesn't really expect a commitment from him. Penny's somewhat irresponsible younger sister Lia comes to live with her due to the threats she receives from the person who she believes to be their father's killer. (Their father worked at a bio tech weapons lab where the deadly chemical ricin was a toxic by-product and some mysteriously disappeared and was sold. They believe that he was run off the road in a car accident because of what he knew.) Both Penny and Lia are now in danger and Joe decides to help protect them. Penny and Joe's romance develops slowly and believably and becomes passionate, and when Penny's life is directly threatened, Joe questions just what she means to him and what he really wants out of life. Lia (a bit reluctantly at first) has a romance of her own with a very sweet younger-than-her Navy SEAL. Even though he's younger, Vinny's much more mature, and helps Lia to grow and be more responsible. Whew...this one really got to me. Two great romances in one book! I was dabbing at my eyes the whole way through! I especially loved that characters from the previous three books made appearances, too. Some, like Hannah Lindstrom working with the FBI on Penny's case, had significant roles. By the end of the book you will find out the latest with Gabe & Helen, Luther & Hannah, Sebastian & Lela, and Westy & Sara. The touching finale is like a scene from a movie. If you enjoy reading Suzanne Brockmann, I can almost guarantee that you'll enjoy Marliss Melton's books, and I think that this may be her best one yet!