I Finally Started It...

Suzanne Brockmann's latest book, Force of Nature, was due to be released while we would be on vacation. How was I supposed to find the book in tiny little West Yellowstone, MT (pop. 1100). Did the town even have a bookstore. Actually, it did... a quaint little one with a coffee bar in the back. If I couldn't buy the book on its release date then the only alternative was to have it waiting for me when I came home. I ordered it thru Suz's virutal signing and resigned myself to waiting til I got home.

We arrived home on the 19th and when I went to the post office to grab our mail... there it was... my very own - autographed - copy of Force of Nature... complete with Reader's Guide. It was tempting but I was in the middle of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series so I decided to finish that off before starting FON. Within a week I had completed that series but instead of picking up FON I started in on a different book... then another... and yet another. I'm not sure why but I just couldn't seem to pick FON up and start it.

I didn't read any of the posts on the BB about the book... primarily to avoid spoilers (though it never seemed to bother me before) and also I was rarely on the BB this summer. Because of my avoidance, I had no preconceived ideas about it... I didn't know who liked, who loved it, who hated it (is there anybody?) More recently I've picked up little tidbits here and there from posts on the BB.

But still, I just couldn't seem to pick it up and read it. The only thing that I can think of that made me hesitate each time I went to pick it up is the fact that I didn't know either of these characters (yes, yes, I know.... we've met Ric before... for about 5 minutes many books ago). And anyone reading this post and who has never read Suz is probably thinking... "So what? Do you always know the characters before reading a book?" Normally, no. However, this is Suz... she writes an on-going series involving US Navy SEALs, an FBI Counter-Terrorism group and Troubleshooters, a private security contractor. There is almost always a build-up to someone before they get their HEA (Happily Ever After)... gawd, some of these guys have to wait up to 6 books before getting their story. So with all the characters Suz has running around in her head, why - WHY - did she pick two virutally unknown characters to base her book on? I'm not sure... maybe I will know more after actually reading the book.

Now just because the two main characters are unknowns doesn't mean that we don't get to see familiar faces. Jules, the FBI agent, has a secondary (?) storyline. And other well known characters make appearances. So it's not like going to a party where I won't know anyone... there will be familiar faces to catch up with.

After reading about 6 pages the other night, I forced myself to start in on it today. K2 and I stopped at Starbucks on our way to the library and spent 45 minutes drinking Iced Vanilla Chai lattes and reading (she has started in on The Silenced and is LOVING it!). I am slowly getting into the story... although it has that "we need to pretend we're a couple to infiltrate the evil mobster's compound" (I should've posted that on the BB today under the discussion of storylines that turn us off.) Maybe this is another reason that I have been hesitant to pick it up.

Well, whatever the reason for my delayed start, I have finally begun and will continue reading it til it is done. Normally, it would take me a day (at most 2 days) to read a Suz book... this one I am not so sure how long it will take.

But shhhh! Don't tell anyone from the BB... they may take away my posting privileges. I am probably one of the few - the only? - who has not read the book. I am off to read....