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A review by caligirlrae
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Suzanne Brockmann
4.0
I'm not gonna lie. I picked this up because I'm a huge Jake Robinson fan ever since reading my first Brockmann, The Admiral's Bride. This book shows Jake and his first wife Daisy shortly before her death due to cancer. The story is primarily Daisy and Jake's 'surrogate' son, William "Crash" Hawken's story but the former couple do play a pretty big part in his life, not to mention the driving suspense of the story.
The book starts out with a bang as Crash is blamed for the murder of Jake. Although the outcome is clear (see previous book mention) the journey is fascinating to watch as we go back in time to see what lead up to the events at the beginning. Crash is used to closing himself off of feeling since his work as a SEAL takes him away at any given moment. Going through relationship after relationship leaving a trail behind, he only allows himself to care on the familial front. Potential change of that fact comes in the form of Nell Burns, Daisy's personal assistant. Nell is attracted to Crash and he to her but they downplay their feelings as word comes that Daisy doesn't have too long to live. Even so, Daisy chooses to live her last days with great love and happiness alongside her lover Jake (who asks her to wed him before she goes) and her family.
The first part of the book is more contemporary romance as we see everyone share in Daisy's last days. I liked seeing Jake's relationship with his first wife which ties into how he sees his second wife later on in the series.
The second part deals with the aftermath of Daisy's death and (eventually) Jake's death which is pinned on Crash. Crash thus closes himself off more than ever for fear of losing Nell, the last person in the world he cares for, while trying to uncover the source of his framing.
Although I enjoyed the quiet moments of the first half of the book, I really liked the second half which dealt with a lot of intrigue, action and suspenseful moments that make Brockmann a fave of mine. Crash is a yummy hero, Nell is a strong female lead with a sense of vulnerability and humor and, of course, there's Admiral Jake Robinson who's just as sweet as ever while he shares the last days of the love of his life.
The book starts out with a bang as Crash is blamed for the murder of Jake. Although the outcome is clear (see previous book mention) the journey is fascinating to watch as we go back in time to see what lead up to the events at the beginning. Crash is used to closing himself off of feeling since his work as a SEAL takes him away at any given moment. Going through relationship after relationship leaving a trail behind, he only allows himself to care on the familial front. Potential change of that fact comes in the form of Nell Burns, Daisy's personal assistant. Nell is attracted to Crash and he to her but they downplay their feelings as word comes that Daisy doesn't have too long to live. Even so, Daisy chooses to live her last days with great love and happiness alongside her lover Jake (who asks her to wed him before she goes) and her family.
The first part of the book is more contemporary romance as we see everyone share in Daisy's last days. I liked seeing Jake's relationship with his first wife which ties into how he sees his second wife later on in the series.
The second part deals with the aftermath of Daisy's death and (eventually) Jake's death which is pinned on Crash. Crash thus closes himself off more than ever for fear of losing Nell, the last person in the world he cares for, while trying to uncover the source of his framing.
Although I enjoyed the quiet moments of the first half of the book, I really liked the second half which dealt with a lot of intrigue, action and suspenseful moments that make Brockmann a fave of mine. Crash is a yummy hero, Nell is a strong female lead with a sense of vulnerability and humor and, of course, there's Admiral Jake Robinson who's just as sweet as ever while he shares the last days of the love of his life.