Out of Control

Savannah Van Hopf, granddaughter of WWII double agent Rose Van Hopf, seeks out Kenneth "Wild Card" Karmody, Navy Seal, to help her find her kidnapped uncle in Jakarta. In a romantic subplot, we also meet Rose Van Hopf and her future husband through her memoir, which everyone in the book is reading: Molly and David Jones, who live in the wilds of Indonesia; Alyssa and her paramours--all are reading the book, all are seeking Savannah and Kenny. Norma Lana keeps the action humming but makes no attempt to differentiate the characters through intonation or accents. Amid kidnappings, jungle adventures, and frank talk about sex, Lana brings the action to its height and wraps up all the loose ends. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

February 11, 2002
Blending several humor-garnished love stories into the best sort of cocktail, veteran romance author Brockmann (Over the Edge) serves up a heady brew that readers are certain to savor. Computer wiz and Navy SEAL Ken Karmody changes a tire for grease-smudged damsel-in-distress Savannah van Hopf, cooks her dinner and ends up in bed with her—the beginning of a fantastic relationship, he believes, until Savannah shatters his dreams the next morning with her sheepish revelation that she had sought him out so he could help her negotiate her uncle's ransom in Indonesia. But sleeping with him, she insists, was never part of her plan. Feeling betrayed, Ken nonetheless accompanies her to Indonesia. Evading kidnappers plunges them deep into the jungle with few resources, forcing the two to rely on each other, rebuild their broken trust and rediscover their former passion. Meanwhile, Savannah's grandmother—a World War II double agent whose memories of her love for a supposed Nazi interweave with Ken and Savannah's jungle perils—rousts Ken's fellow SEALs and the FBI into organizing a rescue mission. A consummate and prolific storyteller, Brockmann consistently turns out first-rate novels that tug on the reader's heartstrings, and her latest is no exception. (Mar.)Forecast:Brockmann's books consistently garner rave reviews, hit the bestseller lists and rank high on RWA's 10 Favorite Books of the Year list. Despite its forgettable cover, this military romance should sell particularly well, given the public's recent hunger for patriotic entertainment.