Troublemaker: A Novel

by Linda Howard

Tanya Eby (Narrator)

When Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, is ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who s after the members of his elite squad. Because of worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low. But between a tempting housemate he s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission.

As the part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau Bo Maran doesn t need a mysterious man in her life especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan. She already has her hands full reining in the residents of Hamrickville after a personal dispute goes violently awry. The harder Bo and Morgan fight the intense heat between them, the closer they become, even though she knows he s hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she s willing to give...for it might just cost her life."

• ISBN10: 0062467174
• ISBN13: 9780062467171
• Publish Date: 10 May 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperAudio
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (MP3)
• Duration: 14 hours and 10 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

So I've been hearing people rave about Linda Howard for the longest time... but I read a co-authored book of hers about a year ago and it was meh. So it took me a while to go for it again. But then this book came up as a book club read AND I could get it at the library. So that did it. I picked it up. And I really loved it.

Troublemaker is definitely a book for dog lovers. The dog in this book, Tricks, really should have a more prominent place in the synopsis, because if you weren't planning to read a book where a dog is easily one of the chief characters, you could be disappointed. I was not. I was thrilled. Tricks is fantastic and easily my favorite character in the book. But I liked all the characters. Isabeau "Bo" was great - I liked that she isn't stupidly trusting, but at the same time doesn't always see danger where she should. I thought I wasn't going to like Morgan, for a couple reasons. 1 - I'm not really a big fan of paramilitary characters and 2- at first, he seemed to not like dogs... which so doesn't fly for me. Thankfully I was wrong on both counts. His paramilitary status was just a part of him, it didn't overrun his ability to have a personality and be interesting... it wasn't all he was. So I liked that. And I liked watching Bo and Morgan fall for each other. It's a slow burn, which is fun - especially once the fire really does hit. The suspense was probably the disappointing piece and why it's not five stars. Personally, I don't need a lot of suspense. But when I pick up a suspense, I expect a lot more than this delivered. It was a couple of moments but otherwise, it was really just a fun romance set in a fun, small town, featuring some colorful small-town characters and hijinks. which I loved, just not really the romantic suspense I expected.

Long story short - I am officially sold on Linda Howard and plan to read more!

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Troublemaker by Linda Howard is the first book in the GO-Team series. I have to admit I am confused as to the classification of this book. The synopsis hinted at it being romantic suspense, so I jumped in expecting a thrilling, suspenseful ride interspersed with romance. Well I never got what I expected. Instead, I got a story set in a small town, filled with drama, laughter and some romance. There was virtually no suspense. At one point, it appeared as if there would be action, but that scene fell flat leaving me with a lot more questions than answers.

The story introduces Morgan Yancy a member of the Go-Team. Shortly after returning home from a gruelling yet successful mission, he was attacked outside his home. His boss not willing to take any chances sent him into hiding and proceeded to set subtle traps to catch the persons responsible.

Isabeau Mara (Bo) is the chief of police for Hamrickville, the town that Morgan was sent to hide. It so happened she was Morgan’s boss stepsister, but they did not have a good relationship. Not sure why he sent Morgan there, but I figured, it was to get a rise out of Bo. She was not amused when she saw him, especially when she discovered who sent him. However, when she saw his physical appearance, she realised he direly needed help, and she extended her hospitality.

The story started out slow and took time to build up. When it did, I found it to be a sweet and entertaining read. The focus was on the dramatic events in the town and the budding romance between Morgan and Bo. I would classify it as sweet small town romance. Small town drama added spice to the story.

There were a few loose ends. I figured out the reason for the attack on Morgan and the need for the precautions taken to flush out the villain. However, what I could not fathom the reason for allowing the masterminds to escape. What baffled me even more was they had one in their grasp but they allowed the person to walk away with no consequences. The reason was there was no proof, and this was another area, which I had an issue. Most story was focused on Morgan’s recuperation and his romance with Bo. Mention was made that Morgan’s boss was working to uncover the reason behind the attack. However, readers did not get an opportunity to experience the investigation. At one point, I wondered if an investigation had taken place. The story ended, and I still did not understand what was their agenda.

I enjoyed spending time with the characters, but my favourite was Triks. It says a lot that when s story ends the character you loved the most was the dog. Triks is such a Diva. There were moments when she made me laugh and times when I found myself saying aww. She is so adorable. She brought life to the story and helped to make it a worthwhile read.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Although it did not live up to my expectations, I still had some fun reading this installment.. If I were to rate this book, as a romantic suspense, then it would fail miserably, but as a sweet small town romance, it hit the spot.

[Rowena]

This was a solid read from Howard. It's been a while since I've been excited about reading a Linda Howard and I'm glad that I read this one. Full review to come but this was a good one. Loved Morgan and Bo!