The Officer Breaks the Rules (Semper Fi)

by Jeanette Murray

[Cocktails and Books]

Captain Jeremy Phillips is the best friend of Captain Timothy O'Shay. Madison O'Shay is Tim's little sister. While both of them have feelings for one another, Jeremy is bound and determined to not cross the best friend line and make moves on his best friend's sister. But when he's constantly around Maddy, it's hard to deny the attraction he has for her or the feelings he has. Jeremy must make the decision about what he wants to do, before Maddy drives him crazy.

I was looking forward to this story because I loved the fact that Maddy was in love with her brother's best friend (and had been since she was a teenager). I wanted Maddy to have Jeremy falling to her feet and confessing all his feelings in some huge, romantic way. While Jeremy and Maddy eventually get there, I just didn't like the way Jeremy treated Maddy most of the time.

Jeremy was constantly doing or saying something to set Maddy off so she'd steer clear of him and then would find himself around her again. Instead of being completely annoyed with him, Maddy would use those situation to try and make a point to Jeremy. I'll admit, in the end it got Maddy what she wanted, but I so would have cut Jeremy off much sooner.

Now this said, it was a very cute story (although there wasn't enough Tim in it). The dialogue was witty and the pace was such that the time seemed to fly by as I read it. The dynamics between Jeremy and his father enabled us to see why Jeremy liked to immerse himself in his hobby and why he had such a hard time fessing up with his feelings for Maddy (outside of Tim). Plus the web cam conversations between Tim, Jeremy and Dwayne were hysterical. Those alone have me dying to see what happens with Dwayne and Veronica in book 3.