Books & Spoons Review DEVIL AND THE DEEP by Julie Ann Walker

Cocktail parties, political fundraisers, and charity events are Maddy Powers' way of life.
But the daring man who appropriated her father's yacht a couple of months ago is still out there, somewhere, and she wants to pay him back for the scorching kiss they shared.

Behind his suave smile and ladykiller eyes, Bran Palladino carries a dark secret that keeps him from pursuing Maddy… even though he can't get her out of his head.
​But when Maddy is kidnapped as part of a grand scheme, it's time to put up or shut up… because Bran can't live without Maddy now.

---

I have read a lot of Julie Ann Walker books. I have loved some stories, struggled with others, but mainly enjoyed most of them. There are some characteristics, that seems to be in most of her stories. There are lots of inner reflections, random thoughts the characters are having, going from lust filled panting, to pop culture quotes, to completely irrelevant pondering. The humor is off the wall, and fitting for the younger generation, surprising on the thirty-something ex-SEALs. The secondary couple that we get glimpses of, that seems to be in every story, is often more interesting and intriguing than the primary one, and you are left to yearn for the next story, hoping it will be them. With these things in mind and the fact that I have always gone back for the next story, I will say, that I really struggled with this one. And mainly for all those reasons I mentioned above.

I liked Alex and Mason, the secondary, pudding possible romance coming ahead couple. I liked them as characters, I enjoyed them together, and they were easy to connect with , the short times we heard the tale from their point of view. 
I had a harder time to connect with Bran and Maddy. I liked them both in the previous story, I was all ready to root for them and their HEA, and I didn't get there. I wasn't connecting with them, I didn't feel the connection between them, and I was bored. The inner reflections they were having, was like being with a group of people, who all have ADHD symptoms, and just can't focus, get it together, and survive the attacks. In a middle of the action, they are standing there lusting after each other, while being shot at. All that took any possible intensity, fear and danger away from the story, leaving me as a reader wanting. 
I love a good banter between characters, humor in the story, and some comic relief in intense situations, but here, in my opinion, it went too far. I also missed the rest of the team, maybe they could have brought some more balance into the chaos Bran and Maddy was making with the undeniable lust. 
So, I liked Alex and Mason, the few glimpses of the team, the support and advice they give each other, and their life on the tiny island. I know the author can write some seriously intense suspense and deadly action. I know she can write steamy romance without making it dull. There were dead bodies here as well, it just seemed like no one cared, also, it seemed like it was completely unnecessary aim to kill in the situation they were in. 
If you are a movie buff, who enjoys quotes from your favorite films, and use them in real life situations, if you enjoy Lethal Weapon movie type sophomoric humor, and   silly banter in life and death moments, you are going to like this story well, I personally wanted little bit more of a story, and less nonsensical silliness. 
~ Two Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

---