jbronderbookreviews

How Three Brothers Saved the Navy (The Kare Kids Adventures – 3) by Charles Salter

How can three brothers stop the plot against their father’s aircraft carrier? When he’s not excelling in soccer, 12-year-old Matt likes to pretend he’s a Force Recon Marine, along with brothers Ryan, aged 10, and Jack, who is 8. Their father is a Captain in the U.S. Navy, currently deployed on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Maryland, where they all live. Growing up in a military setting, the boys are familiar with armed forces strategy, tactics, and weaponry. They long for the day they can don uniforms themselves…just like the Marines on the navy ships they’ve seen. In a Recon game one day the three brothers scout out an abandoned airfield. They notice a team of skydivers mimic the classic military special operations tactic of jumping out of a plane at high altitude and opening the chute at the last possible moment to avoid detection before landing on an enemy target. Quickly the boys discover these are NOT U.S. military, but rather hostile agents training to land with guns and explosives on a navy aircraft carrier. Their Force Recon Marine play suddenly becomes very real as they struggle to determine the exact target and time of the coming attack, to evade the terrorist gang, and get their intelligence information back to the navy in time to save their father’s ship. Captured by the gang, can they use their junior Force Recon Marine skills to escape, get back to headquarters, and devise a plan to defeat the terrible plot without anyone getting seriously hurt?

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Author’s Bio

Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Charles A. Salter, Ph.D., S.D. served 28 years in the U.S. Army after seven and a half years as an assistant professor and then tenured associate professor at Spring Hill College.  He holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania (1973) and a Doctor of Science in public health from Harvard University (1989). He was licensed as a psychologist by the state of Massachusetts, as a nutritionist by the state of Maryland, and was a charter member of the Prescribing Psychologists Register.

He has written on family matters for the newspaper syndicate Scripps-Howard, Today’s Family, Life and Health, Woman’s World and more. He is the author of sixteen books, most recently the adult fiction series The Ebay Detective. The Kare Kids Adventures series are his first books in middle grade fiction. Charles currently resides in Maryland.

My Review

5 stars

Matt, Ryan and Jack are three brothers out playing Force Recon Marine after Matt’s soccer game. They are playing at an abandoned airfield when they discover a marked out section. Shortly thereafter they see six HALO divers trying to land in the marked area. After the divers leave they go and inspect and determine that the marked out area matches that of an aircraft carrier that their father captains.

The boys decided to investigate and learn that some bad guys are planning on attacking the aircraft carrier that their dad is on. They have a close call and almost get caught. Will they get to a phone to tell their dad in time?

Once again we are back with the Kare Kids Adventures. This is a great addition to the series with a tri of brothers that save the day. I loved all the information you learn about HALO divers, military ships, and such.

I really like this series. There is lots of action and adventure in each book. They are great chapter stories for kids. I could easily see this being a series on most kid’s bookshelves.

I received How Three Brothers Saved the Navy from PR by the Book for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery

With Joy, Love and a Little Trepidation, Courtney, Sienna and Rachel Invite You to the Most Emotional Wedding of the Year… Their Mother’s

~ The Misfit ~

As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including her white-hot affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom’s wedding exposes her startling hidden life, changing her family’s view of her—and how she views herself—forever.

Sienna

~ The Free Spirit ~

When Sienna’s boyfriend proposes—in front of her mom and sisters, for crying out loud—he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken engagements under her belt. Should she say “I do” even if she’s not sure she does?

Rachel

~ The Cynic ~

Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom’s wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she’s forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed, and decide if she’ll let pride stand in the way of her own happily-ever-after.

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Author’s Bio

With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.

Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived.

Website

My Review

4 stars

Maggie is getting ready to be married and her three daughters, Rachel, Sienna and Courtney are there to help her. Although the wedding is Maggie’s the story circles around the sisters. When they were young, they lost their father and they lost everything. Maggie did her best but she wasn’t the best mother every.

Rachel is the oldest and used to taking charge. She has a hard time asking for help. Sienna was the middle child and is engaged but has a past of engagements that don’t go anywhere. Finally there is Courtney. She is the youngest and was pushed to the side because of a late diagnosed learning disorder. All three girls are going to have to come to terms with their past to go forward in their lives.

I’m glad that the story revolves more around the sisters since Maggie was a bridezilla. I did feel for them losing their father and how it affected them. But I will admit that I really didn’t care about Rachel or Sienna. I did feel for Courtney and how she was pushed to the side and treated like she was stupid. I was rutting for her through the whole story.

This is a good contemporary romance story. It’s not one of my usual reads but did break up what I’m used to. It was a good story and everything worked out so I can see this being a big hit, especially with other Susan Mallery fans.

I received Daughters of the Bride from the publisher for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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