ABOUT THE BOOK
I’ll be honest with you—I’m no hero.
Sure, the media tries to brand every Navy SEAL as some kind of Batman dressed in cammies. There’s even a line in one of our cadences: “Superman is the man of steel, he ain’t no match for Navy SEAL. You’ve seen the movies—we’re infallible, invaluable, invincible. But that night, the one you read about in the papers … all I really wanted to do was get laid.”
One night with an Aruban girl, no strings attached. I picked her out of a lineup—wild, dark hair, long legs, and a crooked smile. After our time together, I relaxed back onto the creaky, stained cot, thankful for the blissful moments she gave me when I actually forgot for a second the faces of my buddies who died because I made the wrong call, the tears of the children I couldn’t save, and the eyes of the enemies I slaughtered during their last seconds of life.
But before I left, her hazel eyes peered into my soul. She whispered in a distinct Californian accent, “My name is Annie Hamilton. I’m an American citizen. I was kidnapped on spring break five years ago. You’re my last hope. Please save me.”
One desperate plea. This wasn’t a Hollywood blockbuster or a New York Times best-selling thriller. I knew this time there was no room for excuses, no margin for errors.
I had one chance to put on the cape and be her hero.
MY REVIEW
I’m pulling from my TBR again and this one has a captivating premise. I am a true crime aficionado and have read and watched many documentaries about kidnapping and sex trafficking. Ms. Albertson’s take on this subject matter is well done from the victim’s point of view as well as from the points of view of those she cares about.
Invincible is told in first-person dual perspectives. Patrick “Pat” Walsh is a Navy SEAL on liberty on the island of Aruba. He’s not interested in relationships after being burned so his first stop is a brothel. What he finds is a missing American woman who he is determined to save at any cost. Annie “Star” Hamilton has been a victim of a sex trafficking ring for the last five years. She’s been raped, drugged, and shuffled between pimps so many times she can’t keep count. So when an American enters the brothel, she hopes her desperate plea will finally save her from her horrible and terrifying life.
Although Pat’s guilt over his first meeting with Annie is a big hurdle for him to overcome, he does what needs to be done and risks his job as a soldier to bring her back home. Pat loves his job and has no time for relationships so he is determined to bring Annie home and then move on with his life. He never expected to fall for this strong, resilient woman who brings out the good in him. His respect for Annie’s space is noble as he lets her set the pace for their new relationship.
Annie has been through hell and back and she has a mountain of feelings to deal with when she gets home. She has a lot to live for and I love her strength and how she does not want to forget her ordeal because it made her who she is today. It was her past but she won’t let it define her future. There are some twists and turns in the story that are surprising and give some depth and significance to what the main characters endure to obtain a happy ending.
Pat’s Navy SEAL buddies are important to Pat’s frame of mind and their support is vital to the mission to get Annie home safe. Pat’s mom is very accepting and wonderful, but Annie’s parents are selfish and despicable.
I highly recommend this pivotal story about recovering from a nightmare and starting over with hope and love from those who matter most.
The Trident Code Series
1. Invincible (2014)
2. Invaluable (2017)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alana Quintana Albertson is a Latina bestselling romance and mystery author (#3 in entire Amazon store) with over one million views on her Se7en Deadly SEALs romantic mystery serial on Radish. Her own voices, Latine Rom Com series, Love and Tacos, has been optioned for television.
Alana holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. She’s the former President of Romance Writers of America’s Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, and Chick Lit chapters.
A recovering professional ballroom dancer, she lives in Poway, California, with her husband, two young sons, and seven rescue dogs.
When she’s not spending her time saving dogs from high kill shelters through Pugs N Roses™, the rescue she founded, she can be found needlepointing while binge-watching episodes of Pitch, Wednesday, YOU, or the Americans.
Alana (née Chulick) was born and raised in Marin County, California. She graduated from Redwood High School in Larkspur, California.
Follow Alana on her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
