Breaking the Rules

Troubleshooters Series, Book # 16
Ballantine Books
First published: March 22, 2011
New York Times Bestseller
507 pages
Hero: Irving “Izzy” Zanella, Navy SEAL
Heroine: Eden Gillman
Location: Las Vegas, baby
Read an excerpt
Hear an excerpt from the audio book read by Patrick G. Lawlor and Renee Raudman

Izzy Zanella wasn’t looking for another reason to butt heads with his Navy SEAL teammate and nemesis, Danny Gillman. But then he met Danny’s beautiful younger sister, Eden. When she needed it most, he offered her a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on—and more. And when she got pregnant with another man’s child, he offered her marriage. But Eden’s devastating miscarriage shattered their life together—and made the intense bad blood between Izzy and Danny even worse.

Now Eden’s back, on a mission to rescue her teen brother, Ben, from their abusive stepfather. Even if she and Izzy can prove that their broken marriage is still in one piece, winning legal custody of Ben is a long shot. But they’re not alone: Danny and his girlfriend Jenn offer to help, and he and Izzy agree to bury the past and fight for Ben’s future.

As they plan their strategy, Izzy and Eden grapple with the raw passion that still crackles between them—while Danny and Jenn confront new depths in their own rocky relationship. But events take a terrifying turn after Ben befriends a girl fleeing a child prostitution ring. When the young runaway seeks refuge with Eden and Izzy, her pursuers kidnap Ben—and a deadly standoff begins. Now, they must all pull together like never before and strike back, swift and hard, to protect their unconventional little family and everything they hold most precious.

REVIEWS

Publisher’s Weekly gives BREAKING THE RULES a starred review and says, “In the powerful 16th Troubleshooter title, Brockmann masterfully weaves the stories of the Gillman siblings into a single narrative that reaffirms the importance of family… The slowly rekindled attraction between Izzy and Eden is steamy, and Jennilyn is a rock for Danny, giving romance fans two delightful relationships for the price of one.”

Romantic Times gives BREAKING THE RULES four-and-a-half stars and a Top Pick and says, “Fast-paced and filled with emotional landmines… a great story full of old friends and new adventures.”

Marisa ONeill from the BN Heart-to-Heart blog says: “You know when you hear a Lady Ga Ga song on the radio – it has a definite sound. You know when you see a Kate Spade handbag – it has a definite look. And you know when you’re reading a Suzanne Brockmann book – it has a definite style. As an author she has a unique and singular style that is both riveting and immediate; her signature is one of action, drama, romance and suspense. Ms. Brockmann knows how to deliver the suspense but she also knows how to deliver the emotional motivations that drive her characters, and once again she gives us a book that weaves together several different stories with exciting and unexpected twists and turns.I waited a long time for Breaking the Rules, the 16th addition to her popular Troubleshooter series, and it was well worth the wait.”