Book Review: The SEAL's Rebel Librarian by Anne Calhoun

The SEAL's Rebel Librarian is the second novella in the Alpha Ops series by Anne Calhoun. The first novella was The SEAL's Secret Lover, which I have not read. While there mention of the characters from the previous book, and their story seems to continue, I think they can each stand well on their own. 

Jack Powell never planned on leaving the Navy, but his final mission as a SEAL left him with a tremor and a bad case of nerves. He's home, taking some college classes and trying to figure out what comes next when he meets Erin Kent, a divorced college librarian with an adventurous bucket list and a mission to get her ex-husband's voice out of her head. Jack guides Erin through skydiving and buying the motorcycle of her dreams, blithely accepting Erin's promise that their relationship is purely temporary. But when Jack gets the chance to go back into the shadowy world of security contracting, can he convince Erin to break her word and join him on the adventure of a lifetime?

The SEAL's Rebel Librarian is a hot little novella. It is not quite erotica, but it definitely comes close to that line. Erin has just been through a divorce and is trying to do all the things that she could to do when married, like buy a motorcycle and skydive. Jack is a Navy SEAL dealing with PTSD and trying to get his life more together. Lust brings them together, skirting the rules of course. Their casual affair gets a little too real for both, and the dangers rise for both of them. I liked Jack’s honor and outlook, but parts of Erin’s personality bothered me on occasion. 

I originally picked this book up because I was curious as to how the librarian character would be portrayed. I was a little unimpressed, she is not the bun and cardigan wearing librarian, which is good. However, she gets a little too close to the fantasy “sexy" librarian that some think the only alternative. The canoodling in the library was a little much for me. As adults you could not wait? Beyond that, I have to say that a librarian that rides a motorcycle or wants to skydive is not as unusual as people might think. We are as diverse a group as any other profession. Although, that being said there most likely are some that might resemble the heroine as well. 

The SEAL's Rebel Librarian is a quick, sexy read. If I were not a librarian I think I might have enjoyed the read more, but that is more from having worked in both University and Public libraries than anything wrong with the author’s storytelling. The characters were otherwise believable and had me engaged in their future.