Book Review: Sixth by Brenda Cothern

Blurb: Brian Hay’s only dream in life was to be part of America’s elite, yet unacknowledged, Delta Force. After years of training to be the best the 75th Ranger Regiment had ever produced, his dream was finally coming true. But what starts out as what he thinks is a Delta hazing op soon turns into much more when Brian not only becomes a Delta Force soldier but a Mad Dog.

Review: This is everything I love in my MM paranormal, military stories…plus some. Special Ops are always one of my favorite tropes and I can’t seem to get enough. I really, really love reading about the alpha male slash hardass mofo’s, and not too many Special Ops teams are more badass than the Mad Dogs. They have always been a team of five, and knowing that they are in the process of getting a sixth has thrown the team for a loop, and poor Brian gets a very piss poor welcoming. Brian is an ace sniper and has worked his ass off to become a Delta team member. He didn’t expect to be welcomed with open arms, but the flat out aggression was a little disconcerting.

But life gets a whole lot more confusing, painful, and downright horrific when Brian is officially welcomed to the team. The Mad Dogs version of initiation consists of more than just a head dunking into a toilet, and more along the lines of kidnapping and abandonment in a hostile environment without weapons…or so Brian thinks. What I loved about this story, and most paranormal military tropes, is the discovery that what you believe and what is actually real are two very different things. Brian had no idea there was a paranormal world, or that his new assignment required him to become a part of it.

This a sexy, fast paced, action packed beginning to the Mad Dog series. We get a little information dump on all of the members, and it’s a little hard to keep them separated at first, especially since they all flip flop between their real names, i.e., Brian and then just the use of his initial “B”. Probably the hardest for me was O’Tool and his initial “O” which was written as “Oh” . I had to stop and think about it for a second before it sunk in that it was a name and not an expression. The same with El for “L” or Lawrence. I am now a few books into the series, so I can safely say that it is no longer an issue and once you figure it out, it becomes second nature and is no longer an issue.

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely! It is fast, hard, and sexy…just what I love and what I look forward to reading in the rest of this series.

Overall Impression: I loved it

*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*