Review: Brilliant!!!!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 20, 2013
I must confess something. I am a stalker. That’s right – I stalk authors. And Bianca Sommerland and her Dartmouth Cobra series are at the top of my stalking list. I anxiously await the release of a new book and watch the days and hours go by as I wait for that midnight release time. That’s because I can always count on being pulled in emotionally, entertained and turned on (sometimes at the same time) as I lose myself in the pages. Delayed Penalty, the fifth book in the series, did all that for me and more.Delayed Penalty is about the relationship between Akira, Captain of the Dartmouth Cobra Ice Girls, and Ford Delgado and Cort Nash. Ford and Cort are not typically the good guys but Akira makes them want to be good. Akira is still recovering emotionally from being raped and hasn’t fully overcome her fear of men. But something draws her to both men though her head tells her to stay away. Mix in threats from Ford’s dad and Cort’s criminal past, and you have the makings of a great book.While the book focuses on Akira and her men, Delayed Penalty also includes many characters from Ms. Sommerland’s other books in the series. We delve more into the relationship of Ford’s sister, Silver, and her two men Dean and Landon. Silver is recovering from post-partum depression and Landon is scared to leave her alone with their daughter. Meanwhile, Landon is also dealing with his increasing feelings for Dean.  Delayed Penalty also brings back Ford’s other sister, Orianna and her husband Max who is returning to the Cobra’s lineup and the third member of their triad, Sloan. It is such a joy to revisit with these beloved characters and see what they are up to.Each book is like an episode of a larger continuing drama. I truly appreciate this type of series because it allows an author to dig deeper into each character and provides the reader with the ability to understand a character’s personality and motivation. In addition, the characters are three dimensional because you get to watch them change and evolve based upon the direction life has taken them. The readers have been able to see how couples breaking up respond, or how having a baby changed the dynamics in a family. I feel that I am a part of the Cobra family and eagerly await each new book.Ms. Sommerland’s writing is so precise and descriptive that I feel less like a reader and more like a voyeur watching these people while they go about their daily business. It’s like watching my favorite soap opera. I laugh and cheer at the happy parts and I cry at the sad times. I completely forget that these are fictional characters so their pain, or triumphs, are mine. Akira has been through so much and I love that she has grown and gained her inner strength. Ford has also grown up from an irresponsible bad boy to a man who not only takes his responsibilities seriously, but wants to be the kind of man that Akira deserves. Cort has a similar story to Ford’s and he also worries that he is not good enough for Akira. I love watching how each man changes and grows to be worthy of Akira. I did not start off the series as a fan of Ford’s but as he has changed and reinvented himself, I began to cheer for him and Akira, as well as, Cort.Be prepared for some serious crying during Delayed Penalty. I won’t go into details because I don’t want to spoil the book for you. But you would have to be stone cold not to shed tears as the Cobra family is hit by tragedy but since they are a family, they will all pull together. Ms. Sommerland is one of the best at pulling out your heart and soul, then putting a smile on your face.Delayed Penalty should not be read as a standalone. It will be confusing for you to keep all the characters and relationships straight if you have not read the others in the series. In addition, you will not have the same emotional pull if you have not been able to watch each character’s journey. Don’t worry though, by reading all the books in the series, you will have something to do while you wait for book number six. And trust me, once you have read the first five in the series, you too will become a stalker.