Take a sort of bionic Navy SEAL, add in a heroine tinged by tragedy, involve our two leads in a murky spy plot, include a heavy dose of cameo appearances from characters readers supposedly know and love from previous books, and the result is one pip of an average book.

Christina Skye’s Code Name series has obviously continued for w-a-a-a-y too long if this fifth entry is anything to go by because, just one day after finishing it, the murky details have retreated to the really murky corners of my mind. I think it’s all got something to do with a pastry chef who’s going blind, that bionic-y Navy SEAL who works for a top secret team of physically enhanced superguys, a cruise ship, a bad guy, a superbitch villainess, and some cute kids.

Hero and heroine meet cute. Hero and heroine meet again. Hero and heroine are threatened. Hero and heroine hook up. Hero and heroine endure obstacles and defeat bad guys. Hero and heroine score an HEA. And, just to reassure any readers thinking (okay, hoping) that this series might finally be played out, ominous overtones for the next book are included to dash any such hopes.

It’s all suitably predictable and all just as suitably bland. And for the life of me I can’t think of one thing more to write about it.

Well, except that I really miss the old Chrstina Skye before she developed Navy SEAL-itis. The one who wrote that really nifty Dracott Abbey series of paranormal-themed books featuring magic and adult characters and time-traveling heroes and ghost cats. (I’m always a sucker for a cat.) The one who wrote different books every time. If anybody can find out what happened to her, please let me know.