Breaking the Rules (Troubleshooters#16) by Suzanne Brockmann

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, and she’s 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. ( Synopsis from Barnes & Noble.com)

I couldn't wait for this  book to come out as I have read all 16 books in the Troubleshooters series and all 11 of the Tall Dark and Dangerous Series which is being reissued by HQN. Both are series which feature Navy SEALs, and FBI agents. This latest book continues the story of Izzy Zanella and Eden Gillman, who married when she became pregnant by another man and separated when Eden miscarried. Add to the mix Eden's brother Danny, who is in Izzy's SEAL unit and isn't exactly his best bud. Danny has issues of his own with his quasi-girlfriend JenniLynn, a full figured aide to a NY politico. Danny & Izzy get injured during a mission and all four are brought together.

Izzy and Eden have to start communicating with each other before they can decide whether to move on together or separately. Eden is working as a dancer, trying to raise money so she can provide a place for her 15 year old brother to live.  Ben is haunted by bad experiences in New Orleans during Katrina, has diabetes, and is targeted by his stepfather because he is gay. Eden is frantic about keeping him safe and realizes she needs help from both Izzy and Danny. All four of the adults need to work together to help Ben and it isn't easy.

There is a sublot involving child prostitution that adds a little more tension to the story. It is fast paced and you have to pay attention to keep up with the plot. Just like her earlier books in the series, the action is realistic and the characters are true to life. Although the hits keep on coming  and it seems overwhelming at points, the plot never becomes overblown.  It's a nailbiter right to the end. And I love that my favorite character,Jules the FBI man, gets a brief part of the action. As usual, Ms. Brockmann has little bits of humor throughout the book which helps keep the reader focused on the people.

Library note: This book is available in the NEW book section after 3-29-11. Ms. Brockmann's earlier books are also available at RPL in both book and audio format.