Dominic Castillo, Navy SEAL, was hurt in a recent mission; although he is not fit for more dangerous active duty, he's given the task of keeping an eye on Lara Banks. Her brother Phillip, a teammate of Dominic's, has been kidnapped by a Guatemalan drug lord, and she might be in danger. Dominic is not too keen on that kind of work, and he never could stand Lieutenant Banks.

Lara is a showgirl, not by choice, but an accident shattered her dreams of ever dancing on Broadway, and the latest of a series of disastrous relationships landed her in Reno, Nevada; at least; dancing at the club pays for her tuition. One evening Dominic goes to Lara's club to convince her that she requires a bodyguard because her life could be at stake. At first, she refuses to believe him; she thinks it's just a bad pick-up line like all the hangers-on she sees all the time. She's a very independent woman, she doesn't scare easily, and she can take care of herself: she took martial arts classes. But after some disturbing incidents, she agrees that she might need some protection after all, especially when it comes in the guise of such a good-looking man. Even though they're very much attracted to each other, Dominic doesn't do relationships, and Lara doesn't want a relationship. But then again, Lara has been Dominic's fantasy for a long time, if only she weren't Philip Banks' sister...

In her latest instalment of her SEALs series, Ms. Weber has opted to put more emphasis on the suspense angle, and in my opinion, it was a very wise choice; it makes for a very convincing premise. A SEAL's FANTASY features Dominic, whom we had briefly encountered in previous books; I wanted to know what had happened to him. The story line provides a good set-up to highlight the blossoming romance between Lara and Dominic. The story is well constructed, solid, believable, very deftly written, featuring the author's trademark humour, and the dialogue is spot-on.

I am a fan of Ms. Weber's for very specific reasons and A SEAL'S FANTASY confirms them: her male heroes are strong without being arrogant and conceited: Dominic Castillo is a SEAL but a true gentleman. Lara is a strong woman who doesn't apologise for the way she is, and she doesn't suddenly switch personalities when she finds herself drawn to Dominic. The characters are genuine, multi-faceted, complex, and compelling; the sex scenes are playful, tender, and in good taste, the romance insinuates itself, nicely and slowly; it's all very organic. Tawny Weber remains THE class act when it comes to contemporary romance.