Sunday, March 30, 2014

Her Soldier Protector - Soraya Lane (HR #4420 - Apr 2014)

Series: Soldier's Homecoming (Book 2)

From different worlds…

Australian SAS hero Logan Murdoch has served his country well, but now he needs a break. Acting as bodyguard for singer Candace Evans should be easy, but something about Candace makes him long to hold her close and protect her from the world.

Candace has learned never to trust men, and even though Logan seems perfect, she can see the demons he tries to hide. She's suffered too much hurt to open herself up for more, but will Candace be able to keep her distance when every fiber of her being pulls her toward Logan?

Very good book. The depth of emotion as both Logan and Candace deal with their pasts made this a very heartwarming story. Logan is back home after his final tour in the Middle East.  He's set to retire soon, but in the meantime the army has assigned him and his dog Ranger to be security for American singer Candace.  He wasn't real excited about it at first, but it was better than what he had been doing.  His first glimpse of Candace changed his attitude completely.  First, he couldn't believe how beautiful she was, but mostly he could see that she was terrified about something.  His protective instincts kicked in and he wanted to do everything he could to help her.

Candace has been receiving threats and it has been wearing on her emotionally.  She loves singing for her fans but everything else has exhausted her.  From the first she feels safe with Logan and Ranger.  There is something about him that makes her feel better than she has in a long time.  But she's also misjudged men before and she's not sure that she can trust her own judgment. When she gets a taste of the demons he is fighting she knows she should keep her distance, but her heart is urging her forward.

I loved Logan.  I got a little exposure to him in The Returning Hero, as one of Brett and Sam's friends.  It was obvious at that time that he was still coping with his friend's death, but his love for his other friends still showed through.  I really enjoyed the way that he saw Candace's need to get away from the fuss for awhile.  His sneaking them away so that she could have a normal dinner out was great, and I loved the way that he treated her like a normal woman not a celebrity.  Their time at his house was great, but I felt so bad for the way it ended.  Logan is fighting against the memories of the loss of his parents and his friend by keeping everything locked away.  It comes out in nightmares, but he doesn't admit to anyone that he is having problems.  Being with Candace starts to shine some light in the dark corners of his life, but he refuses to believe that anything can come of it.  I loved seeing him open himself up to her and share some of those memories that haunt him.  But his fears keep him pushing her away.

Candace is very well grounded for a music superstar.  She isn't one of those demanding diva types.  Her fears because of the threats were really getting to her so feeling safe with Logan was very unusual for her.  She still tried to be cautious because she had had some really bad experiences with men.  I loved her disbelief that Logan could get them away without having to fight off photographers, and then her happiness when he succeeded.  Her ability to relax and enjoy their dinner was just what she needed.  She did give in to her fears when she experienced one of his nightmares, but I liked the way that she got back in contact with him right after.  I loved seeing her get to know Brett and Jamie and how well they got along with her.  It was great to see her take Logan's encouragement to heart and take control of her professional life.  When Logan offered her a couple days with him at his home in the Outback she snapped it up.  It was great to see them really connecting and the way it gave Candace hope for the future.  Those hopes started to fall apart after another episode, and especially when she stood up to Logan and told him what she thought he needed to hear.  I hurt for both of them after that.  I loved Candace's big moment at the end and what she did to show Logan how much she cared.

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