The Cowboy SEAL - Laura Marie Altom (HAR #1517 - Oct 2014)

Series: Operation Family (Book 7)

The Road To Redemption

Navy SEAL Cooper Hansen hasn't been home in more than a decade. He has never forgiven himself for the accident that killed his mother, and as far as he knows, neither has his family. But when his brother's widow, Millie, needs his help to save the Hansen ranch, Cooper can't stay away any longer.

Millie has always loved Cooper in some way -- as a childhood friend, a high-school crush and then as a brother-in-law. Now that he's back in Brewer's Falls, she's discovering new, unexpected feelings for him. But if Cooper keeps holding on to the pain of the past, will he ever give their future together a fighting chance?

This was an emotion packed story. It's been twelve years since Cooper was home, ever since the night that his mother died. It was a tragic accident, one that his father blamed him for but no more than Cooper blamed himself.  Returning from his latest mission, Cooper has gotten word that his father has had a stroke and the ranch is in trouble, so he takes leave and goes home to help.

Millie has been trying to hold things together on the ranch for a long time, ever since her husband's death. Her father-in-law's stroke has added another layer of stress to it all. When Cooper arrives she has mixed feelings. She's relieved that there will be someone to share the burden, but her old crush on him has returned with a vengeance.

The relationship that develops between Cooper and Millie is very complicated. Cooper is attracted to her, but the idea of having the hots for his brother's widow makes him feel guilty. He also feels unworthy of having anything good happen to him. Millie also feels guilty, not just for the way she feels about Cooper but also that she's still angry at Jim for the stupid stunt that got him killed. Their feelings are getting stronger, but both are trying to resist and neither is sharing what they're truly feeling.

Cooper also has to deal with his return home and trying to mend his relationship with his father. The fireworks between the two of them are incredible. Clint is dealing with the effects of his stroke which makes him irritable to start with. He has hung on to his anger about the accident all these years and accepting Cooper's help is a bitter pill to swallow. Cooper has been incredibly homesick, but obeyed his father's orders to never return. The battles they have when Cooper first returns are epic, but a late night confrontation finally gives them a chance at reconciliation. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship changed.

I also loved seeing Cooper get to know his niece and nephew. He is so clueless when it comes to kids, but he really wants to get to know them. His nephew is adorable and takes to Cooper right away, but his twelve year old niece is a hard nut to crack. Her behavior is pretty typical for the age, but there were times I really wanted to smack her. Poor Cooper had some pretty rough experiences with her, and one of them really gets him in hot water.

Overall I really enjoyed seeing how putting the past to rest was such a vital part of changing their lives for the better.

The SEAL's Baby - Laura Marie Altom (HAR #1503 - June 2014)

Series: Operation Family (Book 6)

To Save A SEAL...

When navy SEAL Heath Stone's wife died, he thought his heart was closed forever. When he finds Libby Dewitt, eight months pregnant and stranded outside Bent Road, Oregon, he is drawn to her beauty, but also to her sweet and generous nature. But how can he even think about being with someone else? He had love once and lost it--and he's not sure he can take that kind of loss a second time.

Alone and estranged from her family, Libby Dewitt always wondered what it would feel like to truly belong. She feels at home with Heath, but he just won't let her in. Despite her own troubles, her heart aches for everything Heath has been through. To save this SEAL, Libby is ready to fight--for love.

Good book. Both Heath and Libby have had losses in their lives, but each has dealt with them differently.  Heath has emotionally shut down since the death of his wife. When he finds Libby on the side of the road his protective instincts come out enough that he offers her some help. However, when she also awakens some of those shut down emotions, all he can think about is getting her to move on as soon as possible. Libby is eight months pregnant and on her own after finding the man she thought she loved cheating on her. She'd already been kicked out by her parents, so she is pretty much alone. She fights back against her losses by trying to look on the bright side of things. One of those bright sides is the way that the people of Bent Road, especially Heath's mom, have taken her in.

I loved seeing Heath and Libby together. Libby is fiercely independent, but thanks to her circumstances realizes that she has to learn to accept help. Heath can't help but offer her that help - there's something about her that works its way past the walls he has erected around his heart. It seemed that every day she did something that would make him smile or laugh, but then he would feel guilty because he was alive and his wife wasn't. He fought the reawakening of his emotions so hard because he was really afraid to risk his heart again. I loved seeing Libby try to reach Heath. She was so comfortable with him from the very beginning, even when he was being a grouch. I really liked the way that his treatment of her showed her the difference between what she had thought was love and what love really was. She came to love him so much that it hurt her to see him deny himself the chance to love again. It was great to see her have the confidence in herself to stand up to him at the end and tell him what she wanted from him. It was his fears that kept him from accepting what she was offering. Poor Heath turned out to be something of a slow learner, but a conversation with a fellow SEAL's wife gave him a new way of looking at things. I loved seeing him finally get it right. I also loved the little twist at the end.