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.

The Returning Hero - Soraya Lane (HR #4415 - Mar 2014)

Series: Soldiers' Homecoming (Book 1)

You can't help who you fall for…

Six months after her husband's death, Jamie knows she has to start living again. And when fellow soldier Brett Palmer turns up, Jamie knows it's fate. Brett is the only other person who can make her feel alive again.

Brett swore he would protect Jamie, but being so close to her is driving him insane. So Brett does everything he can to fight their connection. Until the words slip out -- he's always loved her. With a second chance staring them both in the face, there is no going back….

Wow, what an incredibly emotional book.  Jamie's husband Sam was killed in Afghanistan six months earlier.  She is slowly recovering from her loss with the help of her husband's military working dog.  When her husband's best friend turns up to check on her Jamie is glad to see him.  She, Sam, Brett and their other friend Logan have all been friends for a long time.  Brett had promised Sam that he would watch out for Jamie but he hadn't realized how hard it would be.

Brett had met Jamie first but he had a girlfriend at the time.  By the time he was free and saw her again, Jamie was in love with his best friend Sam.  So Brett kept his feelings locked down and stayed in the friendship zone.  Now Sam is gone, Jamie is free and Brett's survivor guilt is killing him.  He tries really hard to fight the feelings but eventually it all comes out.

Jamie desperately misses Sam but she knows  she has to move forward.  Brett's arrival is like a ray of light in the darkness surrounding her.  His friendship has always been special to her, but now there seems to be a new intensity to it.  Without Sam there to provide a buffer the connection she felt to Brett the first time they met is back and stronger than ever.  Jamie knows that Sam would want her to be happy, but she doesn't know if she can convince Brett of that.

Soraya Lane does an incredible job of showing the depth of the emotions and trauma that the characters go through.  Jamie's happiness at having someone she can talk to about Sam is clear, as is her initial dismay at the attraction she feels for Brett.  She feels disloyal to Sam until she realizes that he wouldn't want her to stop living.  She is surprised to find out that Brett has loved her for all these years.  She is nervous about pursuing her growing feelings because she doesn't want to ruin their friendship.  I loved Jamie's sensitivity to Brett's fears, and also her strength in not letting him hide them from her.  Her actions in regards to his scars showed just how deep her feelings for him really were.

I loved the realism of Brett's feelings.  He doesn't hide his grief over the loss of his best friend and his own working dog from Jamie.  His inner turmoil over his long standing feelings for her make his mission even harder.  He fights to keep those feelings secret from her until he just can't do it any longer.  He also makes sure that she knows he would never have done anything to come between her and Sam.  I loved the way that he kept trying to slow things down between them.  His sense of honor also kept him from hiding their relationship from their friend Logan even though he knew what Logan's reaction would be.  I loved seeing the way that everything worked out for them.  The importance of the bond between the dog and its handler was also shown very well.  I really enjoyed seeing what an essential part of the story Bear was.  I especially loved the river scene at the end.  I'm really looking forward to Logan's story.

One Night, Second Chance - Robyn Grady (HD #2292 - Mar 2014)

Series: Hunter Pact (Book 3)

It was a mind-blowing night of passion between complete strangers. Or so it seems…

Then publishing mogul Wynn Hunter discovers that the ravishing temptress who'd shared his bed was none other than his childhood nemesis, Grace Munroe. No wonder he didn't recognize her -- the scrawny, pigtailed brat has blossomed into a dazzling beauty.

Disastrous romances have made them both wary of entanglements. So when Wynn lures Grace to Australia for a family wedding, they're determined to keep things light. But when life-threatening chaos erupts in Wynn's family, can these childhood adversaries find the courage to fall in love?

Fun book, but very emotional too.  The night that Wynn and Grace spent together they thought they were complete strangers looking for a few hours of forgetfulness.  It was quite a shock to run into each other at the wedding of mutual friends and discover just how far back their connection went.  Wynn remembers what a pain Grace had been during that shared family vacation and has a bit of trouble at first putting that memory to rest.  Neither can deny the intense attraction they feel and make the decision to enjoy being together for the short time they have.

Grace had been looking for a way to escape memories that night and found it with Wynn.  Her last relationship had ended a year ago when the man she was seeing had died in an accident.  She carries a lot of guilty feelings about that relationship and is avoiding getting involved with anyone new.  The connection she feels with Wynn has given her a chance to move on but she isn't looking for anything permanent.  The more time they spend together the more she gets to know him.  In spite of their growing relationship Wynn still insists that there is no longer any place in his life for a family of his own.  Grace sees how much he loves his family and his little brother and falls for him even more.  When she realizes that he won't look at the possibilities of having a future she lets him know she needs more than he's willing to give and breaks things off.  I really enjoyed the relationship that the two of them had.  There was so much fun in the teasing they did about their childhood conflict.  I really liked seeing how being with Wynn started healing her heart.  I also liked the close relationship she had with her sisters and how helping her one sister also showed her how to move on from her own failed relationship.  It was great to see Grace stand up for her own needs when it came to being with Wynn.

Wynn has a lot going on in his life.  He had a breakup with the woman he loved when she decided she didn't want to continue their relationship.  This caused him to entirely give up on the idea of having a family.  I loved his shock at finding out that the woman he'd had that incredible night with was Grace.  He still remembers the trouble she caused him and it creates some interesting conflicts in his mind.  He knows that she won't be in New York for long so he persuades her into being with him while she's there.  He finds himself having such a good time with her that he asks her to go to Sydney with him for his brother's wedding.  Their connection gets stronger but he still refuses to admit that he's falling for her.  It isn't until she walks away from him that he can accept his feelings and then he has to figure out how to fix it.

Wynn also has some stresses going on at work.  As the head of the publishing branch of the family business he has to deal with the changes in the publishing industry.  He has some ideas on what he wants to do but they go against everything his father believes it.  This causes a lot of tension between them which is aggravated by an underhanded trick his father pulls.  Wynn loses his temper and says something that his dad overhears that makes things even worse.  There is also the question of who is trying to hurt or kill his father.  There has been some progress on the search for the attempted abductor from earlier in the series, and in this one there is an explosion at the wedding.  I have a suspicion now on who it is, but will have to wait until the next book for confirmation.