Dixie Lee Brown

Tori Michaels is a widow trying to earn a living to support her young son, Isaiah. Her husband was a veteran with PTSD who took his own life. That’s left a lasting effect on both of them. Tori has a journalism degree & is trying to get a job as a reporter. Her first assignment is to try to interview Blake Sorenson for Everyday Hero’s magazine. From the moment she met Blake, her life became a series of mishaps & terror. Was it related to Blake’s job or something else? Will either Blake or Tori get over their hang ups & act on their attraction?

I enjoyed these characters! Tori was feisty, strong & sexy. She stood up for herself & her son & then showed her vulnerability after the danger was over. Blake managed to get through his tours of service, almost losing his leg & his wife leaving while he was recovering & was still able to smile. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two of them but I really enjoyed Isaiah & the connection he felt with Blake. It added more depth & warmth to the story.… (altro)

Honor Among SEALs by Dixie Lee Brown
Hearts of Valor #2

Action-packed fast paced runaway bride story of a woman searching for her sister and willing to do anything to find her.

Kellie Greyson’s sister Anna went missing and she is going undercover to find her but in so doing finds herself in difficulty that could see her married to a mobster with her life in danger. She runs into Matt Iverson “MacGyber” who soon lends a hand – and the hand of his teammate – to help her out as she runs from the bad guy and looks for her sister.

This story includes threats to lives, fights, bad guys, good guys, miscommunication, love of family, teamwork and a secret that unfolds along with the story. There is almost instant attraction between the lead characters but I had trouble figuring out what they truly had in common for the long haul…except their military skills and attraction.

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? I think so

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books – Lyrical Press/Liaison

3-4 Stars… (altro)

I have recently come to love Avon books. When I saw this cover and read the blurb, I got excited over the prospect of a hot romantic suspense read. To say I was disappointed with this book is putting it mildly. I really liked the plot, and there was potential in all directions for nail-biting suspense, heart-thumping action and toe-curling romance. Unfortunately the story fell flat due to the characterization and actions of the heroine. Despite having purchased and read this book in July, I still remember the story today, so it was memorable. But for all the wrong reasons.

Cara had naively married into a dangerous family and suffered years of abuse at the hands of her husband. Somehow, her brother had managed to convince her husband to let her go through with the divorce. She may have been free of the beatings, but the fear still followed her around. It was easy to sympathize with the heroine once learning about her back story. Her fear was always palpable, and I didn't blame her for looking over her shoulder, always waiting, always wondering. Her freedom meant a second chance at life. Obviously that would take time.

Today, the fragile framework of her new life was splintering, leaving her alone, exposed, and vulnerable. A thread of anger shot through her. She'd spent enough time feeling defenseless. Not even her brother was taking her back there. She was never going to be a helpless victim again. (Chapter 4)

That sounded good, but the execution of that fierce declaration of hers completely clouded her judgement, and it showed. A lot. Instead of acting fearless and growing a backbone, she came across as reckless. That was most evident in her trust of Sam, the mysterious stranger who grabbed her at the fair "under the pretense" of meeting his niece. If a strange man grabbed me in public and attempted to haul me off (which he did), I'd scream bloody murder. Then the lame excuse he gives for how he got her phone number:

"Right, I remember you, Sam. How'd you get this number?"

"I was in the electronics shop when someone came in to pick up a phone for Cara. I figured there couldn't be too many people named Cara in our little town so I took a chance. I realize that sounds kind of creepy, and I'll understand if you don't want to hear from me again."

Notice how he both answered and evaded the question at the same time? It made no sense and it was creepy, yet Cara (the girl who trusts no one) bought it hook, line and sinker. She has many more questionable moments that just added up to her not being a very likeable heroine and one that I just couldn't connect with.

Annoying repetitions:"stuck her chin out", "raised her chin" (the most used phrase), "her chin came up", "her chin trembled", "she lifted her chin defiantly".
There were a lot of mentions about Cara's chin (Chapters 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 30, 37). If the reader was supposed to get the impression that Cara was a tough cookie, Cara's actions (mentioned above) obliterated the illusion.

In my opinion, of the main characters, Joe definitely stole the show. Not only was he wracked with guilt over the death of his friend, but he had already formed an opinion of the heroine without ever having met her. I liked that setup and anticipated the moment when he would realize how wrong he'd been. At first it worked, and I never got the feeling that he tried to sugarcoat things for Cara. He understood that she'd need time to learn to trust him. But as the story got to the nitty gritty and my impatience with her deepened, I honestly couldn't see what about her was so attractive to him. He was forever rescuing her, protecting her, encouraging her to learn self defense. I thought the "relationship" was too one-sided with Joe putting in the most effort and Cara not doing anything. I even found the supporting cast of mercenaries more interesting than her. Walker and Charlie's sister in particular. If I continue with the series, it would be for those two characters.… (altro)