Lydia Rowan

This book is not quite what I expected. That is mostly my fault as I just skimmed the synopsis... and when I saw our hero was a military guy, my mind went in the direction of romantic suspense (as I had just finished another romantic suspense book). So I was thinking I would get a little more action than the standard neighbor-turned-romance type activity.

This book is all about low self-esteem. Both of our main characters suffer from it in different ways. The hero, Joe MacDermid, is a former show more Navy SEAL who has decided to retire. Now that he is living the civilian life, he is at odds with what to do with himself and his life and future. He really doesn't think he is good enough or capable to do anything else outside his life as a SEAL. This didn't make a lot of sense to me because - HELLO - NAVY FREAKING SEAL! Supreme badass! The idea that he wasn't going to be good at anything else just didn't fit with his character type for me. It also meant he was not an alpha male in my eyes - and a beta SEAL just didn't compute in my brain.

The heroine, Verna Love, is a 30 year old virgin who has never even been kissed. She slouches. She wears baggy jeans and t-shirts. Her career consists of waitressing (any every other menial job) at her family diner, though she does like to sew and create outfits in her spare time. She is outwardly happy and perky, but inwardly has horrible self-valuation and esteem issues. A large part of these issues can be attributed to her family, and the rest seem to have grown out from there. Her father essentially treats her as a doormat. I didn't really connect with her character on any level, but I was able to empathize with her at certain times. I think the problem was the doormat aspect - I couldn't put myself in her shoes b/c I would not allow anyone to treat me in such a way. Then, when Joe does something super horrible that would have shattered her already low self-worth. It was SO BAD. I think I teared up. I really felt sorry for the girl. But that was as close as I got to connecting.

So when Joe does this horrible thing - there would have been no coming back for him if it was me. The story fell apart for me after that. I could not get behind him as a hero after his very un-hero-like behavior. He could not be redeemed. Overall this was a quick "okay" read for a straight romance without any action or suspense. There was plenty of angst for those who like angsty reads. I actually liked our couple together until that one d-bag move. There may have been too much focus on Verna's body issues for me to really get into the story though. As much as it surprises me to say it, I think I would have liked more drama in the story... more plot conflicts to get me invested would have helped out I think.

3 stars / 3 flames. This was a freebie on Amazon. show less

Wow! Zara Keane introduced me to this set by inviting me to the release party. What an incredible set of stories from gifted writers. The men of the selections are hot, sexy & ripped, total Alpha males. The women were no push overs though. They were called into action to help get their men & themselves out of jams. There was plenty of romance, sex, action & danger.

The Navy Seal's Accidental Wife - JD is a former Navy Seal that had a one night stand with a woman. It sounds typical because show more she became pregnant & he married her. However, he did have feeling for her, not just responsibility for their situation. However, right after they were married, he went undercover on an op near France & ended up being gone for months. Naomi became impatient with waiting & receiving no word from him. She accepted a job & went to France to work. JD's op blows up in his face & he goes looking for Naomi. Imagine his surprise when he goes to see her & ask for a second chance when he spots his target holding her hands! Zara has managed to fill this novella full of adventure & romance. She manages to hook you right away with JD finding out where his missing wife was & seeing his target with her. Then she leads you through twists & turns with JD & Naomi learning to trust each other again & ends with a master criminal that I never saw coming.

I've read several of the other novellas & you won't be disappointed with any of them. This is truly a set worth every penny! show less

This box contains ten novellas and all authors were new to me. The Haller story was terrible (there was no story, just a faint background to string the sex scenes together; plus this was not a stand-alone novella but merely a prequel to another book), and the James story was a dnf (1st person POV), but the remaining novellas were well written and fun to read.
All in all, if you like adventure and/or treasure hunts this box is well worth the money and a fun way to discover new authors.

I was gifted a copy of Zoe York's contribution to this set and if her's is an indication of how exciting the rest will be, I'm all in! I definitely recommend this collection.

Fall Dark by Zoe York - 5 stars - Loved this newest addition to the SEAL's Undone series by Zoe York. Fresh out of the SEAL's, Vince Nash arrives on Camo Cay looking for a job. What he finds is the one woman he's never been able to forget, Larkin White. She's a bit...umm, angry though! This very entertaining read is the show more story of how Nash can win her back! Great characters and writing make this one you want to read! show less