Expected publication date: April 10, 2018
Cover blurb:
They’re brothers in arms, Navy SEALS risking their lives for their country . . . and the women they love. This is Luke Harding’s story.
Six months in a desert hellhole taught Navy SEAL Luke Harding things he never wanted to learn about life and death. Only tender memories of the beautiful brunette he met a few weeks before his deployment helped get him through the torturous days and nights. Back in the States after a perilous rescue, physically and emotionally damaged, Luke’s about to plunge into a new kind of war. In a seemingly bucolic Idaho town, Sally Duncan faces real-and unpredictable-danger.
All Sally ever wanted was a safe place to raise her nine-year-old daughter. Her identity hidden behind a facade of secrets and lies, can she trust Luke-a man she barely knows-with the truth? Even as they give in to long-denied passion, a killer with a personal vendetta is setting an ambush that will leave them praying for a miracle and fighting for the future they may not live to see.
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I’ve only read one book by Dixie previously (Rescued by the Ranger) which I enjoyed, so when I saw Heart pop up on Netgalley I requested it immediately. Unfortunately this ended up being kind of a mixed bag for me. I’ll start off with what I loved-Luke, of course! The book starts off with him in captivity in a POW camp in Afghanistan. The only thing he has to keep him anchored to his former life is a picture of Sally and remembering the times he spent with her and her daughter. I don’t feel like I’m spoiling anything when I say he is rescued and to the US for treatment of his multiple injuries.
Sally has not had an easy life, and is running from something in her past. She thinks she may have finally found a man she could trust, but when she tries to see Luke at Bethesda, he refuses to see her. Hurt, she returns to Idaho and her daughter and tries to build a stable life without Luke. Of course, he eventually follows her and they start to get closer while danger approaches them from all sides.
I really enjoyed the storyline-lots of action and romance, and I adored Luke and his friends (especially MacGyver!) even if as expected, they sometimes act like men. I even understand why he pushed Sally away to begin with after his rescue, because he wouldn’t want to be seen as incomplete, or maybe less than a man. And Sally definitely was sympathetic, her background makes it easy to understand why she would react the way she did but at as this is a romance, we all know how it’s going to end!
Now, you’re probably remembering that I said this one was a mixed bag for me, right? And I will admit, what bothered me was small but it just threw me out of the story a couple of times. Let’s talk about sex, baby! Or in the case of this book, some REALLY odd word choices. Sure vagina seems clinical, so some prefer pussy or the c word (just not my fave, so I’m not going to use it) or you can go the old purple prose way and say love canal. But I must say, in all my years of reading romance, I have never seen the phrase ‘hot, tight receptacle’ used instead. Unfortunately that makes me think of a trash can, and caused an immediate giggle fit, only to be followed up a little later by ‘swollen kernel’ for clit. The actual scenes were hot which made the word choice seem even odder, but as I said it was a minor issue.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for fellow lovers of romantic suspense, just be prepared to laugh a little at the intimate moments! I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in the series and from Dixie in general. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Lyrical Liaison for the chance to R&R the book early!