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Her Survivor by Vonnie Davis Series: Black Eagle Ops #1
Published by Loveswept on July 19, 2016
Genres: Disability, Contemporary Romance, Military Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 196
Format: eBook
Source: ARC Review Copy
Purchase Links: Amazon*Libro*Kobo
Goodreads
Vonnie Davis welcomes readers to Wounded Warrior Falls! In this sizzling contemporary series, broken heroes meet women worth fighting for—and discover the healing power of love.
Navy SEAL Dustin Frank can handle physical pain; it's his soul that needs mending. After losing part of his leg in an explosion, the panic triggered by his PTSD nearly drives him over the edge. So Dustin retreats to the Eagle Ridge Ranch, a charming hideaway tucked into the Hill Country of Texas. There he finds solace in the arms of a shy beauty who reawakens desires he thought he'd lost forever—and who makes him want to lose control, just when he needs it most.
Kelcee Todd sees beyond Dustin's scars to the real man beneath: fiercely protective, strong yet tender. She wants nothing more than to feel his battle-hardened hands on her body. However, Kelcee is not the ordinary small-town girl she appears to be. Her brother is a killer with ties to the Russian mob, and after her testimony put him in prison, he's out and eager for revenge. Now Dustin is her best defense, even if it could cost him everything. Kelcee could never ask him to make that sacrifice . . . but she can't stop him, either.
I’m not sure where to start on this one…. The book was slow and I was bored.
First, I’m not a big contemporary reader. I will pick one up every now and then, just for a change and to try something different. I’ve also never read a military wounded warrior book before, so Her Survivor was my first.
I liked the concept of a wounded warrior and a small town. A place for him to recuperate and re-acclimate to life with the help of his old commander and friend. But this story had way too much going on: a solider dealing with PTSD and loss of a limb, a magical pool with healing powers, small town life, black ops, witness protection program, Russian mob, and a love story.
The flow of the story felt off. It jumped around and had abrupt changes. I lost track of what was going on and had to re-read a few spots over to see the change from one scene to the next. One such area was at the beginning when he’s in the hospital doing physical therapy and then in the next sentence he’s a sleep and having a flashback dream of what happened. These types of abrupt changes happened in several locations throughout the story.
The lines the characters spoke felt like every cliché you would read in a romance novel. There was also a lot of needles talk (filler material) that didn’t go anywhere. Several of the storylines weren’t fully explored either.
Dustin and Kelcee’s romance happened way too fast, was predictable, too easy, and they hoped into bed too quickly for my liking. I didn’t feel like the couple’s romance was growing over months. It felt like everything took place in a two week; maybe one month timeframe. The sex scenes where blasé. At one point we started a sex scene, but then didn’t finish and moved on to breakfast the next day. This is another example of the abrupt change from one scene to another.
Wounded warriors and PTSD: I don’t have any experiences with anyone who has suffered from PTSD or lose of limbs in war. I do have great respect for those that have fought, continue to fight, & protected this country. With that said; I don’t fell that they would do some of the things Dustin did, maybe they would, but I felt that the character wasn’t ready for the confrontations and divulging of personal life experiences that happened. At one point he takes Kelcee out to dinner. His face is all scared up at this point and so people stare. One kid, maybe about 6 to 8 years, says something not nice and so Dustin stops to talk to him and his parents. He volunteers a lot of information in regards to what happened, his lost leg, and more to complete strangers. I get he wants to educate them and also not feel like a freak, but something didn’t feel right about the scene.
Last, where was the action? Ya, he’s retired, but his friend is starting a Black Ops team and the series is called Black Eagle Ops, so you would think we would have some action/adventure. The only action we get is between the 80% to 90% range when the evil mafia comes to kill Kelcee.
I don’t want to say I expected more, but then again I did. Her Survivor was not the book for me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you.
Rated: 1 Star
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by Loveswept via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
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Challenge: Pick Your Genre (Contemporary) (2016)
About Vonnie Davis
“Sizzling Romance With an Edge.”
Vonnie Davis is an international, award-winning author who likens herself to a freshly baked croissant: Warm, crusty, wrinkled, a tad flaky–and best served with strong coffee.
When she’s not walking her Shih-Tzu, she hunches over her laptop bringing to life the men who strut through her dreams with a self-assured swagger. They end up in passion-filled contemporary, paranormal, or romantic suspense stories with strong dollops of humor. Vonnie’s heroes are always that delightful blend of alpha male with a chewy chocolate center.
Her heroines? Feisty females who can bring an alpha male to his knees. They feel deeply, fight strongly, and never give up.
This proud grandma loves to travel to the settings of her stories. They range from the Scottish Highlands to Paris to all the beautiful spots found only in the United States.
A PAN member of RWA, you can find out more about her books at http://www.vonniedavis.com.
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The series title lead me to think more romantic suspense action, but nope. It happens and maybe all the issues and things I felt where not working works for others. I just had such a hard hard time with this read.
Sorry this one didn’t work for you. It can be difficult to read a book in a genre you don’t read often. The set-up does sound interesting with a wounded warrior and a small town. That sounds confusing with how the flow of the story was off. From the series title I would’ve expected there to be a lot of action and the genre more romantic suspense. I hope your next read is better!