GRR Review A SEAL's Oath (SEALs of Chance Creek B by Cora Seton

A Seal's Oath tries to set up the beginning of a new romance series by introducing a new cast of characters but recycling Chance Creek Montana, a town where all of the author's previous romances (cowboys, SEALs, and other Heroes) reside, but the amount of proselytizing about environment and minimalism (away from the rat race) confuses the romance and the extra wedding, extra crew, and the ball just completely diluted the darkest hour and made grand gesture virtually undetectable.

Boone Rudman and his three buddies, all ex-SEALs are all from Chance Creek, and they are going home. They found this special TV deal to take over Westfield Ranch, if they can start a sustainable community back home... but they have to get married and preferably get their wives pregnant. When Boone arrived, he found that his old crush, Riley Eaton, was already there with her three friends trying to live Jane Austen style. Reily's uncle was the owner who sold out to the TV producer. Riley still had some feelings for Boone, but how much can Boone reveal without making Reily do the runaway bride?

This book, I'm afraid, just has TOO many characters, as if as if the author can't stop adding them. You have the four guys, the four gals, plus the producer (and his assistant), the local couple doing historical reenactments, the wedding families and the happy couple, the other established characters (guest-starring from the other Chance Creek novels)... plus the additional personnel that will establish the community later, and the ball crew and participants...

As a result of way too many characters, the plot was a mess, and both the guys and the gals immediately squared off. Reily felt so betrayed by her uncle she can only see Boone as the enemy even though she can see the second chance. Add some "washing in the creek" (hey, it's a Jane Austen revival) and it's time for steaming kisses. There was vast amount of proselytizing about how our society is wasteful, and how sustainable community (NOT a commune!) can be built cheap and blah blah blah it's as if GreenPeace was a sponsor. Adding the Jane Austen charm barely saved it from the 1 star rating.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Returning Ex-SEAL must convince old girlfriend to marry him for real, even though it's also for a TV show and to retain her old farm

Tropes: small town, SEAL, reality show, reunion, return

Overall Rating:  2 / 5 (rounded up from 1.5)


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