GRR Reviews The Marine's Baby, Maybe by Rogenna Brewer

Caitlin just wanted to have her late Marine husband's baby, but a mix-up at the sperm bank means her baby's father is actually her husband's half-brother. "Lucky" Luke had never been lucky in love or family, so the sperm sample he stored was out of formality. But now that he has a child, he can't leave his unborn child or the mother of the child behind...

Quite a bit of angst, obligation, and love comes much, much later. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Aaron by Dale Mayer

Aaron is a former Navy SEAL who suffered a major injury and death of two friends by betrayal... and no one believed him. He wanted a transfer, and he was moved to Hathaway House, Texas, a new ranch/convalescent/rehabilitation home for both humans and animals. He was angry at the world, but he can't be angry at Dani, childhood friend... who runs Hathaway House with her father, simply known as "the Major". // Dani had a crush on Aaron a long time ago, and was also friends with Aaron's older brother Levi. In fact, Levi financed Aaron's transfer. And Dani will make sure Aaron gets the best care, and hopefully, realize his life is not over, and he can be the man he used to be, just maybe a little different. But is Aaron ready to see his future with her? Or will his pride ruin everything?

Good, if a bit slow. Darkest hour IMHO, with pride, works fine. 4/5

GRR Reviews Fall Fast by Zoe York

Navy SEAL Nathan just finished visiting his family and is flying back to his base/home in San Diego, but a snowstorm just stranded him in Chicago. Emme, flight attendant, just finished signing her divorce papers in Chicago and is trying to fly out on any standby. Neither got their wish, and both sensed a connection so they agreed to a drink in the airport bar. Then it became a bit more, as they got a hotel room. Emme and Nathan both agreed to not use any names... as Emme is not ready for a relationship, and Nathan is not ready to let her go yet. The night was... excellent. But will Emme be ready for more... like move to California, maybe not now, but in a few months?

Pretty short, and a lot of sex, but that's the way this sort of story goes... A connection that could lead to more, and learning how to love again for Emme. 4/5

GRR Reviews Fractured by Lori Sjoberg

Carter was a good soldier, but when he felt he was losing his soul, he got out and returned to his family farm and equestrian center.  Meeting Amy, the new horse trainer, was a shock, but he sensed that she has a secret vulnerability that she was not ready to share... // Amy changed her name and looks and left everything behind after she was acquitted of her husband's murder. Her brother-in-law publicly announced there's a miscarriage of justice, with EVERYTHING left to her. The only thing she has left was her love of horses. And she doesn't need Carter... to mess things up. But when her past came back to haunt her, can Carter protect her?

Good mystery, a good twist on hidden identity and protector. The ending is also handled quite nicely. Although I don't see how the bad guy plans to get away with... whatever he was doing at the end. Of course, she still needs saving, but that's kinda beside the point. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews A Lot Like Christmas by Kait Nolan

Special Forces Medic Ryan left Wishful a long time ago to be all he can be. But when he heard that his cantankerous great uncle Percy's health may be failing, yet refusing help, he took his leave and went back. Meeting a sweet waitress wasn't a part of his plan... // Hannah had to retire from her interior decorating job due to health reasons. She's helping out her sister as a waitress, and offering to decorate houses in Wishful to get back into her true love, when someone offered to be secret Santa to decorate Percy's place. Meeting Ryan wasn't in her plans. // The two are opposites, yet fit so right. Ryan is cool and professional, Hannah is warm and cheerful. But Ryan is going back to the army soon... right?

Good contrasts, using Percy and the town to tie them together, at least temporarily, which also added a time limit. I'd thought a special forces soldier would know better than let just a phone call to destroy his mood, but it works for dramatic purposes. 4/5

GRR Reviews Someone to Watch over Me by Iris Morland

Seth is back home from Middle East, but he had lost his best friend there, and he felt lost without a direction in life. He met his neighbor Rose, and was intrigued by the headstrong beauty, but when she greeted her at night with a gun, it's clear she needed help, and refused to admit it. // Rose fled Seattle and her evil ex Johnny, but it's clear he's not done with her. She had made a bargain with the devil (Johnny) to save her brother and he's out to collect. She almost had enough money to pay Johnny off, and Seth's help is appreciated, but she'll do things her own way, esp. when she's still ashamed for what Johnny took from her...

On one hand, I want to like the main characters. Rose is reasonably conflicted, and Seth is reasonably wounded. On the other hand, Rose is so f***ing naive, I was basically screaming "No you idiot!". She apparently never considered the angle... Maybe her brother's being framed for drugs was orchestrated by Johnny just so he can get his hands on her. That's frustrating to read, and what's the point of getting a gun if she's not willing to use it when it matters? (She never actually got to use it)  3/5

GRR Reviews Not Until Christmas Morning by Valerie M Bodden

Austin lost his leg, his friend, and his faith in Afghanistan. With his brother also serving, he's determined to go back, but with the decision on his discharge in the air, and moping at home is not an answer, he decided to visit Hope Springs, where his parents came from... and met a neighbor having her own problems. // Leah has plenty of heart to give, but after betrayal, she decided to remain single, even as she decided to foster a teen problem child. But Jackson, who found his mother dead of OD, is determined not to let anyone ever hurt him again, and has been bounced out of multiple foster families. Yet Jackson formed a bond with their new neighbor, Austin. Leah had to be nice to Austin, but Jackson's sake, But can three broken souls make one happy family as Christmas nears?

VERY Christian, plenty of mention of Bible and faith, but NOT heavy-handed (as some Christian writers tend to sprinkle Bible quotes throughout), and great character arc for all three. I have a little problem with Jackson, whose behavior is conflicting. Seems he ONLY EVER eats a PBJ sandwich... which he later explained that it was the last thing his mom made for him, yet he also hates his mom for leaving him for drugs and OD death... But the story overall, is still quite uplifting. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Let It Burn by Ruth Cardello

Andrew lost members of his marines fire team on what he believed was a wild goose chase trophy hunting for his superiors, and he refused to serve his country any more. To appease his family, he agreed to go to Aruba to look into a family mystery at a clinic, which led him to Helene, daughter of the head of the clinic. Helene thought she was on vacation when her uncle asked her to help watch out for spies. She didn't expect the spy to come in such delectable manly package as Andrew. But then, she didn't realize that her uncle may be hiding far darker secrets that could put her and Andrew in danger...

Good shift from romance to romantic suspense, but the pacing feels slightly off. But it is still an interesting way to drag out this mystery without making it feel soap-opera worthy. 4/5

GRR Reviews Deceitful Choices by C A Harms

Zack, a navy SEAL, was just taking leaving with some fellow SEALs on a beach, and have a good evening with hot chicks when he saw Lindsay. She is young, vivacious, and wanted a night to remember. So they did.  But Lindsay lied. She wasn't 19. She's 17. And that night left her a reminder that'll come due in 9 months. // Zack can see that this girl was really into him that she would fly out to California to meet him, but she's not Lindsay. Then Zack found out what really happened to Lindsay, and how many lies were told by that deceitful person to keep them apart...

Okay, interesting combination of tropes, even if it was a bit exasperating at times to see the characters struggle with their circumstances. It almost not felt like there is enough karma. 4/5

GRR Reviews Her Country Star Billionaire Groom by Taylor Hart

JJ and his four brothers have just got their "weird will"... Their deceased father told them they have to get married by Christmas (about two months away) or they won't get their inheritance... AND their respective charities will be de-funded as well. // JJ just stopped for gas when he saw one woman he never expected to see again... Chantel, his first and only love, and he did leave for another military deployment, and she left him. Now he's back, minor one leg (but with a prosthetic), and took up a country singing career. But Chantel is leaving town, and on impulse, he followed her onto the bus, intending for a second chance...

A couple good twists and turns, but it's still not quite clear when the love was rekindled. In other words, the transition felt a bit too fast. 4/5

GRR Reviews Cooking with the Doc by Jennifer Youngblood and Craig Depew MD

Sam was the sole survivor of his unit from a suicide bomber attack at his field hospital in Afghanistan. He found a quaint small town called Clementine, Alabama, to just be a doctor in, hoping his emotional and physical scars will heal in time. // Harper runs the only restaurant in town and she dares say it's the best restaurant in a hundred miles. Life is perfect except for her nemesis, the real estate agent Pepper, who managed to steal her boyfriend. When Sam, the new town doc, was paraded about town by the mayor and had lunch at Harper's restaurant, Harper felt a connection she never had before. But she's wary of betrayal based on her own experiences, even as Sam wanted to woo her. But Pepper also has Sam in her sights...

Have a bit of a nitpick about the setup, as the suicide bomber attack at the hospital was described in detail. My problem with the setup was... the TOTAL LACK OF TRUST in the senior doctor (Sam), who managed to tackle the suicide bomber. Then someone thinking he went bonkers, wrestled him out of the way to the door, which obviously gave the bomber chance to "pull the trigger", but also why he survived the blast. NOBODY realized it was a setup?  Nobody trusted him that he knew what he was doing? Which only made it less believable when Sam later was unable to recognize an ambush (of a different sort) by Pepper. 4/5

GRR Reviews Blue Angel by Kristen Kelly

Lucas met Maura at an airport... Where both are flying to meet the Blue Angels. He wanted to join the team, while she's trying to decide what to do with her life when her dreams of seeing her (married) man leave his wife and be with her came crashing down. Maura turned out to have a fear of flying and in after a few too many drinks, decided to invite Lucas to join the "mile high club". It's a one-time thing, of course... Until she was tasked to write a briefing report about the Blue Angels for her organization... and had to see Lucas again. And this time, Lucas is determined to make her his forever... if she will let him.

While characters have a lot of depth, it seems reality had been left aside. Blue Angel pilots have to be active duty, yet Lucas seems to have left the Marines for several years already before attempting to join. And Lucas has already been medically discharged. This really made ZERO sense. Also, one can also question whether Maura prefers the "excitement" of seducing married men and dream of him leaving his wife (when he wouldn't) to settling down with someone who likes her as is (like Lucas). Also, the idea of making Maura write a report on Blue Angels like a reporter makes no sense. Having her "boss" nagging her like and editor, even less so. She's a LAWYER doing work for lobbyists as a researcher... Really? Isn't that a junior aide's job? That's confusing as heck. This book has some good moments, but just as many non-sensical background elements and plotting. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews The Lifeguard by Teagan Kade

Archer is a lifeguard for Miami beach. He's single, fit, and available, and he wasn't looking toward getting tied down... He had a cheating fiancee once and that's enough. Plenty of pretty tourists around looking for one-night-stands... Until he spotted Winter in the water, at night...  And rescued her. And that's just the beginning... // Winter was on the run... and she barely talked Archer out of calling the police. There was no one to trust except Archer, for Winter is in trouble with the Cartel, and its leader called *Serpiente* (the Serpent). And Archer is ready to protect her... at any cost.

Nice job making Archer ex-military, so he knows guns. There's only one problem...  forgot to mention the suppressor. With the way nobody reacting to the shots until they landed, Archer had to be using one. And nobody aims for the neck. Shooters aim for head or torso. Probably don't even need a scope at such a low range (warehouse ain't that big). 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Have a Heart by Jodi Watters

Tessa became a runaway bride after she found her fiancee banging a chick with pink hair in the backdoor, minutes before walking down the aisle. She simply drove away, and ended up in Nowhere, California when she blew a tire. She walked into the bar, looking and feeling like a hot mess. And that's where she met Jason... // Jason had a blackened and charred soul that he channeled into a military career, becoming a Navy SEAL. His dispassionate style earned him the nickname "Tin Man"... because he doesn't have a heart. He should have walked away from this hot mess of a woman, still in her wedding gown, but he can't.

At 416 pages, this book is long, but I didn't feel there's much fat to trim. Tessa and Jason both felt complex and real, and Jason actually feels like a SEAL, where he doesn't talk about himself except in a self-deprecating way, not bragging (maybe a little bit of humblebrag). And Tessa, having been dealt a devastating blow, was struggling yet you can sort of see a bright-and-chipper self struggling to shine through. Some rough language didn't distract from the overall enjoyment. 5/5

GRR Reviews Rich Soldier by Penny Wylder

Wallace is back in town after ten years away as a soldier and an entrepreneur. While he was a part of the Dirty Thirty pledge (f*** 30 women in 30 days before he's 30), he just wants his woman, Tia, back. But she won't give him the time of day, because he left without a word years ago. And he doesn't have much time to win her heart back...

Meh, the dirty pledge worked okay for the first novel, because it's kinda stupid and raunchy, but adding the lawsuit threat was so ridiculous, it also kinda ruined it. The shock factor and the threat didn't work this time. What you have is a pretty mediocre reunion / second chance romance.

2.5/5

GRR Reviews Ethan (K9 Files) by Dale Mayers

Ethan was medically discharged from the military after an IED ended the life of his K9 companion and left him seriously wounded. Then Titanium Corp found him a job... It seems that the military had lost track of many ex-service dogs, and TC is to track them down. And one of them, "Sentry", was tracked to near Ethan's hometown in Texas. Which brought him to Cinnamon, aka "Cinn". // Cinn is heavily involved in global dog rescues, and when Ethan, who was able to track down a wounded German shepherd and brought the dog to the nearby vet office, she just about swooned, for she saw a lost soul in Ethan, much like the dogs she helped. But Ethan's ability to calm and influence dogs puts him in the path of some dangerous criminals to may have co-opted Sentry for dastardly purposes, and regular police's treatment of dangerous dogs was bullets first, questions later. Ethan will risk his life to save the dogs, but that also brought criminals to Cinn's door...

The dog handling bits are excellent. The plot is actually quite good with a twist at the end that was excellent. Overall, very good romantic suspense with the dog handling bits that put it over the top. 5/5

GRR Reviews Life Support by Teagan Kade

Ethan was the paramedic that arrived and found Sofia unconscious, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Sofia woke up with amnesia... She knew nothing about her life. Even the name was from a locket she wore, not from memory. Ethan found himself protecting her, even offering up his own home. When goons showed up, wanting her dead, Ethan had to go back to his old life, as a soldier, to protect who he loved... and as Sofia regained her memory, they will find that very few people can be trusted...

Okay, the action wasn't actually that bad, but big showdown at the end, or what lead up to it, was just plain TSTL. I mean, who drives up to visual distance of the enemy, and not have a perimeter guard?  4/5

GRR Reviews Falling for the Veteran by Alexa Rivers

Cooper returned home from the Middle East physically sound, but mentally... not quite. He still wakes up at night in a panic. Which is why he can only do NSA one-night-stands. He doesn't want anyone seeing him like this. That is... until he met Sophie. // Sophie thought surprising her beau would be fun. Turns out, he's doing the nasty with his secretary. And this time, she is NOT going to take him back... EVER. Sophie decided to change herself and her circumstances... and the first item on the bucket list is to have an NSA fling with the hot guy... Cooper, who's also her best friend's brother. While one's not supposed to fling with "family", what they don't know wouldn't hurt them. It's just a temporary arrangement. Right?

This storyline has been done MANY MANY times, and while the polish is quite good, nothing else really stands out. 3/5

GRR Reviews All Or Nothing by Natalie Ann

Ben Harper returned from war broken, having lost his best friend, brother of another mother, Trent. He settled into "director of security" for a hospital, hiding his inner demons from everyone, including himself. Ben came to know Presley, one of the nurses working there. She's vivacious, sexy, doesn't take gruff from anyone (not even him) and she saw through his disguise... because she has a few inner demons of her own. Their attraction is undeniable, but can they work through their own problems so they can love each other?

The beginning was way too much of a teaser, and felt almost unnecessary, just there for the shock value and the tease. The slow burn of the two meeting, slowly seducing each other, yet refuse to disclose their own secrets, is good. It's always the delusion that they can "get it out of their system" by going to bed, only to need more. Yet there's always the secret that festers in the background. The darkest hour feels a bit... forced.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews Savage Protector by Kai Lesy

Layla refused to go into law and follow in her father's footsteps. She went into music and was happy teaching kids to appreciate music. She came to know Hugh when his son Charlie was in her music program, but Charlie was an introvert and Layla was suspicious of Hugh, who's quite intense. When Layla's father, the DA, was prosecuting a local criminal kingpin, the kingpin in turn threatened the DA, and DA daddy hired Hugh to protect Layla... And Charlie treats Layla like a second mom...

Good bodyguard romance, with tender moments. No sex until near the very end, though the kingpin threatening someone personally? VERY naughty of him, and very stupid. And the darkest hour... I don't quite like it. It seems like a vast overreaction for a guy. 4/5