Yvonne L. reviewed on + 929 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I have a hard time with anthologies because character and plot development is extremely difficult in short stories. So if the reviews seemed a little on the harsh side, that is why.
First of all I want to mention that Robyn Carr only writes the forward in the book. She did not submit a story. Of all the writers, I have only read three of them: Cindy Gerard, Alison Kent, and Christie Ridgway. All of the others are new to me. There are 18 romance stories about Navy Seals.
Coming Home by Jami Alden: I found this story interesting. I started out not like the main character, Nick. He was just so angry. In fact, most of the characters were very angry. Nick returns home to bury his mother and meets up with his ex-girlfriend, Sarah. In the process of grieving they are given a chance to revisit their painful breakup and make sense of what happened. I really didnt think I would like this one but by the end it won me over somehow. Nick is still kind of a jerk but they are flawed and very human.
Baby, Im Back by Stephanie Bond: This is one of the longer ones and it is really good. It appears to be part of a series and I cant wait to find the other books. Im a sucker for a small-town theme. Throw in some animals and Im done for. Barry returns to his hometown for an emotional errand and finds himself attracted to a girl he once teased and tormented with his friends back in high school. Again great read.
Sealed Fates by Kylie Brant: Cort, a ex-SEAL with an prosthetic leg helps his neighbor and old friend defend her home and children from an attack. The story focuses a bit more on danger than romance. In fact it seems more like an introduction to Cort and Emmas relationship. I keep expecting an epilogue or something. So it ends with kind of an unfinished feel but nevertheless it is a captivating story.
Going Dark by Helen Brenna: Absolutely hated this story. I couldnt even finish it. Carly is so self-centered and has no good survival instinct. Plus she is a huge liar and user. Plus her idea of saving her love one doesnt make a bit of sense. Hard to want her to have her happily ever after when I cant find any good redeeming qualities in her. I cant even begin to tell you how many times I wanted Nate to leave her behind to the bad guys.
Finding Home by HelenKay Dimon: Sweet fun little story. It kind of mirrors Ridgways Signed, Sealed, DeliveredIm Yours but done so much better with some quirky humor thrown in.
Sealed with a Kiss by Cindy Gerard: I have been a fan of the Black Ops. Inc. series for a while now. This one featured Luke and Val. If you have never read it they have their own book. This story took place afterwards where Luke and Val decided to take advantage of Vals photo shoot location (she is a model) for a little late honeymoon. Val was one of my least favorite characters in the series but she won major points here for me. Her personality for some reason just came through so much better here. Plus she got to be the hero this time which was a nice change. Nice little story.
Panama Jack by Tara Janzen: Fun with some light humor. Nice that Lani wasnt a civilian and just as tough as Jack.
Wrapped and Sealed by Leslie Kelly: Nothing special. It was okay.
Worth the Risk by Elle Kennedy: I wanted to like this one so much because I really liked Callie and her banter with Jason in the beginning. Then it got on my nerves what a jerk Jason was. Because when it came down to it, it was still all about him. She had to do things on his time and his schedule even though he knew he was the one who screwed up four years ago when he abandoned her without a word. He didnt deserve her at all. It was one of those stories that if they didnt end up together it would have actually made me feel happier.
Twenty-one Hours by Alison Kent: I have read a few of her novels before but I had a hard time with her because she writes asinine stuff like He tasted the same but different. He felt the same, but nothing like he had. She knew who he was, but she didnt know him at all. Way to fill up some space. The short story was okay. Very plain. Just about two people getting together who missed their chance due to high school silliness. Kind of boring and didnt really go anywhere but not horrible.
Not Waving but Drowning by Jo Leigh: I know this story is supposed to be deep but the emotional impact didnt come through. I think if this was a snippet from a novel it would have been great. But as a short story it was slightly short of okay. Basically Renee helps her best friend, Dan, overcome PTST.
Her Secret Pirate by Gennita Low: This is part of her Crossfire series which I have never read. It was a nice little rescue and make-up story. Nothing special but not bad either. It didnt intrigue me enough to want to read her series though.
Sealed by Fate by Marliss Melton: As much as I love the writing and characters in this, this isnt a short story. It is an introduction to a novel, like a prologue. Feel kind of cheated but will look Melton up to see if her books are any good. This shouldnt be included in the anthology.
Signed, Sealed, DeliveredIm Yours by Christie Ridgway: So disappointed in this story. Its short and very lame. Her books are so filled with so much humor and great characters but when you try to condense it I guess you get this. Im about to save you some time by telling you the whole story. Navy seal saves her. Love at first sight. They have a one night stand (really not even a whole night, just a few hours). They dont have any contact for months even though he has her email. His mother emails her since he is coming home. They meet at the airport and declare their undying love & he proposes. Absolutely no bonding or development takes place. Also I dont know many girls who is thick skinned enough to show up to meet a one night stand at the airport after no word from him for months. Complete waste of space although I think some people would find this sweet.
Dog Heart by Barbara Samuel: Excellent short story about a man and dog. Very well written.
Whirlwind by Roxanne St. Claire: Fun little story about a woman hiding in a hurricane and a SEAL who just wants a family heirloom back. A little bit of danger to keep it interesting.
Holding On by Stephanie Tyler: This is from her series which I have never read. I couldnt finish the story because it refers back to the series a lot. So Im assuming that this is a must read if you are a fan and damn confusing plus a bit boring if you are not.
Letters to Ellie by Loreth Anne White: Talk about saving the best for last. I started crying on the second page and didnt stop until the end. It was beautifully written story about POWs, love, hope and survival.
Not a bad anthology overall. I wouldnt read it all in one sitting because some of the stories are very similar. A lot about returning to lost love.
First of all I want to mention that Robyn Carr only writes the forward in the book. She did not submit a story. Of all the writers, I have only read three of them: Cindy Gerard, Alison Kent, and Christie Ridgway. All of the others are new to me. There are 18 romance stories about Navy Seals.
Coming Home by Jami Alden: I found this story interesting. I started out not like the main character, Nick. He was just so angry. In fact, most of the characters were very angry. Nick returns home to bury his mother and meets up with his ex-girlfriend, Sarah. In the process of grieving they are given a chance to revisit their painful breakup and make sense of what happened. I really didnt think I would like this one but by the end it won me over somehow. Nick is still kind of a jerk but they are flawed and very human.
Baby, Im Back by Stephanie Bond: This is one of the longer ones and it is really good. It appears to be part of a series and I cant wait to find the other books. Im a sucker for a small-town theme. Throw in some animals and Im done for. Barry returns to his hometown for an emotional errand and finds himself attracted to a girl he once teased and tormented with his friends back in high school. Again great read.
Sealed Fates by Kylie Brant: Cort, a ex-SEAL with an prosthetic leg helps his neighbor and old friend defend her home and children from an attack. The story focuses a bit more on danger than romance. In fact it seems more like an introduction to Cort and Emmas relationship. I keep expecting an epilogue or something. So it ends with kind of an unfinished feel but nevertheless it is a captivating story.
Going Dark by Helen Brenna: Absolutely hated this story. I couldnt even finish it. Carly is so self-centered and has no good survival instinct. Plus she is a huge liar and user. Plus her idea of saving her love one doesnt make a bit of sense. Hard to want her to have her happily ever after when I cant find any good redeeming qualities in her. I cant even begin to tell you how many times I wanted Nate to leave her behind to the bad guys.
Finding Home by HelenKay Dimon: Sweet fun little story. It kind of mirrors Ridgways Signed, Sealed, DeliveredIm Yours but done so much better with some quirky humor thrown in.
Sealed with a Kiss by Cindy Gerard: I have been a fan of the Black Ops. Inc. series for a while now. This one featured Luke and Val. If you have never read it they have their own book. This story took place afterwards where Luke and Val decided to take advantage of Vals photo shoot location (she is a model) for a little late honeymoon. Val was one of my least favorite characters in the series but she won major points here for me. Her personality for some reason just came through so much better here. Plus she got to be the hero this time which was a nice change. Nice little story.
Panama Jack by Tara Janzen: Fun with some light humor. Nice that Lani wasnt a civilian and just as tough as Jack.
Wrapped and Sealed by Leslie Kelly: Nothing special. It was okay.
Worth the Risk by Elle Kennedy: I wanted to like this one so much because I really liked Callie and her banter with Jason in the beginning. Then it got on my nerves what a jerk Jason was. Because when it came down to it, it was still all about him. She had to do things on his time and his schedule even though he knew he was the one who screwed up four years ago when he abandoned her without a word. He didnt deserve her at all. It was one of those stories that if they didnt end up together it would have actually made me feel happier.
Twenty-one Hours by Alison Kent: I have read a few of her novels before but I had a hard time with her because she writes asinine stuff like He tasted the same but different. He felt the same, but nothing like he had. She knew who he was, but she didnt know him at all. Way to fill up some space. The short story was okay. Very plain. Just about two people getting together who missed their chance due to high school silliness. Kind of boring and didnt really go anywhere but not horrible.
Not Waving but Drowning by Jo Leigh: I know this story is supposed to be deep but the emotional impact didnt come through. I think if this was a snippet from a novel it would have been great. But as a short story it was slightly short of okay. Basically Renee helps her best friend, Dan, overcome PTST.
Her Secret Pirate by Gennita Low: This is part of her Crossfire series which I have never read. It was a nice little rescue and make-up story. Nothing special but not bad either. It didnt intrigue me enough to want to read her series though.
Sealed by Fate by Marliss Melton: As much as I love the writing and characters in this, this isnt a short story. It is an introduction to a novel, like a prologue. Feel kind of cheated but will look Melton up to see if her books are any good. This shouldnt be included in the anthology.
Signed, Sealed, DeliveredIm Yours by Christie Ridgway: So disappointed in this story. Its short and very lame. Her books are so filled with so much humor and great characters but when you try to condense it I guess you get this. Im about to save you some time by telling you the whole story. Navy seal saves her. Love at first sight. They have a one night stand (really not even a whole night, just a few hours). They dont have any contact for months even though he has her email. His mother emails her since he is coming home. They meet at the airport and declare their undying love & he proposes. Absolutely no bonding or development takes place. Also I dont know many girls who is thick skinned enough to show up to meet a one night stand at the airport after no word from him for months. Complete waste of space although I think some people would find this sweet.
Dog Heart by Barbara Samuel: Excellent short story about a man and dog. Very well written.
Whirlwind by Roxanne St. Claire: Fun little story about a woman hiding in a hurricane and a SEAL who just wants a family heirloom back. A little bit of danger to keep it interesting.
Holding On by Stephanie Tyler: This is from her series which I have never read. I couldnt finish the story because it refers back to the series a lot. So Im assuming that this is a must read if you are a fan and damn confusing plus a bit boring if you are not.
Letters to Ellie by Loreth Anne White: Talk about saving the best for last. I started crying on the second page and didnt stop until the end. It was beautifully written story about POWs, love, hope and survival.
Not a bad anthology overall. I wouldnt read it all in one sitting because some of the stories are very similar. A lot about returning to lost love.
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