Series:
Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 17)
Honor, duty and loyalty drove Major Edith Clapton
to risk her life flying Combat Search and Recovery in Afghanistan.
Hunger, desire and lust drove her into the arms of Seth Hardin, a
gorgeous navy SEAL she had airlifted to safety. Their epic one-night
stand in the shadow of the Afghan mountains has left Edie facing the
most important mission of her life: motherhood.
After sharing her news, Edie is stunned by Seth's insistence on being a
father to his child -- and the bewildering feelings this practical
stranger has stirred within her. This wasn't part of her
life-in-the-air force plan! Should she flee back to military life for a desk
job and single parenthood? Or give thanks for this unexpected family?
Very good book. I love military romances where the author really understands the military mind and the challenges that face the characters and I feel that Rachel Lee has nailed this one. Edie has been focused on her mission flying Combat Search and Rescue. When she meets Seth she is attracted to him. Even though she knows they'll probably never see each other again she's tired of denying herself that kind of closeness, so she gives in to her desires. Sure enough, he's called away again the next day and she goes back to flying her missions. A couple months later she realizes she's pregnant. Having never known her own father, Edie knows she has to tell Seth, so she tracks him down back at his home in Wyoming, expecting he'll just throw some money her way and forget about it. When she discovers that he is determined to be a part of the baby's life she is stunned and doesn't know what to do. I liked Edie a lot. She is a strong and independent woman who knows what she wants. While she is surprised by her pregnancy she never really had any doubt that she would have and keep the baby. I also liked the fact that she wasn't going to keep the news from Seth. It was really interesting seeing her have to readjust her thinking from having to deal with everything by herself to having Seth determined to be part of the whole journey. She had a hard time allowing herself to even consider depending on him for anything. It seemed that every time she would open up and allow him closer, something would make her push him away again. She also had to think about all the changes having a baby would make to her career path and how she would deal with those changes. Spending time with Seth and getting to know him just added to the confusion in her mind and in her heart. It took something he said for her to look deep enough to see why she was so confused and then be able to move past it. I loved seeing her happiness at the end.
Seth had retired from the SEALs and moved back home by the time Edie caught up with him. He hadn't forgotten about her during all this time and was happy to see her, then stunned to hear her news. Once he adjusted to the idea he found he was really looking forward to being a father. He was still attracted to her and having a hard time containing those feelings, but they had to deal with the important things first. Seth has no trouble letting her know just what his expectations are, but he's also not going to run roughshod over her wishes. He invites her to stay with him as they try to work out the details. I loved seeing the way he tried to take care of her, even though he had to fight past her independence to do it. Thanks to his own background he seems to understand her fears and is willing to work with her for the best outcome. I loved the solution he came up with, how he presented it, and how he knew when to push and when to leave her alone to think. I also loved the way that he was nervous enough about his own issues to talk to his dad, who had faced something similar of his own. I really liked that he was willing to do whatever she needed him to do and loved how they found the perfect solution together.
One of the best things about the book is the realistic look at what military life can be like, especially for women. When Edie got pregnant she had to give up her flying and take a desk job. She also received a lot of advice, mostly unasked for, and pressure to do certain things. I also liked the interactions between Edie and Seth. They got along very well in large part because they both understood what the other had been through without having to explain things. People who have never been in combat can't truly understand those who have. This book also touched on what being married to a military member can be like for the spouse and family, something else that has to be experienced to be truly understood.
Series:
Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 16)
After escaping an attacker who wanted her dead,
Nora Loftis is forced to return to Conard County. She needs to heal; she
just didn't expect to do it on Jake Madison's Wyoming ranch. The
full-time cowboy and part-time police chief was her first love, her only
love. And now, with her attacker on the loose, he's her only hope of
survival.
Like a vigilant sentry, Jake vows to protect her. Like a tender lover,
his arms provide a haven, his kisses a promise. But Nora is a
psychologist, and she knows the mind of her attacker. She knows he's
coming for her…to finish what he started.
Good story about surviving and second chances. Nora was raped, beaten and left for dead by a man who has now jumped bail and is coming after her to finish the job. In order to heal she has returned to Conard County. She had left twelve years earlier intending never to return. Her father's house is just as bad a place as it was when she left. He had been abusive and judgmental then and was even worse now. Jake offered to let her stay at his ranch where she would be safe. Jake had been the only person in town who had treated her well when they were growing up and she had loved him with all her innocent heart. Then one thing drove a wedge between them and cemented her decision to leave. Now that she's back she has to move past those feelings, which she finds pretty easy to do. Jake has grown into a wonderful man with a kind heart. Nora finds it very easy to rely on his strength as she heals and waits for her attacker to show up. I really liked the inner strength that she showed through her amazing survival and now her determination to stay strong through this ordeal. She started with having the spine to stand up to her father and do what was best for her. She was also determined to learn how to defend herself if she were to be caught again. Nora also worked very hard to overcome the terror she feels at the thought of her attacker coming after her. She is helped in this by Jake's kindness and patience with her and his ability to sooth her fears. She also finds that she is falling for him all over again. Because of her upbringing she still has trouble feeling that she is worth caring about. Jake's care of her is something she has never experienced before and she finds herself fighting her own fears to accept it. I loved seeing her overcome those fears and accept herself as the woman that Jake sees.
Jake has felt guilty for years over the way he treated Nora the last time he had seen her. Seeing her again brings those feelings to the front and he looks forward to the chance to apologize. He is stunned by the effects that the attack had on her and wants to do anything he can to help her heal. When he finds out her attacker has escaped he is determined to keep her safe. He doesn't expect the desire he feels for her and tries to keep it under control. He doesn't want to put any more stress on her by having her worry about what he might do. I really liked the way that he was constantly thinking of how various actions might affect her and trying to do the right thing. He also came to respect her strength of will and how she used her brain and training to try to anticipate her attacker's moves. I also enjoyed his introspection and the way he tried to understand his own actions and reactions. One of my favorite parts in the book is when he talks to Nora about her scars and then demonstrates that they don't bother him. Jake comes to realize that he's in love with Nora but fears that when everything is over she won't want to stay in Conard County.
I really liked the suspense part of the story. The killer is shown and his thought processes are clear. I liked seeing the way that Nora thought about his motivations and tried to predict his actions. I also enjoyed seeing the way that Jake and Gage worked together to try to keep Nora safe. The suspense built in a believable manner all the way to the climax and conclusion.
Series:
Conard County (Book 33)
ONE LAST MISSION
For wounded army vet Liam O'Connor, trekking across the country is
something he has to do for his best friend -- he promised Chet he'd deliver
one last letter to his wife if he didn't make it home. Fresh out of
rehab for a traumatic brain injury that robbed him of his former life,
Liam maintains one thought to keep him focused: make it to Sharon
Majors.
Even in her grief, Sharon is incredibly beautiful, and her heart
boundless. She offers Liam a deal: stay and work on her fledgling ranch
and they'll help each other heal. But too soon the former soldier
realizes he's facing his most dangerous mission of all: he's falling
for his best friend's wife.
Very good book. I really liked both Sharon and Liam. Sharon was finally starting to pull herself together after the death of her husband. As she is trying to decide what to do next, Liam arrives with a letter from her husband. He is familiar to her because of how much Chet used to talk and write about him. Something about him makes her offer him a place at the ranch where they can help each other. I really liked her attitude toward Liam's problems. She wanted to help but she also knew to give him the space he needed to work some things out on his own. She would help him figure out how to do something but then leave him to it instead of hovering over him. She also had no trouble losing her temper with him if she needed too. She had a harder time at first dealing with her attraction to him. There were some guilty feelings but she soon realized that Chet would have wanted her to move on. I loved the way that their love grew slowly.
Liam was fantastic. I really enjoyed the realistic look at the way TBI affects people, especially the veterans. It showed his very real and believable feelings of frustration and anger over what had happened and what he has to deal with. When he arrived at Sharon's ranch I was very impressed with the way that he had followed through on his promise. I also liked the way that he wanted to do the work that Sharon needed done. It was really hard seeing how down on himself he was because of the problems that he now has. When he met Sharon he was immediately attracted to her but felt immense guilt over feeling that way for his "best friend's wife." He worked very hard to suppress those feelings until he discovered that she had them too. Even then he had to fight the doubts he had about himself and whether he would be good for anyone but especially for Sharon. I loved seeing the way that his feelings grew. I liked the fact that even though they have their happy ending they didn't have a miraculous recovery for Liam. They still have the same issues that they will have to deal with but they will be doing it together.
Series:
Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 15)
SHE WANTED PEACE. INSTEAD SHE FOUND DANGER -- AND A REASON TO LIVE AGAIN
When Skylar Jamison heads to the Wyoming Rockies, all the army veteran
wants is some rest. But as a stranger warns her away-off public
lands-every war-torn nerve she has goes on alert.
The ranger who investigates makes her even more wary, for very different
reasons. Smart, good-looking, with an inner calm Sky envies, Craig
Stone sparks her interest and wakes all her fears.
Craig didn't plan on inviting Sky to stay with him. But there are armed
strangers in his forest. And Sky-tough, vulnerable, sexy Sky, everything
he's ever wanted-is their target. They are each trained to handle
danger. It would take both of them, together, to survive this new
threat....
Very good book. Sky came to Conard County on vacation to paint and recharge her batteries. She wasn't expecting to run into a man who tried to chase her off the park property where she was painting. There was something about him that made her wonder what was going on. When she meets Craig he sets her nerves on edge a different way. She is attracted to him but worries about those feelings. The presence of armed strangers in the woods causes him to ask Sky to stay with him as they investigate.
Sky only wants to be left alone to paint. The stranger in the woods sets her on edge and brings back some less than pleasant memories of her time at war. Her encounter with Craig brings up some other memories that are equally disturbing and some feelings that she doesn't know what to do with. She had just ended a relationship with a man who shredded her self esteem as a woman and she was afraid to do anything with her feelings because she thought that he might be right. I really loved her self-sufficient attitude and ability to be happy without depending on someone else. She was confident in her ability to keep herself safe. I also liked the way that she was determined to stay around and help Craig and be the backup she was sure he would need. She was cautious about sharing her feelings and it took awhile for her to be able to open up with Craig. Once she did it changed their relationship a lot. She had one more bout of not believing before she was finally able to accept her feelings and his, but it was just the eye opener she needed.
Craig was a man who is happy with his own company. He has no problem spending days at a time out in the woods. When he meets Sky there is something about her that really touches him. With the possible presence of danger in the woods he talks her into staying with him so that he can keep an eye on her. As he spends more time with Sky he finds that she fills a hole in his life that he didn't know he had. Besides worrying about her safety he is concerned that she wouldn't be able to handle his lifestyle. I really liked the way that he could see her vulnerabilities and was able to help her through them. I especially liked the way that he dealt with the damage that her ex-boyfriend had caused. I also liked the way that Craig was able to accept Sky's help, trusting that she was able to deal with problems that came up. I also liked the way that he came to realize the strength of his feelings and wanted to keep Sky in his life.
The suspense itself kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I felt badly for Buddy and the way that Cap was taking over. Buddy was definitely not the brightest crayon in the box but he wasn't a bad person. The premise behind the story was a bit on the scary side, though I know people like that exist.
Series:
Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 14)
"IF HE WAS MURDERED, YOU'RE THE LOOSE END."
Waitress Haley Martin has made a small, safe life for herself: no big
surprises, no falling in love. In one night, that calm world is
shattered. A truck driver is dead, a sexy former military cop needs her
help to solve the murder, and she might be next on the hit list.
There's something big going down in this sleepy county. Buck Devlin
needs to keep Haley close-and he's had worse cover stories than
pretending to be in love with a beautiful blonde. But the more danger
they expose, the harder it is to remember their love story is just a
cover....
Good book. I liked both Haley and Buck. Hayley has led a quiet life, working as a waitress at the truck stop and working on a nursing degree. She's not looking for love, but she has noticed Buck whenever he has stopped at the diner. When she finds out that her connection to a murdered man may put her in danger she finds it hard to believe. I liked the way she stood up to Buck at the beginning, not automatically believing everything he was telling her. I also liked the way that once she did believe, she was willing to do whatever was needed. She had a very logical mind and was a big help to Buck in figuring out the puzzle of what was going on. With the amount of time she was spending with Buck as his pretend girlfriend she found that her attraction to him was growing stronger. She knew that he would be leaving once the mystery was solved, but it didn't stop her falling for him.
Buck is a self described bulldog. When he was an MP he wouldn't give up on an investigation until it was done. He was asked by his supervisor at the trucking company to check on something connected to the murder. When he realized that Hayley might be in danger he was determined to protect her. He had been noticing her for months so asking her to provide him cover was no hardship. He didn't expect his attraction to her to turn to more so quickly. He worried that things he did put her in more danger but he still stuck to her. I liked the way that he listened to her ideas rather than just depending on his own experience.
Most of the book was spent on the more mental activity of puzzling out who the bad guys were and just what they were doing. Most of the heart pounding action came in the last couple chapters. I really enjoyed the differences. I also liked seeing a few familiar faces from previous Conard County books.
Series: Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 17)
