Review Part 2 – SEAL of my Dreams Anthology

Publisher: Bell Bridge
Publish Date: November 11th
How I got this book: NetGalley

 

Honor, duty, courage, passion . . . the men of the Navy SEALs are a special breed of hero, and in these novellas by eighteen top romance authors the SEALs are celebrated not only as symbols of devoted service to their country but as the kind of men every woman wants to love. They’ll rescue a damsel in distress and her lap dog, too. They’ll battle hometown dramas and international bad guys. When it comes to giving away their hearts, they’ll risk everything.

All proceeds from sales of SEAL of My Dreams go to the Veterans Research Corporation, a non-profit fundraiser for veterans’ medical research.

Between them, the authors of SEAL of My Dreams have won dozens of writing awards including multiple RITAs from Romance Writers of America. Their nearly 600 published novels have sold at least 35 million copies worldwide. The SEAL of My Dreams roster includes many of the best-known authors in modern romance fiction. In addition, many have strong family connections to the servicemen and women of our nation’s military, and many specialize in novels featuring heroes and heroines from all branches of service.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’m back with the 2nd installment of the SEAL of my Dreams review. The first half of the book was GREAT — filed with stories I really enjoyed and a few new authors for me to check out.

Just as a reminder, all the proceeds from sales of this book will go to the Veterans Research Corporation.  This nonprofit raises money for veterans medical research. In addition to the authors donating their sales, the copyediting was donated, the licensing fee was discounted and the wonderful cover art was donated as well. Speaking of the cover, the picture used is of an actual SEAL, preparing for a night mission in Iraq. I think it is an incredible picture and design.

Let’s dive right into the second half of the stories!

Worth the Risk by Leeanne Kennedy
The only thing Jason ever wanted was to get out of his hometown with the girls of his dreams. But Callie couldn’t envision leaving her sick aunt, so Jason left and joined the SEALs one morning without looking back. Now he is in town to convince Callie to leave with him, despite their years apart. I thought this was a cute 2nd chance story. B+

Twenty-One Hours by Alison Kent
A wildfire is threatening to burn down Teri’s family home with her parent’s business as well. She rushes back to help evacuate and runs into her old best friend Shane. Teri was always a little in love with him, and endured horrible bullying in high school in order to be his friend. Shane always regretted not doing more for Teri, and now that he is back taking care of his half-sister, he wants the chance to make up for their lost time. I loved this story. It was short and sweet very well written. A

Not Waving by Drowning by Jo Leigh
Dan just went through a horrific ordeal overseas and is back home helping his best friend Renee fix up an old cabin. Although Dan denies anything is wrong, Renee can tell something is eating away at him. The two have been best friends for years, and while they don’t have a physical relationship, Renee is willing to do anything to be Dan’s rock and help him through this time. I was not a big fan of this story, the romance didn’t work for me and I didn’t feel as if I really connected with either character. D-

Her Secret Pirate by Gennita Low
I will definitely be checking out more of Low’s work. When Zone first started secretly dating the Ambassador’s daughter, he never imagined he would one day have to rescue her from pirates. When Rebecca’s humanitarian-aide ship is boarded by pirates, Zone must find her before it’s too late. Oh I adored this one, I really did! Great romance and suspense. A-

SEALed by Fate by Marliss Melton
I really wanted to like this story, because it started right in the thick of the action, however there were quite a few things I didn’t like about this one. Sam has been tasked with an extraction mission, pulling a senator’s daughter out of a hostile country, even after she had been told to evacuate. Both Sam and Madison are hostile and rude to each other, and I was not a fan of their interactions at all. F

Signed, SEALed, Delivered… I’m Yours by Christine Ridgway
Ridgway is another author I had heard about but never read. I will be rectifying that soon! Mandy is visiting her uncle in what was a stable country for Thanksgiving. But rebel forces change all that and Mandy hides. Josh is sent to find and keep Mandy safe, and their time together hiding from the rebels brings them closer together. I absolutely ADORED this story! A+

Dog Heart by Barbara Samuel
While I’ve always known that some soldiers come back more broken then ever, I never knew that the dog soldiers could come back the same way. This story focuses on Jessie, the dog trainer who is trying to help Marcus and his dog Sargent Thor both get over their PTSD and adjust to civilian life. With Marcus and Jessie’s history, that makes things a little more complicated. I loved the story, but didn’t really relate to the romance aspect. C

Whirlwind by Roxanne St. Claire
This short story is set in the world of St. Claire’s new series. Billie is on the run after witnessing a murder. She’s hoping that the hurricane blowing through will keep the killer off her trail for a few more days. Thankfully, Rick stone is looking for something that Billie needs to sell, and is trained to take out even the most ruthless killers. While I liked the story, I was expecting a little more from St. Claire. B-

Holding on by Stephanie Tyler
Tyler’s Hold series is a favorite of mine, and we get the chance to be with Chris and Jamie as they welcome their son into the world. It’s Christmas and Jamie is pregnant, set to pop at any moment. The boys are all home except for Chris. The only thing that can make their Christmas even better is if Chris makes it home in time to deliver his own son. It was great to get a glimpse at what these guys are up to. A

Letters to Ellie by Loreth Beswetherick
Ellie’s fiance and love of her life went MIA over sixteen years ago. She has waited for him ever since. When someone calls to her late night radio show with a story of being MIA for years, Ellie gets her hopes up. Max went MIA with Ellie’s love Flynn. Through their captivity they talked about her and Max found himself falling in love with her as well. Once he got home and safe he hunted Ellie down to give her the letter than Flynn had dictated to him. I wanted to love this one, but didn’t really feel Max and Ellie’s connection. C

So there you have it. Overall, I absolutely adored this anthology. There were a few stories that didn’t work for me, but the others made up for it. And with the proceeds going to such a wonderful cause, I hope you all take a chance and head out to get this one!

 

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