Navy Christmas - Geri Krotow (HS #1959 - Nov 2014)

Series: Whidbey Island (Book 4)

Home is where the love is. Especially at Christmas!

Commander Jonas Scott got through a tough deployment by thinking about his family home on Whidbey Island. The same home his deceased stepmother, Dottie, had promised him. His Navy homecoming turns sour when he discovers that Dottie left his house to a stranger named Serena Delgado….

Serena, an Army widow with a young son, is fixing up her house. But as Christmas approaches and she gets to know Jonas, Dottie's plan becomes clear. It wasn't about fixing up the house, it was about fixing up Serena and Jonas!

Good story. Jonas was deployed when his beloved stepmother died, leaving the house she had promised him to her new found niece instead. All he can think about is how this interloper has ruined his plans for the future. He is determined to convince her to sell the house to him, no matter what it takes.

Serena and her son came to Whidbey Island after her Marine husband was killed in action and she found out about her biological father. Dottie was her only family on that side and she enjoyed getting to know her. Serena was also ready to get away from Texas, its memories, and her well-meaning but slightly smothering family. She hadn't expected to inherit the house, but the idea of raising her son on land that had been in her family for years was very appealing to her. While she felt a little bad for Jonas, she refused to be bullied into giving up her new home.

I have to say that I had a hard time liking Jonas for a good share of the book. I felt badly for him that he had been disappointed about the house, but his attitude seemed rather selfish. No matter how many times Serena told him that she wasn't going to sell it, he kept badgering her about it. When he realized that attitude wasn't getting him anywhere, he then decided that being nice might get him further. All of his actions seemed to be motivated by that one thing.

I liked Serena a lot. She had been through a lot with the death of her husband and trying to get herself and her son through their grief. I liked the courage she showed in giving up everything to start fresh in a whole new place. She is also a fantastic mother, doing  everything she can to make sure that he has everything he needs, physically and emotionally. I liked the way she has fallen in love with the house and is determined to fix it up. I liked the way she stood up to Jonas and his manipulations.

There are sparks between Serena and Jonas from the moment they met, and neither one is happy about it. Jonas first attributes it to his long deployment, but soon discovers that no one else interests him in quite the same way. That same attraction adds another layer of tension to that which is already there. It is kind of amusing to see the way that Jonas's feelings of attraction keep interfering with his attempts to get the house. He slowly begins to care about her and her son, though memories from his deployment haunt him and make him reluctant to get involved with Pepe. I liked seeing the changes he went through as his focus changed from the house to Serena. Serena is not very happy to discover that the first man to attract her after her husband's death is Jonas. There are too many issues between them to make a relationship possible. She doesn't want Pepe getting attached to Jonas and then have Jonas disappear from his life when the house situation is finally settled. As they spend more time together, their feelings start to change, but neither feels quite ready to make a commitment. As Christmas approaches, each of them makes a decision to help the other that is reminiscent of The Gift of the Magi, and opens their eyes to their true desires.

I also enjoyed the secondary story, told in flashbacks, of Dottie's parents. I liked the realism of what Henry went through from the time he was shot down to the time of his rescue. It was his drive to get home to his wife and daughter that helped him survive everything that he went through. I liked Sarah's confidence in his promise to come home. Their reunion was very sweet.

Navy Rescue - Geri Krotow (HS #1925 - May 2014)

Series: Whidbey Island (Book 3)

She saved a baby, but can she save her marriage?

Navy commander and pilot Gwen Brett is shot down in a disastrous mission -- and survives six months in terrifying circumstances. She manages to escape with an orphaned baby she rescued and is determined to bring home.

Devastated when she was presumed dead, her ex-husband, Drew, is overjoyed by her survival. He offers Gwen and the baby a place to stay, to recover. Gwen accepts, convinced their love is gone. But almost losing her for good makes Drew realize he wants her back -- and Gwen feels the same…. However, this rescue might be the hardest one yet!

Very good book that kept me hooked from the very beginning. It starts with Gwen flying the mission that goes bad, and fades to black as we're left to wonder what happens. It picks up six months later as her ex-husband Drew learns that Gwen is alive. Not only is she alive, but he's apparently the only one who can help her reaclimate after her return. He's being asked to have Gwen stay with him, in the house that used to be theirs, something that will be incredibly hard for him. He's accepted that their marriage is over and can see where they went wrong. They've remained friends, but that's all they can ever be.

Gwen is stunned to discover that the doctors will only release her if she has someone to go to, and Drew is it. Though they've been divorced for five years, they worked hard to remain friends. Living together again was going to bring back memories, good and bad, of their marriage, and the guilt she feels for her part in its end. 

I loved the realism of this story, as Gwen and Drew found their way back to each other through several obstacles. The biggest of these is their inability to let their past mistakes stay in the past and look at the people they are now. During the six months that Gwen was missing, both had faced the facts of those mistakes. Gwen had allowed her career focus to take precedence over their relationship, and Drew had allowed his focus on his studies to do the same thing. Gwen has admitted to herself that her priorities were messed up, and now that she has the baby she rescued to think about, she knows she wants to do things differently. Drew knows that trying to make Gwen leave the navy and fit in to his idea of the ideal life had been all wrong. As well as they know these things, both believe that a second chance is impossible.

Contributing to the stress is the fact that there was a death at Drew's physical therapy business and he is suspected of murder at worst or criminal negligence at best. He figures that even if he avoids jail, his business is done for, leaving him nothing to offer Gwen, even if they were to find their way back to each other. There is also a neighbor woman who has set her sights on Drew and is doing everything she can to make Gwen believe there is something going on between her and Drew.

I also liked the portrayal of the struggles that Gwen was going through as she got used to being back home. She has to get used to being around people again, and  not having to be constantly on guard. Having gone through it himself, Drew is able to help her. I loved the part where he interfered just enough to get her back with the people she worked with, because she had been avoiding them. Her focus on trying to adopt the baby she rescued is also a big part of what she is going through.

One thing they have going for them is the attraction that has never gone away. They fight it, trying to convince themselves that it's just because they're living together, or that they never really gave themselves the necessary closure to their marriage. But in reality, as they get to know the people they are now, the attraction is just one part of the feelings that are growing between them. I loved seeing the hope that was starting to grow in both of them as they accepted their new closeness. The exposure of who was really behind the death at Drew's clinic was quite intense, especially when Gwen and the baby got caught up in it. I loved seeing them sit down and finally talk to each other about where they wanted their relationship to go, and how they were going to make it happen. The epilogue was a great look at how they were making it happen.

A nice bonus for me, as the wife and sister of Naval Academy grads, were the little bits of Gwen and Drew's (and Ro's) memories of their time as mids. It brought back some of the stories I hear my husband and brother tell.

Coming Home for Christmas - Lindsay McKenna, Delores Fossen, Geri Krotow (HQN - Nov 2014)

Christmas Angel by Lindsay McKenna 

When Navy SEAL Kyle Anderson gets a call saying Anna Campbell needs him, he doesn't think twice. On the Montana ranch where they grew up, holiday magic permeates every acre, kindling long-awaited love. But will duty trump desire? 

Kyle and Anna had grown up together on the Montana ranch where his father was foreman. They started out as friends, but grew to love each other as they got older. They talked about plans for their future together, but when Kyle was eighteen, he left the ranch for the Navy SEALs. On a visit home when he was twenty-two he proposed, but Anna turned him down, unable to face the kind of life they'd have away from the ranch. Heartbroken, Kyle left, cutting off all contact with her. Seven years later he learned that she's been critically injured in an accident, and he goes back to help her.

Seeing each other again is both amazingly easy and incredibly hard. The love they have for each other is still there but can they overcome the hurts of the past? I loved seeing the way that Kyle was so determined to help Anna recover. His feelings for her were as strong as ever, and with maturity he has begun to realize what is most important in his life. Anna had tried moving on past her feelings for Kyle, but it hadn't worked out and had only made things worse. I loved seeing them reach out to each other, sharing the changes in their lives, and wanting to make things work.

Unexpected Gift by Delores Fossen 

Tailed by a camera crew, Air Force Captain Gabe Brenner returns to Texas to deliver a Christmas message to his best friend's sister Kelly Coburn. But she's had her own delivery: beautiful baby Noel - Gabe's daughter. 

Gabe and Ross Coburn had been friends for a long time. Ross's younger sister had had a crush on Gabe for almost as long, but as Ross's little sister, Gabe had never looked at her that way. A least not until last Christmas, when shared worry over Ross and a little too much to drink had them taking comfort in each other's arms. When Kelly discovered she was pregnant she didn't tell Gabe, not wanting him to be distracted while he was in a combat zone.

Fast forward a year and Gabe has come to deliver a Christmas gift to Kelly from her brother. He's met there by a camera crew, who is there to film the event (The crew was notified by Ross, and it was never explained why). Gabe is stunned to discover that Kelly has had his baby and that he knew nothing about it.

Kelly had meant to tell him but could never quite figure out the best way to do it. Now the two of them have to decide what to do. Kelly had never thought that Gabe would be interested in being a father as he is known for being a bit of a player. She's surprised by how quickly Gabe takes to fatherhood, and his sweetness with baby Noel only deepens her love for him. 

Gabe can see no other solution than for he and Kelly to marry as soon as possible. One obstacle is that she doesn't want to leave her small town home and Gabe's Air Force duties take him all over the world. And while Kelly knows that she's in love with Gabe, she has no idea if he feels the same way, and she doesn't want to marry for anything but love. 

Ross's surprise arrival creates some stress with his reactions to what he finds. It also forces both Kelly and Gabe to face their fears and decide what they really want. I really enjoyed the Christmas presents and what each one meant to the recipients. 

Navy Joy by Geri Krotow 
Series: Whidbey Island (Book 3.5)

Chief Petty Officer Ian Cairne arrives stateside for Christmas with a four-legged friend: his late buddy's military service dog. Fortunately, the beautiful town vet Wendi Cooper is willing to take this odd couple into her home - and her heart.

Ian has arrived back on Whidbey Island, grieving the loss of his best friend. With him is Integrity, his buddy's military dog. Unfortunately, his house is uninhabitable thanks to a broken water pipe and he needs a place to live that accepts dogs. Local veterinarian Wendi has a guest cottage on her property that she's willing to rent to him for as long as he needs. Wendi is suffering herself, having recently lost her twin sister and becoming guardian to her three year old niece.

Both Ian and Wendi feel an immediate attraction, but neither feels ready for a relationship. Ian is grieving, trying to bond with the dog, and doesn't allow himself to get in too deep with women anyway. As a military guy long separations are hard on relationships and he hasn't had good luck. Wendi has had a few relationships with military guys and they haven't worked out. The last one ended when the man moved on to another woman. Now that she has Emma, she feels that she doesn't have the time necessary to make a relationship work.

I loved seeing the way that Ian and Wendi connected. First through Wendi's knowledge of dogs and the things that Ian needs for Integrity. She also recognizes Ian's grief, as she's experiencing the same thing. She can't help reaching out to him. Ian is drawn to Wendi, though he tries to resist. The warmth of the life she has created with Emma is far different than what he had as a child and it is immensely appealing. Over the next few weeks, as they are thrown together, the attraction grows stronger and the connection deeper. I loved Christmas Eve and Ian's gift was adorable.

I enjoyed all three stories. Each was a wonderful example of the kind of thing a military member faces around the holidays. I loved seeing each of the heroes find a home for his heart also.