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Saving His Soldier
In the summer, Sawsup Island is a tourist mecca, with a beachfront historic inn overlooking the waves of Maine’s Atlantic coast. In the winter the only guests who visit are the seals. And that’s just the way the island’s year-round resident and recluse, former Navy SEAL Connor Thorne, likes it.
Now the Inn has a new owner, and they’ve hired a caretaker to stay there through the winter. The guy is nothing but trouble. First of all, he gets sea-sick just looking at the ocean. Second, he’s far too cheerful and social. And third—Thorne can’t stop thinking about him.
Veterinarian Zach Keegan is not a handyman, but when the opportunity arises to stay at the Maliseet Inn on Sawsup Island for the winter months, he jumps at the chance. His fiancée has just cheated on him with his brother and Zach is ready to be isolated, with no family to bother him and nothing but his memories for company.
When Zach nearly burns down the inn during a violent winter storm, it is Thorne who reluctantly comes to his aid. With only each other for company, they give in to a night of passion. As their feelings for one another deepen, slowly their broken hearts begin to heal.
But Zach is adamant he is not gay, no matter what he and Thorne shared and when he’s ready to leave the Island and face the world again, how will Thorne live without him now he has let Zach into his heart?
Now the Inn has a new owner, and they’ve hired a caretaker to stay there through the winter. The guy is nothing but trouble. First of all, he gets sea-sick just looking at the ocean. Second, he’s far too cheerful and social. And third—Thorne can’t stop thinking about him.
Veterinarian Zach Keegan is not a handyman, but when the opportunity arises to stay at the Maliseet Inn on Sawsup Island for the winter months, he jumps at the chance. His fiancée has just cheated on him with his brother and Zach is ready to be isolated, with no family to bother him and nothing but his memories for company.
When Zach nearly burns down the inn during a violent winter storm, it is Thorne who reluctantly comes to his aid. With only each other for company, they give in to a night of passion. As their feelings for one another deepen, slowly their broken hearts begin to heal.
But Zach is adamant he is not gay, no matter what he and Thorne shared and when he’s ready to leave the Island and face the world again, how will Thorne live without him now he has let Zach into his heart?
78 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 21, 2016
I like the idea of this story, but the plot and characters were so vaguely sketched, I felt like I was reading from a distance.
This is a double GFY, or maybe not. Thorne, a physically and emotionally damaged Navy SEAL, lost his lover in Afghanistan, so he's been with a man before. Suffering from PTSD after watching his lover burn before his eyes, Thorne hides out on an island minding a lighthouse.
Zach, an equestrian veterinarian, has come to the island to get away from his cheating fiancée; she cheated with his brother, which is all the worse. When Zach arrives, the population of the island doubles.
I liked the tender moments between the men, the cocoon of isolation, the way they were enough for each other.
Zach's first foray into gay love is careful and hesitant, and that felt right. Zach is lucky that Thorne is such a patient, eager teacher.
Zach calls Thorne a Viking, and Thorne, with Wilson, his faithful Golden Retriever, by his side, is a beautiful man, the kind of beauty that is more than skin deep: scarred but real, strong but gentle, giving & true.
Then (warning: major plot point spoiler ahead!),
I was furious with Zach, and it sort of soured me on the story. The ending is a HFN. I can't consider it a HEA, as it was too abrupt and left me with many unanswered questions.
This is a double GFY, or maybe not. Thorne, a physically and emotionally damaged Navy SEAL, lost his lover in Afghanistan, so he's been with a man before. Suffering from PTSD after watching his lover burn before his eyes, Thorne hides out on an island minding a lighthouse.
Zach, an equestrian veterinarian, has come to the island to get away from his cheating fiancée; she cheated with his brother, which is all the worse. When Zach arrives, the population of the island doubles.
I liked the tender moments between the men, the cocoon of isolation, the way they were enough for each other.
Zach's first foray into gay love is careful and hesitant, and that felt right. Zach is lucky that Thorne is such a patient, eager teacher.
Zach calls Thorne a Viking, and Thorne, with Wilson, his faithful Golden Retriever, by his side, is a beautiful man, the kind of beauty that is more than skin deep: scarred but real, strong but gentle, giving & true.
Then (warning: major plot point spoiler ahead!),
I was furious with Zach, and it sort of soured me on the story. The ending is a HFN. I can't consider it a HEA, as it was too abrupt and left me with many unanswered questions.
January 3, 2016
This book had everything I wanted for Christmas & never got.Maybe this year:
*A wounded Seal with eyes the color of the ocean.
*A saintly horse-whisperer.
*A light house with views of the Atlantic ocean
*A golden retriever
And than there is a:
"a back stabbing,selfish,brother-fucking witch"...who starts this journey.
Sold!!!!!!!
*A wounded Seal with eyes the color of the ocean.
*A saintly horse-whisperer.
*A light house with views of the Atlantic ocean
*A golden retriever
And than there is a:
"a back stabbing,selfish,brother-fucking witch"...who starts this journey.
Sold!!!!!!!
January 24, 2016
I'm actually kind of sorry to rate this so low, because it was quite an entertaining read. The dialogues reminded me a bit of a sit-com:
This book was politically incorrect on so many levels, it was simply hilarious.
However, I didn't go into this expecting to be entertained like watching an episode of "The Big Bang Theory".
The plot itself is actually totally promising: Connor Thorne, a Navy SEAL who lost his lover in Afghanistan and was wounded himself, hides on a remote island in New England watching a lighthouse where he spends the winter seasons alone after all tourists are gone. This year, however, there is a second resident staying on the island: Zach, a vet who was cheated on by his fiancée decides to leave his old life behind and start out fresh by spending a winter watching an Inn on the same island. His plans of becoming a writer remain on the back burner, though, because one day Wilson, Thorne's dog, stands at his doorstep and befriends him.
So Wilson brings both guys together and the love story continues without many questions or second thoughts. All in all, the chemistry between those guys fell pretty flat for me. The PTSD theme was dealt with a bit superficially, as if it only existed to make Connor, the sexy Viking Warrior, a bit more interesting to Zach.
All in all, the story was way too short for much character development and what we did see of those guys sure entertained me on a humorous level, but not romantically. And since I feel that this book is intended as a romance, I decided to only give 2 stars. I'd love to read a comedy story with that kind of theme one day, though.
[Upon meeting his (now pregnant) ex-fiancée (yes, the 'backstabbing, selfish, brother-fucking witch')]
“Wow. You got fat.”
Thorne would have laughed at that, he realized, and teased him for his “bad-assery”. He grinned, then. “I’m sorry I stole your birth control pills. Ooops.”
In a moment, Thorne raced by, Wilson riding, balanced behind him on his hindquarters, with his paws on his shoulders.
"I feel like I’m about to help birth a calf,” Zach admitted, pressing another finger into him. “You know, like you’re a cow. And your balls and dick are like an udder.”
" .. just so you know, there is another guy on the island with you. So if you do—you know—die… well, he can put you on ice if necessary.”
“... high-pitched, sometimes shrieky voices—when they got angry enough, or lusty enough—he’d liked women.“
“ I was just doing what I’d do if you were a horse.”
This book was politically incorrect on so many levels, it was simply hilarious.
However, I didn't go into this expecting to be entertained like watching an episode of "The Big Bang Theory".
The plot itself is actually totally promising: Connor Thorne, a Navy SEAL who lost his lover in Afghanistan and was wounded himself, hides on a remote island in New England watching a lighthouse where he spends the winter seasons alone after all tourists are gone. This year, however, there is a second resident staying on the island: Zach, a vet who was cheated on by his fiancée decides to leave his old life behind and start out fresh by spending a winter watching an Inn on the same island. His plans of becoming a writer remain on the back burner, though, because one day Wilson, Thorne's dog, stands at his doorstep and befriends him.
So Wilson brings both guys together and the love story continues without many questions or second thoughts. All in all, the chemistry between those guys fell pretty flat for me. The PTSD theme was dealt with a bit superficially, as if it only existed to make Connor, the sexy Viking Warrior, a bit more interesting to Zach.
All in all, the story was way too short for much character development and what we did see of those guys sure entertained me on a humorous level, but not romantically. And since I feel that this book is intended as a romance, I decided to only give 2 stars. I'd love to read a comedy story with that kind of theme one day, though.
"Every morning, I’m cooking up a plateful of death.”
January 10, 2016
This started out strong but ultimately fell flat.
I like the gay for you trope. This wasn't exactly gay for you, bi for you is more accurate. The basis of the story worked for me. Veterinarian Zach retreats to an isolated island after his fiancée cheats with his brother days before the wedding. Connor Thorne is a scarred navy veteran that lives on the island year round. Zach signs on as caretaker to the island's only inn, and while Thorne prefers the isolation of the island lighthouse, Thorne's dog Wilson has a different idea. Wilson smells bacon coming from the inn and decides he and Zach need to be friends.
Zach and Thorne meet and don't exactly hit it off, but Wilson keeps bringing them together until they form a tentative friendship that turns into a mutual attraction. This is where things started dropping off for me. The writing became telling, not showing and I felt the story rushed toward the ending. Thorne lost his lover (his first male lover) in Afghanistan in the same explosion that caused his facial scarring and a permanent limp. He suffers from PTSD and has a few episodes while with Zach.
The book is called "Saving His Soldier" but I don't feel like the name fits. Zach makes a selfish decision just out of the blue. It leaves Thorne floundering and lost. Zach doesn't save Thorne, Thorne saves himself.
I didn't like the pacing of the book. Things are resolved too easily because let's face it - love is not a magic pill for PTSD. Combining that with the need for basic editing and sometimes awkward sentence structure makes this a miss for me.
I like the gay for you trope. This wasn't exactly gay for you, bi for you is more accurate. The basis of the story worked for me. Veterinarian Zach retreats to an isolated island after his fiancée cheats with his brother days before the wedding. Connor Thorne is a scarred navy veteran that lives on the island year round. Zach signs on as caretaker to the island's only inn, and while Thorne prefers the isolation of the island lighthouse, Thorne's dog Wilson has a different idea. Wilson smells bacon coming from the inn and decides he and Zach need to be friends.
Zach and Thorne meet and don't exactly hit it off, but Wilson keeps bringing them together until they form a tentative friendship that turns into a mutual attraction. This is where things started dropping off for me. The writing became telling, not showing and I felt the story rushed toward the ending. Thorne lost his lover (his first male lover) in Afghanistan in the same explosion that caused his facial scarring and a permanent limp. He suffers from PTSD and has a few episodes while with Zach.
The book is called "Saving His Soldier" but I don't feel like the name fits. Zach makes a selfish decision just out of the blue. It leaves Thorne floundering and lost. Zach doesn't save Thorne, Thorne saves himself.
I didn't like the pacing of the book. Things are resolved too easily because let's face it - love is not a magic pill for PTSD. Combining that with the need for basic editing and sometimes awkward sentence structure makes this a miss for me.
January 2, 2016
Eh
The story was short so everything happened way to fast, I wasn't able to really connect with characters, and everything was wrapped up in a pretty bow which is normally good but this story just didn't peak my interest once past the beginning.
The story was short so everything happened way to fast, I wasn't able to really connect with characters, and everything was wrapped up in a pretty bow which is normally good but this story just didn't peak my interest once past the beginning.
nope
January 1, 2016It sounded interesting enough from the blurb. But it's tagged as "straight to gay" which is a hard NO for me. Dear author, the term you're looking for is bisexual. Learn it. Use it.
friends-say-no
June 6, 2017Fried reviews were poor. I'm going to skip this one.
May 20, 2016
Connor Thorne is a former Navy SEAL content to live out his life on a secluded island with his dog and the lighthouse. After everything he's been through, he's not great with people. And he knows the scar on his face makes people not so great with him. So he looks forward to the winter months when he is the only one on the island.
But this year, the owner of the inn that serves as a tourist getaway in the summer has hired an winter caretaker. And Thorne knows there's no way he's going to be able to avoid the only other person on the island for that long. Especially when he holds the only way to contact the mainland. But that doesn't mean they need to get to know each other, right?
Zach Keegan, veterinarian-turned-writer, has taken the caretaker job to getaway. His fiancée cheated on him with his brother, and he's still not over the betrayal. He's hoping some time by himself will help him get past it. And how hard can it be to take care of an empty in for a few months?
What neither of them counts on is Thorne's dog, Wilson, who shows up on Zach's doorstep the first morning he's on the island. A bit of a stubborn dog, he brings the two of them together, though Thorne is still reluctant to make any sort of connection.
But after Thorne saves Zach's life, the two open up and learn that it might just be possible for them to save each other in ways they'd never expected.
--
This was a short, fast-paced read. The lives of these two--and their coming together--possessed and intensity that I appreciated as a reader. And there was something about Thorne that was endearing, despite his curmudgeonly ways.
The relationship development is also handled quite well. It's slow and reluctant. It reflects the personalities of both characters very well. Not only their cautious natures, but their apparent passionate tendencies--these guys don't do things halfway.
I'd say this is definitely an uplifting story, but there are a few drops of angst sprinkled in just because of both characters' pasts. Certainly a recommended read when you're wanting something nice--but maybe not too nice.
But this year, the owner of the inn that serves as a tourist getaway in the summer has hired an winter caretaker. And Thorne knows there's no way he's going to be able to avoid the only other person on the island for that long. Especially when he holds the only way to contact the mainland. But that doesn't mean they need to get to know each other, right?
Zach Keegan, veterinarian-turned-writer, has taken the caretaker job to getaway. His fiancée cheated on him with his brother, and he's still not over the betrayal. He's hoping some time by himself will help him get past it. And how hard can it be to take care of an empty in for a few months?
What neither of them counts on is Thorne's dog, Wilson, who shows up on Zach's doorstep the first morning he's on the island. A bit of a stubborn dog, he brings the two of them together, though Thorne is still reluctant to make any sort of connection.
But after Thorne saves Zach's life, the two open up and learn that it might just be possible for them to save each other in ways they'd never expected.
--
This was a short, fast-paced read. The lives of these two--and their coming together--possessed and intensity that I appreciated as a reader. And there was something about Thorne that was endearing, despite his curmudgeonly ways.
The relationship development is also handled quite well. It's slow and reluctant. It reflects the personalities of both characters very well. Not only their cautious natures, but their apparent passionate tendencies--these guys don't do things halfway.
I'd say this is definitely an uplifting story, but there are a few drops of angst sprinkled in just because of both characters' pasts. Certainly a recommended read when you're wanting something nice--but maybe not too nice.
January 4, 2016
A nice sweet read with all the elements for a cute, romantic story. It's possibly a little unclear what's in store for the relationship once the book ends but it's certainly a satisfying enough ending.
Note for the person who said this should be tagged bisexual and not straight to gay. My understanding of bisexual is a person who sleeps with both men & women and continues to do so. In this book the character has once slept with women but ends up choosing a relationship with a man. I would call that straight to gay. I think the book was properly tagged, sorry if you don't like that genre, I have found many STG titles I have really enjoyed, this one included.
Note for the person who said this should be tagged bisexual and not straight to gay. My understanding of bisexual is a person who sleeps with both men & women and continues to do so. In this book the character has once slept with women but ends up choosing a relationship with a man. I would call that straight to gay. I think the book was properly tagged, sorry if you don't like that genre, I have found many STG titles I have really enjoyed, this one included.
February 25, 2016
1.5 stars
January 8, 2016
3.5 stars
January 22, 2016
Loved it! Very sweet romantic read......perfect for an afternoon of escapism!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews