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SEALed #1
SEALed with a Kiss
Every hero needs help sometimes...
He can handle just about anything, except this...
Jax Graham is a member of an elite military team, but when it comes to taking care of his four-year-old son after his ex-wife dies, he's completely clueless.
One person can help him, if he'll let her...
Family therapist Pickett Sessoms knows just how to help a rough, tough Navy SEAL deal with a scared and lonely little boy, but not if he insists on going it alone.
When Jax and his young son, Tyler, get trapped by a hurricane, Pickett takes them in against her better judgment. Jax figures Pickett's high maintenance, just like all the women he knows, and she figures he's not commitment material. But when an outing turns deadly, Pickett discovers what it means to be a SEAL, and Jax discovers that even a hero needs help sometimes.
He can handle just about anything, except this...
Jax Graham is a member of an elite military team, but when it comes to taking care of his four-year-old son after his ex-wife dies, he's completely clueless.
One person can help him, if he'll let her...
Family therapist Pickett Sessoms knows just how to help a rough, tough Navy SEAL deal with a scared and lonely little boy, but not if he insists on going it alone.
When Jax and his young son, Tyler, get trapped by a hurricane, Pickett takes them in against her better judgment. Jax figures Pickett's high maintenance, just like all the women he knows, and she figures he's not commitment material. But when an outing turns deadly, Pickett discovers what it means to be a SEAL, and Jax discovers that even a hero needs help sometimes.
424 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
69 people are currently reading
1639 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
March 20, 2009
Sealed with a Kiss is a nice contemporary romance. The characters were engaging and the storyline was interesting. Jackson "Jax" Graham is a Navy SEAL with a problem - his ex-wife passed away, leaving his four year-old son who does not know him very well with his grandmother (who is not very nice and has a bit of an alcohol problem). His superior officer makes him take leave to spend some time with his son Tyler before he allows Jax to give up custody to the grandmother. Jax is used to commanding men on the battlefield and has no clue what to do with a four year-old who pretends he isn't there.
Pickett (seriously is this the best name the author could think of?) Sessoms is a family therapist who always wants to help other people with their problems. When she sees Jax and Tyler hanging out on the beach, she notices right away that Jax is trying to communicate with Tyler but failing miserably. She knows she can help him out since she counsels kids and parents for a living, so she goes to them and introduces herself. Jax thinks she is just coming on to him (which happens a lot since SEALs get a lot of groupies) but is happy to see Tyler finally responding to him. She spends an hour with them on the beach building a sand castle but Jax decides to just let her leave because she seems too high-maintenance for him, since he already dealt with that once with his ex-wife. He also has enough on his plate with trying to connect with his son who seems determined to ignore him after barely seeing him for years due to his military assignments and his ex-wife's interference.
Jax and Tyler end up at Pickett's house after a Catergory One hurricane comes ashore and they couldn't get a hotel. Pickett lets them stay because she is a soft heart and she sees how terrified Tyler is of the storm. Jax and Pickett start feeling their way through the attraction they feel for each other. Both have some issues about relationships that come into play. Pickett holds herself off emotionally to keep from being hurt, while Jax hasn't had a home in years and buries himself in his SEALs work to keep from feeling that loss. Pickett also spends some time teaching Jax how to interact with his son since they clearly had some problems. Jax and Picket start to fall in love but they have a big problem standing in their way - Jax is a SEAL on a one month leave so he needs to figure out what to do about Tyler and he can't promise Pickett he will stay around. Picket would have to take a chance on marrying a Navy SEAL and due to her therapy sessions, she knows exactly how hard a military marriage can be. The book gives out a marriage failure rate of 95% for Navy SEALs, which even I would have a problem rolling the dice for, despite the chance at a hot military man.
I did enjoy this romance, I am such a sucker for hot military men, but give me a military man and a mother-less kid? Okay I am sold! The story flowed well and was very realistic. There were no quick fixes to Jax learning how to interact with his son, he had to learn over time. Pickett had a very realistic family who caused her problems despite her therapist training, it wasn't one big happy joyfest like some romances try to make. The relationship progression was also realistic but still romantic enough for a romance.
That being said, I did have a couple of problems with the book. There was just too much time spent on the characters thoughts instead of just showing the scene, I swear about 3/4 of the book was spent telling us what Pickett and Jax thought about things. Pickett in particular had to think through EVERYTHING about the relationship. I just wanted them to go with the flow and stop analyzing stuff to death! I know she is a therapist but it got a little ridiculous. The author needs to work more on "show don't tell", as in she could have shown us what the characters were thinking by how they acted. Another pet peeve that showed up at least twice: the heroine thinks "Well if only this were a romance novel, this would happen". Hey toots: you are in a romance novel, so it should happen! I hate when authors put this phrase in a ROMANCE book then point out what a romantic hero would do if it was one. Hello, then I just compare this romance book to the ones I know where the hero does do something romantic like sweep her off her feet. Grrrrr!!! One more gripe: the love scenes faded to black during the actual event. We would see the lead up then the after effects but no actual boom-boom. I HATE when authors do that because I feel like they teased me, got me all excited, then walked away when I was about to get the payoff - which is just not cool. I thought it was a fluke the first time but then it kept happening. Please just give me a couple of details!
So overall: I did enjoy the story. I like the hot Navy SEAL hero who has a vulnerable side but was really sexy and has a cute kid that he wants to have a better relationship with. I like Pickett (despite her horrible name) and thought she was a great person who helped others out a lot. She was almost to Saint-hood level but luckily she had a few emotional issues to keep her from being too perfect. I loved the three-legged dog Hobo Joe and the duck Mr. Quackers. I liked the realistic but romantic love story. The author needs to give less internal dialogue so I don't feel like I am reading the heroine's diary, don't reference romance books in a romance book and please for the love of God give me some "details" about the love scenes so I don't get female blue balls. I am looking forward to the next SEAL story, we met two of the Jax's military buddies so it will be fun to read their stories.
Pickett (seriously is this the best name the author could think of?) Sessoms is a family therapist who always wants to help other people with their problems. When she sees Jax and Tyler hanging out on the beach, she notices right away that Jax is trying to communicate with Tyler but failing miserably. She knows she can help him out since she counsels kids and parents for a living, so she goes to them and introduces herself. Jax thinks she is just coming on to him (which happens a lot since SEALs get a lot of groupies) but is happy to see Tyler finally responding to him. She spends an hour with them on the beach building a sand castle but Jax decides to just let her leave because she seems too high-maintenance for him, since he already dealt with that once with his ex-wife. He also has enough on his plate with trying to connect with his son who seems determined to ignore him after barely seeing him for years due to his military assignments and his ex-wife's interference.
Jax and Tyler end up at Pickett's house after a Catergory One hurricane comes ashore and they couldn't get a hotel. Pickett lets them stay because she is a soft heart and she sees how terrified Tyler is of the storm. Jax and Pickett start feeling their way through the attraction they feel for each other. Both have some issues about relationships that come into play. Pickett holds herself off emotionally to keep from being hurt, while Jax hasn't had a home in years and buries himself in his SEALs work to keep from feeling that loss. Pickett also spends some time teaching Jax how to interact with his son since they clearly had some problems. Jax and Picket start to fall in love but they have a big problem standing in their way - Jax is a SEAL on a one month leave so he needs to figure out what to do about Tyler and he can't promise Pickett he will stay around. Picket would have to take a chance on marrying a Navy SEAL and due to her therapy sessions, she knows exactly how hard a military marriage can be. The book gives out a marriage failure rate of 95% for Navy SEALs, which even I would have a problem rolling the dice for, despite the chance at a hot military man.
I did enjoy this romance, I am such a sucker for hot military men, but give me a military man and a mother-less kid? Okay I am sold! The story flowed well and was very realistic. There were no quick fixes to Jax learning how to interact with his son, he had to learn over time. Pickett had a very realistic family who caused her problems despite her therapist training, it wasn't one big happy joyfest like some romances try to make. The relationship progression was also realistic but still romantic enough for a romance.
That being said, I did have a couple of problems with the book. There was just too much time spent on the characters thoughts instead of just showing the scene, I swear about 3/4 of the book was spent telling us what Pickett and Jax thought about things. Pickett in particular had to think through EVERYTHING about the relationship. I just wanted them to go with the flow and stop analyzing stuff to death! I know she is a therapist but it got a little ridiculous. The author needs to work more on "show don't tell", as in she could have shown us what the characters were thinking by how they acted. Another pet peeve that showed up at least twice: the heroine thinks "Well if only this were a romance novel, this would happen". Hey toots: you are in a romance novel, so it should happen! I hate when authors put this phrase in a ROMANCE book then point out what a romantic hero would do if it was one. Hello, then I just compare this romance book to the ones I know where the hero does do something romantic like sweep her off her feet. Grrrrr!!! One more gripe: the love scenes faded to black during the actual event. We would see the lead up then the after effects but no actual boom-boom. I HATE when authors do that because I feel like they teased me, got me all excited, then walked away when I was about to get the payoff - which is just not cool. I thought it was a fluke the first time but then it kept happening. Please just give me a couple of details!
So overall: I did enjoy the story. I like the hot Navy SEAL hero who has a vulnerable side but was really sexy and has a cute kid that he wants to have a better relationship with. I like Pickett (despite her horrible name) and thought she was a great person who helped others out a lot. She was almost to Saint-hood level but luckily she had a few emotional issues to keep her from being too perfect. I loved the three-legged dog Hobo Joe and the duck Mr. Quackers. I liked the realistic but romantic love story. The author needs to give less internal dialogue so I don't feel like I am reading the heroine's diary, don't reference romance books in a romance book and please for the love of God give me some "details" about the love scenes so I don't get female blue balls. I am looking forward to the next SEAL story, we met two of the Jax's military buddies so it will be fun to read their stories.
May 16, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com
What an incredibly powerful book! I confess I’d heard positive buzz on a few internet sites about this book, but I wasn’t prepared for the read I got. Stories about SEALs and other elite military forces are very popular these days. I confess that I don’t usually run out to buy these; primarily because many of them tend to pass over the incredible sacrifices these men AND women make EVERY DAY. In “SEALed with a Kiss”, Mary Margret Daughtridge has done a stellar job writing a realistic romance without trying to sugarcoat the difficulties inherent in any military relationship.
Pickett (what IS it with names these days?) is a family therapist and works with military families. She knows just how tough the life is for those in the ‘field’ and those left behind. She also knows she has no intention of finding herself in the same situation as those she counsels. She enjoys helping others, but isn’t perfect herself and that made it much easier to put myself in her place. She believes she’s overcome her poor self-image and the insecurities of youth…until she becomes involved with Jax and his son Tyler.
Jax is a SEAL. There’s pretty much nothing he can’t overcome. Until his ex-wife dies and he’s faced with the decision of what to do with his four-year-old son. He wants to connect with Tyler, but just can’t seem to quite get there. When he’s almost to the point of giving up, a woman appears who seems to know exactly what to say and do to get his son talking. When he seizes the opportunity of a storm to seek shelter from her, things become much more complicated.
I don’t think there’s quite enough room for me to list all the things I liked about this book. I already mentioned the realities of military life; the long absences, sudden deployments, loneliness, lack of stability, and financial hardships can constitute such an overwhelming struggle for these families. Not to mention the relative youth of most of them. Yet Daughtridge manages to provide a sense of empowerment to these patriots. She gives us a chance to try and understand what they face, all without preaching to us!
The lead characters in this story are far from perfect. He has the military traits of order, discipline, and domination which aren’t really a plus at the end of the duty day! She has the knowledge and ability to identify relationship issues, but is less willing to open her own self up and risk the hurt that can come with loving others. Aren’t we all like that? We appreciate our heroes when our security or national pride is at stake; but would we ourselves be willing to make the sacrifices and compromises necessary ourselves? In the end “SEALed With a Kiss” by Mary Margret Daughtridge IS a romance. There is plenty of heat between our lead characters and the growth of their relationship is mirrored in their trust with one another. While I read this book I laughed and sniffled, then I was turned on and turned inside out…and at the end, very, very glad I read it!
What an incredibly powerful book! I confess I’d heard positive buzz on a few internet sites about this book, but I wasn’t prepared for the read I got. Stories about SEALs and other elite military forces are very popular these days. I confess that I don’t usually run out to buy these; primarily because many of them tend to pass over the incredible sacrifices these men AND women make EVERY DAY. In “SEALed with a Kiss”, Mary Margret Daughtridge has done a stellar job writing a realistic romance without trying to sugarcoat the difficulties inherent in any military relationship.
Pickett (what IS it with names these days?) is a family therapist and works with military families. She knows just how tough the life is for those in the ‘field’ and those left behind. She also knows she has no intention of finding herself in the same situation as those she counsels. She enjoys helping others, but isn’t perfect herself and that made it much easier to put myself in her place. She believes she’s overcome her poor self-image and the insecurities of youth…until she becomes involved with Jax and his son Tyler.
Jax is a SEAL. There’s pretty much nothing he can’t overcome. Until his ex-wife dies and he’s faced with the decision of what to do with his four-year-old son. He wants to connect with Tyler, but just can’t seem to quite get there. When he’s almost to the point of giving up, a woman appears who seems to know exactly what to say and do to get his son talking. When he seizes the opportunity of a storm to seek shelter from her, things become much more complicated.
I don’t think there’s quite enough room for me to list all the things I liked about this book. I already mentioned the realities of military life; the long absences, sudden deployments, loneliness, lack of stability, and financial hardships can constitute such an overwhelming struggle for these families. Not to mention the relative youth of most of them. Yet Daughtridge manages to provide a sense of empowerment to these patriots. She gives us a chance to try and understand what they face, all without preaching to us!
The lead characters in this story are far from perfect. He has the military traits of order, discipline, and domination which aren’t really a plus at the end of the duty day! She has the knowledge and ability to identify relationship issues, but is less willing to open her own self up and risk the hurt that can come with loving others. Aren’t we all like that? We appreciate our heroes when our security or national pride is at stake; but would we ourselves be willing to make the sacrifices and compromises necessary ourselves? In the end “SEALed With a Kiss” by Mary Margret Daughtridge IS a romance. There is plenty of heat between our lead characters and the growth of their relationship is mirrored in their trust with one another. While I read this book I laughed and sniffled, then I was turned on and turned inside out…and at the end, very, very glad I read it!
March 30, 2008
This one started out a little slow for me, but once it finally got going I couldn't put it down!
Rough, tough Navy SEAL Jax Graham can take anything the Navy throws at him, but when his ex-wife dies and leaves him to care for his 4 year old son Tyler, he's completely helpless. He's ready to give up custody of his son to his ex-mother-in-law until his commanding officer forces him to take leave and think about what he could be giving up.
A chance meeting on the beach with pretty family therapist Pickett Sessoms (yes, that's really her name) turns his world upside down. When Jax and Tyler are left stranded by a hurricane, Pickett reluctantly takes them in. Jax is attracted to Pickett, but doesn't like commitments--his life as a SEAL comes first. Pickett is attracted to Jax, and she's not looking for a commitment (or so she thinks). If these two can get past the barriers around their hearts, they will find they are just what the other one needs. It takes a near tragedy at the end of the book for them to open their eyes to the possibilities of a future together.
This book was not the typical fast paced, light romance. Jax and Pickett had a lot of issues to work through, and they eventually did. They made a wonderful couple though, and there were quite a few hot romantic encounters! I was really rooting for them to find a HEA. This turned out to be a very satisfying read for me. I will definitely look forward to reading more books by this author!
Rough, tough Navy SEAL Jax Graham can take anything the Navy throws at him, but when his ex-wife dies and leaves him to care for his 4 year old son Tyler, he's completely helpless. He's ready to give up custody of his son to his ex-mother-in-law until his commanding officer forces him to take leave and think about what he could be giving up.
A chance meeting on the beach with pretty family therapist Pickett Sessoms (yes, that's really her name) turns his world upside down. When Jax and Tyler are left stranded by a hurricane, Pickett reluctantly takes them in. Jax is attracted to Pickett, but doesn't like commitments--his life as a SEAL comes first. Pickett is attracted to Jax, and she's not looking for a commitment (or so she thinks). If these two can get past the barriers around their hearts, they will find they are just what the other one needs. It takes a near tragedy at the end of the book for them to open their eyes to the possibilities of a future together.
This book was not the typical fast paced, light romance. Jax and Pickett had a lot of issues to work through, and they eventually did. They made a wonderful couple though, and there were quite a few hot romantic encounters! I was really rooting for them to find a HEA. This turned out to be a very satisfying read for me. I will definitely look forward to reading more books by this author!
June 14, 2015
Wonderful feel-good, light, modern romance with super characters and exceptional writing skills made this a fun book to read. It took awhile (page 82ish) to get the story set up, but once it got going, it went and I couldn't put the book down. The beginning set the stage for what the book was about--it was necessary and showed just how far the characters (Jax and his 4-year old son, Tyler) had to go.
Pickett (what a neat name!) was a heartwarming character and became the sunshine to Jax and his little son, Tyler. She was a marriage counselor at a military installation in North Carolina when she crossed paths with Jax trying to get to know his son--on the beach just prior to the arrival of Hurricane Elvira (level 1). She saw them struggling, offered some assistance that worked and the next thing she knew Jax and Tyler were sheltering with her during the hurricane...
This would be a great romance for a teenager because it was not explicit in nature (rated PG13); however, the emotions that were written into the romantic interludes (before and after) were some of the best I've ever read. Talk about HOT without the actual lovemaking. That takes skill!
The author was very crafty in weaving this story using all kinds of poetic phrases, metaphors, and literary skill that, quite frankly, impressed the heck out This Reader.
Pickett (what a neat name!) was a heartwarming character and became the sunshine to Jax and his little son, Tyler. She was a marriage counselor at a military installation in North Carolina when she crossed paths with Jax trying to get to know his son--on the beach just prior to the arrival of Hurricane Elvira (level 1). She saw them struggling, offered some assistance that worked and the next thing she knew Jax and Tyler were sheltering with her during the hurricane...
This would be a great romance for a teenager because it was not explicit in nature (rated PG13); however, the emotions that were written into the romantic interludes (before and after) were some of the best I've ever read. Talk about HOT without the actual lovemaking. That takes skill!
The author was very crafty in weaving this story using all kinds of poetic phrases, metaphors, and literary skill that, quite frankly, impressed the heck out This Reader.
September 21, 2008
Sealed with a Kiss was a very good contemporary romance. The hero and heroine were both very likeable, and the storyline was believable and interesting. The hero, Jax, is a Navy SEAL, and he is a strong, protective man who has not received much love in his life. He believes that long term relationships are not for him. Pickett, the heroine, is a family therapist who counsels many military families. Pickett is wonderful with people and good at what she does, but seeing the problems her clients face makes her afraid to risk herself in an uncertain relationship. The story of these two caring individuals finding their way past difficulties and into a loving partnership with one another was very touching.
Jax Graham is a tough Navy SEAl who takes leave to spend time with his four year old son, Tyler, when his ex-wife dies. Jax dearly loves Tyler, but has not spent much time with him since he was a baby, and he does not immediately have a good rapport with the small, grieving boy. Jax is a Navy SEAL through and through, and he knows that his lifestyle is not what a young child needs. Jax believes that it will be in Tyler's best interest to live with his grandmother, Lauren, who has taken care of him in the weeks since the death of his mother. The not so successful visit with his son takes place at Lauren's beach cottage. When a hurricane threatens, it appears that his time with Tyler will be cut short. Lauren packs and heads home, expecting Jax to follow with Tyler. As Jax contemplates how little time he has spent with Tyler, he decides not to lose what time he has left now. When Jax and Tyler have difficulty finding a place to stay as people evacuate the beach, Jax prevails upon a new acquaintance, Pickett Sessoms, for shelter during the coming storm.
Pickett met Jax and Tyler while preparing the cottage of an elderly couple for the hurricane. She immediately saw the tension between them, and spent an hour with them on the beach. Pickett was able to relate to Tyler, and soon had him acting like the exuberant four year old he was before his mother's death. With Pickett's departure, the anxious, troubled little boy immediately returned. Pickett has some reservations about letting the two stay with her, but being the giving, caring individual she is, she agrees. Tyler again blossoms quickly with Pickett's attention, and she helps Jax to relate better to his son. Jax and Pickett are very attracted to one another, and they agree try a date after the storm. Jax leaves Pickett's home quickly after the hurricane, but finding the beach closed, gives in to Tyler's wish to return. When Pickett reluctantly lets the two stay with her again, Jax and Pickett soon give in to their desire for one another. Jax quickly realizes how much he admires Pickett, and he is amazed at how good she is with Tyler. Becoming better acquainted with and attuned to his son, Jax decides that he has to find a successful way of having Tyler live with him. A member of Jax's team points out that Jax is obviously head over heels for Pickett, and that she is the perfect solution for Tyler. Pickett's determination to never become a casualty of a military marriage quickly derails his plans. Realizing how their feelings for one another have quickly grown and how strongly they feel, Jax and Pickett must overcome fear of the difficulties facing them so that they can have a chance at happiness together.
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the way that Jax so readily seemed to accept everything about Pickett. Pickett was a little more reserved towards Jax because of her belief that she could never be happy with a military man, let alone a Navy SEAL, but she was still a very caring and sympathetic heroine. I also enjoyed the character of Jax's son, Tyler. Sealed with a Kiss was engrossing, and the way it dealt realistically with the hardships of family life as a SEAL was poignant. I will definitely be looking for more by this author.
Jax Graham is a tough Navy SEAl who takes leave to spend time with his four year old son, Tyler, when his ex-wife dies. Jax dearly loves Tyler, but has not spent much time with him since he was a baby, and he does not immediately have a good rapport with the small, grieving boy. Jax is a Navy SEAL through and through, and he knows that his lifestyle is not what a young child needs. Jax believes that it will be in Tyler's best interest to live with his grandmother, Lauren, who has taken care of him in the weeks since the death of his mother. The not so successful visit with his son takes place at Lauren's beach cottage. When a hurricane threatens, it appears that his time with Tyler will be cut short. Lauren packs and heads home, expecting Jax to follow with Tyler. As Jax contemplates how little time he has spent with Tyler, he decides not to lose what time he has left now. When Jax and Tyler have difficulty finding a place to stay as people evacuate the beach, Jax prevails upon a new acquaintance, Pickett Sessoms, for shelter during the coming storm.
Pickett met Jax and Tyler while preparing the cottage of an elderly couple for the hurricane. She immediately saw the tension between them, and spent an hour with them on the beach. Pickett was able to relate to Tyler, and soon had him acting like the exuberant four year old he was before his mother's death. With Pickett's departure, the anxious, troubled little boy immediately returned. Pickett has some reservations about letting the two stay with her, but being the giving, caring individual she is, she agrees. Tyler again blossoms quickly with Pickett's attention, and she helps Jax to relate better to his son. Jax and Pickett are very attracted to one another, and they agree try a date after the storm. Jax leaves Pickett's home quickly after the hurricane, but finding the beach closed, gives in to Tyler's wish to return. When Pickett reluctantly lets the two stay with her again, Jax and Pickett soon give in to their desire for one another. Jax quickly realizes how much he admires Pickett, and he is amazed at how good she is with Tyler. Becoming better acquainted with and attuned to his son, Jax decides that he has to find a successful way of having Tyler live with him. A member of Jax's team points out that Jax is obviously head over heels for Pickett, and that she is the perfect solution for Tyler. Pickett's determination to never become a casualty of a military marriage quickly derails his plans. Realizing how their feelings for one another have quickly grown and how strongly they feel, Jax and Pickett must overcome fear of the difficulties facing them so that they can have a chance at happiness together.
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the way that Jax so readily seemed to accept everything about Pickett. Pickett was a little more reserved towards Jax because of her belief that she could never be happy with a military man, let alone a Navy SEAL, but she was still a very caring and sympathetic heroine. I also enjoyed the character of Jax's son, Tyler. Sealed with a Kiss was engrossing, and the way it dealt realistically with the hardships of family life as a SEAL was poignant. I will definitely be looking for more by this author.
September 3, 2008
I LOVED this book! I had it on my list because of a couple of great reviews here (thanks Julie and Auntee!), so when I found it on PBS I got it. Read the other ladies' reviews if you want to know more; suffice it to say that I will be looking for more of this talented author's work!
June 8, 2011
3.5 - 4 stars. Hearing that a character in this book had celiac disease got me interested in starting it and though it had some issues, it was a throughly entertaining story.
Jax and Pickett write each other off as potential dates almost as soon as they meet. Pickett is a therapist who knows the emotional risks of getting involved with a SEAL; Jax assumes (because of her seeming food pickiness) that Pickett is high maintenance, and he’s been there, done that and bought the t-shirt. But circumstances involving Jax’s motherless 4 year old son bring them together, giving Jax new insight into his relationship with his son, Pickett new insight into her relationship with her family, and both of them happy fun times in bed.
This suffers a bit from romance cliche syndrome -- selfish materialistic, ex-wife, one of those gently used heroines who thinks she hates sex -- but I liked that the book was scrupulously plausible in most other areas, although some readers might find it too much of an info-duper on child development, celiac disease and so forth. I particularly liked Pickett’s concern about appropriate behavior and boundaries, since romance characters are so often thoroughly unprofessional. And I was thrilled when the potentially very cliched ending turned out to be true to the characters and really vital to the development of their relationship.
Although not a side-splitter, this had some good funny moments, including a charmingly playful sex scene and a fabulous last line. There’s also a bit of suspense that allows Jax’s SEAL training to shine and for Pickett to come to some important realizations. The writing style was a little unusual: scenes often start in the middle, then flash back to what happened before. This could be confusing and during the sex scenes was a little disappointing. From reading other reviews, I can see I’m not the only person who likes to see the first time!
Overall, I think most readers who go for the strong but gentle and physically heroic type would enjoy this, unless they really hate kid characters. (The son gets quite a bit of air time.)
Jax and Pickett write each other off as potential dates almost as soon as they meet. Pickett is a therapist who knows the emotional risks of getting involved with a SEAL; Jax assumes (because of her seeming food pickiness) that Pickett is high maintenance, and he’s been there, done that and bought the t-shirt. But circumstances involving Jax’s motherless 4 year old son bring them together, giving Jax new insight into his relationship with his son, Pickett new insight into her relationship with her family, and both of them happy fun times in bed.
This suffers a bit from romance cliche syndrome -- selfish materialistic, ex-wife, one of those gently used heroines who thinks she hates sex -- but I liked that the book was scrupulously plausible in most other areas, although some readers might find it too much of an info-duper on child development, celiac disease and so forth. I particularly liked Pickett’s concern about appropriate behavior and boundaries, since romance characters are so often thoroughly unprofessional. And I was thrilled when the potentially very cliched ending turned out to be true to the characters and really vital to the development of their relationship.
Although not a side-splitter, this had some good funny moments, including a charmingly playful sex scene and a fabulous last line. There’s also a bit of suspense that allows Jax’s SEAL training to shine and for Pickett to come to some important realizations. The writing style was a little unusual: scenes often start in the middle, then flash back to what happened before. This could be confusing and during the sex scenes was a little disappointing. From reading other reviews, I can see I’m not the only person who likes to see the first time!
Overall, I think most readers who go for the strong but gentle and physically heroic type would enjoy this, unless they really hate kid characters. (The son gets quite a bit of air time.)
June 14, 2011
Probably closer to 2 1/2 stars...
Jax Graham is a SEAL, and father to a shy four year old boy. His ex-wife recently died, and Tyler, his son, has been living with his alcoholic, neurotic ex-mother-in-law. While they are all hanging out at Topsail Island, a hurricane heads in their direction.
Jax decides to impose upon his recent (as in less than 24 hours) acquaintance Pickett Sessoms. Pickett is a family therapist with some serious problems of her own. Jax has convinced her to teach him to be a better father.
I really couldn't get over the fact that Pickett would let a total stranger into her home to ride out a hurricane (But he's a SEAL!). I also had a hard time getting past the fact that, as a therapist, she let a short relationship several years previous scar her so badly. It was difficult to belief that a therapist would willingly and with little thought let her personal and professional life cross over.
I also found the writing to be repetitive. It's pretty obvious that he's a SEAL. It was almost as if the author didn't trust the reader to be smart enough to remember this. It was repeated and referenced continually. There was so much discussion of the character's thoughts that nothing ever happened... and their internal monologues pretty much never changed. It got rather tedious.
Also, the formatting on the Kindle made it almost impossible to read. I found that in some parts I was more interested in the horrible formatting (no spaces between words, line breaks in the middle of words, etc.) than in the actual plot of this book.
Jax Graham is a SEAL, and father to a shy four year old boy. His ex-wife recently died, and Tyler, his son, has been living with his alcoholic, neurotic ex-mother-in-law. While they are all hanging out at Topsail Island, a hurricane heads in their direction.
Jax decides to impose upon his recent (as in less than 24 hours) acquaintance Pickett Sessoms. Pickett is a family therapist with some serious problems of her own. Jax has convinced her to teach him to be a better father.
I really couldn't get over the fact that Pickett would let a total stranger into her home to ride out a hurricane (But he's a SEAL!). I also had a hard time getting past the fact that, as a therapist, she let a short relationship several years previous scar her so badly. It was difficult to belief that a therapist would willingly and with little thought let her personal and professional life cross over.
I also found the writing to be repetitive. It's pretty obvious that he's a SEAL. It was almost as if the author didn't trust the reader to be smart enough to remember this. It was repeated and referenced continually. There was so much discussion of the character's thoughts that nothing ever happened... and their internal monologues pretty much never changed. It got rather tedious.
Also, the formatting on the Kindle made it almost impossible to read. I found that in some parts I was more interested in the horrible formatting (no spaces between words, line breaks in the middle of words, etc.) than in the actual plot of this book.
May 13, 2011
I got this book for free from amazon. As a military spouse, I thought that it looked interesting. It was pretty good.
I enjoyed the way that Jax and Pickett found their way to one another while caring for Jax' son, Tyler.
I enjoyed the insight into a SEAL mindset.
I enjoyed the way Pickett worked with Tyler, and Jax, to help them find one another.
I HATED (totally) that Jax knew Tyler's grandmother DRANK and he still considered sending the boy to live with her...FULL TIME...part time would still be OUT OF THE QUESTION!!! That bothered me throughout the book.
I thought some of the repetition was tiring. The writer repeated, several times, WHY they both were afraid to commit. I got that after about the third time.
I loved the big chaotic moment at the end...the one that made them realize how they felt about each other. The action was very well written.
I really didn't GET Pickett's name...or her SISTER'S...Lyle. These folks are from the SOUTH...and those names were weird. Was Lyle's name because she was gay? Their Southern mama named her that before she knew her leanings. I found it interesting that the NAMES kept halting me as I read.
I enjoyed the way that Jax and Pickett found their way to one another while caring for Jax' son, Tyler.
I enjoyed the insight into a SEAL mindset.
I enjoyed the way Pickett worked with Tyler, and Jax, to help them find one another.
I HATED (totally) that Jax knew Tyler's grandmother DRANK and he still considered sending the boy to live with her...FULL TIME...part time would still be OUT OF THE QUESTION!!! That bothered me throughout the book.
I thought some of the repetition was tiring. The writer repeated, several times, WHY they both were afraid to commit. I got that after about the third time.
I loved the big chaotic moment at the end...the one that made them realize how they felt about each other. The action was very well written.
I really didn't GET Pickett's name...or her SISTER'S...Lyle. These folks are from the SOUTH...and those names were weird. Was Lyle's name because she was gay? Their Southern mama named her that before she knew her leanings. I found it interesting that the NAMES kept halting me as I read.
March 30, 2015
This was a pretty good book except for a couple of things that kept me from enjoying it
1 - The female lead is called Pickett. It is a very very distracting name
2 - The story revolves around a Navy Seal and his son crashing over at a virtual stranger's place during the hurricane, which is all well and good except i don't know that many strangers who help you out not because of the hurricane but so they can teach you to bond with your son. It was a bit weird how trusting Pickett was, is all
Neways, so this story is about a Navy Seal whose ex-wife passed away and has a couple of weeks to bond with his son before he passes custody to his mother-in-law. A navy life is no place for a young boy and Jax thinks his mom-in-law is best suited to handle the boy he knows nothing about himself. Enter Pickett, a therapist who sees the kid Tyler and knows how to fix this. The attraction is between Jax and Pickett makes good reading and you'll enjoy the journey. There's a bit too much of internal monologue and backstory that you don't always need to know, but other than that, its all good.
1 - The female lead is called Pickett. It is a very very distracting name
2 - The story revolves around a Navy Seal and his son crashing over at a virtual stranger's place during the hurricane, which is all well and good except i don't know that many strangers who help you out not because of the hurricane but so they can teach you to bond with your son. It was a bit weird how trusting Pickett was, is all
Neways, so this story is about a Navy Seal whose ex-wife passed away and has a couple of weeks to bond with his son before he passes custody to his mother-in-law. A navy life is no place for a young boy and Jax thinks his mom-in-law is best suited to handle the boy he knows nothing about himself. Enter Pickett, a therapist who sees the kid Tyler and knows how to fix this. The attraction is between Jax and Pickett makes good reading and you'll enjoy the journey. There's a bit too much of internal monologue and backstory that you don't always need to know, but other than that, its all good.
June 19, 2014
SEALed with a Kiss is a sweet and steamy romance that will have you hugging your eReader and saying Awwww. Although the HEA is predictable, the story is an enjoyable read.
The heroine is a therapist who works with clients at a military base. The hero is a Navy SEAL trying to reconnect with his 4 year-old-son after the death of his ex-wife. I recommend SEALed with a Kiss to readers in the mood for a light, feel-good romance. Enjoy!
The heroine is a therapist who works with clients at a military base. The hero is a Navy SEAL trying to reconnect with his 4 year-old-son after the death of his ex-wife. I recommend SEALed with a Kiss to readers in the mood for a light, feel-good romance. Enjoy!
September 26, 2010
I definitely enjoyed this book. I would have liked to have a little more SEAL action involved. I understand that the focus of the story is on the father-son relationship, but we never would have known that Jax was a SEAL if he didn't mention it every once in a while. It would have been interesting if Jax had flashbacks of past missions. I would have also liked to get to know the grandmother better. I think her character could have added a little more conflict to the story. I enjoyed reading the book, but I am not sure if I would recommend it to others. I plan to read the next book to see if the series improves.
November 20, 2013
First off, I wanted to like this book more than I wound up doing. The idea of the story was good. SEALS are different than regular humans, almost supermen in a way. However, they are also very self centered, focused, and self-involved. For very good and understandable reasons, of course. I always love a story where they are put forward in a good light, with understanding of who and what they are and how important it is that they aren't people to be 'changed' but rather to be accepted. Not that they are prefect, by a long shot, but certainly necessary to the world as it is today.
I will admit that part of me completely understood Jax. He came from a background of wealth, but also of neglect, and lost his only friend young, a friend whose family had been there for him when no one else was. However, for most of the book, I would have been just as happy to hit him over the head with a brick.
Jax went into a marriage for the most shallow of reasons – a leggy, shallow female who appealed to his sex drive but whom he had absolutely no sense of connection to other than what happened in the bedroom. And, as with lust, that faded even more quickly than any sort of connection. Within a year the wife has had a child and left him, only to pass away within four years, leaving their son with his grandmother. In some cases, being with a grandmother is the perfect solution, and as Jax really doesn’t care to be a parent anyway, well, heck, that works, right? Only his Commander’s insistence sends Jax to North Carolina to spend time with a boy he apparently doesn’t want or need in his life.
Of course, in true ‘romance novel’ style, he comes to learn that he really does want the boy in his life, but NOT if it interferes with his SEAL life. So, he fully intends to send the boy back to his grandmother, and, this is where he really ticks me off – even though he knows full well that the grandmother is a drunk who is cruel to the boy at every opportunity. That doesn’t matter as much to him as getting back to his “real” life. Bzzz! Can we all say ‘self-centred jerk”?
Yes, it all works out in the end, and if it weren’t for Tyler, the son, and the fact that I really liked Pickett as much as I did, well. Let’s just say the book would be rolling around in the 1-star galaxy. Pickett, the female lead, is soft and warmhearted, but also strong and in control of her own life, even though she has allowed her family to convince her she is not up to the ‘quality’ of their particularly stylish family. I got her, and liked and admired her. Tyler came to the story withdrawn and in incredible pain, with a dead mother, a vituperate grandmother, and a father who looks at him as just another soldier, expected to snap to and behave as any other soldier under his command while they were together. And of course, as he only planned to spend the required 30-days with his son, he couldn’t wait to get it over with so he could get back to SEAL life and forget his responsibilities as a parent. It was deeply painful to watch their interactions during the first half of the book, even when Pickett, the child and family counselor, was doing her level best to show him what a complete and total screw up he was as a parent… gently, of course.
There were a lot of other things that bothered me about the book, technical issues that I doubt anyone would notice but me. “Tyler's old DOD 1332.30” . . . hum…. The 1332.30 is “for the administrative separation of commissioned officers of the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps for substandard performance of duty, an act or acts of misconduct, moral or professional dereliction, in the interest of national security, and for the discharge of regular commissioned officers with less than 5 years active commissioned service in certain circumstances.” Hummmm again. So, his Commander had his “old 1332.30” on his desk? So, a 1332.30 was already previously filed, but Jax is now command personnel, even thought he was previously kicked out of the military for dereliction of some sort?
Additionally, I am always disappointed when authors don’t take advantage of beta readers and editors in order to ascertain that their books are error free. Though not as bad as some of the books I have recently read (or, should I say, tried to read) the book needs a good cleaning up of missing and misused words and spelling. Disappointing.
Overall, the Jax character was a bit too much on the selfish side, even for a SEAL to not irritate me beyond any ability to come to like him in the end. Actually, I would have liked the book better without the Jax character in it. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a romance per-se so would lose a large part of it’s audience, but if the author had made it a story of Pickett taking in a parentless child and the development of the two of them as a family, I think this could have easily been at least four, if not five, stars.
I will admit that part of me completely understood Jax. He came from a background of wealth, but also of neglect, and lost his only friend young, a friend whose family had been there for him when no one else was. However, for most of the book, I would have been just as happy to hit him over the head with a brick.
Jax went into a marriage for the most shallow of reasons – a leggy, shallow female who appealed to his sex drive but whom he had absolutely no sense of connection to other than what happened in the bedroom. And, as with lust, that faded even more quickly than any sort of connection. Within a year the wife has had a child and left him, only to pass away within four years, leaving their son with his grandmother. In some cases, being with a grandmother is the perfect solution, and as Jax really doesn’t care to be a parent anyway, well, heck, that works, right? Only his Commander’s insistence sends Jax to North Carolina to spend time with a boy he apparently doesn’t want or need in his life.
Of course, in true ‘romance novel’ style, he comes to learn that he really does want the boy in his life, but NOT if it interferes with his SEAL life. So, he fully intends to send the boy back to his grandmother, and, this is where he really ticks me off – even though he knows full well that the grandmother is a drunk who is cruel to the boy at every opportunity. That doesn’t matter as much to him as getting back to his “real” life. Bzzz! Can we all say ‘self-centred jerk”?
Yes, it all works out in the end, and if it weren’t for Tyler, the son, and the fact that I really liked Pickett as much as I did, well. Let’s just say the book would be rolling around in the 1-star galaxy. Pickett, the female lead, is soft and warmhearted, but also strong and in control of her own life, even though she has allowed her family to convince her she is not up to the ‘quality’ of their particularly stylish family. I got her, and liked and admired her. Tyler came to the story withdrawn and in incredible pain, with a dead mother, a vituperate grandmother, and a father who looks at him as just another soldier, expected to snap to and behave as any other soldier under his command while they were together. And of course, as he only planned to spend the required 30-days with his son, he couldn’t wait to get it over with so he could get back to SEAL life and forget his responsibilities as a parent. It was deeply painful to watch their interactions during the first half of the book, even when Pickett, the child and family counselor, was doing her level best to show him what a complete and total screw up he was as a parent… gently, of course.
There were a lot of other things that bothered me about the book, technical issues that I doubt anyone would notice but me. “Tyler's old DOD 1332.30” . . . hum…. The 1332.30 is “for the administrative separation of commissioned officers of the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, or Regular Marine Corps for substandard performance of duty, an act or acts of misconduct, moral or professional dereliction, in the interest of national security, and for the discharge of regular commissioned officers with less than 5 years active commissioned service in certain circumstances.” Hummmm again. So, his Commander had his “old 1332.30” on his desk? So, a 1332.30 was already previously filed, but Jax is now command personnel, even thought he was previously kicked out of the military for dereliction of some sort?
Additionally, I am always disappointed when authors don’t take advantage of beta readers and editors in order to ascertain that their books are error free. Though not as bad as some of the books I have recently read (or, should I say, tried to read) the book needs a good cleaning up of missing and misused words and spelling. Disappointing.
Overall, the Jax character was a bit too much on the selfish side, even for a SEAL to not irritate me beyond any ability to come to like him in the end. Actually, I would have liked the book better without the Jax character in it. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a romance per-se so would lose a large part of it’s audience, but if the author had made it a story of Pickett taking in a parentless child and the development of the two of them as a family, I think this could have easily been at least four, if not five, stars.
August 12, 2009
2 1/2 - 3 stars
Jackson "Jax" Graham is a Navy SEAL whose ex-wife just died leaving their almost five-year-old son, Tyler, without a mother. He plans to give custody to his ex-mother-in-law without a fight, but his commander forces him to take 30 days leave to spend with his son to figure it out.
Pickett Sessoms is a family therapist and specializes in military families. She spies Jax and his son on the beach not bonding and intervenes to give a little help.
When a hurricane blows into town, Jax has no place to go and finds himself asking Pickett for a place to stay to ride out the storm. Plus, he's looking for help with his son.
I had high hopes for this book. It actually started out fairly well. It seemed almost believable that a single woman would allow a stranger and his son to stay with her after having only knowing him for an hour.
Jax is a SEAL--this point is driven home over and over and over to the point of annoyance. I got it! It is who he is and what he does, but does he have to repeat it to himself and everyone else 50 million times?
The middle 1/3 of the book is a huge lull...not much really seems to happen other than Jax repeating his SEAL mantra and Pickett (do people really name kids Pickett??) reminding herself that he is a SEAL and won't be there for long. Plus, the author likes to use big words and go into intellectual rants. I couldn't help but wonder if the author was/is a therapist (checked her bio and she was a speech therapist and hypnotherapist, so I was partly correct--she is well-educated).
Near the end it speeds up a bit and comes together and slightly redeems itself. Unfortunately, the end is a little bland and doesn't really finish (some things seemed to hang a little and left the reader to assume the outcome).
I would say that I think this book is good for setting up a Navy SEAL as not only a hero, but a real person with problems and life difficulties. Sometimes other SEAL books make them out to be perfect--heroes, great fathers, husbands, etc...this one actually puts it a bit more on a real level of a hero not really knowing how to deal with his own life.
Overall, this was just a so-so read. I'm not sure I will actually read the next one SEALed with a Promise, but I'll think about it.
Jackson "Jax" Graham is a Navy SEAL whose ex-wife just died leaving their almost five-year-old son, Tyler, without a mother. He plans to give custody to his ex-mother-in-law without a fight, but his commander forces him to take 30 days leave to spend with his son to figure it out.
Pickett Sessoms is a family therapist and specializes in military families. She spies Jax and his son on the beach not bonding and intervenes to give a little help.
When a hurricane blows into town, Jax has no place to go and finds himself asking Pickett for a place to stay to ride out the storm. Plus, he's looking for help with his son.
I had high hopes for this book. It actually started out fairly well. It seemed almost believable that a single woman would allow a stranger and his son to stay with her after having only knowing him for an hour.
Jax is a SEAL--this point is driven home over and over and over to the point of annoyance. I got it! It is who he is and what he does, but does he have to repeat it to himself and everyone else 50 million times?
The middle 1/3 of the book is a huge lull...not much really seems to happen other than Jax repeating his SEAL mantra and Pickett (do people really name kids Pickett??) reminding herself that he is a SEAL and won't be there for long. Plus, the author likes to use big words and go into intellectual rants. I couldn't help but wonder if the author was/is a therapist (checked her bio and she was a speech therapist and hypnotherapist, so I was partly correct--she is well-educated).
Near the end it speeds up a bit and comes together and slightly redeems itself. Unfortunately, the end is a little bland and doesn't really finish (some things seemed to hang a little and left the reader to assume the outcome).
I would say that I think this book is good for setting up a Navy SEAL as not only a hero, but a real person with problems and life difficulties. Sometimes other SEAL books make them out to be perfect--heroes, great fathers, husbands, etc...this one actually puts it a bit more on a real level of a hero not really knowing how to deal with his own life.
Overall, this was just a so-so read. I'm not sure I will actually read the next one SEALed with a Promise, but I'll think about it.
April 26, 2011
New author for me. This story had so much emotion I loved it, I loved the way the author tied Jax's relationship with Tyler in it.
WARNING - my friends that like the Tempting Seals and Elite Ops...this is not an erotic series. Just good old love stories. Sex scenes are harlequin-esque...some are detailed some are they kiss, the door closes and then it's the next day.
WARNING - my friends that like the Tempting Seals and Elite Ops...this is not an erotic series. Just good old love stories. Sex scenes are harlequin-esque...some are detailed some are they kiss, the door closes and then it's the next day.
June 30, 2011
3.5
I got this as a freebie from the kindle store, and it was my first read from this author. I thought this was a sweet if somewhat predictable read, but the characters were engaging, and the story well fleshed-out. I particularly liked the way that the hardships of the possible relationship are tackled, not glossed over in romantic mush as is so many books. I would read from this author again.
I got this as a freebie from the kindle store, and it was my first read from this author. I thought this was a sweet if somewhat predictable read, but the characters were engaging, and the story well fleshed-out. I particularly liked the way that the hardships of the possible relationship are tackled, not glossed over in romantic mush as is so many books. I would read from this author again.
September 20, 2014
Barely a 3. I liked the story but seeing as the hero was a SEAL I expected a little action (not the bedroom kind). The way the 2 "hooked up" seemed a little odd to me. I loved Tyler and wished we would have been given a little more insight on what he had had to deal with.
May 10, 2011
The story really is a cute story .... but .... the writing isn't all that great at all. The editing is absolutely horrendous in the kindle edition. There are words and cuts and everything is seriously all over the place.
December 21, 2008
This was an absolutely wonderful book. Loved the premise, the characters, pretty much everything. It had me crying a few times, and that's a feat. It was an incredible, heartwarming read.
May 12, 2011
Free on Kindle: rated at 2stars only because I like more action in my stories. This one was more relationship based/ only 1 good action momment.
June 25, 2011
Nice story but not as much about the Navy Seals as I had hoped. Lovely free book on Kindle, so no regrets!
January 21, 2021
This book is one that I don't want to put down. At 2 a.m. I found I was still reading because I couldn't find a spot in the story to put it up for the night!! I enjoyed the way this author wrote this book so much, I am looking for another one she may have written. i still have a few more pages to read yet, only because I didn't want it to end last night. So, I left a few more pages for tonight to look forward to,. But, I'm still not wanting for it to end........
November 9, 2017
A SEAL you cannot go wrong with. A very young son having to deal with loss and their love to survive what life throws them. Pickett dealing with her own struggles is a great match for Jax. Well written pulling you in from the start.
May 7, 2020
Absolutely fantastic
It’s got everything: romance, humor, drama, compassion, empathy. Hunky Navy SEAL, cute but intelligent female lead and precious 4-year-old SEAL’s son. So worth the time and more!
It’s got everything: romance, humor, drama, compassion, empathy. Hunky Navy SEAL, cute but intelligent female lead and precious 4-year-old SEAL’s son. So worth the time and more!
March 9, 2019
This book had way more substance than I originally anticipated. The Tyler-Pickett dynamic was super cute.
August 20, 2024
This was cute. A little misogynistic in some of the language, but a slow burn with some closed, some open-door spice. Nothing dramatic in the bedroom, and no explicit detail on the open door scenes.
One part I LOVED (and wished more of the book had been written with the same urgency) was the “holy sh is everyone going to die at the end” scene on the pier.
One part I LOVED (and wished more of the book had been written with the same urgency) was the “holy sh is everyone going to die at the end” scene on the pier.
July 30, 2011
What a nice, lovely story this book turned out to be. I read the last word, closed the book and I had a smile on my face. A very happy smile. I liked the characters, who both grew throughout the story, faced their fears and became better people for it. I liked the storyline, especially the fact that the hero and heroine resolved issues head-on by talking to each other and being honest with one another, something that doesn’t happen that often in romance. Most of all I really liked the relationship between father and son, even in the beginning when it was on very shaky ground.
Jax is on furlough to get his son settled with his deceased ex-wife’s mother before he’s given another assignment that will take him away for months at a time. Things between them, however, aren’t going well. Tyler isn’t the happy, fun-loving son he remembers from previous visits, and Jax doesn’t know how to remedy the problem. Everything he tries crashes and burns. On one last trek along the beach before heading out to get out of the way of a coming hurricane, they meet a lady who works miracles with Tyler as far as Jax is concerned. Later when they’re not able to leave the area, he looks her up, hoping he can impose on her good nature and stay with her until the storm blows over.
Unable to keep out of other people’s business when she sees things going wrong, Pickett always sticks her nose in where it doesn’t belong. This time has brought a man and his son to her door and she still can’t say no. So they all batten down as best they can to wait for sunshine in a couple of days. In the meantime, between getting to know Jax and also helping in the situation with his son, Pickett tries to keep her feelings in check when it comes to this handsome SEAL and his sad little boy. She’s a family therapist to military personnel and sees how many marriages crumble because husbands are deployed for such long periods of time, let alone other problems because of duty first. And she’s always told herself she would never marry a career military man. Because Jax was disillusioned after his previous marriage, he’s decided never to marry again, so they seem to be in sync to enjoy each other while it lasts. Right?
There’s also other issues, of course, involving their own families and vulnerabilities that play into their decisions, and that’s what makes this book so terrific, is you get to see each of those stumbling blocks fall one after the other when they realize their feelings for each other can’t be denied. The one that affected me most was watching Jax go from a father who was struggling with full-time parenthood and ready to give custody of his son over to the child’s grandmother because he couldn’t guarantee how much time he’d be able to spend with Tyler to a man whose eyes are opened to the machinations of the grandmother and the fact he really didn’t want to be away from his son anyway, especially when Tyler begins to act like the little boy he’s always known. Pickett has family issues herself, and with Jax’s help, she overcomes them, as well as her fear of falling in love with her SEAL.
I love Ms. Daughtridge’s writing. She has a beautiful way of making her scenes so clear in your head as you read. And her little spouts of humor now and again are delightful. I like the fact that her hero and heroine work together to resolve problems as they come along. The emotion in the scenes when Jax has a breakthrough with Tyler or just a soft, tender moment with his son is simply terrific.
I am so glad I stumbled across this book. I’m now ready for her next one, SEALed with a Promise, which is Jax’s SEAL buddy’s, Caleb Delaude, story, just released 1 April 2009.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Jax is on furlough to get his son settled with his deceased ex-wife’s mother before he’s given another assignment that will take him away for months at a time. Things between them, however, aren’t going well. Tyler isn’t the happy, fun-loving son he remembers from previous visits, and Jax doesn’t know how to remedy the problem. Everything he tries crashes and burns. On one last trek along the beach before heading out to get out of the way of a coming hurricane, they meet a lady who works miracles with Tyler as far as Jax is concerned. Later when they’re not able to leave the area, he looks her up, hoping he can impose on her good nature and stay with her until the storm blows over.
Unable to keep out of other people’s business when she sees things going wrong, Pickett always sticks her nose in where it doesn’t belong. This time has brought a man and his son to her door and she still can’t say no. So they all batten down as best they can to wait for sunshine in a couple of days. In the meantime, between getting to know Jax and also helping in the situation with his son, Pickett tries to keep her feelings in check when it comes to this handsome SEAL and his sad little boy. She’s a family therapist to military personnel and sees how many marriages crumble because husbands are deployed for such long periods of time, let alone other problems because of duty first. And she’s always told herself she would never marry a career military man. Because Jax was disillusioned after his previous marriage, he’s decided never to marry again, so they seem to be in sync to enjoy each other while it lasts. Right?
There’s also other issues, of course, involving their own families and vulnerabilities that play into their decisions, and that’s what makes this book so terrific, is you get to see each of those stumbling blocks fall one after the other when they realize their feelings for each other can’t be denied. The one that affected me most was watching Jax go from a father who was struggling with full-time parenthood and ready to give custody of his son over to the child’s grandmother because he couldn’t guarantee how much time he’d be able to spend with Tyler to a man whose eyes are opened to the machinations of the grandmother and the fact he really didn’t want to be away from his son anyway, especially when Tyler begins to act like the little boy he’s always known. Pickett has family issues herself, and with Jax’s help, she overcomes them, as well as her fear of falling in love with her SEAL.
I love Ms. Daughtridge’s writing. She has a beautiful way of making her scenes so clear in your head as you read. And her little spouts of humor now and again are delightful. I like the fact that her hero and heroine work together to resolve problems as they come along. The emotion in the scenes when Jax has a breakthrough with Tyler or just a soft, tender moment with his son is simply terrific.
I am so glad I stumbled across this book. I’m now ready for her next one, SEALed with a Promise, which is Jax’s SEAL buddy’s, Caleb Delaude, story, just released 1 April 2009.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
July 10, 2011
Free Kindle download. I honestly wasn't expecting this to be a very good book — I thought it would romanticize SEALs in a way that wasn't realistic or make them out to be how they really aren't, do kind of a Steven Seagal kind of thing with them or something and make this some kind of action-adventure romance, where the couple is always on the run from something and yet have time to fool around — but the author didn't disappoint her readers in that way at all. All the problems inherent in having a relationship with a SEAL are pretty much laid out truthfully here; not only that, but they provide the conflict in the story. The hero's being a SEAL and the heroine's inability to accept that in a partner are essentially the obstacle to the hero's and heroine's happy ending.
That, for me, was a big plus for this book. As a result of this very realistic perspective on SEALs, the romance actually focused more on the domestic side rather than on the SEAL's work. The hero is on a leave for a month, so he's there, his attention fully on his son and the heroine, who has agreed to let them stay with her during the storm. Being a guy used to action and getting things done, he does things around the house — fixing things, building things, doing manly kinds of household chores. This, I have to say, is better than pheromones for women; anything smacking of "domestic god" in a man makes an 8 a perfect 10. Men, please note: a woman likes a man to regularly check off items on that "Honey, Do" list.
Not only that, but, being a SEAL, this hero takes seriously any undertaking he sets his mind to. He has set his mind to learning how to interact with his son better, so he actually reads the child psychology books the heroine lends him and learns from her advice and suggestions, stuff that she has learned in her therapy work. Another lovely thing about a man — he listens to the woman and does what she says. Bingo! No need to wrap it up; I'll eat it right here, thanks.
Seriously, though ... on to other things.
Sometimes, in other romances, when there's a small child involved, I'm creeped out by its juxtaposition with the very sexual relationship between the hero and the heroine. I found that I didn't feel that with this book. The author dealt with the hero's young son in such a grown up way — there was no baby talk, the hero and the heroine never talked down to the kid or identified too much with the kid, the story was never from the kid's perspective, and the kid was always asleep or away when they did the deed — that I felt there were proper boundaries between the subject of the child and the subject of sex. So ... while I felt that the heroine really understood the child and helped the hero understand him, too, none of the interactions felt wrong or inappropriate.
That was another big plus for me.
There were other things I liked about the book — the almost lyrical comparison between Navy SEALs and the mythical selkies (magical humans that turn into seals), for one. I also liked the bit of action that was included in the story, in the form of the pier fire — and again, there, the hero's decisions and responses were realistic to me. Finally, I liked how the conflict is resolved — the problems aren't really done away with; mostly, the heroine goes through an acceptance, having learned that love makes all the difference — it's what makes you willing to tackle problems together.
So ... all in all, it was a very good contemporary romance, good enough that I actually bought another book in the series.
That, for me, was a big plus for this book. As a result of this very realistic perspective on SEALs, the romance actually focused more on the domestic side rather than on the SEAL's work. The hero is on a leave for a month, so he's there, his attention fully on his son and the heroine, who has agreed to let them stay with her during the storm. Being a guy used to action and getting things done, he does things around the house — fixing things, building things, doing manly kinds of household chores. This, I have to say, is better than pheromones for women; anything smacking of "domestic god" in a man makes an 8 a perfect 10. Men, please note: a woman likes a man to regularly check off items on that "Honey, Do" list.
Not only that, but, being a SEAL, this hero takes seriously any undertaking he sets his mind to. He has set his mind to learning how to interact with his son better, so he actually reads the child psychology books the heroine lends him and learns from her advice and suggestions, stuff that she has learned in her therapy work. Another lovely thing about a man — he listens to the woman and does what she says. Bingo! No need to wrap it up; I'll eat it right here, thanks.
Seriously, though ... on to other things.
Sometimes, in other romances, when there's a small child involved, I'm creeped out by its juxtaposition with the very sexual relationship between the hero and the heroine. I found that I didn't feel that with this book. The author dealt with the hero's young son in such a grown up way — there was no baby talk, the hero and the heroine never talked down to the kid or identified too much with the kid, the story was never from the kid's perspective, and the kid was always asleep or away when they did the deed — that I felt there were proper boundaries between the subject of the child and the subject of sex. So ... while I felt that the heroine really understood the child and helped the hero understand him, too, none of the interactions felt wrong or inappropriate.
That was another big plus for me.
There were other things I liked about the book — the almost lyrical comparison between Navy SEALs and the mythical selkies (magical humans that turn into seals), for one. I also liked the bit of action that was included in the story, in the form of the pier fire — and again, there, the hero's decisions and responses were realistic to me. Finally, I liked how the conflict is resolved — the problems aren't really done away with; mostly, the heroine goes through an acceptance, having learned that love makes all the difference — it's what makes you willing to tackle problems together.
So ... all in all, it was a very good contemporary romance, good enough that I actually bought another book in the series.
December 27, 2011
Jax's ex-wife dies and custody of their four year old son, Tyler, reverts to him. Jax is a Navy SEAL, and he hasn't had much of a hand in raising Tyler so far. He's convinced that Tyler should be handed over to his grandmother to be raised. Jax's CO orders him to spend some time getting to know his son before he makes any rash decisions, and Jax agrees. He quickly discovers that he has no idea how to handle the kid. When a hurricane threatens to cut Jax and Tyler's visit short, Jax makes the hasty decision to stay with Pickett, a very new acquaintance. Pickett happens to be a family counselor. My first thought was oh, how very contrived convenient. That's like having a leak in your roof and having a sexy and competent repairman fall out of the sky and onto your doorstep. With chocolate. And a puppy. Anyway, obviously romance ensues.
Jax genuinely wants to be a good father and do the right thing for Tyler. He listens to Pickett's advice and shows a lot of patience in dealing with the kid. Honestly, I was more interested in the progress that Jax made in his relationship with Tyler than I was in the romantic relationship. The father/son thing was touching without being sappy and felt realistic to me. Jax goes through a full and satisfying process of development throughout the book.
I have some issues with Pickett. I want to say first that I liked her as a character and as a match for Jax. I enjoyed her character arc, though not as much as Jax's. There is this detail, however, which frustrated me a lot.
Pickett has decided that she doesn't like sex. Furthermore, she has general insecurities about her body. This is because the first (and only) guy she slept with said something kind of mean about her behind her back and she overheard. Then Jax comes along and tells her she looks sexy, and it's this huge emotional moment for her. She literally cries with joy her confidence soars and she decides to go to bed with him. So to recap: one guy says she looks better with the lights off, and she defines herself by it as unsexy. Another guy says "nice legs" and she has an epiphany of self confidence. It bothered me quite a bit that so much of how she defined not only herself, but sex and relationships in general, was based on the opinions of a small sampling of men. This type of plot isn't romantic to me, it's pathetic.
Ultimately, Pickett has some confidence issues and some fear of failure to overcome, and watching her work through all of that was fairly satisfying (the above issue aside). She starts out as a doormat, and to at least a small extent learns to be more commanding.
The relationship has some beautifully emotional moments, and plenty of steam as well. Jax and Pickett balance each other well, and I could see them working as a couple. More importantly, they both love Tyler and they seem to make good parents. I genuinely wanted to see them together as a permanent family.
There are a number of negatives to mention. The above spoiler was the most glaring one for me, but I had some other issues. The dialogue is a bit awkward at times, like the characters are aware of the parts they're playing. It reminded me of the way people talk in soap operas. The narrative gets kind of self aware at times, too, commenting on how romantic this or that moment is. Let's face it, this is a contrived plot to begin with. And it's pretty predictable. It doesn't help to layer on cheesy dialogue and narrative.
Overall, I had a lot of ups and downs with this book, but the good does outweigh the bad. It's a nice character driven contemporary. 3 stars.
Jax genuinely wants to be a good father and do the right thing for Tyler. He listens to Pickett's advice and shows a lot of patience in dealing with the kid. Honestly, I was more interested in the progress that Jax made in his relationship with Tyler than I was in the romantic relationship. The father/son thing was touching without being sappy and felt realistic to me. Jax goes through a full and satisfying process of development throughout the book.
I have some issues with Pickett. I want to say first that I liked her as a character and as a match for Jax. I enjoyed her character arc, though not as much as Jax's. There is this detail, however, which frustrated me a lot.
Pickett has decided that she doesn't like sex. Furthermore, she has general insecurities about her body. This is because the first (and only) guy she slept with said something kind of mean about her behind her back and she overheard. Then Jax comes along and tells her she looks sexy, and it's this huge emotional moment for her. She literally cries with joy her confidence soars and she decides to go to bed with him. So to recap: one guy says she looks better with the lights off, and she defines herself by it as unsexy. Another guy says "nice legs" and she has an epiphany of self confidence. It bothered me quite a bit that so much of how she defined not only herself, but sex and relationships in general, was based on the opinions of a small sampling of men. This type of plot isn't romantic to me, it's pathetic.
Ultimately, Pickett has some confidence issues and some fear of failure to overcome, and watching her work through all of that was fairly satisfying (the above issue aside). She starts out as a doormat, and to at least a small extent learns to be more commanding.
The relationship has some beautifully emotional moments, and plenty of steam as well. Jax and Pickett balance each other well, and I could see them working as a couple. More importantly, they both love Tyler and they seem to make good parents. I genuinely wanted to see them together as a permanent family.
There are a number of negatives to mention. The above spoiler was the most glaring one for me, but I had some other issues. The dialogue is a bit awkward at times, like the characters are aware of the parts they're playing. It reminded me of the way people talk in soap operas. The narrative gets kind of self aware at times, too, commenting on how romantic this or that moment is. Let's face it, this is a contrived plot to begin with. And it's pretty predictable. It doesn't help to layer on cheesy dialogue and narrative.
Overall, I had a lot of ups and downs with this book, but the good does outweigh the bad. It's a nice character driven contemporary. 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2011
I don't usually go for contemporary romance, or any kind of military romance, but it was free at Amazon, and I decided to give it a try... By almost 4 AM, I figured I probably liked this book I had stayed up all night reading on my iPod to finish.
Jax is given leave to get to know his four-year-old son, who had been living with Jax's ex-wife. Due to the demanding lifestyle of a Navy SEAL, Jax has not seen Tyler much in his four years of life. Now that Jax's ex-wife has passed away, he has to decide what he wants to do about Tyler. Jax has no idea how to behave with the boy, and the first few scenes with Jax and Tyler had my heart breaking. (Maybe because I have a son around the same age). Pickett is a family therapist and can't help but step in when she sees Jax and Tyler on the beach. She knows how easy it would be to get them to start interacting and she astonishes Jax with the ease with which she makes Tyler open up.
I loved that there was some curious attraction between the two at first, but it was not an instantaneous, off-the-charts type of thing. Jax even sees Pickett in the grocery store later that day, and barely acknowledges her, writing her off as high-maintenance and too much work. Jax doesn't want a woman who is going to make demands, and Pickett doesn't really believe in love.
There's a hurricane coming and, after a couple of strike outs, Jax has nowhere to take Tyler during the storm. He ends up looking up Pickett's number because she was the only person who seemed to connect with Tyler and Jax is hoping she will teach him how to connect with his son. Pickett reluctantly allows Jax and Tyler to come stay with her during the storm.
What follows just blew my mind. I fell in love with Jax, empathized with Pickett, and wanted them all to be a happy family. The author does such a great job of having you get to know the characters. We learn about their pasts, what they want out of the future, and we see them grow. The tension between Jax and Pickett is delicious and each is holding back for different reasons. As Jax gets to know Pickett more, he realizes she has some serious hang-ups that he is not sure why she has. Together, they work through her insecurities about herself and his insecurities involving his son.
I just loved this book, I couldn't stop reading. Jax and Pickett's scenes had me sighing at one point, then made my chest tighten with sadness in the next minute. I wanted them to try and make it work, even though they both were trying to convince themselves it would never work. And at one point, Jax even says "This doesn't mean...anything." I could feel my heart breaking!
This is a heartwarming story that made me laugh and cry, and even get angry at some of the characters. I was drawn into the story and didn't realize how long I had been reading until I was done. The sex scenes are steamy, but nothing too explicit. I would probably give it a heat rating of 3 out of 5. There is some description, but not too much. The sexual tension is deliciously built and you may find yourself screaming, "Just do it, already!"
I completely recommend this book, it was amazing!
Jax is given leave to get to know his four-year-old son, who had been living with Jax's ex-wife. Due to the demanding lifestyle of a Navy SEAL, Jax has not seen Tyler much in his four years of life. Now that Jax's ex-wife has passed away, he has to decide what he wants to do about Tyler. Jax has no idea how to behave with the boy, and the first few scenes with Jax and Tyler had my heart breaking. (Maybe because I have a son around the same age). Pickett is a family therapist and can't help but step in when she sees Jax and Tyler on the beach. She knows how easy it would be to get them to start interacting and she astonishes Jax with the ease with which she makes Tyler open up.
I loved that there was some curious attraction between the two at first, but it was not an instantaneous, off-the-charts type of thing. Jax even sees Pickett in the grocery store later that day, and barely acknowledges her, writing her off as high-maintenance and too much work. Jax doesn't want a woman who is going to make demands, and Pickett doesn't really believe in love.
There's a hurricane coming and, after a couple of strike outs, Jax has nowhere to take Tyler during the storm. He ends up looking up Pickett's number because she was the only person who seemed to connect with Tyler and Jax is hoping she will teach him how to connect with his son. Pickett reluctantly allows Jax and Tyler to come stay with her during the storm.
What follows just blew my mind. I fell in love with Jax, empathized with Pickett, and wanted them all to be a happy family. The author does such a great job of having you get to know the characters. We learn about their pasts, what they want out of the future, and we see them grow. The tension between Jax and Pickett is delicious and each is holding back for different reasons. As Jax gets to know Pickett more, he realizes she has some serious hang-ups that he is not sure why she has. Together, they work through her insecurities about herself and his insecurities involving his son.
I just loved this book, I couldn't stop reading. Jax and Pickett's scenes had me sighing at one point, then made my chest tighten with sadness in the next minute. I wanted them to try and make it work, even though they both were trying to convince themselves it would never work. And at one point, Jax even says "This doesn't mean...anything." I could feel my heart breaking!
This is a heartwarming story that made me laugh and cry, and even get angry at some of the characters. I was drawn into the story and didn't realize how long I had been reading until I was done. The sex scenes are steamy, but nothing too explicit. I would probably give it a heat rating of 3 out of 5. There is some description, but not too much. The sexual tension is deliciously built and you may find yourself screaming, "Just do it, already!"
I completely recommend this book, it was amazing!
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