Fractured Honor

Crimson Point #1

by Kaylea Cross

An elite warrior struggling to find his place in the civilian world.

Weary from his years on the battlefield, SF Captain Beckett Hollister has returned home to Crimson Point to take over the family business for his dying father. But adjusting to life outside the military is harder than he imagined, and being back home forces him to confront things he’d rather not face. Including the one woman he shouldn’t want and can’t have—his best friend’s little sister.

A love that was always meant to be.

Town vet Sierra Buchanan has known Beckett her entire life. She’s crushed on him for years, but because of his relationship with her family, the stubborn man refuses to see her as more than the girl he grew up with. As tragedy brings them together, neither of them realizes that the sins of Beckett’s past have come home to haunt him. When Sierra becomes the target of his unforeseen enemy, Beckett must vanquish his demons to save her.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Military Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Military Romance

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2018

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.

Kaylea loves to hear from readers, so please feel free to drop me a line and say hello.

Reviews

[Dri ✰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ 3 STARS ★

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[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 stars to Fractured Honor

First and foremost, 'Fractured Honor is a post service story about three friends and former soldiers brawling with the melancholy aftermath of years dedicated in service, now trying to piece themselves back into non-military life, with Captain Beckett Hollister taking the lead in Cross’s first Crimson Point novel - in small town Oregon, a picturesque town of peaceful terrain curtailed by an edge of the ominous. One soldier in self destruct, another mourning the love he can’t touch and then half-hearted, hardhearted Beckett, strong and silent, who wears pain, grief and the tormenting specters of his 20 years in combat with an invisible badge of shame and sharp-scented regret. Beckett is just going through the motions of his life; his dank, lacklustre spirit oppressed all the more by watching his last living parent wither away to the same fate that met his mother.

Assimilating back into the soils of civilian life is hard. He’s lived and aged through the rough-edged life of a soldier - too severe perhaps for a down-to-earth kind heart like his best friend’s little sister, Sierra Buchanan. ‘Fractured Honor’ is a story that is not overwhelmingly steeped in the passions of romance, but it is overwhelmed by different kinds of surviving passions, both to do with living, losing and grief. There is a slight perfumed border of suspense that twines itself with the story. 20 years in service has bound Captain Beckett Hollister to a clear headed precision, but when one more mission proves an operation too far, he’s done with war. Watching the lives pass in his rearview and a conscience brimming with dense shadows, a cold eruption probes his insides, because half shadowed by the sights of his service leaves emotionally absent Beckett with flaying strength in this brittle attempt to hold on to it as his experiences catch up to him with a score-settling target on his back.

Trigger Warning: A cancer diagnosis and the grief that accompanies it as the main lead deals with his pain and loss. PTSD & depression (mental illness) in service-people. Also mentions a previous suicide. Some swearing and sex scenes. This story introduces some heavy themes such as pedophilia and attempted rape with minors as well so I’d be careful if you’re sensitive to weighty themes such as these!

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[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:

Originally posted at: Scandalicious Book Reviews

If you have read any of Kaylea Cross’s other books, you know she is a master of romantic suspense. Take that skill and add to it the intimacy of a small town setting and you have your next great read.

Beckett Hollister is coming home after his last deployment with Special Forces. He has seen and experienced too much. Unfortunately, instead of coming home to peace and quiet, Beck’s father is dying from cancer and he cannot hide from the woman he is insanely attracted to but should not be. Sierra is Beckett’s best friend’s sister. She used to tag along with the older boys in their big adventures, and now she is the town veterinarian. How does she get him to see her more than just a little sister?

Kaylea Cross packs a lot into this story. In addition to the romance, Beck’s dad’s cancer, and reintegration into civilian life, Beck also interacts with his neighbor’s little daughter who likes to hang out at his house and not her own home; adopts a new, old dog; deals with one of his fellow retired Special Forces team members who is battling a traumatic brain injury, and is stalked by someone who wants to see him dead. Yup, just another day in a small town romance.

There is a lot going on with Beckett in Crimson Point, but curiously, the story does not feel rushed. We get to see many facets of Beckett’s character through each of the trials he encounters. He has to learn to let go of control and let others “in” to help him. He is not alone and does not need to tackle the world by himself. The scenes between Beckett and his dying father pierced my heart. Often times, in stories when someone comes home because of a dying family member, there is a reconciliation needed between characters. This is not the case between these two. This is a loving father-son relationship based on adoration and respect. The last fun moment of the two on the beach is exhilarating and it makes his father’s death even more devastating.

Interestingly, the weakest part of the story is the suspense element. I like how those segments are woven into the story through the first person perspective and the reader is not quite sure who is gunning for Beckett. However, the suspense does not develop as strongly as the character building. The suspense is not a distraction, but I think I would have enjoyed the story as a straight contemporary romance.

Still, a great narrative is a great narrative and Ms. Cross gives another winner. I am really looking forward to where she taking me with the characters I already care about.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

They call them Tropes for a reason. It's a clichéd plot devise that has been used over and over, again and again by almost every romance, mystery and romantic-suspense writer. Kaylea Cross takes on the "I can't love you, you're my best friends sister" trope in this book. Let's see how well she manages to avoid, or embrace the stereotypes. Well, she decided to embrace them and predictably so, unfortunately. "No matter how much he wanted her, he couldn't risk ruining the most important relationships in his life . . ." from the first encounter between Beckett and Sierra. Fortunately, this romance wasn't the only element this plot had to offer.

Beckett is retired Special Forces and his last mission was a heartbreaker that just sealed the deal for him to retire. Returning home is no cake walk either, his father has terminal cancer and heading downhill quickly. As part of taking over his fathers renovation business, Becket has hired several former Special Forces guys and one of them is just not working out. Beckett has a lot of serious issues to deal with and it just gets worse. Beckett has brought home more than bad memories, he has an enemy who has make Sierra a target.

Sierra is the town vet who moved away after college, but decided that Crimson Point was the place she wanted to be after all. She has crushed on Beckett since she was a kid and has only fallen farther for him since his return. Her track record with men isn't great because she compares them all to Beckett and they always come up short. When Beckett's young neighbor brings them together, they both have to be honest about their feelings. 3 1/2-Stars

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy received from Netgalley, thank you!

Ok, so I don't understand when your best friend sister is off limits.... But ok...
So MCs were secretly in love with each other for some years. I liked that our heroine did not wait for hero, she did have some relationships before him.
He was married, some years divorced before they met again.
He was very alpha, with growling and everything. LOL

No cheating, no OP scenes.

[Antonella · Rating 3 out of 5]

eight pack on the cover


overall the book is okay, I guess...



will read more in the series...

[Maria V. Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This romantic suspense was a quick read. What I liked was it showed the realities of the struggles of veterans who have mental health problems and physical injuries. Usually the ex Special Ops guy is in perfect shape. This story was more realistic as the hero had a bad back and his friend was struggling with TBI and a failing marriage. What I didn't like was the constant, "I can't be with her because..." lament. Yes, it's important to the story but it doesn't need to be mentioned so much!

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review from 2019

I've given this a B- for narration and a C+ for content at AudioGals

I’m listening to romantic suspense novels more and more often these days, and as I enjoyed Kaylea Cross’ Disavowed earlier this year, I decided to pick up Fractured Honor, the first in her recent Crimson Point series set in a small Oregon town and featuring four men who served together and are now making new lives for themselves outside the military. I confess I’d expected something more along the lines of Disavowed – a fairly fast-paced story with plenty of action and a high-stakes plot based mostly around one central couple – but Fractured Honor is more of a small town ensemble piece with just a dash of romance and a soupçon of suspense. So I had to adjust my expectations, and if you’re going into this thinking it’s straight-up romantic suspense you’ll probably need to do the same.

Beckett Hollister decides it’s time to end his twenty years in the military following an operation in Syria which left a really nasty taste in his mouth. Discovering his father has terminal cancer and doesn’t have long to live also plays a part in his decision and he returns home to the coastal town of Crimson Point, taking over for his father in his specialised renovation business. His former sergeant and good friend Jace Weaver now works with him as does a former colleague, Carter Boyd, who was medically discharged a year ago following a brain injury which has started to seriously affect his personality and seems to be getting worse and which starts to adversely affect both his work and his marriage. Beckett is faced with making some tough decisions as regards Carter – and this is just one of several plotlines running throughout the novel, which is firmly centred around Beckett’s return – and adjustment – to civilian life.

This is the first book in a series, so there’s a fair bit of set up going on; we’re introduced to Carter’s wife Molly, a nurse at the local hospital, who is best friends with Sierra Buchanan (the town vet), sister of Noah, the local sheriff – who is also Beckett’s best friend. I’m not a great reader/listener of small town romances, but I imagine these sorts of interwoven relationships are par for the course.

While Beckett and his dad clearly have a great relationship, the Buchanans have also played an important part in his life and have been like a second family to him since the death of his mother when he was a kid. Beckett has been in love with Sierra for years, but that whole “besties little sister is off limits” thing won’t let him make a move, and nor will the thought that if they start something and it goes wrong, he stands to lose not only one best friend, but two as well as his extended family.

The author introduces the characters who will be the romantic couples in the rest of the series here as well, and the best of the various plotlines is the one that deals with the impending death of Beckett’s father, which is well-written and features some particularly poignant moments. There’s a suspense plot running in the background, in which it seems that someone is out to get Beckett, but honestly, it’s really thin and doesn’t come to the fore until the last few chapters – and because the rest of the book is so low key, what happens seems ridiculously over dramatic. The romance, too, suffers because of the general “busy-ness” of the story; Beckett wants Sierra but tells himself he can’t have her; Sierra has wanted Beckett for years but doesn’t understand why he’s pulling away from their friendship – there’s lots of mental lusting until at around the half way point they have a proper conversation and decide to go for it after all. There’s little to no chemistry between them, and given they’ve been in love with each other for years, there’s no real romantic development either – they have sex and that’s it, they’re Together 4 Evah.

I liked the way the characters stepped up to support each other at difficult times, and once I realised that this wasn’t a romantic suspense novel, I did enjoy the story, although I probably wouldn’t have picked it up had I realised it was actually more of a small town romance than anything else.

Jeffrey Kafer has narrated almost all of the audiobooks available by this author, and while his deep, resonant voice is a good fit for the romantic suspense genre, it didn’t work quite as well for me here, probably because of the different nature of the story. That’s not to say he gives a bad performance, because he doesn’t – his pacing is good (if a little on the slow side) and he displays a good range of emotion and expression, especially in the scenes between Beckett and his father. His character differentiation tends to be on the subtle side; all the male characters do sound different, but sometimes those differences can be hard to detect straight away, and the same is true of the females, who are performed using a softer timbre rather than any great hike in pitch. That said, there’s no problem telling the leads apart, and that holds true for the major secondary characters – Noah, Jace, Sierra, Molly and Beckett’s father – as well. Given his naturally deep voice, Mr. Kafer does a good job with his portrayal of his neighbour’s eight-year-old daughter; without resorting to falsetto or a silly head-voice, he manages to convey her youth via only a small raise in pitch, slightly faster delivery and altered speech pattern.

I’m on the fence about whether to recommend Fractured Honor or not. Fans of the author may love or hate it according to their expectations; if you’re a fan of her previous romantic suspense novels, chances are you may be disappointed that this one doesn’t follow the same pattern, or you might find the change of direction interesting. If you’ve not read or listened to one of her novels before and enjoy small town romances, then it might work for you even though doesn’t have anything new to offer – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as we all have tropes and formulae that we tend to gravitate towards. Ultimately, I liked but didn’t love it; it wasn’t what I’d expected but the story did hold my attention and the narration is more than decent. Make of it what you will.

[HMS · Rating 3 out of 5]

One for the cover and two for action and a bit of suspense. I needed a fluffy hot savior book and this fit the bill.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read later books in the series and wanted to read this one. So nice it was included in the Recipe for Danger collection.

[The Romance Book Disciple (Samantha) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fractured Honor kicks off a new series by Cross set in a small town on the Oregon coast and features a special forces hero who has returned home after leaving the military. He has always loved his friend's sister, but now he is home and they are both single. He feels that he absolutely cannot get involved with her. She is too wonderful for the likes of him.

Beckett is such a good guy. He is home to take over the family business from his dying father and hires many of his veteran buddies to help them reacclimate to civilian life. He adopts a dog because the little girl who lives next door didn't want it to be put to sleep. He tries to support a fellow veteran even when the guy is being a jerk.

Sierra is also such a good person. A veterinarian, caring friend, and loving daughter, she spends her life helping other people and animals. She has always had a thing for Beckett, but she thinks he sees her only as a little sister.

There is an undercurrent of suspense that helps propel the story beyond just a small town romance. In addition to that, Beckett's dad is terminally ill and that hangs over the story. Also, there are several other characters introduced whose stories I am very curious about! Overall, Fractured Honor delivers really likable characters, a picturesque setting, and just enough danger to keep the story moving!

POV: 3rd
Tears: no
Trope: best friend's sister, small town
Triggers: Attempted child abuse occurs in the story
Series/Standalone: stand alone
Cliffhanger: no
HEA: yes

Authors who write ex-military heroes like Katie Reus, Susan Stoker, Paige Tyler...then you will probably like Fractured Honor!

 

Fractured Honor

 
See full review on The Book Disciple

[Jae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bored half the time.

[Toni Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! Emotional and intense. This book has all the things you'd expect from a Kaylea Cross story! Crimson Point is definitely somewhere I'd love to live.

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story! Beckett and Sierra were very likeable characters and their way overdue romance was a slow burn and packed one heck of a punch! I also enjoyed the supportive characters and their solid friendships; not just with Beckett, but with each other too. The fine thread of suspense running through the story was just enough to keep me on my toes, but not enough to detract from Beckett and Sierra’s budding romance and Beckett’s family matters.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

++ Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review ++
A great romantic suspense story, with a gorgeous ( both inside and out) hero and a lovely, smart heroine, “Fractured Honor” is a pleasurable read and left me wanting for more stories set in Crimson Point, Oregon.
Recently retired from the military, blue-collar hero Beckett is a great character, a mixture of gruffness and tenderness that makes him so attractive and real. His strong relationship with his father, the bonds with the Buchannans, his veteran friends, the little girl and the old dog he rescues, are all facets that add to his charisma.
I loved that Beckett (and his father) has a partially-Chinook heritage – giving him a delicious light bronze skin and deep brown eyes and hair – and I surely would have liked to have seem more depth to this dimension. Still, the way Kaylea Cross wrote Beckett’s features made it so easy to picture all that irresistible, dreamy extension of bronze skin…
The depiction of the struggles war veterans face when returning home is powerful and ruthlessly realistic (Carter is such a great character). The same applies to terminal illness and its impact.
I'm grateful to the publisher, Kobo Writing Life, and NetGalley for providing a free copy

[lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

A great start to a new series!

Sure, I kind of miss the suspense that usually comes with Kaylea's books; there's just not as many men in uniforms in this one, but I still loved it a lot. Fractured Honor felt to me how Pamela Clare's Barely Breathing felt after reading her I-Team series--a nice change.

Anyway I'm a big fan of the BFF's sibling trope. Sierra is Beckett's best friend Noah's little sister, though not so little now--Sierra is 31 while Beckett is 39 (yay older characters!). They're so good together, and their chemistry is *fans self* HOT.

Super excited to be continuing this series. Noah's book next! And oh my god the Jase-Molly-Carter saga.

E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

 
3.5 hearts
 

I wanted to get Fractured Honor for review when it was released but my schedule was too full. Now the second book in the Crimson Point series is being released so I was thrilled to grab this at the library before reading it.

Romantic suspense is a favorite genre.  In this series, we have some military guys coming back to their home town. I loved the characters and their close relationships with family and friends. They all have occupations and lives which are realistic and their emotions feel authentic.  The setting is a small oceanfront town in Oregon, so it's gorgeous.

Both Beckett and Sierra are great. I like them and their compassion for others. I thought the reason Beckett had for not having a relationship was bullshit but at least he got over it.   Beckett's interactions with his neighbors are precious. I loved them.  The series is off to a solid start.

There was nothing worse than being lonely when you were with your partner.

 

[Nancy Metsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Kaylea and I will be reading more.
It was so good.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBools today (12/26/2019)! 🎁

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first book in the Crimson Point series. The main focus of the book is Beckett and Sierra. However, it also sets up the series for other character romances down the line. I loved this couple. Loved the dog and the kid next door. I will issue a trigger warning for pedophilia. That I didn't expect. The twist at the end was unexpected. I can't wait to read the next book!

[Dísir · Rating 4 out of 5]

After all these years, Kaylea Cross’s paramilitary romantic suspense books are probably quite an institution in this small corner of the romance fiction market and it’s always exciting to step into a new series Cross begins.

‘Crimson Point’—as exotic sounding it might be—doesn’t really refer to some deliciously mysterious conspiracy theory or some covert military operation despite the very posh-sounding CIA-type name for a series, but rather, the small town where military vets come back to and find their own HEA, with a slight dose of suspense woven into their stories. It’s sort of a departure for Cross given the more contemporary romance focus but there’s enough drama to keep me occupied throughout as ‘Fractured Honor’ deals with an older hero and younger heroine, with the forbidden sister of the best friend trope coming into play here along with the introductions to the supporting characters and potential pairings that will be written into her future books.

Beckett/Sierra’s history stretches over years, though neither have been available throughout their lives (the age-gap probably contributes to this) for this to happen, along with the part where neither Beckett nor Sierra are sure of themselves and their feelings they hold back from each other. Still, Cross writes about two fairly relatable and likeable protagonists who ultimately, do decide to fight for each other without too much pushing and pulling, even if I’m not sure I particularly understand why the best friend’s sister is always a forbidden trope unless the male protagonist is an utter arse, which Beckett certainly isn’t.

All in all, it’s quite an emotional read, though the heartbreak is spread out amongst the individuals in the story that we’re introduced to, so much so that I thought Cross’s attention on the supporting characters—much more than usual—did take the pedal off Beckett/Sierra quite a bit which I hoped to have more of. The resulting slow burn did get frustrating at times, but as an establishing book, ‘Fractured Honor’ does well in weaving in the potential complications to come—there are sufficient hooks after all, to keep us coming back.

*ARC by the author

[Chanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 Stars I really related to this captivating and emotional story. When you read the synopsis, it appears this will be just another story with an over used plot about a war hero adjusting to civilian life that falls for his best friend’s little sister. Where this book differs, is how spot on the author expressed the emotions of the characters. I personally identified with this book on so many levels. (My husband is a TBI survivor. I have buried both my parents; my dad (retired Army) died from cancer. Plus, I am currently undergoing cancer treatment).
The main couple, Sierra and Beckett, are just great people, as individuals and together. Their relationship is based on a lifetime friendship and a secret attraction to each other. When they finally come together, it’s hot and worth the wait. The secondary characters are more than just a supporting cast, as their stories intertwine and add to the storyline. The only reason this wasn’t 5 Stars, is because of an inaccurate portray of patient confidentiality.
For the suspense, it isn’t often that I don’t figure out the mystery part. The book touches on more than one sensitive subject manner and each is handled with respect. Overall, I relished in “Fractured Hero”.

[Jen_C · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 first book of the series stars.

It was good. Very little romance (more lusting after each other in their thoughts for the first 2/3 of the book) and very little suspense (more drama with an employee with a TBI, a little neighbor girl, a dog, heartbreaking scenes of watching a father dying of cancer, and Beckett dealing with his internal demons).

I figured out the villain quickly due to the motive being foreshadowed and because we got their POV which helped rule out the obvious red herring. Note: DO NOT read my updates if you do not want a hint cause I mentioned when I figured out the villain.

Since this was the 1st book of a new series it spent a lot of time introducing characters that I am sure will show up in future books and giving info about the town. Several POV's (which I dislike because that is like a commercial interrupting my TV show - freakin ADD brain of mine) and lots of religious curse words).

Possible triggers: Abuse, cancer, death, PTSD/TBI.

Bottom line - another good story from a fabulous author. Although it has some personal pet peeves of mine, do not let that stop you from enjoying!

[Donna Was A Scandal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunny is sharing her thoughts on this new romantic suspense series from Kaylea Cross. Check out her full review on Scandalicious Book Reviews:

http://bit.ly/2DVDy8k

[AG Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[⚜️XAR the Bookwyrm · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED AN E-ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH INKSLINGER PR. I VOLUNTARILY OFFER MY HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK, THOUGH IT IS NOT EXPECTED OF ME! RECEIPT OF THIS BOOK IN THIS MANNER DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW!

I've never read this author before now, though I have been picking up her books on sale for quite some time! I was actually really surprised by this book!

I loved the tortured hero vibe that Beckett had, and yet you could tell that he had a lot of redeeming qualities. I loved how he cared about the little neighbor girl that kept coming over to his house, despite the fact that having her there would be an annoyance at best. When it's revealed what's going on with her, I totally cried and loved how Beckett handled that! Sierra was a wonderful heroine for Beckett, supportive yet independent. I loved that it was a bit of an unrequited love situation at first for them, but blossomed into something much stronger!

The romantic suspense was subtly woven into the story, and was a major shock to me when everything was revealed! The setting helped keep things suspenseful and mysterious, because it was such a small town making it not easy for the villain to hide. To have them pull it off was amazing to me!

All things considered, I really enjoyed this story and author, and will definitely move her books up on my TBR pile!

[Ayekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to the Crimson Point series. We meet Beck who has just returned home from the military after years of service and is trying to adjust back to life as a civilian. He's taken over his father's remodel/contracting business when his Dad became ill. He's brought in mostly Vet's, several who were on his team. Coming home also means seeing Sierra, now the town Vet and her brother is Beck's best friend. Sierra has always had a mad crush on Beck but he's never seen her as anything other than the little sister. Little sister is all grown up now and catches his eye. When things do spill over with Beck and Sierra, the steam is wallpaper peeling. One of Beck's employee's who has a TBI has begun to have behavior problems that have been worsening by the day. His wife is a good friend of Sierra's and she confides in Sierra the behavior changes that are taking place. After the final straw and Beck is more than accommodating, he's forced to let him go. There are a couple of sub plots, the young neighbor girl who likes to sit on Beck's porch, and Beck ends up adopting a rescue dog due to her influence. That's a plot twist as well and along with an unknown narrator who gave me the creeps a couple times, there are several threads in the plot line. The best way to hurt Beck someone decides is to hurt his woman and the story takes yet another twist. Didn't see that coming.
Great start to a series, we get a sneak peek at the next book involving a new gal in town and Sierra's brother who is the town sheriff.

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked other books by this author but this one was a bit different. The suspense part is not as strong as in her military romances I read so far. I also missed the military parts but I knew that this book wasn’t going to have the same level of military action so that was okay. However, the lack in real suspense was a bit of a let down. It only gets a bit of suspenseful towards the end but even then I never really felt the danger. Also, the romance was building very slowly. It took the MCs more than halfway through the book to finally get together. I didn’t quite get the (mainly Beckett’s) reasons that hold them back. Anyhow, it was still an enjoyable read, just a little more slow paced than I liked.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beckett is on his way out of the military and returning home to care for his dying father and his renovation business. Now the successful town veterinarian, Sierra has secretly longed for him for years. Beckett has recently seen her for the grown woman she’s become instead of just his best friend’s little sister, but has avoided her to avoid risking those relationships. This is good mind candy with the intensely protective military man, tension, hot romance and an endangering crisis. In fact, there were several crises, including abuse and death that added to the emotional depth. I’ll read more of the series. I read the ebook. 4/5Beckett is on his way out of the military and returning home to care for his dying father and his renovation business. Now the successful town veterinarian, Sierra has secretly longed for him for years. Beckett has recently seen her for the grown woman she’s become instead of just his best friend’s little sister, but has avoided her to avoid risking those relationships. This is good mind candy with the intensely protective military man, tension, hot romance and an endangering crisis. In fact, there were several crises, including abuse and death that added to the emotional depth. I’ll read more of the series. I read the ebook. 4/5

[JL Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this audio; the narrator did a great job. Beckett was a great character, stubborn when it came to what he wants, that being Sierra, but over all a sweet, gruff, teddy bear who loves his dad and adopts and old dog just to make his 6-year-old neighbor happy. There was some good mystery as we try to figure out who is after Beckett a little steam when Beckett finally decides to stop fighting his feelings for Sierra and a little action sprinkled in. I liked this introduction novel to Crimson Point series and am looking forward to Poppy and Noah's story.