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Lonely Heroes #1
Ranger Hank
Hank Schatz~
One of my toughest decisions was to join the Army after graduating high school. My second toughest was to decide it was time to get out. I wanted more than that life had to offer—namely the return of my humanity and a life beyond the pain that had leached into my soul during my deployments. Without a hint at what to do next, I said goodbye to my Army life and headed home to Missouri.
There were things I’d been hiding from my family for too many years—a secret that had nothing to do with my career as an Army Ranger. It was time I began to live my truth, but how to start, I didn’t know. I was aware of one thing for sure—I didn’t want to be lonely anymore.
##
Reed Bayless~
I had a job I loved as a Special Education teacher at Carver Middle School in central Missouri. The kids were amazing, and their parents were supportive, unlike my last school where the parents believed their expensive tuition relieved them of their obligations to actually participate in their children’s education. Sadly, I was still alone, and I was getting a little long in the tooth to play the one-night game.
Unexpectedly, my diamond brought her brother to the Christmas Eve service at the local Lutheran church, and I found myself off-balance by the gorgeous man. I felt there was a sadness about him that made me want to hold him in my arms until his hurts healed. Of course, he was an Army Ranger, the toughest of the tough and the straightest of the straight. Between Ranger Hank, and his dog, Cosmo, I wanted things I couldn’t imagine were possible. Or were they?
This work of fiction is approximately 142,000 words in length and doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. It is the first book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.”
One of my toughest decisions was to join the Army after graduating high school. My second toughest was to decide it was time to get out. I wanted more than that life had to offer—namely the return of my humanity and a life beyond the pain that had leached into my soul during my deployments. Without a hint at what to do next, I said goodbye to my Army life and headed home to Missouri.
There were things I’d been hiding from my family for too many years—a secret that had nothing to do with my career as an Army Ranger. It was time I began to live my truth, but how to start, I didn’t know. I was aware of one thing for sure—I didn’t want to be lonely anymore.
##
Reed Bayless~
I had a job I loved as a Special Education teacher at Carver Middle School in central Missouri. The kids were amazing, and their parents were supportive, unlike my last school where the parents believed their expensive tuition relieved them of their obligations to actually participate in their children’s education. Sadly, I was still alone, and I was getting a little long in the tooth to play the one-night game.
Unexpectedly, my diamond brought her brother to the Christmas Eve service at the local Lutheran church, and I found myself off-balance by the gorgeous man. I felt there was a sadness about him that made me want to hold him in my arms until his hurts healed. Of course, he was an Army Ranger, the toughest of the tough and the straightest of the straight. Between Ranger Hank, and his dog, Cosmo, I wanted things I couldn’t imagine were possible. Or were they?
This work of fiction is approximately 142,000 words in length and doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. It is the first book in the series entitled, “The Lonely Heroes Series.”
438 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2017
383 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Sam E. Kraemer
74 books227 followersI grew up in the rural Midwest before moving to the East Coast with a dashing young man who swept me off my feet, and we've now settled in the desert of Nevada. I write M/M contemporary romance, subgenres: sweet low angst, age-gap, cowboys, mysteries, and military/mercenary to name a few. I am a firm believer in "Love is Love" regardless of how it presents itself, and I'm a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
I have a loving, supportive family, and I feel blessed by the universe and thankful every day for all I have been given. I’m old enough to know how to have fun, but too old to care what others think about my definition of a good time. In my heart and soul, I believe I hit the cosmic jackpot. Cheers!
I have a loving, supportive family, and I feel blessed by the universe and thankful every day for all I have been given. I’m old enough to know how to have fun, but too old to care what others think about my definition of a good time. In my heart and soul, I believe I hit the cosmic jackpot. Cheers!
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dnf
October 27, 2022dnf 25%
February 6, 2018
4.5 STARS rounded up to 5
This book was a complete surprise to me. I actually borrowed it from KU last week, and returned it without reading it. I borrowed it again yesterday when nothing appealed to me. I started it without expectations, and it was refreshing. Hank is an Army Ranger who is more than ready to come home. He's tired of the life, and he's tired of hiding his sexuality. He wants to reconnect with his family, especially his beloved sister, Jewel. Jewel was a special surprise for his parents. She was born when Hank was 20, and he's been in the service for most of her life. Their relationship is a joy to read about. Hank's love for his special sister is beautiful. She was born with Down syndrome, but it doesn't stop her. Her effervescent personality makes everyone who meets her, love her. Reed is her teacher, and when they meet sparks fly. This book had a steady pace that drew me in. There was nothing OTT. There was never too much of anything, imo. It was also refreshing to read about a veteran who admitted they needed help. Hank has ptsd, and sees a shrink, and takes medication. It's an honest concern, but it doesn't define him. He starts dating Reed, and the pace is steady. They go slow, and have a few misunderstandings, but they talk it out like adults. Reed works at a school where some homophobic asshole rules the roost. There is drama that unfolds there, but once again it was realistic, and not OTT. Just when I think it's about to get boring... Hank gets recalled for a final mission. Things do not go well. There is a side story there as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey with these two. My favorite part of this book was how Chapter 1 and the epilogue tied everything together. They start out the same, but at differing times. It gave the book such continuity that tied everything together. Honestly, there will be people who don't like this because it might be too boring for them. However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This is a first read for me by this author, but all other books are going on my tbr.
This book was a complete surprise to me. I actually borrowed it from KU last week, and returned it without reading it. I borrowed it again yesterday when nothing appealed to me. I started it without expectations, and it was refreshing. Hank is an Army Ranger who is more than ready to come home. He's tired of the life, and he's tired of hiding his sexuality. He wants to reconnect with his family, especially his beloved sister, Jewel. Jewel was a special surprise for his parents. She was born when Hank was 20, and he's been in the service for most of her life. Their relationship is a joy to read about. Hank's love for his special sister is beautiful. She was born with Down syndrome, but it doesn't stop her. Her effervescent personality makes everyone who meets her, love her. Reed is her teacher, and when they meet sparks fly. This book had a steady pace that drew me in. There was nothing OTT. There was never too much of anything, imo. It was also refreshing to read about a veteran who admitted they needed help. Hank has ptsd, and sees a shrink, and takes medication. It's an honest concern, but it doesn't define him. He starts dating Reed, and the pace is steady. They go slow, and have a few misunderstandings, but they talk it out like adults. Reed works at a school where some homophobic asshole rules the roost. There is drama that unfolds there, but once again it was realistic, and not OTT. Just when I think it's about to get boring... Hank gets recalled for a final mission. Things do not go well. There is a side story there as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey with these two. My favorite part of this book was how Chapter 1 and the epilogue tied everything together. They start out the same, but at differing times. It gave the book such continuity that tied everything together. Honestly, there will be people who don't like this because it might be too boring for them. However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This is a first read for me by this author, but all other books are going on my tbr.
June 2, 2021
DNF @ 6%.
The info dumping is unreal, to the point I’m skimming. And if I’m skimming 2 chapters in, what’s the point?
The info dumping is unreal, to the point I’m skimming. And if I’m skimming 2 chapters in, what’s the point?
March 17, 2023
DNF@48%
Too much unnecessary information with MCs who have got zero chemistry, zero boundaries, zero direction, I mean 😪 zero everything. It would have been a good read if there wasn’t an overload of information as well as unrealistic approach to PTSD. I get that the book is meant to be a slow burn but 😩
Too much unnecessary information with MCs who have got zero chemistry, zero boundaries, zero direction, I mean 😪 zero everything. It would have been a good read if there wasn’t an overload of information as well as unrealistic approach to PTSD. I get that the book is meant to be a slow burn but 😩
March 17, 2021
I liked this book for trying to tackle topics like PTSD, coming out, bullying, and educating emotionally/mentally challenged children in today's world. BUT, that's a lot to tackle in ONE book! In dealing with so many hot-button issues, the author ended up with an unnecessarily long and overly detailed story that never really dealt in-depth with any of them. It also felt preachy and like it wanted to serve as a manual in handling delicate social situations or how to behave in social, business, and interpersonal relationships. Everyone was professional and well-mannered in their interactions. It all felt too well-manicured. The story is told, in alternating chapters, by the two main characters - Hank and Reed - from their points of view - of EVERY SINGLE THING THAT HAPPENS. We read both sides of every single event. We don't need that in every instance but the author felt obliged to give equal time to each MC. We know not only what time they got up in the morning, but what side of the bed they rolled out on, how many steps they took to get to the bathroom, what they had for breakfast, what they dressed in to go to work, how long the drive took to get to school. This author epitomizes the expression "I asked what time it was and it was explained to me how to build a clock." FOR EVERYTHING! Some of the conversations seemed a bit bizarre. and left you scratching your head thinking "WTF was that all about?", until several paragraphs later when you are given the answers to your question. Still, even through the monotony and frustration of reading every thought in the heads of the characters and the multiple storylines running concurrently, each was engrossing in their own way building to a satisfying conclusion.
Read
January 2, 2022WAY too much going on. There’s discrimination! Military trauma! Family secrets! Completely DIFFERENT discrimination! Government secrets! Covert ops! The CIA! It goes on and on.
The writing could use more refinement. Adding in a bunch of “fucking” this and that everywhere doesn’t make a character more hard-boiled and masculine. Also, it seemed like every description ended up giving the whole back story behind a character, setting or feeling.
The tone was also kind of odd. At times, it felt like it was written by someone with a stereotypically old-fashioned, less nuanced POV: constantly referring to kids with various special needs as “precious little angels,” centering the activity (even school-affiliated) around church and Christian holidays without even acknowledging other traditions, etc. The local villains sneer and scheme at the thought of The Gays and Their Agenda… but somehow nearly every other character the MCs meet is gay or bi. This is all while the MCs want to rail each other all the time. Writing M/M romance isn’t just about making the MCs the same gender and throwing in issues of staying in the closet/discrimination.
The writing could use more refinement. Adding in a bunch of “fucking” this and that everywhere doesn’t make a character more hard-boiled and masculine. Also, it seemed like every description ended up giving the whole back story behind a character, setting or feeling.
The tone was also kind of odd. At times, it felt like it was written by someone with a stereotypically old-fashioned, less nuanced POV: constantly referring to kids with various special needs as “precious little angels,” centering the activity (even school-affiliated) around church and Christian holidays without even acknowledging other traditions, etc. The local villains sneer and scheme at the thought of The Gays and Their Agenda… but somehow nearly every other character the MCs meet is gay or bi. This is all while the MCs want to rail each other all the time. Writing M/M romance isn’t just about making the MCs the same gender and throwing in issues of staying in the closet/discrimination.
February 23, 2024
I don't even know where to start. Long story short, the moment I saw the book was over, I felt relieved. While reading, I felt more anger and annoyance than anything else and at times I had to stop to calm down.
Now, for why I felt that way. First of all, Jewel. All of the disabled children really, but mostly Jewel, seeing how central a character she is. Jewel is a beautiful young woman, an inspiration, super smart to a degree of not even feeling like a child of fourteen, clever, inspirational, a natural born leader and influence to her classmates, inspirational, always happy and sunny, super verbal... did we say inspirational? They sure did repeat it a lot. Supposedly Jewel has down syndrome, but if we weren't told I wouldn't know. She acts more like a heavenly saint than a disabled teen.
And the more I read of Reed's students the more I started to doubt the author knew what each disability was, to a point where I wondered wether research was even done on it. People with down's usually have educational delays, but Jewel was up to par with her peers. So was her best friend Sasha, who was described as having autism and being mostly non verbal. A high support needs girl diagnosed with autism, passes, although with a side eye at her not actually showing any other sort of symptoms other than being told she barely talks. Daphne, third friend in that group, is a fourteen year old with aspergers syndrome. I can give a pass to her diagnosis being aspergers even though now it has been fused with autism as part of autism spectrum disorder as a "low support needs" category because this book was written in 2017. However, Daphne is described as having the educational level of someone in third grade while being supposedly in seventh, which clashes with the fact that she got curvy early and people could take advantage of her. Aspergers, aka low support needs autism, doesn't come with educational deficits or developmental delays by itself, the big issue is in the social aspect. The only reason why she could have had educational delays or the like is if she had been misdiagnosed (which would be odd because getting diagnosed with autism as a woman is hard as professionals skew to the male bias and tend to misdiagnose or dismiss autistic women for years), the person who diagnosed her missed some big comorbidity, or the author has no idea what aspergers actually is. Because Daphne, who is diagnosed with low support needs autism, has higher support needs than Sasha, who got diagnosed with autism at an age in which only high support need girls (or the very lucky ones) get their diagnosis. And Jewel, who has downs on paper, has no educational, motor, verbal, emotional or social delays. She's a literal genius above the level of an average fourteen year old in every single way, let alone someone who has downs.
Also, as a physically disabled and actually autistic person, it really rubs me wrong how the characters speak about the kids. The disabled ones (even though the word disabled is treated as almost nasty and we get thrown things like special needs and differently abled), are called angels, darlings, blessings, precious, inspirations, so on and so forth. The abled kids aren't precious angels in any way, just the disabled ones. When they're not being actively discriminated against by the secondary characters, they're set in a pedestal. That is inspiration porn and I utterly loathe it. Because the moment you can't go the extra mile and do things "like everyone else" and be "an inspiration" to make able bodied people feel better about their lives by just going over our own lives, we become burdens. If we cannot do as everyone else does by ourselves, we are a weight on our loved ones and society. The line is very fine and treatment like this isn't the positive thing abled people can think it is. Very little of the plot would have changed had Jewel been abled and Reed had a doctorate in history instead of special education, and not adding this whole "inspiration" thing would have made this book more palatable.
Kind of on the same vein, we have Hank and the military. Hank has suffered greatly in the 15 years he's been on duty, has ptsd, lost friends in brutal ways, feels lonely and unmoored with no clue what to do when he gets out but knowing he needs out. But when everyone else talks about the military, it's the romanticized patriotic spiel about "those brave, heroic men and women serving our country" and all that jazz. The jump is jarring. You almost expect those speeches to have the star strangled banner song as background music. Like the author couldn't make up their minds on wether they wanted to romanticize or show in its gory truth what war and military is so both ended in.
Plot wise, it was a mess. I had no idea what we were going through because we were following more secondary plots than we were the main characters and their relationship. Hank with his service, army buddies, "one last mission". Reed with his fellow teachers, students, middle school drama that looked like something out of a high school. They got into random fights to get more drama, made up. Messes were made and people conveniently related I'm convenient places show up. Nothing is worked for, we don't go nowhere. Halfway through the book we start having flashbacks, many of them unnecessary. We do not need a flashback to the morning sex. And flashbacks undermine some emotional moments. Also, when they start to time jump it gets so messy you don't know when we are in the timeline. And by the end of the book, only a year went by.
I got the series as a box set so I plan to suffer the next book to actually not waste the money I spent on them, or I would have abandoned ship at book 1. I'm not looking forward to it though
Edit: I opened book two, stared at the title and wondered "do I hate myself enough to go through this again when people who loved book 1 didn't like book 2?". And I decided to choose self love, I'll take the loss and skip the rest.
Now, for why I felt that way. First of all, Jewel. All of the disabled children really, but mostly Jewel, seeing how central a character she is. Jewel is a beautiful young woman, an inspiration, super smart to a degree of not even feeling like a child of fourteen, clever, inspirational, a natural born leader and influence to her classmates, inspirational, always happy and sunny, super verbal... did we say inspirational? They sure did repeat it a lot. Supposedly Jewel has down syndrome, but if we weren't told I wouldn't know. She acts more like a heavenly saint than a disabled teen.
And the more I read of Reed's students the more I started to doubt the author knew what each disability was, to a point where I wondered wether research was even done on it. People with down's usually have educational delays, but Jewel was up to par with her peers. So was her best friend Sasha, who was described as having autism and being mostly non verbal. A high support needs girl diagnosed with autism, passes, although with a side eye at her not actually showing any other sort of symptoms other than being told she barely talks. Daphne, third friend in that group, is a fourteen year old with aspergers syndrome. I can give a pass to her diagnosis being aspergers even though now it has been fused with autism as part of autism spectrum disorder as a "low support needs" category because this book was written in 2017. However, Daphne is described as having the educational level of someone in third grade while being supposedly in seventh, which clashes with the fact that she got curvy early and people could take advantage of her. Aspergers, aka low support needs autism, doesn't come with educational deficits or developmental delays by itself, the big issue is in the social aspect. The only reason why she could have had educational delays or the like is if she had been misdiagnosed (which would be odd because getting diagnosed with autism as a woman is hard as professionals skew to the male bias and tend to misdiagnose or dismiss autistic women for years), the person who diagnosed her missed some big comorbidity, or the author has no idea what aspergers actually is. Because Daphne, who is diagnosed with low support needs autism, has higher support needs than Sasha, who got diagnosed with autism at an age in which only high support need girls (or the very lucky ones) get their diagnosis. And Jewel, who has downs on paper, has no educational, motor, verbal, emotional or social delays. She's a literal genius above the level of an average fourteen year old in every single way, let alone someone who has downs.
Also, as a physically disabled and actually autistic person, it really rubs me wrong how the characters speak about the kids. The disabled ones (even though the word disabled is treated as almost nasty and we get thrown things like special needs and differently abled), are called angels, darlings, blessings, precious, inspirations, so on and so forth. The abled kids aren't precious angels in any way, just the disabled ones. When they're not being actively discriminated against by the secondary characters, they're set in a pedestal. That is inspiration porn and I utterly loathe it. Because the moment you can't go the extra mile and do things "like everyone else" and be "an inspiration" to make able bodied people feel better about their lives by just going over our own lives, we become burdens. If we cannot do as everyone else does by ourselves, we are a weight on our loved ones and society. The line is very fine and treatment like this isn't the positive thing abled people can think it is. Very little of the plot would have changed had Jewel been abled and Reed had a doctorate in history instead of special education, and not adding this whole "inspiration" thing would have made this book more palatable.
Kind of on the same vein, we have Hank and the military. Hank has suffered greatly in the 15 years he's been on duty, has ptsd, lost friends in brutal ways, feels lonely and unmoored with no clue what to do when he gets out but knowing he needs out. But when everyone else talks about the military, it's the romanticized patriotic spiel about "those brave, heroic men and women serving our country" and all that jazz. The jump is jarring. You almost expect those speeches to have the star strangled banner song as background music. Like the author couldn't make up their minds on wether they wanted to romanticize or show in its gory truth what war and military is so both ended in.
Plot wise, it was a mess. I had no idea what we were going through because we were following more secondary plots than we were the main characters and their relationship. Hank with his service, army buddies, "one last mission". Reed with his fellow teachers, students, middle school drama that looked like something out of a high school. They got into random fights to get more drama, made up. Messes were made and people conveniently related I'm convenient places show up. Nothing is worked for, we don't go nowhere. Halfway through the book we start having flashbacks, many of them unnecessary. We do not need a flashback to the morning sex. And flashbacks undermine some emotional moments. Also, when they start to time jump it gets so messy you don't know when we are in the timeline. And by the end of the book, only a year went by.
I got the series as a box set so I plan to suffer the next book to actually not waste the money I spent on them, or I would have abandoned ship at book 1. I'm not looking forward to it though
Edit: I opened book two, stared at the title and wondered "do I hate myself enough to go through this again when people who loved book 1 didn't like book 2?". And I decided to choose self love, I'll take the loss and skip the rest.
did-not-finish-abandoned
January 30, 2022Densely, incredibly, completely overwritten. Needs to be edited down by half at least.
I don't mind the cast of thousands. However the way the characters all speak isn't natural- just read some of their dialogue outloud. The amount of info dump is unreal- you're getting paragraphs of background information a character who shows up for 2 pages never to be seen again. It's unnecessary.
DNF @ 25%. No rating.
I don't mind the cast of thousands. However the way the characters all speak isn't natural- just read some of their dialogue outloud. The amount of info dump is unreal- you're getting paragraphs of background information a character who shows up for 2 pages never to be seen again. It's unnecessary.
DNF @ 25%. No rating.
August 21, 2023
just no....
April 9, 2022
My first time reading this author, but it won't be my last.
At one point I thought the story was about to wrap up, and couldn't figure out why there were so many pages left. But things just shifted and the story continued.
I really liked the portions where Hank was involved in some military shady stuff. I don't want to do any spoilers. I wish there had been a little more in that area.
I liked it, and I'm glad I got a little SH push to read it. I'll be checking out more books by the author in the future.
At one point I thought the story was about to wrap up, and couldn't figure out why there were so many pages left. But things just shifted and the story continued.
I really liked the portions where Hank was involved in some military shady stuff. I don't want to do any spoilers. I wish there had been a little more in that area.
I liked it, and I'm glad I got a little SH push to read it. I'll be checking out more books by the author in the future.
August 18, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. The author managed to hit so many feels with the detail oriented story. So many topics from bullying to politics were touched on which pleased me. I could have read another three hundred pages!
March 2, 2021
Reviewing edition released 2nd March 2021.
I love an ex military story and Ranger Hank follows Hank Schatz after he decides he wants to leave. Of course these things take time so he's taken his vacation time at home as everything is processed. Whilst home he's introduced to his sister's teacher, Reed Bayless. Reed is the Special Education teacher and adores all of the children in his class but his brightest star is Jewel, Hank's little sister.
When the two meet there is an obvious attraction but Hank is yet to come out to his family and Reed keeps his sexuality quite as it's quite a conservative town and he doesn't want it to affect his job. It takes a moment for them to find their groove but once they do, it's a wonderful relationship that builds between them though some of the big moments came a bit quicker than I was expecting. Reed is extremely understanding when it comes to Hank and his job, probably a transferable skill from his job. Hank is very protective of those he loves, family and work buddies alike which shows in how he tries to look out for them all but it isn't always the most welcome.
There is more to this book than their relationship though with trouble brewing at Reed's school and Hank being called back up for one more job. It puts a strain on them as individuals and as a couple but with the love and support of friends and Hanks amazing family, they pull through everything to get their HEA. There's a lot to go through for both men and the reader as at times it seems to drag a bit but then picks back up as things gain momentum again.
The supporting characters are just as important in this story for me as the MC's, especially the Schatz family. Jewel brings light to any scene that she's involved in and Hank's brother definitely has his own story to be told.
Overall, a story that I would recommend with many great elements to make up an entertaining story but I don't know if it had to be quite so long.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
I love an ex military story and Ranger Hank follows Hank Schatz after he decides he wants to leave. Of course these things take time so he's taken his vacation time at home as everything is processed. Whilst home he's introduced to his sister's teacher, Reed Bayless. Reed is the Special Education teacher and adores all of the children in his class but his brightest star is Jewel, Hank's little sister.
When the two meet there is an obvious attraction but Hank is yet to come out to his family and Reed keeps his sexuality quite as it's quite a conservative town and he doesn't want it to affect his job. It takes a moment for them to find their groove but once they do, it's a wonderful relationship that builds between them though some of the big moments came a bit quicker than I was expecting. Reed is extremely understanding when it comes to Hank and his job, probably a transferable skill from his job. Hank is very protective of those he loves, family and work buddies alike which shows in how he tries to look out for them all but it isn't always the most welcome.
There is more to this book than their relationship though with trouble brewing at Reed's school and Hank being called back up for one more job. It puts a strain on them as individuals and as a couple but with the love and support of friends and Hanks amazing family, they pull through everything to get their HEA. There's a lot to go through for both men and the reader as at times it seems to drag a bit but then picks back up as things gain momentum again.
The supporting characters are just as important in this story for me as the MC's, especially the Schatz family. Jewel brings light to any scene that she's involved in and Hank's brother definitely has his own story to be told.
Overall, a story that I would recommend with many great elements to make up an entertaining story but I don't know if it had to be quite so long.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
March 8, 2021
Steamy and poignant M/M romance between two buff guys, but so much more…
Hank aka Henry Schatz is getting out of the military after 15 years. He’s seen too much, endured too much and wants to sleep through the night again. For over a decade Hank has been with the elite Army Rangers but his unit has dwindled because of death from his closest six buddies to three: Gabby, Hawk and himself. He wants to go home, get to know his family again and enjoy normal for a change. His baby sister Jewel who is 20 years younger than him is turning 14yo and he’s missed most of that time with her. When he meets her Special Ed teacher, Reed, he’s entranced. After a few false starts, they become an item, but will his need to protect over-shadow his relationship with Reed or even his family?
Beautifully written book with some memorable moments. I love how his sister and her friends in the Special Ed class were depicted. Takes place in Missouri which is staunchly conservative territory. Will a gay teacher be accepted? Several stirring moments which I would enjoy seeing on a made-for-TV movie like the Vice Principal’s speech to the School Board or reading the last letter from Zeus to his parents. Get your tissues! This was a heartwarming gay romance with intrigue. Just when I thought the worst thing they would have to overcome was prejudice, BAM, there is something much worse. Great story. Enlightening book. I loved it. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews and highly recommend it.
Hank aka Henry Schatz is getting out of the military after 15 years. He’s seen too much, endured too much and wants to sleep through the night again. For over a decade Hank has been with the elite Army Rangers but his unit has dwindled because of death from his closest six buddies to three: Gabby, Hawk and himself. He wants to go home, get to know his family again and enjoy normal for a change. His baby sister Jewel who is 20 years younger than him is turning 14yo and he’s missed most of that time with her. When he meets her Special Ed teacher, Reed, he’s entranced. After a few false starts, they become an item, but will his need to protect over-shadow his relationship with Reed or even his family?
Beautifully written book with some memorable moments. I love how his sister and her friends in the Special Ed class were depicted. Takes place in Missouri which is staunchly conservative territory. Will a gay teacher be accepted? Several stirring moments which I would enjoy seeing on a made-for-TV movie like the Vice Principal’s speech to the School Board or reading the last letter from Zeus to his parents. Get your tissues! This was a heartwarming gay romance with intrigue. Just when I thought the worst thing they would have to overcome was prejudice, BAM, there is something much worse. Great story. Enlightening book. I loved it. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews and highly recommend it.
May 13, 2022
Interesting story for Hank. Has this story been rewritten?
I had thought I read this story since I read Gabby story a while back so I had put this one off. The starting of the plot sounded familiar so I was thinking that maybe I forgot how it went. Then I read Shep story not to long ago and then decided to pull in Hank story to see where my book marks were at. I did apparently pull this book in and had started it but I didn't keep my attention because I had traded it out for another. Now I'm glad I am in a better place to have read his story. It was ok. He came across as kind of block head. Kind of all muscle and not a whole lot of brain considering what he was in the military. I enjoyed Reed. His character was good. A teacher of children with learning disabilities and being gay would be a hard job to do. Considering the scrap he put with from Hank I would consider him a saint. These two don't seem like a long lasting pair more of a happy for now couple unless Hank learned to get his head out of his ass. Like I said an interesting story. Good intro for the rest of the series.
I had thought I read this story since I read Gabby story a while back so I had put this one off. The starting of the plot sounded familiar so I was thinking that maybe I forgot how it went. Then I read Shep story not to long ago and then decided to pull in Hank story to see where my book marks were at. I did apparently pull this book in and had started it but I didn't keep my attention because I had traded it out for another. Now I'm glad I am in a better place to have read his story. It was ok. He came across as kind of block head. Kind of all muscle and not a whole lot of brain considering what he was in the military. I enjoyed Reed. His character was good. A teacher of children with learning disabilities and being gay would be a hard job to do. Considering the scrap he put with from Hank I would consider him a saint. These two don't seem like a long lasting pair more of a happy for now couple unless Hank learned to get his head out of his ass. Like I said an interesting story. Good intro for the rest of the series.
March 10, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
Ranger Hank has its high points and low, but is ultimately a sweet and average love story about two men who truly care about the people in their lives.
Reed and Hank are both compelling characters. I wouldn’t call them completely developed, but they do have definition. They have a good on page chemistry and tend to work better as a couple than they do individuals. I would have liked a deeper exploration of Hank’s transition back into civilian life and his PTSD. I think this would have just added to his character and his growth throughout the book. It’s mentioned, but I don’t think it’s really given the time it deserves given the seriousness of the subject.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
Ranger Hank has its high points and low, but is ultimately a sweet and average love story about two men who truly care about the people in their lives.
Reed and Hank are both compelling characters. I wouldn’t call them completely developed, but they do have definition. They have a good on page chemistry and tend to work better as a couple than they do individuals. I would have liked a deeper exploration of Hank’s transition back into civilian life and his PTSD. I think this would have just added to his character and his growth throughout the book. It’s mentioned, but I don’t think it’s really given the time it deserves given the seriousness of the subject.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
April 17, 2021
A lot
Wow, so much happens, it almost feels like it should have been 2 books, maybe one from each perspective. There were so many plot elements that would have done it more justice I think
There was plenty to love about it though. Such a great, diverse cast and quite a bit of knowledge about the military and education. Can't wait for Guardian Gabe
Wow, so much happens, it almost feels like it should have been 2 books, maybe one from each perspective. There were so many plot elements that would have done it more justice I think
There was plenty to love about it though. Such a great, diverse cast and quite a bit of knowledge about the military and education. Can't wait for Guardian Gabe
May 3, 2021
Ranger Hank is the first book in the Lonely Hero series by Sam E. Kraemer. This was my first book by this author and I liked it. The story is about Hank and Reed. I liked their story. It was sweet, sexy and very well written.
dnf
April 4, 2023Too much info dumping, I just could not get into it at all. Maybe I'll come back to it later. Or maybe I won't.
March 13, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this fantastic, amazing, grab-you-by-the-feels, fast paced, action packed, smoking hot, and totally awesome story, but it was a little hard keeping up with everything that was going on. I would DEFINITELY recommend giving this magnificent masterpiece a try.
March 21, 2021
I really liked this book. It hooked me right from the beginning and I found myself really liking Hank. He had a lot of stuff going on in his life, but his family was clearly very important to him. He really had an amazing family. Hank was an Army Ranger who was finally looking to leave and return to civilian life. Reed was a special education teacher who had Hank's sister, Jewel, in his class. He was an awesome human being with a huge heart. The two of them were great for each other, and Reed was a great calming presence for Hank, who was dealing with anxiety and PTSD.
The writing was great, and I found myself immersed in the story. There was a lot going on in this book; Hank was dealing with reacclimating while also being sent out one last mission and Reed was dealing with homophobia at work and with bullying from other students towards the students he teaches in the special education program. There were times it felt like it was a bit long winded and the characters seemed to give long speeches rather than dialogue quite a bit, but it wasn't enough to turn me away from the story. I really liked the characters, both main and supporting, and I am really interested in continuing this series.
I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews
The writing was great, and I found myself immersed in the story. There was a lot going on in this book; Hank was dealing with reacclimating while also being sent out one last mission and Reed was dealing with homophobia at work and with bullying from other students towards the students he teaches in the special education program. There were times it felt like it was a bit long winded and the characters seemed to give long speeches rather than dialogue quite a bit, but it wasn't enough to turn me away from the story. I really liked the characters, both main and supporting, and I am really interested in continuing this series.
I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews
April 27, 2022
What a great read! It had a little bit of everything in it! Mystery, action, family, fun and lots of love. Angst was also a big part. You can’t have a story like this without some.
Looking forward to the next book!
Looking forward to the next book!
March 3, 2021
3.5 stars…I enjoyed this first book in the series but it definitely could have used a much better editor. The book is too long and could really be two different books as the two storylines don’t really meld well at all. There were several extraneous things that could have been eliminated. It appears the author was attempting to develop the characters but a lot of information is repetitive. It’s almost like there was a stream of consciousness thing going on and the author just went wherever the mood struck.
We never really got a lot of depth about Reed. I certainly question his ability to see people’s character and his choice in friends. That did not jive with his intuition and innate sense of knowing what his students and Hank needed. Some serious contradictions there.
There were a lot of inaccuracies or completely unbelievable elements which detracted from the story. Some of the incidents involving the school were so completely in violation of federal education law there would have been lawsuits galore. The description of Senator Brown is ridiculous as no one like him has a shot in hell of getting elected in NY. There was no need to have him be from NY, especially as the story takes place in the south, so why not make the choice more realistic. Others are spoilers so I can’t mention them here.
I enjoyed the credit given to service dogs as that’s not something you see often. Likewise I enjoyed reading about Reed’s students and their struggles and successes. The overall message is wonderful and the ending leaves you feeling hopeful.
Hank’s PTSD was handled sensitively (it seemed to me given my lack of knowledge) and I very much enjoyed the portrayal of his psychiatrist. Hank’s supportive family was a joy to read about and Jewel was a bright spot throughout the book.
This is the first book in a series and some of the secondary characters are clearly going to be the subjects of future books. I will likely read those books because even though there are serious shortcomings here I did enjoy the story.
**I voluntarily read an arc and this is my unbiased opinion.**
We never really got a lot of depth about Reed. I certainly question his ability to see people’s character and his choice in friends. That did not jive with his intuition and innate sense of knowing what his students and Hank needed. Some serious contradictions there.
There were a lot of inaccuracies or completely unbelievable elements which detracted from the story. Some of the incidents involving the school were so completely in violation of federal education law there would have been lawsuits galore. The description of Senator Brown is ridiculous as no one like him has a shot in hell of getting elected in NY. There was no need to have him be from NY, especially as the story takes place in the south, so why not make the choice more realistic. Others are spoilers so I can’t mention them here.
I enjoyed the credit given to service dogs as that’s not something you see often. Likewise I enjoyed reading about Reed’s students and their struggles and successes. The overall message is wonderful and the ending leaves you feeling hopeful.
Hank’s PTSD was handled sensitively (it seemed to me given my lack of knowledge) and I very much enjoyed the portrayal of his psychiatrist. Hank’s supportive family was a joy to read about and Jewel was a bright spot throughout the book.
This is the first book in a series and some of the secondary characters are clearly going to be the subjects of future books. I will likely read those books because even though there are serious shortcomings here I did enjoy the story.
**I voluntarily read an arc and this is my unbiased opinion.**
March 2, 2021
Based on the 2021 edition -
Ranger Hank is a nice, easy to read romance. The first book in the Lonely Heroes series by Sam E Kramer, I'm excited to see what comes next.
It doesn't seem so at first, but in the long run, there's a lot going on in this story. There's being closeted while in the military. There are students who need a teacher's help. There are lots of crooked people, their manipulation, and under handed ways.
Hank's back home trying to get to know his family again. He's been closeted his whole life, but definitely feels the sparks when he meets Reed. In addition to dealing with his potential coming out, he's also dealing with having PTSD.
Reed is the teacher of Hank's sister. And oh...Hank's sister is sweet as can be. A child with downs syndrome, she adds a lot to the story, as do Reed's other students.
A large part of this story is the journey of Reed and his job. His students are faced with prejudice and bullying. It's heartbreaking. And it's coming from the top. I love how hard Reed is willing to fight for his students and for what's right. He's an incredible guy.
And then...ugh...some twists and turns that had me holding my breath. Hank has a little left to do before he retires and it involves some mystery, intrigue, and danger.
Overall, Ranger Hank is a riveting romance. This Sam E Kramer story has romance, issues of being closeted, military danger, mysteries, and some wonderful kids. In the end, it's a long journey for the men to be together, but it's worth it.
Ranger Hank is a nice, easy to read romance. The first book in the Lonely Heroes series by Sam E Kramer, I'm excited to see what comes next.
It doesn't seem so at first, but in the long run, there's a lot going on in this story. There's being closeted while in the military. There are students who need a teacher's help. There are lots of crooked people, their manipulation, and under handed ways.
Hank's back home trying to get to know his family again. He's been closeted his whole life, but definitely feels the sparks when he meets Reed. In addition to dealing with his potential coming out, he's also dealing with having PTSD.
Reed is the teacher of Hank's sister. And oh...Hank's sister is sweet as can be. A child with downs syndrome, she adds a lot to the story, as do Reed's other students.
A large part of this story is the journey of Reed and his job. His students are faced with prejudice and bullying. It's heartbreaking. And it's coming from the top. I love how hard Reed is willing to fight for his students and for what's right. He's an incredible guy.
And then...ugh...some twists and turns that had me holding my breath. Hank has a little left to do before he retires and it involves some mystery, intrigue, and danger.
Overall, Ranger Hank is a riveting romance. This Sam E Kramer story has romance, issues of being closeted, military danger, mysteries, and some wonderful kids. In the end, it's a long journey for the men to be together, but it's worth it.
February 15, 2021
I loved the premise of this story. At the beginning the book had me hooked! However, as it progressed, it began to get too drawn out, with just too much happening. Every little detail of EVERYTHING was covered, and I have to agree with a former reviewer that it was just too garrulous! It could have been reduced to half the length. Saying that, and reading between the lines, it also was funny, sad, emotional, tense and a sweet romance. It had chemistry, a good connection between the leads, the secondary characters were likeable. Nice story, just overly long, in my opinion.
March 2, 2021
The characters storyline has great potential and I enjoyed the heck out of Hank's sister. However for me the style of writing made it hard for me to get engaged. It felt like it started to delve into the characters then would stop and go in a different direction. There was so much going on and the point of view changes made it difficult to stay engaged. I really wanted to give this more stars because I felt like the content was great (veterans, special education), but reduced rating due to writing style making it hard for me to finish.
August 18, 2021
I really struggled with my rating on this book. The first 20% was snoresville and didn't get to a turn pager until about 50-60%. It got a lot better once the relationship between Hank and Reed were a couple and their relationship continued to develop. I'm hesitant in reading anything else from this author but I think I'll try and read the story with Lawry and I'll figure out whether it was a fluke or not.
It was well written even tho it dragged and the characters were enjoyable. Reed lacked a bit of depth.
It was well written even tho it dragged and the characters were enjoyable. Reed lacked a bit of depth.
June 22, 2025
3.5 stars
So much angst.
Short version: I enjoyed the book. The characters were nice but too perfect. A major dangerous thing was too contrived and solved without significant aid from the main character. Hank’s family is very religious and the whole thing is a love song to the military as well as special needs. There was excessive angst and the book was about two hours (out of eleven) too long. The latter is why I deducted a star.
———————————————-
My notes:
Hank completely overreacted to the big fight.
There are way too many gay people here. It’s ridiculously unbelievable. I’d rather see a clerk who is enthusiastic and supportive who was heterosexual or whose sexuality wasn’t even mentioned. And virtually all the people that are gay are in committed relationships.
I’m really concerned that it’s okay that the teacher can hug and touch the students. It’s unfortunate but true that there are too many pedophiles out there. One way to find them is by how much the predator touches the children. Having romantic sounding nicknames like “my diamond” is also definitely suspect.
The special needs class has way too much and complicated work. Yes, there would be exceptional students like Jewel but there would be plenty of kids who would be truly less capable. Two essays is more than most fifth graders have in one week. Many high schoolers don’t do that (although they should if they can. We do give up in a lot of kids who could be okay.) But I think it’s great he made up “standardized tests” for the kids.
I don’t think the author knows when to end a story. Even if you want a last calamity for the heroes, make the stuff around it shorter. The book was about two hours too long and almost nothing in it was important nor propelled the story along.
Hank’s on the PTSD med I’m on and it’s not seriously hard medication like they say. It’s really mild and easily tolerated. It’s one of the few legal drugs given for PTSD. It helps with nightmares the most. There really aren’t very many PTSD drugs out there. Researchers have been looking into “new” experimental drugs like X/Molly, LSD, and psylocybin (psychodelic mushrooms) which show promise and some are legal for mental health care in other countries. Here, though, it’s hard to even get the drugs to test. There was a really good article in Psychology Today about it (my information comes from multiple sources).
I think it’s unlikely for him to have a class where all the students were sweet and never hurt anyone. IEPs can be supplemented by or made in lieu of 504 plans and another whose abbreviation I can’t remember. These have behavior elements that still require special ed.
My eldest daughter sometimes would have a breakdown, become violent, breaking something or punching a wall. Then she’d leave school and go to the smoking place near the school until it was put in her 504 that she was seriously behaviorally disabled and needed more than an IEP. She wasn’t put into special ed until high school. There she was allowed to leave class and go to a particular person’s office to calm down and in theory study. She eventually dropped out and did drugs, I believe partially because I didn’t find out/told about the special programs other than IEP until it was too late. She was also very injured by her previous homes and foster care. But she stayed longer than I expected her to (she never ever knew of my doubts, never ever—I treated her like she could rule the world) because of the special exceptions they made for her. It’s nice to blame the school district or previous teachers but it’s also the parents and even the child themselves sometimes play a role (not blame, never blame) in whether a child succeeds or not.
Trained assistance dogs are hard to come by and to qualify for. There are huge waiting lists. Support animals are different but don’t have the rights a service dog has to accompany their people everywhere, greatly because there are so many of them as it’s so easy to qualify.
I might read the next one. I’m not sure.
The reader, Michael Ferraiuolo, is quite good but the two main characters sounded the same.
So much angst.
Short version: I enjoyed the book. The characters were nice but too perfect. A major dangerous thing was too contrived and solved without significant aid from the main character. Hank’s family is very religious and the whole thing is a love song to the military as well as special needs. There was excessive angst and the book was about two hours (out of eleven) too long. The latter is why I deducted a star.
———————————————-
My notes:
Hank completely overreacted to the big fight.
There are way too many gay people here. It’s ridiculously unbelievable. I’d rather see a clerk who is enthusiastic and supportive who was heterosexual or whose sexuality wasn’t even mentioned. And virtually all the people that are gay are in committed relationships.
I’m really concerned that it’s okay that the teacher can hug and touch the students. It’s unfortunate but true that there are too many pedophiles out there. One way to find them is by how much the predator touches the children. Having romantic sounding nicknames like “my diamond” is also definitely suspect.
The special needs class has way too much and complicated work. Yes, there would be exceptional students like Jewel but there would be plenty of kids who would be truly less capable. Two essays is more than most fifth graders have in one week. Many high schoolers don’t do that (although they should if they can. We do give up in a lot of kids who could be okay.) But I think it’s great he made up “standardized tests” for the kids.
I don’t think the author knows when to end a story. Even if you want a last calamity for the heroes, make the stuff around it shorter. The book was about two hours too long and almost nothing in it was important nor propelled the story along.
Hank’s on the PTSD med I’m on and it’s not seriously hard medication like they say. It’s really mild and easily tolerated. It’s one of the few legal drugs given for PTSD. It helps with nightmares the most. There really aren’t very many PTSD drugs out there. Researchers have been looking into “new” experimental drugs like X/Molly, LSD, and psylocybin (psychodelic mushrooms) which show promise and some are legal for mental health care in other countries. Here, though, it’s hard to even get the drugs to test. There was a really good article in Psychology Today about it (my information comes from multiple sources).
I think it’s unlikely for him to have a class where all the students were sweet and never hurt anyone. IEPs can be supplemented by or made in lieu of 504 plans and another whose abbreviation I can’t remember. These have behavior elements that still require special ed.
My eldest daughter sometimes would have a breakdown, become violent, breaking something or punching a wall. Then she’d leave school and go to the smoking place near the school until it was put in her 504 that she was seriously behaviorally disabled and needed more than an IEP. She wasn’t put into special ed until high school. There she was allowed to leave class and go to a particular person’s office to calm down and in theory study. She eventually dropped out and did drugs, I believe partially because I didn’t find out/told about the special programs other than IEP until it was too late. She was also very injured by her previous homes and foster care. But she stayed longer than I expected her to (she never ever knew of my doubts, never ever—I treated her like she could rule the world) because of the special exceptions they made for her. It’s nice to blame the school district or previous teachers but it’s also the parents and even the child themselves sometimes play a role (not blame, never blame) in whether a child succeeds or not.
Trained assistance dogs are hard to come by and to qualify for. There are huge waiting lists. Support animals are different but don’t have the rights a service dog has to accompany their people everywhere, greatly because there are so many of them as it’s so easy to qualify.
I might read the next one. I’m not sure.
The reader, Michael Ferraiuolo, is quite good but the two main characters sounded the same.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2022
It has been a few books (a while) since I read this and I needed to get my thoughts together.
I have book 1, book 2, book 5 and book 7 in this series and I did read them all back to back to get a feel for the series. I was drawn in by the hot cover of Ranger Hank and had so much hope that this could be the elusive five star read.
The world building is great, I liked the characters very much and all the side characters are individually carved out, but there was just a lot going on. I don't mind big books, I love multiple POV but I had a few moments where I was lost because the information was just a massive overload.
I enjoyed reading about Hank's sister Jewel and how she got on in the world, having Down syndrome.
This is the second time Goodreads fucked up my review. I have been sitting here in the last hours and wrote what I thought about this book. I added the times when I read it only to be redirected to some quote from Aragon, that tells me whatever I have written is gone into the nirvana of never published shit. I seriously am too angry right now. Lets see if I can get it all together a second time.
I have trouble with Hank being an US Army Ranger, suffering from PTSD, being in treatment with an Army doctor but he gets drafted for a "one man only" last mission . So Hank just goes into the jungle of Colombia and tries to rescue his asset, but nothing really works out as planned. And while he does that there isn't any sign of PTSD for which he got a support animal for. Dog Cosmo spends more time with Hank's family or Reed, although it has been stressed to Hank when he got him that he was supposed to be the only person to feed him.
Reed is such a sweet man, living for his students, who are unique. He supports them and helps them get self-esteem and a certain degree of independence. Reed is hiding his orientation for fear that he might lose his job as teacher, but it turns out there are other reasons why he isn't wanted at the middle school in Washington, Missouri.
I didn't really like Reed's friends from St. Louis. It seemed to me that Reed was doing the traveling back and forth while they lorded in St. Louis and expected him to bring his boyfriend for their approval. They eventually make the trip to Washington, but no, they aren't my kind of friends.
I am sure there were more things I liked about the story and the characters but I cannot remember. It won't change my rating, you just have to read for yourself. There is a lot of things going on, a few things get repeated as they are told from both main characters' PoV. Also there's quite a bit of information overload when it comes to side characters and side stories that seem to lead away from the actual story of Hank and Reed getting to be a couple. They have issues with communication as there are a few situations that could have been avoided if they only had talked to each other.
I have book 1, book 2, book 5 and book 7 in this series and I did read them all back to back to get a feel for the series. I was drawn in by the hot cover of Ranger Hank and had so much hope that this could be the elusive five star read.
The world building is great, I liked the characters very much and all the side characters are individually carved out, but there was just a lot going on. I don't mind big books, I love multiple POV but I had a few moments where I was lost because the information was just a massive overload.
I enjoyed reading about Hank's sister Jewel and how she got on in the world, having Down syndrome.
This is the second time Goodreads fucked up my review. I have been sitting here in the last hours and wrote what I thought about this book. I added the times when I read it only to be redirected to some quote from Aragon, that tells me whatever I have written is gone into the nirvana of never published shit. I seriously am too angry right now. Lets see if I can get it all together a second time.
I have trouble with Hank being an US Army Ranger, suffering from PTSD, being in treatment with an Army doctor but he gets drafted for a "one man only" last mission . So Hank just goes into the jungle of Colombia and tries to rescue his asset, but nothing really works out as planned. And while he does that there isn't any sign of PTSD for which he got a support animal for. Dog Cosmo spends more time with Hank's family or Reed, although it has been stressed to Hank when he got him that he was supposed to be the only person to feed him.
Reed is such a sweet man, living for his students, who are unique. He supports them and helps them get self-esteem and a certain degree of independence. Reed is hiding his orientation for fear that he might lose his job as teacher, but it turns out there are other reasons why he isn't wanted at the middle school in Washington, Missouri.
I didn't really like Reed's friends from St. Louis. It seemed to me that Reed was doing the traveling back and forth while they lorded in St. Louis and expected him to bring his boyfriend for their approval. They eventually make the trip to Washington, but no, they aren't my kind of friends.
I am sure there were more things I liked about the story and the characters but I cannot remember. It won't change my rating, you just have to read for yourself. There is a lot of things going on, a few things get repeated as they are told from both main characters' PoV. Also there's quite a bit of information overload when it comes to side characters and side stories that seem to lead away from the actual story of Hank and Reed getting to be a couple. They have issues with communication as there are a few situations that could have been avoided if they only had talked to each other.
December 21, 2022
This is my first book by Sam E Kraemer - a fellow writer I met at 20BooksVegas last month. I was delighted to learn her book was available on audible.
Hank Schatz, was an Army Ranger who came home at the supposed end of his service to be with his family, including his little sister, Jewel, who was born when he was nearly of drinking age. Despite his being so much older than she is, they had a strong connection.
As a girl with Down Syndrome, she was in a special needs class with her teacher, Reed Bayliss.
Hank and Reed were a wonderful couple - two strong, sexy men who fell for each other and turned it into a long-term relationship. They had good chemistry between them and I couldn't help falling for both.
Side notes:
* The book was long - it could easily have been changed to a two-book series with the same couple.
* The timing seemed a bit disjointed at times and was a little confusing to follow.
* Every conceivable kind of problem was tossed out in this book: PTSD, small-town bigots, judgmental friends, coming out, an extra covert ops mission, drama, etc.
* There was a lot of background info on secondary characters that wasn't always needed, but hey - it gave you a feel for them. The story got a lot better, I think, once the couple got together.
* I listened to the whole book in one day (1.3x speed), and the narration by Michael Ferraiuolo was excellent, as always.
All and all an enjoyable book. I look forward to continuing the series!
Hank Schatz, was an Army Ranger who came home at the supposed end of his service to be with his family, including his little sister, Jewel, who was born when he was nearly of drinking age. Despite his being so much older than she is, they had a strong connection.
As a girl with Down Syndrome, she was in a special needs class with her teacher, Reed Bayliss.
Hank and Reed were a wonderful couple - two strong, sexy men who fell for each other and turned it into a long-term relationship. They had good chemistry between them and I couldn't help falling for both.
Side notes:
* The book was long - it could easily have been changed to a two-book series with the same couple.
* The timing seemed a bit disjointed at times and was a little confusing to follow.
* Every conceivable kind of problem was tossed out in this book: PTSD, small-town bigots, judgmental friends, coming out, an extra covert ops mission, drama, etc.
* There was a lot of background info on secondary characters that wasn't always needed, but hey - it gave you a feel for them. The story got a lot better, I think, once the couple got together.
* I listened to the whole book in one day (1.3x speed), and the narration by Michael Ferraiuolo was excellent, as always.
All and all an enjoyable book. I look forward to continuing the series!
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