Review: Warrior By Nicole Blanchard

I thought it was just one night with my brother’s best friend. The boy I had dreamt about since he gave me my first kiss, under the lights of the Ferris wheel.

I knew he was about to leave for a year – no chance for a future.

But our one night together would create memories for a lifetime.

Our paths crossed again, but I had lied, and he was no longer the man he once was. He was warring against demons. Against the silence that was threatening to swallow him. And I had kept a secret from him, one he would never forgive me for.

But my secret was about to be ripped open. Displayed for the world on national news. And I had only one way to repair the damage. 

I had to trust the man I lied to. 

The man I never got the chance to make a life with. 

The only man who could save what we had created together.

By now you all know that I have a special love for military romances, especially ones with wounded warriors or those who live with PTSD.  When I signed up for Warrior I didn’t know from the synopsis alone that this was the type of book it would be but it sounded good so I said “sure, why not”.  Nicole Blanchard is a new to me author so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began to read.

Ben and Olivia share one night after years of tip toeing around the attraction they felt towards each other.  Olivia is Ben’s best friends little sister and he doesn’t want to hurt her but he can no longer hold back.  Their one night is filled with passion and they say goodbye before Ben deploys.  With promises to stay in contact as best as possible they part.  Later on Olivia finds out that their one night has created more than just memories, she is pregnant and this will not be an easy road for her.  Ben suffers as well, after being injured in battle he will never be the same as he was before.

I loved the banter between Ben and Olivia when they would start to bicker, you could feel the underlying friendship that was the base of their relationship.  I loved Ben’s character, even when he was pushing Olivia away I understood by.  Unless you experience PTSD yourself or someone who you love lives with it, you can never understand why at times they struggle to not only feel normal once more, but to not push their loved ones away.  Olivia, for me, really annoyed me at times when she didn’t stop to consider that Ben was suffering from more than the injury she knew about.  Yes, she had her own stresses but I think her lack of even telling his family certain things made me like her less.  Sadly Olivia kind of ruined it for me I think. 

Warrior has friends to lovers, a military man, secrets, drama, angst and some lessons that everyone needs to learn in life.  I liked this book, even with the issues I had with Olivia.  I am anxious to see who the next book is about.  I have an idea but I am not 100% positive that I am right so I don’t want to say.   This was a good start to the series and I look forward to reading more. 

Review: Even Vampires Get the Blues (Deadly Angels #6) by Sandra Hill

The fact that vampire angel Harek Sigurdsson was a Norseman in his mortal life doesn't make thawing out after exile in Siberia any easier. But things heat up when his search for evil Lucipires connects him with Camille Dumaine, a human who thrums with sensual energy that can mean only one thing: she's the mate Harek's been seeking for centuries . . .

The SEALs call her "Camo" for her ability to blend into a crowd—yet Harek's intense blue gaze singles Camille out like a white-hot spotlight. The security wiz was hired to help bring down a ruthless band of international kidnappers, but Camille senses an unspoken agenda—besides Harek's bold declaration that she's his "destiny." Just Camille's luck that the sexiest man she's ever met may also be . . . a vampire!

Okay, first of all…Vampires…Angels…Vampires + Angels…Vangels. You with me so far? Vampire angels. This is a paranormal dream! Oh and on top of that, before they were vangels, they were Norsemen. Hot, virile, Viking men. A man’s man. Let me just take a moment to pause and reflect on the beauty of all that…Okay and the moment is up. So, how did they become vangels? Well, let’s just say the men focused on in this series were very naughty in their human lives. Like, committing one of the seven deadly sins kind of naughty. But, thankfully, the Big Man upstairs gave them one shot to repent and devote their energy to the greater good–helping to rid the earth of evil Lucipires and preserve humanity.

Enter Harek Sigurdsson. He had an issue with greed, a hunger for obtaining mass amounts of wealth. Always needing, wanting more. Even now, living in the modern world and serving as a vangel, he still struggles with his addiction. Oh, if Michael, the Archangel and basically his boss, knew what Harek was hiding…or does he? Michael sends Harek on a mission to help a team of Navy SEALs. However, unbeknownst to Harek or Michael, that mission puts Harek on the direct path to meeting his predestined mate.

Camille Dumaine, known as “Camo” to the SEALS, is devoted to her career in the military and serves her country as a WEAL, a sister unit to the SEALs. She is able to slip in undetected, and get the task done. Hence her nickname. Camille is a fierce warrior. She believes in what she does and works her butt off. She comes from a well-to-do family of scholars from New Orleans. Her parents are professors at Tulane and her brother was literally a rocket scientist, now a professor as well. Camille couldn’t have chosen a more opposite path. But, hey, it leads her to Harek.

Chocolate and Roses, that’s the fragrance scented when you put Harek and Camille in a room together. The scent, which only they can smell at first, is the first clue Harek gets to Camille being his mate. As much as he rejects the notion and tries to not give in, he can’t deny the hold Camille has over him. But, there’s this thing about him being a vangel, her being a human, and Michael really won’t be happy to know that another one of his warriors has bitten the love dust. Already this couple has a lot of odds to overcome. Add to it, Camille has been burned badly by love before, so trust is a major issue with her, Harek’s inability to follow the rules, thus keeping him from being on Michael’s good side, AND they need to work together to save a group of girls from terrorists working with Lucipires. All that there should give you an idea of how awesome this book is.

Sandra Hill does a fantastic job blending paranormal romance, suspense, action, and humor. Harek and Camille are extremely likeable characters. The glimpses we get of Michael are witty and funny. I get the sense that sometimes he feels like he’s herding cats, which let’s face it, he’s in charge of a group of vangels, so yeah it’s like that. But underneath the romance and fun is an underlying seriousness. The girls they need to rescue and the work the vangels do is no joke. There are sick minded people in the world and the perfect targets for Lucipires to team up with.  

Even Vampires Get the Blues is the sixth book in the Deadly Angels series and one to add to your TBR list.

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Cover Reveal: Warrior By Nicole Blanchard

 Release Date: June 9, 2015

I thought it was just one night.

I knew he was about to leave for a year – no chance for a future.

But our one night together would create memories for a lifetime.

Our paths crossed again, but I had lied, kept a secret from him, one he would never forgive me for.

But my secret was about to be ripped open. Displayed for the world on national news. And I had only one way to repair the damage.

I had to trust the man I lied to.

The man I never got the chance to make a life for.

The only man who could save what we had created together.

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Author Bio

Nicole Blanchard lives in Florida with her daughter, and their menagerie of animals. She quit college to chase her own fairy tale that spanned the course of three continents and contained it’s fair share of dragons. Now, she owns her own business and pretends to be an adult.

She survives on a diet of too many books and substantial amounts of root beer and slim jims. When not reading, she’s lavishing attention on her family or inhaling every episode of Charmed and Sex in the City.

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