For me, this was a page turner. A good lawyer, Lauren, was pulled into a life she could not imagine, yet learned what more she was capable of. JP had been on his own in darkness for a long time, almost unable to see the light before him. These two learn about trust and love as danger dogs their steps. I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the rest of this series.

This is my unsolicited review.

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Let's start by honoring the nurses that have served so bravely.

 

Here are some wonderful Romances that feature nurses in wartime. My lists are never in any particular order. 

 

1. At His Command by Brenda Coulter Army Nurse in the Middle East

2. Dancing in the Moonlight  by RaeAnne Thayne  Army Nurse in Afghanistan 

3. Outlander: A Novel by Diana Gabaldon  WWII Nurse

4. In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin WWII Flight Nurse

5. Gift from the Sea by Anna Schmidt WWI Nurse

6. Coming Home for Christmas by Carla Kelly Crimean War Nurse

7. Honor's Bride by Gayle Wilson Napoleonic Wars Nurse

8. Heroic Measures by Jo-Ann Power WWI Nurse

9. The Second Chance Hero by Jeannie Moon Nurse in Middle East Wars

10. The Vacant Chair by Kaylea Cross Civil War Nurse 

11. A Soldier's Heart by Kathleen Korbel Vietnam War Nurse 

 

Did I miss your favorite Wartime Nurse? Let me know!

 

To vote from the best of the best, go to my Goodreads list: Wartime Nurse: Romances featuring Nurses during Wartime. 

The last military list of my Veterans' Day tributes is for the men and women of the Army. 

 

In no particular order, great romances featuring a hero or heroine who is or was in the Army. 

 

1. To Desire a Devil (Legend of the Four Soldiers, #4) by Elizabeth Hoyt

2. Love in the Afternoon (The Hathaways, #5)  by Lisa Kleypas

3. Reckless by Ruth Wind 

4. A Soldier's Heart by Kathleen Korbel

5. The Substitute Bridegroom by Charlotte Louise Dolan 

6. Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

7. The Perfect Stranger by Anne Gracie

8. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

9. Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey

10. The Songbird and the Soldier by Wendy Lou Jones

 

A Soldier's Heart by Kathleen Korbel is a very special romance which I urge you to read. It explores a Vietnam War Era nurse's experience in that war. 

 

I would love to know what your favorite romances are featuring soldiers. If you would like to vote for the best of the best, please visit the Goodreads list: Army Men and Women of Romance. 

 

With any other author this could have been classified as chick-lit. Four college girlfriends meet up 30 years later to cruise down the Mississippi river, and spread the ashes of their college suite mate. Along the way they'll learn a little about themselves and life and come to terms with their lost friend Baby Ballou.

Sounds a bit ridiculous really and ripe for cliche. And while it isn't a great book, there is something about Lee Smith's voice that imbues her novels with an authenticity not found in your average chick-lit story. The two books I've read by her are infused with a gentle air of melancholy and pensiveness that keeps away the shallows. Its lovely and definitely increases my enjoyment of her books. This book in particular also made me nostalgic and a little homesick as my home state of Virginia plays a prominent role.

For me the books biggest weakness was being to jumbled and unfocused. I sometimes wonder whether this is a legitimate complaint about a book - perhaps it's intentional - meant to reflect the jumble of life. But if that's the case it did not invoke that feeling. It felt like she had no real plan going in except some disparate stories about a group of girls and one random guy - who is the third husband of one of the women - and she just wrote it all out depending on what she felt like writing on a particular day. But while this was in my head a lot it didn't ruin the book by a long-shot. And I enjoyed the story and voice of third husband Russell so glad he was thrown in there:)

Overall a nice pensive book about getting older and living life and the relationships that shape us.

I've had this on my to-read shelf for quite some time, and unfortunately I didn't enjoy it much. I didn't find much cohesion between the past and present, and each of the character's back-story didn't really include how they got to become the person they are. Nothing was explained, there wasn't much info about their original raft trip (which would have been the more exciting tale, I think). It really fell flat for me.