Last True Hero by Diana Gardin (Battle Scars #1)
Released: November 10, 2015
Contemporary Romance
Forever
Reviewed by Mandi
Army Ranger Dare Conners has been through hell. He’s left combat behind, yet the memories that refuse to fade are proving just as dangerous. Ordered to take R&R, he joins his buddy for beaches, beers, and babes—if that can’t cure him, nothing will. But when he meets Berkeley, a woman who affects him like no one else, a new kind of battle begins . . .
An Admiral’s daughter, Berkeley knows her life has been planned since birth. The right school, the right boyfriend—and now that she’s graduated—the right marriage. But after years of being right, Berkley is ready to be a little wrong. And Dare Conners has wrong written all over him. The sexy soldier has a body built for sin and secrets he won’t share. What starts as a fling quickly grows into something more. But summer can’t last forever, and when the truth comes out, both Berkeley and Dare could be in for quite a fall.
Sometimes when you read a book, it’s just an okay read. Nothing that stands out as amazing, nothing that stands out as super frustrating. Just okay, and that is how I feel about Last True Hero.
Berkley has grown up in a very strict military family. Her father is all business and has her entire future planned out. Her mother is all about appearances – so basically no one really cares about what Berkley wants. Her father wants her to be a military wife, and he expects her to marry her best friend Grisham, who is being stationed in San Diego soon. Grisham cares for Berkley, as they have known each other for a long time and are good friends. I’m not sure I can say they have been dating – maybe? Kind of/sort of? But, it is expected that Berkley and Grisham will become engaged now that Berkley is done college. Grisham just sort of shrugs and goes along with it (not a fan of this scenario at all).
Dare is done serving time in the military and isn’t sure what he wants to do. He moves in with his good army buddy and starts to work in his garage. He meets Berkley at the diner she waitresses in. They have immediate chemistry. At first, Berkley wants nothing to do with him since he is military and she wants away from that life, but Dare’s charm woos her in. It’s a very sweet, ooey-gooey romance. Berkley reads quiet young to me – I realize she is young, but she is very boy-crazy over Dare and sometimes my bitter-old self was just over it.
Dare starts courting her, but realizes she won’t make a firm commitment and finally realizes it’s because of Grisham and the pressure from her parents. I’m just not a fan of Berkley’s almost-relationship with Grisham. It felt silly to me. Berkley goes against her parents by going to a four-year college, getting a job, hanging out with friends her parents don’t approve of but yet drags Grisham along. I wish this had been Dare and Berkley without Grisham in the story. He cluttered it up for me.
Their romance is cute but a little too cutesy for me.
Grade: C
Leave a Reply