Cowboy SEAL Homecoming by Nicole Helm (Navy SEAL Cowboys #1)
Released: January 2, 2018
Contemporary Romance
Sourcebooks
Reviewed by Mandi
A new series from Nicole Helm featuring Navy SEALs turned cowboys! I was a little unsure how this was all going to play out, but I actually really liked the set-up. Three guys who all served together overseas as SEALs, who all got injured in an explosion, come back to the states together to a ranch that Alex has inherited. Well, he inherited half a ranch. The other half was given to his step-sister, Becca.
Alex hasn’t been home in a long time. When his father passed away (his father was married to Becca’s mother) he took that hard and is still grieving. He isn’t even sure how he will react to all of the memories that will flood him returning to the ranch, but he knows one thing for certain – he wants to turn it into a place where veterans can come for therapy and rehabilitation. He saw what happens to men and women in the military and trying to adjust with life back at home, and he wants to offer a place for them to cope. Becca is on board with this, even offering to oversee the horse therapist position.
Alex and Becca know each other, but haven’t been around each other in a long time. Alex had forgotten how pretty she was, and head-strong, and Becca had forgotten how many muscles Alex has. Becca has grown up a very sheltered life. Sick as a child, her mother became extremely overprotective. Barely leaving the ranch, she doesn’t have a lot of social skills. Having three SEALs coming to live on her ranch stretches her boundaries, but she is willing to see what happens. She wants to start living her own life and even though she feels a little overwhelmed, she would rather try something new, than sit inside her house alone, sheltered from the world.
Alex by nature is a protector, not just with Becca but with his guy friends too. He is extremely organized and is always planning. This annoys Becca and his SEAL buddies and pretty much everyone around him. He is a bit uptight. And broody. I liked his spreadsheets and how sweaty he would get when someone wanted to try something without planning it out extensively. I liked that he got offended if they made fun of how uptight he was.
The romance unfolds pretty predictably. In the past few Helm books I’ve found some of the character unlikable. I liked everyone in this one but it did have a bit of a gloomy tone. I’m not saying every character has to be bubbly and funny and silly. But these two are just a bit – dispirited, which dampened my enjoyment of the book.
Grade: C+
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