Review: One of twelve read - more to follow
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 22, 2014
Stone Hard Seal by Sabrina YorkStars 5 Flames 3I’m normally not someone who will rush out to grab the next ‘military hero’ romance, but the collection that contains this story looked too good to miss. Time constraints meant that I only had time (against my usual habit) to read one of the stories, and since I am already a fan of Sabrina York’s writing, choosing her story first was a no-brainer.A mission to save hostages from Somali pirates off the western coast of Africa is the set up for the mission. Teams were dropped onto the island under cover of a moonless night, Ryder (Stone) Maddox and his team are instantly in the thick of a rescue. This isn’t an ordinary rescue, among the party is Lily Wilson, a powerful senator’s daughter and Susan Brandywine, the daughter of the team’s commanding officer. Ideal targets for ransom, were these pirates of the ‘normal’ Somali pirate variety. But, they are a renegade band: untrained, undisciplined and utterly despicable.Stone happens upon Lily in one of the huts, and the team is set to spirit the captives away. Instantly attracted to the petite young woman, Stone is struggling between his attraction and the memory of his own father’s death as a SEAL and his mother’s dissolution into depression and a half-life. He knows that his chosen life is not one for a relationship, and Lily is most certainly a relationship girl. Not a night, or a weekend, or even a week – but a full-on relationship, and he is unwilling to risk his heart or subject another to the dangers that his missions entail.I adored Stone, with his alpha protectiveness and determination to get Lily to safety, even as he worried about and for his team. His history after his own father’s death on a mission was tragic and completely explained his reluctance to get involved. Even more amusing was Lily’s refusal to spend time with him without asking questions, pushing and prodding for answers with a determined jut of her chin.Lily was far less the coddled complaining princess than I expected, although she had been rolled in cotton wool from her birth, and not experienced much difficulty, she was determined and complaint-free through a grueling ordeal. It didn’t hurt that she was funny and stubborn, and unwilling to let Stone get away with half-answers or silence. Together the two were super steamy and incredibly sexy: their attraction was palpable and the inclusion of both Stone and Lily giving voice to their innermost feelings as they finally connected gave readers a reason to cheer them on for a happy ever after. But, Stone’s own reluctance to commit will run against the pint-sized brick wall of will that is Lily, and only reading to the end will tell you who wins.And, filled with her lighthearted moments in the middle of all the action, York again brings a lightness and joy to her characters that define them, often better than words. “She smacked him. It was like being batted by a kitten.”An action-packed and fun read, a great addition to any collection.I purchased an eBook copy of the titles for my own library. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.