Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
second dud for At Your Service, November 27, 2003
They aren't kidding when they put in that disclaimer:"Courage Under Fire ... is not intended to provide an exact of military life." In a book written post-9/11 about men and women in the military it is necessary to at least address the changes in the military community. And it's nice to see someone acknowledge that New York was not the only city attacked. Yes, the attack on the Pentagon is just as much in our servicemen and women's minds. But if you're going to tackle the 9/11 attacks, let's deal fully and respectfully with it. Lieutenant Colonel Neal Allen was a hero who rushed back into the Pentagon, injured in the line of duty. And yet, rather than focusing on the psychological baggage of that, Poarch instead throws in the clutter of a history with his nurse, a childhood friend. And some family secrets that if she finds out will destroy any relationship he might have with her. Puh-leeze. That's too much plot for a 224 page book. One of these plots is gonna get short-changed. I'd rather not have had it the cliché and tired out husband-cheated-and-now-she-has-trust-issues-with-men-but-her-new-man-is-keeping-secrets-from-her plot than the far more interesting 9/11 heroism. Alas, Poarch went for the tried and true rather than taking a chance on an issue too often not addressed in the ranks of military romance.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
To live again, July 2, 2004
COURAGE UNDER FIRE, from Arabesque's At Your Service series, has
again captured the essence of the dedication and commitment our
armed services have in maintaining 'Enduring Freedom'. It spotlights
nurse, Lt. Colonel Arlene Taft and Airborne Ranger, Lt. Colonel Neal
Allen.Arlene and Neal have been adversaries since they were in the ninth
grade, she remembers him as a pain in the butt, but he remembers her
as a pain somewhere else. They have not seen each other in twenty
years and their meeting is not joyful. It is days after September 11,
2001. Arlene is responsible for the care of Neal who was almost fatally
injured as he rushed repeatedly into the burning Pentagon building. As
she cares for his medical needs, Neal's feelings are rekindled, but he
does not have the opportunity to pursue them. Arlene has requested
orders for Germany, fleeing the betrayal of an unfaithful husband
who was killed in a boating accident while on vacation with another
woman. Fast forward eighteen months, Arlene and Neal meet again, they are both
stationed in Germany. Neal is now guardian of his ten-year old niece,
April, her mother who was Neal's sister, and her father were also killed
in a boating accident while on vacation. As Neal and April try
desperately to win Arlene's heart, Neal struggles with secrets about
April, his sister and Arlene's husband. Candace Poarch has written a warm, penetrating tale of two people
struggling to discharge their past and enlist in their future. COURAGE
UNDER FIRE is a lesson in how people endure the consequences of someone
else's indiscretions and a wonderful portrayal of duty to self and
country.(...)
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Can Love Conquer All?, January 6, 2005
Arlene Taft is grieving. She is having a hard time discerning which was worst: the fact that Ronald died or that he was discovered with his mistress. On September 11th, Lieutenant Colonel Arlene Taft reluctantly reports to work at Walter Reed Hospital as a registered nurse while she figures out what to do with her life. Her assignment was to care for Lieutenant Colonel Neal Allen who was severely injured in the bombing of the Pentagon. Allen coincidently happens to be her military brat next-door neighbor from grade school. Taft tends to his every need, reassures his family during his recovery and develops a friendship with Neal's niece, April. Neal cannot believe Arlene takes the time to talk with April during his long-term stay at the hospital. Under the circumstances he thought she would be acting as a woman scorned.
Fast-forward eighteen months, Taft and Allen meet again in Germany. Quickly they rekindle a romantic relationship. Neal decides to disclose what he knows about Ronald and risk losing Arlene forever. Now Arlene must face the demons of her past in order to find love. Will Arlene, Neal and April come together as a family?
There are too many sub-plots in this romance to make it a good read. Arlene is a woman that has been burnt in love once and is scared to trust again. Neal is dealing with the death of his sister while raising her daughter as a single man. April is an adolescent dealing with life never knowing her father's love. Then there are issues with the family - Ronald's mother is dying from grief and the Allen family can't get over the deception of their daughter's lover. The only part of this romance that deals with the military is the setting. Poarch could have dealt more with the trials of military service after 9/11. This was another predictable romance novel. If you plan on reading this one, get ready for a sleeper.
Reviewed by Monique Bruner for Loose Leaves Book Review
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