3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Sandy James Hit!!!, September 22, 2010
This review is from: All The Right Reasons [Damaged Heroes, Book 3] (BookStrand Publishing) (Paperback)
Lena's Review
Lucas Mitchell is back, but he's a different person. When he left years ago he was a young man anxious to travel and fight for his country. Yet, like all wars, it changes a person--in Lucas's case dramatically. Now back in the States, he is trying to lead a normal life. What he doesn't need is a woman like Joy Kovacs turning his life upside down. Something about Joy makes him want to be alive again but his past comes back to haunt him. As a soldier he knows how to maintain control but whenever he's near Joy he wants her like a bee finding their honey. Joy is like a breath of fresh air for him and in a way it scares him. The war not only changed him but has made him run away from the past. A past that he knows will never leave him until he faces it again. Can he be the man Joy needs in her life?
Joy Kovacs is a gypsy, and because she is one, she must maintain tradition. He father has already selected her betroth but she wants a life of her own. Working in the family restaurant she knows she can never find her real love but fate has made her mind for her. Meeting Lucas she feels that at last she has found her soul mate. She has dreams of him and knows he is the one fate has in store for her. The thing is, he is not a gypsy, but an outsider. Joy has never hurt her family before but something about Lucas makes her want to be with him more than anything. She knows that if she stays with Lucas she loses her loved ones. Yet Joy knows Lucas needs her more than ever to be alive again and find the peace he needs in his life. Can she just leave her family for a man she doesn't know that much about except in dreams?
Part 3 in the Damaged Heroes series is definitely one that will capture your heart. We lose many men in the war but Lucas Mitchell is a survivor who is dying inside each day. He has seen things in the war that have changed him dramatically. Now Sandy did a great job in creating a woman who is just what he needs in life and in his soul. I felt for Lucas for the pain he went through yet root for him in hoping he finds that peace again that he lost in life. The passion between them is bittersweet, yet tender in a way that Sandy did a beautiful job in creating between them. I loved how she brought in a culture that not many people know about, yet in a creative way that made it easier to understand. This is definitely a great book and I can't wait for more of this series.
5 Tea Cups and a Recommended Read!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Immensely readable with powerful emotions throughout, August 9, 2009
This review is from: All The Right Reasons [Damaged Heroes, Book 3] (BookStrand Publishing) (Paperback)
Ms. James' very readable third in her `Damaged Heroes' series will engage readers, whether or not they have read the earlier books.
Lucas, the attractive once-soldier, enters Joy's life quite casually - almost by a side door. She is intrigued by his looks, but values her separateness, and the peace some degree of isolation has given her. She understands damage to the soul - and Lucas Mitchell has most certainly suffered. We expect the two of them, from the first moments, to find one another - and to find both healing and joy through one another.
In a kind of timeless `romance' way, of course their immediate challenge is trying to have their match accepted...but James added twists (and a thoroughly enjoyable villain) so that this theme did not make the plot entirely predictable. Perhaps, the references to the traditions, or the old-style family still bossing a young woman (Joy,) make this work seem like it should be happening in an older time, although there are enough present-day influences. This sort of point recurred, and plausibility became a tiny factor for me... it by no means detracts from the overall story. Details, from ordinary things like horse races and affection for kitties, to Joy's pursuit of art, to her near-magic intuition, is always just-enough; believable and interesting. The sensual scenes were well-described and re-read worthy, every time.
The best hook for the readers here, is the exceptionally evocative nature of the work. The depth of attraction, then love, cannot be doubted. The strength of emotions, the suffering, guilt, and regret all make for a compelling read. You will be completely immersed in the characters' emotions. Secondary characters -from young Chelsea to Joy's oh-so-tradition bound family, also show interesting depth as well.
This very contemporary and timely work is immensely readable, with good character development and powerful emotions throughout.
[...]
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great story, July 11, 2011
This was a great story, with wonderful people. You wanted to see a happy ending for this couple, and their families.
Very well written, and very enjoyable.
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