Customer Reviews

A Soldier's Reunion (Love Inspired)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Once again Cheryl Wyatt presents us with an action packed romantic adventure. If you like fast-paced, can't put the book down reads, you will enjoy another of her Wings of Refuge series, A Soldier's Reunion. If you've read her earlier books, A Soldier's Promise, A Soldier's Family, and Ready-Made Family, you will particularly enjoy this book as we see glimpses of how previous heroes and heroines are faring. And of course we are pulling for Manda Panda and her pararescue jumper, Nolan to find their way back to each other. Thanks Cheryl for writing these terrific stories.

I have been enjoying this entire series as I happen to have a military background. The writing is great and the details are authentic. Mandy and Nolan's story is especially sweet and rings true. A very good romance with just the right inspirational thread.

This is an excellent book by an author who knows all the ins and outs of military life. Cheryl Wyatt easily weaves the jobs of pararescue jumpers with civilian life and gives us a glimpse of the hardships these brave men face when it seems they must choose between love and career. The book starts with a heart-stopping rescue attempt by the civilian heroine after a major bridge collapse and delves into the world of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which many believe only soldiers suffer. The author, a former RN, shows otherwise. This book is rife with romantic tension.

Mandy Manchester's world centers around her chosen career in the medical field after being dumped by the man she'd hinged all her dreams on 10 yrs earlier. She puts her skills to good use when the bridge she's driving on collapses and she watches in terror as numerous cars slide off the broken bridge and plunge into the dark river. Her car is the next to go but miraculously stops at the edge. Her training kicks in and she starts checking injured motorists including a school bus full of little kids. But with the broken bridge blocking one exit and a burning tanker on the other, how will they get to safety?

Nolan Briggs can't believe his eyes when he sees his Manda Panda awaiting rescue on the crippled bridge. It's been a long time since he left his teenage sweetheart with promises of writing to her but for whatever reason, she never wrote him back. When he realizes she's holding a major grudge, it begins to dawn on Nolan that she still feels abandoned. But that would mean her feelings were still involved, right?

Mandy doesn't want anything to do with Nolan although the guy is persistant and slowly breaking down the wall around her heart. But is he hanging around because he wants her or because he wants her to seek treatment after exhibiting signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after watching all those people die in the river?

Heat Level: Affectionate

My Rating: Excellent - 5 stars (one to re-read; Top 10 list)

The Wings of Refuge Series:

Book 1 - Jan 08 - A Soldier's Promise Love Inspired #430

Book 2 - Mar 08 - A Soldier's Family Love Inspired #438

Book 3 - Apr 09 - Ready-Made Family Love Inspired #490

Book 4 - Jun 09 - A Soldier's Reunion Love Inspired #496

Book 5 - Oct 09 - Soldier Daddy Love Inspired #520

Book 6 - Jan 10 - A Soldier's Devotion

Book 7 - Spring 2010 - Home Sweet Hero (tentative title)

Steeple Hill Love Inspired novel about a young woman, Mandy, who survives being on a bridge that collapses. Part of the rescue crew is her high school sweetheart, Nolan. The two didn't part on the best of terms. As Mandy works through the dealing with what she lived through on the bridge, as well as making her way back to God, she also gets to know Nolan all over again.

The best part of this book is in the first chapter as the author describes the collapse of the bridge and how Mandy deals with the trauma before her. The rest of the book is an inspirational story as Mandy finds her way back to her faith.

Cheryl Wyatt has that wonderful gift for making me care so much about her characters. I love this series and hope they keep coming because I really need to hear what happens to the rest of the PJ Teams.

A Soldier's Reunion by Cheryl Wyatt is the next book in the Wings of Refuge series. In this story, Mandy Manchester and Nolan Briggs were high school sweethearts who are reunited after a decade apart when there is a tragic bridge collapse. Mandy is a physician who was on the bridge when it collapsed and Nolan is a pararescue jumper who arrives on the scene to rescue survivors. Nolan is determined to win Mandy's heart again, but that is proving to be very difficult. Mandy's heart was broken by Nolan ten years ago and in that time she has turned her back on God, just when Nolan has found God. Nolan must trust God to bring Mandy back to him and back to God all while she is dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and her mother who is ill. It seems like an impossible situation, but God can handle the things that look impossible to us.

I am rapidly becoming a fan of Cheryl Wyatt's work. A Soldier's Reunion is one of those books that is simply a joy to read. I love the characters and the town of Refuge where they live. I also enjoy seeing familiar characters who have been present in the previous Wings of Refuge books. Cheryl Wyatt really seems to know what her readers want, and she has certainly delivered in this book. This book has a very pleasant romantic element, but it's the spiritual element that really amazed me. Seeing a character go through pain so terrible that they turn their back on God is something that many people experience and many people can relate to. Cheryl has written this story so well and I truly loved every heartfelt moment of it. So, go get your copy of A Soldier's Reunion, throw it in your beach bag, and enjoy!

Cheryl Wyatt starts A Soldier's Reunion off with a bang, not a happy one for anyone on that collapsed bridge in Refuge, Illinois. Parajumper Nolan Briggs and his team save the day for a bus of school children and Mandy, the high school sweetheart Nolan deserted ten years before. Or so she believes. Wyatt delivers a story that kept me turning pages to reach a most satisfying ending. Don't miss A Soldier's Reunion.

I love romance, inspiration and reunions, and Cheryl Wyatt hasn't let me down in this romance novel. Thanks,Cheryl.

A Soldier's Reunion (Love Inspired)

A strong romance is of course the main theme here but other incidents add suspense to this sweet tale of well....reunited love. When Mandy is in need of rescuing, and ex-love Nolan is part of the rescuing team, he is delighted while she is not. Mandy won't trust this man who not only broke her heart but shattered it into a thousand pieces. No matter how much he tries to assure her things are different now.

I'm not a pure romance kind of gal, so I was happy that his military romance has a well rounded plot. But, then Ms. Wyatt's writing's always tend to intrigue me.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

A CK2S K2 Recommended Read!

Amanda "Mandy" Manchester has come to Refuge to perform her residency at the local hospital so she can finish her medical training and become a doctor. Then one afternoon she is caught in the middle of the collapse of Reunion Bridge, leading in and out of Refuge, after a collision. Mandy just manages to rescue some school children caught on the bridge when shock of shocks, she sees the last person she ever thought to run into again... pararescue jumper Nolan Briggs, the only man she has ever loved. He trampled her heart when he abandoned her a decade ago.

Now Amanda has too much to deal with between completing her medical training, recovering from her injuries from the collapse, and suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). The last thing she wants to deal with is facing her emotions about Nolan, especially when additional heart breaking complications arise in her already tenuous relationship with her mother. Only new friends and God can help her through it all. If only she hadn't turned her back on God that day Nolan left her.... Now, however, Mandy and Nolan have been given a second chance, she just needs to trust in God and in her very own heart.

A Soldier's Reunion is a wonderful, emotionally charged story full of conflict and faith. I especially liked how Cheryl Wyatt addressed the subject of PTSD with tenderness. She reminds us that it can afflict anyone at anytime, after any kind of traumatic experience and can be a truly debilitating experience. It's not something that only happens to soldiers and other types of war veterans.

I thought it appealing how the faith crisis showcased here was worked into the story. When they were younger, Mandy was the one with the strong faith who was known for her compassion for others and for being a prayer warrior. Ten years ago, Nolan's faith was essentially non-existent and Mandy tried so hard to help him find his path. Then after these two were separated, Mandy lost faith and Nolan found it. So when they meet again, their spiritual lives were completely reversed, with Nolan becoming the one with a strong faith and prayer ethic whereas Mandy had no use for it anymore. This is just one way of reminding us god works in mysterious ways and uses us in ways we can't imagine.

Mandy and Nolan have both been through a lot in their time apart, changing them in indelible ways. Experiencing their rediscovery of the new people they have become makes for a moving story of faith in action. I found myself wondering that if they hadn't been separated once before, would they have ever been able to have as strong of a relationship as they are building now. Both had valuable lessons to learn before they could do what God made them for.

A Soldier's Reunion is a sweet and romantic story of love lost and love found anew. While this could have been a heavy story due to all the emotional triggers we experienced alongside of Nolan and Mandy, Cheryl Wyatt keeps it light by adding a touch of whimsy here and there. After all, who can resist the loveable Mooch? I also found the whole panda theme applied to the relationship of Nolan and Amanda to be an especially cute touch.

Cheryl Wyatt has a knack for really reaching our hearts with her stories, teaching us valuable lessons, and engaging us in the lives of her characters. They become like real friends to us and we want to find out everything we can about them. I loved my most recent visit to Refuge in A Soldier's Reunion, and can only hope for more opportunities to visit the townspeople in future Wings of Refuge books.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2009. All rights reserved.