Customer Reviews

Walking Wounded

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lee Rowan is a top notch storyteller. Walking Wounded is the heartwarming story of two soldiers, each carrying the pain and horror of war within them, reuniting after years apart. John received a medical discharge and lives on disability after enduring time as a "peacekeeper" -forced to watch and do nothing as atrocities were committed. Kevin has been chosen as the scapegoat for a political snafu after his team comes under fire in the field. Kevin takes a chance and contacts John to try and re-ignite the passion they shared in training. Together they can heal each other, but old enemies put Kevin and John in danger. Can Kevin's old team keep them alive?

Rowan sets the story in London, and the dialog and slang expressions reflect it. The story is believable and given enough substance to be much more than an afterthought to the romance. A fast paced novel, a touching relationship and well done sex scenes. So far, I have loved everything this author has written and can't wait for more. Highly recommended!

This story goes through different stages. First we have the painful reunion of John and Kevin as they rekindle their love for each other 7 years later. Each man has his own ghosts to overcome and they do so through their deep love for each other which is never lost.

The writer then gives us a peaceful, comfortable yet quietly loving atmosphere as the couple settled into domestic bliss. They adopted cute kittens which created some humorous moments. They look for a home together, decorate it and manage everyday like an old married couple. There is a surprising revelation from John as they become closely linked to an interesting lesbian couple. At this stage, some readers may find the story somewhat dull. I just have a wonderful time reading about their rather ordinary life at this stage, which is filled with warmth and loving tenderness.

Then half way through the book, the writer hit us with a bang. The plot picks up at a furious pace as the men are hunted by an unseen enemy from Kevin's past. They could be torn apart or lose one another. Yet underneath the tension the romance never fades as the boys go through some heart breaking moments affirming their love and realizing they could not live or carry on without the other. As in "Ransom" and its sequel "Wind of Change", Lee Rowen once again shows her talent for the suspense as the gripping and tense plot have me on the edge. The finale is one heart-stopping scene.

As I love stories on military gay men finding the courage to love freely, Walking Wounded definitely appeals. Of course, at its heart, it is a tender and sensitive love story which strikes a chord. Unlike Dave's and Will's story (the writer's heroes from Ransom and Winds of Change), this one has a terrific closure and I am left feeling one happy and satisfied reader. Yes, the sex is lovingly hot too. What a lovely cover! Strongly recommended.

There are some books you read when you're down and they cheer you up. That's what I mean by 'a comfort read'. This for me is one of the best. Lee Rowan's praiseworthy writing style combines with a heartwarming story to create a story where you're soothed into a false sense of security. Then - bam - there is real threat, real tension and an edge of your seat final act which makes the happy ending feel all the more truly earned. It's a good one! Gorgeous cover too :)

Wallking Wounded is certainly a tender romance between two soldiers who find each other again after both have been deeply scarred by service in the military. However I found overall it tedious in its predictability. It quite obvious after 30 pages or so their love is still strong, they are going to get back together, and find a perfect home with perfect orphaned kittens and become perfect Dads with the help of the friendly neighbourhood lesbians. Even the introduction of a so called bad guy from the past of one of them fails to elict any tension or suspense. You know it will end, well, perfectly. I'm surprised the last sentence wasn't "and they all lived happily ever after." It's good but with imagination, it could have been so much more.

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- The emotional connection between John and Kevin is well established. Rowan spends just the right amount of time establishing the men's romantic history and then provides a detailed look at their reconnection, mostly in the form of conversation. (see cons below also) There's sexual connection too, but the sex scenes are understated and relatively inexplicit.
- Part of my brain was skeptical at how quickly the men fall into a routine together after seven years apart, but mostly I was able to convince myself not to dwell on it because their past feelings for each other are explained pretty much right off the bat.
- Some of the comments the men make, especially pertaining to their rescued kittens, are funny.
- Although the main order of business in the book is romance, there's a decent enough plot that emerges in the second half.

CONS:
- At times I felt there was a bit too much conversation. Or maybe not too much, necessarily, as just...too much at once. I always like to see characters talking to one another because that's what makes love believable to me, but there are long conversations in this story that are very rarely broken up by any description or action.
- In the same vein, I found some of the conversation a little hard to follow. The dialogue is mostly lifelike, which means that there aren't a lot of unrealistic context clues thrown in. The guys will say something about the British military, for example, which I know nothing about, and not explain what they're talking about because they both KNOW what they're talking about. So again, good writing, but confusing sometimes.
- A couple of contradictions occur in the story that had me scratching my head as to whether they were editing mistakes or I simply missed something. The most puzzling to me is the fact that Kevin tells the military that he won't allow any sound recording equipment in his and John's flat because he doesn't want anyone listening if they decide "to have sex in the bedroom or on the sofa or hanging from the chandelier." But then later, there IS recording equipment set up, because John says at one point, "If you're feeling as festive as I am, there'll be nothing for them to hear."

Overall comments: Much of this book is "treacley romantic," as John says at one point, but it also has a pretty good plot and some sweet sex scenes. The sex scenes aren't very graphic, though, so if you're looking for anything hardcore, you'll likely be disappointed with this one. There's also a lot of dialogue that gets a little dense at times.

What a great love story, I didn't want it to end! I read it straight through and wished there was more.

This book is really good. Pretty much the only thing I didnt like about it was that it ended. You really get a feel for the couple's lives, and this story has an interesting twist you'll never expect.

I would add more, but if you read the other reviews you already have a good idea of what it's about.

John and Kevin were lovers. They met at the military academy, they fell in love at first sight and spent a wonderful year together. Then the life and maybe some hidden fears kept them apart and they left each other not without regrets.

Seven years later, John has retired from army after a mental breakdwon in Bosnia, and a following attempt to suicide, and Kevin is out of a recent scandal and waiting to decide what to do with his life. For the first time in their life they can choose what to do in their life without ideals or family duties to decide for them.

And when finally they have the courage to take in hand their life, they discover that living together is not so impossible and the future could be a bright one, if only Kevin's past can be thrown behind their back.

John is an idealist. He believe in justice and in the force of good men. He is a quite strong character but is strenght lies in his mental piece and in the man he loves. Without that man by his side he has not found the force to go on and his nerves gave way. Someone has said that the most courage men are those who feel fear.

Kevin is an army brat with an hidden feeling of resentment for his father. He has to prove himself, to demonstrate he is good like his father, that he is better than his father. And a gay man doesn't fit this equation and so, when time is up to make a choice, he chooses to be a "good" man and to leave his lover. But when all the world he has fought for crash around him, the only man he wants by his side is John.

The love between John and Kevin is sweet and quiet: between them there aren't harsh feelings, they don't regret the past and when they are put in front of danger, they react together and not trying to solve everything alone. These are two charcaters who balance well. Even if the novel speaks about war and homophobia (and deals with matters like same sex marriage and homosexual parenthood), the feeling I have experienced reading it is of peace.

And BTW: Wonderful Cover too! I think one of the most beautiful gay covers I see till now...

Let's be as positive as possible - this book does have something that can pass loosely as a plot and characters that one could warm to. That said, it is possibly the worst book I have ever read. Normally would have read it in one sitting, but it annoyed me so much I had to keep putting it down for several days. The words "his lover" appeared on virtually every page - o.k., o.k., we get the picture - they're lovers, but please, just call them by name. The book is slow paced, badly crafted and by the time it was finished, I was hoping I would be the one shot. I never dispose of books, but happened to be sitting in front of the fire when I finished this dross - and that's exactly where I consigned it. I then read a Noddy book to my niece - and believe me, it was more believable and more entertaining. Sorry, but Lee Rowan does not get my vote.

I thought the story was a good one but I was just a bit disappointed with the romance part. Intimate parts just did not seem to have a great deal of depth to them leaving you to feel that it was quick and over with too soon when it did happen. After reading JL Langley, ML Rhodes and Ally Blue it just did not quite measure up.