review || SEAL'S HONOR

SEAL's Honor by Elle James

Publisher: Elle James (2/9/2014)

Series: Take No Prisoners, book 1

Genre: Military Romance

Source: NetGalley

Purchase links || amazon | bn || add to goodreads

Rating: ★★★★1/2

SEAL Reed Tucker doesn’t believe in commitment, until he tangles the sheets with one hot pilot, Delaney O’Connell. His phobia against commitment is challenged when his best friend asks Delaney to marry him first. 

As a helicopter pilot for the 160th Night Stalkers, Delaney knows the risks of loving a SEAL. When her lover's friend loses an arm in battle, she can’t refuse his marriage proposal when he's already lost so much. In love with one man, pledged to marry another, she’s torn. 
Tuck and Delaney must come to grips with the happiness they owe themselves and the happiness of their friend who has lost so much. 

{ review } .

Ahh, nothing like picking up a new review copy, seeing it's part of a series, recognizing some of the players, and going through your review account and seeing, Yep, you totally read the first book in that series; yessirree, it was in DECEMBER that you read it; and sure'nuf, you haven't reviewed it properly.

For the record, the new review copy I picked up was Book Two in this series, SEAL's DESIRE. I'll try and review that one in a timely manner...

Anyway, this book.

I read this book when I was in isolation from the world my job at the hospital because I managed to catch, for the first time in 28 years, Influenza A. I did a lot of reading that week -- this was one, as was CHARLOTTE CHRONICLES which, oh yeah... need to review that one, too (and dang, that was a doozey of a book).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was so upset with Tuck for not claiming what he wanted, though; gah, I wanted to pull his hair out. He liked/loved Delaney from the get-go, but his good-time buddy was the one to propose -- on a whim, no less. And Tuck, the dumb-y, had his mouth on hers, his hands on her body, yet doesn't say a word to his best friend. 

“I thought you two were just friends.”

“Hell, we’ve known her for the past couple months. And since she’s been hanging out with us, I’ve gotten to know her even better.”A smile played on his lips. “I think she’s a keeper.”

“She’s not a fish.”

Reaper chuckled. “I know. What I’m getting at is that I think it’s time to take it to the next step.”

“Next step? Like dating?”

“No. I got to thinking. You and me, we’re not getting any younger.”

“So?”

“We never really know when our next mission will be our last.”

“Don’t be so fatalistic,”Tuck grumbled and stared at his beer. 

“It’s true. We could be dead tomorrow, and what would we have to show for it? Who would give a rat’s ass?”

“Your point?”

Reaper turned and held out a ring box. “I’m marrying that girl.”

...[a]nd if she were to marry anyone, the man would be him. Damn it! She’s taken! he yelled inside. But the truth was, she was free to marry anyone she liked. Not that she would. She’d told him just as emphatically as he’d told her that she had no intention of ever getting married. “It’s too soon. You barely know her. You haven’t even kissed her.”Tuck frowned. “Have you?”

Reaper grinned. “Not yet, but I can wait. And I want the first time to be special. The main thing is that I want to grab her up before someone else does.”

When Reaper goes and gets himself hurt, Tuck does the good friend thing and lets him have the girl. 

Tuck, however, hurts, and he shoves that hurt aside by going on suicide missions and staying away for as long as he can.

While a quick read, I absolutely loved everything about this one. It's a great way to learn the writing style of Elle James, and was a phenomenal way to begin this series. I can't wait to get book two read and reviewed for you!