Reviewed by Susan65
Title: The Wounded Warrior
Author: B.A. Tortuga
Series: Rocking W #1
Heroes: Luke Blanchard/Rory McConnell
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 217 Pages
Publisher:</strong Pride Publishing
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: When Luke’s lost everything, the only thing to do is head back home to the ranch and pray that he finds his way again.
When Navy SEAL Luke Blanchard comes back to Northeast Texas after a devastating injury, he feels like the whole world has gone dark. In a wheelchair and feeling worthless, Luke has no idea what to do, even as his twin brother Matt is determined to lift him up and help him heal.
Rory McConnell is a local prodigy, a real estate lawyer with a plan to buy up land before his bitter rival can collect it. When the Blanchard ranch goes into the red, he offers to buy out the debt. Luke backs his brother instead, but he doesn’t believe for a minute that Rory is a bad guy. No one that sexy and fun can be, right?
As Luke claws his way out of depression with a crazy idea to run a therapy ranch, he and Rory start to explore the need growing between them. Will Rory’s need for revenge against a man who damaged him forever come between them, or will it be the force which brings these two wounded men together for good?
Review: I have to say that my favorite part of this story was the relationship between Luke and his twin brother, Matt. That doesn’t mean that the budding romance between Luke and Rory was lacking, only that the twin connection was written really well and resonated with me. So much so, I need to keep reading to find out the story on Matt.
I am a sucker for the strong, alpha males, and when you make one a serviceman, like a Navy Seal, then I am yours forever. In this case, our wounded warrior is actually a wounded sailor. Luke comes back home with traumatic leg injuries incurred after an IED takes him out. He struggles being in a wheelchair, but the hope is that he will, at least with a crutch or cane, walk again. He knows that is more than some get, and for that he is grateful and does not spend a large portion of the book feeling sorry for himself, but instead ponders how he can help others, like him.
Enter Rory, the small town out and proud troublemaker. Troublemaker on the surface, but he has his reasons and once you learn them, you want to join in his quest. At first, I was little put off with his constant use of the word, “honey”, but I forced myself to ignore it. I am not a southern girl so maybe it is used excessively in every sentence, but for me it was just a bit grating. Otherwise, I loved that he fell for Luke and saw the man, not the scarred and near useless legs. It spoke volumes and added credibility to his somewhat tarnished character.
There is a lot going on in this story and it is all good. Besides the honey issue, my only other aside was the time jumping. Not days or weeks or years, but they were almost fade-to-black-like. In some instances, I would turn the page expecting a certain situation to continue, but the next page was a new chapter and a new scene. It wasn’t bad, just different than I am used to. I guess besides not being southern, I am wanting all the details, gory or otherwise. Regardless, this is a really sweet story with a bit of drama thrown in for effect. I look forward to seeing what happens next, and I will keep reading because I really want to find out what is up with Matt.
Overall Impression: I liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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