Wednesday, July 28, 2021

July 28, 2021 - Staff Reviews


 

Shielding Aspen
By Susan Stoker
Release Date: October 20, 2020
Ebook Available from WV Reads!


3 Stars - Great entry in this short Stoker series. Aspen is an easy heroine to cheer for since she's brave, self-aware, and sweet. Her counterpart Kane is an excellent match, and these two kick some serious butt together. A very military story in this romantic suspense saga. If not for the disappointing final scenes, I'd have ranked this one a bit higher.

Aspen's career as a medic seemed a little... stretched, but it made for a really entertaining set up. I'm not sure the whole women in combat praise was as effective as it could have been. The girl has a lot of heart though so I won't harp on that subject. Brain's got the same physical attributes as her typical heroes (strong, medium-tall, beard). But he's definitely not as "alpha" and protective as the others. His willingness to stand back so Aspen could shine was sweet. But his lack of self-confidence and charisma felt off.

There's a sameness to all of Stoker's novels, but this one grabbed me more than a lot of her recent ones. I was hooked by the first page by their little meet-cute, insta-love style moment. It's definitely not an insta-love story though. And I was pleased to see this was a full-size novel when Stoker has so many short ones. It was easy to keep reading and it was hard to put down in the middle. Things slogged a bit after that though. Worth noting, there's almost no steamy scenes, unusual for this series. And the one about 3/4 through the book is awkward. There's lots of military action in this, thought it felt over the top at times. Usually Stoker is more careful I think about these details and plot points. Like I wasn't buying Derek's power trips. The ending's drama, the last chapters, really lost this one for me though. So overall, Kane and Aspen are a cute couple, a nice addition for all the hardcore Stoker fans out there. But this falls slightly short of fabulous.

(NS)

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