Loving a Warrior by Melanie Hansen

BUD/S: six months of the most intense training there is. It’s survival of the toughest, and Matt Knytych is determined to come out the other side a navy SEAL.

Distraction is life or death. And just the sight of former marine Shane Hovland is enough to shake Matt’s concentration.

Shane came to BUD/S training ready to prove himself—again. Semper Fi is forever, but he needs a new start. Not this dangerous heat with a man he barely knows.

Everything they’ve ever wanted is riding on a thin, punishing line. And they’ll have to fight for more than just each other if they want to make it through intact.

After all, the only easy day was yesterday.

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/M Military Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

This is a story about love, loss, and in a way, destiny. Matt has always wanted to become a SEAL. He has a family member who helped him get in shape, deal with life, and showed him what it was to be mature enough – physically and mentally – to beat the challenge of hell week. Matt's road was twisty and long, but in the end, he knew where he wanted to be and knew what he had to do. What he wasn't expecting was to find someone he wanted to share his life with. It knocked him on his butt and threw him for a loop, all while churning him in the ocean.

Then you have Shane. He is striving to be a SEAL, but not quite sure why he's doing it. Is it for himself? His sister? His friend? The distraction that Matt presents is tricky, but Shane also knows what it's like to love someone and not have their affections returned. He also isn't sure what his place is, where he's heading, or if he truly wants this path. It makes for a very confused path, indeed. But he's loyal to a fault, strong, and wants to find his place. I really enjoyed watching his character figure himself out.

Hansen has a way of writing her military stories with such vivid detail. I felt that I was with Shane and Matt during their grueling training. You could feel their attraction jump off the page and their worry too. This was a well-developed story with a lot going on. I do wish that we had gotten to see their relationship further in to the future. It felt a little unfinished to me. But I enjoyed it a lot.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I loved this book! This story is a perfect mix of exciting SEAL action and an intense, slow burn romance. Matt and Shane are wonderfully crafted characters and I fell hard for both of them. I can’t imagine how much research must have gone into the vivid descriptions of the US Navy SEAL BUD/S selection process – but the action scenes in this story are fantastic.

At the start of this story, Matt and Shane are pitted against each other as they fight their way through BUD/S. Matt’s skills are exceptional but Shane has better people skills. I love the way Matt and Shane’s relationship develops against the grueling training regime and I love the personal development that happens away from the training environment.

I don’t want to give away any plot points, but I love that this book manages to avoid military romance clichés. Both Matt and Shane are believable as wannabe SEALs. Both have a singular focus and the sacrifices they make for their jobs feel honest. There aren’t any sappy or sentimental scenes – just two guys who aren’t too sure what to do with a relationship they can’t avoid. This is one of those books I couldn’t put down and I hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did.


Angie – ☆☆☆
This blurb had me from the start. I just wish the book did the same for me. If you want to know anything and everything there is to know about BUD/S training, this is the book for you. I feel like I learned about that and not really about Shane and Matt. There were a few times that the training didn't come up, but not enough. I couldn't connect with Shane and Matt as a couple. While going through their training was interesting, I wanted more of them. This book had potential it just didn't hit the mark for me. I at least know now that I would ring that bell within a few minutes and that SEALs are bad asses!

Melanie Hansen has spent time in Texas and Florida prisons… for work. She’s been in a room with a 17-year-old mass murderer who was also one of the most soft-spoken and polite teenagers she’s ever met. After a 13-year career as a court reporter, she can tell many stories both hilarious and heartbreaking.

She grew up with an Air Force dad, and ended up marrying a Navy man. After living and working all over the country, she hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to her stories about people finding love amidst real-life struggles.

Melanie left the stressful world of the courtroom behind and now enjoys a rewarding career transcribing for a deaf student. She currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons.

Connect with Melanie

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Loving a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #1) by Melanie Hansen to read and review.