Trusting a Warrior by Melanie Hansen

George Monteverdi always had one goal, to become a Navy SEAL. Now both a SEAL and a K-9 handler, saving lives is his priority. When tragedy touches his own life, he handles it—with the help of his crew and his dog Bosch. Having those guys by his side means he’ll never be alone… though any sort of romance feels like a far away dream.

Heartbroken after her fiancé falls in love with another woman, Lani Abuel seeks comfort in the arms of a stranger, only to find herself pregnant and alone. She’ll do whatever it takes to be a good mother, which means finally facing the trauma in her past. The last thing she expected was a warrior with wounds all too similar to hers finding his way into her heart and loving her child as his own.

As their worlds entwine, Lani and Geo find the joy and redemption they’ve been seeking. But despite the sanctuary they’ve created, a forever love seems impossible. A K-9 handler who spends most of his time deployed with his SEAL team, staring danger in the eye, is far from what Lani—or her baby—needs, and Geo can’t imagine a future doing anything else.

Publisher’s Note: Trusting a Warrior deals with topics some readers may find difficult, including the suicide of a secondary character, as well as descriptions of grief therapy and a suicide survivors’ support group.

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!

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Loving a Warrior series!
For book one, Loving a Warrior, click HERE.
For book two, Keeping a Warrior, click HERE.

 

 

Book 3
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Paperback (US)  Releases Feb 9, 2021
Carina  Press (Harlequin)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

Lani is a bartender who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. With a past she hates to think about and a future that is shaping up to be somewhat unsteady, what she can't know is that her future is going to change forever.

Geo is a K-9 handler who loves his job. But he also knows that his job comes with no guarantees. While toasting a fallen soldier, he meets Lani one night. He knows that pain – would recognize it anywhere. It mirrors his own.

This is a story about overcoming guilt, grief, and finding a new normal. It is heartbreaking, heartwarming, and makes you really have to feel the characters' grief and emotions. Get a box of Kleenex in order to read this book. There were several places that I needed to have a tissue on hand.

There is no getting around grief, you just have to get through it and find a new normal. You'll be cheering them on, wanting to hug them, and, at times, wanting to shake them. It's a very beautifully written story that will have you sighing in happiness.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Triggers: Click HERE to see Mary Jo’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Definitely not your typical romance. George is a SEAL who's also a K-9 handler. His dog has saved many lives and gotten them both out of hot spots, alive and well. It's only when George is home and away from base that he's a bit lost. He's not sure what he wants in life – or who. He's had several girlfriends and boyfriends over the years, but his last serious relationship left a scar on his heart that will never heal. George was ready to come out to the Navy as bisexual, but his partner was not.

Meeting Lani, the bartender with an attitude, changes something in him. Listening to each other's problems that night and exchanging phone numbers is the beginning a friendship that they both need.

Lani's past often comes back to haunt her in a myriad of ways. She knows that she needs help in dealing with the pain of her past but she's just not sure how to do it. Reluctantly, she begins to see a therapist and joins a support group. As she begins to heal herself, she can see the same wounds in George's soul.

As the days turns into weeks into months, George and Lani's relationship begins to grow. Love based on friendship makes any relationship stronger.

 

 

MELANIE HANSEN doesn't get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she's visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

Connect with Melanie

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Trusting a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #3) by Melanie Hansen to read and review.

Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen Release Blitz

Two battle buddies. One fateful deployment. Two vastly different sets of wounds. One friendship changed forever.

A childhood in foster care taught Carey Everett to hold tight to what he has. Enlisting in the Marines gave him purpose, but a life-threatening injury ended his career—and took his leg. Now fully recovered, Carey’s happier than he’s ever been. He has a fulfilling job, a chosen family and, best of all, a cherished friendship with Jase DeSantis, the platoon medic who saved his life.

Despite Jase's heroism in combat, he's haunted by his actions overseas. Playing music with his band keeps the demons at bay, but it’s a battle he’s starting to lose.

After a week of sun and fun in San Diego, Jase and Carey’s connection takes an unexpected turn. With change comes a new set of challenges. For Jase, it means letting someone else into his deepest pain. For Carey, it’s realizing love doesn’t always equal loss. In order to make their relationship work, they’ll have to come to terms with their pasts…

…or risk walking away from each other for good.

Author's Note: Updated as of September 2020! In this version, Jase and Carey’s basic story remains the same, but it’s approached in a very different manner. Rewritten from the ground up, and re-edited, this story is definitely one I can be more proud of. Also, if you’d like a peek into how Jesse and Trevor from Point of Contact are doing, this is the book for you! I hope you enjoy.

 

 

Book 1
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~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

With an oath, Carey broke away from Jase, turned, and strode off the dance floor.

Cursing, Jase ran after him.

“Carey, wait!” he called, but Carey didn’t stop as he pushed through the doors leading to the patio. It was almost empty, the chill of the late night air having driven most everyone back inside. Abruptly, Carey whirled and grabbed onto Jase’s T-shirt with both fists.

Bracing for a shove, or a blow, Jase staggered when Carey instead yanked him into the shadows just outside a soft pool of light.

“Damn you,” he hissed, his eyes glittering. “Damn you, Jase.” Despite the harshness of his tone, Carey didn’t let go of him, his fingers twisted in the fabric of Jase’s shirt. His lips were parted, breaths coming in pants, spots of color high on his cheekbones.

His heart thudding painfully in his ears, Jase deliberately took one step closer until their bodies were only inches apart. Carey turned his head away, but still didn’t let go, his grip tightening.

“Damn you,” he said again, but the words were without heat, softer, more like an exhalation. He dropped his head back to the wall, pulse throbbing visibly in the hollow of his throat, eyes drifting shut. “Oh God. I don’t know what’s happening to me.” His voice was barely audible.

Blood racing, body trembling, all Jase could do was wait him out. At last Carey opened his eyes, the normally brilliant blue dark with emotion. His gaze clung to Jase’s, his lips parting as Jase started to close the last few inches of distance between them…

Gasping, Carey shoved him back, then yanked him close again in an abrupt motion that had Jase slamming his palms against the wall to keep from crashing into him. He looked down at Carey's fists, still twisted in his shirt, then met his eyes once more.

“Let me go,” he said softly. “If you don’t want me to kiss you, push me away.”

For one heart-stopping second, Carey’s grip loosened, then tightened again. Leaning in until their lips were only a whisper apart, Jase breathed, “Let me go. If you don’t want me to kiss you—”

The rest of his words were muffled by Carey’s mouth, crushing his. Hot, slick, eager, Carey’s tongue slid deep, almost devouring him. With a hoarse groan, Jase slanted his head, his own tongue thrusting, parrying. They bit and licked at each other, bodies straining, breaths sawing in and out…

Then Carey ripped his mouth free. “No.”

Struggling to focus, Jase staggered a bit when Carey pushed him away. For the space of several heartbeats they stared at each other, chests heaving, Carey’s body tense, coiled, as if ready to flee.

Seeing it, Jase forced himself to blow out a long, slow breath, and crammed his hands in his pockets as he deliberately took another step back, giving him some room.

“I’m sorry,” Carey whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” With an effort, Jase kept his voice low, calm. “I was a more than willing participant.” He waited until Carey met his eyes. “You think I don’t want this? Want you?”

Carey shook his head wildly. “I can’t risk it. I can’t.”

“Oh, Carey. Risk what?”

His throat worked. “Losing you.”

“Losing me?” Jase took a step forward, but Carey put up a hand to hold him back.

“Three years ago, I did almost lose you. Over this.” He made a sawing motion between them.

“That was different.” Jase still kept his voice low, despite the emotion raging through him that made him want to shout at the top of his lungs. “This is—”

“It’s what?” Carey interrupted. “Unfinished business? Curiosity?”

Pain stabbed Jase down low. “Is that what it feels like to you? Curiosity?”

“I don’t know!” Carey shoved his hands through his hair, then linked his fingers behind his neck, visibly striving for calm. He met Jase’s eyes again. “But whatever it is, it’s not worth risking our friendship over. I can’t—”

He sounded so distressed that Jase dredged deep and summoned a smile. “Then we won’t risk it. We’ll forget this ever happened, okay? Chalk it up to temporary insanity or something.”

The relief that spread across Carey’s face made his heart ache. “Yeah. Okay.” Pushing off the wall, he brushed past him, muttering, “See you at home.”

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

Gay for You, friends-to-lovers

Carey was injured in the Marines. Jase was the medic to save him and then help him recover. They quickly became best friends. Jase always carrying an unrequited love for Carey, something he learned to just live with. When Carey visits Jase, he starts to question feelings he has for Jase.

I started out invested in the characters. I enjoyed the military aspect, but the friends-to-lovers seemed to drag a bit for me. I didn't feel the connection completely with the characters.

 

 

MELANIE HANSEN doesn't get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she's visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

Connect with Melanie

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Everything Changes (Resilient Love #1) by Melanie Hansen to read and review for this tour.

Keeping a Warrior by Melanie Hansen

Sometimes the only hope for the walking wounded is in each other’s arms.

Devon Lowe is a survivor.

A survivor of war. Of combat. And of a betrayal by men she considered her brothers-in-arms. But her trailblazing work as a Cultural Support Team member working alongside the navy SEALs is too important for her to back down now.

Fresh off a painful breakup, air force pararescueman Rhys Halloran recognizes Devon’s trauma for what it is—something that’s left her isolated but far from irreparably damaged.

With Devon’s trust still lying shattered back in Afghanistan, putting her faith in a man who’s nursing a broken heart isn’t easy. But she’s tired of people making her feel weak, and Rhys makes her feel anything but, sparking a heated attraction that was never part of the plan.

With all eyes on Devon to prove herself in a brutal man’s world, having it all will mean putting her heart on the line like never before. But when it comes to Rhys, it’s an uphill battle she’s ready to fight.

Publisher’s Note: Keeping a Warrior deals with topics some readers may find difficult, including past sexual assault.

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 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Carina Press – Harlequin

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

This is the second book in the series, but I don't believe that it's necessary to read book one in order to understand what's going on in book two.

Devon is one tough lady. I absolutely loved her character. She's complex and tough, but also has a tender side and wants to feel confident in showing it. But in the military, she knows that she's odd man out. I love that she can keep up with the SEALs and really enjoyed watching her put other men in their place. When she comes up against a trauma that she knows she has to work through, she puts on her brave face and does what she can to overcome the tragedy.

Rhys is a great soldier, but he is also one who needed a break from it. When he first meets Devon, not only is he impressed, he never forgets her. When they meet again, Rhys can tell that she's been through something bad, but doesn't want to pry. Instead, he does everything he can think of to earn her trust. What ends up happening is that they form an unbreakable friendship.

These two burn up the sheets, but both aren't sure if they will ever want a full-on relationship. Since they both understand their jobs, both know that to live in the moment is the best for them. But when the future is fast approaching, can they both leave their romance on the battlefield?

I really enjoyed this book and loved Devon's character. I do wish more had been done with her trauma, as it felt unresolved. However, I understand that sometimes, that's what happens – things remain unresolved. I can't wait to see who gets their story next.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Triggers: sexual assault

This book is one of the best books I've read all year. It explores all elements of the trauma that both men and women face daily, including those that serve our country.

Devon's strength in continuing her military career in spite of the trauma she's been through is a huge testament to her character. Rhys' patience and understanding makes this friends-to-lovers story that much more remarkable.

Also Available in the Loving a Warrior Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Carina Press – Harlequin

For reviews & more info, check out our Loving a Warrior post.

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

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Keeping a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #2) by Melanie Hansen to read and review.

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
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Carina Press – Harlequin

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

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

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.

Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen

Only love can heal an impossibly broken heart

There’d forever been a thread running through Trevor Estes’s life—his son, Riley, strong and constant like a heartbeat. But when Riley is killed in combat, everything in Trevor’s life unravels into a mess he doesn’t know how to mourn.

Then Jesse Byrne, Riley’s friend and platoon mate, arrives on Trevor’s doorstep with a box of Riley’s things. Jesse’s all-too-familiar grief provides an unlikely source of comfort for Trevor: knowing he’s not alone is exactly what he needs.

Trevor never imagined he’d find someone who fills his heart with hope again. As the pair celebrate Riley’s memory, their unique bond deepens into something irreplaceable—and something neither man can live without.

But diving into a relationship can’t be so simple. Being together means Trevor risking the last link he has to his son… leaving Jesse to wonder if he’ll ever be enough, or if Trevor will always be haunted by the past.

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!

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Carina Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

Whew! Get the tissues close by when you read this book. It is full of emotions that will eat at you.

Jesse is Riley's best friend. They went through basic training together and have a bond that most brothers would envy. Riley grew up in a non-traditional home – he was raised by his father, who he knew was gay, but never truly had partners until Riley was an adult. Riley sees in Jesse behaviors that he also sees in his dad. But being the good and supportive friend he is, he allows Jesse to come to him. When they are deployed, their lives become more real – they are thrust into situations that, while they are trained for, they really shouldn't be dealing with at their age.

Riley's dad, Trevor, and his partner are hoping and praying that everything will turn out well for Riley. However, Trevor's partner isn't Riley's dad, he's mainly concerned with how Trevor will handle his son going off to war. You see the tension between them and wonder if they will truly last in their relationship.

Jesse and Trevor are trying to cope with all that has happened and in doing so, form a bond that not many others would understand. They both loved the same person in different ways. The title is so fitting for this story because it truly is their point where they come together.

It's sad, honest, and gritty, as well as romantic and healing. These two find a way through grief and heartbreak to a place of peace and acceptance.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This book was heart wrenching but so good. I don't know if the author personally experienced this subject or someone close to them did, but I felt like I was experiencing it with Trevor and Jesse as it was happening. My heart hurt, I cried but I also found hope and love along the way with Jesse and Trevor and their journey. The epilogue was amazing, and I found myself smiling and crying at the same time. Beautiful, heartbreaking story that so many people have gone through; it gives us who haven't, their perspective so we can be more sensitive and more supportive. I just loved this book and can't say enough good things about it.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This was a messy cry book from start to finish. Riley, Trevor, and Jesse all feel horribly real and the author captures the suffocating intensity of Trevor’s grief with heart rending authenticity. This is a beautiful story but was a difficult book to read and a hard book to process.

The story unfolds on either side of Riley’s combat death. We get to know Riley as Trevor’s son and Jesse’s best friend and battle buddy. We see the joys, the playful moments, and the meaningful interactions before Riley dies and the knowledge makes Trevor and Jesse’s experiences after his death all the more poignant.

I really loved this story. I wasn’t sure about the age gap between Trevor and Jesse when I started the book and the best-friend’s-father thing still doesn’t sit perfectly with me. But ultimately, I understood Jesse and Trevor together. The two are bound together by horrific experiences and they fit each other beautifully. This is a special story. Readers will need to be in the right headspace for the book but it’s not a story I will soon forget.

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

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen to read and review.

Unquiet by Melanie Hansen

Loren Smith has been in love with Eliot Devlin almost his entire life. During their turbulent childhood and teen years, Loren didn’t always understand Eliot, and sometimes he could be a challenge, but Eliot was the only one to ever truly ease Loren’s deep loneliness and accept him. When Eliot’s increasingly erratic and self-destructive behavior culminates in a suicide attempt at seventeen, Loren is devastated.

Upon meeting again by chance nine years later, Loren is enjoying a successful career as a police officer while Eliot’s life has been a constant struggle for stability. In and out of mental hospitals, with a rap sheet a mile long, he continues to be buffeted by the twin storms of mania and depression. Loren’s love and protectiveness for Eliot are deeply ingrained in him, however, and their feelings for each other are quickly rekindled.

Loren has issues of his own he’s dealing with, and trying to understand and cope with Eliot’s bipolar disorder isn’t easy. They believe they’re meant to be, and Eliot brings a fulfillment to Loren’s life that no one else will ever match. But as they both come to realize, love by itself can’t cure all.

Book 3
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

So, I absolutely LOVED book 2, but this one, I struggled to get through. I don't know that I would even truly categorize this as a romance. It's more about watching two lives come together, rip apart, and come back together. It has a very real quality to it, but for me, it was just too long. While I can understand getting the reader to feel Eliot's cycles, after a while, I found myself skimming along.

Loren and Eliot grew up together. Eliot was always there for Loren and vice versa. However, as the boys grow older, Eliot becomes a little more "weird" and Loren takes notice. Despite trying to help his friend, it all becomes too much for Loren one night.

Eliot cycles through his mental health issues throughout this story and while it's real and complex, emotional and honest, I felt that this book was all about his issues.

Loren watches and feels helpless a lot of the time because he's constantly worrying that something will set Eliot off in to another cycle.

It's hard to watch this relationship – at times, it's like watching a train you know is going to collide, but being unable to look away.

So, while I did think that the book offered a very honest look at the life of someone with a mental health disorder like Eliot's, it was just too much for me.

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

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Unquiet (Resilient Love #3) by Melanie Hansen to read and review.