Books & Spoons Review for HEART OF A SEAL by Dixie Lee Brown

They're brothers in arms, Navy SEALS risking their lives for their country . . . and the women they love. This is Luke Harding's story.

Six months in a desert hellhole taught Navy SEAL Luke Harding things he never wanted to learn about life and death. Only tender memories of the beautiful brunette he met a few weeks before his deployment helped get him through the torturous days and nights. Back in the States after a perilous rescue, physically and emotionally damaged, Luke's about to plunge into a new kind of war. In a seemingly bucolic Idaho town, Sally Duncan faces real-and unpredictable-danger.

All Sally ever wanted was a safe place to raise her nine-year-old daughter. Her identity hidden behind a faade of secrets and lies, can she trust Luke-a man she barely knows-with the truth? Even as they give in to long-denied passion, a killer with a personal vendetta is setting an ambush that will leave them praying for a miracle and fighting for the future they may not live to see.

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When I read Rescued By Ranger, a previous, standalone book by the author, I was intrigued by Garrett's brother, Luke. And Luke and his heart-wrenching story do not disappoint. 
The story is intense with the danger and threats coming from several different, unexpected sources. It is touching and heartbreaking, the depth of the emotions taking my breath away. 
The despair and pain Luke faced as a prisoner of the war, the threats, danger, and attacks Sally had lived with most of her life, the feelings they had for each other, the pain they had cost for each other, it all was poignantly touching and went straight to my heart. I am not ashamed to admit, Luke's destiny had me sobbing by the end of chapter one. It is a rare occasion that a story, at that early point, have such a strong connection to my mind and heart. 
Sally, Luke, and the family and friends surrounding them, are in for a fight for their lives. It is intense, vigorous, and violent. The enemies and people wanting to use them and harm them seem to be coming from every possible direction. It is constant, it is scary, it is menacing, each sharp turn in the plot giving the story a new edge their barely hang on to. No matter where they go, how deeply they hide, who is protecting them, it seems like the malice has an all-knowing arm with an ability to reach them in any and all circumstances.  
Luke is a man of integrity, honesty, and loyalty. He has a kind and generous heart, he is resilient, smart, and a man of action. The terrors he has faced, the evilness of the men who captured him, they tried to break him down, nearly succeeding. The beam of light, and hope, that kept him going were Sally and her daughter, and the connection they briefly had before he was deployed. 
Sally was a mysterious character. The more I got to know her, the more insights into her life were revealed, the more my heart ached for her and for the trials and tribulations she had had to face. 
The connection between Luke and Sally is a tangible force. After all the turbulence between them, Luke's honesty with his feelings for her was refreshingly sincere and true. There is passion, compassion, adoration, and admiration between them that develop into something rare, something special, something to be treasured and cherished. If only they will survive to see another day arise. 
The brutally raw action and emotions, the desire for each other and to outlive the attacks, the battle for survival and holding on to the beam of hope and happiness that seems to be slipping away with each assault, all these elements intensify the story, making it strong, sharp, harch, and fierce. There are the rough and raw aspects of the tale, as well as the delightfully cute, elated, and joyful ones, that mixed together makes a story that held me captivated, on the edge, and cheering for the hero and heroine to find a way to survive and thrive. 
A well written, twisted and thrilling story of suspense, mixed with a vehement tale of soulmates overcoming the biggest obstacles in life and still daring to have faith to take the leap for love. 
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

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Dixie Lee Brown loves to write romantic suspense. Her first book, ALL OR NOTHING, a Trust No One novel, hit the e-shelves on March 12, 2013, but the highlight of her writing career was when the first paperback arrived! Trust No One is a five book series.

RESCUED BY THE RANGER, with its hot military hero, sexy redhead, and furry sidekick named Cowboy, is a standalone novel which also introduces the character front and center in...

HEART OF A SEAL, book #1 in the Hearts of Valor series. This is Luke Harding's story. Watch for the next two books in this series, coming soon.

Dixie lives in Central Oregon with two small dogs and a cat who at least make it look like she isn't talking to herself!

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