Books & Spoons Review for RUNNING BLIND by Gwen Hernandez

14/2/2018

Charter pilot Caitlyn Brevard’s sister disappeared while working undercover to expose human traffickers in the Caribbean. Four months later, Caitlyn has finally found her, but to infiltrate the captor's inner circle and rescue Rose, she must appear at the man’s gala event with a fiancé she concocted to keep his lecherous son at bay.

Can she convince Kurt Steele to forgive a past betrayal and play the doting groom-to-be?

Former special operator and wounded warrior Kurt can’t say no to a friend in need, especially not Caitlyn, who he can’t forget, no matter how hard he tries. But playing ardent fiancé to the woman who broke his heart—and still attracts him like no other—might just be more than he can bear.

When their mission turns deadly, he and Caitlyn must risk everything to save Rose and get a second chance at a love worth dying for.

Charter pilot Caitlyn Brevard and Former special operator and wounded warrior Kurt Steel blew me away with the emotional depth they brought to the story with their humble, caring, and capable characters. I absolutely adored them, their honesty, dignity, straightforwardness, and courage.
This well-written tale flows ever so smoothly, alluring my mind until I was completely lost in the world of Caitlyn and Kurt. The passionate, ardent romance is balanced with intense and deadly action and suspense. The fact that no one is safe and that the threats are so personal magnified the fear and danger.
The old feelings between Kurt and Caitlyn, the misunderstandings, the years that have passed by, the new awakening of the passion brings another kind of tension to the scenes until the vigor of each moment is filled with jitters.
Caitlyn is such a strong female lead, it was a pleasure to watch her in action. She carries her own weight on each leg of the tale, she is not afraid to face the enemy or to take action when needed. There is no question about how she feels about Kurt, but to get her to trust anyone, not to mention a man, after what she has gone through during her life might be pushing it too far. She is broken, her mind and body have suffered from experiences she has had, but she does champion on, she does fulfill her dreams, and goes after what she wants, as long as those things have nothing to do with relationships.
Kurt is just amazing. Yes, he is hot, attractive, kind and did I mention hot? But he is also genuine, patient, generous, caring man. Ah, I loved him! His honesty, his sincerity, his integrity just charmed me. He has his own issues with losing his legs while serving in the military but is handling them well. He is in control, he knows what he wants and is willing and able to ask for it, go for it, risk it all, and be honest about it yet let others take the lead when its called for.
There are several serious issues about military service that you rarely hear talked about that are handled in a realistic and life-like matter in the story. I admire the author's knowledge and take on the issues, like a rape of a female soldier, in a truthful and factual way.
I enjoyed this story immensely. From the ardent romance to the vigorous action and intense suspense. The delightfully appealing characters who are strong and smart yet vulnerable and humble, so perfect for each other in their imperfections were easy to like and relate to, to swoon over and fall in love with.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

Growing up, Gwen Hernandez never shared the stories in her head with other kids, but they usually involved intrigue and romance. She was raised in the Army and Navy, and married an Air Force engineer, so it’s natural that her Men of Steele series features military heroes and heroines who must overcome danger to find true love.

Blending writing with her tech background and love of teaching, Gwen has helped thousands of writers all over the world find the joy in Scrivener through her popular online courses, in-person workshops, and books like Scrivener For Dummies.

In her off time, she likes to travel, read, jog, flail on a yoga mat, and explore California, where she currently lives with her husband and a lazy golden retriever.