Lots of seals running around these days, but when they are in they are in. In this one we have a wounded soldier, messed up in body and spirit. And a heroine who will save him.

John is as I already told you not as happy seal. He suffers from amnesia after a tour into hell. He is tough, but not really the commitment kind of guy. Laurie is sweet, nice, and knows better than to date a seal. Also she have a very protective dad. Trouble alert.

The story was light (in the way it read, not in what was in it), cute and fast to read. But to be honest I was not a fan of the sex scenes, it felt a bit...like a man had written them. Their first encounter and I was like wow, wait a moment, ask first mister. About what, ok I will not tell you that. Just read and see. Anyway, they did not feel sexy. But it all had a silly vibe over it, drama alerts and lots of soldier nicknames. But as it read so easily and there was romance I did not care. It was a little escapism book.

Conclusion:
Seals, romance, action, hidden memories and drama.
( )

A SEAL at Heart by Anne Elizabeth
Book #1: West Coast Navy SEALs Series
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:

When John Roaker came home from his last mission, he came home with some pretty serious injuries and a whole lot of holes in his memory. The doctors assure him that given enough time and therapy, his memory will return but John just isn’t feeling the whole share his feelings and hug it out vibe. In fact, John is pretty sure his head is going to explode if he has to sit through one more forced therapy session. Unfortunately, if John doesn’t attend therapy and get his memory back, he isn’t going to be sent back into active duty and that is even more unacceptable than hugging and sharing.

Laurie Smith doesn’t date military men, especially not SEALs. She grew up in the SEAL community, was raised by two separate SEALs and now, she spends her days working as a physical therapist and avoiding dating anything and anyone that even comes close to being a SEAL. Laurie’s first encounter with John didn’t go spectacularly well (mostly!) but as she gets to know him she figures out that he is a decent guy that just wants to understand what went wrong with his last mission. As it turns out, Laurie’s particular brand of therapy both in the office and out is quite effective and within a very short amount of time, John begins to recall bits and pieces of the clusterf*&k that was his last mission.

As the bits and pieces continue to come back to John he is even more confused and has no idea who he can trust. His best friend and swim buddy died in the fracas, two of his teammates have been ordered not to talk to him, and the other two, well, they’re sketchy as hell and John’s sure they’re somehow involved in the awful that went down. With Laurie’s help and some late night mission reconstruction (and some awesome naughty bits!) John is finally able to pull all the pieces together and what he discovers will bring down a lot of wretched folks.

The Bottom Line: This is my first Anne Elizabeth read and I rather enjoyed her brand of military man romance. Laurie is feisty as hell, her adoptive dad cracked me up on several occasions, the naughty bits are quite good, the mystery is just enough for this genre, and John Roaker is a super-sexy leading man. My only complaint about this read is the incessant reminders of SEAL code and honor. That’s pretty much a given and once the point is made, there isn’t a whole lot of point in the characters beating a dead horse. Overall, A SEAL at Heart is a good read with only a few minor flaws that certainly won’t keep me from moving on to book two, Once a SEAL. ( )

Feeling pretty ambivalent about this one. I feel like the "answer" to the mystery wrapped up in his missing memory was anticlimatic. Typically I judge books by how quickly I look to see what else that person has written that I can read. Will not be looking for other books from this author to fill up by TBR pile in any great urgency. ( )

Jack is stuck on medical leave until he can remember what went on during his last mission. He remembers that something didn't feel right, but the actual memories are gone. To add to it, he keeps having visions of his buddy telling him that time is running out and he has to find the truth. The Navy doctors he's seeing aren't helping a bit. When he meets Laurie he is first attracted to her. When he finds out that she is also a therapist he goes to her for help. Her methods are different but they start working for him right away and he begins to remember a few things. He also finds, as they spend personal time together, that she makes him feel things he has never felt for another woman. Laurie is the daughter of a SEAL and as such has a good idea of what their lives are like. She had a rule about not dating military men because she wanted a man who would be there more than he wasn't. But there was something about Jack that made all others seem insignificant. Besides their personal relationship she was sure that she could help him with his memory issues. I liked the way that she was able to give him the ability to access those memories without coming across as his "savior". When he reports his progress to his doctor he is suddenly ordered to stay away from Laurie completely. He also hears that he is being accused of being the cause of the mission going bad, making the retrieval of his memories even more urgent. I liked both Jack and Laurie. Jack is determined to get his head together and become operational again. He is willing to do what is necessary to do so, even try the "woo woo" stuff. I liked the way that he easily accepted it once he realized it was working. I also liked the way that he stood up to Laurie's adopted father who was also his mentor. Laurie has to deal with her issues of being with a SEAL. I also liked the way that she was strong enough to stand up to Jack when he needed it. She was also able to understand when he needed space to deal with something, a very important aspect to their relationship. I loved the way that the author shows inside the SEAL world. There is a closeness among team members that you don't see anywhere else, a commitment to each other in both their professional and personal lives. There is also a strong sense of community that also encompasses the family and friends of the SEALs. Overall a good book. I'm looking forward to the next one. ( )

Somehow, it was all his fault. His best friend, his swim buddy Don, dead. He got them out. Alive or not because you never leave anyone behind. He has a heck of a scar on the back of his head to prove he was injured. So why can’t he remember what happened? His life as a SEAL depends on his remembering. Hell, his LIFE depends on it!
After playing psycho babble for a few days, Jack decides to try something different. He’d met a lovely lady at a party – a physical therapist – maybe she can help him remember. Or somethin’. …Laurie on the other hand is dedicated to her profession and one rule she has held to her whole life. Do NOT date a Navy Seal. Her dad was one and she saw how he ended up. So, nope.
As it turns out, Laurie is able to help with massage, acupressure, etc. Which is good because they are so drawn to each other it’s ridiculous. Jack’s memory is returning bit by bit but there is a real question to be answered – does everyone involved in the Op want it to? There’s the problem.
An excellent romantic tale with a gripping memory issue to hold it together. Ann Elizabeth can write a great steamy scene as well…..You’ll love it. ( )