This is such a brilliant story. It’s a book that really stands out for me, and even though I read it (for the first time) a very long time ago, the characters were still with me when I picked it up a few days ago to re-read it.

Much longer and richer than you’d think a short novel of 158 pages can ‘feel’, it revolves around the story of a man who is utterly lost when he first returns home after fighting in a war. Referring to himself only as ‘Soldier’, he starts out as an observer unable to join in. He is tired, hurt and doesn’t even know how to return to ‘normal’ society. The journey he takes to heal himself by helping others is nothing short of amazing. The description of his thoughts made him utterly real to me.

Dillon is struggling to give a safe place to a group of young boys who have nobody else to care for them. While Dillon connects to the world in a very direct way, he has given up hope to find happiness for himself. He is a great nurturer who is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for others. His surprise and delight when he begins to realize that maybe he can be happy after all is wonderful to watch. The threats that promptly pop up and try to take it all away again held me on the edge of my seat.

Soldier and Dillon are both scarred in different ways. Yet both are driven to help not only each other but the homeless boys as well. The development of Soldier's and Dillon's relationship and the outside threats they encounter held me spellbound. All of the characters were so real that I cried and laughed with them as if they were my friends. And yet, this is also a book that reads like a fairy tale. With all of the problems inherent in these men’s situation it could have easily turned into total disaster. The fact that it didn’t may prompt some people to say that it is unrealistic. Unfortunately, thanks to the cruel world we live in, that is most likely true. All the better that we have places our imagination can take us (with the help of a great author like AKM) where disaster doesn’t strike and where ‘the bad guys’ don’t win. I, for one, enjoy reading stories like this just as much as those that are ‘real. Who is to say which is the ‘better’ reality?
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Soldier was my first foray into the male/male sub-genre of romance, and I have to say it was a pretty good book with which to begin. This was a very sweet story about two men who are terribly wounded in both body and mind but find love and acceptance in each others arms. They in turn are able to pass that love and acceptance along to the seven abused little boys who are in their care and even a poor scruffy dog and a little puppy too. The interactions between the pair and their seven charges were utterly heartwarming, especially as a couple of the more severely abused boys slowly come out of their shells and begin to blossom under their care. It's readily apparent how much they all love each other, and they truly are one big, happy family. They couldn't be a closer, more caring bunch if they were related by blood.

Dillon is a sweet, wonderful guy who really stepped up to the plate to help these poor kids who no one wanted and who have completely gotten lost in the traditional social services system. Life is tough for them. The borrowed house they live in is falling down around their ears, and Dillon has to scrape on a daily basis just to provide food and the necessities of life for everyone in his care. As hard as he has to work though, I know Dillon wouldn't change a thing. He loves the boys just as much as if they were his own flesh and blood. After he was attacked as a teenager by his homophobic peers and left with facial scars, Dillon was resigned to probably spending the rest of his life alone until luck shone on him, bringing the man of his dreams right to his doorstep to help share his burden.

Soldier, as his nickname suggests, was in the military and fought in the war (presumably Iraq). His heroic actions saved several of his comrades lives, but he was severely wounded when a bomb exploded near him. He is now recovered from his injuries, but was left with extensive scarring on his face and body. Soldier has become something of a reclusive loner, a wanderer without much direction or purpose in life, until he finds a gorgeous guy with a bunch of kids living in one of his houses. Suddenly, Soldier knows what he wants to do with the rest of his life and the wealth that his dad left him. It's like he was just looking for a worthy cause, and Dillon and his boys were certainly that. I really admire Soldier for wanting to put his money to good use. I've often thought that if I had extra money that's exactly what I would be doing, searching for a philanthropic cause. Soldier had a lot more to offer than money though. As a military man and a big, strong guy at that, he was used to protecting and hadn't been able to do that since being injured. Now with Dillon and the kids, he has several someones to look out for. On the outside Soldier may have been a big, scary-looking dude, but underneath it all, he was just Gom's (and Dillon's ;-)) big, snuggly teddy bear.

Soldier and Dillon's first meeting, coupled with Gom coming out to ask a bazillion question and then fall asleep in Soldier's lap had just the right mix of awkwardness, emotion, sexual tension and sweetness. After that, things did kind of go from 0 to 60 really quickly in more ways than one. Normally, I wouldn't go for the love at first sight angle, nor the idea of an abused kid trusting a stranger so easily, but I think that they all just sensed something special in each other, a kindred spirit who could understand and relate to all their past hurts and share their fears of what the future might hold. In spite of knowing that, I did wish that there had been a little more development in Soldier and Dillon's relationship and a bit more exploration of their backgrounds. The reader is given just enough information on both men to get a feel for where they've been and what their lives were like before meeting, but not much else. I was a little surprised that Dillon didn't share his traumatic past with Soldier at any point in the story. However, I can respect that the author seemed to want to keep the focus on the present and how these two men interact with the boys and are trying to build a family unit together.

All the boys are a great bunch of kids, but two, Gom and Tommy, are stand-out characters who get quite a bit more face-time than the others. Little Gom (short for Montgomery) is just too cute for words and a real scene-stealer. He's been through a lot having been physically and emotionally abused by his drug-addict mother, but is still such a sweet, sensitive and thoughtful little boy. He doesn't sleep much until Soldier comes along and makes him feel safe and protected. Tommy is a little older and wise beyond his years. He too has been the victim of horrible sexual abuse and child prostitution. He's a quiet, gentle kid, but with Soldier there to back him up, he's able to face down his abusers. Even though these boys are just fictional characters they really got to me (probably because I know there are kids in the world just like them), so it really warmed my heart to know that they were being loved and cared for by two great dads like Soldier and Dillon.

Even though I loved the story, I did think that the writing itself could have been stronger. As is, it was a little too passive (too many “be” verbs), rather simplistic, and in need of more details. However, in spite of the mechanics of the writing being somewhat weak, I can't deny that Ms. Miles managed to create a story filled with heart and soul that really tugged at my heartstrings which is why I decided to give it keeper status. I haven't read a romance that embodied this much tenderness and emotion in a while. Soldier is the first book in the Scarcity Sanctuary series. Tommy and Gom grow up to get their own books next in the series, Tommy's Story and For Gom's Sake, and after falling in love with these little guys in this book, I can't wait to see what kind of young men they grow up to become. Soldier was definitely a pleasant introduction to male/male romance, and I'm really looking forward to not only continuing with this series, but seeing what else this genre has to offer.

Note: This book contains scenes of explicit sensuality between two men which may offend some readers. ( )

Soldier is a sweet and sometimes emotional read. It's the kind of book that is good for when you are having a bad day and you just want to sit on your couch in your pj's and veg out. I think some people may find it too sweet, too perfect at times, so if you're looking for angst you probably won't find it here. If you are just looking for a feel good book, a "comfort read" this story is perfect for you. ( )

Soldier and Dillon have both physical and emotional scars, but instead of hiding in fear, they both decided to help other scarred people on their own way. Dillon is taking care of 7 foster kids, and Soldier decides to help them; Dillon was given the use of one of Soldier’s properties, and when Soldier arrives to the house to check on it, it finds Dillon and the kids needs a lot more than only a roof above their heads. Soldier is a wealthy man, even if he has never used any of the money he inherited by his parents; he instead decided to enlist, and now he is retired, no more able to fight, but still scarred by what he saw. When he meets the kids, he understands what will be his next fight, help them, and in helping them, he will heal his emotional scars.

Dillon’s himself got badly hurt, but he has still an open and trusting heart, and it’s even too easy for him to fall for Soldier. Dillon doesn’t see Soldier’s physical scars, probably since Soldier doesn’t see his either, but he is aware that allowing Soldier to help the kids, will also help Soldier to reconcile with the world around him. Plus Dillon has taken a very personal interest in Soldier.

The novel is very much heavy on the emotional layer, and I don’t hide that I shed a tear or two reading it. I was not really worried about these characters, the average feeling was that Soldier was always ready to find a solution, pretty much helped by all the money he had, but nevertheless, there were small kids, and puppies, and well, it was impossible not to be touched by all of them.

In the end it was almost a fairy-tale with a dark side, but if all the real life stories had an happy ending like this one, I would take the dark side and even more. I really hope somewhere in the world there is a safe house for small kids like the one of Dillon and Soldier, I bet it’s a wonderful place to be.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1608203360/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Soldier was my first foray into the male/male sub-genre of romance, and I have to say it was a pretty good book with which to begin. This was a very sweet story about two men who are terribly wounded in both body and mind but find love and acceptance in each others arms. They in turn are able to pass that love and acceptance along to the seven abused little boys who are in their care and even a poor scruffy dog and a little puppy too. The interactions between the pair and their seven charges were utterly heartwarming, especially as a couple of the more severely abused boys slowly come out of their shells and begin to blossom under their care. It's readily apparent how much they all love each other, and they truly are one big, happy family. They couldn't be a closer, more caring bunch if they were related by blood.

Dillon is a sweet, wonderful guy who really stepped up to the plate to help these poor kids who no one wanted and who have completely gotten lost in the traditional social services system. Life is tough for them. The borrowed house they live in is falling down around their ears, and Dillon has to scrape on a daily basis just to provide food and the necessities of life for everyone in his care. As hard as he has to work though, I know Dillon wouldn't change a thing. He loves the boys just as much as if they were his own flesh and blood. After he was attacked as a teenager by his homophobic peers and left with facial scars, Dillon was resigned to probably spending the rest of his life alone until luck shone on him, bringing the man of his dreams right to his doorstep to help share his burden.

Soldier, as his nickname suggests, was in the military and fought in the war (presumably Iraq). His heroic actions saved several of his comrades lives, but he was severely wounded when a bomb exploded near him. He is now recovered from his injuries, but was left with extensive scarring on his face and body. Soldier has become something of a reclusive loner, a wanderer without much direction or purpose in life, until he finds a gorgeous guy with a bunch of kids living in one of his houses. Suddenly, Soldier knows what he wants to do with the rest of his life and the wealth that his dad left him. It's like he was just looking for a worthy cause, and Dillon and his boys were certainly that. I really admire Soldier for wanting to put his money to good use. I've often thought that if I had extra money that's exactly what I would be doing, searching for a philanthropic cause. Soldier had a lot more to offer than money though. As a military man and a big, strong guy at that, he was used to protecting and hadn't been able to do that since being injured. Now with Dillon and the kids, he has several someones to look out for. On the outside Soldier may have been a big, scary-looking dude, but underneath it all, he was just Gom's (and Dillon's ;-)) big, snuggly teddy bear.

Soldier and Dillon's first meeting, coupled with Gom coming out to ask a bazillion question and then fall asleep in Soldier's lap had just the right mix of awkwardness, emotion, sexual tension and sweetness. After that, things did kind of go from 0 to 60 really quickly in more ways than one. Normally, I wouldn't go for the love at first sight angle, nor the idea of an abused kid trusting a stranger so easily, but I think that they all just sensed something special in each other, a kindred spirit who could understand and relate to all their past hurts and share their fears of what the future might hold. In spite of knowing that, I did wish that there had been a little more development in Soldier and Dillon's relationship and a bit more exploration of their backgrounds. The reader is given just enough information on both men to get a feel for where they've been and what their lives were like before meeting, but not much else. I was a little surprised that Dillon didn't share his traumatic past with Soldier at any point in the story. However, I can respect that the author seemed to want to keep the focus on the present and how these two men interact with the boys and are trying to build a family unit together.

All the boys are a great bunch of kids, but two, Gom and Tommy, are stand-out characters who get quite a bit more face-time than the others. Little Gom (short for Montgomery) is just too cute for words and a real scene-stealer. He's been through a lot having been physically and emotionally abused by his drug-addict mother, but is still such a sweet, sensitive and thoughtful little boy. He doesn't sleep much until Soldier comes along and makes him feel safe and protected. Tommy is a little older and wise beyond his years. He too has been the victim of horrible sexual abuse and child prostitution. He's a quiet, gentle kid, but with Soldier there to back him up, he's able to face down his abusers. Even though these boys are just fictional characters they really got to me (probably because I know there are kids in the world just like them), so it really warmed my heart to know that they were being loved and cared for by two great dads like Soldier and Dillon.

Even though I loved the story, I did think that the writing itself could have been stronger. As is, it was a little too passive (too many “be” verbs), rather simplistic, and in need of more details. However, in spite of the mechanics of the writing being somewhat weak, I can't deny that Ms. Miles managed to create a story filled with heart and soul that really tugged at my heartstrings which is why I decided to give it keeper status. I haven't read a romance that embodied this much tenderness and emotion in a while. Soldier is the first book in the Scarcity Sanctuary series. Tommy and Gom grow up to get their own books next in the series, Tommy's Story and For Gom's Sake, and after falling in love with these little guys in this book, I can't wait to see what kind of young men they grow up to become. Soldier was definitely a pleasant introduction to male/male romance, and I'm really looking forward to not only continuing with this series, but seeing what else this genre has to offer.

Note: This book contains scenes of explicit sensuality between two men which may offend some readers. ( )