When Harper Preston finds himself flat in a hospital bed after a botched op, he’s okay with dealing with the fallout. If he dies, he’s lived well past his expiration date. The only people that will notice his passing are the guys he works with at Lost and Found Investigative Service.
Then his estranged wife arrives.
Cat Preston is thankful and horrified when she’s called to her husband’s side. … her husband’s side. He’s been shot. Again. But now that she’s found him she’s going to make the most of the opportunity. If it were up to Harper, she would be out of his life completely because he thinks it’s the best thing for the family.
With a little SEAL abduction (for his own good of course) maybe she can convince him otherwise…
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EMBATTLED SEAL (Lost and Found #4) by J.M. Madden is a character driven romance that had me reading straight through the night, crying sad tears and then happy tears.
Harper Preston was a Navy SEAL sniper and nearly fatally wounded on Lost and Found’s last operation. As his boss and friend wait for him to wake from surgery, a woman shows up and takes control. She is Harper’s estranged wife that no one knew existed.
Catherine “Cat” Preston has come to Harper’s hospital bedside once again. She has always understood what she signed up for by being a SEAL’s wife. His job would always come first, he couldn’t talk about his time away and she would basically be a single parent, but 18 months ago he left his family and cut all communication thinking he was doing the right thing.
This story delves into the mind and marriage of a military man that his country has turned into a killing machine that has seen and lived through the horrors of war. Injuries, PTSD in all its forms and the fear of accidentally hurting those he loves are discussed. The stigmatism, even if it is only in his own mind, of seeking psychiatric help is also discussed. I feel this book handled the communication issues between Cat and Harper realistically and with a lot of mutual love.
Another great addition to the LNF series!
I listened to the audio version of this book. This book started out as being more about Cat and her inner strength and fortitude than it was about Harper. I had to admire Cat’s patience, persistence, and determination to keep her family together.
Harper seemed to heal pretty quickly given the description of the severity of his injuries. All of that picking up and carrying he was doing was pretty surprising.
I’m not sure if it makes sense or not, but Harper and Cat had a great connection, but it felt like the chemistry was a little off. Maybe it is the whole situation of working a returning soldier back into regular life. They understood each other completely, but I didn’t pick up the chemistry until almost the end.
That was something that surprised me about Harper. He and Cat were so immediately in tune to each other in the hospital, he had to understand that she would appreciated a phone call, even if it was from someone else telling her he was alive, functional, and getting help.
If I had read this book first, I would not have had any positive thoughts about what Harper did in regard to his family. That is not to say that it wasn’t a crap move on his part, but, after reading about him in the previous book, Embattled Hearts, it provided more insight into his character.
I think that the further I get into the series, the better the books get. I enjoy the camaraderie and brotherhood between the vets at LNF. I find that I always enjoy the narration. I’m looking forward to Duncan’s book.
4.5 bumped to 5 Military Family Stars. This book continues right where Embattled Home ends. Harper has just been shot and has been rushed to the hospital in the hopes of saving his life. Within 24 hours a woman walks into his room like she owns the place and announces she is his wife. What??? Chad and Duncan never knew Harper had a wife!!! They have their doubts, but those are soon allayed and Harper is entrusted to her care. Now comes the hard part of putting their family back together.
This book focuses on the devastation that the families of our wounded vets suffer. I am from a military family, although I wasn’t born yet when Dad served. I have so many family members who are military, a few of them career military. While the family doesn’t suffer the intense adrenaline rush and danger their soldier does while deployed, they suffer in other ways that no one can imagine. It is the strength of the family that allows the soldier to do what they do so well. This book highlights the highs and lows of the military family and it does it beautifully. So far, this book is the best of the series!
Wonderful look at what PTSD does not only the Vet but their family.
Worth the read