ZachThe past haunts me every second that I’m back in this town. And when I’m reunited with Curtis, the local doctor and my one-time flame, I’m reminded of the dark secrets I carry inside of me. He can never know why I walked out of town ten years ago. My emotions for him burn just as hot ever, but if he learns what I did, he’ll never forgive me. Just like I can’t forgive myself.CurtisZach is back … myself.
Curtis
Zach is back in town for the first time in a decade, but he’s never been far from my heart. I let him walk away once and I’m not sure I could survive that again. I’ve already dealt with enough heartache. The wise move would be to keep my distance, to protect myself from the passion I see flaring in Zach’s eyes, but he’s become irresistible in the time he’s been away, with a SEAL’s discipline and a lover’s touch. I can’t stay away.
But danger lurks and it’s not just the town that’s in danger, it’s me. Zach promises to keep me safe, but is safety enough if I can’t have the man I never stopped loving?
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Finding Refuge is the first book in the Hometown Heroes series which focuses on the Savage-Cross family living in the small town of North Creek, Tennessee. Zach is part of the Savage family and he’s come home on leave from the Navy because of his sick father. While at home he reconnects with his old boyfriend, Curtis, who is now the town doctor. Both Zach and Curtis have a lot of baggage between the two of them, about ten years ago a tragic accident tore their world apart and they never really moved on from it. Zach ran away from the tragedy by joining the Navy and Curtis threw himself into his work trying to forget the men he’d lost. Once Zach is back home sparks immediately fly between the two men. As Zach and Curtis reconnect and re-discover how much they love each other, they also have to deal with a sinister man trying to force Curtis and the other town folk into selling their land for commercial development. In a thrilling conclusion, Zach and Curtis not only have to learn how to forgive each other and figure out their future, but they also have to survive long enough to even have a future.
This was my first book by J.P. Oliver so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a wild ride with a lot of twists and turns that would put a Lifetime movie to shame. The writing was a mixture of really nice writing and awkward writing, and there were some weird transitions as well as some weird plot pacing. There were also elements thrown into the story that just didn’t make sense. (Like, how was Zach a mercenary for the CIA while being a Navy Seal? That made no sense to the story and it was never fully explained.) There was a lot of inaccuracies when it came to military, police, and medical details, but I chocked that up to the Lifetime movie effect, meaning accurate details don’t really matter as long as the drama and thrill factor are there.
For a first book it wasn’t bad, and I really liked the characterization of all the different characters, both main characters and secondary characters. Also, did I mention how hot the sex scenes were? Plus, the romance was so sweet and adorable. Overall this was a quick, fluffy read that had a lot going on. Don’t think too hard about the details, but just enjoy the ride.
Finding Refuge – Hometown Heroes Book #1
The story of Zach (Navy SEAL) and Curtis (North Creek, Tennessee town physician) bears a painful past. Not everything goes according to plan.
After a tragic accident-that he shoulders the burden himself for all these years later- Zach leaves home to join the military and became a Navy SEAL. Much to the heartbreak of Curtis, his closest friend and the man he was to build a life with. He returns after receiving a call from his sister about their father’s cancer and he was dying. It seem neither man got over their feelings for one another. Zach realizes he made a mistake in leaving Curtis. He wishes to have him back. Zach is still in the military, so there will be a series of obstacles for them. Can these two get past the hurt of the past and start anew?
**I received a free copy of this book as part of a bundle via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.**
Love and family: they carry a lot of emotional weight and history. When Zach and Curtis were young, their mutual friend Joe died in a car accident after a drunken party. Zach still bore the quilt for it, though the few who knew for certain who was behind the wheel mostly did not hold onto blame – though someone he should have been able to trust would try to use it against him.
After graduating, Zach joined the Navy instead of staying to build a life with Curtis, breaking the heart of his remaining closest friend.
When Zach comes back on leave from the SEALs, after sister Beth tells him their Dad is dying, all sorts of things get churned up.
Grown up love means grown up responsibilities. As one friend puts it, Zach has a commitment to the Navy. It’s not summer came.
Complicated things only work out if you work through them together.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.