Can He Be Her Hero Once Again?Hunter Diaz, scraped and fought his way out of the gangs of East LA to serve honorably as a SEAL in the United States Navy. He has become one of the most dangerous men on the planet. When his adopted grandmother tells him his childhood sweetheart is in trouble back home, he returns to the place he vowed to leave firmly in the past.Aliana Novak spent most of her … past.
Aliana Novak spent most of her school years being bullied. Her only refuge, was Hunter Diaz, until the day he graduated and left her to deal with the tormentors herself. Those horrific experiences molded her into what she is today and made her the perfect candidate for Vice Principal of one of the toughest schools in East LA. As she fights for her students to live the best lives they can, she is targeted by one of the most dangerous gangs in the city.
Hunter Expects to find the same awkward and fragile girl he once knew, instead he finds a beautiful and strong woman who is willing to risk anything for the children under her care. As Hunter tries to rekindle the deep feelings they once had for one another, Aliana withdraws further into herself. What happened to her while he was gone? Can Hunter break down her walls and prove to her he is still her knight in shining armor before she ends up dead?
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Caitlyn has always been able to deliver a great book but with this one, she has exceeded even more in bringing her readers a great story. The book deals with gangs, bullies and how growing up with this affects a person’s life. Hunter always protected Aliana and when he comes back expecting to find a shy, timid girl like he remembered, he finds a beautiful woman, who while having a backbone, is also still haunted by her past. Can Hunter and his SEal buddies keep Aliana safe when a gang puts a price on her head? And will Hunter be able to work this his own issues? This book made me mad, made me cry and made me happy!! I HIGHLY recommend this book!!
Hunter Diaz protected Aliana Novak from school yard bullies when they were kids and now he’s back to protect her from a more lethal threat. Both have come so far from the indignities they suffered as children but that kind of thing stays with you for a lifetime. Now he needs to keep not only Alia but her mother and grandmother safe too. Having to delve back in to the gang life he left behind is not ideal but it’s the only way to get answers. Rekindling a relationship with the only woman he’s ever loved is almost too much to hope for especially when she’s trying to keep him at arm’s length.
Again, as is the case with Caitlyn’s books, the story is deep and more about the characters, how they develop and grow as person, than just the action and love they find. Not a light read, but not deep and dark, although it touches on very sensitive issues (bullying, gangs, rape, drugs…).
I loved the Book Club group! They gave me a good laugh, as I’ve experienced first hand that older ladies can be naughty 😉
This one has been on my Kindle for a while and I finally got around to reading it. A well written story and the characters are awesome. I have read several books in this series. This isn’t a quick easy read but it is one you can’t put down. Caitlyn O’Leary did a fantastic job with this book. I would encourage everyone to get this book. It is worth your time and effort.
Aliana was bullied when she was younger and Hunter part of a gang back then was her salvation. When he was old enough he got out of the gang and joined the Navy but left her behind. He wrote for months but she returned her letters. So when he finds out she’s in danger he goes to her after he gets a call from his grandmother. There is a lot of action, new found love and heartache. Excellent story.
Hunter and Alianna. Wow. This book tackles the tough world of high school bullying and beyond. I felt so bad for Alianna when she realized she had been judging kids through the lens of her past, but really what could she do? She’s the authority figure and if a kid breaks the rules, she has to punish them. I also loved getting to know the Black Dawn team better and to see how the teams interact. This was a bit of a whirlwind of an outing and we meet quite a few characters whom I don’t think we’ll necessarily see again, but it is another terrific Caitlyn O’Leary adventure.
Aliana was bullied when she was younger and Hunter part of a gang back then was her salvation. When he was old enough he got out of the gang and joined the Navy but left her behind. He wrote for months but she returned her letters. So when he finds out she’s in danger he goes to her after he gets a call from his grandmother. There is a lot of action, new found love and heartache. Excellent story.
HER PASSIONATE HERO (Black Dawn #3) By Caitlyn O’Leary
I loved this story from the start. No one does military romance as well as Caitlyn O’Leary. In this story, Hunter Diaz gets a call from his grandmother to let him know that his high school best friend that he has not seen for 13 years needs immediate help after her home is blown up and threats are made to her mom. He gets leave and comes in to see what he can do. Hunter Diaz is a Seal in the Black Dawn Seal Team. Aliana Novak is the vice principal in the local high school. They were best friends while growing up until Aliana told Hunter she was didn’t want to see him anymore. She has been dealing with with gang members at school and threats. Things are heating up and Hunter needs to neutralize the threats to her since someone wants her dead now. Hunter brings in some of his Seal buddies to help protect them.
Completely blown away by Hunter and Aliana’s story! I knew it sounded good and I’d most likely enjoy it from the blurb and the fact I usually enjoy this author’s stories, but I was unprepared for how much this unrealized young love/second chance as adults romantic suspense story grabbed me and made me fall in love with both Hunter and Aliana.
Hunter is the best kind of protective, take charge and get his hands dirty, bossy, gentle and powerful alpha. He knew what he wanted and needed and what Aliana needed to see and pursued it with passion.
Aliana is the best kind of heroine for Hunter – being the strong kind who gives as good as she gets, but yet is still soft and vulnerable, appealing to Hunter’s protective needs.
They gave each other exactly what they needed both as kids in school and then as adults years later – keeping up being each other’s saving grace.
I absolutely loved this story, and have it tucked away on my favorites shelf to revisit often.
Hunter Diaz has always been protective of Aliana Novak. From elementary school til he left to join the Navy. Aliana, aka Alia, was bullied in school and very shy. She grew up and became a vice principal in a gang riddled school in L.A. After being attacked and her disabled mother threatened by gang members her town house is bombed. Her grandmother gets word to Hunter and he comes to see if he can help.
This was a great book. I loved the Book Club and Neighborhood Watch those ladies had me laughing. The drama and action with the gangs had me on the edge of my seat. I loved this addition to the Black Dawn Series.
While this is the third book in the series, I read this one first and had no problem following it as a stand alone. Because she was chubby and had an accent or simply because kids are mean, Aliana Novak was bullied at school, until young Hunter Diaz, stepped in to protect her. He was her hero and only friend. But they lived in a bad neighborhood, where gangs ruled. To escape the gangs, Hunter went to the military right after graduation and became a SEAL. But after her father killed himself, Aliana pushed him away. Now she is Vice Principal of the school that they went to, but she is being threatened by the gangs. His adopted grandmother, calls him home to protect her and whether she likes it or not, he is going to keep her safe and find out why she pushed him away all those years ago, because she was always meant to be his. Captivating characters and an action packed story make this a compelling read. And surprising for a military romance, this one was clean.
It was a very good read. Let’s of action. They were childhood friends and he left a gang to join the Navy and became a Seal. She did not keep in touch with him after he left due to a tragedy in her own life. He come back after years on the request of her grandmother as she is being threatened by a gang. She is a vice principle of a high school and she is trying to save one of her students from a life in the gang. I would have given this 5 stars but it ended rather abruptly. Not exactly a cliffhanger but not exactly a finished ending
Aliana is in trouble, not of her making. In her years since Hunter left she has devoted herself to helping the kids targeted by gangs. In her role as Vice Principal she doesn’t tolerate the shenanigans of the members of gangs and expels them without second thought and encourages those who have the potential to escape the neighborhood and the gangs. One young man, Nicholas, has such promise and he is embracing the opportunities he sees for himself. It’s Nicholas that is the root of attacks on her, she thinks she can handle it all, but her grandmother has other ideas.
Hunter has just returned from a mission, when his grandmother calls him and orders him home. It was so out of character for her, it leaves Hunter stunned even as he demands to know the reason. For Aliana he would do anything and that she was in danger motivated him more than anything to head home.
We learn of Hunter’s past and as other SEALs he’s asked show up to help protect her and her family he also realizes how much danger she’s in.
Aliana is stubborn as is her grandmother and Hunter’s grandmother too. The grandmother’s book club provides not only information but also lots of giggles in an otherwise tense situation.
A page turning read with plenty of action, some tears, some giggles and a romance that was meant to be.
love all kaitlyn oleary books
Loved this book very much and it had a great ending.
I liked the character development in this book. It was a sweet love story that skirted some scary parts of life (i.e. gang activity).
I really did enjoy this book, but it was a very dark read. Two kids who made it through gangs and teenagehood, end up dealing with those gangs as adults. I loved their loyalty to each other, and friends, but just hated the toughness of life.
There’s plenty of action and likable characters that kept me stuck in the pages enough so I stayed up way late finishing it. Enough said.
An interesting page turner read with an unusual plot full of action. Definitely an entertaining story with interesting characters.
Love hero stories! This was written so that you could actually picture it unfolding like in a movie. Great storyline! Thoroughly enjoyed this book!