She needs a total life reboot…even if it means marrying a strangerTaya Maverick has just volunteered to marry a random Navy SEAL as part of the military’s new spouse-matching program. What other choice does she have? Her former best friend killed her father and torched her house. Taya’s determined to start over, but to be safe she has to disappear. The program is the perfect opportunity, complete … opportunity, complete with refuge and a built-in bodyguard. Her Navy SEAL husband can keep her safe, right?
After one spectacularly disastrous marriage, Jim Stephens nixes round two. But his commanding officer never accepts no for an order. While an injury may have sidelined him temporarily, Jim still needs to salvage his career after a mistake in combat puts him in leadership’s cross-hairs. Being the first in the pilot program guarantees him his rank and eventual active duty clearance…as long as he can last the trial year.
The I dos are barely uttered before Jim and Taya realize they’ve each miscalculated. Their sizzling chemistry might lead to bed, but neither is prepared to open their heart. And then Taya’s past comes knocking…
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Engaging, interesting take on the fake relationship trope that I haven’t seen before. It’s clear that the author knows her stuff and did her research to get the details right, which is commendable. Ms. Wynters excels at putting Jim and Taya into a crucible that paves the way for tons of plot twists without sacrificing believability. I loved the plot, and how it lent an air of tension and danger to a relationship already turbo-charged with chemistry and attraction. Never a dull moment in this story.
The bond between Jim and Taya was hot and sexy, while also tender and real, the specialness shown through all of the things they have in common and how their senses of humor align. It was truly a delight to read about two people who were so compatible and genuinely liked each other, but due to their situations and emotional issues, struggled to open up. When they give in to each other, the sex is positively dynamite and enriched by an emotional undercurrent that makes it matter.
Secondary characters were fun, adding comic relief that was on point. The author’s style of humor was refreshing and earnest, wonderfully understated. All of the elements worked together in consort. I enjoyed every page from beginning to end.
*Thank you to the author and Tule Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Love found at the most unexpected places. Be ready to journey and tackle uncharted waters yet! The high and lows is like a roller-coaster non-stop to the end.
Taya Maverick has signed up for a rather unusual wedding program. She is fleeing a mob boss so getting married to a Navy SEAL should offer her some protection.
Jim Stephens loves his career as a Navy SEAL and having had one disastrous marriage under his belt, he has no desire to remarry ever again. But when he is told he either enters the new spouse matching program or he may be retired, he chooses the risks of getting married again.
The premise of this novel is rather entertaining and novel but I struggled with it. I grew up around the military, specifically the U.S. Navy. So this required me to suspend all that I know about the military and it was hard.
The characters were believable and engaging as was the plot line outside of the marriage program. The action was fairly fast. The story was well written. But it isn’t one of my favorites I have read to be honest. There was just something I can’t name that made me not love it.
I did receive a copy of this novel in advance from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
There’s some good and some bad in this story, so I’m ambivalent about it. Ultimately, I couldn’t finish it, so DNF.
First of all, the female protagonist’s idea about hiding from her hunters is smart! ‘Lemme go live with a complete stranger who’s a military badass; no connections, new name, plenty protection!’ I wanna get critical about the OBVIOUS downfalls here, but I’m serious about this being a neat plan.
I appreciated the time jumps, because their interactions are so minimal, and mental ruminations so circular as to bore–please jump to the interesting bits! Unfortunately, the interesting bits were messed up by their abrupt awkward animal attraction and stuttering misunderstandings. Yikes, painful to read. So bad.
I actually liked the side characters and how they supported the main characters. I liked how the main characters had REAL problems and tried to handle them realistically. And EVENTUALLY compromised and sorta communicated. However, their personalities were so very contradictory to their actions. Male lead was some hulking, controlling, solitary alpha in denial of his wounds and need for help. So very out of control. SHE was attracted, but I thought he was a mess and a jerk. Female lead was supposed to be independent, fierce, yet yielding. Except that she was dependent, meek, yet stubborn. WTF? Yeah, they drowned in lust when near each other, but could barely communicate or cooperate. It was just bewildering and frustrating.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntary reviewing it.
This book really brought something new to the military romance. The Navy has a new program, it is selecting partners for it’s men/women. Jim Stephens has been selected as the first naval personnel to participate. Jim is suffering from a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) from his last mission. Jim refuses to take the prescribed medication as he know it can be addicting. He CO refuses to let him back on active duty. He forces Jim to participate while he is recovering. Jim has OCD and the thought of someone coming into his perfectly ordered life after the horrors of his ex-wife, scare him.
Taya Maverick, signed up for the program basically on a dare. Shortly before she is matched up to Jim, her life comes crumbly down. Her father is a police officer and is killed during a robbery. Taya knows better. Her former best friend has turned to a life of crime and her dad is on the Task Force to bring down the kingpin. Then her house is burnt down by the friend so Taya is running for her life!
Both Jim and Taya keep secrets from each other. That is understandable as they are strangers yet married for a year. Taya feels safe with the Navy SEAL but she knows something is wrong. He gets headaches and dizzy a lot. Jim knows Taya is keeping secrets as well. He is forced to go into her bedroom to retrieve his prescription (which he left in the closet of the spare bedroom.) One of his friends see her scrape-book with newspaper clippings of a NYPD’s death.
The attraction between these two is strong right from the beginning. The plot was well done and kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. There were several scenes that had my emotions on high. Especially the scene in the kitchen when Taya is eating pancakes. Taya is confronted with his OCD and it was so well written that I was so heart-felt for this woman. I look forward to reading more of this series. Hopefully with some of Jim’s teammates.
This is a sexy read but not overly graphic as some can be. I would highly recommend this story to anyone over the age of 18.
I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. This story is based on the military beginning a matchmaker for its enlisted men. This is the first book in the Seals of Little Creek series. What caught my eye was that the storyline is different than what I usually come across. There are two broken people who feel they have no choice but to jump into this marriage for different reasons. I thought their chemistry at times was great. He no longer feels grounded and capable after the accident. She has lost so much and keeps a watch over her shoulder. The storyline seemed to be a little disjointed at times. Not enough for me to put the book down but a few things didn;t make sense. Overall I liked the way the series is headed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The first book in the Navy Seals of Little Creek series a well written story that kept me turning pages. This is Taya Maverick and Jim Stephens’s story there is suspense, drama, murder, danger, a really nasty villain, a woman in hiding, and romance. I want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
**First Time Reader** I’m really glad I took a chance with this story. When I read the details of the book, the premise grabbed me because it’s something that I haven’t read before…yeah I read about fake marriages but this one was kind of unique. A government program that arrange marriages… I was like hmmmm I got to see how this play out. It was great. Jim the Navy SEAL home from getting injured forced to participate in the program and Taya a young lady on the run from an awful betrayal, looking for a new start. When these two meet the sparks didn’t fly immediately but their relationship was a slowburn…which I really like. Both have a lot of emotional baggage but as the story goes on you see them open up more and rely on each other. I love that the program had counseling added because I believe that really helped made their relationship stronger. I tell ya there were a lot of emotional scenes(tears came out), in this story, some laughter (the house tour was hilarious) and lets not forget the really steamy HOT scenes (Jim is the MAN!). It kept me fully engaged and I was so happy that Jim and Taya had a wonderful HEA…these two lovely people really deserved it. I’m also happy this is going to be a series because we are introduced to the other SEALS and I can’t wait to read their happy endings too!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sparks fly from the beginning between Jim and Taya in their arranged marriage. They are both harboring secrets that lead to dangerous consequences for both of them. Living together forces them to both look deeper and as their feelings grow for each other the danger is always lurking as they both fight the demons from their past. Family isn’t always blood and they both take risks that in the end may cost them the very thing they were fighting for. The ending was explosive with the HEA & I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received an ARC of this book via Book Sprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Taya is trying to pick up the pieces of her life and also trying to stay safe in a new life. Jim has been issued a wife he doesn’t want but has been ordered to marry by his commander or leave the military. These two people come together in the oddest of ways and with the intent of not staying marrying at the end of the contract period but some how love does come into play and they eventually find that they are good together but almost to late. This was surprisingly really great read. I was really surprised at such a great read, I just couldn’t put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this book! It was romance with some suspense which is nice! The character development was really well done. I thought the relationship unfolded perfectly. I look forward to reading book 2!
He has a requirement to be married and she needs to disappear………match made in heaven or hell?
Issued is the first book in the Navy Seals of Little Creek series. This is the first book I have read by Paris Wynters so I was not sure what to expect, as you do not know if you will like a “new to you” author plus a newly published author. But the book description looked like it could be an adventure so I decided to pick it up. I found the story of Taya Maverick and Jim Stephens to be both interesting and enjoyable. The initial set-up seed of the story about the Navy insisting that a SEAL be married and then providing the service to find him a match was a bit far-fetched but if you can get over that then the rest of the story was good to go. There is drama, mystery, secrets, suspense and a whole lot of hot chemistry.
Overall I thought the author did a good job. But I also found that a number of things you could see coming in the story and a few places in the book could use a bit more polish. I do look forward to reading more by this author as she publishes.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
‘Issued‘ opens up the ‘Navy SEALS of Little Creek‘ series with an interesting concept of arranged marriages – by the military, for military members. The pilot marriage in this program is between two of the most unlikely to survive a week together let alone a year or longer people – yet, there is a spark between Jim and Taya that is undeniable, now they have to let go of their secrets and see where this experiment could lead to. Either a total wipeout for both or a lifetime of devoted happiness, in reality, that final decision lies with Taya and Jim.
The contrasts between this couple are huge. Taya is outgoing, normally happy, outspoken but she’s living under a threat that she will choose to keep from Jim. When your best friend kills your dad and burns your house down – well, that’s pretty intense and the instinct to disappear, to hide forever is overpowering. Yet, for her own reasons, Taya will keep most of this information from her husband for far too long.
Jim is quiet, reserved, and always in control of every aspect of his life. A brain injury while on active duty will change so much for this proud man. In order to return to duty Jim’s commander has pretty much demanded he takes part in the spouse matching program. He will do anything to get back on the battleground, even marry a stranger – he won’t like it, he’ll fight it every step of the way, and get out as soon as he possibly can. Funny how plans change when the right for you person comes along… even if she is holding onto her own secrets.
While I enjoyed ‘Issued‘ and will continue the series, there were ‘hiccups’ along the way for me in certain areas of this story. Yet, I’m not a writer and cannot tell anyone how to tell a story, but there were things I wanted to know more about in order to better understand what was happening, and the whys of some things. I need things to make sense, but, just like in life, things don’t always comply with my wishes. It’s a ‘me’ thing I’m sure, so don’t let that hold you back from giving ‘Issued‘ a try. This is a good stranger to lover story, with a dash of danger, and sizzling chemistry as well as very sexy times. I enjoyed myself, I simply wanted “more”.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from Tule Publishing. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Taya is running from a tragic and dangerous past. Jim is done with relationships after his disastrous marriage. I loved the connection between these characters they are engaging and well developed with a storyline that moved smoothly throughout the pages.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
These two both have their own reasons for entering the program. She needs to start over and he wants to keep his career afloat.
It’s a sweet and heartwarming story with a little bit of heat added in.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was my first Paris Wynters’s book, and definitely won’t be my last. This is the first book in the Navy Seals of Little Creek, a Navy SEAL romantic suspense / opposite attract / slow burn romance. This is also a modern mail order bride. This is a Series of standalone stories, with intertwined characters, one of my favorite kind of Series! Taya and Jim’s story has it all: original, hilarious, fast-paced, action packed, suspenseful, and filled with mystery and secrets. Taya has to disappear, and to do so, she volunteered to marry a random Navy SEAL as part of the military’s spouse matching program. Jim agrees to this arranged marriage as his only way to stay in the team. The characters are well developed, and intriguing. Taya is a wonderful character, sassy, extroverted, confident, strong, and independent. She is also a badass biker! Jim is reserved, handsome, protective, and caring. They share an instant attraction, and a sizzling hot chemistry. They both have something they hide from their past. I like the easy, humorous banter between them. The storyline is captivating, and the mystery unfolds at a great pace. The supporting characters are great and intriguing, and I can’t wait to know more about them. I like the brotherhood between Jim and his teammates. I enjoyed it, and I highly recommend it. Looking forward to read the next book in the Series, Matched, Anthony and Inara’s story. I highly recommend it. #caffeinated
1. I do not do spoilers unless warned. Read the summary above; it will tell you what the book is about. I will not reiterate.
2. This appears to be the first in a series but is a complete standalone, thus far.
3. This is an interesting spin on the arranged marriage troupe. The military implements a spouse-matching program. Totally not going to happen in real life but it is a fun ‘what if’ story. Besides, that is why it is in the fiction category. If you want real life, that would be found in the non-fiction category.
4. Plot is easy to follow and no surprises. Writing is well done. Does not feel forced or stilted.
5. Characters are decently developed. I would have liked a bit more tension and backgrounds but was happy with what I got.
6. I would recommend this as something a bit different on a popular troupe and would read more of the series.
Spoiler bit (so stop reading if you don’t want to know)
As one other reviewer remarked, I am still a bit torn on the sexual submissive scene of the Hero. I can see how it does and does not work with the characters but I’m still scratching my head and processing that one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Forced into a marriage to save his military career, Jim does not know what he is getting into when he marries Taya. Their attraction is instant, but they both have secrets and a past they want to keep hidden. As they learn to live with each other and trust each other, the walls that they hide behind to protect themselves slowly crumble. This a a good love story – Jim and Taya have great chemistry and a love for nerdy pastimes… but there is also intrigue, suspense, and an fascinating cast of supporting characters, who you will either love or hate, who will make you laugh, while others will make you want to reach into the book and slap them. This an engaging story for those of you who enjoy a romantic tale with a side of intrigue. Advanced copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
4 STAR ROMANCE!
The writing draws you in and keeps you involved throughout the whole story, I found myself in love with not only the characters but also the world that was created.
The descriptions of the characters and their feelings are so involved, you can truly picture it in your mind.
This review has been voluntarily submitted for your consideration.
This was a pretty good story, it was a little bit easy to predict some of what might occur, but overall it was still an enjoyable read. You have a military arranged marriage between Jim and Taya, that includes lots of hot sex and both of them have trouble opening up with each other. They make a great couple with plenty of chemistry and a great love for each other.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.