An intense, moving military romance from Melanie Hansen, the acclaimed author of Point of Contact.Distraction is make or break in the hypercompetitive world of Navy SEAL training. Matt Kyntych came to training determined to come out the other side a SEAL, but just the sight of former Marine Shane Hovland is enough to shake his concentration. But his commitment to becoming a SEAL has to come … SEAL has to come first, no matter how drawn he is to Shane.
Shane came to SEAL training ready to prove himself–again. Semper Fi is forever, but he needs a new start. Not this dangerous heat with a man he barely knows. Training is tough, but keeping his eyes—and hands—off Matt might be tougher.
Everything they’ve ever wanted is riding a thin line. Training pushes their bodies to the limit, but the growing strain on their hearts can’t be ignored. And they’ll have to fight for more than just each other if they want to make it through intact.
Loving a Warrior:
Book 1: Loving a Warrior
Book 2: Keeping a Warrior
Book 3: Trusting a Warrior
more
I absolutely loved this Navy SEAL romance by Melanie Hansen!
It’s a slow-burn romance between two guys going through BUD/S training to become SEALS. Matt is extremely focused on his goal, and he does not want the distraction of the tall, blond sexy Shane that he almost immediately gets partnered with as “swim buddies.” These two suffer a lot of physical and mental strain as they go through training, and the book does not shy away from giving you an inside look. But their friendship grows as they support one another, and so does their attraction. I loved how these two were such boys all the time — even when they’re falling in love, they’re getting into wrestling matches and playful fights. There’s one particular shove Shane gives Matt that is just fantastically perfect in this romance. So yeah, I was loving this book. The romance does move slowly. Matt is reluctant to get distracted, and for a while Shane can’t really disagree, but they continue to return to one another as friends, then more, and it’s impossible to deny their very real feelings.
A very moving romance and a fascinating read about the rigors of SEAL training!
If you grab this today (29 Mar 2019) it’s 99 cents! I stayed up till 2:30 last night (this morning) to finish this one. Two great heroes — lots of good qualities & lots of flaws to keep them human. Hansen does a great job of putting you right in the thick of SEALs training & into the minds of two guys struggling to make it through while navigating their deepening relationship. One of my favorite things about this book was the dialogue — surprising, candid & totally true to the heroes. RECOMMEND.
A romance about SEALs that’s different from any other I’ve read.
I’ve read a lot of SEAL romances, both M/M and M/F, but Loving a Warrior was quite a bit different from any other and I loved it. I read a few reviews where people complained that there was too much information about BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training. For me, this is what really set this book apart from other SEAL romances and I thought it was great that Melanie Hansen used this information in the book.
Loving a Warrior is a fairly longish read at 310 pages but I couldn’t put it down. Ms. Hansen just about ripped my heart out with her book, Point of Contact (a very complex story). Loving a Warrior wasn’t quite as gut-wrenching for me but it affected me in other ways. If the BUD/S training she writes about in this book is even half as grueling as what she describes, my appreciation for this outstanding group of armed service members hasn’t been strong enough previously.
The level of emotional stuff going on in this story was high and I was in tears more than once. Besides the UST (unresolved sexual tension) between Matt and Shane, there is the story of Shane’s sister and her relationship with his best friend. This is one meaty story.
I was really happy to learn that there would be another book in this series coming out next year. A bit of warning to those who will read only M/M books, Keeping a Warrior is an M/F story. Lucky for me I enjoy all types of pairings in my romance books.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting on November 26, 2018)
Action filled, emotionally compelling
It took a bit to get into the book but once I did I was invested. The detailed description of BUD/S training was gripping and more than once I was holding my breath awaiting the outcome.
The MCs, Matt and Shane, were characters who both had walls up and emotional baggage. Their journey to a relationship was a tough but satisfying read. By the end I was rooting for them hard, wanting things to work out for them. It was cathartic seeing them let down the walls and finally fully open themselves up to each other.
There are some story points that needed more depth and the end felt rushed and kind of incomplete. The preview of the next book, which is a m/f book does mention Matt but I’m not sure what kind of role he plays or if we will get more detail on his and Shane’s life. I really wish there was a more solid ending or an epilogue five years down the road.
Loving a Warrior, A Navy Seal Gay Romance, by Melanie Hansen had very little romance and very much SEAL. I’d have preferred less details on the training. That said, the storyline was really good. I’m optimistic that the next in series will omit training so I’ll recommend this as 4 stars.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader –
4.5 stars
M/M Military Romance
Triggers: Addiction, Death
This is a story about love, loss, and in a way, destiny. Matt has always wanted to become a SEAL. He has a family member who helped him get in shape, deal with life, and showed him what it was to be mature enough – physically and mentally – to beat the challenge of hell week. Matt’s road was twisty and long, but in the end, he knew where he wanted to be and knew what he had to do. What he wasn’t expecting was to find someone he wanted to share his life with. It knocked him on his butt and threw him for a loop, all while churning him in the ocean.
Then you have Shane. He is striving to be a SEAL, but not quite sure why he’s doing it. Is it for himself? His sister? His friend? The distraction that Matt presents is tricky, but Shane also knows what it’s like to love someone and not have their affections returned. He also isn’t sure what his place is, where he’s heading, or if he truly wants this path. It makes for a very confused path, indeed. But he’s loyal to a fault, strong, and wants to find his place. I really enjoyed watching his character figure himself out.
Hansen has a way of writing her military stories with such vivid detail. I felt that I was with Shane and Matt during their grueling training. You could feel their attraction jump off the page and their worry too. This was a well-developed story with a lot going on. I do wish that we had gotten to see their relationship further in to the future. It felt a little unfinished to me. But I enjoyed it a lot.
Sarah –
I loved this book! This story is a perfect mix of exciting SEAL action and an intense, slow burn romance. Matt and Shane are wonderfully crafted characters and I fell hard for both of them. I can’t imagine how much research must have gone into the vivid descriptions of the US Navy SEAL BUD/S selection process – but the action scenes in this story are fantastic.
At the start of this story, Matt and Shane are pitted against each other as they fight their way through BUD/S. Matt’s skills are exceptional but Shane has better people skills. I love the way Matt and Shane’s relationship develops against the grueling training regime and I love the personal development that happens away from the training environment.
I don’t want to give away any plot points, but I love that this book manages to avoid military romance clichés. Both Matt and Shane are believable as wannabe SEALs. Both have a singular focus and the sacrifices they make for their jobs feel honest. There aren’t any sappy or sentimental scenes – just two guys who aren’t too sure what to do with a relationship they can’t avoid. This is one of those books I couldn’t put down and I hope other readers enjoy it as much as I did.
Angie –
This blurb had me from the start. I just wish the book did the same for me. If you want to know anything and everything there is to know about BUD/S training, this is the book for you. I feel like I learned about that and not really about Shane and Matt. There were a few times that the training didn’t come up, but not enough. I couldn’t connect with Shane and Matt as a couple. While going through their training was interesting, I wanted more of them. This book had potential it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I at least know now that I would ring that bell within a few minutes and that SEALs are bad asses!
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This book, the first in a series focusing on a SEAL team, starting with BUD/S, tells the story of an M/M romance, and does it well, without detracting from the seriousness and difficulties of SEAL training. A very good, well written story. Looking forward to the next book in the series, which expands to other members of the team. So far the series seems to be written from a realistic, real-world perspective. I appreciate that.
Awesome read. It was a page turner for sure.
Finding love in the middle of SEAL training was nowhere near Matt’s plan. His head has to be in the game if he’s going to secure a spot on any of the elite team’s and follow his uncle’s footsteps. What he didn’t expect was Shane.
Shane’s reasons for entering the program are all together different than Matt’s, but no less personal. If he’s going to survive it, if they’re both going to survive it, they’ll need each other. They’ll need to balance on that fine line between fellow soldier, teammate and undeniable attraction.
I’ve read a fair share of M/M romance and I can say this one had a different feel from most. Why? Because Hansen let the friendship and romance develop at a much more organic pace. Much of the story focuses on their training and the struggles that brings. Which allowed the reader to get to know the characters but also allowed time for the characters to learn each other. While there was plenty of sexy attraction moments, they didn’t overpower the overall story.
Which is two gay men trying to navigate a growing love in the middle of the hardest training of their lives. In the middle of figuring out what makes them and breaks them, of overcoming old fears and facing down new ones.
My only real issue, and it’s such a small thing but distracted me all too much, is that sometimes these guys were all too male. I can’t count how many times they belched. (<--see, small thing) It just took me out of all my little sexy happy feelings. Silly, I know, but hey - we all have our issues, I guess this is one of mine.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Matt and Shane are in BUD/S training: an intense 6 months training to get them both into the Navy SEALS. They did not account for the intense chemistry between them, know that it can never happen while they are training, if they end up in the same unit. But neither can stay away from the other and anything worth fighting for is never going to be easy.
After all, the only easy day was yesterday.
This is only the second book of Ms Hansen I’ve read. Unquiet broke me, and I approached this one with kid gloves, because, I mean, she BROKE me before! And while THIS book isn’t quite as emotionally devastating as Unquiet, it’s still a very good read.
Matt joined the BUD/S training to follow in his beloved uncle’s footsteps. Shane joins after spending time in the Marines, but his REAL reason doesn’t come clear til much later. Neither wanted a relationship, and after graduation they were gonna get this. . . . whatever it is between them. . . out their system. But emotions have a way of coming out of left field, and Shane admits he wants MORE.
This book is quite heavy on the physical and emotional aspect of this kind of training. And at first, I didn’t like it too much. BUT as the book moved along with Shane and Matt’s relationship, I found myself thinking that aspect is really rather needed. It goes deeper than running the fastest mile, or swimming the longest, or finishing that O course in the quickest time. It goes deep within Matt and Shane, and how far they have to dig to get what they.
To get WHO they want.
It’s told well, from both men’s point of view, and I wasn’t sure that would be the case at first, so when Shane gets his voice, I was happy. Ya’ll KNOW how happy I am when everyone important gets a voice!
I didn’t find it overly explicit, but it wasn’t needed here. It’s well over half way before Matt and Shane get to the main event, but the build up to that was great reading. It pitters and patters along, a little more here and there, til they finally decide to let their feelings run free. And it was glorious!
Some secrets revealed that I saw coming, and some not.
There is a second book, Keeping A Warrior in this series, and at first I thought it a follow on to this but it’s not. It’s about a character who pops up here, and I would like to read it. Especially after what happens to him here, and reading the blurb of THAT book, it ain’t gonna end well!
A solid . . .
4 star star read
P.s That tag line ” The only easy day was yesterday”?? Gonna stick with me a while!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
4.5 stars- This author is hands down my favorite when it comes to military romances, and Loving a Warrior is a prime example of why. I never question the authenticity of the military experience when reading one of Miss Hansen’s novels, the research and first-hand knowledge is evident throughout the narrative and in every exchange. To this end, her novels tend to focus more on the characters and their development, both as individuals and within their relationship, and in doing so there are a lot of details about military life. While some readers may not enjoy this, I find it gives me a better sense of the characters and their motivations, ensuring I’m fully invested in them over the course of the series.
From the start, I was instantly hooked to this book and these characters. I loved how they were so different in their approach to BUD/S and what being a Seal meant to them, and yet they came together to make a really strong partnership. I also enjoyed how well we got to know each of them on their own. Not only did it allow their characters to really develop over the course of the book, but it also explained their interactions and hesitance in pursuing a serious relationship. The romance between Matt and Shane was definitely a slow burner, which matched the steady, unhurried overall pace of the novel. The writing was strong and descriptive, delivering an honest depiction of Matt and Shane’s experiences rather than romanticizing or glazing over what military life entails. And though the relationship between Matt and Shane is really only starting at the conclusion of Loving a Warrior, I know I will be eagerly anticipating the next release to see where this love story between two Navy Seals goes next.
*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*
For Matt, becoming a SEAL has been his goal forever, and nothing is going to stand in his way, not even love. Shane has set out to prove that he is one of the best and what better way to do that than become a SEAL. Neither expected to meet someone that would distract them from their goal, but as hard as they try to keep it just friends, they can’t seem to shake this need they both have for the other. Can two people that have everything on the line afford to have the distraction of love? Can they have it all or will they have to choose, being a SEAL or being together?
I LOVED Shane and Matt! This was such a good story, dealing with some big issues, both having to work their butt off to make it through BUD/S while trying to deny each other and then everything after… this was just amazing. I do wish we would have seen more of how they are after the fact, but I’m greedy I guess. I give this 4 stars.
**I received a copy of Loving a Warrior from HARLEQUIN – Carina Press and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
Loving a Warrior by Melanie Hansen is my first book that I have read by the author and I wasn’t disappointed. In fact I loved it and can’t wait for the next one in the series that was hinted at the end. The research that she did on BUD/S was fantastic (Either she knows someone who has gone through the training or knows a former SEAL. Thank you Ms. Hansen for taking the time to give us a look inside BUD/S.
Matt has always had a goal in life to be accepted into BUD/S and earn his Trident just like his Uncle Rick who fought during Mogadishu. So when he bumps into Shane while training on the beach there is an instant attraction felt but knowing that as classmates they can’t act on those feelings will be hard. Both men will have their own weakness points but when Shane has to drop when a family emergency happens Matt will realize how much he cares for him.
Shane who was a Marine has decided to go thru one of the hardest trainings there is BUD/S because his best friend Jon had been one when an IED explodes taking his life. He knows that it will be harder than boot camp but when he runs into Matt he’ll have to put whatever feelings that he has to the side to get through the training. There is angst with both men however when it all comes down to how they feel about each other it will be there friendship that will get them through to the end.