He can’t be her hero… But he made a promise to keep her safe Wounded marine Chad Corallis just wants to be left alone. Until he discovers his best friend’s very pregnant widow is in danger. A dedicated nurse, she refuses to leave her Serengeti medical clinic when it’s threatened by poachers. Chad is honor-bound to protect her, but who will save him from falling for his best friend’s wife?
The Marine’s Return
By rulasinara
Romance in the heart of Kenya
My rating is 3.5 stars
Kenya is a country on my list of places I would love to visit. And I enjoyed being able to do that vicariously through The Marine’s Return.
Though wounded, Chad was a strong character. He had been injured and was suffering from phantom pains in his arm that was no more yet still had a strong need to protect and to serve. Until he helped his dad secure the clinic in the bush, he had felt he had lost his purpose. I liked Chad with his vulnerability and fears and was so glad to see him heal.
There was a mystery about missing medical supplies and a poacher who was known to be injured and lurking somewhere “out there”. While this played into the story, I would not consider this to be an action or mystery or suspense story. We knew by little bits and pieces about what was going on with the poacher which was done well.
I found it interesting how few details were given about the characters. Other than build and hair color, very little was revealed. It allowed me to use my imagination to decide what they looked like and deemphasized the physical, which I thought was nice.
The story was interesting but it did drag in parts. While it stands alone, there were hints along the way of other stories that came before it. And the Epilogue attempted to wrap up not only this story but others in the series as well. It did seem more like a list of what had happened, though, instead of a narrative.
Overall, I am glad I read the book.
Read with a Preview at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book for free. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Will Lexi and Chad heal each other?
The Marine’s Return by Rula Sinara is fabulous. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, the setting, and family. Lexi and Chad are such beautiful characters, their story adds splendidly to the others in the From Kenya, With Love Series. I haven’t read the first five books but if I find the time I will be reading them. We are given a glimpse of the others throughout the story, and I fell in love with all of them.
Lexi Galen
Lexi is such a fabulous character, she is well developed and has such presence. She is an orphan whose parents lost her because they went to jail. All that Lexi has ever wanted was to have a family and help people. That reason is why she is a nurse.
Lexi married Tony who was a medic in the Marine Corps. However, shortly after they were married Tony was killed in Afghanistan. However, Lexi found out she is pregnant after Tony’s death. But, Tony and Lexi had a plan to move to Kenya where Tony grew up and help the needy there. Since she has nothing else to live for in the states, she decides to take a job with Hope Corallis in Kenya.
The thing about Lexi is she doesn’t do anything halfway. She isn’t afraid to get dirty; she honestly wants to help everyone. Lexi is a bit stubborn and emotional at times, but what pregnant woman isn’t? Heck, what woman isn’t? Basically, Lexi loves with her whole heart, and throughout the story, we get to see how receiving unconditional love and friendship brightens her life.
Marine Sergeant Chad Corallis
Chad takes stubbornness to a whole new level. He was wounded in Afghanistan and lost his right arm. However, he can’t get past the pain, and guilt associated with his injuries and the event that crippled him. Chad doesn’t want help. He perceives that people look at him and only see the scars and a missing arm. As he can’t imagine who he is now. Let just say that Chad has a massive chip on his shoulder.
Chad happens to be Tony’s best friend and Tony asked him to make sure Lexi was safe if he didn’t make it home. So, Chad has this obligation to his best friend and fellow Marine that he must uphold, but doing what needs to be done is more than he can handle. Or is it?
Throughout the story we see Chad’s perception of himself change as he grows closer to Lexi and the other people at the outpost clinic that his mother, Hope runs. He learns to trust his instincts again and see the possibilities of the future.
Random things that I liked about the story
• Jacey the former Army soldier and Taj’s romance
• Babies are babies and blood wasn’t important
• KWS or Kenyan Wildlife Service that assists the orphaned elephants
• Mac, the helicopter bush pilot
• Hope and Ben. They are an epic couple
• Roosevelt, the dog
• Leboo the teenage Masai boy who learned to trust
• Lots of giving and not expecting anything in return
5 Stars for The Marine’s Return by Rula Sinara
My rating for The Marine’s Return by Rula Sinara is five stars. The story is filled with sharp minds, goodwill, and love. The characters were fascinating and stole my heart from the very beginning.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
Happy Reading!
This review is part of a Book Tour and I received this book for free from Prism Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
4 1/2 STARS!
A great ending to the From Kenya, With Love series! With the final book in this eye-opening, emotional series, Rula Sinara brings back a familiar character, all grown up and facing the fight of a lifetime. The story line was quickly entrenched in emotions and intrigue, and watching Chad and Lexi connect was rewarding. Getting to catch up with so many of the past members of the series was a wonderfully fitting ending. Absolutely loved it and sorry to see the series end!
When Chad Corallis returns home to Africa he isn’t the same young man with stars in his eyes that left. He’s physically and emotionally wounded and facing the challenge of a lifetime. He honestly just wants to be left alone to wallow in despair, but when he gets word that his best friend’s widow is in danger, it seems the fates are working against him.
Nurse Lexi Galen met and married a wonderful man, but lost him before they even knew they were expecting a baby. She continued on with their plan to return to the African nation where he grew up and aid with much needed medical services. She’s manning one of Hope’s medical clinics, but as her due date quickly approaches, an over-zealous and dangerous group of poachers are encroaching on the safety of the clinic.
Wounded warrior Chad Corallis has returned to Kenya and is lost, wallowing in the loss of purpose. When his father requests he visit his mother’s clinic on the Masai Mara to assess a threat, Chad goes unwillingly because he made his best friend a promise.
Despite being in her eighth month of pregnancy, Lexi Galen is determined to honor her dead husband by living out his dream to bring medical care to remote African villages. A strong and courageous woman who refuses to deny care to the people who need it most, Lexi won’t let the threat of a missing poacher scare her away.
Both Chad and Lexi are searching for something. Lexi wants a place to belong while Chad wants to find purpose and feel useful in his new reality. With a job to do and his promise to protect Lexi, Chad stops focusing on what he lost and realizes he is still good at what he was trained to do.
With a touch of mystery, a second romance thread, and appearances from characters from the other books, Rula Sinara brings her series full circle while displaying the beauty and dangers of life in Africa.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.