* * * 3/4
Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.
Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.
Sometimes the hardest thing about writing a book review
for an author I’ve been reading awhile is that I feel I have nothing new to
say. Having a go-to author is akin to having a favourite comfort food or
movie – you know it’ll always give you good vibes and that’s how I feel about
Chanel Cleeton’s books.
Into the Blue is the second in her latest Wild Aces adult
romance series about fighter pilots and the women they love and who love them
back just as fiercely. Alpha males in jaw-dropping uniforms and dangerous
missions aside, these men have reached the apex of their careers and are now
searching for more out of life. In this case, Eric aka Thor, comes face-to-face
with his past when he bumps into Becca ten years after he walked away from her.
It’s an unexpected reunion and if anyone thinks that time heals all wounds, well
then Becca did not get that memo. She’s still smarting from what
she considers an ultimate betrayal when Thor chose his career over her. So
seeing him again has her reliving all the hurt and bitterness. She goes into
defensive mode, not wanting to give him the time of day whereas he wants to
make amends. Becca is finally at a stage in her life where her hard-earned
career is doing well so she doesn’t need Thor coming in and messing things up.
He on the other hand, is still reeling from a tragedy that has left his head a mess and his performance at work suffering. Rather
than putting his colleagues in harm’s way, he’s taking a break and heading back
to his hometown. The fact that Becca still resides there has a bit to do with
it but really he just needs to be back in familiar territory to find his
footing again. Making things right with her is part of his healing process.
Once again, Cleeton has nicely balanced two individual stories, drawing these characters back together at a pivotal time in their lives. I found Into the Blue to be more complicated and not just because
Thor is coping with loss. It’s also about how Becca’s career is equally
important and how these matters factor into the possibility of them rekindling their relationship.
As far as story lines, I prefer this one to the previous Fly With Me and it has
much to do with Becca. I just connected to her better. I mean, I’ve never
experienced some of the things she went through, but her desire for stability?
Yeah, I got that. There’s also something I admire about her for not giving in
so easily to Thor’s return. She’s wrecked but
she’s hanging in there, waiting it out instead of making rash decisions about
her future. As for Thor, I have to say he recognizes where he screwed up in
how he handled leaving but I also like that he didn’t
apologize for something that he needed to do in order to grow into a better person. And as with all Chanel Cleeton's books, let's not fail to mention the steamy moments that can make readers blush! These two can turn up the heat and it's absolutely gratifying!
If it's a gorgeous men in uniform fantasy you're looking to escape into then Into The Blue will definitely fulfill that for you. The Wild Aces romances feature adults who’ve gone through
their wild stages and experienced life. Now it’s time to shift to the next
phase. Speaking of - after the set up in the last two books, I
cannot wait to hear Easy’s story next!
~ Bel
~ Bel
