The Air I Breathe (A&G Branded By The Navy Book 1)

Kirsten
Lynn
Genre: 
Historical

Not only was Vietnam a historic point in American history, it was momentous for SEAL team member Jack “Cowboy” Kerr.  Cowboy’s boots and jeans might have given rise to his name but his city-slicker upbringing didn’t prepare him for real life cowgirl Libby Boden.  Raised in a family of service men and women, Libby followed her brother and cousins to the war as part of the USO and meeting Cowboy was the true north her compass had been searching for all her life. Drawn to each other’s orbit across three continents and numerous campaigns, it takes years for both to realize all they need is the air they breathe to stay connected.

An epic military historic installment to an ambitious romance series.  Jack is a man’s man, military through and through, and his rough-around-the-edges personality is evident in his own history.  However Libby’s intent and purpose for joining the conflict, while highlighted, doesn’t give readers as much reasoning behind following her relatives.  While the story is undoubtedly a heroic love story, the flow is stymied by excessive intimate situations between Jack and Libby, and readers may feel the progression of their day-to-day life centers around these encounters and the span of ensuing four years may feel more like fifty.  While a glossary is available at the end of the tale, it is not hyperlinked, which could reduce reader’s potential frustration with the inundating acronyms of military jargon. Kudos to the author for bringing to life a period of time not often focused upon in romance novels.

Roberta Gordon