Predictable, but Good

Who doesn't like a military man finding the girl of his dreams, the one to help him with the night terrors and loss of his friends? That's exactly what you get with this quick read of J.M. Stewart. A sexy marine and the woman he won't let himself have.

As a lover of angst, the push and pull of emotions between Trent and Lauren was great, what wasn't great was the dumb time frame they went by. Like guys and girls being besties, sleeping together with a time limit is a bad idea. Sounds good at first, but quickly gets very complicated like it did with these two.

Trent is back home after a horrific incident overseas. He's got steady work to occupy his mind during the day, but when he's not working, he's right back in combat with his men. This keeps Trent staying closed off and with the thoughts he won't be good for anybody, something his family is tired of hearing so they put him on Military Match.

Lauren has her own interesting backstory, one that leads her to the perfect guy, well on a dating site anyway, Trent. She already knows him as her best friends brother, but now she gets to know the real Trent and is liking what she sees. Too bad he puts so many restrictions on himself.

The book is well written and turns into a sweet, sexy read once the ball starts rolling. A Seal's Courage is the first in the Military Match series and with this review copy it ended abruptly, so I wasn't sure who is up next and didn't get any sort of wrap up with our first match, but would come back for more.

Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog.

4 star

I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, pain, and heartbreak.

This is Lauren and Trent’s story. Treat lost brothers in arms and is determined to live life to the fullest. If he can honor them by living that is all he wants to be able to do. Now his next mission is dating. Lauren is not playing games and does not want to mess around playing games with any man. She got a list of things she wants and her standard she will not settle for anything less. Too bad the one man that matches her list is off limits. When a dating service matches them up they might just have to figure out is that is what they want to do or if this is all just a huge mistake to get involved.

I felt I could connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

A SEAL's Courage is the first book in this series and it has me hooked already. I love the concept and I love how this author has made it come to life. Trent and Lauren have been dancing around each other for a long time and now that he is determined to LIVE and she is determined to move on fate has decided they should do it together. Trent has a lot of pain, mental and physical. We are able to see his struggles even the not so innocent ones. I really liked Lauren. She is loyal and she was made for Trent. These two could heat up the pages but it was a nice slow burn. They were complex and interesting characters that kept the story going. I didn't want to put it down. I definitely will be continuing the series and look forward to many more books.

A Seal’s Courage by J.M. Stewart was full of chemistry and sexy times between friends. When two friends find themselves matched up by a dating service, what are they to do? Lauren and Trent know it’s not a good idea to get involved, but the pull is too strong to deny.

Lauren is ready to get serious and find her Mr. Right. She has always wanted her best friend’s brother, but that always seemed off limits to her. So now she is ready to find true love, via a dating site for military men. Where could she find a better, man, right? I liked Lauren. She was both strong and a bit naïve, but a really likeable and caring person.

Trent was a good guy dealing with a lot of issues. After being hurt during a mission, this Seal is ready to honor the friends he lost in any way he can. He was strong and courageous, but also learning his way again. I loved Trent’s strength and determination.

Trent and Lauren were friends first that were there for each other. When Trent was at his worse, Lauren was there for him. But could they have more than friendship? After being matched up via the dating site, they find themselves with a slow burning relationship that is ready to boil over!

A Seal’s Courage was a fun, quick and sexy read about friends-to-lovers. I loved the characters, their friends and the story. I am looking forward to reading more from this author and more in this series.

Super hot, swoon worthy, full of tension... A SEAL's Courage has it all! I was quickly drawn into this book and could NOT put it down. This book will be sticking with me for quite some time to come; it's a short book but packs a punch!

Trent is everything you would expect in a SEAL: strong, fierce, protective but suffering PTSD from everything he has experienced overseas. Lauren is a strong woman who knows what she wants, although she has her own vulnerabilities. They are attracted to each other, but they are worried about ruining their friendship. Also, Lauren is best friends with Trent's sister. Can the two of them become more than friends?

This was my first book by JM Stewart, but it definitely won't be my last. I have already downloaded the next book and plan to jump right in. JM Stewart has a new fan.

I have been reading a lot of romance lately and this one was burning up the sheets.

A strong and sexy ex-military man with shadows in his eyes from the men he left behind. Trent knows he is broken and has retreated from most everybody. His best friend Lauren is the only one who is great at pulling him out of his dark moments.

Lauren joins a military matchmaking site and gets paired up with Trent. She has been holding a torch for him for a long time but her strict upbringing held her back from making a move. She decides that she isn't willing to wait anymore and decides to propose a new kind of friendship with Trent.

Deliciously steamy, a hot military man with a heart of gold, and a feisty bakery owner made this one a hit for me! Can't wait for the next book in this series!

This was a fast paced, ultra sexy friends to lovers story with just the right blend of emotion and humor mixed in. Awesome read!

Trent and Lauren were great characters. Lauren seemed strong and stood up for herself but was also a bit naïve in certain areas. Trent was so sweet and also pretty inside himself dealing with some issues. I loved their relationship and how they were friends beforehand. I liked how Lauren was there for Trent in his time of need, encouraging him and just being his friend. The two had a slow, sweet, building heat of a romance happening. I loved them opening up to one another, their honesty, and the more vulnerable moments they shared. It was sweet and emotional.

I liked the writing and the character development. There was a great pace and everything moved along quickly. There was enough back story to totally pull me in but it wasn’t super in depth. There was a decent cast of secondary characters introduced and I liked them, though they seemed to be more present in the first half of the story and not the second half. I loved the situation Trent and Lauren were in, their troubles, how they came together and how it all played out. I loved the build of it all and the details. The heated scenes were stellar. I also really liked the fact that there was a build to their heat and them coming together. Super hot read for sure!

Awesome happily ever after. Super sweet and sexy. This is my first time reading this author and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a great start to the series and love the Military Match concept. Sign me up for the next book!

Having read and really enjoyed Ms. Stewart’s Seattle Bachelor’s series it didn’t much for me to reach out and grab this one (though I do apologize for taking so long to read it, life sometimes just sticks it to you) and I was totally hooked from the first page. The feels I had towards the characters and their struggles were a lot more intense than I thought they’d be and though there weren’t many surprising twists or turns in Lauren and Trent’s journey, I really enjoyed watching as everything played out between them.

I really liked Trent and Lauren. Trent is a good man who is doing his best to live his life now that he is out of the army. He is still plagued by all that he saw while in the army, especially what happened on his last mission that ended his military career and guilt weighs heavily on him. But he’s worked though most of it and is intent on living and honoring the memories of those he lost. Lauren is working on stepping out of the box that she’s trapped herself in when it comes to relationships. Her list of wants and rules have always been valid, but now she sees that they are also a solid barrier to many possibilities. I loved the dichotomy that was Lauren. She flip flops between shy and insecure to strong and confident without too much trouble and it was fascinating to watch because there was never a time when I was sure which side would appear. She’s sweet, sassy and her honesty about herself and what she wanted was refreshing.

Trent and Lauren’s journey to their HEA was all kinds of bumpy, but well worth it. I liked the fact that while they were friends, there was still so much they didn’t know about each other and I enjoyed watching as they peeled the layers back and exposed themselves to each other as the book progressed. I loved their bantering and the chemistry between them was potent. While there were many foot in mouth situations peppered throughout the book, some funny, some not so much, and though the big road block that comes between them wasn’t a surprise, though I was hoping it wouldn’t happen, I liked the way everything worked out for them in the end.

This was fun, quick character driven romance with all the feels. The writing was engaging and the pacing was steady, and the dual 3rd person POV was done well. The secondary characters were all very well written and I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!

4 stars

A Seal's Courage by J.M Stewart was a quick, sweet and heartwarming read.
The storyline was well written, the characters were likable and entertaining and I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.
Trent and Lauren were good together, I liked how they balanced each other out. They made me smile, they made swoon and they frustrated me a little. [I found the I'm a virgin talk/inner thoughts a little repetitive and it took away some of my overall enjoyment. (hide spoiler)]
Overall this turned out to be a quick and entertaining read and I highly recommend it.

A Seal's Courage is a lovely start to the Military Match series, looking forward to Stephanie's and Gabriel's book next in A SEAL's Strength coming October 3rd.

*Buy Links*
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/SEALs-Courage-...
B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-se...
iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-se...
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Google - https://play.google.com/store/books/d...

Read an excerpt here
http://www.authorjmstewart.com/sealsc...

*Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy*

JM Stewart's A SEAL's Courage, the first book in her new Military Match series, puts a new spin on an old favorite. I adore a good friends-to-lovers romance and I tend to devour them in record time. What Stewart does with A SEAL's Courage that others don't is that the main focus of this romance was the build-up to Lauren losing her virginity to her best friend. While both Lauren and Trent have hidden their true feelings for the other person, they continue to push those feelings out of the equation as they get closer. Friends with benefits, if you will. While I enjoyed that element of the book, I did find myself missing the awkwardness that inevitably follows them as they try to define their new relationship. That's one of my favorite parts of a friends-to-lovers romance. I understand why it's not there, but I still missed it. Overall, A SEAL's Courage was a fun, sexy romance from an author that can deliver. I adored the characters. JM's writing style is sexy with lots of funny moments to lighten the mood. I loved JM's Seattle Bachelors Series and I'm looking forward to continuing on with this new series.

A SEAL’s Courage (Military Match) by JM Stewart
This is Navy SEAL Trent Lawson and Lauren Hayes’ story.

Trent was medically discharged after his injury in his last deployment. He still is suffering from PTSD. Lauren is Trent’s sister’s best friend so they have known each other a long time. She has had a crush on Trent but he sees her as a little sister. Lauren has been a big help to Trent this past year. Trent and Lauren end up on a blind date. The chemistry between them is red hot. How will they handle this attraction?

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this story! This was an amazing, emotional, sensual, and heartwarming romance. The author did a excellent job of where I could feel the emotions of Trent and Lauren. I can’t express enough how the emotions of the characters jumped right off the page.

With so many books to pick from this is one you must read!

FYI, contains mature content. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Military romances aren’t always my go-to trope but there was something about the description of A SEAL’S Courage by JM Stewart that caught my attention. I love the idea of two people who have feelings for each other finally acting on it. That is what drew me to this story and kept me hooked.

Lauren is ready to live her life. She’s always been a cautious woman and now that’s she’s on the verge of turning twenty-eight, she wants to shake things up in her life. She wants to lose her virginity. She wants to be knock-down drunk one time. And oh yeah, she would really, really like to kiss Trent Lawson, the unrequited crush of her dreams. Unfortunately, she’s had to settle for being his friend. Which isn’t awful of course, she’s happy to be a shoulder and a companion for the Navy SEAL but she definitely longs for more. With her two best friends’ convincing, she signs up for Military Match, hoping to break her really, really awful streak of dating. In a twist of fate that is both good and bad, she is matched with Trent.

When Lauren confesses her crush to Trent and that she’d like to spend the night with him, he panics. Lauren is a good friend and Trent does not want to damage that friendship in any way. Unfortunately, saying no to Lauren is getting more difficult as his feelings for her grow beyond friendship.

Firstly, I loved how Lauren finally just said basically, I’ve had enough. She is going to find a man to seduce and finally live out her wildest fantasies with. She would love for it to be Trent but when he says no, she decides to set her fantasy aside and find someone who may be willing to give her a shot. But it’s not easy and Lauren went through a whole range of emotions that JM Stewart did a great job of describing. Lauren really resonated with me as a character because she’s definitely a bit cautious in life but sometimes, even she realizes you just have to jump in one hundred percent and find your chance at happiness.

Trent is kind of a mess but he’s working to get his life back on track. His ex-wife left him when she realized she didn’t want to be a SEAL wife anymore. Trent witnessed his military dog, Cooper, and a SEAL member die and he blames himself. He also suffers from PTSD that keeps him up at night with bad nightmares. When Lauren started visiting him and just spending time with him, it really made a big difference. She didn’t ask for anything, didn’t require long talks about his feelings. She was just there and Trent is really afraid to lose that. He takes awhile to figure out that maybe, instead of losing Lauren, having her more intimately involved in his life will make things even better.

There is a lot of great chemistry between these two characters, as well as a deep history that bonds them. I was rooting for Lauren and Trent even as I wished Trent would find his own courage and decide to pursue Lauren a bit more ardently. That being said, I liked where they ended up together. The story ends on a very positive and romantic note and well, I just really loved that aspect of it. All in all, A SEAL’s Courage is a genuine and sweet romance. Lauren however was the true star of the story for me and I really liked seeing her embrace her choices and just go for everything head-on. No guts no glory as it were.

3.5 stars

There was a lot to like in the description of this story- a sexy Navy SEAL, a friends to lovers romance and a best friend's brother situation all called to me to grab this book.

Trent was injured in an attack that took the life of good men and his faithful companion/ service dog. Once he physically recovered, he still faced a long road to recovery when it comes to his emotional state but he is determined to start living his life to honor those who no longer have that option. When his friend's wife convinces him to sign up for Military Match, he reluctantly agrees in the spirit of starting to live again.

Lauren has lived her life taking the safe route and figuratively wrapping herself in a thick cotton blanket to avoid taking chances or being hurt. Trent has always held her attention from the moment she met him but he never seemed to take notice of her. Now 28 years old, Lauren is still a virgin and wants to finally rid herself of that pesky status so she let's her bestie convince her to sign up with Military Match. Mandy knows Lauren always drooled over her brother but never more so than when he was in uniform so she figures this is a perfect option to help her get over Trent and find a man who will rev her engine AND finally cash in that V card.

Any guesses who Lauren is paired with for her first date? Both Trent and Lauren are surprised to say the least! Since Trent has returned home, Lauren is one of the few people he trusts and counts as a friend so despite his attraction to her he doesn't necessarily want to act on it for fear of losing the relationship they currently have. He knows he still has a lot of issues to work out and doesn't want to burden her with them. Once she explains her reason for joining the dating service, the thought of her being with anyone else once he gets over his initial shock is intolerable so they strike a compromise. Most of the story from that point centers on Trent's education of Lauren so to speak as they slowly build up to the "big moment" but Lauren helps Trent focus on moving forward as well.

This may sound a little harsh, but I am pretty much over the whole 28 year old virgin thing in books these days and had the blurb included that little tidbit I may have passed on reading this one. I loved Trent, but Lauren's innocence and overall tendency to get her feelings hurt over the littlest comment or perceived criticism didn't endear her to me and I have to admit to skimming through some parts of their moments together. That being said, I did complete the book rather than DNF'ing and it was still a good read for me. I am sure many of you will not share the same quirks that I do when it comes to certain parts of this story so don't hesitate to give it a try for yourself!

Both Trent and Lauren were reduced to stereotypes - he was the battle-scarred warrior and she was the virgin. The book was a quick read, and moderately enjoyable, but rather predictable.

Man, who doesn't love a "sister's best friend" romance? I know I do! And A SEAL's Courage was smart, sexy, thoughtful, fun and just damn good.

Lauren Hayes is a girl who knows what she wants and isn't really that afraid to go out and get it. She's a business owner, has great friends, and just needs a little push in the love department. That's where the crazy dating service comes in to play...

Trent Lawson is Lauren's date. Trent's a former Navy SEAL who has battle scars both on his skin and in his heart. He's lost so much, but he's trying to live the life the guys from his unit no longer can. That even means dating-no matter how scary the thought.

Lauren and Trent have known each other for years. Both have considered the other strictly off limits due to Lauren's friendship with Trent's sister. But can they really deny their feelings? And are they willing to take the risk?

I adored Lauren from the start. I loved her honesty and zest for life; how she knew what she wanted and just needed a little help in accomplishing her goal. Trent grew on me too-but it took a while. I wanted to just give him a big hug and tell him he really wasn't living yet, that finding his happiness may cause some hurt and hard feelings.

But as much as I like these two individually I absolutely loved them when they were together! *fans self* I cannot wait for Stephanie and Gabe's book next!

While this title did not click for me, I am sharing with follower who might enjoy a friends to lovers military romance.

Trent Lawson came back home a haunted man. He blames himself for the loss of his men to a Taliban bomb. His PTSD is ever present and his dreams make his life hell. He misses female companionship so he joins Military Match. As if preordained by Fate, he's set up with Lauren Hayes, his sister's best friend. He desires this woman, but he won't act on it. He will only hurt her. I sympathized with Trent's emotional problems. He's a good man damaged by war. I wanted to see him take a chance and move forward with his life. Lauren cares and opens her heart to him. Will he be brave enough to take the chance? Their romance is both tender and passionate. Seeing them together is amazing. JM Stewart has written amazing character. They are easy to care about. The bond they share is strong and compelling. I was pulled into their story. It touched me. I can't wait for the next book in the Military Match series.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

I am such a sucker for a friends to lovers story. Add in a sexy SEAL and a woman who knows what she wants and you have me hooked. That is exactly what Stewart has done with A SEAL's Courage. It is the perfect mix of everything I love in a story like this.
Stewart brings us a sweet steamy story full of characters that you can't help but love. She will take your heart for a ride and leave you completely satisfied and wanting more all at the same time! I cannot wait to see what Stewart brings us with the next in this series.

The beginning of this book kind of annoyed me. I think it was because Trent's warring emotions and Lauren's woe is me attitude went on too long for me. I never really connected to the characters and I didn't feel they connected until their sexual relationship started. That was the redeeming part of this book. Once they got together, Lauren and Trent steamed up the pages. I liked the slow nature of their intimacy and the buildup. But then the fallout at the end was so quick and didn't make me feel any angst. I guess I just wanted more feeling from the book. If you're looking for a quick, steamy read with an easy HEA you'll really enjoy this.