This is a brand new author to me and I am so glad I discovered her. If you have never read her books please pick this one up and you will be hooked. I should have read Rescued by the Ranger before I started this new series. A note or caveat should be made that Rescued by the Ranger truly is book 1.

Lucas Harding is a hero that you're going to love. He is a Navy SEAL and also a POW Survivor who struggles every day to just get through one day at a time. During his horrendous ordeal the only thing that would get him through those days of torture was a picture of a woman and her daughter. This is a woman who he had a 3 week relationship with and he became close to her and her daughter. Now he wonders if there is even a remote chance a forgiveness.

Sally has gone through so much and it's just trying to survive and protect her daughter. There is nothing she would not do to protect her daughter. at one point of time in their lives she thought she had found the start of happiness for it to all come crumbling down with a rejection. She is just flabbergasted and mad when a silhouette in the dark brings her past forward.

I intend on purchasing all of the rest in the series even Harding's brother's story. There is action, angst, passion that just sizzles the pages, humor and laughter.

Romance, suspense, mystery, and steam with characters who are damaged and tortured, yet strong. This author has a talent for matching characters who fill the gaps in each other’s broken places. A must read.

Review: HEART OF A SEAL (Hearts of Valor Book 1) by Dixie Lee Brown https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aXM
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

I had so much fun reading this novel. The heart-pounding action and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The sizzling romance between Luke and Sally ratcheted it up another notch. A few aspects seemed a bit improbable, but it made for an exciting read. Luke and Sally were both likeable, as was the people around them. I like when the camaraderie flows, so that you feel a part of it. Loved it and can’t wait to read the next one.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley now exchange for an honest revie.

~*~*~*~

Kindle $2.99 https://amzn.to/2Swv2zO‬

Six months in a desert hellhole taught Navy SEAL Luke Harding things he never wanted to learn about life and death. Only tender memories of the beautiful brunette he met a few weeks before his deployment helped get him through the torturous days and nights. Back in the States after a perilous rescue, physically and emotionally damaged, Luke reaches out to Sally Duncan, the woman whose memory helped him get through torture. Unfortunately, he refused to see her when he was injured in the hospital so now he must hope she will at least hear him out.
The beginning started ok, but from the moment Luke shows up for Sally, I didn’t really like their interactions. I had a problem with both characters, which made it hard for me to be able to like this story at all.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

4.5 Stars
This fabulous book one in the Hearts of Valor series features Luke Harding and Sally Duncan. My heart broke for what Luke went through but did that give him the right to push her away? Probably not but it’s a male pride thing. She had every right to move on. He’d hurt her and Jen. I love that Sally is a strong woman. I think Luke’s a great guy, a hero, but I’m glad she didn’t make any of it easy for him.

I love this book! The story flow smoothly and completely. No holes! Characters are amazing and I can’t wait to read more of their stories.

I find myself with opinions all over the place for Heart of a SEAL.

Usually, books with the word SEAL in them will have me pass it by - not because it’s about a Navy SEAL (I actually read way too many books with them as the hero), but because it’s just such an uncreative way to name a book. I put “SEAL” into the search box for Goodreads and it returned 7443 results. Now, that did include some books that are actually about seals - the animal - but like...two in the first five pages of results. But I should know by now that if the name of the book isn’t all that creative, there’s a good chance the book won’t be either. Add in that another reviewer - whose opinion I value highly - DNFed this one, and I should have skipped it, but it didn’t. I was able to get through it, but I never was clamoring to get to my Kindle, or reading on the app while in the grocery store checkout line like I do when I’m really into a book.

I love a story that starts out right in the middle of action, as this book did. Right off the bat, I liked this hero. Luke has spent six months as a prisoner of war, enduring terrible beatings and cruel treatment. The one thing that helped him survive was thinking about Sally and her daughter Jennifer, who he met and spent three weeks with before being deployed. Those three weeks were not filled with steamy nights spent rolling around in the sheets or hot make-out sessions. No, they hadn’t even kissed before he had to tell her goodbye. Do you know how rare that is in a romance book of today?! A man and a woman spend time together, getting to know each other, and on that basis alone the couple falls in love. Mad props to the author for building an actual relationship between Luke and Sally instead of it being all about the sex.

And I liked Sally. She’s a strong woman, but not so tough and independent that she wasn’t willing to make herself vulnerable to Luke - even though Luke had hurt her badly (after being rescued and transported back to the States, Luke refused to let Sally see him in the hospital). But then Luke gives a very heartfelt and sincere apology, and she accepts it.

“If you don’t believe anything else...believe this - I’m here until you send me away. I’m not turning my back on you this time, and I’m going to try my best to make you forget I’m an idiot.”

I love a man who can admit he was an idiot!

Then we have lots of action and suspense as Luke and Sally flee their sleepy town in the middle of the night to get away from the bad guys. I’m not sure why, but the action and suspense just didn’t hold my attention that well. And there was A LOT of action and suspense. Fires, buildings exploding, people being held hostage. It was all there. Maybe it was too much. Like, good grief, can't these people catch a break?

But then we get to when Luke and Sally finally have sex, and the author refers to the heroine’s...lady parts...as a “hot, tight receptacle”. Wha?!?! I suppose I shouldn’t have been too surprised since three sentences before that she talked about the hero’s “throbbing member,” and then a bit later we had “swollen womanhood” and “swollen manhood” so I couldn’t even hold in my giggle. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it’s a good thing if a reader is giggling through a love scene.

So basically, I liked the characters in this book, but the writing didn’t work so well for me. The dialogue between the characters was good, I liked how their relationship progressed - the hero even professed his love and proposed before they’d even slept together (which NEVER happens!), and I liked the plot twist and learning who the bad guys really were, but Heart of a SEAL felt more like a chore to read than an adventure. I may be willing to read Dixie Lee Brown again, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this series.

Good grief, I am getting desperate to read a really good story. It’s been a couple weeks.

* thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

When I read Rescued By Ranger, a previous, standalone book by the author, I was intrigued by Garrett's brother, Luke. And Luke and his heart-wrenching story do not disappoint.
The story is intense with the danger and threats coming from several different, unexpected sources. It is touching and heartbreaking, the depth of the emotions taking my breath away.
The despair and pain Luke faced as a prisoner of the war, the threats, danger, and attacks Sally had lived with most of her life, the feelings they had for each other, the pain they had cost for each other, it all was poignantly touching and went straight to my heart. I am not ashamed to admit, Luke's destiny had me sobbing by the end of chapter one. It is a rare occasion that a story, at that early point, have such a strong connection to my mind and heart.
Sally, Luke, and the family and friends surrounding them, are in for a fight for their lives. It is intense, vigorous, and violent. The enemies and people wanting to use them and harm them seem to be coming from every possible direction. It is constant, it is scary, it is menacing, each sharp turn in the plot giving the story a new edge their barely hang on to. No matter where they go, how deeply they hide, who is protecting them, it seems like the malice has an all-knowing arm with an ability to reach them in any and all circumstances.
Luke is a man of integrity, honesty, and loyalty. He has a kind and generous heart, he is resilient, smart, and a man of action. The terrors he has faced, the evilness of the men who captured him, they tried to break him down, nearly succeeding. The beam of light, and hope, that kept him going were Sally and her daughter, and the connection they briefly had before he was deployed.
Sally was a mysterious character. The more I got to know her, the more insights into her life were revealed, the more my heart ached for her and for the trials and tribulations she had had to face.
The connection between Luke and Sally is a tangible force. After all the turbulence between them, Luke's honesty with his feelings for her was refreshingly sincere and true. There is passion, compassion, adoration, and admiration between them that develop into something rare, something special, something to be treasured and cherished. If only they will survive to see another day arise.
The brutally raw action and emotions, the desire for each other and to outlive the attacks, the battle for survival and holding on to the beam of hope and happiness that seems to be slipping away with each assault, all these elements intensify the story, making it strong, sharp, harch, and fierce. There are the rough and raw aspects of the tale, as well as the delightfully cute, elated, and joyful ones, that mixed together makes a story that held me captivated, on the edge, and cheering for the hero and heroine to find a way to survive and thrive.
A well written, twisted and thrilling story of suspense, mixed with a vehement tale of soulmates overcoming the biggest obstacles in life and still daring to have faith to take the leap for love.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance thriller
Triggers: torture, PTSD, stalking, murder

Luke Harding is a survivor. After being a POW for several months, he's back state side and trying to get through the nightmares. Just before he was deployed, he met the woman of his dreams. Sally and her sweet daughter, Jen, are what got him through the most difficult time in his life. A photograph is what held him together. But once he was back, because of his own insecurities, he denies Sally the chance to see him and make sure that he's okay.

Sally has been living a few different lies for a while. She is constantly watching her back for people who could come after her and her daughter, as well as constantly on alert for her daughter's father. When Luke finally does come for her, she's hesitant to allow him in since he hurt her daughter.

What follows is a series of events that leaves the reader wanting to know who is really after Sally, Jen, and Luke. I loved seeing Luke's buddies step in and hope that they each get their own stories. The twists and turns in this book are remarkable. I think for me, where the book fell a little short was that the romance was a little stunted. The chemistry that Luke and Sally had before he went to war was talked about, but I don't think that it really came through. It felt that Jen and Luke were closer and had more secrets than he and Sally.

Overall, this was a successful book and I truly enjoyed it. I do wish the issue between Jen's dad was more complete, but maybe it will be in the next book. I can't wait to see who gets the next story.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
Triggers: torture, domestic violence

There was a lot going on in this book and at times the book felt rushed.

Luke's time as a POW caused more than just physical injuries, the dreams he has brings it all back. He knows that when came home, he pushed a lot of people of away when he really should have drawn them close.

Sally was hurt by Luke's refusal to see her. She understood that he did it because he was hurting, both mentally and emotionally. Still, the hurt in her daughter's heart is something that she can't forget.

When trouble comes knocking on Sally's door, Luke is glad that he is there to protect her and Jen. He knows that he has a lot to make up for and he's hopeful that Sally will eventually forgive him.

The issue with Sally's father was resolved fairly quickly and the person who caused most of the drama seemed to be improbable.

The romance was good and I'm always glad of a happy ending.

A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start. The author knocked this story out of the park. My interest was piqued on the first page and the flow of the story stayed on point. Loved the twist and highly recommend this one.

This is my first read by this author and it won’t be my last as I was captivated from the get go. A story of a SEAL man, Luke, who was a POW for months and the reason he stayed alive was because of Sally and her duaghter Jen. He kept her picture while being in prison, giving him hope and a reason to return until fate steps in. Sally has tried to move on after Luke dismisses her when he returns wounded, hurting her and her daughter in the process, then he shows up one night light a knight in shining armour defending her against her date. She is wary of him and for good reason but Jen is ecstatic to see him and she doesn’t want to break her heart again so she agrees to let him stay the night. Luckily she did because what happens after she needs a strong determined SEAL who will do anything to keep her and Jen safe from her past.
A great read with steamy sensual scenes that had my heart sputtering along with Luke and his protectiveness, his beautiful relationship and thoughtfulness when it came to Jen, his determination of not letting go of Sally no matter what and his patience while he waits for her to voice her love for him. Sally was a bit frustrating at times when she wouldn’t tell him how she feels and her stubbornness and independence got on my nerves at times but I understood why, with her past it made it clear. I also would have loved an epilogue to see where they settled, what happened to the Sheriff and would have liked to have known more on why Lambert was so keen on getting her away.
That didn’t deter from the heart pounding action and suspense and some heartbreaking emotional scenes that had me misty eyed...a definite page turner for me and I couldn’t put it down till I was done.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy and expressed my honest opinion*

Review by Amanda for Love Romance Books Blog

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by Dixie Lee Brown. It can be read as a stand alone story, but did seem like it might be related to other books.

I would recommend this book to readers who like romantic suspect books.

Heart of a SEAL was suspenseful. I didn't see the twist that came toward the end of the book, even though the thought crossed my mind. Dixie Lee Brown brought these characters emotions to the a high point and how if you really love someone you forgive and trust them with your self and most prized possession.

Luke has gone through hell as a POW to a terrorist organization. Sally is keeping secrets. While a POW Luke is tortured and the only good thing during those months is the photo of Sally & Jen, who he met shortly before deployment. During his rescue Luke is wounded and cuts himself off from Sally. Which causes tension between Sally and her best friend who will be Luke's sister-in-law, When a date with her boss goes terribly wrong. Luke is there to rescue her. He's there to ask Sally's forgiveness and give an explanation of what he went through after being rescued and wanting to protect her from his situation. Luke and Sally discuss the situation and he stays to spend time with her daughter Jen when there's a fire in her house. After they all escape thanks to Luke her house explodes. She knows who is behind it but Luke doesn't. She calls for help but doesn't want to uproot Jen. On their way to a safe place to stay they're run off the road and make a change of plans to keep safe. Luke is keeping them safe and trying to get Sally to forgive him and hoping they can have a relationship. They're contacted by her former boss with a warning and go to a friend of Luke's to be safe. When they arrive they have extra help in the form of 3 of his Navy SEAL buddies. They explain the situation and everyone helps. The US Marshal tracks her down but Luke makes sure he won't be a problem. Sally reveals more of her secrets and so does the Marshal. Her father shows up to explain his situation. They try to figure out who could still be after Sally and think it might be Jen's father. To keep Jen and a couple others safe they send them to Luke's family. While Luke & 2 of his buddies are transferring them, the threat shows up, It's not some one who wants Sally dead but who wants Luke dead. Sally and 2 others are captured and tied up but work together to become free so she can warn Luke. Luke and his buddies work together to handle the situation. Luke protects Sally. The threat is handled and they start the process of cleaning up the mess and rebuilding. Sally hears good news and reunites with her best friend. Sally is confronted by Jen's father and Luke steps in. A proposal is made.

I would love to hear more about the other members of Luke's SEAL unit that showed up in the book. Think it would be nice to hear their stories and the women who try to tame them. I'll look forward to more of SEAL books from Dixie Lee Brown.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, this is an action packed book starting with Luke being held hostage when some of his seal team was taken prisoner until the very end after numerous attempts on their lives. It is always fun for me to read a romance with some action and intrigue thrown in to the mix.

Sally was such a fun character and great mother. I think she kind of had to quickly get over her hurt from Luke's rejection when they started running for their lives. Otherwise, I would have liked it if she made him suffer a bit for what he pulled.

With danger from several different fronts and a strangely obsessive Marshal, you don't know who is behind the attacks on their lives until the very end and it is not who you expected! Nice twist!

I was kind of annoyed with Luke deciding what that he was doing the best for Sally so I loved that she called him on that and said that she didn't want a relationship like that and it was great when he actually saw things from her perspective and how much he had hurt her by his rejection.

Great HEA!

Luke Harding survived six months of torture at the hands of very dangerous men all because of Sally and her daughter. Returning home was hard, but now Luke is determined to go after what he wants and that's a future with Sally. However, when Luke discovers Sally is in trouble, he'll do anything to keep her safe. Will Luke be able to protect Sally and her daughter or will he lose his chance at happy ever after with the woman he loves?

This action-packed, fast-paced, plot-twisting story was very entertaining and had me hooked right from the beginning due to all the main characters have been through in the past, what they go through on their journey to happy ever after, and the fact that Ms. Brown kept me guessing as to the person after Sally. Why is Sally being targeted? What happened in her past that makes someone want to come after her? However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time in this story that had me reading quickly, determined to discover whether Sally would give Luke a chance after things that have happened in the past that hurt her.

As for the dialogue, it was intense and had me on the edge-of-my-seat at times because of the danger the hero and heroine face and whether they'll come out on top of the bad guys. Will Luke be able to keep Sally and her daughter safe? Moreover, the heroine is resilient, courageous and I liked that she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself because no way is she going to go down without a fight when it comes to whoever is after her. I also liked how protective she was of the hero, which is proven by what she does throughout this story. Will she end up going things alone or will she put her trust in Luke? Yet, what I liked most of all is the bond Sally shares with her daughter, even though her pregnancy shouldn't have happened the way it did.

While the hero, he's been through a lot and I could understand why he suffers the nightmares he does. Yet, he's strong, a survivor and I liked how protective he was of the heroine and her daughter. No way would he let anything happen to them, especially because he wants them in his life for a long time to come. I also liked the bond the hero shared with his brothers in arms and that they were all in and willing to help Luke in his time of need to protect the heroine. However, what I liked most of all about the hero was his determination to win over the heroine, as he's always had strong feelings for her and he saw her as his angel; the one that helped him to hold on through his ordeal at the hands of bad guys instead of giving up.

Overall, Ms. Brown has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was strong; the romance was hot and shows how good these two are together and are for each other; the secondary characters have me looking forward to future books for this series; and the ending had me concerned for the main characters, but had me liking how everything works out for the best because these two are so deserving of forever together after everything that's happened in their pasts to make them the strong people they are. Then again, Luke is not letting Sally get away again, which is proven by what he does. How could the heroine not give him what he wants? I would recommend Heart of a Seal by Dixie Lee Brown, if you enjoy romantic suspense, second chance romances, the friends to lovers trope, or books by authors AJ Nuest, Monica McCabe, Sheryl Nantus and Katie Reus.

My first Brown book and I will be back for more. At first I thought I missed something because we start off with our hero returning from
six months in a terrorist prison. He had a short relationship with Sally before he left and wants to rekindle it. The action starts quite quickly and doesn't stop, she has a past and it's troubling her current situation. Her daughter is very mature for nine and will often steal the scene from them. This series has great things to come. I received my copy through Netgalley.

Heart of a SEAL was my first read by Dixie Lee Brown, and while I enjoyed the overall concept, I felt the story could have been so much more. I can only hope that Ms Brown will build on future stories and develop her characters and storyline a little more than she did in this instalment.
.

He sounds like a really nice, upstanding man. Sally and her daughter are lucky.

Rot in hell, Ahmed. Although, that was kind of an exciting scene.

Is his dad crazy? Who tells their kids something like that?

Her dad is that evil? Crap, was her mother sane at least?

Luke would be a good dad.

Huh. I did not see that coming.

They are so cute together.

Yeah, I thought Jen's conception might have gone something like that.

Jen probably shouldn't have seen the punch, but maybe it was good to see her sperm donor get the crap beat out of him

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am going to note first off that with the violence and romantic encounters it is an adult read but for anyone who loves a military hero this is a must. Luke made the perfect good guy in the no stop, action packed, romance that you won't want to put down!

Eh, this book started out well enough, with Luke overseas and then coming home and not wanting to see Sally, which we get in backstory and how he comes to see her finally when he feels like he's ready. The man went through hell. A photo of Sally and her daughter were the only things that kept Luke going during his days as a POW. When Luke comes back to see Sally that's when the story kind of dipped for me and continued sliding down that slow slippery slide from there. The plot was overdone, there wasn't enough chemistry between Sally and Luke. I felt the relationship between her daughter and Luke was better than Luke and Sally. Sally has a secret, or two. Too much... the dialogue was nil,
they hashed over the same things all the time. It got old. It is enough to say this book just wasn't for me.
I love a good SEAL story, this one just wasn't for me.

**arc from NetGalley and Publisher for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve only read one book by Dixie previously (Rescued by the Ranger) which I enjoyed, so when I saw Heart pop up on Netgalley I requested it immediately. Unfortunately this ended up being kind of a mixed bag for me. I’ll start off with what I loved-Luke, of course! The book starts off with him in captivity in a POW camp in Afghanistan. The only thing he has to keep him anchored to his former life is a picture of Sally and remembering the times he spent with her and her daughter. I don’t feel like I’m spoiling anything when I say he is rescued and to the US for treatment of his multiple injuries.

Sally has not had an easy life, and is running from something in her past. She thinks she may have finally found a man she could trust, but when she tries to see Luke at Bethesda, he refuses to see her. Hurt, she returns to Idaho and her daughter and tries to build a stable life without Luke. Of course, he eventually follows her and they start to get closer while danger approaches them from all sides.

I really enjoyed the storyline-lots of action and romance, and I adored Luke and his friends (especially MacGyver!) even if as expected, they sometimes act like men. I even understand why he pushed Sally away to begin with after his rescue, because he wouldn’t want to be seen as incomplete, or maybe less than a man. And Sally definitely was sympathetic, her background makes it easy to understand why she would react the way she did but at as this is a romance, we all know how it’s going to end!

Now, you’re probably remembering that I said this one was a mixed bag for me, right? And I will admit, what bothered me was small but it just threw me out of the story a couple of times. Let’s talk about sex, baby! Or in the case of this book, some REALLY odd word choices. Sure vagina seems clinical, so some prefer pussy or the c word (just not my fave, so I’m not going to use it) or you can go the old purple prose way and say love canal. But I must say, in all my years of reading romance, I have never seen the phrase ‘hot, tight receptacle’ used instead. Unfortunately that makes me think of a trash can, and caused an immediate giggle fit, only to be followed up a little later by ‘swollen kernel’ for clit. The actual scenes were hot which made the word choice seem even odder, but as I said it was a minor issue.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for fellow lovers of romantic suspense, just be prepared to laugh a little at the intimate moments! I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in the series and from Dixie in general. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Lyrical Liaison for the chance to R&R the book early!