This was my first book by Hallee Bridgeman and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Honor Bound tells the story of Army Special Forces "A-Team" leader Captain Rick Norton as he fights a warlord in Africa. As his team is fighting, one of the members is injured badly enough that a doctor's touch is needed. Thankfully, Dr. Cynthia Myers, OBGYN is working on a missionary team providing medical care for pregnant women, and the special forces team is close to her clinic. Rick must fight to get his team out of the jungle safely.

The story of Cynthia and Rick is one that I felt truly represented a true life relationship. The push and pull of trusting and questioning what their true feelings for one another were felt completely natural within the story.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Received for review: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley.

Why did I decide to turn the pages? The cover. I'm not even going to lie. It was the cover. I didn't know anything about this author or this book going into this one. It had a beautiful cover and was romantic Christian suspense, so it checked the boxes for me to give this a go.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: It exceeded expectations. The action starts from page one and continues for most of the novel. I enjoyed the writing more than I thought I would and also the character development. There was conflict between the characters from page 1 and for a lot of the novel.

I was worried it might have "white saviorism" vibes, but I thought the author did a good job avoiding that mindset for the most part.

The writing was well done, the plot intriguing, and the characters were fairly fleshed out.

Major Strengths
-suspenseful action
-good writing

So why 3.5 stars? It stood out from others in the genre. Not quite a 4, but it was quite good.

Love,

Danica Page

Honor Bound by Hallee Bridgeman is an exciting novel. With parts on and off the battlefield, this novel is full of action and emotion. I love how it features special forces, which have always intrigued me. Overall, it was an amazing novel. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Honor Bound is the first book in Hallee Bridgeman‘s Love And Honor series. I read book 3 first, but I don’t recommend that. 😉 The series features a Green Beret unit assigned to very special operations, including exfiltrations (getting good guys away from bad guys). In Honor Bound, the reader is introduced to the whole squad with lots of backstory for those who will have their own book later. I never felt overwhelmed by the many characters or their life details. It is all presented so naturally. Book one features unit leader Rick and a very important doctor who does not want to be rescued. Set in a fictional African nation, you get jungle and terrorists. The first half of the book is intense, as the group seeks to exit the jungle alive. The second half of the book is set in the US as the two main characters navigate their budding relationship. I really liked this. It is very different from most romantic suspense novels where danger follows the characters up to the end. It actually makes a lot of sense and allows the romance to develop, or not, in a natural way, not influenced by adrenaline. There are, as expected, ups and downs for the two, but it isn’t really a spoiler to say there is a happily-ever-after. This is Christian romance after all.

I expect my book club to like Honor Bound. It ticks all the boxes we look for — interesting story and setting, a faith message that is natural and not preachy, and a good bit of action. I think they are really going to like the fresh storytelling. For myself, I give it a recommended rating.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Honor Bound is the first book in the Love and Honor series. It was an excellent start to the series and it was very hard for me to put down. The balance of action and romance was something that the author mastered very well. I was super intrigued during all of the action scenes and the romance between the characters was very sweet and natural. This is a new to me author but this won't be the last book I read by her for sure!

Another amazing book from Hallee Bridgeman! I am very excited to read the rest in this series. Her books really pull you into the action, the suspense, everything. It was really hard to put this one down…the characters are really interesting and full of depth. They make you want to read more. I highly recommend!

Doctor Cynthia Myers has found new passion and purpose serving on mission in a war-torn African country, providing medical care to villagers who would otherwise go without. Her hard-won peace is shattered when she is unable to save a local warlord’s mortally wounded son, and her life and the lives of those she has workd with and served are now in danger.

Captain Rick Norton and his team seek out Doctor Myers when one of the team is seriously injured. They are able to permanently neutralize the threat the warlord’s men pose. Thus begins the slow burn between pacifist doctor and committed soldier. Cynthia is very much opposed to guns and violence, and she isn’t shy about telling Rick what she thinks of his career choice. He doesn’t think much of her opposition and tells her so. But they both soon realize that they have feelings that go beyond dislike, or even just friendship. How can they – or can they – reconcile their opposing viewpoints?

I do love a good suspense novel, and Hallee Bridgeman delivers! The action is pretty intense in places. There are some nail-biting moments when Cynthia has to provide emergency medical care, finding a way to address injuries that are beyond the scope of her experience. Hostile forces are trying to keep our heroes from getting out of the jungle, and the team has to fight fire with fire. Their maneuvers to get to the landing zone for extraction are hair-raising! And getting back to civilization is no guarantee of safety, as the warlord and his men come after Cynthia and her father, now the Vice President of the United States, at a state dinner in Africa.

Cynthia and Rick are both strong characters with deeply held convictions. Bridgeman does a good job showing their thought processes as each works through their feelings for the other. I appreciated that both of the characters had a strong Christian faith, and that faith played a prominent role in their decisions and actions. Rick faces danger with courage – actual, weapon-wielding, potentially life-threatening danger. But Cynthia shows courage, too, in breaking free of what’s expected of her to walk into God’s plan for her life.

The soldiers on Rick’s team are fascinating characters in their own right. Two of those soldiers, Bill “Drumstick” Sanders and Phil “Oz” Osbourne, get their own books in the series. I can’t wait to see how their stories unfold!

An enemies to lovers clean romance, action aplenty, and characters that are easy to root for make this a five-star read for me. Highly recommended for people who enjoy a good Chris>tian fiction story that doesn’t skimp on the suspense and that gives you that happily ever after.

This was an interesting book, to say the least. Not something I typically read. I welcome change of pace. Definitely add to your must read list.

Wowza! This is the series that I didn’t know I needed and it blew me away! The good news is you don’t have to wait a YEAR before the next book in the series is released. Basically, I read this one, then books 2 and 3 as soon as each of them was released because I preordered them all! Binge reading is a thing!

Honour Bound introduces the reader to the Special Forces A team and it’s a wild ride all the way to the end of book 3. (Be sure to also read the prequel to this series, Love in Any Language.)

The series begins by following Captain Rick Norton and his team into the wilds of Africa, where he meets Dr. Cynthia Myers and their worlds collide in a dramatic and action-packed way. No spoilers but I can’t even express how much I enjoyed this series. Not only getting to know the team but following their story as they are so closely knit together as a team. Honour Bound is a FANTASTIC setup for the rest of the series and the prequel.

Hallee tells vivid stories with complex and fascinating characters. You will not be able to put these books down, just be prepared. Clear your schedule and binge-read to your heart’s delight!

The book was provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. My opinion is my own.

This is a new to me author and I was not disappointed. This book will have you on the edge of your seat one minute to watching the characters try and find healing. The first half of this book will have you on the edge of your seat why the second portion of the book slows things down a little and has you on another journey with the characters. I want so much more of Ozzy's story I feel like that story is going to be gut wrenching. I liked Rick a lot he was a strong character with determination for his friends and his country. He did not have a hero complex but stayed humble while doing what he loved. I liked Cynthia, in the beginning she felt like she needed to grow up a little bit but she too had a heart for those less fortunate and worked hard to become a better person while making the world a better place. Over all the author kept this book a clean read and it was well worth it. Can't wait to read more about these characters.

Captain Rick Norton is leading his team an unspecified mission in the fictional Katangela, Africa, when two of his team are injured and need immediate medical attention. Doctor Cynthia Myers runs an obstetrics clinic in a remote village in Katangela, and travels to other villages as well. But her life, as well of the lives of those around her, are in danger after she fails to save the life of the son of the local warlord. Rick arrives with his team in time to chase off the warlords.

Rick and Cynthia didn’t hit it off immediately. In fact, the opposite was almost true, with each seeing the other as closed-minded (perhaps in the same was as Elizabeth and Mr Darcy didn’t immediately hit it off with each other). Rick is gun-happy American Army, while Cynthia is a politician’s daughter who prefers to look for a peaceful solution.

I’d like to be able to say the story ended with them both finding the strengths in each other’s views, but it felt more like Rick rode roughshod over Cynthia until she agreed with him. Okay, so she shouldn’t have given him the “Army or me” ultimatum either, so there were faults on both sides.

I found the writing itself slipped into telling a little too often for my tastes, and it wasn’t always clear (for example, I initially thought the introduction showed Rick’s men attacking the village under gunfire, not local warlords). I also didn’t enjoy the casual racism or sexism, which none of the characters called out. This made me wonder if they didn’t notice, or didn’t care. Either way, I was left wondering if the characters held the same views. That didn’t endear me to the characters.

I think my main problem was that the story focused more on the politics and the action than on the relationship to the point where I wasn’t entirely convinced by the relationship between Rick and Cynthia. Yes, I believe they fell for each other, but there’s enough of an element of Stockholm Syndrome that I’m not convinced it will last … and that’s not a good way to end a romance, especially not in the Christian market.

This is the first book in the Love & Honor series. Fans of fast-paced suspense from authors like Ronie Kendig will enjoy Honor Bound.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

This fascinating story grabbed me from the very beginning. Dr. Cynthia Myers, moves to the jungle of Africa to work in a clinic in a poor underserved village, delivering babies. She is escaping the recent humiliating end to her engagement and finds peace in doing what she feels God has called her to do.

Cynthia’s father is the Vice-President of the United States, which adds another layer of complication to her life, putting her in the public’s eye which necessitates Secret Service Agents always trailing behind her when she is home in Washington, D.C.

There is much unrest including violence and murder Captain Rick Norton, Green Beret, and a member of the Army Special Forces A Team along with his team are on a mission to capture the warlord, and to escort Cynthia safely back to the United States, upon order of the Vice President.

Captain Norton and Cynthia conflict on their views of guns, and violence and although despite their conflicting views, they set aside their differences and work together to escape through the jungle with two seriously injured members of his team. They are forced to come together to survive and keep the injured alive.

This is a fast-paced story, with lots of action, including unexpected attacks. The book is clean, with the faith of the main players woven into the story. I found this hard to put down until the last page was turned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell Publishing for a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed and comments are my own.

And I thought

It's refreshing to read a book with characters that just make you like them.

Most of the time it is easy to like the main characters because we'll we're kind of supposed to at least that is what the authors hope.

But when you really like the sun characters and their personal stories it extra special.

Author Hallee Bridgman weaves an exciting story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages.

I liked that the characters were not afraid to share thier Faith with each other.

I didn't want it to end but I was looking forward to a happy ending.

I looking forward to reading the remaining books in the series.

I received a complimentary copy from Net Galley.

My review will appear on Amazon, Net Galley and Good Reads.

Each of the books in this series have been very good. Well balanced romance with suspense. Recommended!

There is nothing like living in the middle of a jungle in the middle of nowhere and then having to run for your life. Ok, most of us would not like to live like that, but for Captain Rick Norton, this was a routine day. Dr. Cynthia Myers may enjoy her career working as a doctor in said jungles, but I'm pretty sure she would prefer not to run anywhere.

Cynthia was having a crisis knowing who she was and where she should be in life. To try and resolve her ideas, she takes a job in the jungles of Africa, helping women give birth to healthy babies and maybe assisting with a few other minor health issues. She doesn't expect the local warlord's posse to roll into her village and expect her to save a dead man. Lucky for her, a special forces team was nearby tracking the warlord and his men, trying to end that regime. It was divine fate that they were there and could save her from these men. However, that wasn't necessarily a good thing because where there is one, there will be more. What follows is an action-pack escape out of the jungle to an embassy in the country over a span of about 24 hours. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how they would make it out alive.

Obviously, they do make it out of the jungle and to the embassy, and much to Cynthia's surprise, her father, is there. Apparently, he is now the Vice President. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a father that high up in politics and the danger that you could be in from those trying to harm him. Cynthia is a bit of a rebel and does not want to be drawn into that spotlight again after a disastrous event that led up to her departure to Africa. Sometimes, you just don't get a say in some events. The upside to her recent experience is that she is hyper-vigilant and notices things aren't right. Another intense situation unfolded, which left my heart racing for the second time in a short period.

Things calm down from here, but these intense situations have drawn Cynthia and Rick together, and sparks are flying between the two. But will it last? Cynthia is a pacifist and abhors guns. I can't blame her; I'm not wild about guns, either. But sometimes, they serve a purpose, and it is knowing when those situations arise and that sometimes there are no other options. Rick leads a special forces team, and it is who he is. Both believe in a higher being, but can they resolve their differences?

This book really got my heart pumping during the first half. Once things calmed down, I became invested in the budding relationship between Rick and Cynthia. I liked that they took it slow and didn't rush into anything. However, her pacifism gave her some unrealistic ideas, and trying to make Rick bend to her way of thinking was rather immature for someone in her early 30s. This dynamic helped keep the story interesting and created a new conflict that needed to be resolved.

There are many supporting characters from Rick's special forces team, and they add drama and humor to the story. I found myself intrigued by these men and was happy to see that at least two of them get their own story in this series. I can't wait to pick those up and see how things continue. I liked their dry wit during stressful times in the jungle, but deep down, they all had each other's back and were a family. They were going to do whatever it took to ensure that everyone left Africa alive and in one piece.

I enjoyed this book and give it 5 paws up and look forward to the next two in this series.

The first book in the Love and Honor series, Honor Bound grabbed my attention on the first page and held it right through to the end. This is my first experience with Hallee Bridgeman’s work, but it won’t be the last! An interesting plot line, great characters, vivid descriptions are the basis of this story. There is tension along with romance and a thread of faith woven throughout. All the elements for a great read!

Many thanks to Revell and Net Galley for my copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

Honor Bound
by Hallee Bridgeman
Pub Date 06 Sep 2022
Revell
Christian



I am reviewing a copy of Honor Bound through Revell and Netgalley:


Cynthia Myers does something that others look at as strange she seeks peace by moving to a war torn country in Africa. But the Medical Missionary finds it provided a way to escape a shallow life of unearned wealth, a philandering fiancé, and a father now square in the public eye as vice president of the United States. Here she knows her work and life have meaning. But all that is thrown into chaos when she fails to save the life of a local warlord's mortally wounded son.


Captain Rick Norton is a part of the Army Special Forces "A-Team" on a mission to capture and subdue the warlord. He is compelled to use deadly force in order to save Cynthia's life. Enraged at the violence she witnessed and riddled with guilt that men died because of her, Cynthia tries to hold on to her anger but an unwanted attraction is taking hold.



After two members of his team are badly injured and Rebels in hot pursuit Rick will have to draw upon all his strength and cunning to get her out alive . . . because he's beginning to think they just might overcome their differences and be able to make a life together.


I give Honor Bound Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Cynthia and Rick have to work together to save his team and to get out of the situation they have found themselves in alive. Cynthia has left her life in the United States to work as a medical missionary and encounters someone in her work that soon becomes a threat to her life She has to get rescued, but has to also help her rescuers. She and Rick have to work together to overcome their differences and to get out alive.

Okay, okay, I was going to lose it with this book... I liked it well enough in the beginning, I suppose. But!!! A pet peeve of mine?! Is when the heroine scoffs at the mindset of a military man and has a disdain for the very things that make him a good soldier, the fact that he would use a gun to protect the innocent. I highly dislike when a woman is so... Stupid, I suppose is a word to use when she thinks all military men are killers and bring violence. It's just sheesh stupidity to think that especially when faced with warlords and such overseas. So, yeah... I did not like the start of the book and that took a good bit off of the rating.

Updating on what I've already written... I did not finish. I can't I'm not sorry (sorry. ;)) and I do not understand the hype around this book.

I regret requesting to review the second one and I am not sure how my review of it is going but after about 25% of this book and my attention not staying on what I'm reading, content that is seriously annoying the heck out of me, and the just.... UGH, wrong mindset from the heroine, whose-name-i-don't-remember, I just couldn't do it, so I checked other reviews and none of them encouraged me personally to finish reading this one.

I honestly, and I am sorry here, don't understand how it was published from Revell with the slow pace, repetitive thoughts, and the lack of spark between the lead characters in what is supposed to be a romance, I also found the lack of faith and just prayers thrown with great whining to be quite enough that I wouldn't read Mrs. Bridgeman's books again if I didn't have the second book to review.

This was quite a disappointing read, sadly.

Hallee Bridgeman kicks off a brand new series, Love and Honor, an authentic collection of military suspense, grounded in faith with strong characters and exciting action!

HIGHLIGHTS:
African Jungle Setting · Escape for Life · Enemies to Lovers Trope · A Silent, Broody Hero · A Strong Female Doctor Heroine · Military Brotherhood · Faith-Based Fiction

WHAT I LIKED:
I really enjoyed the tension at the beginning of this story between Dr. Myers and Captain Norton. Her stance on violence trends toward a more passive, optimistic personality until Captain Norton shows up, wreaking havoc around her small clinic, bulldozing her heart!

The first half of this novel was very exciting and kept me wrapped up in the suspense and drama. I loved how Dr. Myers became a part of Rick’s mission and both of their dedication to the people around them. The jungle came alive through Bridgeman’s vivid descriptions and she had me on the edge of my seat a handful of times.

The novel was well-written and used language that made it feel very authentic and believable.

I felt like both main characters were strong, grounded in their faith and honorable. I enjoyed the brotherhood among Captain Norton’s team.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:
There was a lull near the end that had me a little bored, but because I was so invested in the beginning of this story, I wanted to see it through. The ending felt anti-climatic compared to the excitement the novel started out with.

SUMMARY:
A solid four stars! The faith elements were very rich and I found this to be a novel that I liked well enough based solely on the authenticity, the characters and the strong, personal faith of those characters. There are moments of suspense, humor, brotherhood and patriotism. I believe readers who enjoy inspirational, traditional Christian fiction will find this story to be clean and exciting! I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.