Review : High Country Rebel by Lindsay McKenna (CR)

Goodreads

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Book Blurb

Battle-weary former Navy SEAL Talon Holt's top priority is to defend his own. With a military dog to care for and his traumatized soul to mend, he hitchhikes from California to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, hoping for a fresh start and to be with his ailing mother. But he can't outrun the ghosts of war—especially when a ferocious storm forces Talon to accept the help of paramedic Cat Edwin. The gorgeous rescuer wants to heal his wounds inside and out, but the fear in her arresting blue eyes calls to his instinct to protect.

Trust just doesn't come easy to Cat, who, thanks to a troubled past and a violent ex, tries to keep Talon at arm's length. Yet attraction draws them together despite the very real danger each of them brings to the other. Now Talon is driven to save Cat, even when it leads to a high-country showdown that could cost them love…and their lives.

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Toot's Review by Stacy Sabala

Talon Holt is an ex-Navy Seal who was captured by the Taliban and tortured along with his partner Hayden. He was saved by his canine, Zeke, who walked many miles to a US military outpost. Talon was rescued but Hayden died. As a result Talon was honorably discharged from his injuries and suffers from PTSD. He has haunting memories of his torture and Hayden’s death.

So Talon and Zeke find themselves walking from Coronado, California back home to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Just as they are nearing his home, a blizzard grips the area and he finds himself lying in the snow giving up. He can’t breathe because of his bad case of pneumonia and he is suffering from hypothermia. The only thing keeping him going is Zeke.

Just as all hope was gone, Cat Edwin sees him as she is driving down the road on her way to Bar H Ranch. She is a paramedic for the Jackson Hole Fire Department. She stops and helps Talon and Zeke get into her SUV and takes them to Bar H Ranch. With the weather as it is there is no way to get him to the hospital. Cat is afraid for his life and doesn’t know if he has enough strength left to fight off the infection.

She nurses him back to better health and tries to go on with her life, but her feelings for Talon grow and it scares the hell out of her. Her track record with men is pathetic at best and she is afraid to even try anymore. Talon is here for his mother who is dying of cancer, but Cat is getting under his skin. She is like a healing balm to his PTSD. He craves her company and needs her soft, caring heart. He knows she is skittish around men and decides she is worth the patience he will need to bring her around.

Unfortunately their pasts are catching up and Talon finds he is obsessive about protecting Cat. He has to walk the line to balance his protectiveness and trustworthiness for Cat to respond the way he wishes her to. It may be the most important mission he has had yet.

This book was great when showing the reader a veteran with PTSD and how they react to life after they serve. The characters were believable and I liked joining the group as the story evolved. I thought that Talon and Cat were a good fit. They had instant recognition of attraction and feelings. Unfortunately their messed up emotions would get in the way. They didn’t trust their feelings and their guilt was overwhelming. I would get to the point of saying enough already. They could get to the point where something might happen and then Cat would push him away. It was frustrating to me. When Cat got to the cliff dealing with her feelings for Talon, I wanted to push her off myself. Overall, however, it was a good story with great characters. I liked the ranch setting and the small town feel of the community.

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 I give this book a 4 out of 5