Silhouette Intimate Moments #535 Lost Warriors

This book stands tall on its own, separate from other Silhouette Intimate Moments Books I've read. Without losing the key elements that defines a romance novel, that is, it has the fallen hero who is saved by the love of a special woman. It has conflicts and sexual tension, and all the insecurities that comes with new love. The characters were so well developed that you feel you know them, and you want to be there in their little town, mixing with its interesting inhabitants. What sets this book apart is the skilled, sensitive, and detailed way that Rachel Lee approached the suffering of those who has PTSD. She put a face, actually many faces, of what life is like for those who suffer from PTSD. I'm no expert on PTSD, and I don't know anyone who suffers from it, but if she is accurate in painting a picture of what PTSD can do to a person, I feel that I have new understanding I can take with me into life. Any book that changes the way you think has reached further than just a momentary escape.

I read many, many books and I must say that this book was so outstanding I don't believe I will ever forget it. I am old enough to remember vividly the Vietnam War, and for that matter, the 2nd WW. It nearly broke my heart to think of the pain these men of that era endured during and long after the conflicts were over. Several times as a young woman I visited the Long Beach Naval Hospital and tried to comfort/entertain the injured. I really had no idea of the pain these men were in and would be in the rest of their lives. Anyone who reads this book will feel the things I've felt while reading it and be so happy for the characters in the story as well as extremely sad for the other men and their pain.

FROM THE BACK COVER: Vietnam vet Billy Joe Yuma had come home from the war fighting for his sanity--and barely winning. Now he was a rescue pilot in need of a savior himself. And once emergency flight nurse Wendy Tate saw the dark memories lurking in his gorgeous eyes, she longed to help the rugged loner smile again. But Billy was sure no woman could breathe hope into a heart that had never made it home. He had nothing left to give--no love to match the powerful passions Wendy made him feel. But this stubborn soldier was about to learn just how wrong he could be. REVIEW: Reading this book made me step back into my own past. Having friends and family members in the Vietnam conflict, I can assure you that the problems that Billy Joe Yuma and his mountain companions faced are very, very real. Rachel Lee approached these problems with honesty and grace, and through the characters of Billy Joe and Wendy, we get a glimpse of the real hell that war can be--and of the home front casualties as well. This was an exceptionally good book--one that I read over and over. It is tender and it is hard, and it's treatment of war veterans in a fictional setting is one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Although I've yet to find a complete list,this book set me to trying to collect the entire series. I'm surprised no one has come up with a "listmania" list. I just ordrered "Destination Conard County" in hopes it may be the last so I can get a list of what I'm still missing. My only complaint with this book was that it hinted at problems between Nate and Marge Tate who seem to be recurring characters throughout the series, but never gives any explanation or resolution. Since the heroine of this book was their eldest daughter, and it appears another daughter will star in "Destination",perhaps that plot line will get picked back up. If so, then I hope it is'nt the last book. I'd love to see more featuring "Cowboy" and some of Yuma's other friends and lost warriors from this book.Oh yeah, it was pretty cool having a tough guy hero named Billie Joe.