by L.D. Rose
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GENRE: Fantasy/paranormal
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BLURB:
Former Navy SEAL Sebastian “Bash” Lockard
died in Afghanistan after leaping on a grenade to save his comrades. Little did
he know his act of heroism would grant him a ticket into Heaven’s elite army as
one of the few and powerful Archangels. Struggling with his new existence, Bash
still retains his human memories, leaving behind a wife he loves with all of
his heart. Although he’s forbidden to see her, he can’t resist her lure, or the
mortal desires he harbors for her.
As a young
widow and nurse, Irene Lockard still mourns her husband two years after his
untimely death. His absence is everywhere, and when her best friend weds, she
hits an emotional rock bottom. As if summoned from the skies above, Sebastian
appears before her, and they share an unforgettable night. But when he once
again vanishes, she wonders if she’s truly gone mad with grief.
The only
way Sebastian can remain with Irene is if he makes the ultimate sacrifice. But
will she overcome her fear of losing him again to another war?
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EXCERPT
Her eyes snapped open, her vision blanketed by huge white
feathers, before a giant wing shoved her back. Her arms flailed as she fell
hard on her tailbone, the impact rattling up her spine and clacking her jaw
shut.
Pain and awareness ripped into her, the veil of fantasy torn
from her eyes as she gawked at the rail in front of her.
She was outside. In the dark. Ready to jump from her hotel
balcony.
Her sharp intake of air scraped her ears, her heart kicking
against her ribcage as she covered her gaping mouth with her hand. Holy shit.
Did I sleepwalk? Was she really about to plummet to her death from fourteen
stories high?
And did a huge bird just save her life?
Backpedaling across the concrete, the air cool against her
thighs now that she’d nearly torn her dress in half, she hit the glass of the
sliding balcony doors. Reaching up with a shaking hand, she clutched the handle
and pulled herself haphazardly to her feet, yanking the door open and stumbling
inside. She slammed it shut behind her, the glass rattling from the force of the
blow as she flipped the lock closed. Retreating farther, she toppled onto the
bed, staring at the night outside with growing horror.
She recounted her steps from when she’d arrived at the
hotel. The elevator, the housekeeper, entering the room, sitting, crying,
falling asleep, the river, the blood, the panic, the tree—
The tree.
Climbing the tree, touching its leaves, remembering . . .
A loud thump hit the balcony outside, muted by the thick
glass. Her bleary eyes shot to the figure standing on the ledge and she
released a cross between a sob and a shriek, then stifled her mouth with a
hand.
Tall, bare-chested, his suit jacket and shirt bunched in his
fist as he tossed them aside. Tattoos covered his arms, shoulders, and the base
of his neck. Closer now, she discerned the pattern of inked wings, pale muscles
rippling, lines and cuts he’d never worn before. His dark hair fell a little
longer on top, disheveled from the wind, his face still carved with gorgeous
edges, but thinner, wearier. His eyes were black holes, endless, consuming.
Infinite.
Sebastian.
His knuckles rapped on the glass, the sound sending a
terrified jolt into her nervous system. His eyes bore into hers, cutting
through the darkness.
“Reen. Open the door.”
Reen. Her nickname rumbled from his lips, his voice still
that resonant timbre she adored. God, some nights she’d pleaded to hear that
sound again, just to listen to him speak one last time.
This had to be another dream. He had to be a dream. She was
hallucinating.
Christ, had Phillipe spiked her drink?
“Reen.” He grasped the handle, tugged on it, his inked bicep
contracting. “I know you see me.”
She couldn’t move, nailed to the bed with fear, paralyzed by
disbelief. He pressed both palms flat on the glass, big hands with callused
fingers, hands that had memorized every part of her body. He broke eye contact,
dipping his head as he murmured, “Please, baby. Let me in.”
As if his plea granted her motor skills, Irene was suddenly
on her feet, hurrying across the carpet toward him. She struggled to control
her shaking hands, trembles reverberating through her entire body. It took her
three tries to flip the latch, and then she backed away, recoiling, afraid of
this man who looked so much like her dead lover.
He pulled the slider open in a smooth, fluid movement, the
cool ocean breeze escaping into the airless hotel. Setting his sights on her,
he stepped over the threshold, his presence filling the room, overwhelming her
entirely. When her back hit the main door, the opportunity to flee opened up
wide, but she stilled as his scent wafted into her nostrils, a blend of
sandalwood and her husband.
Sebastian. Her Sebastian.
The slider closed behind him, the finality of the sound
echoing through her bones, and she couldn’t run.
Not from him. Never from him.
An almost strangled sigh escaped him and he swallowed hard,
his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. A gut-wrenching pain glittered in his
dark eyes while he drank her in, his gaze skittering over her from head to toe,
as if reacquainting himself with his broken disaster of a wife.
Finally, he approached her in the dark, closing the distance
between them, and she pressed harder against the door. If he held her, if he so
much as touched her, she would be lost to him, squandering any semblance of
sanity she’d managed to retain in these awful years without him.
Blistering tears flowed freely down her cheeks as he halted
mere inches away, so close, so goddamn close his warmth radiated off his bare
chest. He lifted a hand and she flinched, stopping him as if she’d slapped him.
The pained expression on his face yanked a wretched sob from her throat, and
she just couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe he stood right there in front of
her.
The medal, the flag, the decorated casket, the salute . . .
had it all been a lie?
His finger brushed her cheek, tentative, soft, waiting for
her to strike. When she didn’t, he cupped her face in his hand, his skin still
rough and callused, wiping away her tears with his thumb. She leaned into his
touch, unable to resist his warmth, and he framed her face with his free hand,
staring into her eyes with a need so raw it stole what little breath she had
left in her burning lungs.
“My God.” He whispered the words, as if he didn’t have the
strength to give them voice. “I’ve missed you.”
Buy links:
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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GIVEAWAY
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My review:
4.25 stars
Sweet Sacrifice by L.D. Rose is a contemporary
paranormal/fantasy romance that is part of ‘The Soul Mate Tree’ series. Widow Irene Lockard has still not gotten past
the loss of her heroic SEAL husband who sacrificed his life to save the others
on his team. Sebastian “Bash” Lockard is still coming to terms with his role as
a newbie archangel but the requirement that he put aside the love and devotion
he still has for his wife may be the one thing that he can’t comply with.
I always enjoy stories that highlight military heroes and
the twist that includes archangels and an even larger war being conducted made
this a fascinating tale for me. I liked the different slant on such things as
the manifestation of wings and weapons, and the intense connection between the
main characters is lushly romantic although I was definitely puzzled about how
things would work out. There are a few things that I’m not quite satisfied with
(including the explanation of how Bash is reintegrated into the role he chooses
at the end) and wow, what a harsh and ascetic afterlife! Those who are
squeamish should be advised that there is a bit of violence depicted with a
fair amount of clinical detail. I was captured by the story immediately and loved
the gradual revelations. I wasn’t quite sure about the Soul Tree’s involvement
with these two except for very brief encounters and I think a lot of things
were a bit glossed over but this was still a very fun and entertaining read.
A copy of this story was provided for review
