Soldier Mine

By: Lizzy Ford

Narrated by: Katie Mills

A wounded war hero afraid to risk his heart....

A waitress with a troubled past.

Petr's life changed overnight when an ambush not only killed his twin, but left him wounded beyond repair as well. A year and a half later, he has built a new life but still struggles with the fear he didn't deserve to be saved and purposely won't take a chance of having his heart broken again.

Until he meets Claudia, the sister of a troubled boy Petr meets during a recruitment trip to a local school. Claudia has her own demon in the form of an abusive ex-boyfriend who won't stop stalking her. She's wary of starting over in a new place every month and working to make ends meet to support her younger brother, who she fears is going to take matters into his own hands soon by confronting the man chasing them.

Can a man who views himself as broken, and a woman unable to trust, help each other heal?

©2015 Lizzy Ford (P)2017 Lizzy Ford

Love this series!

The story of Petr is one that will make you admire and love this soldier. Though this can be read as a stand alone novel, we do first meet Petr in book one of the series. We find him recovering from an explosion that took off his leg from the hip and his sister Katya is taking care of him. Now working as a recruiter and helping those veterans who also have had limbs removed, Petr is trying to get used to his new life. When he meets Claudia, he finds a connection that he cannot deny. Petr takes Claudia's younger brother Todd under his wing and does his best to slowly infiltrate himself into her life without being too pushy. But Claudia harbors a secret that she is not willing to share and can threaten the lives of those around her. Will she finally find the strength to move on and start a new life with Petr? Petr's dad, Anton plays an integral part in this story, with his strength and love. He is able to help give Claudia some confidence in herself with the little things he does. Petr has an incredible outlook on life and is a real inspiration to others around him, especially other veterans and Todd. It is a wonderful story.

Katie Mills narrates this story well. Her voice is pleasant and enjoyable, and it gives the story the emotion and feelings to draw you into Petr and Claudia's story.

Okay read

I really wanted to love this story, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. The writing and plot was weak and unexperienced. The sentence structure was off and amateur. The author told the reader everything, instead of showing. By that I mean that the characters’ motives and background didn’t progress naturally through dialogue or action. We were told everything in bulk as we met them, and it became tiresome and unnecessary. Petr’s ex was another aspect that seemed quite unnecessary. It didn’t make sense why she was still involved in the family, especially with that personality of hers. She didn’t provide tension for the heroine and hero either so she was pointless in the end.

Claudia was headstrong and mature for her age, but can’t allow herself to get close to anyone because of her past. I felt bad for her and her situation, but the vagueness and broadness of her history kept me from fully relating to her. Petr was a sweet, alpha hero who presents himself like a strong man, but battles a lot of insecurities. Claudia and Petr were great characters individually, but as a couple, very unbelievable. I don’t mind insta-love if it’s done well, and in the case of this book, it was not. They barely interacted with each other and suddenly we’re supposed to believe that they were in love so soon. Her brother, Todd, spent more time with Petr than she did. This book was in dire need of relationship development here.
I liked the general concept of the story, but the end wrapped up too quickly and left me unsatisfied. This is a standalone story and it easily read as one, but it does seem like it would help know the backstory a bit better.

*I was provided this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom at no charge, for my unbiased review.

Great Story

Peter meets Claudia and attempts to help her brother. They develop a relationship but Claudia is cautious because she is hiding from her ex. When Claudia thinks that it is now safe, she lets down her guard and it backfires. This story is full of drama and the narration pulls you in even more. I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Great introduction to a new-to-me author.

A good romance, well told! I received a copy of Soldier Mine by Lizzie Ford from AudioBoom in return for an honest review. Somewhere along the way I'd heard of the author because when I checked my Kindle library, I found I already owned a few of her titles, including Semper Mine, the first in her "Sons of War" series. There's no problem starting with Soldier Mine, however, as the main characters, Peter and Claudia, tell their story in alternating chapters and don't leave the listener wondering about what happened earlier. What we learn right off the bat is that Claudia is living in fear, and that Peter's life, while outwardly going well, is still overshadowed by his twin brother's death and his own life-altering injuries. A spark ignites quickly between them, but trust grows more slowly, helped by the beautiful relationship that develops between Peter and Claudia's younger brother. Ms. Ford is a good writer, carefully balancing her character development and the unfolding of a tense story in well-crafted prose. I look forward to listening and reading more of her work!

My Two Pennies

4.5
Petr’s story pulled me in instantly, we’ve got a taste of the background with him and his twin that died in war but fully hearing his story consumes you. I felt this story has more passion and suspense blended together and I never wanted to hit pause. There’s a mystery “monster” for quite sometime with Claudia and her brother, when you find out what happened your jaw will drop. Petr is a persistent man and I found his personality magnetic. A standalone series that you can read in any order and not feel like you’re missing out on anything when it comes to the characters.