Soldier Mine

By: Lizzy Ford

Narrated by: Katie Mills

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Cannot Wait For More 'Sons of War' Novels

🗸 I absolutely love this book by Lizzie Ford. It has a wonderful plot that touches some very dark topics in a very respectful way, in my opinion. They include domestic violence and the struggle of survivor's guilt. A 5 star worthy story.

I thoroughly enjoyed Katie Mills performance and award it 4 stars.

I have listened to several books by Lizzie Ford and this one is my favorite. I won't hesitate to pick up her next one if given the opportunity. The same goes for any books narrated by Katie Mills (if the book interests me, of course.)

Overall, 4.5 credit worthy stars

*I received this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
🗸 If you found my review helpful in your decision about this book, would you please select 'helpful' directly below this review? Please consider 'following me on Audible. I purchase a lot of books and I also have the opportunity to review books in all genres, many that I would not pick up on my own. I have been pleasantly surprised by new authors and narrators.

***I forgot to add this disclaimer to my next review for Don't Give up on Me: A Holiday Romance by Paige Milliken - I received this book in exchange for my unbiased review, as well***

A beautfiful story of healing!

I accidently listened to these out of order and I can honestly say that it will not make a difference if you make the error I did.... I hope, I am listening to the first one next. I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. I found the story just wonderful and very well researched. I completely fell in love with all these characters, but most with Peter's dad. It also made me want to be invited to their house to be able to sample the food they talk about. There is great character growth and so much truth to these characters.
The narration was great. I never once was taken out of the story and I also knew who was talking. She did a great job at conveying the emotion of the story.
Lizzy Ford sure knows how to write them.

Soldier Mine is hopeful

A question posed by 14 year old Todd brings Petr into the life of himself and his sister Claudia. Petr is a soldier who was wounded while serving with his twin brother in Iraq; his wounds are both mental and psychological. Through an act of service he is able to get to know Todd and Claudia. Soldier Mine follows Petr and his developing relationship between Claudia and his friendship with Todd. Although both Claudia and Petr believe they have nothing to offer the other it is only their individual insecurities and trust issues that can possibly hinder their chances to develop a relationship together. Throughout the book/audio recording we learn only the monster stalking Claudia and Todd that may bring their friendship to a end. A little suspenseful with a hero wiling to help a damsel in distress. There is one character you may really want to slap.

Note this is a stand alone novel from Lizzy Ford but there is a previous book from Lizzy Ford about Petr's sister entitled Semper Mine. You do not have to read the previous book to understand this one.

The narrator does and excellent job of adequately voicing the characters and bringing out personality as she undertakes this reading.

Loved the book, LOVE the audio book!

The audio book gave the story more life, more meaning. I loved the book and I love the audio as well. it's an amazingly gripping story with compelling characters that you just want to root for. I love the cat and mouse relationship the main characters have it's beautiful.

A Great Military Romance

This story was good redemption story. I enjoyed the characters a lot because they weren't perfect. They had insecurities and they needed help but they found the strength to follow their hearts and take a chance on love. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great romance read where scars run deep and what’s on the inside matters most. I'm looking forward to the next story in this series. The narrators did a fantastic job.