Another in the Fairhope, Alabama series, in which we meet former SEAL Gavin Savitt, who comes home having lost most of his sight, but not his heart. A woman he knew before he left town was Mavis Bracken, but she’s not just his best friend’s little sister that she was then. Oh, she still has a woo-woo sense about her insofar as she seems to see things others don’t.

I really do enjoy this series. Ms. Williams has broughtto life a group of characters that I just love catching up with. Gavin has come back home. He didn’t want to but he really couldn’t put it off any longer. His military career is gone and so is his sight. What he didn’t expect was Mavis.

Mavis is one of his best friend’s little sisters, only now she is all grown up. Growing up, they had spent significant time together but she hadn’t ever looked like she looks now. She is the only one who seems to get him and even if he doesn’t completely understand her nuances, they click. I liked how she helped him, even when he pushed her away. I also like that he accepted her for herself without trying to change her.

It was a 4/5. I really do like this series!

The thing I love about Amber Leigh Williams is she never gives you cookie cutter characters, and when she gives you a flawed hero she ends up giving you perfection. Gavin is an ex-SEAL now that he is legally blind and can no longer serve so he comes back home to a place he never felt he belonged. Mavis, his best friend’s kid sister, helps him to heal his wounds and find his place has always been right where he thought he couldn’t stay.

Mavis is a great heroine. She’s unique and full of fire. Gavin pushes everyone away but she pushes through his walls and helps him through his PTSD and the past that haunts him. Speaking of HAUNT, Mavis is a paranormal investigator which lends to some funny moments.

I have all these Fairhope books on my Kindle but jumped into this one first after reading a (hilarious) excerpt online so there are a lot of characters from previous ones in it and it takes a minute figuring out who is who but the book is still written well enough that you can read without having read those first. Each character brings an added dose of heart to the story. I love the families and friendships explored in this book. Zelda is a fun secondary character and Prometheus- You have to love a big dog. Highly recommend!

A great story with a man formerly in uniform that’s more than a little rough around the edges, learning to take life one moment, one heartbeat at a time. It reminds us to appreciate the little things, never take people for granted, and to let love in! Oh and Prometheus was a TOTAL BONUS! A more loving and supportive dog you couldn’t ask for…

“Navy SEAL’s Match” by Amber Leigh Williams is a Harlequin Superromance that is part of the ‘Fairhope, Alabama’ series and features Gavin Savitt, whose military service left him with both physical and emotional wounds. The unexpected contacts with his best friend’s sister, Mavis Bracken, help him deal with some of his challenges, but this may not be enough to keep him from repeating his pattern of fleeing from those who care about him.

This contemporary military romance has one of my favorite tropes, a wounded hero, and the author does a great job of depicting not only his challenges but some of the impact on those who care about him. I love Mavis’ quirky personality and her unconventional approach to various problems but I thought her handicap was a little glossed over and I was a little troubled about some of the blowback the pair had to deal with from those who should have been supportive. I understand the protective instincts, but I thought some of the actions were excessive and some of the following scenes seemed to be a little rushed. The parental issues that the hero has to deal with are creepy and didn’t seem to flow well with the rest of the story, even though they explain elements of Gavin’s pattern of behavior. The paranormal aspect of the story imparted an interesting twist, but I wish it had been expounded upon more.

Nonetheless, this story had a great combination of humor, romance, and a couple of appealing animals, and I was quickly invested in the relationship between the main characters as well as entertained by several of the secondary ones. This tale is part of a series and can be read as a stand-alone story but I have to wonder whether some of my reservations about the pacing come from not having read the previous books and being unfamiliar with much of the backstory. I like the author’s characters and I will be looking for more of her stories.