Cowboy SEAL Homecoming: Navy SEAL Cowboys, Book 1

Helm’s first Navy SEAL Cowboys contemporary features a SEAL returning home to Montana to start a ranch where injured veterans can recuperate. After Burt Maguire dies, his son, Alex, comes back to the ranch he inherited along with his stepsister, Becca Denton. As Alex was in the military much of the time his father was married to her mother, he is taken aback by his growing attraction to Becca, who possesses a unique combination of beauty, innocence, and strength. Becca has spent much of her life being sheltered by her mother following a serious childhood illness; she is surprised that she easily becomes accustomed to the presence of Alex and two of his Navy buddies, Jack Armstrong and Gabe Cortez, and enjoys the frisson of excitement she feels when in Alex’s presence. As their relationship changes from friendship to romance, Becca’s determination to help mend the wounds of Alex’s military trauma are met with hard resistance, as he believes that he can and should fix his problems alone. Believable, down-to-earth, fully developed characters are at the heart of this novel, which brings to life the simple beauty of a Montana ranch while highlighting the healing power of love. (Jan.)