Loving A Warrior by Melanie Hansen: A Love Story With Irresistible Chemistry

§ I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this novel. §

Matt has always dreamed of become a SEAL but the training programme is brutal and demands a lot of personal and physical sacrifices. The least he could use now is any kind of distraction. Then he quite literally runs into Shane. At first, Shane is nothing more than a random bloke on the beach. It soon becomes obvious that he is a trainee as well and Matt can't help but notice that he is kind of attractive and oddly endearing ... It takes very little for Matt to develop a crush. Maybe it's not all bad since Shane returns these feelings.

What can they do? They are both training for one of the most demanding jobs in the military. Should they really indulge in these feelings?

"I had it all planned out," Matt went on fiercely. "My while life has been dedicated to what I'm about to achieve, and everything I've been through, that dream is finally in reach." He sucked in a deep breath, his voice rising. "Then some gorgeous, ridiculous asshole has to crash into me on the beach and fuck everything up!"
"I know. My whole existence is just so inconvenient."

When I picked up "Loving A Warrior" I was not quite sure what to expect since the cover is a bit porn-y and in the first few pages Matt jogs along and ogles at every male butt. Suddenly Shane crashes into him. The awkwardness from horny Matt soon levels out and you are present with a Matt who is desperately trying to ignore this crush he has on a seemingly straight bloke.

As the story goes on, Matt and Shane learn from each other and get to know one another. It is such a pleasant progress to read about because as the reader you just know that both are into each other and you start to root for them. At the same time you just can't help but be a bit frustrated at how dumb they are when they are unable to see the mutual attraction!

When they finally kissed - and then did more than kissing - it was one of the happiest moments for me. This is so because the chemistry between Matt and Shane is simply irresistible. It consists of light - sometimes not so light - adorable banter, and support. Over the course of the book they start to genuinely care and you can tell that they would go through hell and beyond for one another.

On top of this, Hansen could have easy chosen to make this oddly porn-y or a cheap romance. However, "Loving A Warrior" empathizes on more than just sex. Matt and Shane discuss their priorities, putting SEAL training on top, followed by their friendship and sex as last. Even though, they do make jokes about wanting to shag each other in this very moment, nobody is ever pressured or "seduced" into such a situation.

As the story continues, their relationship starts to change as well. It begins with flirty banter, then they're at a weird stage when they're not really sure if they are dating and in the end it turns into deep love. This development does not feel rushed but due to a comfortable pace it felt natural.

In addition, I enjoyed how the LGBT aspect had been handled.While "Loving A Warrior" is LGBT fiction, it does not use the age-old coming of age trope. Matt and Shane are already comfortable with their sexualities and it is debated as much as being straight would be in a novel. This makes it into a love story in which the two protagonists are, well, two clowns who are in love and happen to be gay.

"Loving A Warrior" has positively surprised me in every way. It is a heartfelt, light and funny story that goes deeper than a conventional romance novel would. Furthermore, the chemistry between Matt and Shane is irresistible and I felt for them during every single page.

As long-term readers may know, I have been craving a queer military story with battle-hardened love for a millennia and "Loving A Warrior" got me one step closer. From now on Melanie Hansen can count me among her fans!