Afraid to Fly by L.A. Witt

Afraid to Fly by L.A. Witt

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.

Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.

Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver lining: now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.

It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.

Review: Afraid to Fly is the second book in the Anchor Point series (first book is Just Drive - my review here) and it's just as enjoyable as the first book. The book switches between the perspectives of Travis Wilson and Clint Fraser, allowing you to get to know both men really well. They have gone through a lot in their pasts, so when they find a mutual attraction, they don't really put a label on things right away.

Travis has PTSD from a plane crash that almost killed him and another man, while Clint has PTSD from a drone accident he was involved in. Both men were previously married to women and have children. They have a lot in common and once they start opening up to one another, they realize they have finally found someone that can understand them. Neither of them are bothered by the others PTSD- related nightmares, because they both have them. They seem like a good match.

Regardless, it wouldn't be a romance book without some "drama" if you will. Don't worry, it's not drama that makes you want to yell at the characters. It's all very realistic. Both of these guys have other people in their lives to worry about, and Travis is holding onto a secret that worries him about a future romance.

I loved both of these guys. It was heartbreaking to read about all the things they have had to endure due to the military. While they loved their jobs at the time, and are still in the military during the book, they know that it screwed up their lives in a lot of ways and that's hard to deal with. L.A. Witt has written another great read and I'm curious to see who she focuses on next in the third Anchor Point series (I assume there will be a third). Oh, and the two main characters from Just Drive make some appearances throughout, which is always fun!

Interested in reading Afraid to Fly? Check it out on Amazon (I'm an associate - I get a small percent for any sale). Want to read Just Drive first? Find it here.

Just Drive by L.A. Witt

Just Drive by L.A. Witt

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: For Sean Wright, driving a cab in the tiny Navy town of Anchor Point isn’t an exciting job . . . until he picks up just-dumped Paul Richards. A drive turns into a walk on the pier, which turns into the hottest hookup Sean’s had in ages.

After a long overdue breakup, Paul can’t believe his luck. Of all the drivers, he’s picked up by the gorgeous, gay, and very willing Sean. Younger guys aren’t usually his thing, but Paul can’t resist.

One taste and neither man can get enough . . . right up until they realize that Paul is Sean’s father’s commanding officer and the last man Sean should be involved with.

With two careers on the line, their only option is to back off. It’s not easy, though; the sex and the emotional connection are exactly what both men have been craving for a long time. But Paul has devoted twenty-four years to his career and his dream of making admiral. If he’s caught with Sean, that’s all over. He has to choose—stay the course, or trade it all for the man who drove off with his heart.

Review: Just Drive is the first in the Anchor Point series and it was definitely a good one. The overall plot concerns Paul, a career Navy man, and Sean, a twenty-something whose father is a career navy man. One night Sean picks up Paul outside a hotel, as he’s an Uber driver of sorts, and Paul’s first- and only words for a while- are “just drive.” So Sean does. There is a pretty immediate attraction on Sean’s part and the two do end up getting physical. They tell themselves they need to stop though, mostly because Sean is half Paul’s age. More issues arise as they keep meeting up, addicted to the physical aspect of their relationship, while also starting to like the person underneath. The official summary of the book gives away more details about how the plot, but I’ll just say that the drama was definitely realistic and deals with more than just the big age gap.

When it comes to novels, I don’t really mind age gaps. I will admit that seeing this in real life often throws me off, but I personally know people who are with someone a lot older than them, so I know that it can work in some cases. It was obvious that Sean and Paul had a connection, and I did appreciate that Witt showed them having conversations and sharing the hard times in their lives – Paul pretending to be straight for so long; Sean’s life being dictated by the Navy as he moved around the world – as it allowed me to see how the two fit apart from the physical.

Despite getting to know Paul and Sean fairly well, I still felt like things moved a bit quick. Regardless, the end worked well for me. I thought things came to a natural conclusion and decisions were made with care. I don’t want to say too much as I do want you to go along for the ride without too many preconceived notions of what Just Drive will deliver. I will say that I loved these characters and getting to learn about their backgrounds, and I thought the premise was interesting – not only with the age gap but with the military aspect too. I’ll be curious to see what the next Anchor Point novel has to offer.