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4.46 AVERAGE
4.46 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
My favourite of the series so far! I already loved them from their appearance in previous book, but here they stole my heart. Usually I prefer fast pace than slow burn, and this story is slow burn but it works so well!
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Doc and Grandpa.... Liam and Weston. HAD ME BAWLING MY EYES OUT! I have loved these men from the first mention of them from the beginning. Their love is one for the ages and learning how this love came to be hit me right in the heart. Absolutely amazing. Amazing Lucy Lennox, over the moon for these characters đź’•
I've read almost every book Lucy has ever published, and this is by far my favorite one ever.
Doc and Grandpa's book is the one I will always remember.
What I loved:
- The Characters:
Weston Marian: After finding a home in the Army, closeting himself and his urges for years and years, his life was forever changed the day Liam Wilde joined his Medevac team in the Vietnam war. Suddenly, urges he squashes for years come to the surface and Liam starts to chip away at his resolve to stay in the closet. Liam starts to star in his dreams, fantasies he desperately wanted but could never have. #IHadGivenUp
Liam Wilde:
He was happily married to the love of his life, had several beautiful children and was scared shitless when he arrived to Vietnam. Through this fright though, he found a best friend in Major, the person who was always there, a listening ear, who gave him strength ad confidence to survive Vietnam. He never expected to have such a strong connection with another man, platonic or not at first, but that connection proved to be crucial time and time again. #YouWereMyStrength
The Plot:
The men meet in Vietnam, and when they left each went back to their respective lives. Later, they meet again, and that connection never really went away strengthens through thick and thin. We follow these men through the years, we see them navigate new lives, loss and grief. we seem accept new feelings and new experiences. We see the shift in their lives, a shift that came organically and that was inevitable. #ASecondChance
The Romance:
This is a slow burn. The men are friends who meet on a battleground, lose touch after the war and then get back in touch later. They are friends first and this friendship was for me the most beautiful part of their relationship, even when it turns into a romantic one. It was the base of their romance and that was what made it so strong, what made it last and what made it unforgettable.
Liam was married after all, and Weston was closeted in a time where being gay wasn't acceptable.
Mind you, nothing happens between them while Liam is married, not even a kiss. Liam was faithful and Weston was respectful, hiding his feelings and pining from afar.
Then later, when they do come together, it was beautiful. The shift in their relationship was seamless. Weston was just amazing with how he was there for Liam, how he was his pillar of strength from the moment he laid his eyes on him, through their friendship, until they became lovers. #ASightToSee
- Steam-o-meter:
Steamy! These men... GAHHH. When they finally kiss and then have sex, which also takes time,...it was so beautiful, so romantic, so world sifting for both of them, as well as for the readers IMO. All of Liam's confusing feelings and all of Weston's pining became an explosion of intimacy. #WorthTheWait
- Angst-o-meter:
Angsty! From the war and the horrors they both face there, to their reconnection and what happens to get them to come together, to the confusing feelings and the pining and the secrets... YUP! I cried.. It's very hard for me to cry while reading, but in this book I cried in grief, and I cried for the beautiful love we get to experience.#HurtSoGood
- The HEA:
The ending here, after years and years of them loving each other, as friends and lovers and husband, was just perfect. it was the culmination of a beautiful relationship in all its aspects, with all the Marians and Wildes. I cried here too... #TillDeathDoUsPart
Doc and Grandpa's book is the one I will always remember.
What I loved:
- The Characters:
Weston Marian: After finding a home in the Army, closeting himself and his urges for years and years, his life was forever changed the day Liam Wilde joined his Medevac team in the Vietnam war. Suddenly, urges he squashes for years come to the surface and Liam starts to chip away at his resolve to stay in the closet. Liam starts to star in his dreams, fantasies he desperately wanted but could never have. #IHadGivenUp
Liam Wilde:
He was happily married to the love of his life, had several beautiful children and was scared shitless when he arrived to Vietnam. Through this fright though, he found a best friend in Major, the person who was always there, a listening ear, who gave him strength ad confidence to survive Vietnam. He never expected to have such a strong connection with another man, platonic or not at first, but that connection proved to be crucial time and time again. #YouWereMyStrength
The Plot:
The men meet in Vietnam, and when they left each went back to their respective lives. Later, they meet again, and that connection never really went away strengthens through thick and thin. We follow these men through the years, we see them navigate new lives, loss and grief. we seem accept new feelings and new experiences. We see the shift in their lives, a shift that came organically and that was inevitable. #ASecondChance
The Romance:
This is a slow burn. The men are friends who meet on a battleground, lose touch after the war and then get back in touch later. They are friends first and this friendship was for me the most beautiful part of their relationship, even when it turns into a romantic one. It was the base of their romance and that was what made it so strong, what made it last and what made it unforgettable.
Liam was married after all, and Weston was closeted in a time where being gay wasn't acceptable.
Mind you, nothing happens between them while Liam is married, not even a kiss. Liam was faithful and Weston was respectful, hiding his feelings and pining from afar.
Then later, when they do come together, it was beautiful. The shift in their relationship was seamless. Weston was just amazing with how he was there for Liam, how he was his pillar of strength from the moment he laid his eyes on him, through their friendship, until they became lovers. #ASightToSee
- Steam-o-meter:
Steamy! These men... GAHHH. When they finally kiss and then have sex, which also takes time,...it was so beautiful, so romantic, so world sifting for both of them, as well as for the readers IMO. All of Liam's confusing feelings and all of Weston's pining became an explosion of intimacy. #WorthTheWait
- Angst-o-meter:
Angsty! From the war and the horrors they both face there, to their reconnection and what happens to get them to come together, to the confusing feelings and the pining and the secrets... YUP! I cried.. It's very hard for me to cry while reading, but in this book I cried in grief, and I cried for the beautiful love we get to experience.#HurtSoGood
- The HEA:
The ending here, after years and years of them loving each other, as friends and lovers and husband, was just perfect. it was the culmination of a beautiful relationship in all its aspects, with all the Marians and Wildes. I cried here too... #TillDeathDoUsPart
This book was all I expected and more. I’ve been dying for their story since I first started reading the series. I started this last night about 2 hours later than I should have and couldn’t put it down until it was over. This book has all the feels!
I binged this book in one sitting, I should have expected it since I think I did the same for all the other Wildes but man did this one hit you hard with the feels.
-Doc and Weston's story being told from the very beginning made the slow burn you felt so right.
-As a reader we've always seen Doc and Weston in the background helping their grandchildren but having them at the front and center of the story gave you so much more perspective on the kids and grandkids personalities.
-Doc and Weston's story being told from the very beginning made the slow burn you felt so right.
-As a reader we've always seen Doc and Weston in the background helping their grandchildren but having them at the front and center of the story gave you so much more perspective on the kids and grandkids personalities.
And such a moment it was when I met the man who would turn one of those compact tiny capsules of time into a full lifetime stretched long and rich over decades, who would become the very half of my heart I hadn’t known I’d been living without. The man who would take a broken army medic made up of mostly selfish immaturity and familial obligation and turn him into something worthy, something decent and redeemed.
Liam "Doc" Wilde and Weston "Major" Marian are the two patriarchs of the large Wilde family. They meet when they are both stationed in Vietnam during the war which is the start of a decades long love story. I swear this story was like something out of a movie. You have two people in a very traumatic situation who somehow still end up finding love with one another.
Doc is married with 3 children during his first tour as a medic in the war. At first he falls into a bit of a hero worship of Major who is described as a steady and calm presence. Major knows he is gay but its the late 60's so he's not out, though he does confide in Doc once they grow a bit closer. Doc leaves the war first, with Major continuing on to end up having a fifth tour. Once they are both out of the war they end up back in Doc's hometown of Hobie, Texas. Major is hired on as a ranch hand after Doc asks him to come home with him. Major becomes a close member of the Wilde family. He helps raise Doc's now 4 kids and even becomes close with Doc's wide Betsy.
Eventually, not without some tragedy, Doc and Major do end up together. The story of how they go from best friends to more is slow but steady. It has exactly the right amount of pining and for the time period that they get together in, I expected a little more hesitance on Doc's side but there wasn't any. He was so sure about Major and easily accepted that they were meant to be.
Doc and Major's love story was so sweet, and the time jump back to the present where we see them again as 75 and 85 year olds surrounding by their children and many grandchildren just showed how much they really love one another.
In his eyes I saw a lifetime. One that stretched long into the past, but stretched forward into the future too. I leaned in to kiss him. This wasn’t the end of our time together, after all. It was a new beginning.
The reason this isn't 5 stars is because the epilogue was too confusing for me. I never read the Made Marian series so I really didn't get what was going on - there were just too many names for me to keep track of. The other thing I wish we could have read about was moments between their children in present day. There were plenty of sweet moment of Brenda, Gina, Billy, and Jackie from when they were young with Doc and Major but they're kind of MIA in the series so far which just seems odd since the series focuses on Billy's children. It seemed like Billy and Major were very close as Billy was growing up so I just wished I could have seen more interactions of them from the present.
Next two books are King and Cal who so far have had the least amount of cameos in this series! I don't know what to expect with these two so I'm excited to continue on reading about this family finding love <3
Liam "Doc" Wilde and Weston "Major" Marian are the two patriarchs of the large Wilde family. They meet when they are both stationed in Vietnam during the war which is the start of a decades long love story. I swear this story was like something out of a movie. You have two people in a very traumatic situation who somehow still end up finding love with one another.
Doc is married with 3 children during his first tour as a medic in the war. At first he falls into a bit of a hero worship of Major who is described as a steady and calm presence. Major knows he is gay but its the late 60's so he's not out, though he does confide in Doc once they grow a bit closer. Doc leaves the war first, with Major continuing on to end up having a fifth tour. Once they are both out of the war they end up back in Doc's hometown of Hobie, Texas. Major is hired on as a ranch hand after Doc asks him to come home with him. Major becomes a close member of the Wilde family. He helps raise Doc's now 4 kids and even becomes close with Doc's wide Betsy.
Eventually, not without some tragedy, Doc and Major do end up together. The story of how they go from best friends to more is slow but steady. It has exactly the right amount of pining and for the time period that they get together in, I expected a little more hesitance on Doc's side but there wasn't any. He was so sure about Major and easily accepted that they were meant to be.
Doc and Major's love story was so sweet, and the time jump back to the present where we see them again as 75 and 85 year olds surrounding by their children and many grandchildren just showed how much they really love one another.
In his eyes I saw a lifetime. One that stretched long into the past, but stretched forward into the future too. I leaned in to kiss him. This wasn’t the end of our time together, after all. It was a new beginning.
The reason this isn't 5 stars is because the epilogue was too confusing for me. I never read the Made Marian series so I really didn't get what was going on - there were just too many names for me to keep track of. The other thing I wish we could have read about was moments between their children in present day. There were plenty of sweet moment of Brenda, Gina, Billy, and Jackie from when they were young with Doc and Major but they're kind of MIA in the series so far which just seems odd since the series focuses on Billy's children. It seemed like Billy and Major were very close as Billy was growing up so I just wished I could have seen more interactions of them from the present.
Next two books are King and Cal who so far have had the least amount of cameos in this series! I don't know what to expect with these two so I'm excited to continue on reading about this family finding love <3
Finally we get Doc's and Grandpa's story. It was just beautiful. And now I know why this book has more ratings than others.
Best Book In The Combined Series!
Since Doc and Major were older in most of the series, I never thought of them as anything else. I enjoyed reading about them as a younger couple, especially during that voyeur scene. I like how Lennox didn’t just throw Betsy away like she didn’t matter. An issue I have in a lot of romance novels, including m/m, is how the prior husband and wife are treated as throw away character. Doc loved his wife and respected her. He never dreamed of straying as a married man. I love how Major also loved Betsy and respected her. The epilogue was perfect. Now I want to read the series all over again.
Since Doc and Major were older in most of the series, I never thought of them as anything else. I enjoyed reading about them as a younger couple, especially during that voyeur scene. I like how Lennox didn’t just throw Betsy away like she didn’t matter. An issue I have in a lot of romance novels, including m/m, is how the prior husband and wife are treated as throw away character. Doc loved his wife and respected her. He never dreamed of straying as a married man. I love how Major also loved Betsy and respected her. The epilogue was perfect. Now I want to read the series all over again.