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A review by cortnyjoy
The Bell of the Bar by Liz Gordon
4.0
This one will stick with me. Listening to music the other day, “Promise to Love Her” by Blane Howard came on and I immediately thought of Brandon and Kate, as though we’re friends. The trope is one of my favorites—triumph and healing after tragedy. And the details—military, close family, rural Montana, a dog—only made it richer.
Kate and Brandon meet at her family’s brewery. He’s smitten, but she is hesitant. It doesn’t take long for Brandon to catch on to Kate’s quirks and develop a genuine concern for her. He’s enticed by her mystery, but the more he gets to know her, the more he’s attracted to her spirit and the way he feels around her. She’s a tough egg to crack though, and earning her trust takes time and patience.
I loved that most of this story was told from Brandon’s perspective. He’s a simple, salt-of-the-earth military veteran. I appreciated the way his narration was believable for his character and also emotionally captivating, even if I sometimes found myself hungering for more depth (which is almost always my contention, and usually even more with books written in first person.) The storytelling felt very authentic to Brandon, and the portrayal might have lost some of that authenticity if it had been more flowery and complex.
Read this story if you are into military romance, protective male MCs, slow burns, second chances, suspenseful undertones, digging into a character’s history instead of glossing over it, pubs/breweries, a dramatic climax, loving (sometimes overbearing) family, beautiful Montana scenery.
There are some editing kinks to overlook, which usually brings me to a much more critical rating, BUT the degree to which Brandon and Kate wove themselves within my heart and mind left a really positive lasting impression. I can’t wait to read your next book, Liz!
Kate and Brandon meet at her family’s brewery. He’s smitten, but she is hesitant. It doesn’t take long for Brandon to catch on to Kate’s quirks and develop a genuine concern for her. He’s enticed by her mystery, but the more he gets to know her, the more he’s attracted to her spirit and the way he feels around her. She’s a tough egg to crack though, and earning her trust takes time and patience.
I loved that most of this story was told from Brandon’s perspective. He’s a simple, salt-of-the-earth military veteran. I appreciated the way his narration was believable for his character and also emotionally captivating, even if I sometimes found myself hungering for more depth (which is almost always my contention, and usually even more with books written in first person.) The storytelling felt very authentic to Brandon, and the portrayal might have lost some of that authenticity if it had been more flowery and complex.
Read this story if you are into military romance, protective male MCs, slow burns, second chances, suspenseful undertones, digging into a character’s history instead of glossing over it, pubs/breweries, a dramatic climax, loving (sometimes overbearing) family, beautiful Montana scenery.
There are some editing kinks to overlook, which usually brings me to a much more critical rating, BUT the degree to which Brandon and Kate wove themselves within my heart and mind left a really positive lasting impression. I can’t wait to read your next book, Liz!