Book Review: True Valor

I have another book review for you, and this time it is True Valor by Dee Henderson. This is the second novel in her Uncommon Heroes series.

So what is this book about?

Lieutenant Grace "Gracie" Yates spent her deployment catapulting off the deck of the USS George Washington in an F/A-18 Hornet. A self-assured naval aviator, she was flying to keep the peace while being ready for war.
Major Bruce "Striker" Stanton, Air Force Pararescue Jumper, had been pulling pilots and Special Forces soldiers from behind enemy lines for twelve years. Bruce knew Grace was too good a pilot not to draw the tough assignments. She was on the front lines. If she got in trouble, his unit would get the call.
With demanding jobs, deployed to different locations, they kept their relationship alive by writing love letters. In the face of danger, they both leaned on the truth that God is sufficient no matter what the circumstances.

First impressions? I loved it!

With the risk of getting redundant in my reviews, let me just say Dee Henderson's characters are as fascinating and vibrant as they come. She's exceptionally talented in bringing people to life on the page.

I loved the pacing of this book. It is a military romance novel with plenty of war-time shenanigans to keep you worried for your favorite characters, but what I especially loved was the letters that Gracie and Bruce wrote to one another. They are interspersed all throughout the book and, in my opinion, well placed. You can't go too far without reading one of the letters, but they never feel intrusive to the rest of the story or out of place. I loved them. As for the war-time shenanigans, that was well-paced as well. I was more prepared this time around to read a military romance and so I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think I came into book 1 with the expectation that it would be like Dee Henderson's other books, but it's not. These military novels are different, but just as good.

There is a lot of military jargon in this book, as well as in book 1, and I can't say I understood it all. However, Dee Henderson does a good job of explaining things to the reader in a subtle way (i.e. through dialogue and exposition) so that through context you have a pretty good idea of what is going on even if all the fancy words are unfamiliar. She also includes a glossary at the front of the book to explain all that confusing military jargon, too, which is very helpful.

As with most Dee Henderson novels, I loved the spiritual side of things as well. Dee Henderson is remarkable at weaving her character's deep love for God into their whole lives. It's rather inspiring--both the talented writing and the deep love for God.

Would I read it again? 100% yes.

Would I recommend this book to others? Absolutely. It's Dee Henderson;  you can't go wrong with that. :)