Reviews

Forever a Soldier by Genevieve Turner

alannaodea's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

robynpowell's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

3.5

brandypainter's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this book so much. [b:Autumn Sage|24248900|Autumn Sage (Las Morenas, #3)|Genevieve Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420154521s/24248900.jpg|43033642] is my favorite of Genevieve Turner's novels, and this one calls back to it a lot. Though reading it is not necessary to enjoying Forever a Soldier, it was an added bonus for me. The heroine, Lahle, is working on her history dissertation and is looking through the Moreno family archives for sources. The hero, Hank, is the keeper of those archives. He is a former soldier and hermit who suffered from a severe anxiety disorder. The heroine is full of sunshine, rainbows, and optimism. The hero is afraid to leave his house. Turner handles this dynamic well. Lahle is not Hank's savior, but she is a catalyst for his changing some stuff about his life and the way they grow close and he lets her into his small world is wonderful.

pugluver11's review against another edition

emotional hopeful relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I originally DNFed this book about halfway through. The plot was moving so slow, and I wasn't invested. For some reason, I felt the urge to pick it pack up again a couple months later, and I'm glad that I did. This was by no means a a groundbreaking read, but it delivered on that small town cozy feel. I got a warm feeling as I watched the two MCs realize their feelings for each other and overcome their challenges. Overall, I have no complaints about the writing quality. There were some good bits of dialogue when they were discussing their philosophies and goals in life. 

I feel like the book was missing that wow factor. The story about the Moreno family fell flat for me. I couldn't care less about their story, and the "twist" at the end did nothing for me. 

I enjoyed the two main characters. Lale came across as a sunshine type of girl, the kind that keeps smiling no matter what life throws at her. She has an overall positive outlook on things. I could really feel her passion through the pages. 

I appreciated how Hank was portrayed. It's not every day that a book delves into the theme of men having mental illness. I think it was tastefully done. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

bandherbooks's review against another edition

not in the mood for this right now. absolutely a me thing, not a book thing.

mybookworld24's review

4.0

This book was a page-turner, I really wanted to know how the story continues and that never happens to me when I am reading romance. It speaks about anxiety and that’s something I have had in my life and as Hunk said in this book for a guy it’s harder to show yourself as vulnerable to society so it was nice to be able to relate. I think that we need to be more understanding like the character of Lale.

bandherbooks's review

not in the mood for this right now. absolutely a me thing, not a book thing.

bayougirl85's review against another edition

5.0

This was not at all what I expected but in a really good way.

adelebuck's review

DNF'd because it just wasn't holding my attention. Not bad, by any stretch, but not compelling. I kept putting it down for other stuff.