She knew that love was the answer, but it was more than love- or rather more than the marshmallow kind of love that people understood when they thought of the word. Sometimes love meant you had to take the hard line and had to force people to do things they didn’t want to do.
Dale Mayer, Aaron (Hathaway House, bk 1)
Goodreads Synopsis
Former Navy SEAL Aaron Hammond has no idea how he wound up at Hathaway House, Texas. Nor does he particularly care. All he can see is his anger. Anger at the betrayal that destroyed his physical body and at the loss of the future he wanted but that he’ll never have now. He’s a cripple, less than half a man, and all he can look forward to is a half life, alone with himself and his pain.
Dani Hathaway runs Hathaway House with her father, an ex-military man nicknamed the Major, and she knew Aaron and his brother SEAL Levi in another life. Levi was a good friend to her through her difficult teen years, but it was Aaron who caught her eye more than a decade ago. When she heard what happened to him, she moved heaven and earth to get him to Hathaway House, where she could help him regain his health and return him to the man he used to be.
Old feelings resurface as Dani continues to push Aaron to acknowledge that his life is not over, and that, if he chooses, he can find both love and a future at Hathaway House.
Welcome to Hathaway House. Rehab Center. Safe Haven. Second chance at life and love.
My thoughts
I downloaded the free ebook version of Aaron by Dale Mayer for a quick romance. Which it was, but there was more depth than I was expecting. Even though the story is primarily a romance, it is equally about healing. Like most people, Aaron doesn’t accept help easily. HIs time at Hathaway house helps him to realize that we all need help at times, and there’s no shame in accepting the kindness of others.
What I loved about this book:
- Aaron and Dani were both likeable characters
- I love the idea of Hathaway House, a full rehabilitation center for both veterans and animals
- It was a great set up for future books in the series (there are 18 as of now)