A Soldier's Christmas
Rachel Lee, Merline Lovelace, and Catherine Mann
HQN, Nov 2004, $6.50
ISBN: 0373770146

"I'll Be Home" by Rachel Lee. SEAL Seth drives to Conard City, Wyoming where his former wife resides because his mother Marge asked him to spend the holidays with her. At his parents' home, Seth meets schoolteacher Maria. They hit it off from the start, but Seth knows the life of a SEAL is almost as hard on a spouse so he fears anything beyond the holidays though Maria wants that and many future seasons of cheer with him.

"A Bridge for Christmas" by Merline Lovelace. USAF reservist on active duty Captain Abigail, her combat engineering unit and "hardheaded" pilot Major Dan prepare for the special operations detachment that will follow them into the remote Taurus Mountains. The war-ravaged, abandoned village has left behind only Father Dominic and his orphans. As Abby and Dan bang heads, they must rescue a young girl isolated on the other side of the river with a broken Roman bridge not connecting the two embankments, but soon connecting two hearts.

"The Wingman's Angel" by Catherine Mann. Josh and Alicia are close to finalizing their divorce as the two soldiers were unable to maintain a duel military lifestyle. Before the Lieutenant Colonel and his Captain wife end their marriage; they are on a cold region training exercise in the frozen Alaskan tundra. As they work together, they stumble upon a uranium mining excavation with killers in pursuit of the beleaguered duo.

The three exciting, well-written military romance novellas showcase problems and real sacrifice (not politician lip service) confronting individuals dedicated to keeping our nation safe while maintaining relationships that suffer when one is away for long periods.

Harriet Klausner