Book Review of Rescue Me by Lara Van Hulzen

Oh boy, do I love wounded cowboy stories! And Lara Van Hulzen's last book in her Men of Honor Series is no exception.

Keith is a soldier with a wounded heart. 
Torie’s secrets haunt her. 
Can they trust love enough to mend what’s broken? 

Torie Walker is a police officer with a past she’d like to stay hidden from. Staying at her best friend’s cabin in the mountains over Christmas is just what she needs. However, when a handsome cowboy saunters into her life, she takes the risk and trusts him with her secrets. 

Keith Scott is a United States Marine, Force Recon. Home for the holidays, he intends to spend a quiet Christmas with his family. What he doesn’t plan on is Torie Walker, a woman who mends his heart and makes him want to love again.


Torie is a familiar character for those who have followed along with Van Hulzen's entire series. She starts out in book 1, Remember Me, and finally gets her happily ever after in book 3. Her tough cop exterior has made her a strong character from the beginning, but in this story we get to see into the darker corners of her soul as she faces an old enemy - a very personal one. It was fascinating to see the two polar opposites of strong and weak in this amazing woman. Van Hulzen did a great job of making all her sides believable.

Keith was introduced in book 2, Get To Me. He came on the pages as a brooding and maybe broken soldier. It was fun to open up that package as I read through Rescue Me. Keith, as all of us, has many facets to his character. Both his pain and his joys are deep and three-dimensional. He was a fantastic hero.

Overall, I love this series. A great and fun read for anyone who likes romance with a twist of faith. I found book three had a much slower pace than the first two books that clipped along with great tension. It wasn't a problem for me as I was well invested in the characters by that point. Perhaps this one is best read as a series. However, the story line doesn't need the previous ones to be understandable. Despite the slower pace, I enjoyed it. Rescue Me holds you close enough to keep you reading to find out more about the "fear" in our strong and ever-capable Torie.

The setting was fabulous - a cabin in the mountains at Christmas! Great fun. The supporting characters were intriguing and added a sense of balance to Keith's personality. There is even a glimpse of the Newlyweds, Aimee and Dane.

Overall a good story, a fun, heart-warming romance and a great read.

Thanks to the author for a chance to review this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion. Check it out!

Also, stay tuned as Lara's next series, Return to Silver Bay, is set to be out in March 2016.