Thursday, October 31, 2013

[Review]: "Camouflaged"


Camouflaged by Selena Laurence
Publisher: C.P. Writes, LLC (October 24, 2013) 
Series: Hiding From Love, 0.5
Genre: New Adult Contemporary


Gabe Thompson enlisted to help out his buddy, but three years later he's 100% US military bad boy, serving in the desert of Afghanistan where the days are hot, but the nights are hotter.

Alexis Garcia is out to save the world. The University of Texas freshman has come to Afghanistan to do aid work with the United Nations. She's all about the peace, and she has no use for the camp's biggest, baddest, gun toting player.

But, sometimes camouflage is more than a color, and people aren't what they seem. When conflict develops not only between Gabe and Alexis, but also all around them, they're forced to look deeper, and what they find will rock their worlds and change their hearts forever.


Where to Buy*:
Kindle [Nook, Kobo, etc, will be up soon!]
More Info:





My Review:






Camouflaged continues Laurence's Hiding From Love series (though it is technically a prequel), and tells the story of Gabe Thompson. While Nick (Hidden) was sent stateside after an incident, Gabe, his best friend, is still in Afghanistan finishing up his second tour of duty. Gabe's always been the player, the proverbial man who runs away from commitment. But, as with any playboy in romanceland, this changes as he begins to fall for Alexis Garcia, the UN volunteer he is assigned to show around the area.



I really liked Camouflaged. I will admit,  I still love Laurence's previous novel more, but it's not a big drop in rating (only a half a star). My biggest complaint is a common, but very good one-- I wanted more. I wish this novella had been a bit longer (or that it had been a full-length novel). I wanted more of a resolution in the end. A lot can happen in the six months until Gabe's tour ends and I wasn't completely reassured that their HEA was reached. A few more chapters, or an epilogue, would have helped. Or perhaps another novella or short story covering this couple in the future? (Hint, hint, Ms. Laurence!)




Of course, I'm a bit harsher when rating my novellas, and it's very rare for me to give one a top rating. However, Camouflaged does come very close.




Obviously I loved Gabe. I was a bit unsure at first due to his player attitude, but he turned around. I also respected his strength and dedication, especially by helping to support his mom back in the States. He was sexy (of course!) but he was sweet, in his own way, as he got to know Alexis.



This entire novella is told from Gabe's POV. I liked this, but I also thought at times it would have been nice to see some parts from Alexis' POV, too. I did not connect with her as much and in the end felt like I knew very little about her.



Another wonderful story from Selena Laurence, who is quickly becoming a favorite author or mine. I zipped through Camouflaged within a day and very much enjoyed it. I will be waiting for the next book in this series. For a quick paced, sexy NA romance, be sure to pick up this novella. In fact, pick up this series—you can read Camouflaged and Hidden in any order without missing anything.






4 STARS! 




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I received an e-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Have you read Selena Laurence yet? You can pick up Hidden for $0.99 right now (it was FREE a few weeks back, too!), and Camouflaged is currently $0.99 as well! :) 










Enjoy!


Until Next Time,


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  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

3 comments :

Pat Egan Fordyce said...

Looks like an interesting "take" on military romance with them both being in Afghanistan. I so agree on your view of most novellas. 4stars is pretty good, may have to give it a look. Thanks TBQ!

The_Book_Queen said...

;) I'm glad to know I'm no the only one who views most novellas like that!

Lover Of Romance said...

WOW!! I loved your thoughts on this one. Apparently I need to put this on my list.