Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Gunner
SERIES: Fire Lake #5
AUTHOR: M. Tasia
PUBLISHER: Boroughs Publishing Group
LENGTH: 214 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 6, 2023
BLURB:
DEFINE FAMILY
For a man who’d spent his Navy SEAL career as a sniper, Gunner finds himself overwhelmed with emotion.
When his sister dies and names him as her son, Ben’s, legal guardian, Gunner has to leave the SEALs to became a dad to a five-year-old boy.
Never having pictured himself as anything but alone, and anywhere but in the Navy, he moves to Fire Lake where Gunner’s former team leader and his retired SEALs team live and work.
If all that upheaval wasn’t enough, he has his sister’s in-laws suing to take custody of Ben, and a pain-in-the-ass PI who has made himself at home at the lake house.
REVIEW:
Having been suckered in by false information about Gunner – Private Investigator Connor feels he must right the wrong. Determined to do the right thing, he follows Gunner and the SEAL team back to Fire Lake. Understandably, trust didn’t accompany them – and there are consequences.
Gunner is the fifth book in the Fire Lake series. If anyone shouts, ‘Nooooo’ – judging from the ending and other plot bunnies, there will most likely be a spin-off. Anyhoo, I found Gunner to be the best of the batch. It was a balanced, cohesive, entertaining read that kept me turning the page until the end. Although, to get the full immersive experience at least book 4 should also be read.
Gunner and Conner provide the viewpoints, though odd paragraphs from others sneak in. I feel these other opinions could have been written to make their thoughts known but not technically heard. There was also the odd change in wording which made me question the verbal tense of some areas. But those were my only gripes and the reasoning why this story received 4.5 hearts instead of 5.
Worldbuilding has developed through the series, and other than some immediate descriptions of their whereabouts, I enjoyed the focus on the main protagonists and their mission. So far, every book in the series has contained two primary elements, the new m/m relationship, and the ensuing mission, which highlights the skills of the latest addition to the story. It is a formula that works, too. The SEALs are exceptional at what they do. However, in previous books, the mission, albeit super to read, has been a bit of a stretch on the imagination. The operation in Gunner flowed and gelled much better. Though, the author has a penchant for using government/conspiracies and messed up families in the plotlines.
As the blurb says, Gunner is a former SEAL sniper – his quietly organized world is turned on its head when his sister dies, naming him guardian of his nephew, Ben. He’s just getting used to one change when Connor arrives on the scene turning Gunners’ emotions into a tossed salad. So, it’s safe to say that Gunner has a lot to work through, especially given the custody battle in his future.
By trade, Connor is a methodical Private Investigator with a past, who fancies the pants off Gunner alongside righting a wrong. His personality, connections, and place in the group develops through the pages, so I won’t go into much detail as I don’t do spoilers. Suffice as to say, I enjoyed every word, and it kept me turning the page.
In summary, this novel provided (amongst other things) a splendid mix of tenderness, emotional upheaval, awesome action, SEAL family protection, other twisted family drama, and links to other plotlines in the series—a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
RATING: 
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