“I suspect the most we can hope for, and it’s no small hope, is that we never give up, that we never stop giving ourselves permission to try to love and receive love.” ― Elizabeth Strout
Title: A Fighting Man (Men of Manhattan: Book Three)
Author: Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Pages/Word Count: 103 Pages
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb: Army Ranger Slater Cassidy has a very special – very sexy – target in his sights. Meeting gorgeous, smart, uber-snarky Casper Kennedy was the highlight of Slater’s last trip home to New York. The soldier in him carefully plans his conquest. Unfortunately, Casper’s wearing some seriously strong armor and Slater’s charm offensives bounce right off. Casper’s refusal to fall for him is puzzling – not to mention incredibly annoying. When Slater gets leave again after grueling back-to-back tours in Afghanistan, all he wants is another shot at wooing Casper. He jumps right into the battle for the other man’s heart, but Casper does not intend to entertain the troops. A heartbreaking revelation changes the rules of romantic warfare, and Slater suddenly realizes he doesn’t just want Casper. He wants to capture his heart, too.
Casper Kennedy is fighting a losing battle. A certain outrageously demonstrative Army Ranger has been a thorn in his side since his last trip home – and the main character in his steamiest dreams. Now he’s back. He launches an all-out sensual assault and no matter how hard Casper pushes Slater away, the man somehow manages to inch closer. So close, in fact, that Casper’s once-impenetrable defenses are in danger of collapsing. Should he throw up the white flag and take a chance at love? Or start firing back and keep his heart protected? When the handsome Ranger shows his true colors, Casper just might have to surrender the fight.
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Review: A Fighting Man is book three in Sadrine Gasq-Dion’s Men of Manhattan series. This was a cute, sweet little novella. It is short enough to read in one sitting and low angst enough to enjoy regardless of my frame of mind at the time. There is a little angst, can’t have a romance novella without it, just not enough to bring me down.
As a sequel, it was good to catch up with the characters in the previous two books. One of the main characters in A Fighting Man is the brother of one of the main characters in A Marrying Man. Slater Cassidy and Casper Kennedy actually met in the previous book, but this is their entire story.
Since Slater laid eyes on Casper, he has wanted him. He is an Army Ranger on deployment in Afghanistan, but that doesn’t stop him from pursuing Casper relentlessly. He tries everything from flowers to a strip-o-gram to win Casper’s affections.
Casper has suffered a deeply painful loss in his past. One that has made him determined to close off his heart, especially to a soldier. He has to admit that he finds Slater almost irresistible. He is front and center in many of Casper’s solitary fantasies.
Both of these characters are funny, sexy, smart, and my personal favorite, sarcastic wise-asses. Ms. Gasq-Dion has written some very funny, fast paced dialogue between the two men and also the supporting characters in this story.
A tragedy occurs that brings up painful memories and feelings for Casper and brings out the worst in Slater. Watching them both struggle to overcome their emotional and physical hurdles was a really good read. In a book like this, you kind of know how it is going to end, but getting there was great fun this time around.
A few secondary characters that we meet in A Fighting Man are prime candidates for books of their own. I could see another couple of books in this series. I will be one of the first online to buy them if they come about. The Men of Manhattan are an enjoyable lot, and I hope to read more of them.
You can buy A Fighting Man (Men of Manhattan: Book Three) here:
Great review Tina, I totally agree with you. Drakon needs his story soon, I think he is going to end up with Blaine and Casper’s boss, but I guess I will have to wait and see, LOL.