Review and Giveaway: CRAZY FOR HER by Sandra Owens

Title: Crazy for Her (Book 1 of the K2 Team Series)

Author: Sandra Owens

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Release Date: September 1, 2014
Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From the Book

When his best friend and fellow Navy SEAL, Evan Prescott, died in his arms on the battlefield, Logan Kincaid gave his word to watch over Evan’s widow. But for two years he kept his distance…torn between honoring his solemn vow and succumbing to his secret love for his fallen comrade’s wife. But when Dani Prescott desperately reaches out to Logan for the help only he can give, he rushes to her side—determined to fight for her safety as fiercely as he fights against his own buried desire.

Someone claiming to be her husband is stalking Dani and her infant daughter, making them virtually prisoners in their remote country home. Logan’s elite military training and high-risk security expertise have outmatched more dangerous enemies. But the real challenge will be the burning temptation that threatens to overcome Logan whenever Dani is near…especially when she reveals her own hidden passion.

My Review

This novel starts a new series for Owens, and she starts it off with a bang. On the battlefield, we meet Logan Kincaid and Evan Prescott - and throughout the novel, we fall in love a little with each of them. 

Logan is a tortured man who managed to pull both his sister and himself from the ashes of a very rough home life. He's made something of himself with his own special ops-ish company, but his training came from his days as a Navy SEAL, where he and his best friend Evan met. In his last breaths, Evan begs Logan to protect and care for his wife and unborn child.

Logan's been in love with Evan's wife from the first moment they both met her. However, Evan gets to her first and, as they say, bro code is immediately put into place. Logan strives to be noble and good and everything that a man should be...until Dani forces him to look to the future instead of the past. A true alpha, Logan is not a fan of being out of control...and that's just what Dani does to him every time he gets near her.

Danielle Prescott is a widow and, when we meet her, is just past her grief (two years after her husband's death). She's at a place where she can smile at the memories, and she has a young daughter (Regan) whom she's determined will know her father as someone wonderful. Owens did a stunning job at capturing this stage of a person's life; the hope of a child, the sadness but need to move on of widowhood, and the determination of a strong woman combined perfectly to create a believable, heartwarming story. Dani recognizes her loneliness and wants to move on with her life, and she knows Evan would be more than supportive. She has always had something of a crush on Logan, but as the story progressed, I enjoyed watching Dani try to figure out if she should give Logan a chance at more than the fling she has in mind (ha! As if she had a say in the matter of her heart!).

The suspense comes in with the stalker who's been calling Dani and claiming to be Evan. It's eery and gives you the goosebumps with each phone call and event. Dani deals with it herself until a box arrives with a teddy bear inside...holy freakiness. I was fully creeped out. Logan's desire for Dani begins to cloud his judgement, and his razor-sharp battle edge is significantly dulled by it - putting Dani and Regan in more danger. Logan's struggle to keep a lid on his desire to keep them safe was well-thought out, well-paced and understandable throughout the novel, and added a layer of complexity to the overall story. 

Evan's memory is well-served in Crazy For Her, which is so important in a second-chance love story about a military widow. Regan gives the feeling of hope to Logan, which he desperately needs, and I enjoyed how she wasn't pushed to the side and only brought out when convenient.

The supporting cast of former SEALs - from a creepy swampman (oh please, I hope there's a story about him!) to a modern-day Romeo, I can't wait to see what Owens cooks up for her band of SEAL brothers.

From the first page to the last, I was riveted. I started the book at 9pm, read until I couldn't keep my eyes open, then woke from a dead sleep to get back to this story. I finished it around five in the morning, and I didn't regret the lack of sleep at all. This story was worth the sacrifice! I highly recommend this novel if you're looking for a contemporary, fast-paced novel with unexpected twists and turns. Also, if you like when authors break conventions, Owens did a marvelous job of it with Logan Kincaid - he's my book boyfriend and I had a book hangover. The only issue with this book? It ended. :)

Four stars.

About the Author

A native of Florida, Sandra once managed a Harley-Davidson dealership, before switching from a bike to an RV for roaming the open road (though she’s also chased thrills from sky-diving to upside-down stunt-plane flying). In addition to Crazy For Her—a 2013 Golden Heart Finalist for Romantic Suspense—her works include the Regency Romance novels The Letter, winner of the Golden Quill Award, and The Training of a Marquess, winner of the Golden Claddagh Award. A member of Romance Writers of America, and potential cat owner, she lives with her husband in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Giveaway

Three lucky readers will win a copy of CRAZY FOR HER!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Disclaimer: I was provided a digital Advanced Reader Copy (e-ARC) from the author for an honest and unbiased review.)