Book Tour for Life Flight by Shaunna Wolf (Review & GIVEAWAY)

I love discovering unexpectedly good reads when I least expect them and today's new-to-me author provided just that.  Keep reading to get a glimpse of the intense read Life Flight by Shaunna Wolf, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour.  Make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win a $50 bookstore GC too!

Malachi Blackfeather has spent twenty years in the Army. Two of those years as a Vietnam POW. Now that he's out, all he wants is some peace and quiet to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. Between the flashbacks, and an over interest in sex that is now being called sex addiction, finding his path isn't easy. 
Kat is trying to escape an abusive marriage. Her soon to be ex is a master at manipulating the system, and her family thinks she should stay with him, "because no other man will want her". She's looking for escape in any form she can get it.
When they meet, sparks fly. Trapped by a blizzard, can two damaged people, who think there is no chance of love in the world for them, find each other, and survive an unforeseen circumstance that puts both of them in danger?
Mystery, romance, and danger, fill this novel, with a story that will draw you in and not let go.

EXCERPT:

The heater stood dark and cold.  I should have gotten up after we were done.  Filled it and restarted it.  I hadn’t wanted to move.  Still didn’t want to, despite the cold in the room.  Dim light streamed in through the window, sleety snow still battered the glass.  Shook the door in its frame.  How long could this blizzard go on?
I tightened my arms around Kat.  Forever.  Then she would have to stay right in this room with me--in my arms.  Nothing made sense, everything my life had been for the last twenty-five years rang like a bad dream, a nightmare from the pits of Vietnam.  So dead inside that any feeling fed me, woman after woman, man after man, no one let me hold on to what I felt for more than a few shared moments.  Lies whispered to the tiny ember of my soul that I had left.  This is the one, they told me, this one will make you feel, will bring you back to life.  
They never did.
Kat ran her hand down my arm.  Snuggled closer to me.  A chill that had nothing to do with how cold the room had become, shook me.  Spoke to me.  I could again with her, and I knew I would keep feeling what I was.  Alive.  Warm.  As if I had a soul inside me, not just a demon who preyed on others for my next fix of emotions.
“I should fill that heater and get us some warmth again.”
“Yeah, I suppose one of us should,” she said with no intention to do so in her voice.  
I tightened the bear’s embrace I held her in, tangled my legs with hers.  She pushed at my arm, wanted to make me let go of her.  
“I don’t want to let go of you yet,” I said.  If I let her go, the surging emotions inside me would vanish with the warmth of holding her.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Life Flight is one of those books that gives you the unexpected.  From its opening chapter that gives us a heroine unashamed of her sexuality, to the double standards held by some in society, to the aftermath of war on a man's psyche, this was a compelling read from start to finish.  While some might find this a difficult read at times it's a hard-won HEA that is well worth the wait.

On the day her father died Kat was told to hide her emotions which has led to a woman very aware of her emotions and needs.  After her husband tried to mold her into the perfect wife through mental and physical abuse she tried to leave him behind but narrow-minded individuals have kept her tied to him and made her life even more difficult.  She's gone from one-night stand to the next looking for something meaningful and satisfying to her heart and soul and just when she finds Malachi her life gets even more complicated.  Kat's had a lifetime of disappointment from judgmental family members and others in the tribe that has resulted in low self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness that has led to moments of bad decisions.  I felt sympathetic towards Kat and admired her ability to give as good as she gets when people bad mouthed her.  She was strong-willed on the outside but emotionally damaged on the inside.  I was happy she found Malachai as he truly understood her and wanted to protect her without smothering her spirit.

Malachai's had his own issues in life from a youthful indiscretion with a priest to his many one-night stands to his time spent as a POW during the Vietnam War.  It's left him with debilitating flashbacks that transport him back in time and bring out his aggressive side.  The only thing that seems to help is losing himself in Kat which helps both of them fight their demons.  No matter his problems he's a good guy at heart.  He sticks up for Kat against everyone and takes care of her without making her feeling like a burden.  He finds peace in caring for others and is a dependable soul willing to be with Kat no matter what.  When she's taken from him he never stops looking and their soul-deep connection helps in finding her.

Kat and Malachai are perfect for each other in that they feed into each other's dark needs.  There's no shame between them about anything in their past or present as they work towards a future together.  This leads to numerous hot and heavy sexual interludes that were like a fantasy during the blizzard that brought them together.  Along with their compelling pairing I enjoyed the surprising friendship between Mal and Sheriff Johnny as it was delightful in its brotherly feel.  Johnny was supportive of Mal and was right beside him searching for Kat, even jeopardizing his job in support of the man who became his friend.  The only part of the story that felt out of place was Kat's kidnapping as it felt a bit soap operaish in its being over the top.  It came out of the blue and put numerous red herrings into this part of the story, though the true culprit was obvious to me.  It slowed down the overall story's pace and impeded the strong connection they had forming,

Except for that small quibble I found this a compelling read with characters you can't help but be drawn to.  The sexual interludes are intense as are the issues these characters deal with and I will be on the lookout for more by this author because of it.

My rating for this is an B+

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR LINKS:

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE:  http://www.facebook.com/srhowen1
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TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/SRHowen
GOODREADS:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3119305.Shaunna_Wolf
BOOK BLOGS:  http://bookblogs.ning.com/profile/SRHowen
AUTHORS DEN:  http://www.authorsden.com/visit/author.asp?id=166698
GOOGLE+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/
LINKEDIN:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/shawn-rh/54/1a7/9b6

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