The small country of San Gabriel was torn apart by the Peninsular Wars. Now that the wars are done and Napolean is exiled, it is time to help this ally back onto its feet. Will Masterson and Athena Markham help to lead the recovery and find a partnership they never expected. An excellent read for fans of Regency-era romance set on the continent. Wine, boisterous Gabrileños, lurking danger, and slow-burn romance abound.

Full review: https://rebeccasreadingcorner.blog/review-mary-jo-putney-once-a-soldier/ ( )

A fun light read, I definitely thought some side characters would get their own books, but most of the plots are wrapped up in this book.

Athena has the ear of the princess, but back home she is just an illegitimate daughter of a duke. Will is a dashing English officer visiting the small country of San Gabriel to offer assistance after the Napoleon ends the war by surrender. Both are caught by surprise, both by feelings for each other and the country they must protect. ( )

Athena is who I aspire to be. Not the conventional beauty, she focused on her strengths: character, smarts and the freedom to make her own way and decide for herself what direction her life took. I applaud Ms. Putney for creating a character that was inspirational and not a victim. She was not a damsel in distress, did not need to be rescued. That was not who she was she thrived on the element of surprise and her sense of adventure. Will was harder to figure out. He was a loner through and through. Ms. Putney is an author that marches to the beat of her own drum. Her characters are full of fire and her stories are built on suspense. That sometimes makes me wary of her work but Once a Soldier is a story that has intense spirit and will be an asset to any book shelf. ( )

I drifted off twice while reading this.



The hero and heroine meet and because insta-lust would be too exciting, they just kind of really like each other. Ok, so they are quite lovely together and talk and share and calmly talk some more.
My kingdom for a scorned other woman, devious uncle, or some other over-the-top villain! I bemoan these tropes but at least they give the story some life.

Also, I love myself some wine but reading over and over about how this fictitious country has the best and how were they ever going to recover the buried wine had me wanting to throw my bottles out. (JK! JK! I would never)

I loved the beginning with the captured men escaping and loosely forming the Rogues Redeemed but the numerous mentions of the heroine's Amazon height (and I'm an Amazon myself!), wine, and extremely mellow romance that was pushed to the side in favor of discussing how the fictitious country could rebuild from the war, was bland as naked toast.




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Terrific start to the new series. The book begins with Will a prisoner along with five other men, awaiting execution by the French. Thanks to a bit of luck brought on by a thrown wine bottle, Will discovers a way for all six men to escape. Drawn together by their experience, they make a pact to stay in touch.

Five years later the war is finally over and Will looks forward to going home to England. Before he leaves, his commanding officer asks him to escort a group of soldiers from San Gabriel back home and to check on the conditions in the small country. Upon his arrival, he discovers a country heavily damaged but determined to recover. Their king and prince are missing, having been taken prisoner by the French, and the country is led by their young princess, Sofia, aided by her friend and companion, Athena.

I loved the meeting between Will and Athena, as he is held at gunpoint until she is sure he is not another marauding soldier. Will is immediately smitten by the tall and fiercely protective Athena. Athena is attracted to him, but thanks to her past feels she is too far beneath him for anything but friendship. I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. First comes a deep friendship, aided by their work to help the people of San Gabriel. I loved their ability to talk honestly with each other. The scene where they shared the trials of their pasts was fantastic. Learning of Athena's past does nothing to dim Will's determination to win her heart. The attraction between them heats up with the sharing of some pretty intense kisses. I loved Will's patience as he works to overcome Athena's fears. There were a few times I wanted to shake her for letting her mother's reputation keep her from accepting Will's love for her. The danger of their situation brings some clarity to Athena's thinking and their attraction moves ahead. Their HEA is artfully engineered by Princess Sofia when Will and Athena nearly lose each other, though Athena still has her doubts. There is a delightful twist at the end that finally ends her fears.

There is a secondary romance between Princess Sofia and Will's friend Justin Ballard. Justin has come to help Will with the rebuilding of San Gabriel. He and Sofia experience the lightning bolt of love at first sight, but know that nothing can come of it. Sofia is a princess and will be Queen if her father and brother are not found. Justin is a Scottish merchant with great wealth but no pedigree. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, deepening their feelings for each other yet accepting the reality of their circumstances. I couldn't wait to see how things were going to work out for them and I was not disappointed. It was especially fun to see Sofia take the lead in that scene.

The setting was a very important part of the whole story. I loved reading a Regency romance that did not take place in the ballrooms of London. Instead, we are treated to the Peninsula during and after the war. There is a realistic look at the ravages of the war upon the land and the people as we see how the people of San Gabriel coped with the devastation caused by the French. The descriptions of the land and the people were vivid, and I could easily picture them as I read. I could feel the hope blossoming after Will's arrival and the promise of the supplies they needed. The various repairs and projects were interesting and worked well to further the connections among the main characters. There was also the growing tension as Will felt the sense of impending danger. The scene by the river was fast-paced and exciting as Will, Athena, Sofia, and Justin faced down the French scouts. I loved seeing Sofia and Athena take the lead in a solution quite different than Will would have come up with. As Will discovers that his instincts were right, I was enthralled reading of their plans and preparations. The final confrontation was intense and felt realistic in the way it was portrayed, including the injuries. ( )