Lieutenant (and nurse) Magdalena “Maggie” Cruz has returned to her hometown of Pine Gulch, Idaho. While serving in Afghanistan she lost part of her leg, and now that she is back home, she just wants to hide away and to be left alone. Too bad for Maggie that handsome Dr. Jake Dalton seems to always keep coming around trying to help and make things easier for her, whether she wants him to or not. Jake used to be her childhood friend, but now she considers Jake and his family enemies since she believes that Jake’s father was responsible for her father’s death. Jake has always had it bad for Maggie, so he will not be put off so easily.

This was such an absolutely lovely romance. I really felt for Maggie. She was still adjusting to her prosthesis and now she had to live within certain limitations. She longed for her independence and pushed herself too hard, and she was very self-conscious. Jake was such a wonderful hero. He was in love with Maggie and wanted to make things easier for her, to lighten her load, so she could give herself time to heal and become adjusted to her new way of life. He was always so kind, caring, compassionate, and patient with Maggie. Maggie was stubborn every step of the way, but eventually she started to soften towards Jake and see him for the good man that he was. I also loved Maggie’s mother and uncle, and I enjoyed the setting of Pine Gulch, Idaho, and the view of the Grand Tetons. ( )

Pretty much your typical Harlequin romance. ( )

Confession - I only read this because I found it when I was browsing the free Kindle books on Amazon and as I was waiting for another book to be delivered it seemed like an easy way to kill a couple of days instead of starting something a bit more time consuming. Besides, if nothing else I could mock it afterwards, right? More fool me because I actually really, really enjoyed this.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm a bit of a book snob sometimes. I look down my nose at Silhouette and M&B books because they 'aren't real books' and all follow the same plot (handsome/arrogant/rich professional man falls for less successful but equally beautiful woman misunderstanding random drama generic sex scene = HEA the end) silly stuff like that, so I was expecting the usual formulaic stuff. The thing is, despite the formula being the same (handsome doctor & an army nurse) - this book actually had a plot on top of that, and it had culturally diverse characters (seriously, I will never understand why it doesn't happen more) and it also dealt with someone trying to overcome losing part of a limb and, shock/horror didn't gloss over the real issues of insecurity and depression and frustration that would be caused. Not bad for a cheesy romance book, huh?

I liked both main characters - Jake is your stereotypical leading man, handsome, loyal, persistant etc but I didn't mind that he was like that. He felt rounded. Maggie, she was difficult and tormented and infuriating, etc but at the same time, I was glad of that. She had been through something and it affected her and sometimes she was a bitch, and sometimes she felt sorry for herself, and sometimes she wanted everyone else to not feel sorry for her. She wasn't the idea leading lady, but the story was better for that because you wanted her to trust him, to understand that he would do right by her and to stop pushing him away.

Sure, there was a sense of predictability about the proceedings - naturally Jake & Maggie would end up together for example, but despite that, I didn't feel cheated. I would have liked maybe an extra 100 pages to flesh out certain things and I can't help but wonder what direction the author would have taken it in if she wasn't bound by the genres length requirements, but for a free book, I think it's definitely worth a read. There are worst ways to kill a couple of evenings. ( )

I read about 50 pages in before declaring it a non-starter. The amputee heroine fighting bitterness and grief less than six months removed from her injury I was cool with. The doctor hero bossing her around like he knew what was best for her, and the narrative treating this as if he had the right of it, set off my Get Fucked meter.

Just can't be bothered to read yet another angsty-cripple-shown-the-light-by-able-bodied-caregiver romance. Boring.

Dancing in the Moonlight is the story of military nurse Magdalena Cruz and home-town doctor Jake Dalton. Maggie and Jake have know each other their entire lives. The story starts with Maggie coming home after being discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center. She was injured in Afghanistan – one of her legs was amputated. She also lost her fiancée – he was horrified at her injuries.

It's a departure from my normal romance reading - nothing about the hero makes my heart go "pitter-pat." I picked this up because of the heroine: she was injured in Afghanistan and lost part of her leg. My brother is currently serving in Afghanistan, so I was very intrigued to see how the author would deal with the heroine's trauma associated both with being a soldier at war and being injured. I do feel she (the author) handled both aspects very well so far:

"I wasn't brave, Jake. I'm not some kind of hero. I was scared every single moment I served in Afghanistan. Every second. We were in a damn safe zone and I was still terrified out of my wits to walk outside. Anytime we had to leave the base, I just about soaked my Kevlar vest with slop sweat."

"But you still did it."

"I didn't have a choice! When you're a soldier, you go where they send you!"

The hero is a nice guy. He's the boy next door that the heroine always liked (but didn't admit it to herself) but always hated. To keep from spoiling the plot, I can say that Maggie’s resistance to Jake dies from an unlikely conversation – and was totally out of character for the Maggie the reader already knew.
( )

Strong lead characters. Both woman and man. Army nurse comes home after losing part of a leg in an bombing in Kabul. This does have a HEA ending but it's a strong love story. Lena and Jake grew up together, families are estranged because of an old business deal. Both conquer their fears and ultimately find strength and love in each other.

I liked it. Some parts probably needed to be expanded but this is a 250 pages Harlequin, the author had to conform to the format. But even with the boundaries of the Harlequin format this tale of recovery, finding your inner strength stands out. ( )

Dancing in the Moonlight is the story of military nurse Magdalena Cruz and home-town doctor Jake Dalton. Maggie and Jake have know each other their entire lives. The story starts with Maggie coming home after being discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center. She was injured in Afghanistan – one of her legs was amputated. She also lost her fiancée – he was horrified at her injuries.

It's a departure from my normal romance reading - nothing about the hero makes my heart go "pitter-pat." I picked this up because of the heroine: she was injured in Afghanistan and lost part of her leg. My brother is currently serving in Afghanistan, so I was very intrigued to see how the author would deal with the heroine's trauma associated both with being a soldier at war and being injured. I do feel she (the author) handled both aspects very well so far:

"I wasn't brave, Jake. I'm not some kind of hero. I was scared every single moment I served in Afghanistan. Every second. We were in a damn safe zone and I was still terrified out of my wits to walk outside. Anytime we had to leave the base, I just about soaked my Kevlar vest with slop sweat."

"But you still did it."

"I didn't have a choice! When you're a soldier, you go where they send you!"

The hero is a nice guy. He's the boy next door that the heroine always liked (but didn't admit it to herself) but always hated. To keep from spoiling the plot, I can say that Maggie’s resistance to Jake dies from an unlikely conversation – and was totally out of character for the Maggie the reader already knew.
( )

Two old neighbors in a ranch community grow up side by side. But bad blood between their family's as teens make them enemies. He goes off and becomes a doctor, and comes home to practice. She goes off and become a nurse, and then enlists in the army. When she loses part of her leg, she comes home to hide and recuperate. Of course their paths cross again, and romance ensues. It is about what I expected. I used to like reading these when I was younger, but after a while, they all become very the same. I love the push/pull and I love the expected happy ending. Enjoyed for what it is. ( )

AUTHOR: RaeAnne Thayne's writing is warm and caring and touches the heart with devotion. This is a great book and written with imagination and emotion. You will love the book.

SYNOPSIS –
After serving in Afghanistan as a nurse Magdelena Cruz returns to her home in Pine Gulch wearing a prosthesis on what is left of one leg. Jake Dalton grew up loving Maggie. She does not know about his feelings for her nor does she care. Jake’s father cheated Maggie’s father which led to his death. She will not have anything to do with a Dalton even if you gave her a million bucks. Now READ!

(5 out of 5) Stars. Elements of a Romance Book TEST =
2 central characters, 1 male, 1 female.......................YES;
One or both of the main characters are in peril....... YES;
They work together to resolve the situation.............YES & NO; He works, she resist;
Some amount of conflict and resistance in working together.....YES;
The perilous situation brings them together………………………......YES, He refuses to let her pity herself and to hate him.

PASSION SCALE: This book gets (3) because she doubts that she will ever be able to have a normal life. He shows her different.
* NOT very descriptive and requires imagination
** WILL make you wiggle a little)
*** WISH it was me;
**** OH BODY, whew;
***** EROTICA and well over the top

FAVORITE PART: Maggie discovers her mother’s secret.

LEAST FAVORITE PART: Her constant pity was a bit redundant.

YOU WILL LIKE THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE: Ranching, Western, Contemporary ( )

Brief Synopsis: Lieutenant Magdalena "Maggie" Cruz has been wounded in Afghanistan. Due to an act of heroism while serving as a nurse, she has returned home with a Purple Heart but is missing part of her left leg. She's always been strong and independent, and it's killing her to admit she needs help. When she returns to the ranch her widowed mother owns, she is reluctantly thrown into the path of Jake Dalton, whose family owns the neighboring ranch. Jake is now the town doctor, and when he learns the two Cruz women need some help on their ranch, he offers his help in trade: a day for a day. For each day he works their ranch, Maggie will work as a translator at his clinic. Maggie has hated the Dalton family for over 20 years, blaming them for her father's death. Jake is hoping he can change her mind about his family, and much more.

The Good: It's unusual that a romantic heroine is an amputee. I really wasn't sure how it would work at first, but it was handled well. Jake's a very likable hero, because he is able to look past Maggie's disability. He's very patient, considering how she despises him at first. She treats him horribly for something that isn't his fault, and yet he remains the consummate gentleman. Maggie pushes him away time and again, but I was glad when she finally realized that he would walk away for good if she didn't acknowledge her feelings for him. At that point, she became more vulnerable and likable. If she had let him walk away in that scene, I could not have finished the book. It wouldn't have been believable that any man would keep coming back for more ill treatment. In that respect, I'm glad the author recognized the need to cease the animosity. The love story becomes very tender and sweet, and is enjoyable to read.

The Bad: This story is predictable, even for a Harlequin novel. My main complaint is there is no conflict, no drama, no mystery. The plot goes something like this: boy meets girl, they graduate and go their separate ways, boy becomes beloved town doctor, girl returns home as a wounded hero, boy falls in love with girl, girl hates boy, girl thinks she's falling in love with boy, girl finds out boy is not to blame, girl realizes she's madly in love with boy, happily ever after. That's it. It doesn't get any more complicated than that. I was hoping there would be a villain or a sudden occurrence that would test their love, but it didn't happen. So much time was spent on what they felt/thought about each other that there just wasn't enough action.

The Verdict: This is an extremely light read with a predictable plot and forgetable characters. There's nothing remarkable about it whatsoever. This is an example of fluff to the extreme. If you like a bit more realism and prefer your happily ever after to come at a cost, this is not the book for you. If you're just looking for a mindless way to spend a few hours, you'll likely be content with this read. ( )

Since this was set in my hometown area, I was intrigued to read the tale of hometown doctor & Afghanistan veteran neighbor he always loved meeting up again. I liked that the story played out the anxiety and stubbornness of the main lead, as she battled with the loss of her leg in the war, and that the guy didn't put all his cards on the table too soon. Really, it was a pretty well written "Harlequin"-esque story, and although it freaked me out a little to hear the name of a local hometown repeated so often, I did enjoy the lightness of the story. ( )

What a great story. Quick read, just enough for you to escape into the story. ( )