Concealed review

Concealed is part of Selena Laurence's Hiding from Love series 

(Hidden #1 & Camouflaged #0.5)

What they say: The Sequel to the Top Selling Military Romance Camouflaged!

Two years ago, Gabe Thompson stood in the desert of Afghanistan and watched the love of his life drive away. When his tour of duty ended six months later, she wasn’t waiting. Now Gabe’s ready to go after the one thing his life is missing – the woman he’s never been able to forget.

Twenty-year-old Alexis Garcia rues the day she decided to volunteer for a UN mission to Afghanistan. The sexy, exasperating soldier she met there nearly destroyed her carefully constructed life with the boy next door. She’s spent two years trying to forget Gabe, working to show her parents and her boyfriend that she knows where she belongs.

But when Gabe shows up at Alexis’s door, complete with tattoos, a Harley and enough attitude to start another war, everything she’s tried to conceal could be exposed, starting with her heart.

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I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: Concealed follows Gabe and Alexis two years after they met in Afghanistan, where Gabe was a soldier and Alexis a volunteer. Alexis tried to move on by returning to her old life, staying with her long term boyfriend Marco and being the good girl her parents expect her to be. Tattooed, ex-solider and former bad boy, Gabe doesn't exactly fit the image of future son-in-law her parents have planned.

I felt a mixture of emotions reading Concealed because Alexis has allowed herself to be manipulated by her parent's and Marco's expectations, thus doubting her connection with Gabe. Gabe was expecting her to be there waiting for him when he finished in the Army and gave up a lot for her. For a lot of the story I found myself getting really annoyed with her because she sorta messes Gabe around (albeit unintentionally). In a sick kinda way I was pleased when she had to work hard to redeem herself and make it up to him. 

I liked Gabe, he definitely exudes swagger and confidence (even when Alexis puts him through the ringer). I really appreciated his devotion to her and liked how he didn't go down the typical spurned guy route (well he sort did, you'll understand when you read the book). 

To me, Concealed was a lesson asking how well we really know people and how stressful situations heighten our emotions. It was good to watch Alexis face the truth and decide what she wanted aside from other people's expectations of her.

4 Stars in my Sky!