Declarations of a Fangirl: Review Tour & Giveaway: With This Heart by Red L. Jameson

With This Heart

by Red L. Jameson

GENRE: Paranormal romance
(more specifically military/fantasy romance)

Talk about a killer kiss…

Being a former soldier with PTSD takes its toll on Aaron and has wiped him clean of optimism along with having dreams. But he’s no longer sure if he’s living in reality or fantasy after he tries to save a friend and finds his world filled with women who have wings and…Valkyries.

Adala kills. Not on purpose. She’s a Valkyrie—from just one touch, she takes warriors to the afterlife. Oh, but she’d give anything for a break, for normalcy, to have one day of not wearing her legionnaire uniform. When she’s asked to talk to the human Aaron to help him understand just what he’s in for when he tripped into her world, she jumps at the chance, even though she knows Aaron more than she cares to admit, even though she has an insane crush on him, even though she can’t touch him at all. But she gets to wear jeans and talk to a man—a real-life, hero of a man.

From her adorable made-up swearwords to when she wears his clothes, from the fact that she’s hundreds of years old to her pet Pegasus, Aaron falls hard for the shy Valkyrie. Dare he risk his life for a kiss? He’s thinking about it, because already he’s given her his heart.

With This Heart is a standalone story, that’s part of the With These Wings Series—books that mix rock-hard military men with feathered-fantasy femme fatales for a sizzling hot adventure to find love. Join Chanticleer winner, Red L. Jameson, for more of this heart-tugging fairy tale series.

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“So…you want to come inside?” He asked. “I’m burning dinner.”

“You’re cooking something?”

“Probably burning something at this rate.”

“You need help?”

He nodded. “Yeah. And, ah, you want to eat with me?” This was so odd, asking a Valkyrie to dinner. Spaghetti because he didn’t know how to make much else. He hadn’t been expecting her. Well, yeah, he had. But he figured the Norns, those little teenagers, would call him first to let him know Adala was on her way. But, nope, she just poofed into the backyard.

The Valkyrie placed a hand on her stomach. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

“You hungry? Do you eat?”

She smiled and his heart lurched to a stop. Jesus, she was gorgeous when she grinned. So beautiful it hurt to look at her. His lungs burned like when he ran flat out for more than thirty seconds. His heart raced, an ache with every beat. That ache spread through his limbs, not sure if he felt too powerful or too weak. Not sure if he wanted to sit down or run to her and pick her up.

“Yes, I eat.”

“So you should be hungry.”

“I am hungry.”

He backed up again, tired of hollering over the backyard. “I got enough for you and me and whoever else might pop in.”

She glanced around. “Are you expecting someone else?”

“Nope.” He turned and hoped she would follow him into the house.

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review.

4 STARS

Oh goodness. This was such a sweet book. This was my first read from Red L. Jameson but it definitely won't be the last. The synopsis says that With This Heart is a standalone but I recommend reading book 1 first. I didn't and was confused at the beginning. I felt like there were some parts that I would have gotten more out of if I'd read book 1 first. That is on me though and has nothing to do with my review.

I really liked the writing style of Ms. Jameson. I don't suffer from PTSD but I do have depression and anxiety and some of her descriptions of how both Aaron and Adala felt were spot on. A lot of times it is hard to put into words what I'm feeling but it felt like Ms. Jameson had delved into my mind and plucked out the right words. She is referring to trauma but it can easily be applied to mental illness.

But what some people didn't understand was how certain kinds of trauma stay with you, whether you like it or not. It doesn't mean a person subjugates themselves to victimhood again and again. It simply means if the brain doesn't want to forget something, it won't. If the mind isn't ready to heal, it won't. And the trauma morphs from a terror into a shadow, always near, but not necessarily a hindrance. It's just a darkness that's tethered to you.

That passage right there did it for me. I knew then that I would be reading more of her work. I need more of this insightful prose. It hit that deep and raw part of my soul.

But back to the story. I think one of my favorite parts was the conversations between Adala and Aaron. I enjoyed watching them get to know each other. Adala is so shy and beaten down. She doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere and abhors the fact that her touch is lethal. She is treated like a pariah by most of the disir, even though her touch doesn't affect them. Aaron is such a sweetheart and I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. His PTSD is ruling his life and he hates it. He loathes the fact that he can't get a job because he can't be in buildings without feeling like it's closing in on him and giving him a panic attack. His PTSD makes him feel like less of a man and a shell of the soldier he used to be. Adala brings him back from the brink of despair and Aaron shows Adala that there is so much more to her than just being a Valkyrie.

Their story was heartwarming and I really enjoyed it. I want to touch on the Berserkers. They had me laughing every time they spoke. Sven was my favorite.

Sven sighed, frowning. "I have such a crush on ye. Are ye sure ye want this Aaron, mortal man, even if he is a world-renowned hero?"

Adala shrugged. "I don't know if he want's me."

Sven straightened. "I'm here. I'll let ye do whatever ye want to me. I can be yer sex slave. Whatever ye want, little Valkyrie. Odin's bear, pick me."

My only complaint about the book would be that I wanted more supernatural elements. The main focus was on Adala and Aaron's relationship, which I understand, but I still wanted more. The solution to my complaint is to read book 1 of course. I would recommend With This Heart to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance featuring a hot ex-soldier with invisible scars and cheeky berserkers.

Red L. Jameson lives in the wilds of Montana. While working on a military history master’s degree, she doodled a story that became her bestselling, award-winning romance, Enemy of Mine, part of the Glimpse Time Travel Series. After earning her gigantic master’s—the diploma is just huge, she couldn’t stop doodling stories, more Glimpse stories—because she can’t get enough of hunky Highlanders and buttoned-down Brits—and other stories, a paranormal romance series and contemporary series, which grew into the pen name R. L. Jameson, under which she writes cerebral and spicy erotic romance. She’s currently working on another master’s degree, so who knows what she’ll doodle next!

She loves her readers, so please feel free to contact her at http://www.redljameson.com

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