Cowboy Seal Homecoming is a good fit for readers looking for a heartwarming story about a former Navy SEAL finding purpose and healing through community service and a budding romance in his hometown.

I loved this book. I was hesitant because I don’t usually go for step-brother romances but this one was really good.

Alex is a tough guy who has been through a lot but doesn’t know how to deal with it all. Becca is a sweet girl with a strong backbone who has been running the ranch her step-father owned. When Alex returns from the Seals, with two buddies in tow, he plans to create a program to help injured veterans with Becca’s help. There is a spark between them right away but Alex has seen and experienced the world and Becca has lived a very protected life on the ranch. I enjoyed their journey.

The characters are complicated and very well written. The scenery is beautifully described. I love the secondary characters (and have since read their stories too).

If you enjoy an HEA with a real story, this is a great book.

Alex Maguire has left the Seals because of an injury and is now returning to the ranch that he thought would be his. He found out that his father left him half of the ranch and another half to Becca Denton who he has not seen in ten years, for he really does not remember his father’s funeral. Now Becca’s mom married Alex’s father but soon after he left and joined the Navy. Now dealing with the loss of his career and everything else he had plans for him along with two teammates are going to the ranch to turn it into a place where vets can come and recover from their injuries around the outdoors and the animals. This was also something that Becca had wanted to start as well. She was not expecting and expecting an attraction to Alex and what to do with those feelings. She was also not expecting to see the decline in his appearance and mental health, but of course he is fine, he is always fine until he tries to hit one of friends and Becca though she tells him that she loves him says she does not want to be with him until he does something for his health and well-being. Will Alex finally give in to talking to a counselor about PTSD or will he continue down the fire road? Read this nice story about two people finding their way. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

Alex Maguire never thought he'd go home again. The perfect soldier, the perfect leader, he's spent his whole life running away from Blue Valley, Montana—but when a tragic accident bounces him and two of his men out of the SEALs, there's nowhere left to turn but the ranch he used to call his own...and the confusing, innocently beguiling woman who now lives there. Becca Denton's like nothing he could have imagined. She's far too tempting for her own good, but when she offers to help turn the ranch into a haven for injured veterans, he can't exactly say no. He'll just need to keep his distance. But something in her big green eyes makes Alex want to set aside the mantle of the perfect soldier and discover the man he could have been...safe and whole within the shelter of her arms.
This was a pretty straight-forward story. It was pretty predictable and I’ve read a number of books with the same premise, but the characters and their interactions made it worth the read. I look forward to reading more from this author. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

My job involves working with/for Veterans, and I have seen the damage PTSD can cause a person and their families. I also appreciate romance novels where people have real life problems, such as PTSD. So I am always intrigued by novels where one of the characters is a Veteran and/or exhibits PTSD symptoms, and I am very sensitive to how these issues are handled. Cowboy SEAL Homecoming handles these elements nicely, without glossing over them, nor being overly dramatic. Alex and Becca have an interesting dynamic, as (former?) step-siblings who a decade a part in age, who are really just getting to know each other. I also really enjoyed reading scenes with Alex and his two best friends/fellow SEALs, Jack and Gabe. Few bonds in life are stronger than that between a soldier and his fellow soldier, and I thought Helms did well in showcasing that relationship.

Alex Mcguire is coming back home in Montana after an injury that ended his career. He is not coming back to ranch by himself, he is bringing two of his buddies with him. He thought it would be better for his buddies to recoup at his ranch than to head back to their homes. Now he is back at home to start new chapter in his life..
Rebecca never lived alone until now and she is ready to start her new adventure except she wasn’t expecting a permanent guest at her ranch. She has not seen his supposedly step brother in close to a decade. She has to share the ranch with Alex. She never really knew who Alex was except stories from his step father.
Both haven’t seen each other for long time and they never saw each other as step siblings. Now they have to work together in the ranch to get ready for wounded veterans.
Alex and Becca keeps running into each other and it is creating some sparks for them. But Alex won’t open up easily and his won’t realize his PTSD. They have to realize they have to open up to each other to heal each other.

I wasn’t sure if i would like step sibling storyline.. But this one seems to work okay and I can’t wait to read about his buddies. Whole story was a bit gloomy but it ended with HEA.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my ARC in exchange for honest review.

This book had all the elements that I look for in a book. It had a great storyline, great characters and it kept my attention throughout the entire book and that's kind of hard to do. I have a tendency for my mind to wander when I read if the book is boring and this book had an awesome male character that just grabbed my attention. Not to mention that the military aspect or what little was discussed was spot on which is important. I liked the secondary characters and can't wait to read the second book. This is going to be a really great series.

First Nicole Helm book I've read in awhile. Characters were dynamic and I was intrigued with there plights. But I was looking for more.

For those who love veterans and cowboys, this book will make you very happy. Alex is both handsome and honorable with a belief he needs to help those he has served with for many years. Becca is pretty and caring, wanting to save those who have protected her country. Together they will make haven for both.

A beautifully written romance....

Review: Ex-Navy SEALs playing at cowboys along with a ranch in Montana, animals and a sweet love interest were all that were needed to keep my interest. Cowboy SEAL Homecoming was a fast paced read with multiple story lines that were seamlessly woven together to make the story gel. There are three wounded and hurting ex-SEALs and the stepsister of one of them who is a shy, naive, half owner of the ranch that will be transformed into their new business. Alex hasn’t been home to the ranch in a long time but now that he’s injured and needs a new focus he’s home for this new business venture along with his two buddies. His dad has passed away and he finds himself the co-owner of the ranch with his stepsister, Becca, who he didn’t have much contact with growing up. He and his friends, Gabe and Jack, add a realism to the story in their actions as well as being there for each other.

Becca is trying to stand on her own two feet and not have her mother swoop in and fix things. How’s that working out? She’s an animal whisperer since growing up that’s all she had to talk to. Her stepfather gave her the strength she needed to get out a little from under her mother’s wings and protectiveness. Now that he’s gone will she be able to continue to do so?

There are family and friends, life stories, the military, their experiences and brotherhood, chores, hard work, anger, sadness, hurt, fear, nightmares, therapy, loving and love. There is a nice flow to the story but there were times I didn’t realize how much time had passed in the story. The characters all had a depth to them and stories that were theirs to tell. There is a happily ever after in the offing but enough loose ends to take us to the next stories and whose will it be? The epilogue gave me the closure I needed.

Helm is a new to me author having read only one of her books previously, All I Have, the first book in the Farmer’s Market series. I will be back for more in this new series plus I will be adding other books she’s written to my always growing TBR pile!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

This was a good book. There were some slow spots but nothing major. The copy I was given had some major editing issues in regards to the format for a conversation. There were times when I didn't know who was speaking (especially if there were more than two characters in the scene.) With that being said, the plot was wonderful. It is so true that more needs to be done for our returning warriors. The issues that they and their loved ones face is a major one. I am glad to have read this story. It was worth it as it was touching.

I've really enjoyed Nicole Helm's earlier Big Sky Cowboys series, and when she added Navy SEALs into to the mix, and wounded ones at that, I was hooked before I even started reading this first novel in her new series. To top it all off, we have a 24-year-old innocent, Becca, the stepsister of the hero, Alex, who was a sickly and sheltered child and who is now healthy and trying to gain to her independence from her overly domineering mother, and this novel gets 4.5 stars from this reader.

Alex has rarely been home during his 16 years as a Navy SEAL, and barely has a nodding acquaintance with his stepsister, Becca--who adored her stepfather and was devastated by his unexpected death. Surprisingly, he left her half the ranch, and Alex the other half. When Alex is wounded in Afghanistan and completes rehab, he returns home to the ranch with two of his fellow wounded warriors, hoping to start an equine therapy operation and sanctuary to help other wounded warriors. He's surprised to learn that Becca has the same idea, and is already working on it. Alex is also surprised to find Becca all grown up and very easy on the eyes--he remembers her best as a sickly child, but she's no longer a child, she's a grown woman, and he's attracted to her from the get-go.

Becca is equally and awkwardly attracted to Alex, but is utterly clueless about men, and Alex is a lot of man, as are his two friends. She starts out timid and flustered around them, but slowly gains ground and confidence. Alex is used to being a leader of men, an avid planner down to the last detail, and he's always been the one in control. He's been hiding his PTSD symptoms, or so he thinks, and is in total denial. His friends and Becca can certainly see it, but a large part of this novel is about Alex attempting and failing to control and fix himself and his psyche, which is as wounded as his body. My only regret is that I wish Ms. Helm had been a bit more forthcoming about not just his PTSD, but his physical injuries and limitations as well. I'm hoping she does so as this series progresses.

All of the characters in this novel are struggling with their own issues as well. While Alex is battling his demons, Becca is starting to learn how to deal with suddenly having 3 men living in her home and trying to get used to talking to people rather than her odd assortment of hilarious animals, which I must say, provided welcome comic relief from all the angst and drama. She's also developing a backbone when it comes to Alex and his controlling ways, which mirror her mother's never ending need to protect and shelter Becca from life. Becca grew up on this ranch, loved her stepfather, and in many ways, knew him better than his own son, Alex, and both of them are mourning his passing in their own way. To add a touch of levity to this novel, Ms. Helm gives us his two friends, Gabe and Jack, who haven't the first clue about ranching and aren't all that eager to learn. They are also aware and unafraid to tell Alex that he's no longer in charge of them. Their bafflement with an assortment of Becca's hilariously quirky animals, especially her cat, a roof-climbing goat named Ron Swanson, and an ornery rooster named Rasputin, add a welcome touch of humor to this very dramatic read.

So, in this first novel in Ms. Helm's new series, we have quite a mixture of tropes all packed together in one excellent read--wounded Navy SEALs, PTSD, a stranger/step-sibling relationship, a father's death, his adult children's attempts at dealing with their grief, a coming of age element, the struggle for independence from a overly doting mother, as well as the struggle to turn a ranch into a foundation and sanctuary for wounded warriors, and more, in addition to a sexy and budding romance, and it all worked extremely well for this reader, which is why I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read more about Gabe and Jack and their attempts to re-acclimate to civilian life on the ranch.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Cowboy SEAL Homecoming didn't wow me as much as I'd hoped, but I still enjoyed the story.

The main characters, Alex and Becca were once step-siblings. Alex's father had married Becca's mother, and Alex was ten years older than Becca and he was away in the military for the length of his dad's second marriage, so they weren't raised together. They reunited after Alex's dad died and left the family ranch to both his son and Becca, and after Alex was discharged from the military.

What I love about this story is how Alex and Becca tentatively built a relationship with each other. They were mostly strangers, and suddenly they were living under one roof. There was friction sometimes, especially surrounding Alex's apparent PTSD, and I love how they solved it like adults by talking it out. I also love the buildup--Alex tried hard to not act on his attraction to Becca, but you know how it is when you have too much zing with another person. They were so cute together, and I love the scenes where Alex took Becca on dates.

Overall, I wish this story had wowed me more so that I could rate it higher, but I'm still going to stick with this series to see Alex's friends get their HEAs.

Nicole Helm’s Cowboy Seal Homecoming gave me exactly what I was looking for: Helm’s brand of emotional honesty, quirky animals, uber-masculine heroes whose mission is to set the world aright, heroines who call them on their bullshit and yet don’t shame them for their vulnerabilities, and a beautifully -rendered rural setting, in this case, rancher-country Montana. Honorably discharged wounded warrior hero Alex Maguire comes home to his deceased father’s ranch. He comes to claim his inheritance, an inheritance he shares with heroine Becca Denton, who found in Burt Maguire’s ranch, the home and father she never thought she would. Now, she’s invited her stranger stepbrother to share in a joint project, creating a therapeutic ranch for war veterans like Alex and the two buddies (sequel-bait!) he brings along on his and Becca’s venture, Jack Armstrong and Gabe Cortez. As far as the romance’s outer trappings are concerned, originality isn’t what makes them up. But then, what romance’s tropes, trappings, and narrative structure does that? The attraction lies in all the ways the story can be told of how two alone become one united and fulfilled.

Becca and Alex come from places of vulnerability. Becca was a sickly, fragile child, with an overprotective single mom. Alex lost his mother in a car accident when he was eight and the memory of being a passenger in the death-car left him with an unconscious desire to fix things, to put them right, to save and protect everyone. Though his dad was loving, supportive, and a safe anchor, Alex left home to fix on his country’s behalf and rarely returned home. But a grenade brought his and his friends’ military careers to an end, and an end to one of his team’s lives. He brings all that home with him and a determination to see through his project to help former soldiers. But Alex finds much that he denies, or doesn’t expect: his attraction to and affection for Becca, grief for his parents, and symptoms of PTSD. Becca too has to contend with much: the realization that her illness and mother’s sheltering left her without life experience, or being-with-people savvy. Becca, however, is in a better place than Alex. She’s at the take-life-by-the-horns stage of recovery and confidence.

Helm does a lot right in Cowboy Seal Homecoming and much of it nice twists on romance conventions. Though it is often women who are plagued by a need to be perfect, Helm makes her heroine sanguine, open, and accepting of life’s vagaries. Alex, on the other hand, is a fixer, a “neat freak,” a man who must bring order out of chaos, a commander who expects much, but gives more than anyone around him. As Becca grows in strength, in understanding herself and others, in joining in on the world that Alex & co. bring to the ranch, Alex weakens and ebbs, at the mercy of memories, nightmares, and blackouts. Together, however, Alex and Becca are marvelous: funny, sexy, affectionate, and tender. They’re incredibly decent, caring people and they treat each other and everyone around them with respect, integrity, and love. I hope I haven’t made them sound stuffy because they’re not. One of my favourite scenes is the one and only love scene, when Becca decides Alex will be her first lover: it’s a realistic “loss of virginity” scene (I’ve always hated the term “deflowering”) and yet, it’s still sexy and fun to read.

Helm’s romance splits in two. In the first half, the tone is lighter, with quite a few funny scenes, usually involving Becca’s roof-climbing goat and a cat who throws baleful glances at Alex once he and Becca are lovers. Becca and Alex fall in love. They’re monogamous types and careful with others’ feelings. They obviously have affection for the other. I really like that Helm doesn’t make a big deal of her heroes and heroines denying feelings for the other. I especially liked that Alex makes a point of asking Becca for a date. Too many romances consist of antagonistic banter and sheet-thrashing, but no one woos, or dates. I’m glad they date. The second half of the romance is darker. Alex’s PTSD intensifies and Becca recognizes that as long as Alex denies it, they cannot fulfill their relationship’s promise. The novel intensifies and maybe Helm’s resolution comes a little too quickly, but the darkens keeps our lovers apart. It’s to Helm’s credit that I was invested in them and suffered their tearing asunder acutely. Alex and Becca’s reconciliation is awesome: Alex orchestrates a beautifully awkward, gently humorous, tender, and moving proposal scene. Also, it takes place in the rain and those are my favourite kind, ever since watching Breakfast At Tiffany’s.

With Miss Austen’s readerly assistance, I would say that Helm’s Cowboy Seal Homecoming offers “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Nicole Helm’s Cowboy Seal Homecoming is published by Sourcebooks Casablanca. It was released on January 2nd and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca, via Netgalley.

A sweet and heartwarming coming home...

Well, not all sweet. Alex was haunted and driven while not losing any of his need to lead and look after. Becca was finally, finally, gaining some independence and wanted to revel in the ability to make her own decisions. That makes for butting heads, and eventually hearts….

Alex and the friends he brought with him were forging a new future, one far away from the battlefield that still haunted them all. Building a refuge for soldiers to recover and regroup felt right to all of them. That didn’t mean that all the wars were done. Memories, choices, they haunted them all and no more so than Alex who bore the responsibility for so much. Determined to make a difference, going home meant facing his past including a stepsister he didn’t really know...

Becca was this wonderfully quirky character. Sheltered in so many ways but old age wise in others. Her need to help Alex in his new mission helped herself come out of her shell. She was shy and wary of the big men who had invaded her space but soon realized they were just what she needed. She found her voice, which was funny and smart-alecky, a perfect foil to the gruff military men she now tripped over.
“You deserve rain-soaked speeches and far better than me.”

Blending ex-military with cowboys is a favourite genre sandwich and this story – both light and dark, funny and emotional - was tasty indeed!

Alex Maguire has left the Seals because of an injury and is now returning to the ranch that he thought would be his. He found out that his father left him half of the ranch and other half to Becca Denton who he has not seen in ten years, for he really does not remember his father’s funeral. Now Becca’s mom married Alex’s father but soon after he left and joined the Navy. Now dealing with the loss of his career, and everything else he had plans for he along with two teammates are going to the ranch to turn it into a place where vets can come and recover from their injuries around the outdoors and the animals. This was also something that Becca had wanted to start as well. She was not expecting and expecting an attraction to Alex and what to do with those feelings. She was also not expecting to see the decline in his appearance and metal health, but of course he is fine, he is always fine until he tries to hit one of friends and Becca though she tells him that she loves him says she does not want to be with him until he does something for his health and well-being. Will Alex finally give in to talking to a counselor about PTSD or will he continue down the fine road? Read this nice story about two people finding their way.

this book was a bit of a slog for me. i liked the premise but felt like i spent too much time in each of their heads. the heroine was way too contradictory. she was supposed to be shy and confident and virginal and bold and sheltered and experienced. it just didnt make sense how she was every trope of a romance heroine rolled into one. i thought we would get more on them working on a therapeutic program rather than just fixing up a bunkhouse

Alex Maguire had left home and had become a Navy Seal. After an accident that "retired" him from service as a Seal, he returned to his family ranch in Montana. His dad as now dead and the ranch was left to him and to his stepsister, Becca Denton. He, and two of his Seal buddies, headed to Montana to help form a foundation and a place where veteran's could heal and recover.

The idea had been Becca's. She had always lived a very sheltered life because she had been so sickly and immune suppressed growing up. She was 25 years old, and her mother had finally agreed to let her live on her own. She had a lot to learn and to experience that she had never been able to growing up. She had never been kissed or loved by a man and the more time she spent around Alex, the more she wanted that man to be him.

I really liked this story and the premise of war-ravaged veterans coming home to heal and learn to trust so others could help in the healing process. The story was well written and helped draw me in to become emotionally connected to the characters. My one big criticism of the book was the continual use of f–bombs peppered through the dialogue. I'm also not a fan of descriptive sex scenes. I don't need to read every single detail. Unfortunately, for that reason, I wouldn't recommend this book to my friends.

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I somehow had missed out on reading Nicole Helm until Cowboy SEAL Homecoming. I have to say I adore finding new-to-me authors, especially ones with an extensive backlist. I did think Cowboy SEAL Homecoming did start out a little bit slow, once it picked up, I couldn't put it down.

Alex and Becca are basically polar opposites, yet I really liked how they each helped the other step outside their comfort zones. Alex is list maker and planner while Becca pretty much goes with the flow and makes decisions on the fly. As Becca had been really sheltered by her mother her entire life, she was super hesitant in standing up to Alex and the other guys when they first arrived. I loved that the more time she was around Alex, the stronger and more determined Becca became. I think her hesitancy in the beginning was what made the book move slowly at first. I love a strong heroine, and Becca took a bit to find her strength and path, but once she did, she was pretty much unstoppable.

I really liked the slow build to the romance between Alex and Becca. Honestly as they were technically stepsiblings, it could have been weird, but as they had never lived together as stepsiblings, it worked for me for them to have a relationship. I liked that Becca was the one to make the first move and Alex wanted to move at a slower pace since Becca had really never dated in the past. I loved that there was a sweetness to their relationship. Yes they had great chemistry, but there was an underlying sweetness between them that made me buy their relationship so much faster. Not that their relationship was without issues, between Alex's PTSD, that he didn't believe he had, and Becca pushing him to admit to his issues, could have put an end to their relationship. I loved that the fact that Becca had pushed to have a therapist for the equine therapy portion of the ranch was a big part of the reason Alex finally had someone to take to about his issues he couldn't or wasn't ready to share with Becca.

I also liked getting a bit more insight into both Gabe and Jack as Becca spent more time with Alex's friends. I found myself wanting to know even more about them both and can't wait to get each of their stories in the next 2 books in the series.

Rating: 4 Stars (B)

I really loved and enjoyed Cowboy Seal Homecoming. Really a great story, loved the characters and there chemistry. cant wait for more.