Landing Zone is one of those books that the title is a bit deceptive of the story’s content. Yes, it is about about former Army combatants, one of them being a chopper pilot, but it is so much more than a vet story. This author has a singular talent for writing about complex and deep relationships, not just romance, although the chemistry between Lauren and Kim is definitely smokin’ hot. Both women have ties to another woman in their lives that tragically lost her life in the line of duty, and overcoming that former tie to be together becomes a instropective journey neither of them anticipated. And it wasn’t just one of them tripping up and waiting for the other to catch up. Both Lauren and Kim had to arrive together, at precisely the right moment, while overcoming different but equally challenging obstacles. Neither woman was perfect, and sometimes displayed downright despicable behavior, but that is the reason I came to love their story so fervently. They made mistakes like everyone else, sometimes really bad ones, but in the end the payout is so worth the risk. This story made me feel for them deeply, and I loved every minute of it.

I liked the sound of this book as I love the added complication of friends and ex's. This had the added complication in that the friend had died giving another obstacle to the already fractured relationship between Monty and Lauren. The chemistry between the two was there from the start and I felt Dutton did a fantastic job in slowly shifting the relationship between the two.

Erin Dutton always provides such great insight into the emergency services in all her books and she doesn't disappoint in this book either.

Erin Dutton’s Landing Zone was an interesting read and although some people think 3 stars is “bad”; I see 3 stars just as it is spelled out. The book was good.

Kim is ex-military and working at the police academy. Lauren is also ex-military and newly hired as a police department helicopter pilot. The complicated part is that Lauren used to date Kim’s best friend Courtney. Their break-up was bad and Courtney died in a helicopter crash not too long after. When Kim and Lauren meet at work, the situation is more than awkward. Kim thinks she has the whole story about Courtney and Lauren’s break-up so they have a lot to work through especially when they realize that there is a mutual attraction simmering between them.

The book is told in the third person from both women’s point of view so I felt like I got to know each of them. Courtney is the most fleshed out of the two main characters. She is haunted by the break-up and then the death of Courtney. She is also dealing with PTSS resulting from being shot down while serving over seas. Kim is strong, assertive and holding firmly on to her grudge against Lauren. The author did a great job showing the tension between the two characters through her descriptions of their body language and the very clipped dialogue during their exchanges.

I appreciated that the author made the main characters work for their relationship rather than just write a love at first sight novel, but neither of the women were tremendously compelling to me. I think there was a missed opportunity for a dramatic crescendo seeing that this novel is about police officers.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a read about what is next. Lauren Henley, a former army pilot with mental and physical injuries to negotiate after retirement from the military. She continues to have flash backs to her time in Afghanistan that she works to keep in the past. Liking the order and discipline of the military as well as operating a helicopter, she decides the police aviation department is the best place for her. Kim Montgomery, having spent time in the military, now enjoys her work at the training academy, preparing future police officers. I appreciated the reference to policing in today's climate of uncertainty, unrest, and a general "eyebrow raise" to law enforcement. When Lauren is stationed at the same facility as Kim, old issues surface as both women are reminded of unfortunate past events. This is also a read about the emotional transition pre/post DADT. It was interesting to watch their interaction as they give and take with each other. Romance, uncertainty, forgiveness, and letting go.