I adore Alaska and the cover for this book is I just had to read it. I’m not familiar with the author so I went in with hope but not a lot of expectations.

Our heroine, Sara, is still single in her mid 30’s and is horribly taken advantage of by her entire family. Her self esteem isn’t great but she definitely has a spark and she’s a wonderful person. Just too bad her family doesn’t see her clearly. On a whim she sends a ‘Dear Soldier’ card which happens to fall on Gabe’s desk while he’s stationed in Iraq.

Gabe is a man of few words but with a big heart. He finds himself falling for the silly girl behind the letters quickly. Letters turn into emails and FaceTime and before you know it, these two become the brightest part of each other’s days.

I won’t rehash the plot but obviously there’s trouble in paradise and Gabe, being the frustrating man he is did make me a bit mad. The book is written in dual POV though so at least we understand how much he is hurt which does justify much of his actions. The end is quite fulfilling though so thankfully all’s well that ends well.

A couple things... Gabe’s dog steals most of the scenes he’s in. The book is a little slow and I got bored at times. The letters written are often up twice for the reader (when Sara or Gabe write them and again as the other reads them) which is very tedious. It doesn’t happen a ton but it was annoying. I’d definitely read this author again as the bones of the story were good even if it wasn’t executed the best. I’d love to see Sara’s cousin hook up with Gabe’s friend/boss.

Sara has given up everything for her family, including her job and her social life. Her family repays her kindness by treating her poorly and calling her a spinster. On a whim, Sara decides to send a letter to soldiers to spread some holiday cheer. It also gives her the chance to vent a little bit about her family - it's not like she'll ever talk to this person again.

Gabe is not what you would call a talkative guy, but, when he receives letters from Sara, something about them makes him want to be a different person. Her letters are funny and entertaining, and just what he needs in his stressful environment. Sara and Gabe start a correspondence that lasts months, but things turn sour when Gabe unexpectedly shows up at Sara's door. Can Sara get over her fears and give up her comfortable life for love? Will Gabe learn to trust Sara again after she broke his trust?


The description of the story the the publisher has on the book is misleading: Sara is given an ultimatum - Gabe isn't really trying to convince her of anything. And, if you ask me, it's his own damn fault for just showing up at her house with no warning. Sara's low self-esteem is a huge plot point, which is disappointing, and women being mean to each other for no reason isn't my cup of tea.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite military romance, but it had some cute moments.

I was drawn to the book by three things: military, Alaska and the cover, well mostly the dog.

I loved the premise of the story: girl writes a letter to a deployed soldier...it sort of follows my life (in a way)... but in the end the story fell a little flat for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I wanted more depth from Sara, I wanted/needed her to start to grow. I did enjoy getting to know Gabe, but his character also was a little flat.

I did enjoy Trouble, the dog, and his antics.

From Alaska with Love by Ally James. Enjoyed the story and the characters including Trouble who is every bit as adorable as the cover picture. Romance between Gabe and Sara develops slowly into a HEA while overcoming, obstacles and unsupportive relatives. The first half was a sweet romance and the last half had quite a bit more intimacy. The humor throughout the story was at times laugh out loud funny.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I normally don’t read books that could be Hallmark-esque or lovey. But something about mixing a soldier, a dog, and nannying for a niece pulled me in.
I loved how there was more to the story than just the relationship, the niece Kaylee plays a huge role throughout the book and gives the main character more depth as well.
Since half the book (as the title mentions) I waited until there was snow on the ground which is not needed!
Overall happy I read this one, and would recommend this time of year especially to people who like easy reads, or a nice holiday read!

Sara writes a note to a deployed soldier. It lands on Gabe’s desk. They begin corresponding. As their story develops you see her confidence grow and his stoic reserve melt.

As a reader I found myself not being able to put the book down as I was as eager as Sara and Gabe to read the next email or text between them.

Sara’s family’s callousness is a bit over the top and I would have liked a longer epilogue that was more into the future since I became so invested in their HEA.

From Alaska with Love was a good romantic story with some heat.
3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC

I'm not a big reader of military romances, but the premise intrigued me. A relationship that slowly develops over email and FaceTime - too cute! I had a few issues with the story line, especially the ending, but overall a feel-good read.

Ally James’ From Alaska with Love was the perfect romance book to curl up with on a cold winter’s night. The plotline and characters were believable and felt real. Sara and Gabe meet through a pen pal program for soldiers overseas and their relationship blossoms from there. Through emails, texts, and video chats they are able to be their true selves with each other. Being your true self is harder in person, though. Upon meeting and being given an ultimatum, Sara decides to move in with Gabe in Alaska, across the country from her family. It’s scary and exhilarating, because love should be worth it, right. James does a wonderful job portraying the highs and lows of Sara and Gabe’s feelings.

Gabe’s dog gives the story comedic relief, which is needed at times. During the pen pal part of the book, the pace lags a little bit. The emails are repeated when they don’t need to be. However, the pace picks back up when they meet in person. It’s a fast read and I would recommend to someone who enjoys romances with a happily ever after.

With Sara and Gabe having a chance meeting over the internet, they connect in a safe place and as mature adults, they are cautious but hopefull in their budding relationship. Things start to go off-kilter when Gabe mixes things up and meets Sara with absolutely no warning. This is where the whole "is this for real" thing starts messing up. I loved to see how this could be for real! It had an absolutely believable storyline, and I enjoyed hanging in there to see what these two would do for love. Great book!

This book was not what I expected when I started reading. This was a romance between a soldier deployed in a war zone and woman who was being used terribly by her family. There were parts of the story that I didn't understand the characters' reactions.. but they did stay true to themselves. I did enjoy this book and was rooting for them to get together.

I don't usually read military romances but I was attracted to this book from the hook of the pen pal set up. I really loved how dynamic both characters are and their slow burn romance with lots of "Will they won't they" moments. Sara's character in particular had me drawn in, I loved how she cared so much about her family but realized she needed to live her own life and become the charming, independent woman that she was meant to be! Really loved their story and hope there's a second book!

I am an absolute sucker for a contemporary romance that features real people and real life situations. This book was exactly the kind of romance I enjoy reading. I haven't read such a good romance in ages! Ally James is now on my must buy list.

This book was received as an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was one of the most romantic love stories I have ever read and it definitely screamed like a potential lifetime and hallmark movie. From Alaska with Love, tells the story of Sara and the letters she wrote overseas to Major Gabe Randall who fell in love with Sara just by the letters she has written. Sara herself is so smitten with Gabe that she flees to Alaska to his secluded home to meet him. Gabe then asks her to spend 6 weeks in Alaska to get to know each other. Sara is then afraid that Gabe will not love her for the person that she is and if he finds out the real woman "behind the pen" he will not love her as much as she loves him. This book reminded me a lot of The Lucky One meets the Christmas Card. I can definitely see this being a potential hallmark movie in the making.

We will consider adding this title to our Romance collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I'm always a sucker for any book that involves pen pals so I was excited to read this. I hated Sara's family and how they took advantage of her and worse, they didn't see it!! I loved that she got out of her "funk" by doing something nice for someone else and that it ended up changing her life. This was a very enjoyable read and my only complaint is that it didn't stay PG13. It got a little too R for me, but that's just my preference, the writing was great and I enjoyed the book.

Oh my heart, I loved this book! I cried, I laughed, and I cheered. I love that they were pen pals for so long before meeting in person, I think that added a level of realistic depth that is hard to achieve in fiction. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year!

This was such a great book! I loved every second of it. The story flowed naturally and the main characters were very likable. Trouble, the dog, was so CUTE and I loved him! I liked how Sara learned to love herself and realize that she was awesome. Gabe was so dreamy and always a gentleman. Alaska sounded amazing. I definitely recommend this!

I loved this title and could not put it down. It is so relevant as we live in a digital world and feel less inhibited there than face to face. It was enlightening to see the transition from assumptions and expectations to reality. Vulnerability is a hard sale, but Sara and Gabe have it and made it work. It was a sweet story and I look forward to more in this series!

Gabe really is a sweet man, “yep.” He grinned, before putting a hand on her thigh. “And do you seriously imagine I give a damn when or how you speak the words? Baby, you could have screamed them out in the middle of a wet T-shirt contest, while showcasing your stripper moves, and it would still be the second- best moment of my life.” I liked this book, I liked Gabe.