Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions shared are mine.

Book about war and military heroes seem a dime a dozen. The Loyal Heart, in contrast, bears a deeper meaning in terms of those left behind the fallen heroes.  This title from bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray features an interesting cast of characters, an unlikely romance, and the renewal of spirit.

While this book weighs in as a fairly small paperback, there are two main perspectives from which the reader feels the story develop.  I rather wished that Gray had concentrated on only one point of view, preferably Robert’s, because I felt that the alternating viewpoint made it difficult to really stay in the mind of a character.  Additionally, it’s too bad that so much is given away on the back cover.  I’ve made it a practice to avoid reading the book summary most of the time because it just ruins the suspense for me!

There are some sensitive issues throughout the story, including the topic of depression and potential suicide.  These matters were delicately handled by the author.   As one might expect, the theme of loyalty (even in the face of betrayal) was well played in The Loyal Heart.  Puzzled out in various ways, from wartime to friendship to familial bonds, this message rang loud and clear.

I look forward to reading more books from The Lone Star Hero series.  The characters who made appearances in this story are sure to resurface, and it will be fun to see where Gray takes them!

Do you enjoy war-story books?