An Act of Courage (Acts of Honor) Paperback – March 8, 2017

A beautiful love story that sings of pain and hope, beauty from ashes, I’m not sure I can adequately tell you what this book conveys any more than I can put the beat of my heart to paper. This is a stunning tale of redemption and love, faith and family. And so very much more. While this is a love story, at heart this is a life story…and KC Lynn delivers it exquisitely.“Lis, Over the years I’ve realized there are moments in our life that irrevocably change us, but there is one in particular that changed mine forever. It was the first day I laid eyes on you. The day I found a piece of heaven to help me get through the hell I was living in.”Sometimes the most horrific wounds cannot be seen or touched, only felt. Navy veteran Christopher Walker knows all about it. He’s got miles and miles of regrets cloaked in guilt and shame. It’s just a matter of time before that endless cycle of blame comes crashing down around him – not even his music, the heartbeat of his drums, can save him. Alyssa/Lis Malone’s battled with the pain of losing Christopher for years. She’s on a first name basis with hurt and abandonment. Moving forward has never been so hard. Their second chance at love…it decimated my heart. And then lit me from within, feeling the full force of their love and devotion to one another. Of prevailing. Of overcoming the darkness.“I will walk it every day with him, every second I will suffer alongside of him until he finds the light once again.”Overcoming, however, always comes with a price. Echoes and threads of pain and sorrow compete with the absolute regret Christopher and Alyssa wish they could escape. The pain of seeing the man you love more than life itself drowning knowing you’re not the life jacket, you can’t help, is utterly devastating in its powerlessness. Watching the adopted son you loved from the moment you rescued him from hell struggle with the most horrific choice he could make – all while sitting at his table, feet from you, powerless to take away the shame and guilt. The raw, naked vulnerability of another human being reaching and grasping, hoping his reach will take hold – that absolution is near.“I never forgot you, Christopher. I never forgot what it felt like to be yours.”And it is – the soothing comfort of music, family and love are never far. Sometimes in the raging tones of his drums. Sometimes in the strong grasp of Cade Walker’s hand on his shoulder and deep voice telling him he’ll always be there. The healing balm of Faith’s love. The sweet innocent laughter of Mia. In Ruthie’s steadfast devotion and adoration of her big brother – her hero. In the acceptance of Anna’s outreach and ear of his therapist. And the wholly devoted love of a woman who would sacrifice anything for him – that would wait lifetimes for him. While this isn’t an easy story, it’s a beautiful worthwhile story. The moments of light balance the dark, love winning the day. To say I was emotionally invested would be putting it mildly. I haven’t sobbed, laughed, screamed and sat numbly staring at my Kindle in a while. I’ve probably overused the words raw, visceral and painful and that’s what this story evokes. But it’s also so incredibly lovely. It felt like the moment the sun banks the horizon at dawn. That infinitesimal moment where the dark of night is eclipsed by the warmth of the sun lifting in the skies. The possibilities of the day endless and all the hopes and dreams you have seem possible. The moment the sun hits your skin and warms you from within…that, that moment is what I captured and relived when reading this story.“I pull her in close to comfort her and she loves every wound with her lips, healing them more than time ever will.”When it comes to tortured heroes and the families and friends that surround them I’m of the opinion that no one – no one – transfers the raw, visceral emotion to paper like Ms. Lynn. The absolute agony of Christopher’s battle shattered my heart into a million pieces, waiting for the moment, the second she would deliver the sweet oblivion of redemption – of hope full circling to completion – the lynchpin of this story. While the circumstances may not be unique, that’s not what this is about. This is about pain, anger, guilt, love, forgiveness, loyalty, brotherhood and family…in all the ways they can conquer you – or heal you. Rebirth can happen in a myriad of ways, but I have to say that Ms. Lynn’s methods are among my favorite.“The one girl who has always calmed the beast. With just a touch or a look, her light outshines my dark. It always has.”The care, compassion, love and empathy conveyed by this not so simple tale of a struggling solider and his girl is what separates the great reads from the excellent. That antsy feeling that if you don’t turn one more page, pick up one more piece to the puzzle that you won’t be complete, that you’ll toss and turn at night agonizing over the choices and outcomes of fictional characters made real – that is excellence – and it’s why I’ve automatically read every work produced by Ms. Lynn. Recommended without reservation and a Top Pick for 2017.“I loved you then, and I love you now. I never stopped.”K’s Category: Serial Dater – I’ve read every novel/novella released to date.Characters: M/FSex: Yes, descriptiveOW/OM: NoHEA: YesStandalone: Although this book can standalone you’ll have a richer character experience by reading Resisting Temptation, Men of Honor #3 prior. This is where a young Christopher and Ruthie are introduced and taken in by Cade and Faith Walker.

5 Magnificent Stars (deserves a million)(Deep breath in and out) Okay, maybe now I can get through this review without shedding a tear...probably not, but whatevs <shrugs>Every single time I read a book by KC Lynn, I feel as if my heart grows bigger and I come away knowing that I have read something not only touching, but magnificent as well. She’s one of those authors who weaves magic with her words and sucks you into the story so much so that you feel absolutely every single emotion these beloved characters go through. I admit that I’m an emotional reader and I probably cry way more than the average, but not many authors can make me sob to the point that I can’t even see the words on the page to even read like KC Lynn does. I lost count of how many times I had to take a break from reading because I was sobbing so much.When I read Resisting Temptation and was introduced to Christopher, I knew without a doubt, I wanted to wrap him up and love him so hard. To be dealt such a crap hand in life, but still love and protect his little sister like he did...yeah, that fifteen year old boy was something very special. Now, all grown up and dealing with even more demons in his life, makes me want to wrap him up and love him even harder. Leaving Alissa five years ago was one of the biggest regrets of his life, but when something happens and he must fight to save her, it’s clear that they both are still very much in love with each other. I don’t want to say too much about the story itself. It’s something you just have to experience on your own.I love KC’s strong Alpha men, but she writes even stronger women and I absolutely adore them. I know it takes a special kind of woman to be able to love a man that has been to war and comes home with the demons from what they have lived through. A special woman that can love a broken man and show them they are worthy. And no one writes those better than KC does. I just cannot say enough great things about this book. Is it emotional? YES! Is it funny at times? YES! Hello...Sexy Sawyer! This book will reach into your chest, rip your heart out, and stomp on it. Then it will pick it up off the ground, dust it off and put it back together again before replacing it where it goes. An Act of Courage is on my top list of books for 2017 so far and I’m not sure if anything can replace it. If you’re not familiar with KC Lynn’s books, don’t waste another minute! You need to read them all! But if you want to start here, you MUST read Resisting Temptation before reading An Act of Courage so you get ALL the backstory on Christopher and Alissa.Angela - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

I'm going to start this review by saying that my love for this author is just immense. Everything she writes has & always will, have the ability to move me beyond words. From Jaxson, right through to Christopher, every word, every scene, every character has seeped into my soul. They have made me laugh, most definitely made me cry & have forced me to love hard, hurt harder & learn that strength & honor come in all shapes & sizes.It's a rarity to find an author who has the capacity to pull you in to the story so quickly & completely, but KC does that to me EVERY SINGLE TIME. I never feel like I'm just reading her words, but more like living & breathing them scene by scene. This is the most epic journey imaginable & Im truly blessed to have had the chance to fall in love with each & every hero & heroine.So now to tell you about An Act of Courage. This is Christopher & Alissa's story & oh my achy heart it was perfect. It was tragic, devastating, beautiful, raw, passionate, loving & a whole lot more. It was always going to be a hard journey for Christopher but wow did KC bring her A game in showing just how strong two people can love, hurt & heal.Childhood loves, they were connected in that deep, wholesome way. Soul mates, best friends & destined to be together forever. But life isn't easy & rarely goes to plan, resulting in their paths changing, taking them in opposite directions. Fast forward 5 years & a circumstance that sent chills down my spine quite literally, Christopher heads once again into depths of hell to save the girl he has never once stopped loving.They say that forever love never dies & it has never been so true than with this beautiful couple. Beyond the regrets of the past 5 years, they are just two people who love each other unconditionally. When they gave their hearts all those years ago, they gave them understanding that they would never get them back, so to see them reunite & reignite their love, passion & desire was so so perfect.They literally are two halves to the same soul. On one side we have Christopher. God this man wrecked me. His life has always been hard & the aftereffects of war have broken him even further My heart ached so deeply as I watched him struggle with his pain & anger, it hurt like hell to see him so helpless & desperate, but most of all it shattered into tiny pieces as I watched this strong beautiful man try & fight the demons that were sucking his soul dry, stripping him of his strength, hope & honor.On the other side of this soul we have Alissa. I love this girl. She is beauty, light & innocence in one truly gorgeous package. I loved her sheer capacity to love & her unwavering strength in her efforts to support the only man who has ever owned her heart. I hurt when she hurt & cried when she cried. It was hard to see her feeling helpless & that she wasn't enough to drive away his demons, but it was so beautifully fitting to see & feel, how no matter what was laid before them, she would always be his light, his peace, his salvation.My tears flowed & I sobbed real heart wrenching sobs as their journey unfolded, I wanted nothing more than to hold this damaged man & tell him how courageous he actually is & as for Alissa, well I wanted to squeeze her tight & tell her just how truly beautiful her heart & soul is. Everything about this couple from their connection to their forever kind of love is so beautiful. There isn't one thing I would change about them or their story. Utter perfection.If all of the above wasn't enough mind, I can't finish my review without saying how full my heart was seeing my other Men of Honor, Ruthie & Mia & just how brilliantly they fit into this story. My heart was full to bursting with the other little bundles of fun KC layered in, giving me some much needed laughter & out right snorting lol. But best of all, I got Faith & Cade, this coupe will always give me hope in humanity. They will forever represent all that is good, strong & beautiful in the world & although I cried a river at their roles, I couldn't have imagined Christopher's story without them.There is just not enough stars for this. It will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Talk about emotional, we've had plenty of that first with (Men of Honor) and now (Acts of Honor) we have grown with all the characters, lived through all their personal hell and thankfully come out the other side.An Act of Courage is Christopher Walkers story, you can't help feeling hesitant going into his story, we already know Christopher and his younger sister Ruthie, they are now part of Faith and Cades family... it was Faith that took them in all those years ago. We know exactly what Christopher suffered at the hands of his father that alone makes you feel sad.As this story opens up you are immediately drawn to Christopher and Alissa, you can tell they have a special relationship, they think the world of each other that much is obvious but Alisha's mother is doing everything she can to come between them, it's an awfull time as we watch Christopher walka away... Alissa is left broken-hearted.Five years on and Christopher is back after serving his country, he has all the family around him but he may as well be alone, he's haunted by what happened to his friend Billy... he's suffering again but for very different reasons.While Christopher has been away you wonder what happened to Alissa did she go off to study medicine, did she go where her mother wanted her to go? Well it doesn't take long before we get some answers... she's in Kenya of all places and it's not good.This story completely consumes you. By Chapter 13 Christopher had rescued Alissa twice and still the behaviour from her mother, stepfather Richard and stepbrother Ryan is awful... unbelievable in fact, thank goodness for Derick Alissa's father he'd always liked Christopher, even more so now.As this brilliant storyline continues so does the emotional impact, its building all the time. Christopher is still harbouring all his demons add to that the threat on Alissa's life... I had my doubts but still comes as a nasty shock.It's heartbreaking as we watch Christopher punish himself over the death of his friend Billy he feels responsible if the tables were turned im sure It would of been the same outcome nobody wants to suffer a slow death.Everyting comes to a head for Christopher, I cried so much but relieved that he is finally getting the help that's long over due.There are some very touching moments the ending being one of them even Alissa's mother was on board... quite the turn around it couldn't have been more perfect.!Beautiful story but where do we go from here??

You know those reviews where the person pretends their not biased and that they don't love the hell outta the author? Yeah this is not gonna be one of those! OMG Every damn time! All the feels!!Finally we get Christopher!!If you've read the series i think like me you will have been waiting for this one. This is Christopher from Resisting Temptation.Christopher gives up the love of his life, Alissa, to join the Navy and to allow her to pursue her dreams. After 5 years apart Christopher is back from War a changed man. He's seen and done things he can't get over. He's ashamed of what he's done and it's weighing heavily on him. He's home a short while when he is asked by Alissa's father for help. This brings them crashing back together as though he never left.Alissa has lived the past 5 years never forgetting Christopher. Her heart will always belong to him. And whilst she has lived her life she's never found love again.I am not gonna give any spoilers of the story. But jeeze i will just say it's amazing. Nearly on a par with Resisting as my fave of the series.Every reader has an author they go to when they're in certain moods. Sometimes it's dark, sometimes it's comedy, sometimes it's erotic. The author i go to when i want everything? This one!I always know KC's books are going to be well written. It's a given she knows how to build a story like no one else. Action packed and gripping every time. But it always catches me off guard the feeling you get reading her books. I get every feeling you can think of. Her words just manage to crack me open and make me feel it all. From sadness and doom, to fun and happy, to sexy and hot (wow lube!) to heartbreak and then tears of joy!!!From the moment these characters meet you know it's a lifetime deal. They may have been separated but they were always going to just be. At some point they were going to make it. Of course it's never an easy road. Christopher broke my heart. Not gonna lie he did. I felt his guilt. Knew i would feel the same. But i just wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him it wasn't his fault. A true hero would do the same. I will say the chapter of Cade's thrown in here was probably the best and the worst of this book. Tissues were all used up!Alissa very much reminds me of Faith i can see exactly why Christopher loves her. She's strong and resilient and has a heart big enough to carry her and Christopher through the dark times. She's the Light. When she felt helpless as Christopher spiraled into darkness i love how although being supportive she let him have his space. She didn't moan and strop she supported him even if it killed her to leave him be.Please don't think it's all dark and broody there are so many wonderful moments too. The love that fills your heart will consume you all the way through. It's so special I'm grinning typing this. The flashbacks to their joint pasts are wonderful, skateboarding and hubba bubba! Also sexy times? Yuhhh huhhhhhh hot, sexy, dirty, toe curling, i'm with ya baby, swoon worthy!!! The scenes with the music class had me snickering like a child.Of course old faces are in here predominantly Cade and Faith which i absolutely loved because they're my fave KC Couple!! Also Ruthie and Mia. There's also little hints to their future books which I'm so excited about!!!I just can't fault it. You would think this far into the series things may have become a little slower maybe or repetitive? NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! is still fresh and gripping and wonderful!!I highly recommend this book. I guess you can read as a stand alone i don't see why not but, i would advise you to read the whole series. Not just Acts but Men of Honor too. Hell, read everything this author has written because honestly every last one of them will touch you in some way or other. I just love them and always will. These books are re-readers heaven!

Who is Christopher Walker?Brother, Son, Lover, SEAL, Hero, Monster??"She’s my anchor, my light My salvation in the night My angel, my peace The best part of me"If you ask him the answer would be monster, to those around him - who see him so differently - they would have another answer. To me, he is all that and so much more. Haunted by his time in the military, Christopher is plagued by thoughts that he is a monster because of what happened over there. Something only the men of honor might understand, the experiences may have differed but the feeling are the same."“God gives the toughest battles to the strongest soldiers, and both of them belong to me.”"Alissa is his person, the one who can help him find the light through the darkness he finds himself in. I refuse to say he's a broken man, just a bit bent through his life experiences. To paraphrase the P¡nk song, "He's not broken, just bent". In true KC Lynn fashion though it's not easy and they face more than their fair share of obstacles and challenges. It was so beautifully written and the feelings and portrayal of Christopher hurt my heart and my head. My eyes *might* have leaked a few times as well (shh spoilers).It's not all leaky eyes and demons in the dark though, Christopher's inner monologue when teaching made me smile and chuckle. The interaction between him and his pupils was just brilliant and so true to life.

This book just slayed me. I've loved Christopher since he was first introduced in Resisting Temptation, my heart broke for the 15 year old boy he was and what he endured.Now my heart has shattered into a million pieces for what he's had to suffer whilst fighting for his country.Poor Christopher's life has spiralled into darkness and he can't see a way out. The only thing that helps Chase the darkness away is her...Alissa, the only girl he has ever loved.Alissa was devastated when Christopher left. Now he's back her feelings are still the same, their connection is just as strong, but it's obvious he's not the same man he was.I just love Alissa she won't give up on the man she loves. knows she won't survive him leaving again. She just needs to convince him he's worth loving.This story just broke me, I cried so much then I saw glimpes of the old Christopher and my heart felt happy.I felt a bit strange because I'd go from sobbing one minute to laughing the next. It was quite surreal. But I loved every minute of this beautiful story. I'm sure you will too.