Book Review: Maritime Men Series by Janey Chapel

Title: Maritime Men and Anchors Aweigh
Series: Maritime Men, Books 1 & 2
Author: Janey Chapel
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copies from publisher
Published: August 2009 & March 2010 by Dreamspinner Press

SEAL candidates Cooper Fitch and Eli Jones are cut off from the outside world and pushed to their physical and mental limits by the demands of the Navy's elite training program. Their reliance on each other takes an unexpected turn after Hell Week, the most grueling stretch of basic conditioning, when Cooper and Eli surrender to passion fueled by fatigue, horniness, and alcohol. Despite the danger of being discovered, their intense attraction begins to feel like a natural extension of living, working, and training side by side, and neither is willing to give it up, no matter the risk.

Sequel to Maritime Men After completing Navy SEAL training, Cooper Fitch and Eli Jones face assignment to different platoons. Since the strength of their mutual physical attraction is exceeded only by their emotional reliance on each other, the idea of being separated for a year or more is a bitter pill to swallow. But missing Eli may be just the beginning of Cooper's troubles: he's got an undisciplined man in his platoon, an uptight commanding officer, and his own insecurity about his leadership skills to deal with. Without Eli at his back, Cooper starts to wonder if he really has what it takes to be a SEAL.

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Great MM military romance told in two novellas that must be read back to back.

The Set Up: Cooper and Eli are in training to become Navy SEALS when they admit attraction to each other.

Why I Read this Book: I’ve developed a love for MM military romance and am searching them out.

What I Liked: I loved both Cooper and Eli as people and a couple. Eli and Cooper are both committed to SEAL training so they’re classically loyal, honest and extremely hardworking. They train hard and play harder and this applies to their relationship too. They have few qualms about adding sexual intimacy to their best friend relationship and I loved this honesty and integrity to themselves and each other. I like the progression of Cooper and Eli’s romance from novella one and novella two as they form a life partnership.

What I Also Liked: This didn’t just have the setting of Navy SEALs; the training is the plot of the novellas. Don’t read this if you’re irritated by acronyms or military jargon because these two novellas are full of them! But I happened to like it as the military setting added realism and plot to this straightforward romance. I also liked the secondary characters of Cooper and Eli’s fellow trainees as they fleshed out the story.

What I Didn’t Like: I had both novellas so could read them as one book because that’s how the story needed to be told. I would HIGHLY caution against just buying novella one since it feels unfinished. Read these short novellas back to back for complete enjoyment.

IMO: I really loved both these novellas as they told a great MM military romance with plenty of heat and heart for even the most jaded MM romance reader. I don’t think that the author is writing more but I hope she does as I’d love Cooper and Eli’s romance to continue.

J9’s Rating: