TITLE: The Wing Commander
AUTHOR: Ellen Margret
PUBLISHER: Melange Books LLC
PURCHASE
MAIN GENRE: Historical
SECONDARY GENRE: Military Romance
LENGTH: 136
HEAT LEVEL: Boiling
OTHER: M/F
ROSE RATING: 3.5 Roses
REVIEWED BY: Anya
BLURB:
Even as a child Pru adored Varian Verney, but he thought her an irritating little chit, and did not hesitate to tell her so. She bet him half-a-crown she would one day make it as a pilot but his response was to call her a gormless brat. When she rescued him from occupied France during World War Two, he knew he would have to pay up, but he did more than that. He fell head over heels in love with the beautiful Ferry Pilot.
REVIEW:
Pru wanted two things in life: to be a pilot and Varian Verney. Unfortunately, Varian didn’t share her sentiment. After being shipped off to school and separated from her childhood crush, Pru focused on pursuing her goal of flying. While she developed the skills of an excellent pilot and could outfly just about any man, her love-life didn’t fare so well. An abusive marriage and bitter divorce left a bad taste in her mouth concerning men. Her life as a pilot and her daughter were all she cared about, or so she thought. Taking her brother’s place, she secretly flies into occupied France to rescue a stranded pilot. Little does she know that one trip will change her entire life, in more ways than one.
Varian frequently thought about the little girl he tormented years ago. Despite her devoted affections for him, her red hair and freckles weren’t exactly attractive at the time. Besides, she was far too young and ate far too much toffee for his liking. But as he got older, guilt assailed his conscience. If he ever got the chance, perhaps he’d apologize to the young chit that always managed to drive him crazy. Little did he expect that the pilot who’d come to rescue him would be the very girl—all grown up into a beautiful women—who’d plagued his thoughts over the years. He had a lot of making up to do, and he intended to give it his best. Unfortunately other circumstances in their lives interfere, threatening what promises to be a happy future.
The Wind Commander is a very endearing story. There’s a lot to take into account as you’re getting accustomed to the characters. While the author keeps the mood fairly light, there’s always the understanding that Pru and Varian are in the middle of a war, as are the people they care about. Any given day could bring about disaster and change their lives. Despite being wordy at times, the dialog between the characters proved humorous and entertaining. Pru has a very spunky wit, but makes a few decisions that seemed reckless and out of character, considering what she stood to lose.
Varian starts out a little cocky and arrogant, but as his feelings develop for Pru, he does a lot of growing up and becomes a true hero. A few editing errors caught my attention in the form of missing words or ones that were out of place. Ms. Margret handles point of view fairly well with clearly labeled changes which helps to keep the reader grounded and on top of what’s going on. Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from this author.
For a combination of wit, danger, and endearment, grab a copy of The Wing Commander by Ellen Margret, she’s woven a wonderful tale of what happens when young love grows up.
