What do you think?
Rate this book
Anchor Point #2
Afraid to Fly
An Anchor Point Novel
Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.
Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.
Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.
It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.
* * * * * * *
The Anchor Point stories can be read in any order -- jump in wherever you'd like.
Word 92,000; page 347
Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.
Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.
Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.
It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.
* * * * * * *
The Anchor Point stories can be read in any order -- jump in wherever you'd like.
Word 92,000; page 347
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2017
76 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Witt
227 books2,714 followersL.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
December 27, 2016
Silver Fox.
I love me a silver fox and in Afraid to Fly we get two!
Commander Travis Wilson is 45 and Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser is 40. I don't think my interest in the older heroes is a kink, it's just where I am in my life as a 47-year-old woman. It tickles me pink when authors write romances with the older men and Ms. Witt delivered the goods with Afraid to Fly.
Clint and Travis are both a hot mess. PTSD, flashbacks, war injuries, failed marriages, strained relationships with their children, unlucky in love, survivors guilt... Hot. Mess. It sets the scene for delicious hurt/healing/comfort perfectly. Yay, a personal favorite! BUT... I felt several chances for the comfort aspect were missing. Opportunity lost. Bummer!
While I wish I could say I loved this and give it 5 stars, I have a few small complaints.
Like I said, Clint and Travis were a hot mess of tragedy. I like when authors don't sugar-coat characters and situations, but with these boys I kept hoping for Ms. Witt to lighten their load just a little. Their physical and psychological pain were shared once they became a couple, but I would have liked to see, maybe ONE cause of pain lifted by the end. Sometimes a book can be too realistic to be 100% enjoyable, and this was one of them.
Secondly, the ending was very HFN and there were several loose ends. I feel like we only got half the story. Sean and Paul's story was wrapped up in a nice, neat bow at the end of this one, but I feel like we'd need a lot of with these two before a real HEA can be certified.
Regardless of the flaws, I really enjoyed this one and can certainty recommend it.
Advanced review copy of Afraid to Fly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
Smooth and flawless was fine and good, but especially as I got older myself, there was something about the lines by the corners of his eyes and the traces of silver in his sandy-blond hair that tongue-tied me all to hell.
I love me a silver fox and in Afraid to Fly we get two!
Commander Travis Wilson is 45 and Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser is 40. I don't think my interest in the older heroes is a kink, it's just where I am in my life as a 47-year-old woman. It tickles me pink when authors write romances with the older men and Ms. Witt delivered the goods with Afraid to Fly.
Clint and Travis are both a hot mess. PTSD, flashbacks, war injuries, failed marriages, strained relationships with their children, unlucky in love, survivors guilt... Hot. Mess. It sets the scene for delicious hurt/healing/comfort perfectly. Yay, a personal favorite! BUT... I felt several chances for the comfort aspect were missing. Opportunity lost. Bummer!
While I wish I could say I loved this and give it 5 stars, I have a few small complaints.
Like I said, Clint and Travis were a hot mess of tragedy. I like when authors don't sugar-coat characters and situations, but with these boys I kept hoping for Ms. Witt to lighten their load just a little. Their physical and psychological pain were shared once they became a couple, but I would have liked to see, maybe ONE cause of pain lifted by the end. Sometimes a book can be too realistic to be 100% enjoyable, and this was one of them.
Secondly, the ending was very HFN and there were several loose ends. I feel like we only got half the story. Sean and Paul's story was wrapped up in a nice, neat bow at the end of this one, but I feel like we'd need a lot of with these two before a real HEA can be certified.
Regardless of the flaws, I really enjoyed this one and can certainty recommend it.
Advanced review copy of Afraid to Fly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
December 29, 2016
~3.5~
I liked Afraid to Fly but not as much as I liked Just Drive.
Why?
Maybe because my eyes glaze over at the mention of family drama, and there's plenty of that here. Clint has an ex-wife and three young kids he's not allowed to see. Mind, the ex-wife isn't a bitch. She's doing what she thinks is right for the kids, and Clint did mess up, but the way Clint catered to her was annoying.
Maybe because Travis has a bad back that limits what he can and can't do in bed (forget the floor or the wall; that just ain't happening). The guys certainly get it on, but they can't go beyond manual and oral. I'm not saying that isn't REAL; I'm just saying it isn't super sexy.
Maybe because I missed the slow burn. The MCs jump to it very quickly, so the UST is pretty much MIA.
But there were plenty of things I enjoyed, of course:
Clint and Travis are well-developed characters. I'm happy Witt includes MCs over 40 in her books. Give me a silver fox any day!
Neither Clint's PTSD nor Travis's injuries are brushed aside or solved by magic dick. Clint trusts Travis enough to share a horrific incident from his past, and Travis listens without judging.
There's not a lot of relationship angst. Travis has a stupid moment toward the end, but Clint forces him to talk about it, and he comes to his senses immediately.
While the ending isn't the glowing HEA Sean and Paul got, it's a strong HFN with the promise of a HEA.
In conclusion, this is a sweet story about two military men who get a second chance at love. Bonus points for Paul and Sean's wedding!
I liked Afraid to Fly but not as much as I liked Just Drive.
Why?
Maybe because my eyes glaze over at the mention of family drama, and there's plenty of that here. Clint has an ex-wife and three young kids he's not allowed to see. Mind, the ex-wife isn't a bitch. She's doing what she thinks is right for the kids, and Clint did mess up, but the way Clint catered to her was annoying.
Maybe because Travis has a bad back that limits what he can and can't do in bed (forget the floor or the wall; that just ain't happening). The guys certainly get it on, but they can't go beyond manual and oral. I'm not saying that isn't REAL; I'm just saying it isn't super sexy.
Maybe because I missed the slow burn. The MCs jump to it very quickly, so the UST is pretty much MIA.
But there were plenty of things I enjoyed, of course:
Clint and Travis are well-developed characters. I'm happy Witt includes MCs over 40 in her books. Give me a silver fox any day!
Neither Clint's PTSD nor Travis's injuries are brushed aside or solved by magic dick. Clint trusts Travis enough to share a horrific incident from his past, and Travis listens without judging.
There's not a lot of relationship angst. Travis has a stupid moment toward the end, but Clint forces him to talk about it, and he comes to his senses immediately.
While the ending isn't the glowing HEA Sean and Paul got, it's a strong HFN with the promise of a HEA.
In conclusion, this is a sweet story about two military men who get a second chance at love. Bonus points for Paul and Sean's wedding!
December 25, 2016
Afraid to Fly is the second book in LA Witt's Anchor Point series. I loved the first book, Just Drive, and have been looking forward to Travis' story.
Both MC's are bisexual, and I did love how that was handled and I loved that neither man got crap for it on base. I want to think that the military is becoming more accepting in the wake of the DADT repeal, and I liked that it was just no big deal in the story.
Commander Travis Wilson used to be a hot shot fighter pilot, until avery bad landing crash 8 years ago, took him and his RIO out of the game. Travis is still walking and serving in the Navy, but he suffers awful chronic back pain, and walks with a permanent limp. Travis has been married, and divorced, a couple times and has a wonderful 22 year old daughter. They look out for each other. Travis has slept with plenty of guys over the years, but he's only ever fallen for one, and he's still not quite over him. Up until now, Travis has had a much easier time emotionally connecting with women.
Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser is new to Anchor Point, having been transferred to NAS Adams from Nellis, in Nevada. He was a drone pilot, but a highly classified mission went sideways and it derailed him in the worst way possible. Clint took to self-medicating, with alcohol, because that was the only thing that would numb everything, and, well, that cost him his marriage, of 16 years and his 3 kids, and almost his career.
We don't actually see much of Clint's ex-wife or kids, just 3 or 4 Skype calls. I understand she's come a long way since the divorce, but she starts out seeming pretty bitter, still, and I really hated that she treated him like his PTSD wasn't real, or that he should just be able to get over it. Sure, he was never physically in danger, but being directly responsible for the deaths of other humans takes its toll, no matter the situation. And that he's not allowed to talk about it, even to a counselor with clearance, means he has to try to come to terms with what happened all by himself.
That Clint's ex-wife was so flippant about it, pretty much pissed me off. And that she used his PTSD against him in the custody battle with Clint, and uses it as an excuse to not even let him see his kids angered me even more. I really do understand why they got divorced. Living with someone who is self-destructive, especially when there are kids involved, is a tough situation. But, he's been sober for a year and a half, and he's doing what he can to cope with the PTSD. What angers me, though, is that no matter what he does, now, it didn't seem good enough for her, for most of the book. She starts coming around by the end, though, so maybe there is some hope to be had.
And Travis, well, he's super gun shy about the thought of falling in love with another man. That's only happened for him once before and he still blames himself for how that turned out. Is he responsible? No, he isn't, but that doesn't stop him from using it as an excuse to shut down thoughts of relationships.
Unlike Just Drive, Afraid to Fly is lighter on the steam than I've generally seen from this author. Because of Travis's back injury, most sexual activity, including anything anal - giving or receiving - are off the table. Oral and hand jobs are very much ok, though, so that's what he and Clint get up to. It worked for them, though, so I'm fine with it. What steam we got was sexy, in my opinion. I kind of wonder why Travis never thought to use a dildo on Clint, though. I get why he couldn't take one, himself, for the same reason actual intercourse was off the table, but I think he and Clint could have had lots of fun with a dildo. Just sayin'.
Sadly, while I liked Afraid to Fly, it didn't really wow me. The story seemed way too long and drawn out and I was just waiting for something, anything, to happen. In fact, everything is too perfect between them until Travis freaks the fuck out about his feelings and runs away. That just seemed so…manufactured, I guess. So, while I am happy that Travis and Clint found each other, I feel pretty tepid to the story, overall.
-----------------
ARC of Afraid to Fly was generously provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Both MC's are bisexual, and I did love how that was handled and I loved that neither man got crap for it on base. I want to think that the military is becoming more accepting in the wake of the DADT repeal, and I liked that it was just no big deal in the story.
Commander Travis Wilson used to be a hot shot fighter pilot, until a
Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser is new to Anchor Point, having been transferred to NAS Adams from Nellis, in Nevada. He was a drone pilot, but a highly classified mission went sideways and it derailed him in the worst way possible. Clint took to self-medicating, with alcohol, because that was the only thing that would numb everything, and, well, that cost him his marriage, of 16 years and his 3 kids, and almost his career.
We don't actually see much of Clint's ex-wife or kids, just 3 or 4 Skype calls. I understand she's come a long way since the divorce, but she starts out seeming pretty bitter, still, and I really hated that she treated him like his PTSD wasn't real, or that he should just be able to get over it. Sure, he was never physically in danger, but being directly responsible for the deaths of other humans takes its toll, no matter the situation. And that he's not allowed to talk about it, even to a counselor with clearance, means he has to try to come to terms with what happened all by himself.
That Clint's ex-wife was so flippant about it, pretty much pissed me off. And that she used his PTSD against him in the custody battle with Clint, and uses it as an excuse to not even let him see his kids angered me even more. I really do understand why they got divorced. Living with someone who is self-destructive, especially when there are kids involved, is a tough situation. But, he's been sober for a year and a half, and he's doing what he can to cope with the PTSD. What angers me, though, is that no matter what he does, now, it didn't seem good enough for her, for most of the book. She starts coming around by the end, though, so maybe there is some hope to be had.
And Travis, well, he's super gun shy about the thought of falling in love with another man. That's only happened for him once before and he still blames himself for how that turned out. Is he responsible? No, he isn't, but that doesn't stop him from using it as an excuse to shut down thoughts of relationships.
Unlike Just Drive, Afraid to Fly is lighter on the steam than I've generally seen from this author. Because of Travis's back injury, most sexual activity, including anything anal - giving or receiving - are off the table. Oral and hand jobs are very much ok, though, so that's what he and Clint get up to. It worked for them, though, so I'm fine with it. What steam we got was sexy, in my opinion. I kind of wonder why Travis never thought to use a dildo on Clint, though. I get why he couldn't take one, himself, for the same reason actual intercourse was off the table, but I think he and Clint could have had lots of fun with a dildo. Just sayin'.
Sadly, while I liked Afraid to Fly, it didn't really wow me. The story seemed way too long and drawn out and I was just waiting for something, anything, to happen. In fact, everything is too perfect between them until Travis freaks the fuck out about his feelings and runs away. That just seemed so…manufactured, I guess. So, while I am happy that Travis and Clint found each other, I feel pretty tepid to the story, overall.
-----------------
ARC of Afraid to Fly was generously provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2017
Finally I got to read the story of Travis Wilson who first appeared in 'Just Drive' as Paul's friend, who only does sex with men and relationships with women. Due to a severe flying accident, he's suffering from constant back pain and after a traumatic tragedy in his past, he considers himself unable to have a relationship with a guy.
Travis is surprised when Clint, the handsome 40-something colleague he's been lusting after in the office, appears on the Navy Ball with a boyfriend by his side. And now that he knows Clint is not straight, it's a pity the guy's been taken already.
It took all of Clint's courage to come out to his colleagues at the ball. He's a divorced dad of three and never in his life had a same-sex relationship. Talking to Travis at the ball, he realizes that just like him, Travis isn't straight either. And isn't that something?
There's a bit of back and forth before Travis and Clint will actually be with each other, but I totally enjoyed this story. It really impressed me to see a m/m romance with one partner who is suffering from severe pain and therefore is not very flexible in the bedroom. So the peak of the romance was not the hot and sweaty sex we usually get to see when a couple exchanges their three words, but actually the fact that Clint didn't mind to just sit down and watch a movie instead of sex, simply because Travis was in too much pain that night. This really touched me.
The main obstacle of the story was Travis' fear that Clint would one day get bored with his limitations and leave him, just like everyone before left him. Of course, Clint isn't this shallow, but Travis cannot overcome his fear of commitment and the unbearable pain that came with his first and only same-sex love that turned into a tragedy.
The story did have a few downsides, though. Travis keeping his distance because he was 'too in love' seemed kind of weird. Also, Clint was totally overprotective. His constant 'How's your back?', 'How do you feel?', 'Are you alright?' would have annoyed me to no end. I'm surprised Travis didn't just yell back at him 'I'M ALRIGHT, OK????!!!'
Both guys (and even one daughter) are suffering from severe PTSD. I love PTSD in military romances, but if both guys have it, they don't ever get to sleep. Someone will ALWAYS wake the other with their nightmares. It's just a bit much.
But I agree, since both guys knew what they were dealing with, they seemed to be a good match for each other.
All in all, I enjoyed this story very much. Two mature men with decades of military life and wrecked families in their pasts are just my favorite kind of MCs ;-)
4.5 stars!
Travis is surprised when Clint, the handsome 40-something colleague he's been lusting after in the office, appears on the Navy Ball with a boyfriend by his side. And now that he knows Clint is not straight, it's a pity the guy's been taken already.
It took all of Clint's courage to come out to his colleagues at the ball. He's a divorced dad of three and never in his life had a same-sex relationship. Talking to Travis at the ball, he realizes that just like him, Travis isn't straight either. And isn't that something?
There's a bit of back and forth before Travis and Clint will actually be with each other, but I totally enjoyed this story. It really impressed me to see a m/m romance with one partner who is suffering from severe pain and therefore is not very flexible in the bedroom. So the peak of the romance was not the hot and sweaty sex we usually get to see when a couple exchanges their three words, but actually the fact that Clint didn't mind to just sit down and watch a movie instead of sex, simply because Travis was in too much pain that night. This really touched me.
The main obstacle of the story was Travis' fear that Clint would one day get bored with his limitations and leave him, just like everyone before left him. Of course, Clint isn't this shallow, but Travis cannot overcome his fear of commitment and the unbearable pain that came with his first and only same-sex love that turned into a tragedy.
The story did have a few downsides, though. Travis keeping his distance because he was 'too in love' seemed kind of weird. Also, Clint was totally overprotective. His constant 'How's your back?', 'How do you feel?', 'Are you alright?' would have annoyed me to no end. I'm surprised Travis didn't just yell back at him 'I'M ALRIGHT, OK????!!!'
Both guys (and even one daughter) are suffering from severe PTSD. I love PTSD in military romances, but if both guys have it, they don't ever get to sleep. Someone will ALWAYS wake the other with their nightmares. It's just a bit much.
But I agree, since both guys knew what they were dealing with, they seemed to be a good match for each other.
All in all, I enjoyed this story very much. Two mature men with decades of military life and wrecked families in their pasts are just my favorite kind of MCs ;-)
4.5 stars!
i-m-a-quitter
December 29, 2016DNF @ 38%
I just wasn't feeling this one. I couldn't connect with either character and found myself wanting to skim.
Cutting my losses and moving on.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I just wasn't feeling this one. I couldn't connect with either character and found myself wanting to skim.
Cutting my losses and moving on.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
March 18, 2017
I think this book's greatest strength was that it felt authentic; the constant emotional tug-of-war that was present in both main characters throughout the book is exactly what I imagine two bisexual, career Navy men with four kids, two divorces, two heart-wrenching cases of PTSD, debilitating chronic pain, and the constant pull of addiction between them would have to tackle every fucking day of their lives if they wanted to be together.
However, the book felt a little too like the slog of real life, if you feel me. It was mainly work, worry, work, worry, Netflix, worry, and repeat. I mean... I get enough of that in my own life. As readers, we didn't get a whole lot time with these characters being happy or carefree or in love and I missed that aspect of the escapism I usually find in my romance novels (it's a personal preference, but it's still valid).
However, the book felt a little too like the slog of real life, if you feel me. It was mainly work, worry, work, worry, Netflix, worry, and repeat. I mean... I get enough of that in my own life. As readers, we didn't get a whole lot time with these characters being happy or carefree or in love and I missed that aspect of the escapism I usually find in my romance novels (it's a personal preference, but it's still valid).
December 30, 2019
Afraid to Fly, the second book in L. A. Witt's Anchor Point series, features two older MCs - Travis (45) and Clint (40) who each bring a boatload of issues to the relationship. Former pilot Travis deals daily with the excruciating physical effects of a crash and ejection and wonders how long he'll be able to pass the biannual PRT. Sworn to absolute secrecy after a horrific incident that occurred while he was remotely piloting a drone, Clint's subsequent battle with alcoholism cost him his marriage and children. Each man suffers from PTSD and nightmares.
This is no light sexy romp on its way to a Disneysque HEA and with Travis' constant back pain and his committed relationship with Motrin and a TENS unit, there's a lot of blow jobs and frotting in lieu of anal sex. I like how Witt doesn't portray this as a "less than" relationship, and the sex is hot as hell.
There is a LOT of introspection and long long internal monologues on the part of both men and in my opinion this really slowed down the flow of the story. I rarely skim, but found myself continually checking my progress on the book as it seemed to really drag along in the middle. At 347 pages, Afraid to Fly felt a bit bloated. There is also a Unilateral Decision made by Travis that seemed pretty boneheaded, but the ending gives us Travis and Clint on the way to a work-in-progress HEA. And BONUS we also get to check in on Paul and Sean and their wedding.
L.A. Witt really knows her stuff in crafting M/M military romances that deal with the havoc military life can wreak on relationships and families. My rating for Afraid to Fly is 3.5 stars and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from Riptide Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
This is no light sexy romp on its way to a Disneysque HEA and with Travis' constant back pain and his committed relationship with Motrin and a TENS unit, there's a lot of blow jobs and frotting in lieu of anal sex. I like how Witt doesn't portray this as a "less than" relationship, and the sex is hot as hell.
There is a LOT of introspection and long long internal monologues on the part of both men and in my opinion this really slowed down the flow of the story. I rarely skim, but found myself continually checking my progress on the book as it seemed to really drag along in the middle. At 347 pages, Afraid to Fly felt a bit bloated. There is also a Unilateral Decision made by Travis that seemed pretty boneheaded, but the ending gives us Travis and Clint on the way to a work-in-progress HEA. And BONUS we also get to check in on Paul and Sean and their wedding.
L.A. Witt really knows her stuff in crafting M/M military romances that deal with the havoc military life can wreak on relationships and families. My rating for Afraid to Fly is 3.5 stars and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received an ARC from Riptide Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
February 13, 2017
“I love you, Travis. You and all your dings and dents.”
This time I managed to laugh, and drew him in. “I love you too.” Brushing and lips across his, I added, “Dings, dents, and all.”
Ahhh Travis and Clint, how I very much enjoyed thee. Dings, dents, and all.
Afraid to fly is about two well-seasoned men and officers who have lost a lot, both in life and love. They haven’t had an easy life, and are both struggling daily with the curve-balls life has thrown them. They’re both scarred, they’re both messed up mentally from their work in the military, they’re both scared at taking new chances, they’re both not looking for love, but they secretly want it, even though it scares them shitless, and don’t think they deserve it since they don’t want their own mess to be a burden for another person. They both get their second chance at love in this book.
Commander Wilson Travis (45) and Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser (40) have both been admiring and lusting after each other from afar for a while, but nothing more since they don’t know if the other is gay/bi, until Clint brings his (soon to be x-) boyfriend to the Navy ball. The attraction and interest between Travis and Clint escalates quickly since they now know each other’s preferences, and they meet in a whirlwind of passion.
”If it’s not too forward,” he said, lips barely leaving mine, “I would kill to see you naked right now.”
Holy fuck. He was direct, and dirty, and… dressed. Why were we dressed?
(...)
And why the hell did the Navy insist on so many buttons?
Oh my lord, can LA Witt write a scorching hot kissing, sex, no passion scene, I should call it. These guys go at it like the world is on fire. If it were, they probably wouldn’t have noticed.They only have eyes for each other, and I could practically feel their sizzling hotness through my Kindle.
Travis hurt his back when his jet crash landed on an aircraft carrier in rough sea several years back, so he deals with chronic back pain daily with better and worse days. This has an effect on his sex life, since he is unable to do anal. I didn’t miss it at all. I feel Travis and Clint had a great and fulfilling sex life with blowjobs and hand jobs. The sex scenes and their passion was amazing.
The story is low on angst even though it has several heavy subjects. Both Travis and Clint is suffering from PTSD, they get flash backs and have nightmares. I really liked how they worked together to managed that, when they finally talked to each other about it. They both have a tendency to down play or toughen out when they’re having an episode, or when Travis’s back is killing him, but when they get to know each other better they can tell something is up with the other and can confront. Travis is dealing with his fear of relationship since he fell so deeply in love with another man several years back, but it ended badly and scared Travis off falling in love, and having a relationship. Clint is a recovering alcoholic, and is dealing with the fallout from his drunkenness (due to PTSD from his missions), his divorce and his kids. I feel all these subjects were handled well, and they fitted into the story. It didn’t feel heavy, and it was clear the main characters were adults so they talked and didn’t freak out (much). Travis had a stupid moment near the end, but Clint didn’t take it lying down and went after Travis and made him see sense.
I loved how everything wasn’t an easy fix. Travis and Clint will have their issues, but now they can face them together. There was the sweetest epilogue from Paul and Sean’s wedding (#1 Just Drive), where some of the future steps for Travis and Clint is hinted at.
Afraid to Fly is the second book in LA Witt’s Anchor Point series. I loved the first book, Just Drive, where the characters had an age gap of about twenty years. In Afraid to Fly both characters are in their forties, and I loved this story too. Recommended if you like low angst, and well-seasoned men with issues getting a second chance at love and life.
”I love you too. (…) Dings, dents, and all.”
This time I managed to laugh, and drew him in. “I love you too.” Brushing and lips across his, I added, “Dings, dents, and all.”
Ahhh Travis and Clint, how I very much enjoyed thee. Dings, dents, and all.
Afraid to fly is about two well-seasoned men and officers who have lost a lot, both in life and love. They haven’t had an easy life, and are both struggling daily with the curve-balls life has thrown them. They’re both scarred, they’re both messed up mentally from their work in the military, they’re both scared at taking new chances, they’re both not looking for love, but they secretly want it, even though it scares them shitless, and don’t think they deserve it since they don’t want their own mess to be a burden for another person. They both get their second chance at love in this book.
Commander Wilson Travis (45) and Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser (40) have both been admiring and lusting after each other from afar for a while, but nothing more since they don’t know if the other is gay/bi, until Clint brings his (soon to be x-) boyfriend to the Navy ball. The attraction and interest between Travis and Clint escalates quickly since they now know each other’s preferences, and they meet in a whirlwind of passion.
”If it’s not too forward,” he said, lips barely leaving mine, “I would kill to see you naked right now.”
Holy fuck. He was direct, and dirty, and… dressed. Why were we dressed?
(...)
And why the hell did the Navy insist on so many buttons?
Oh my lord, can LA Witt write a scorching hot kissing, sex, no passion scene, I should call it. These guys go at it like the world is on fire. If it were, they probably wouldn’t have noticed.They only have eyes for each other, and I could practically feel their sizzling hotness through my Kindle.
Travis hurt his back when his jet crash landed on an aircraft carrier in rough sea several years back, so he deals with chronic back pain daily with better and worse days. This has an effect on his sex life, since he is unable to do anal. I didn’t miss it at all. I feel Travis and Clint had a great and fulfilling sex life with blowjobs and hand jobs. The sex scenes and their passion was amazing.
The story is low on angst even though it has several heavy subjects. Both Travis and Clint is suffering from PTSD, they get flash backs and have nightmares. I really liked how they worked together to managed that, when they finally talked to each other about it. They both have a tendency to down play or toughen out when they’re having an episode, or when Travis’s back is killing him, but when they get to know each other better they can tell something is up with the other and can confront. Travis is dealing with his fear of relationship since he fell so deeply in love with another man several years back, but it ended badly and scared Travis off falling in love, and having a relationship. Clint is a recovering alcoholic, and is dealing with the fallout from his drunkenness (due to PTSD from his missions), his divorce and his kids. I feel all these subjects were handled well, and they fitted into the story. It didn’t feel heavy, and it was clear the main characters were adults so they talked and didn’t freak out (much). Travis had a stupid moment near the end, but Clint didn’t take it lying down and went after Travis and made him see sense.
I loved how everything wasn’t an easy fix. Travis and Clint will have their issues, but now they can face them together. There was the sweetest epilogue from Paul and Sean’s wedding (#1 Just Drive), where some of the future steps for Travis and Clint is hinted at.
Afraid to Fly is the second book in LA Witt’s Anchor Point series. I loved the first book, Just Drive, where the characters had an age gap of about twenty years. In Afraid to Fly both characters are in their forties, and I loved this story too. Recommended if you like low angst, and well-seasoned men with issues getting a second chance at love and life.
”I love you too. (…) Dings, dents, and all.”
February 7, 2017
1...2...3...
*rips off band-aid*
I didn't like this book.
I simply can't believe I'm saying this about an L.A. Witt book but...there it is.
I'm not sure what bothered me most but I was bothered nearly the entire time.
I LOVED the first book in this series and didn't recognize this as it's sequel.
It was looooong, repetitive and dragged.
Not only was the dialogue constantly echoing but the content spun in circles too.
It felt at least 100 pages too long and even then, it still wouldn't have matched the greatness of the first book.
Which leads me to...what happened with the editing?! The pace was off...quick start, draggy middle and the ending felt chopped.
I'm really shocked that this was the final product.
I pray this isn't a first Witt book for anyone, it's such a far cry from her capabilities.
Putting those disappointments aside...the sexuality part of this story drove me nutty.
Bisexuality was treated like a split personality.
I didn't like how it was handled. At All.
And this was the bulk of the story. Well, the disabilities both men suffer from was the other 40%. But between the sexuality frustration and their health problems...I couldn't find the romance or the relationship. The sex was subdued but that wasn't a problem for me. I enjoy reading YA and don't need slapping skin in my romance stories but I DO want romance. I missed the romance here.
And since I'm laying it all out there...the back injury was poorly done in my opinion.
I am no expert but unfortunately I am acutely aware about back injuries (we even have an inversion table in my house) and I thought it was askew in many aspects.
Another thing that rubbed me wrong was Kimber's PTSD. Was it really necessary to classify it as PTSD? It seemed more like a form of anxiety disorder and labeling it PTSD felt out of place.
The four bisexual men in this story were all married and had children before identifying with their attraction to the same sex? Whaat!?!?
Travis near the end? *headdesk* The drama was unnecessary. There was enough by this point.
Seriously, I could go on and on...but I've said enough.
I believe I was just so disappointed and bored...that I picked at it. Like a depressing meal at your favorite restaurant. *sigh*
I need one of those coveted memory erasers. Since that's not an option, I'm going to quickly leave this one behind me and move on.
It will be better next time. I must be positive that this was a one time fluke.
Still love Witt though...just not this story.
*2.5 stars*
*rips off band-aid*
I didn't like this book.
I simply can't believe I'm saying this about an L.A. Witt book but...there it is.
I'm not sure what bothered me most but I was bothered nearly the entire time.
I LOVED the first book in this series and didn't recognize this as it's sequel.
It was looooong, repetitive and dragged.
Not only was the dialogue constantly echoing but the content spun in circles too.
It felt at least 100 pages too long and even then, it still wouldn't have matched the greatness of the first book.
Which leads me to...what happened with the editing?! The pace was off...quick start, draggy middle and the ending felt chopped.
I'm really shocked that this was the final product.
I pray this isn't a first Witt book for anyone, it's such a far cry from her capabilities.
Putting those disappointments aside...the sexuality part of this story drove me nutty.
Bisexuality was treated like a split personality.
I didn't like how it was handled. At All.
And this was the bulk of the story. Well, the disabilities both men suffer from was the other 40%. But between the sexuality frustration and their health problems...I couldn't find the romance or the relationship. The sex was subdued but that wasn't a problem for me. I enjoy reading YA and don't need slapping skin in my romance stories but I DO want romance. I missed the romance here.
And since I'm laying it all out there...the back injury was poorly done in my opinion.
I am no expert but unfortunately I am acutely aware about back injuries (we even have an inversion table in my house) and I thought it was askew in many aspects.
Another thing that rubbed me wrong was Kimber's PTSD. Was it really necessary to classify it as PTSD? It seemed more like a form of anxiety disorder and labeling it PTSD felt out of place.
The four bisexual men in this story were all married and had children before identifying with their attraction to the same sex? Whaat!?!?
Travis near the end? *headdesk* The drama was unnecessary. There was enough by this point.
Seriously, I could go on and on...but I've said enough.
I believe I was just so disappointed and bored...that I picked at it. Like a depressing meal at your favorite restaurant. *sigh*
I need one of those coveted memory erasers. Since that's not an option, I'm going to quickly leave this one behind me and move on.
It will be better next time. I must be positive that this was a one time fluke.
Still love Witt though...just not this story.
*2.5 stars*
May 15, 2025
Loved the first one in this series but this one... sorry to say, not so much. The MCs Travis and Clint are both in their 40ies, divorced with kids - and bi. Both with disabities from military action - one have severe PTSD and the other one struggle with constant back pain due to a plane crash. Neither of them have had a serious relationship with a man before so there's also the thing with coming out. This story focus heavily on these topics and it almost made it feel more like a long struggle than a romance. I also felt the book was to long. 2 ⭐⭐
September 12, 2017
Love with all it's dings and dents...
'Afraid to Fly' is the second book in L. A. Witt's series 'Anchor Point'. We were briefly introduced to Travis Wilson in 'Just Drive' the first book in this series as best friend of Paul Richards one of the MCs from that story.
In 'Just Drive' Travis encouraged Paul to take a chance on love and now it's Paul's turn to do the same for Travis. While the author didn't really tell us a lot about Travis in 'Just Drive' we were told enough to know that Travis deals with chronic pain and in 'Afraid to Fly' we are given a much clearer picture of just how bad that chronic pain is and insidiously it has invaded every aspect of his life. Along with the chronic pain Travis deals with PTSD and shares his home with his adult daughter who also deals with her own PTSD.
Clint Fraser works down the hall from Travis and he's got his own case of PTSD to deal with...one that's cost him a marriage and time with his 3 kids.
It's always interesting when I finish a book to reflect back on the why I did or didn't like a book. Sometimes, I'm not really sure why and it's just a case of the story worked and I connected with it sometimes there's something very specific that I liked or several things and in the case of 'Afraid to Fly' while there were several things that I liked about this story the number one reason was Travis. I connected with Travis. I totally understood what his life was like. As someone who also suffers from chronic pain, while thankfully mine is rarely as extreme as Travis's is. It does affect my daily life. So I understood what it was like to always be thinking ahead wondering can I do this? How much more will I hurt? How can I manage the pain? and on and on. It's just what you do and how you have to deal with things to try and have as normal of a life as possible. To keep as much independence as possible. I got this, I understood his mindset and I really got his insecurities about his and Clint's relationship and how much it meant to him to have someone who accepts him with all his 'dings and dents' just as Travis does with Clint and his PTSD and the fact that he's a 'recovering' alcoholic.
As well as how Travis's chronic pain and PTSD was dealt with how we saw Clint's medical issues, both the PTSD and the alcoholism dealt with for me was well done. It was an important part of the story but it never felt like it overpowered the development of their relationship but just like Travis's chronic pain and his own PTSD these were things that both men had deal with, it was all a part of the relationship dynamic.
For me 'Fear of Flying' was about finding that person you connect with, want to spend your life with and loving them not in spite of their 'baggage' but because it's a part of them and who they are and ultimately you come to know and accept that the love they have for you is as strong as what you feel for them.
'Afraid to Fly' is the second book in L. A. Witt's series 'Anchor Point'. We were briefly introduced to Travis Wilson in 'Just Drive' the first book in this series as best friend of Paul Richards one of the MCs from that story.
In 'Just Drive' Travis encouraged Paul to take a chance on love and now it's Paul's turn to do the same for Travis. While the author didn't really tell us a lot about Travis in 'Just Drive' we were told enough to know that Travis deals with chronic pain and in 'Afraid to Fly' we are given a much clearer picture of just how bad that chronic pain is and insidiously it has invaded every aspect of his life. Along with the chronic pain Travis deals with PTSD and shares his home with his adult daughter who also deals with her own PTSD.
Clint Fraser works down the hall from Travis and he's got his own case of PTSD to deal with...one that's cost him a marriage and time with his 3 kids.
It's always interesting when I finish a book to reflect back on the why I did or didn't like a book. Sometimes, I'm not really sure why and it's just a case of the story worked and I connected with it sometimes there's something very specific that I liked or several things and in the case of 'Afraid to Fly' while there were several things that I liked about this story the number one reason was Travis. I connected with Travis. I totally understood what his life was like. As someone who also suffers from chronic pain, while thankfully mine is rarely as extreme as Travis's is. It does affect my daily life. So I understood what it was like to always be thinking ahead wondering can I do this? How much more will I hurt? How can I manage the pain? and on and on. It's just what you do and how you have to deal with things to try and have as normal of a life as possible. To keep as much independence as possible. I got this, I understood his mindset and I really got his insecurities about his and Clint's relationship and how much it meant to him to have someone who accepts him with all his 'dings and dents' just as Travis does with Clint and his PTSD and the fact that he's a 'recovering' alcoholic.
As well as how Travis's chronic pain and PTSD was dealt with how we saw Clint's medical issues, both the PTSD and the alcoholism dealt with for me was well done. It was an important part of the story but it never felt like it overpowered the development of their relationship but just like Travis's chronic pain and his own PTSD these were things that both men had deal with, it was all a part of the relationship dynamic.
For me 'Fear of Flying' was about finding that person you connect with, want to spend your life with and loving them not in spite of their 'baggage' but because it's a part of them and who they are and ultimately you come to know and accept that the love they have for you is as strong as what you feel for them.
January 4, 2017
3.5 stars for this mid-life crisis love.
It's unusual to find a romance story with both MCs in their 40's. At least, it is for me. I tend to read about young love. At most, one of the MCs may be older.
Not here. Here we have two men in their 40's with all the Baggage that entails. (did you notice the capital B in Baggage?)
Military careers resulting in PTSD as well as physical damage. Divorces involving kids. Loss of loved ones. Yes, these men have lived a lifetime before they even meet.
As you can imagine, their love story takes a different path than the more common young love we often read about. It's more about acceptance and understanding than it is about wild passion.
While I still prefer to read romance about young love, I did enjoy reading Travis and Clint's journey.
Review ARC kindly provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley
It's unusual to find a romance story with both MCs in their 40's. At least, it is for me. I tend to read about young love. At most, one of the MCs may be older.
Not here. Here we have two men in their 40's with all the Baggage that entails. (did you notice the capital B in Baggage?)
Military careers resulting in PTSD as well as physical damage. Divorces involving kids. Loss of loved ones. Yes, these men have lived a lifetime before they even meet.
As you can imagine, their love story takes a different path than the more common young love we often read about. It's more about acceptance and understanding than it is about wild passion.
While I still prefer to read romance about young love, I did enjoy reading Travis and Clint's journey.
Review ARC kindly provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley
Read
September 19, 2016January 2017.
March 2, 2017
I don't know what it was here, but something was off. I thought there was a lot of repetition, a lot of characters repeating themselves, or characters dwelling on the same exact things over and over again. A lot of variations on "no wonder they get along so well", and a lot of "how do I tell my ex I'm with a man now." And for Riptide to have touted themselves as a publisher who put editing at the top of the list, both books in this series had several little editing issues- wrong words or misspellings. I expect better for the price.
It was nice though, to read a book where the focus isn't all about the buttsex. Especially coming from LA Witt, there weren't a lot of sex scenes, probably because with Travis' limitations, there's only so many ways you can write a blow job or a hand job. I only kind of missed it, lol!
I was also glad to see that there wasn't a big work issue that caused their relationship to be forbidden. Their only obstacles were themselves, and other than one stupid freakout near the end, they weren't too bad.
It was nice though, to read a book where the focus isn't all about the buttsex. Especially coming from LA Witt, there weren't a lot of sex scenes, probably because with Travis' limitations, there's only so many ways you can write a blow job or a hand job. I only kind of missed it, lol!
I was also glad to see that there wasn't a big work issue that caused their relationship to be forbidden. Their only obstacles were themselves, and other than one stupid freakout near the end, they weren't too bad.
December 26, 2016
~3.5 stars~
Afraid to Fly is a nice addition to the Anchor Point series, and I did enjoy it, although I didn't love it as much as Just Drive. The characters and the plot itself are very much different than the first book, which goes to show that L.A.Witt is a pretty versatile author, and when it comes to military stories, she really knows her stuff.
What I liked:
~The comfort/healing aspect. Both characters come with pretty heavy baggage. PTSD issues, chronic physical pain conditions, alcoholism problems...you name it. I really loved that trust built gradually between the characters, and that they slowly started sharing experiences. It felt very real and natural. No magic dicks to be seen!
~The characters are very well-sketched and I love that they 're both mature men in their 40s. Great chemistry and amazing connection too!
~There isn't a lot of sex, but the sex that was there, was pretty hot and intense.
The ending, although a HFN, was pretty great and realistic. I loved that it included Paul and Sean's wedding!
What didn't work that well:
~Travis was in pain during the whole story because of an old injury. This pain prevents him from functioning like he used to, which means that anal sex is off the table. That's ok, it's not for everyone and chronic back pain is no joke. BUT provided that it's something he used to LOVE, and that Clint was into it too, I felt that things were left unexplored in that department. Especially since Travis didn't hesitate to push his boundaries for other activities, like running.
~I felt that there was no resolution regarding the issue with Clint's family. I totally understand why Clint's wife hesitated to let him see the kids. I can only imagine what he put them through. But in the end, she was unreasonably hard on him.
~I felt that the inner monologues dragged the story out a little bit.
Overall, this was nice, and like I said, I did enjoy it. Recommended for the fans of the author and the series.
Afraid to Fly is a nice addition to the Anchor Point series, and I did enjoy it, although I didn't love it as much as Just Drive. The characters and the plot itself are very much different than the first book, which goes to show that L.A.Witt is a pretty versatile author, and when it comes to military stories, she really knows her stuff.
What I liked:
~The comfort/healing aspect. Both characters come with pretty heavy baggage. PTSD issues, chronic physical pain conditions, alcoholism problems...you name it. I really loved that trust built gradually between the characters, and that they slowly started sharing experiences. It felt very real and natural. No magic dicks to be seen!
~The characters are very well-sketched and I love that they 're both mature men in their 40s. Great chemistry and amazing connection too!
~There isn't a lot of sex, but the sex that was there, was pretty hot and intense.
The ending, although a HFN, was pretty great and realistic. I loved that it included Paul and Sean's wedding!
What didn't work that well:
~Travis was in pain during the whole story because of an old injury. This pain prevents him from functioning like he used to, which means that anal sex is off the table. That's ok, it's not for everyone and chronic back pain is no joke. BUT provided that it's something he used to LOVE, and that Clint was into it too, I felt that things were left unexplored in that department. Especially since Travis didn't hesitate to push his boundaries for other activities, like running.
~I felt that there was no resolution regarding the issue with Clint's family. I totally understand why Clint's wife hesitated to let him see the kids. I can only imagine what he put them through. But in the end, she was unreasonably hard on him.
~I felt that the inner monologues dragged the story out a little bit.
Overall, this was nice, and like I said, I did enjoy it. Recommended for the fans of the author and the series.
June 10, 2025
A for narration, B for content, so 4.5 stars.
The second book in L.A. Witt’s Anchor Point series of military romances, Afraid to Fly features two protagonists in their forties who have so many issues to deal with between them that at times, I couldn’t help wondering if there were too many. But the fact that both men are a bit older than the norm for romance novels, are long-term military and have both seen active service made it more plausible that they’d have as much baggage as they do.
We met former pilot Commander Travis Wilson in the first book, Just Drive, and learned that he lives with chronic pain due to a back injury sustained in a crash some eight years earlier. He’s been divorced for well over a decade and has a daughter of twenty who lives with him; since his divorce, he’s mostly had casual and short-term relationships (with both men and women) – apart from one relationship (with a man) ten years earlier which ended badly and has left him extremely cautious about falling in love again.
A former RAP (Remote Aircraft Pilot), Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser transferred to Adams Naval Base fairly recently. Three years before, he was involved in a mission that left him badly traumatised and ultimately led to the breakdown of his marriage; he turned to drink and became violent (though not to his wife and kids) and unpredictable. His divorce was messy and his wife has custody of their three children, but he’s doing better and hopes that in the not too distant future he’ll be able to see his kids for more than the odd Skype chat and supervised visit.
Clint and Travis work in the same office (though in different departments) and both men have had a bit of a crush on each other for a while, even though neither has the faintest idea if the other is into men. That changes on the night of the Navy Ball, when Clint arrives with his date – a guy – and when Travis, in casual conversation, mentions a somewhat disastrous date with an ex-Marine.
It’s clear early on that Travis and Clint have great chemistry, and not long after the ball, they start seeing each other. The bulk of the story is thus taken up by their working out how to be together given their health and other issues as they grow closer emotionally and start to think in terms of a making a life together. As I said before, they have a lot of problems to deal with, problems that are part of their everyday lives and have to be taken into account every step of the way. Travis’ chronic pain has caused the end of more than one relationship as his partners grew frustrated, bored or irritated (or all three) with the way his life had to revolve around his pain management and with the limitations imposed upon him by his condition when it came to sex. Clint’s PTSD still gives him violent nightmares regularly, which makes him nervous of spending the night with anyone, and he’s also battling the guilt he feels every day for the hell he put his wife and kids through. Bringing him down still further is that he feels almost as though he’s not ‘entitled’ to be traumatised seeing as he was sitting in an air-conditioned room, thousands of miles away from a war zone when the incident which ended his career as a RAP took place, but the real kicker is that the mission is still classified and he can’t talk about it to anyone, not even the chaplain or a therapist. (I have no idea if this actually happens – if it does, then it’s a disgrace.) All these things make Travis and Clint cautious about revealing the true extent of their issues for fear of scaring each other off, but as they spend more time together, they start to open up and to realise that they may just have found the one person in the world who can understand what they are each going through and how they can support each other through it.
Nick J. Russo is rapidly becoming a favourite narrator – I can’t think why I haven’t listened to him before this year! Once again, he delivers a strong performance all round, providing distinct vocal characterisations for the two principals and the handful of secondary characters in the story. He’s very good at pinpointing the emotional heart of any given scene, and does an excellent job of communicating the ups and downs experienced by Travis and Clint as they each open up and start to merge their lives.
Afraid to Fly is an enjoyable story – which isn’t devoid of heat, even taking Travis’ difficulties into account – which addresses both men’s health conditions in a sympathetic way without sugar-coating them. I have to say though, that there’s a false note struck fairly late on in the story which feels like an obvious contrivance just to throw in a bit of tension before the end. Fortunately, that doesn’t disrupt things for too long, and although there are a few questions I’d have liked answered (such as – will Clint get to see his kids again?) I was left hopeful for the couple’s future.
The second book in L.A. Witt’s Anchor Point series of military romances, Afraid to Fly features two protagonists in their forties who have so many issues to deal with between them that at times, I couldn’t help wondering if there were too many. But the fact that both men are a bit older than the norm for romance novels, are long-term military and have both seen active service made it more plausible that they’d have as much baggage as they do.
We met former pilot Commander Travis Wilson in the first book, Just Drive, and learned that he lives with chronic pain due to a back injury sustained in a crash some eight years earlier. He’s been divorced for well over a decade and has a daughter of twenty who lives with him; since his divorce, he’s mostly had casual and short-term relationships (with both men and women) – apart from one relationship (with a man) ten years earlier which ended badly and has left him extremely cautious about falling in love again.
A former RAP (Remote Aircraft Pilot), Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser transferred to Adams Naval Base fairly recently. Three years before, he was involved in a mission that left him badly traumatised and ultimately led to the breakdown of his marriage; he turned to drink and became violent (though not to his wife and kids) and unpredictable. His divorce was messy and his wife has custody of their three children, but he’s doing better and hopes that in the not too distant future he’ll be able to see his kids for more than the odd Skype chat and supervised visit.
Clint and Travis work in the same office (though in different departments) and both men have had a bit of a crush on each other for a while, even though neither has the faintest idea if the other is into men. That changes on the night of the Navy Ball, when Clint arrives with his date – a guy – and when Travis, in casual conversation, mentions a somewhat disastrous date with an ex-Marine.
It’s clear early on that Travis and Clint have great chemistry, and not long after the ball, they start seeing each other. The bulk of the story is thus taken up by their working out how to be together given their health and other issues as they grow closer emotionally and start to think in terms of a making a life together. As I said before, they have a lot of problems to deal with, problems that are part of their everyday lives and have to be taken into account every step of the way. Travis’ chronic pain has caused the end of more than one relationship as his partners grew frustrated, bored or irritated (or all three) with the way his life had to revolve around his pain management and with the limitations imposed upon him by his condition when it came to sex. Clint’s PTSD still gives him violent nightmares regularly, which makes him nervous of spending the night with anyone, and he’s also battling the guilt he feels every day for the hell he put his wife and kids through. Bringing him down still further is that he feels almost as though he’s not ‘entitled’ to be traumatised seeing as he was sitting in an air-conditioned room, thousands of miles away from a war zone when the incident which ended his career as a RAP took place, but the real kicker is that the mission is still classified and he can’t talk about it to anyone, not even the chaplain or a therapist. (I have no idea if this actually happens – if it does, then it’s a disgrace.) All these things make Travis and Clint cautious about revealing the true extent of their issues for fear of scaring each other off, but as they spend more time together, they start to open up and to realise that they may just have found the one person in the world who can understand what they are each going through and how they can support each other through it.
Nick J. Russo is rapidly becoming a favourite narrator – I can’t think why I haven’t listened to him before this year! Once again, he delivers a strong performance all round, providing distinct vocal characterisations for the two principals and the handful of secondary characters in the story. He’s very good at pinpointing the emotional heart of any given scene, and does an excellent job of communicating the ups and downs experienced by Travis and Clint as they each open up and start to merge their lives.
Afraid to Fly is an enjoyable story – which isn’t devoid of heat, even taking Travis’ difficulties into account – which addresses both men’s health conditions in a sympathetic way without sugar-coating them. I have to say though, that there’s a false note struck fairly late on in the story which feels like an obvious contrivance just to throw in a bit of tension before the end. Fortunately, that doesn’t disrupt things for too long, and although there are a few questions I’d have liked answered (such as – will Clint get to see his kids again?) I was left hopeful for the couple’s future.
September 18, 2017
Silver Fox Alert! Really enjoyed this one. The usual strong characters plus extra angst in this one. I appreciated the sex scenes without penetration because L.A. Witt wrote them to be just as passionate. The problems they had were realistic. Just love her military stories!
February 5, 2017
My View: Afraid to Fly is a proper Navy tale. It's not flashy or filled with Seals, it's the everyday reality of most Chiefs and Sailors when on shore duty. They go to work, they talk shop, complain about PRT, and hate Navy functions. The life of a spouse and their dependents is perfectly represented too.
I prefer my characters to be on their fourties+ and Clint and Travis fit the bill. Especially because they act their age and have worries that a twenty-something won't care about. Both men are bisexual and on the other side of dealing with their sexual identities. We do get to see a bit of Clint's process, but it doesn't take over the story.
The author did an excellent job dealing with the main characters sexual relationship and their PTSD. Both solutions work for them without the need for a miracle to intervene and get rid of all their issues. They have to adjust and learn how to trust each other to be together. They have many smexy scenes together as well as some lovely moments.
One thing I like is that the females in the story play an important part. They're not vindictive or stereotypical. They simply are everyday people. The story is slow in parts and Clint and Travis spend a lot of time wrap in their own thoughts, but overall the story is solid and memorable.
Also, we get to see Paul's and Sean's--from Just Drive--happily ever after. This book, in particular, ends with a very satisfying HFN. I don't see a need for another installment in the series, but a short story to wrap-up Clint's & Travis's future would be great.
What I liked the most: How real the characters are.
I wanted more/less: More of a separation. Just because I like to make my characters miserable. :-)
Who should read it: Fans of middle-aged characters.
Originally reviewed for Someone Else's Stories.
ARC provided by Riptide, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I prefer my characters to be on their fourties+ and Clint and Travis fit the bill. Especially because they act their age and have worries that a twenty-something won't care about. Both men are bisexual and on the other side of dealing with their sexual identities. We do get to see a bit of Clint's process, but it doesn't take over the story.
The author did an excellent job dealing with the main characters sexual relationship and their PTSD. Both solutions work for them without the need for a miracle to intervene and get rid of all their issues. They have to adjust and learn how to trust each other to be together. They have many smexy scenes together as well as some lovely moments.
One thing I like is that the females in the story play an important part. They're not vindictive or stereotypical. They simply are everyday people. The story is slow in parts and Clint and Travis spend a lot of time wrap in their own thoughts, but overall the story is solid and memorable.
Also, we get to see Paul's and Sean's--from Just Drive--happily ever after. This book, in particular, ends with a very satisfying HFN. I don't see a need for another installment in the series, but a short story to wrap-up Clint's & Travis's future would be great.
What I liked the most: How real the characters are.
I wanted more/less: More of a separation. Just because I like to make my characters miserable. :-)
Who should read it: Fans of middle-aged characters.
Originally reviewed for Someone Else's Stories.
ARC provided by Riptide, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2017
They don’t come any more damaged as characters than Travis and Clint. PTSD, chronic physical pain, nightly nightmares, alcoholism, divorce and ruined relationships because of it.These guys are or have been through hell and back and are a pure mess through no fault of their own. For me this book first of all illustrates how serving in the military can really break people, physically and psychologically but if all you have known is the navy than what other choices do you have than to stay and cope the best way you can. On the inside you’re falling apart but on the outside you have to appear to have your act together.
You would think first of all that two people like Travis and Clint would not be good for each other but then it turns out that the understanding they have for each others’ problems makes them a perfect match. They just have to find a way to be patient with each other and understand how they can help one another. They have admired each other from afar for quite a while but thinking the other isn’t gay, bi or wahetevr. Both guys have been married and have children but the navy has basically destroyed the happy family life that they both thought they would have at the beginning. Clint is estranged form his wife and kids and can only visit them when supervised, Travis is luckier because his daughter lives with him but she loves her father and understands having PSTD issues herself brought on by her father’s flying accident which has left him with chronic back pain. He now has to live with this for the rest of his life. The pain is always there it just depends on the level, basically good days and bad days.
The meet at the navy ball, as Clint brings a boyfriend with him, although it causes him major embarrassment. Not because the navy has any problem with him dating a guy, but Logan his boyfriend, is a serious embarrassment as a person. This I found refreshing to read how far the military has now come with the acceptance of gay personnel. I’m sure it’s still not perfect but we have come a long way considering what attitudes were like 20 or so years ago. When I was in the RAF homosexuality was still illegal under military law. Now the young men and women march in uniform at gay pride parades along with all other military and civil services in the UK. Yes, we have really come a long way but still we can’t be complacent.
It takes the navy ball for Clint to realise it’s not going to work with him and Logan, drops him off home, breaks up with him and decides to go back to the ball where he was sitting at Travis’s table. This gives him the chance to start talking to Travis socially and when they both find out they like men and have fancied each other for a long time then you could say the rest is history. However, there is a lot of personal emotional baggage that both men have to clamber over before they get to their HEA. There is Travis’s back pain which limits his activities in the bedroom. There’s no swinging from chandeliers and playing Tarzan here. He lives in constant fear of any partner he goes out with becoming bored with the sex eventually and then leaving. Its this fear that stops him from falling in love thinking that Clint will get bored and leave so no point it getting too attached. He doesn't realise its this thinking that could eventually push Clint away and not the other problems. As for Clint well it takes him a long time to spend a night with Travis as he is afraid that waking him up every night with his nightmares will push him away. But slowly they both come to accept and can understand each others’ problems.
Mix into this that both men have kids then things aren’t easy for them. Obviously this brings with it a whole load of family drama. We only get to meet Clint's family a few times via Skype but you get to feel and totally understand his ex-wife’s concerns, anger and disappointment in Clint. Not the life she had imagined for herself at the beginning of their marriage no doubt but the caring about him is still there in a warped kind of way. Not easy for her either and then Clint has to tell her and the kids he’s now in a relationship with a man.
This story for me is a wonderful telling of how two broken characters can actually find love based on the fact they can understand the other’s problems like no outsider can. It deals very nicely with bisexuality and shows us that the love between two people is the main thing and not the who. Their previous marriages went to the wall due to the navy and what it did to them, so no blame or cheating apportioned on either side. This in itself I felt was very sad, had it not been for the fact that the jobs broke both men then they still might have been happily married. Although there are a lot of emotional and physical issues for these guys to work through the book for me is still very low on the angst factor. We get Travis doing something extremely stupid regarding their relationship first in the last 10% of the book, but this is quickly sorted out again with them both having a serious talk on the issues they have been avoiding until this point. When a character has constant physical pain I also felt the danger here is to become a little repetitive in its description whenever it’s mentioned and in Travis’s case it obviously comes up a lot, every time Travis was mentioned so was his TENS unit. The plot is pretty straight forward with no real surprises, revelations twists or turns, just your usual story of two characters finding love, a way to be together and trying to make it work.
I do however like the head hopping and alternative point of view. One chapter Travis and then one chapter Clint. Its a format that sits well with me and I get a lot of enjoyment from it giving a balanced view of each characters thoughts and what they’re thinking about each other. As in real life we never say exactly what we maybe be thinking. I liked this book a lot on the basis that Travis and Clint find the support they need in each other as they can understand each others’ issues. It’s not a book about polar opposite characters coming together but more one of mutual understanding through what they have in common. If you’re looking for a book that will leave you feeling proud and uplifted for the MCs at the end after showing enormous strength of character, battling on all emotional fronts to get themselves sorted, how they have worked through their issues to come out the other end as better people, willing to trust, love and take that risk, then this book will be for you.
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
You would think first of all that two people like Travis and Clint would not be good for each other but then it turns out that the understanding they have for each others’ problems makes them a perfect match. They just have to find a way to be patient with each other and understand how they can help one another. They have admired each other from afar for quite a while but thinking the other isn’t gay, bi or wahetevr. Both guys have been married and have children but the navy has basically destroyed the happy family life that they both thought they would have at the beginning. Clint is estranged form his wife and kids and can only visit them when supervised, Travis is luckier because his daughter lives with him but she loves her father and understands having PSTD issues herself brought on by her father’s flying accident which has left him with chronic back pain. He now has to live with this for the rest of his life. The pain is always there it just depends on the level, basically good days and bad days.
The meet at the navy ball, as Clint brings a boyfriend with him, although it causes him major embarrassment. Not because the navy has any problem with him dating a guy, but Logan his boyfriend, is a serious embarrassment as a person. This I found refreshing to read how far the military has now come with the acceptance of gay personnel. I’m sure it’s still not perfect but we have come a long way considering what attitudes were like 20 or so years ago. When I was in the RAF homosexuality was still illegal under military law. Now the young men and women march in uniform at gay pride parades along with all other military and civil services in the UK. Yes, we have really come a long way but still we can’t be complacent.
It takes the navy ball for Clint to realise it’s not going to work with him and Logan, drops him off home, breaks up with him and decides to go back to the ball where he was sitting at Travis’s table. This gives him the chance to start talking to Travis socially and when they both find out they like men and have fancied each other for a long time then you could say the rest is history. However, there is a lot of personal emotional baggage that both men have to clamber over before they get to their HEA. There is Travis’s back pain which limits his activities in the bedroom. There’s no swinging from chandeliers and playing Tarzan here. He lives in constant fear of any partner he goes out with becoming bored with the sex eventually and then leaving. Its this fear that stops him from falling in love thinking that Clint will get bored and leave so no point it getting too attached. He doesn't realise its this thinking that could eventually push Clint away and not the other problems. As for Clint well it takes him a long time to spend a night with Travis as he is afraid that waking him up every night with his nightmares will push him away. But slowly they both come to accept and can understand each others’ problems.
Mix into this that both men have kids then things aren’t easy for them. Obviously this brings with it a whole load of family drama. We only get to meet Clint's family a few times via Skype but you get to feel and totally understand his ex-wife’s concerns, anger and disappointment in Clint. Not the life she had imagined for herself at the beginning of their marriage no doubt but the caring about him is still there in a warped kind of way. Not easy for her either and then Clint has to tell her and the kids he’s now in a relationship with a man.
This story for me is a wonderful telling of how two broken characters can actually find love based on the fact they can understand the other’s problems like no outsider can. It deals very nicely with bisexuality and shows us that the love between two people is the main thing and not the who. Their previous marriages went to the wall due to the navy and what it did to them, so no blame or cheating apportioned on either side. This in itself I felt was very sad, had it not been for the fact that the jobs broke both men then they still might have been happily married. Although there are a lot of emotional and physical issues for these guys to work through the book for me is still very low on the angst factor. We get Travis doing something extremely stupid regarding their relationship first in the last 10% of the book, but this is quickly sorted out again with them both having a serious talk on the issues they have been avoiding until this point. When a character has constant physical pain I also felt the danger here is to become a little repetitive in its description whenever it’s mentioned and in Travis’s case it obviously comes up a lot, every time Travis was mentioned so was his TENS unit. The plot is pretty straight forward with no real surprises, revelations twists or turns, just your usual story of two characters finding love, a way to be together and trying to make it work.
I do however like the head hopping and alternative point of view. One chapter Travis and then one chapter Clint. Its a format that sits well with me and I get a lot of enjoyment from it giving a balanced view of each characters thoughts and what they’re thinking about each other. As in real life we never say exactly what we maybe be thinking. I liked this book a lot on the basis that Travis and Clint find the support they need in each other as they can understand each others’ issues. It’s not a book about polar opposite characters coming together but more one of mutual understanding through what they have in common. If you’re looking for a book that will leave you feeling proud and uplifted for the MCs at the end after showing enormous strength of character, battling on all emotional fronts to get themselves sorted, how they have worked through their issues to come out the other end as better people, willing to trust, love and take that risk, then this book will be for you.
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
January 8, 2017
4.5 stars – After enjoying my first exposure to L.A. Witt a few weeks ago, getting another dose by reading the next book in the series, Afraid to Fly, was quite welcome. The book has a much different feel to it than its predecessor, Just Drive, but the realism of the issues was something both books had in common. So too was my enjoyment of their stories.
The biggest reason for the different feel is that instead of the big age difference found in the first book, Afraid to Fly features not one but TWO silver foxes: 45-year-old Commander Travis Wilson, whom we met as one of Paul’s close friends in Just Drive, and 40-year-old Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser. Perhaps it’s because I’m a gay forty-something myself, but whatever it is, I love reading older men in romances. Besides being Navy lifers, these two have many other things in common. To name a few things, they’ve both been “benched” into desk jobs, they’re both divorcés with kids, they’re both fighting their demons and suffering from PTSD, and, because of these issues, they’re both hesitant to let themselves get too close once they start seeing each other.
There are several things I really appreciated as this story developed. One of these is that while there’s the typical military machismo in the background—things like working through the pain in order to keep hopes of promotion alive and so on—both of these guys do a pretty good job of communicating with each other. Sure, they hold back at the beginning about their issues out of pride or embarrassment, but the longer they’re together, the more they share and realize their fears of rejection are unjustified, and it results in a lot of comforting of each other.
Another thing I liked was the positive portrayal of a relationship in which the sex was limited due to Travis’s chronic pain. This definitely had the disadvantage of the sex scenes being much less steamy as they are in most other M/M romances, but at the same time, it allowed the story to focus on the two guys dealing with their various issues in a realistic way in order to build their relationship. For me, this is the part that makes the sex scenes hotter anyway, because I’m one of those romantics who believe that sex that means something is always better, even if it is, in this case, limited to manual and oral sex.
Unfortunately, though, the sex wasn’t the only thing that was a little repetitive in Afraid to Fly. The process of these two dealing with each other’s issues is no big deal—they’re both very understanding of the other’s problems—but when it comes to dealing with their own issues, it’s almost painfully slow. Sure this is realistic, but the result in the novel was repetition to the point where the book felt a good bit longer than it needed to be. This impression also came from the fact that I had some issues with the point of view (POV) here as well. Travis and Clint have a lot of similar life experiences from being life-long Navy men, so their voices and personalities were also very similar. This similarity, and the fact that it is written in alternating first-person perspective, meant that it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for me to forget whose POV I was reading within a given chapter, particularly during intimate scenes. For the most part, this was okay, though, since they fit together so well, but it still caused me to be pulled out of the story at times in order to look back to the start of the chapter to find out which “I” it was this chapter.
The book is longer than average for romances, so I was a little surprised when I got to the end that I didn’t have the same sense of completion that I got from the first book in the series. I certainly wasn’t expecting all of Travis and Clint’s individual issues to be resolved—they do, after all, have way more unsolvable ones than any single person should—but it would have been nice to have their loads lightened even a little by the end (for example, without spoiling, the issue that caused Clint to be “benched”.) The ending is also something more along the lines of a happy-for-now (HFN), unlike the last book’s clear indication of a happily-ever-after (HEA) for its characters. Normally HFN endings don’t bother me because the HEA often comes in a future book of the series, but I’m not entirely certain that there will be a third book in the series. Though I do have to say, if there is a third book, I will eagerly read it.
If I had to compare how much I liked the two books in L.A. Witt’s Anchor Point series, I would say I liked Afraid to Fly just a smidgeon less than its predecessor. That being said, I highly recommend both of them, especially if you like military stories and silver foxes. Yum!
The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of Afraid to Fly in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
The biggest reason for the different feel is that instead of the big age difference found in the first book, Afraid to Fly features not one but TWO silver foxes: 45-year-old Commander Travis Wilson, whom we met as one of Paul’s close friends in Just Drive, and 40-year-old Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser. Perhaps it’s because I’m a gay forty-something myself, but whatever it is, I love reading older men in romances. Besides being Navy lifers, these two have many other things in common. To name a few things, they’ve both been “benched” into desk jobs, they’re both divorcés with kids, they’re both fighting their demons and suffering from PTSD, and, because of these issues, they’re both hesitant to let themselves get too close once they start seeing each other.
There are several things I really appreciated as this story developed. One of these is that while there’s the typical military machismo in the background—things like working through the pain in order to keep hopes of promotion alive and so on—both of these guys do a pretty good job of communicating with each other. Sure, they hold back at the beginning about their issues out of pride or embarrassment, but the longer they’re together, the more they share and realize their fears of rejection are unjustified, and it results in a lot of comforting of each other.
Another thing I liked was the positive portrayal of a relationship in which the sex was limited due to Travis’s chronic pain. This definitely had the disadvantage of the sex scenes being much less steamy as they are in most other M/M romances, but at the same time, it allowed the story to focus on the two guys dealing with their various issues in a realistic way in order to build their relationship. For me, this is the part that makes the sex scenes hotter anyway, because I’m one of those romantics who believe that sex that means something is always better, even if it is, in this case, limited to manual and oral sex.
Unfortunately, though, the sex wasn’t the only thing that was a little repetitive in Afraid to Fly. The process of these two dealing with each other’s issues is no big deal—they’re both very understanding of the other’s problems—but when it comes to dealing with their own issues, it’s almost painfully slow. Sure this is realistic, but the result in the novel was repetition to the point where the book felt a good bit longer than it needed to be. This impression also came from the fact that I had some issues with the point of view (POV) here as well. Travis and Clint have a lot of similar life experiences from being life-long Navy men, so their voices and personalities were also very similar. This similarity, and the fact that it is written in alternating first-person perspective, meant that it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for me to forget whose POV I was reading within a given chapter, particularly during intimate scenes. For the most part, this was okay, though, since they fit together so well, but it still caused me to be pulled out of the story at times in order to look back to the start of the chapter to find out which “I” it was this chapter.
The book is longer than average for romances, so I was a little surprised when I got to the end that I didn’t have the same sense of completion that I got from the first book in the series. I certainly wasn’t expecting all of Travis and Clint’s individual issues to be resolved—they do, after all, have way more unsolvable ones than any single person should—but it would have been nice to have their loads lightened even a little by the end (for example, without spoiling, the issue that caused Clint to be “benched”.) The ending is also something more along the lines of a happy-for-now (HFN), unlike the last book’s clear indication of a happily-ever-after (HEA) for its characters. Normally HFN endings don’t bother me because the HEA often comes in a future book of the series, but I’m not entirely certain that there will be a third book in the series. Though I do have to say, if there is a third book, I will eagerly read it.
If I had to compare how much I liked the two books in L.A. Witt’s Anchor Point series, I would say I liked Afraid to Fly just a smidgeon less than its predecessor. That being said, I highly recommend both of them, especially if you like military stories and silver foxes. Yum!
The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of Afraid to Fly in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
March 31, 2020
4.5 audible stars rounded down to 4 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR.
Take one L. A. Witt book about two men in the military and...
add the voice of...Nick J. Russo and you have the makings of several hours of pleasurable listening.
I've totally become a glutton for re-reading books via audio books and especially books that I really enjoyed reading the first time around that are being narrated by one of my favorite narrators as was the case with 'Afraid to Fly'. Having read this book when it was first released back in January, I have already reviewed this story and my original review still works for me so I'll post either the review or a link to it at the end of this one...once I'm done rambling about how much I enjoyed the audio book efforts of Nick J. Russo. 'Afraid to Fly' is book #18 in my list of Nick J. Russo audio books and like the 17 before it. It was a pleasure to listen to from start to finish.
I freely admit Nick J. Russo is one of my favorite narrators. I never fail to enjoy his audio books and without fail I come away from the experience having enjoyed the book even more. I love the depth and character that Nick J. Russo's character voices add to the story making it so easy just to close my eyes sink into the story, relax and enjoy myself.
The following is my original review...
Love with all it's dings and dents...
'Afraid to Fly' is the second book in L. A. Witt's series 'Anchor Point'. We were briefly introduced to Travis Wilson in 'Just Drive' the first book in this series as best friend of Paul Richards one of the MCs from that story.
In 'Just Drive' Travis encouraged Paul to take a chance on love and now it's Paul's turn to do the same for Travis. While the author didn't really tell us a lot about Travis in 'Just Drive' we were told enough to know that Travis deals with chronic pain and in 'Afraid to Fly' we are given a much clearer picture of just how bad that chronic pain is and insidiously it has invaded every aspect of his life. Along with the chronic pain Travis deals with PTSD and shares his home with his adult daughter who also deals with her own PTSD.
Clint Fraser works down the hall from Travis and he's got his own case of PTSD to deal with...one that's cost him a marriage and time with his 3 kids.
It's always interesting when I finish a book to reflect back on the why I did or didn't like a book. Sometimes, I'm not really sure why and it's just a case of the story worked and I connected with it sometimes there's something very specific that I liked or several things and in the case of 'Afraid to Fly' while there were several things that I liked about this story the number one reason was Travis. I connected with Travis. I totally understood what his life was like. As someone who also suffers from chronic pain, while thankfully mine is rarely as extreme as Travis's is. It does affect my daily life. So I understood what it was like to always be thinking ahead wondering can I do this? How much more will I hurt? How can I manage the pain? and on and on. It's just what you do and how you have to deal with things to try and have as normal of a life as possible. To keep as much independence as possible. I got this, I understood his mindset and I really got his insecurities about his and Clint's relationship and how much it meant to him to have someone who accepts him with all his 'dings and dents' just as Travis does with Clint and his PTSD and the fact that he's a 'recovering' alcoholic.
As well as how Travis's chronic pain and PTSD was dealt with how we saw Clint's medical issues, both the PTSD and the alcoholism dealt with for me was well done. It was an important part of the story but it never felt like it overpowered the development of their relationship but just like Travis's chronic pain and his own PTSD these were things that both men had deal with, it was all a part of the relationship dynamic.
For me 'Fear of Flying' was about finding that person you connect with, want to spend your life with and loving them not in spite of their 'baggage' but because it's a part of them and who they are and ultimately you come to know and accept that the love they have for you is as strong as what you feel for them.
********************
An audio book of 'Afraid to Fly' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Take one L. A. Witt book about two men in the military and...
add the voice of...Nick J. Russo and you have the makings of several hours of pleasurable listening.
I've totally become a glutton for re-reading books via audio books and especially books that I really enjoyed reading the first time around that are being narrated by one of my favorite narrators as was the case with 'Afraid to Fly'. Having read this book when it was first released back in January, I have already reviewed this story and my original review still works for me so I'll post either the review or a link to it at the end of this one...once I'm done rambling about how much I enjoyed the audio book efforts of Nick J. Russo. 'Afraid to Fly' is book #18 in my list of Nick J. Russo audio books and like the 17 before it. It was a pleasure to listen to from start to finish.
I freely admit Nick J. Russo is one of my favorite narrators. I never fail to enjoy his audio books and without fail I come away from the experience having enjoyed the book even more. I love the depth and character that Nick J. Russo's character voices add to the story making it so easy just to close my eyes sink into the story, relax and enjoy myself.
The following is my original review...
Love with all it's dings and dents...
'Afraid to Fly' is the second book in L. A. Witt's series 'Anchor Point'. We were briefly introduced to Travis Wilson in 'Just Drive' the first book in this series as best friend of Paul Richards one of the MCs from that story.
In 'Just Drive' Travis encouraged Paul to take a chance on love and now it's Paul's turn to do the same for Travis. While the author didn't really tell us a lot about Travis in 'Just Drive' we were told enough to know that Travis deals with chronic pain and in 'Afraid to Fly' we are given a much clearer picture of just how bad that chronic pain is and insidiously it has invaded every aspect of his life. Along with the chronic pain Travis deals with PTSD and shares his home with his adult daughter who also deals with her own PTSD.
Clint Fraser works down the hall from Travis and he's got his own case of PTSD to deal with...one that's cost him a marriage and time with his 3 kids.
It's always interesting when I finish a book to reflect back on the why I did or didn't like a book. Sometimes, I'm not really sure why and it's just a case of the story worked and I connected with it sometimes there's something very specific that I liked or several things and in the case of 'Afraid to Fly' while there were several things that I liked about this story the number one reason was Travis. I connected with Travis. I totally understood what his life was like. As someone who also suffers from chronic pain, while thankfully mine is rarely as extreme as Travis's is. It does affect my daily life. So I understood what it was like to always be thinking ahead wondering can I do this? How much more will I hurt? How can I manage the pain? and on and on. It's just what you do and how you have to deal with things to try and have as normal of a life as possible. To keep as much independence as possible. I got this, I understood his mindset and I really got his insecurities about his and Clint's relationship and how much it meant to him to have someone who accepts him with all his 'dings and dents' just as Travis does with Clint and his PTSD and the fact that he's a 'recovering' alcoholic.
As well as how Travis's chronic pain and PTSD was dealt with how we saw Clint's medical issues, both the PTSD and the alcoholism dealt with for me was well done. It was an important part of the story but it never felt like it overpowered the development of their relationship but just like Travis's chronic pain and his own PTSD these were things that both men had deal with, it was all a part of the relationship dynamic.
For me 'Fear of Flying' was about finding that person you connect with, want to spend your life with and loving them not in spite of their 'baggage' but because it's a part of them and who they are and ultimately you come to know and accept that the love they have for you is as strong as what you feel for them.
********************
An audio book of 'Afraid to Fly' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2017
Pretty good hurt/comfort story. Loved Travis and Trent... and enjoyed meeting Sean and Paul again.
Recommeded!
January 11, 2017
***3.75 stars (rounded-up)***
Well, fuck me if this wasn’t a more realistic read. I have to say that these two men really got the ass end of the stick. Travis and Clint both suffer from PTSD; each due to their own traumas they were involved in while in charge of an aircraft. Then to add-on top of that Travis suffers from chronic back pain, while Clint is a recovering alcoholic due to not being able to disclose his mission. To ANYONE! Really, I just wanted to wrap the two in bubble wrap and tend to them.
However, these two men keep going, taking one day at a time. And by good love of all that is amazing, they find each other. Not only that, but they are good for one another; like really good for one another.
While I did enjoy reading Travis and Clint’s story, I did not love it. I cannot exactly put a finger as to why, just that it didn’t suck me in as it did in the previous book. It didn’t have extreme highs of lows, it just was. Maybe that was the problem.
Last but not least, the ending seemed a bit rushed. It was like, ‘no we can’t one minute’, followed by ‘oh yes we can’ and wrapping it up with an, ‘okay let’s give it a try’. I swear, if you blink you might miss it! Honestly, it could have done without the “no we can’t” moment by Travis. Needless to say, Travis and Clint end on a HFN note leaving it up to the reader to make their own assumptions. I wonder though. If there is a third book, the author might give us with a lovely wrap-up like she did in this book with Sean and Paul wedding. Time will only tell.
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, fuck me if this wasn’t a more realistic read. I have to say that these two men really got the ass end of the stick. Travis and Clint both suffer from PTSD; each due to their own traumas they were involved in while in charge of an aircraft. Then to add-on top of that Travis suffers from chronic back pain, while Clint is a recovering alcoholic due to not being able to disclose his mission. To ANYONE! Really, I just wanted to wrap the two in bubble wrap and tend to them.
However, these two men keep going, taking one day at a time. And by good love of all that is amazing, they find each other. Not only that, but they are good for one another; like really good for one another.
While I did enjoy reading Travis and Clint’s story, I did not love it. I cannot exactly put a finger as to why, just that it didn’t suck me in as it did in the previous book. It didn’t have extreme highs of lows, it just was. Maybe that was the problem.
Last but not least, the ending seemed a bit rushed. It was like, ‘no we can’t one minute’, followed by ‘oh yes we can’ and wrapping it up with an, ‘okay let’s give it a try’. I swear, if you blink you might miss it! Honestly, it could have done without the “no we can’t” moment by Travis. Needless to say, Travis and Clint end on a HFN note leaving it up to the reader to make their own assumptions. I wonder though. If there is a third book, the author might give us with a lovely wrap-up like she did in this book with Sean and Paul wedding. Time will only tell.
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 13, 2024
Clint es nuevo en la base de Anchor Point y esta apenas recuperándose de un divorcio difícil y una adicción al alcohol, además de su PTSD, pero quiere que su nuevo grupo de compañeros acepte su bisexualidad, sobre todo porque quiere saber que tanto debe "protegerse" en su nuevo ambiente. Lo que no espera es que uno de sus compañeros de piso también sea bisexual, y que exista una atracción entre ambos. Pero podrán manejar una relación trabajando en el mismo sitio? Podrán ambos manejar los traumas del otro? Como se lo tomarán sus familias y compañeros de trabajo?
Es una historia muy bonita y llena de lecciones sobre las adicciones y el PTSD, pero que también resulta extremadamente repetitiva. Los protas tienen buenas bases, pero la repetición de sus problemas y conflictos una y otra vez entre ellos y con los otros personajes, hace que la narración se vuelva aburrida, y que la trama principal del libro se pierda. Sin embargo, es un buen libro para hacerte reflexionar en las razones del PTSD y porque algunas personas pueden sufrirlo sin haber estado físicamente en el campo de batalla o sufrido alguna herida.
En fin, la serie es bonita, voy a seguir con el próximo libro a ver que otras personas nos encontramos en esta base naval.
Es una historia muy bonita y llena de lecciones sobre las adicciones y el PTSD, pero que también resulta extremadamente repetitiva. Los protas tienen buenas bases, pero la repetición de sus problemas y conflictos una y otra vez entre ellos y con los otros personajes, hace que la narración se vuelva aburrida, y que la trama principal del libro se pierda. Sin embargo, es un buen libro para hacerte reflexionar en las razones del PTSD y porque algunas personas pueden sufrirlo sin haber estado físicamente en el campo de batalla o sufrido alguna herida.
En fin, la serie es bonita, voy a seguir con el próximo libro a ver que otras personas nos encontramos en esta base naval.
February 2, 2017
Slick's review:
Afraid to Fly is the second book in L.A. Witt’s Anchor Point series and I loved this intelligent, emotional and sexy story of two older Navy officers finding each other and love despite the baggage and pitfalls between them. This wasn’t an easy romance, both men had ex-wives, children, PTSD, and seemingly impossible issues to deal with on their own and when you put them together it is multiplies, but they also give to each other something no one has been able to and that is a feeling of safety and security neither one has experienced in quite some time.
That look across the room when you realize that the man you’ve noticed for the last several months is gay or at the very least bi-sexual, and the excitement that builds even though he’s with someone else, that sets the tone of this book and it was very clear in that moment that Commander Travis Wilson was extremely excited to find out that Lt. Commander Clint Fraser likes men. The same could be said when through conversation during the evening Clint realizes that Travis is not the heterosexual man he thought him to be. I love that these two men had been secretly checking one another out since Clint transferred to the Anchor Point base, but watching them fall for one another was even more entertaining.
Let’s just be honest, these two went from zero to sixty and it was fueled by attraction and lust at first, but as they began to open up about their issues, what they saw as their failures, about their insecurities they forged a pretty strong bond. It was not easy between them for the majority of this book, they both had too much baggage for either one of them to believe they could be happy or let someone in to their lives again, but to those around them and to the reader it was easy to see that in each other they found someone they could absolutely be themselves with which of course scared the crap out of both of them.
What I loved is that their emotions and fears were real, that events from their past had made them wary, and that they were very flawed in their thinking because of it. I will say that on Travis’ side there was a bit more angst than I normally like and while it may have been warranted, it also made me a bit crazy that neither he nor his good friends or his daughter had seen that he really needed some counseling to move past it, but that is my one complaint about this book.
I’ve always appreciated that L.A. Witt writes characters that feel real and she absolutely succeeded with the two men in Afraid to Fly then she added in an intricate plot and intelligent dialog and turned out one amazing romance.
Review copy provided with no expectations.
Afraid to Fly is the second book in L.A. Witt’s Anchor Point series and I loved this intelligent, emotional and sexy story of two older Navy officers finding each other and love despite the baggage and pitfalls between them. This wasn’t an easy romance, both men had ex-wives, children, PTSD, and seemingly impossible issues to deal with on their own and when you put them together it is multiplies, but they also give to each other something no one has been able to and that is a feeling of safety and security neither one has experienced in quite some time.
That look across the room when you realize that the man you’ve noticed for the last several months is gay or at the very least bi-sexual, and the excitement that builds even though he’s with someone else, that sets the tone of this book and it was very clear in that moment that Commander Travis Wilson was extremely excited to find out that Lt. Commander Clint Fraser likes men. The same could be said when through conversation during the evening Clint realizes that Travis is not the heterosexual man he thought him to be. I love that these two men had been secretly checking one another out since Clint transferred to the Anchor Point base, but watching them fall for one another was even more entertaining.
Let’s just be honest, these two went from zero to sixty and it was fueled by attraction and lust at first, but as they began to open up about their issues, what they saw as their failures, about their insecurities they forged a pretty strong bond. It was not easy between them for the majority of this book, they both had too much baggage for either one of them to believe they could be happy or let someone in to their lives again, but to those around them and to the reader it was easy to see that in each other they found someone they could absolutely be themselves with which of course scared the crap out of both of them.
What I loved is that their emotions and fears were real, that events from their past had made them wary, and that they were very flawed in their thinking because of it. I will say that on Travis’ side there was a bit more angst than I normally like and while it may have been warranted, it also made me a bit crazy that neither he nor his good friends or his daughter had seen that he really needed some counseling to move past it, but that is my one complaint about this book.
I’ve always appreciated that L.A. Witt writes characters that feel real and she absolutely succeeded with the two men in Afraid to Fly then she added in an intricate plot and intelligent dialog and turned out one amazing romance.
Review copy provided with no expectations.
January 10, 2017
Well ....this wasn't my favorite book, thats for sure. There were plenty of things that didn't work, and with the risk of sounding like a big asshole, I hated all the limitations that Travis has because of the back injury he suffered years ago.
I know it wasn't his fault and I understand it was a serious accident and that he's lucky to be alive, but... that back injury was mentioned so many times, I feel like half of the book dealt with Travis's misery and pain management. It felt very repetitive. Forget sexy times and out-of-this-world-chemistry; the guys might have found it, but I'm not feeling it. While I don't mind the lack of anal sex in my books, there needs to be a lot of intensity and slow burn to make up for it, which this book seriously lacked.
I like that Clint and Travis are both mature people with families and problems they learn how to live with, but this didn't make up for everything else.
This isn't a bad book by any means, but it's not what I'm used to and what I've come to expect from L.A. Witt.
I know it wasn't his fault and I understand it was a serious accident and that he's lucky to be alive, but... that back injury was mentioned so many times, I feel like half of the book dealt with Travis's misery and pain management. It felt very repetitive. Forget sexy times and out-of-this-world-chemistry; the guys might have found it, but I'm not feeling it. While I don't mind the lack of anal sex in my books, there needs to be a lot of intensity and slow burn to make up for it, which this book seriously lacked.
I like that Clint and Travis are both mature people with families and problems they learn how to live with, but this didn't make up for everything else.
This isn't a bad book by any means, but it's not what I'm used to and what I've come to expect from L.A. Witt.
August 30, 2017
3.5 stars
The MCs had too much baggage for this to be a light read. I liked the main and side characters. Their troubles were portrait brilliantly and there were huge amounts of those troubles!
The only problem was that the book lacked a little bit lightheartedness.
The MCs had too much baggage for this to be a light read. I liked the main and side characters. Their troubles were portrait brilliantly and there were huge amounts of those troubles!
The only problem was that the book lacked a little bit lightheartedness.
Read
January 17, 2017No rating. I'm an L.A. Witt fangirl but this one didn't work for me and I skimmed the last 40% or so.
February 20, 2017
2.5 stars
I really liked the first half, but the second half was so filled with doubts, insecurity and unnecessary angst, that I ended up being very frustrated with this book.
I liked how these guys both had their issues, but somehow fit together. Travis with his PTSD and his back problems, and Clint with his own PTSD. I felt they both respected and accepted the limitations their trauma brought to the relationship.
These guys tentatively start seeing each other and learn to navigate their way through the minefield with having a partner with trauma, while being traumatized themselves. I liked how sweet Clint and Travis were with each other, how feelings were more important than sex (and there was still plenty of sex to go around, even with the penetration issue).
But what I didn’t like was that in the second half these guys were dating for a few months and all of a sudden they’re both wondering if things are getting serious. Dudes, you are in a relationship, of course things are serious! And especially Travis, who freaked out so much he .
It ends in a HEA, but I couldn’t escape the feeling these guys were dead set on making their lives as difficult as possible (and I’m not talking about their PTSDs). There was constant doubt and inner fear. I was exhausted when I was finished..
I really liked the first half, but the second half was so filled with doubts, insecurity and unnecessary angst, that I ended up being very frustrated with this book.
I liked how these guys both had their issues, but somehow fit together. Travis with his PTSD and his back problems, and Clint with his own PTSD. I felt they both respected and accepted the limitations their trauma brought to the relationship.
These guys tentatively start seeing each other and learn to navigate their way through the minefield with having a partner with trauma, while being traumatized themselves. I liked how sweet Clint and Travis were with each other, how feelings were more important than sex (and there was still plenty of sex to go around, even with the penetration issue).
But what I didn’t like was that in the second half these guys were dating for a few months and all of a sudden they’re both wondering if things are getting serious. Dudes, you are in a relationship, of course things are serious! And especially Travis, who freaked out so much he .
It ends in a HEA, but I couldn’t escape the feeling these guys were dead set on making their lives as difficult as possible (and I’m not talking about their PTSDs). There was constant doubt and inner fear. I was exhausted when I was finished..
July 23, 2017
So, yeah, all my previous complains about JUST DRIVE also apply here for book two.
What I would like to acknowledge, however, is the A+ inclusion of representation for chronic pain, injury/partial&full disability, mental health, and PTSD. Oh and the fact that both MCs in the couple were in their forties -- I just wish they actually acted like it (it kinda felt like twenty year olds just bitching about their failing bodies who happened to have kids in their teens). I wasn't sold on their age, really, but liked the attempt anyway.
I just don't get the repetition. Maybe because there's a limited scope (ie, plot) to these stories? I don't know. I think I did enjoy this one a little more but at this point we could've cut down on half the words and told both couples' stories in one book and I would've been a lot happier.
What I would like to acknowledge, however, is the A+ inclusion of representation for chronic pain, injury/partial&full disability, mental health, and PTSD. Oh and the fact that both MCs in the couple were in their forties -- I just wish they actually acted like it (it kinda felt like twenty year olds just bitching about their failing bodies who happened to have kids in their teens). I wasn't sold on their age, really, but liked the attempt anyway.
I just don't get the repetition. Maybe because there's a limited scope (ie, plot) to these stories? I don't know. I think I did enjoy this one a little more but at this point we could've cut down on half the words and told both couples' stories in one book and I would've been a lot happier.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews