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From Alaska With Love
A soldier has six weeks to convince the only woman he has ever longed for to take a chance on life with him in Alaska....
Sara's letters were the only bright spot during Gabe's devastating tour in Iraq. With each new correspondence he fell harder, needed her more, wanted to be with her. Now, after initially rejecting his offer to meet, she's shown up at the door of his isolated cabin in Alaska looking for...what? Gabe's not sure what made Sara change her mind, but he knows he never wants to let her go.
Major Gabe Randall is everything Sara Ryan wants but nothing she feels she deserves. A modern-day spinster, Sara hides behind family obligations and the safe, quiet life she's resigned herself to living. But secretly, even though she may have stretched the truth about who she is in her letters to him, she wants Gabe. Will he still want her when he discovers the real woman behind the pen?
Once they meet, Gabe asks her for six weeks in Alaska. Six weeks to spend getting to know each other, and then she'll have to decide whether they are better together or apart.
Sara's letters were the only bright spot during Gabe's devastating tour in Iraq. With each new correspondence he fell harder, needed her more, wanted to be with her. Now, after initially rejecting his offer to meet, she's shown up at the door of his isolated cabin in Alaska looking for...what? Gabe's not sure what made Sara change her mind, but he knows he never wants to let her go.
Major Gabe Randall is everything Sara Ryan wants but nothing she feels she deserves. A modern-day spinster, Sara hides behind family obligations and the safe, quiet life she's resigned herself to living. But secretly, even though she may have stretched the truth about who she is in her letters to him, she wants Gabe. Will he still want her when he discovers the real woman behind the pen?
Once they meet, Gabe asks her for six weeks in Alaska. Six weeks to spend getting to know each other, and then she'll have to decide whether they are better together or apart.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 3, 2020
50 people are currently reading
1131 people want to read
About the author
Ally James
2 books40 followersAlly James is from Greenville, South Carolina. She is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the “Danvers” series and the “Pierced” series of novels, which she wrote under the name Sydney Landon. She has worked in accounting and operations for over twenty years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
January 18, 2020
2.75/5 stars
I wanted to give romance a chance. Perhaps it's the cozy season of the year or the cute dog on the cover...whatever it may be, I wanted to give this a chance since I don't read romance novels usually.
From Alaska With Love is the story of a deployed soldier receiving a letter by chance from a young woman in North Carolina and a pen pal relationship ensues. Sara, the spinster in her thirties, is working in the home of her brother to take care of her little niece. Though Sara loves her niece dearly, the other jobs around the house that come along make her feel taken advantage of and not appreciated by her family. During a local charity event collecting Christmas cards to pass on to troops deployed overseas, she sends her random act of kindness with a sweet card that lands in Major Gabe Randall's hands at his office in Iraq where he is currently serving his 7th deployment.
With a great focus of the communication that develops between the two strangers, first nonchalant and distanced, then curious and anticipatory, the story moves forward with him purchasing a plane ticket for her to visit him in Alaska after his deployment. On his way back from Iraq, Gabe attempts to surprise Sara with an unexpected visit that turns into a fiasco, leaving both of them derailed before any hope in a relationship takes off.
In turn, Sara is tired of her family's disregard and is ready to take a stance. She risks a trip to Alaska, where not only the weather chills her to the bone, but Gabe's coldness towards her makes her question the entirety of their 7 months long investment into letters, phone calls and video chats. Will Gabe come around for her before it is too late?
***
A perfectly sweet little romance, however not what I was expecting. Keep in mind, I am a lot less gullible at my age and the wife of a military war veteran of almost 25 years. I have had my share of lone times during several year-long deployments, moved around 15 times, adjusted my life over and over, and seen the good and bad that come with it.
I had anticipated the novel's focus to be on Sara and Gabe's time in Alaska. He has a rustic home and cute dog and some time off after his deployment to spend with her. There certainly were cute moments, a little bit of sexy in it too, but mostly the plot revolves around the two characters writing, contemplating, guessing and uncertainty. Like any relationship that goes beyond the surface, there is angst and an overwhelming sense of betrail when the smallest glitch occurs. In the case of Sara and Gabe, that happens before they even make it to Alaska and because they have not had any time to build upon more than their long-distance conversations, the whole thing almost ends before it even starts.
I wished the novel would not have hovered so much in that area, but elevated the romance in the last part of the novel in Alaska. Both of the characters are lovely and handsome, though Sara is insecure.
What I did like about the novel was Gabe's portrait as a military man and the application of his skills to all aspects of his life. His leadership, the use of forethought/caution in the relationship are his strengths and he gives off a general sense that he is not the kind of man you mess with. His tenderness behind all of that, admittedly ;) had me swoon just a little for him at the end.
Wishful thinking has me hoping that these kinds of romances still exist, but the overall feel of this novel brings me back to the time of the '90s and 2000s when people actually still wrote cards and letters. In all, I found the characters to be 'too good' if that makes sense, at the same time, I am that kind of person too, but they trumped even me. Are people still writing letters these days?
Give From Alaska With Love a chance or give it to someone who might need a bit of hope. Perhaps it's time to get back and send some random acts of kindness to someone deployed or left at home, waiting.
Cheers!
I received this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much.
More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance
I wanted to give romance a chance. Perhaps it's the cozy season of the year or the cute dog on the cover...whatever it may be, I wanted to give this a chance since I don't read romance novels usually.
From Alaska With Love is the story of a deployed soldier receiving a letter by chance from a young woman in North Carolina and a pen pal relationship ensues. Sara, the spinster in her thirties, is working in the home of her brother to take care of her little niece. Though Sara loves her niece dearly, the other jobs around the house that come along make her feel taken advantage of and not appreciated by her family. During a local charity event collecting Christmas cards to pass on to troops deployed overseas, she sends her random act of kindness with a sweet card that lands in Major Gabe Randall's hands at his office in Iraq where he is currently serving his 7th deployment.
With a great focus of the communication that develops between the two strangers, first nonchalant and distanced, then curious and anticipatory, the story moves forward with him purchasing a plane ticket for her to visit him in Alaska after his deployment. On his way back from Iraq, Gabe attempts to surprise Sara with an unexpected visit that turns into a fiasco, leaving both of them derailed before any hope in a relationship takes off.
In turn, Sara is tired of her family's disregard and is ready to take a stance. She risks a trip to Alaska, where not only the weather chills her to the bone, but Gabe's coldness towards her makes her question the entirety of their 7 months long investment into letters, phone calls and video chats. Will Gabe come around for her before it is too late?
***
A perfectly sweet little romance, however not what I was expecting. Keep in mind, I am a lot less gullible at my age and the wife of a military war veteran of almost 25 years. I have had my share of lone times during several year-long deployments, moved around 15 times, adjusted my life over and over, and seen the good and bad that come with it.
I had anticipated the novel's focus to be on Sara and Gabe's time in Alaska. He has a rustic home and cute dog and some time off after his deployment to spend with her. There certainly were cute moments, a little bit of sexy in it too, but mostly the plot revolves around the two characters writing, contemplating, guessing and uncertainty. Like any relationship that goes beyond the surface, there is angst and an overwhelming sense of betrail when the smallest glitch occurs. In the case of Sara and Gabe, that happens before they even make it to Alaska and because they have not had any time to build upon more than their long-distance conversations, the whole thing almost ends before it even starts.
I wished the novel would not have hovered so much in that area, but elevated the romance in the last part of the novel in Alaska. Both of the characters are lovely and handsome, though Sara is insecure.
What I did like about the novel was Gabe's portrait as a military man and the application of his skills to all aspects of his life. His leadership, the use of forethought/caution in the relationship are his strengths and he gives off a general sense that he is not the kind of man you mess with. His tenderness behind all of that, admittedly ;) had me swoon just a little for him at the end.
Wishful thinking has me hoping that these kinds of romances still exist, but the overall feel of this novel brings me back to the time of the '90s and 2000s when people actually still wrote cards and letters. In all, I found the characters to be 'too good' if that makes sense, at the same time, I am that kind of person too, but they trumped even me. Are people still writing letters these days?
Give From Alaska With Love a chance or give it to someone who might need a bit of hope. Perhaps it's time to get back and send some random acts of kindness to someone deployed or left at home, waiting.
Cheers!
I received this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much.
More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance
January 13, 2020
Awwwww beautiful story!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was really looking forward to reading this story. I am a huge supporter of our military and James created a sweet, delightful story that brings to light some of the difficulties our soldiers experience when deployed and on active duty.
I love the way Sara and Gabe connected. The awkward conversations along with the letters and emails that cement their understanding, and dare they say, love for each other.
But all things are not what they seem – or are they?
When Emma shows up in Alaska, you can feel the tension and uncomfortable situation. I kept wondering in Emma will ever come into her own when her family has taken her for granted for years. I love watching her slowly grow and become stronger. You find yourself cheering her on when she takes on the “mean girls”.
The frustrating part is we have to wait until close to the end for them to finally figure it all out. A slow ride, but one filled with a strong connection and one you can believe in.
James brings a true blue Americana love story reminiscent of the old days into today’s world. Sweet and romantic. You cannot miss on this one!
* copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/from-alaska-...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was really looking forward to reading this story. I am a huge supporter of our military and James created a sweet, delightful story that brings to light some of the difficulties our soldiers experience when deployed and on active duty.
I love the way Sara and Gabe connected. The awkward conversations along with the letters and emails that cement their understanding, and dare they say, love for each other.
But all things are not what they seem – or are they?
When Emma shows up in Alaska, you can feel the tension and uncomfortable situation. I kept wondering in Emma will ever come into her own when her family has taken her for granted for years. I love watching her slowly grow and become stronger. You find yourself cheering her on when she takes on the “mean girls”.
The frustrating part is we have to wait until close to the end for them to finally figure it all out. A slow ride, but one filled with a strong connection and one you can believe in.
James brings a true blue Americana love story reminiscent of the old days into today’s world. Sweet and romantic. You cannot miss on this one!
* copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/from-alaska-...
December 9, 2019
I’m not one to usually read military romances but I decided that this one sounded interesting enough to give it a try.
This is a story about Sara, where at the start of the book she is feeling seriously down about her life. Her aunt publicly humiliates her at a family function, announcing to everyone she is a spinster who never had a boyfriend. This starts a pity party that continues throughout the whole book. But it also kickstarts her to decide to participate in writing letters to a those in the military, since her brother was in it, she knows how lonely it can be. Her letter happens to come across the desk of Major Gabe Randall and the story progresses.
Sara has a lot of self-esteem issues. She’s constantly comparing herself to her cousin Chloe and putting herself down. I understand that… but it NEVER changes. She continues to do this until the end of the book. This ties into the fact that this book relies heavily on the mean-girl trope. Having several characters who are a witch with a B. Sadly I’m so exhausted with seeing this and the men in the stories that just put up with it.
I had trouble with the pacing of this book. It seemed like we would be in one place and somehow switch topics or scenes and it seemed really odd. Also, the beginning of this novel has letters & emails between Sara and Gabe, which normally I really enjoy but the author would have the letter in the book TWICE from the letter writer & then the one receiving it. So, it was extremely redundant, and I would end up skipping the letters the second time because they were not needed.
I did like Gabe and his character. How you see a change in his character arc. Also, all the scenes with Trouble, his dog, was just sooo adorable and is literally not helping me not want a dog myself.
I enjoyed this book for the most part. I wanted to see what would happen next and I highly enjoyed the Alaska setting, which didn’t happen until 60% or so of the book. I thought the family troubles were believable and sadly I’m sure other have families are not supportive of them and use them because they can. Due to these things I decided to give this book a 3 star rating.
This is a story about Sara, where at the start of the book she is feeling seriously down about her life. Her aunt publicly humiliates her at a family function, announcing to everyone she is a spinster who never had a boyfriend. This starts a pity party that continues throughout the whole book. But it also kickstarts her to decide to participate in writing letters to a those in the military, since her brother was in it, she knows how lonely it can be. Her letter happens to come across the desk of Major Gabe Randall and the story progresses.
Sara has a lot of self-esteem issues. She’s constantly comparing herself to her cousin Chloe and putting herself down. I understand that… but it NEVER changes. She continues to do this until the end of the book. This ties into the fact that this book relies heavily on the mean-girl trope. Having several characters who are a witch with a B. Sadly I’m so exhausted with seeing this and the men in the stories that just put up with it.
I had trouble with the pacing of this book. It seemed like we would be in one place and somehow switch topics or scenes and it seemed really odd. Also, the beginning of this novel has letters & emails between Sara and Gabe, which normally I really enjoy but the author would have the letter in the book TWICE from the letter writer & then the one receiving it. So, it was extremely redundant, and I would end up skipping the letters the second time because they were not needed.
I did like Gabe and his character. How you see a change in his character arc. Also, all the scenes with Trouble, his dog, was just sooo adorable and is literally not helping me not want a dog myself.
I enjoyed this book for the most part. I wanted to see what would happen next and I highly enjoyed the Alaska setting, which didn’t happen until 60% or so of the book. I thought the family troubles were believable and sadly I’m sure other have families are not supportive of them and use them because they can. Due to these things I decided to give this book a 3 star rating.
March 23, 2020
Sara being a doormat and the pity party ensuing is got old quick. To top things off the secondary cast were a bunch of highly unlikable characters. Kaylee, her five-year-old niece, sounded more like a ten-year-old with her observations, and wasn't particularly likeable in my opinion either. I was lured in by the cute cover, falling in love through letter writing, and left wanting.
April 5, 2020
An over-hyped release that ended being a middle of the road read for me. And I'm usually all over a book set in Alaska. But this one wasn't particularly entertaining or interesting to me. I couldn't really relate or connect to either of the main characters. A really slow burn that didn't ignite for this reader.
March 29, 2020
Letters brought them together…
I loved how Sara and Gabe met – two souls connecting through words, then tech. The slow build up allowed them to learn so much about each other without the usual pressures of face to face dating life. Sara was funny and self-deprecating, the perfect foil to Gabe’s quietness. They connected, each finding someone who listened, was thoughtful and simply brought a smile their faces. That was why it was so hard when a bold move brought things crashing down…. And my heart with it.
This story ended up being two connected but distinct reads, the before and the after. If I thought the first half was sweet and gentle, the second matched it in angst and uncertainty. A bit uneven, yes, but what bound it all together so perfectly was love and its determination… A great first read that has this author firmly in my radar. ~Diane, 4 stars
I loved how Sara and Gabe met – two souls connecting through words, then tech. The slow build up allowed them to learn so much about each other without the usual pressures of face to face dating life. Sara was funny and self-deprecating, the perfect foil to Gabe’s quietness. They connected, each finding someone who listened, was thoughtful and simply brought a smile their faces. That was why it was so hard when a bold move brought things crashing down…. And my heart with it.
This story ended up being two connected but distinct reads, the before and the after. If I thought the first half was sweet and gentle, the second matched it in angst and uncertainty. A bit uneven, yes, but what bound it all together so perfectly was love and its determination… A great first read that has this author firmly in my radar. ~Diane, 4 stars
January 30, 2020
I don’t really read military romances, but the cover and the synopsis for this book made me pick it up. It had a really sweet romance, however, I would call this Women’s Fiction more than Romance. Mainly because it focuses on Sara’s character development more than the romance.
I am a big lover of books where the couple fall in love via written messages or email. It’s always great to see them build a relationship and get to know each other before they find out if they have that same physical chemistry. Both of the characters here are both deserving of a romance to sweep them off their feet.
I said earlier that it was mainly surrounding around Sara’s character development. When the book starts out we see what a pushover Sara was. I’m being completely honest when I say that she let her family walk over her and became so adjusted to it that she couldn’t even see how stuck she was in her life. It really did take the majority of the book before she decided to change things and I think that’s where my issues were.
I have no problem with someone fixing their life, but if you fix it for the sole purpose of another person then it doesn’t really seem as honest and genuine. Yes, Sara had wants to change her life but she never felt serious about it until I’m not trying to sound negative, just honest. That’s the vibe I got.
Overall, it was a decent debut. I don’t know if there is going to be more books set in this world, but I would be open to reading about more characters. Especially Chole and Jason. Together if possible!
I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
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I am a big lover of books where the couple fall in love via written messages or email. It’s always great to see them build a relationship and get to know each other before they find out if they have that same physical chemistry. Both of the characters here are both deserving of a romance to sweep them off their feet.
I said earlier that it was mainly surrounding around Sara’s character development. When the book starts out we see what a pushover Sara was. I’m being completely honest when I say that she let her family walk over her and became so adjusted to it that she couldn’t even see how stuck she was in her life. It really did take the majority of the book before she decided to change things and I think that’s where my issues were.
I have no problem with someone fixing their life, but if you fix it for the sole purpose of another person then it doesn’t really seem as honest and genuine. Yes, Sara had wants to change her life but she never felt serious about it until I’m not trying to sound negative, just honest. That’s the vibe I got.
Overall, it was a decent debut. I don’t know if there is going to be more books set in this world, but I would be open to reading about more characters. Especially Chole and Jason. Together if possible!
I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter
February 1, 2020
You know that saying about how If everyone around you seems like an asshole you’re probably the asshole? Sara should take that to heart.
Our story starts with our heroine at a family reunion - where an aunt introduces her as a spinster. Not sure why she’s being introduced at a family reunion. Not sure why there’s shame in being unmarried in your thirties. For sara, this announcement is akin to everyone knowing she buys her Izods at an outlet. She begins to question everything about her life.
From there we learn that Sara is a nanny for her brother and his wife. And that Sara’s sister in law is just an amalgamation of nasty female stereotypes. A career-focused “bad mother” who relies upon and resents Sara. And Sara is absolutely revolting here - mocking, shaming and judging her sister in law every chance we get. We are to imagine Sara as the poor put upon Cinderella rather than expecting her to be an adult who gives a rational voice to her concerns and unhappiness. Why should Sara have a conversation to explain how she feels when it’s so much easier to chip away at a successful woman?
Sara’s brother is a condescending enabler. Her mom is co-dependent and abusive. And sweet, dare i say it, angelic Sara is the martyr who keeps her chin up and holds this entire family of evil trolls together. How brave Of her to play the victim rather than hold others accountable and treat them with the respect Sara claims she never receives.
All of this and we haven’t even gotten to the stilted, awkward, and bizarre relationship. The emails were unrealistic and uncomfortable. Gabe is a jingoistic “ultra-manly” sketch of a soldier. We are told - repeatedly - that he keeps his feelings to himself. And then when things go awry for them he becomes cold and manipulative in order to shame Sara for a pretty normal reaction to their nutso relationship.
This book felt like someone said “Siri, write me a romance,” And the poor AI struggled to robotically combine a plucky heroine and a he-man and a cute kid and a dog according to some kind of binary code.
I wanted a comfy read. My last book was grisly and depressing. It involved murdered children - and I now gaze upon it will full appreciation of all its finer points.
I shall now return to my regularly scheduled ARC embargo.
As always, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to offer my honest opinion.
Our story starts with our heroine at a family reunion - where an aunt introduces her as a spinster. Not sure why she’s being introduced at a family reunion. Not sure why there’s shame in being unmarried in your thirties. For sara, this announcement is akin to everyone knowing she buys her Izods at an outlet. She begins to question everything about her life.
From there we learn that Sara is a nanny for her brother and his wife. And that Sara’s sister in law is just an amalgamation of nasty female stereotypes. A career-focused “bad mother” who relies upon and resents Sara. And Sara is absolutely revolting here - mocking, shaming and judging her sister in law every chance we get. We are to imagine Sara as the poor put upon Cinderella rather than expecting her to be an adult who gives a rational voice to her concerns and unhappiness. Why should Sara have a conversation to explain how she feels when it’s so much easier to chip away at a successful woman?
Sara’s brother is a condescending enabler. Her mom is co-dependent and abusive. And sweet, dare i say it, angelic Sara is the martyr who keeps her chin up and holds this entire family of evil trolls together. How brave Of her to play the victim rather than hold others accountable and treat them with the respect Sara claims she never receives.
All of this and we haven’t even gotten to the stilted, awkward, and bizarre relationship. The emails were unrealistic and uncomfortable. Gabe is a jingoistic “ultra-manly” sketch of a soldier. We are told - repeatedly - that he keeps his feelings to himself. And then when things go awry for them he becomes cold and manipulative in order to shame Sara for a pretty normal reaction to their nutso relationship.
This book felt like someone said “Siri, write me a romance,” And the poor AI struggled to robotically combine a plucky heroine and a he-man and a cute kid and a dog according to some kind of binary code.
I wanted a comfy read. My last book was grisly and depressing. It involved murdered children - and I now gaze upon it will full appreciation of all its finer points.
I shall now return to my regularly scheduled ARC embargo.
As always, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to offer my honest opinion.
March 3, 2020
I am a sucker for military romances, romances with pets and Alaskan settings and From Alaska with Love delivered all of those elements and more. An awkward hero, an insecure heroine, an overbearing family and a dog that will melt your heart.
Sara took over watching her niece when her company downsized and slipped into handling her mother’s finances when her father passed. You might say she is the glue that hold everyone together. She is sweet, lonely, unsure of what the future holds and genuinely a good person. Which is why she sends an Easter card to a soldier stationed overseas.
Major Gabe Randall is a lifer. He has never had a serious relationship but hopes to eventually settle with his dog, Trouble in Alaska. He never takes part or takes letters sent to the troops; preferring to give them to his men. A hold up with mail created an excess he receives Sara’s letter.
Sara thinking to never meet the soldier offers him a glimpse of her life in a humorous way. Gabe responds via email. They soon begin exchanging emails. I loved these awkward exchanges and getting inside their heads. Before you know it, they move to text, and finally video chats. Gabe makes arrangements for Sara to fly out to Alaska for the holidays with him….only Sara doesn’t know how to tell her family. The tale that unfolds made me laugh even as I wanted to slap sense into a few characters.
The romance was a slow-build and low on heat. In fact, I almost wondered if that first kiss would ever happen. The story slowed and struggled before kicking into high gear and I admit to wanting to Gibbs slap (NCIS) both of them. It felt right though and fit the characters and their personalities. The drama was kept low and focused on the character growth.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Sara took over watching her niece when her company downsized and slipped into handling her mother’s finances when her father passed. You might say she is the glue that hold everyone together. She is sweet, lonely, unsure of what the future holds and genuinely a good person. Which is why she sends an Easter card to a soldier stationed overseas.
Major Gabe Randall is a lifer. He has never had a serious relationship but hopes to eventually settle with his dog, Trouble in Alaska. He never takes part or takes letters sent to the troops; preferring to give them to his men. A hold up with mail created an excess he receives Sara’s letter.
Sara thinking to never meet the soldier offers him a glimpse of her life in a humorous way. Gabe responds via email. They soon begin exchanging emails. I loved these awkward exchanges and getting inside their heads. Before you know it, they move to text, and finally video chats. Gabe makes arrangements for Sara to fly out to Alaska for the holidays with him….only Sara doesn’t know how to tell her family. The tale that unfolds made me laugh even as I wanted to slap sense into a few characters.
The romance was a slow-build and low on heat. In fact, I almost wondered if that first kiss would ever happen. The story slowed and struggled before kicking into high gear and I admit to wanting to Gibbs slap (NCIS) both of them. It felt right though and fit the characters and their personalities. The drama was kept low and focused on the character growth.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
May 21, 2020
3 Stars / 1 Steam Fans
From Alaska with Love started as a fun, sweet, military pen pal story until it went flat. Sarah gets publically shamed during a family event and decides to step outside of her comfort zone by writing a letter to an anonymous deployed soldier. Gabe is on the receiving end of Sarah's message, and they start a long-distance romance. Sarah has a family that continuously degrades her, and she just takes the abuse, which didn't work for me. Once Gabe has the opportunity to meet Sarah, the uncaring family, all of a sudden, wants to step in to protect her from Gabe. I was not a fan of the ending either because Sarah just moves from one situation to another.
Video review available in Week 21: May 17 – 23 weekly book reviews.
For other video book reviews, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
From Alaska with Love started as a fun, sweet, military pen pal story until it went flat. Sarah gets publically shamed during a family event and decides to step outside of her comfort zone by writing a letter to an anonymous deployed soldier. Gabe is on the receiving end of Sarah's message, and they start a long-distance romance. Sarah has a family that continuously degrades her, and she just takes the abuse, which didn't work for me. Once Gabe has the opportunity to meet Sarah, the uncaring family, all of a sudden, wants to step in to protect her from Gabe. I was not a fan of the ending either because Sarah just moves from one situation to another.
Video review available in Week 21: May 17 – 23 weekly book reviews.
For other video book reviews, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
January 1, 2020
4 🌟
.
Final thoughts...that was fairly adorable.
.
Ally James is a new to me author. If I am being fair...the cover of this book...that’s what drew me in 😍. That and Alaska. I love all things Alaska 🤷🏻♀️.
.
Imagine my surprise to find out that a large portion of this book is based in North Carolina. Very, very delightful.
.
Alright let’s get to some coherent thoughts.
.
If this book has a description from me...it would be warm fuzzies. Cozy romance? Whatever we want to call it.. I’m going to call it lovely. Sweet character with fantastic chemistry. Lovely supporting characters. The format was perfect to build their relationship and story. The story went by in a blur as I sat down one morning a read and read. Finishing in one setting and it perfectly allowed itself to do so. My only complaint is the last 1/4 of the book. I felt like the discourse between the characters was a stretch...a bit unnatural. I do think it took a smidge of my love for the characters away 🤷🏻♀️. Overall the bulk of the book carried the story enough to still end with 4 🌟’s.
.
Final thoughts...that was fairly adorable.
.
Ally James is a new to me author. If I am being fair...the cover of this book...that’s what drew me in 😍. That and Alaska. I love all things Alaska 🤷🏻♀️.
.
Imagine my surprise to find out that a large portion of this book is based in North Carolina. Very, very delightful.
.
Alright let’s get to some coherent thoughts.
.
If this book has a description from me...it would be warm fuzzies. Cozy romance? Whatever we want to call it.. I’m going to call it lovely. Sweet character with fantastic chemistry. Lovely supporting characters. The format was perfect to build their relationship and story. The story went by in a blur as I sat down one morning a read and read. Finishing in one setting and it perfectly allowed itself to do so. My only complaint is the last 1/4 of the book. I felt like the discourse between the characters was a stretch...a bit unnatural. I do think it took a smidge of my love for the characters away 🤷🏻♀️. Overall the bulk of the book carried the story enough to still end with 4 🌟’s.
April 25, 2020
A correspondence romance, military hero, and the promise of Alaska for a setting were all it took to hook me into trying a new to me author standalone.
From Alaska With Love opens with overworked-underappreciated Sara going out on a limb and writing a letter to a military service personnel as part of a correspondence project. Her letter reaches dedicated career soldier, Major Gabe Randall, who usually passes off the letters to those under him, but there was finally enough in this batch for him to get a letter of his own. Sara's upbeat, fun letter hits the spot for Gabe and a correspondence between the two begins through email and onto face time.
Gabe is plans to finish his career out and settle in his Alaska home. He is eager to meet Sara in person and get all his dreams. He surprises Sara in person and that's when he discovers that all is not as it seems. The sparkle is gone and Sara isn't who he thought- she's been playing a part. Sara can't believe how it all miserably fell apart and knows she needs to get a backbone and start standing up to demanding family if she is to ever get back her chance of happiness. First stop- Alaska!
This book was all I was hoping in many ways. I recently enjoyed a slow burn correspondence- military romance so I was primed for this one. But, it ended up being one that I had mixed feelings over. I could see some complications on Sara's side as she acted her own Cinderella part in her family as nanny to her own sharp-tongued niece and user sister as well as whipping girl for her self-absorbed mother and on Gabe's side- he was quick to action and not a lot of tenderness and letting his guard down. So a doormat and the Great Wall of China between the pair. About half-way, the wheels fell off and it got messy. The tone of the story changed when they both started floundering. I really wanted to see them weather it after the idyllic distance romance they had together. It was a struggle. I even skimmed a few times. Nearer the end, it got onto solid ground again.
The handling of Gabe's military background rang true and the Alaska setting was all I was looking for. Their emails really captivated me. Sara's family were a real sour note as was the pathetic way she let them get away with it. Happily, I never hated her and wanted her with Gabe more than ever- though yeah, I wanted to boot her in the butt a few times. When Gabe went all stone soldier I wanted to shake him, too. I get his thing a bit more because I didn't like that she basically lied to him and caused him to wonder if any of it was true bringing his withdrawal on herself. I get that she didn't do it on purpose and got carried away especially when it started out. Like I said, mixed feelings.
All in all, if I balance the first half with the last half, I'd call it moderately good. Those who enjoy a slowburn romance featuring a correspondence courtship and military hero should definitely give it a try.
My thanks to Berkley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
From Alaska With Love opens with overworked-underappreciated Sara going out on a limb and writing a letter to a military service personnel as part of a correspondence project. Her letter reaches dedicated career soldier, Major Gabe Randall, who usually passes off the letters to those under him, but there was finally enough in this batch for him to get a letter of his own. Sara's upbeat, fun letter hits the spot for Gabe and a correspondence between the two begins through email and onto face time.
Gabe is plans to finish his career out and settle in his Alaska home. He is eager to meet Sara in person and get all his dreams. He surprises Sara in person and that's when he discovers that all is not as it seems. The sparkle is gone and Sara isn't who he thought- she's been playing a part. Sara can't believe how it all miserably fell apart and knows she needs to get a backbone and start standing up to demanding family if she is to ever get back her chance of happiness. First stop- Alaska!
This book was all I was hoping in many ways. I recently enjoyed a slow burn correspondence- military romance so I was primed for this one. But, it ended up being one that I had mixed feelings over. I could see some complications on Sara's side as she acted her own Cinderella part in her family as nanny to her own sharp-tongued niece and user sister as well as whipping girl for her self-absorbed mother and on Gabe's side- he was quick to action and not a lot of tenderness and letting his guard down. So a doormat and the Great Wall of China between the pair. About half-way, the wheels fell off and it got messy. The tone of the story changed when they both started floundering. I really wanted to see them weather it after the idyllic distance romance they had together. It was a struggle. I even skimmed a few times. Nearer the end, it got onto solid ground again.
The handling of Gabe's military background rang true and the Alaska setting was all I was looking for. Their emails really captivated me. Sara's family were a real sour note as was the pathetic way she let them get away with it. Happily, I never hated her and wanted her with Gabe more than ever- though yeah, I wanted to boot her in the butt a few times. When Gabe went all stone soldier I wanted to shake him, too. I get his thing a bit more because I didn't like that she basically lied to him and caused him to wonder if any of it was true bringing his withdrawal on herself. I get that she didn't do it on purpose and got carried away especially when it started out. Like I said, mixed feelings.
All in all, if I balance the first half with the last half, I'd call it moderately good. Those who enjoy a slowburn romance featuring a correspondence courtship and military hero should definitely give it a try.
My thanks to Berkley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2020
From Alaska With Love is a pen pal military romance.
When Gabe is in Iraq, he receives honest and forth right emails from Sara that makes every day worth living. She is funny and says exactly what is on her mind, even if it’s a little off the wall. Their relationship blossoms through their letters, then texts and video chats. But when it comes time to meet, Sara baulks.
Devastated by Sara not meeting him, Gabe returns to his assignment in Alaska.
Sara realizing her mistakes jumps on a plane and shows up to find Gabe in Alaska.
Its touch and go for awhile but eventually Gabe understood why Sara wouldn’t meet him initially and then he decides he just has to convince her to give him six weeks to see what Alaska and he have to offer.
I really enjoyed the story right up until about 60% in. Once that happened it really didn’t compute for me. I mean there were cute moments, but it wasn’t based on anything beyond the surface. There were a bunch of things thrown at us that just didn’t make sense for the character’s that had been developing up until the 60% point. In my opinion, their character’s choices and the plot direction just went off the rails.
I received this ARC copy of From Alaska With Love from Berkley Publishing Group - Berkley. This is my honest and voluntary review. From Alaska With Love is set for publication March 3, 2020.
My Rating: 3 stars
Written by: Ally James
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (March 3, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1984806955
ISBN-13: 978-1984806956
Genre: Military Romance
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Love-Al...
Barnes & Nobles: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from...
When Gabe is in Iraq, he receives honest and forth right emails from Sara that makes every day worth living. She is funny and says exactly what is on her mind, even if it’s a little off the wall. Their relationship blossoms through their letters, then texts and video chats. But when it comes time to meet, Sara baulks.
Devastated by Sara not meeting him, Gabe returns to his assignment in Alaska.
Sara realizing her mistakes jumps on a plane and shows up to find Gabe in Alaska.
Its touch and go for awhile but eventually Gabe understood why Sara wouldn’t meet him initially and then he decides he just has to convince her to give him six weeks to see what Alaska and he have to offer.
I really enjoyed the story right up until about 60% in. Once that happened it really didn’t compute for me. I mean there were cute moments, but it wasn’t based on anything beyond the surface. There were a bunch of things thrown at us that just didn’t make sense for the character’s that had been developing up until the 60% point. In my opinion, their character’s choices and the plot direction just went off the rails.
I received this ARC copy of From Alaska With Love from Berkley Publishing Group - Berkley. This is my honest and voluntary review. From Alaska With Love is set for publication March 3, 2020.
My Rating: 3 stars
Written by: Ally James
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (March 3, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1984806955
ISBN-13: 978-1984806956
Genre: Military Romance
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Love-Al...
Barnes & Nobles: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from...
January 22, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
This was delightful, feel good romance between a single Southern woman whose life is all about caring for her niece and the military man she meets through letters. A modern day pen pal type love story, Gabe and Sara fall in love over their emails, texts and facetime calls but when Gabe finally returns from serving overseas they have to see if their IRL feelings will hold up in Gabe’s Alaskan life. Sweet with a dose of heat near the end plus a cute dog sidekick. Gabe took a while to grow on me but I absolutely loved Sara. Great on audio narrated by Jeanine Bartel who does a decent Southern accent :)
This was delightful, feel good romance between a single Southern woman whose life is all about caring for her niece and the military man she meets through letters. A modern day pen pal type love story, Gabe and Sara fall in love over their emails, texts and facetime calls but when Gabe finally returns from serving overseas they have to see if their IRL feelings will hold up in Gabe’s Alaskan life. Sweet with a dose of heat near the end plus a cute dog sidekick. Gabe took a while to grow on me but I absolutely loved Sara. Great on audio narrated by Jeanine Bartel who does a decent Southern accent :)
December 14, 2021
Estuvo cute, me gusto el hecho que ambos protagonistas eran treintones solteros y le dieron una oportunidad al amor porque se lo merecian.
January 9, 2020
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
This book was all kinds of adorable.
"Spinster" Sara (pssshhh what would they call me then) and Gabe are not a couple that you would really expect to come together, but they do and it works.
I liked that they communicated via emails for a chunk of the time - much more cute and romantic than just text message to me.
My heart hurt for Sara - she is having a bit of a pity party, and I wanted her to stand up to those making her feel that way - and the fact that is was her family that treated her like Cinderella made me mad, mad, mad!
I was laughing out loud at times, as the first half especially was full of humour. I found the second half more emotional and deeper
It takes a look at modern relationships, familial relationships and the growth of both Sara and Gabe as the story progressed.
I would like to see more of the secondary characters in this story, particularly Jason and Chloe.
I wonderful read that I enjoyed in an afternoon.
This book was all kinds of adorable.
"Spinster" Sara (pssshhh what would they call me then) and Gabe are not a couple that you would really expect to come together, but they do and it works.
I liked that they communicated via emails for a chunk of the time - much more cute and romantic than just text message to me.
My heart hurt for Sara - she is having a bit of a pity party, and I wanted her to stand up to those making her feel that way - and the fact that is was her family that treated her like Cinderella made me mad, mad, mad!
I was laughing out loud at times, as the first half especially was full of humour. I found the second half more emotional and deeper
It takes a look at modern relationships, familial relationships and the growth of both Sara and Gabe as the story progressed.
I would like to see more of the secondary characters in this story, particularly Jason and Chloe.
I wonderful read that I enjoyed in an afternoon.
July 7, 2020
Sappy...
March 3, 2020
I absolutely loved this book until the 50% mark and then it became a bit of a mess which was so disappointing. This couple meets through a “card to any service member” campaign and spend months sharing emails, then private messages and even Face timing. I loved their interactions, the way they got to know one another, and how, dare I say, they fell in love while sharing their thoughts and feelings. There was something so refreshing about this part of the book and then Gabe returns from deployment surprising Sara and things go rapidly downhill.
Here’s the thing, after Gabe surprised her and realized that she hadn’t shared their relationship or her plans to go and visit him in Alaska he ran away. Then when her family got on her she ran away from them to Alaska to visit Gabe and they were not in a good place. This part of the book was counterproductive, it really did nothing to further the story all it did was add in unnecessary and manufactured angst to what had been an excellent romance. While they do eventually begin to rebuild what they had, for me they never got the spark back, it was gone, lost, and I missed it, leaving me less than satisfied with the remainder of the book.
So you are probably asking why 3 stars and not less, because that first 50% was superbly entertaining and I fell in love with their story, I just wish the last half had been even a fraction as good as that first half.
From Alaska With Love started out strong but in the end it fizzled leaving me disappointed. Maybe for another reader this story will work better but for me, it did not.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Here’s the thing, after Gabe surprised her and realized that she hadn’t shared their relationship or her plans to go and visit him in Alaska he ran away. Then when her family got on her she ran away from them to Alaska to visit Gabe and they were not in a good place. This part of the book was counterproductive, it really did nothing to further the story all it did was add in unnecessary and manufactured angst to what had been an excellent romance. While they do eventually begin to rebuild what they had, for me they never got the spark back, it was gone, lost, and I missed it, leaving me less than satisfied with the remainder of the book.
So you are probably asking why 3 stars and not less, because that first 50% was superbly entertaining and I fell in love with their story, I just wish the last half had been even a fraction as good as that first half.
From Alaska With Love started out strong but in the end it fizzled leaving me disappointed. Maybe for another reader this story will work better but for me, it did not.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
March 27, 2020
From Alaska with Love is the story of Sara and Gabe. When Sara sends a postcard to the troops she doesn’t expect to hear back let alone develop a relationship with its recipient. But when her card lands in the hands of Gabe, the two become pens pals while Gabe is in Iraq. But as Gabe’s tour comes to an end, the two make plans to meet in Alaska and try out their relationship for real.
This book could really be divided into two parts. The first part is Sara and Gabe as pen pals while Sara is in N.C. and Gabe is in Iraq. I thoroughly enjoyed this part with their letters and their Facetime conversations. It did a great job of building up excitement for the two of them eventually meeting. The second half of the book fell flat for me, especially with Sara’s character. In the first part of the book, Sara is this sassy, funny, genuine character. But then she gets to Alaska and none of that really comes across. It felt like two different books.
The best way I could describe this book would be a cross between the Simple Wild and a Nicholas Sparks book. Maybe one with a dog. Trouble, Gabe’s dog was by far my favorite character. He was adorably endearing. My only wish is that he was a bigger part of the book.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the review copy!
This book could really be divided into two parts. The first part is Sara and Gabe as pen pals while Sara is in N.C. and Gabe is in Iraq. I thoroughly enjoyed this part with their letters and their Facetime conversations. It did a great job of building up excitement for the two of them eventually meeting. The second half of the book fell flat for me, especially with Sara’s character. In the first part of the book, Sara is this sassy, funny, genuine character. But then she gets to Alaska and none of that really comes across. It felt like two different books.
The best way I could describe this book would be a cross between the Simple Wild and a Nicholas Sparks book. Maybe one with a dog. Trouble, Gabe’s dog was by far my favorite character. He was adorably endearing. My only wish is that he was a bigger part of the book.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the review copy!
November 11, 2019
Gabe really is a sweet man, “yep.” He grinned, before putting a hand on her thigh. “And do you seriously imagine I give a damn when or how you speak the words? Baby, you could have screamed them out in the middle of a wet T-shirt contest, while showcasing your stripper moves, and it would still be the second- best moment of my life.” I liked this book, I liked Gabe.
January 4, 2020
This book was really cute. I really liked Sarah''s growth throughout the novel and how she broke away from her ungrateful family and learned to stand on her own.
June 2, 2020
There are two “A’s” will get me to pick up a book whenever I heard them – Antarctica and Alaska. These areas fascinate me and I love reading or learning about them in any way possible. I’ll watch documentaries, reality shows, read articles. I also love books set there, obviously. Alaska tends to be the most common and I’ve read quite a few books, both fiction and non, set in Alaska. Most books I’ve read regarding Antarctica that are fiction tend to mention it or involve a brief trip there or near there given it’s a place where there are only research stations for scientists and no permanent population. The environments of both are so interesting – both are on my bucket list but unless I win the lottery at some stage in my future, I don’t see either as places I can realistically visit. So I must visit in books.
To be honest, the title of this is a bit misleading because Alaska isn’t really featured until past the halfway point in the book and it’s in such a way that it could really be anywhere that experiences snow in winter, it doesn’t feel specifically set in Alaska.
Sara gave up her job several years ago to become a nanny for her brother and his wife. She adores her niece but it isn’t long now until her niece will be in school and Sara is aware that soon she won’t be needed as much. When she overhears an advertisement on radio to write to troops stationed overseas and send a card, Sara decides to do so on a whim. She gets a response back from Major Gabe Randall, who is terse at first, but Sara’s warmth and wit gradually draws him out of his shell and soon they are communicating every day, moving to texting and then FaceTime. When Gabe returns home from Iraq he wants Sara to come and spend time with him in Alaska and see if they can explore this attraction that has developed from writing and talking. But a few things go wrong and…..soon it’s about salvaging something.
I really like novels that feature letters but this one often featured the letter that one of them would write as they were doing it and then again as the recipient read it, which seemed a bit of an odd choice as it made it feel a bit repetitive. I appreciated the idea to write to those stationed overseas as I’m sure it gets lonely and frustrating for soldiers and it gave Sara something to do that wasn’t literally being a doormat to pretty much her entire family. Her sister-in-law is hideous, I think it’s framed as her guilt being a working mother making her be horrible to Sara but there’s literally no excuse for the way she treated the woman basically raising her child. Her brother is wilfully oblivious to how horrible his wife is and is also guilty of taking advantage of Sara and believing her to be without a life. Their mother is manipulative and plays helpless since the death of Sara’s father and constantly critical of Sara, despite the fact that she’s given up her whole life to assist the family in various different ways. This got to be incredibly frustrating – it made me annoyed at Sara because she’s so incredibly passive and allows these people to just walk all over her, make her feel bad or worthless and even at the end, when it’s supposedly ‘resolved’ it didn’t at all feel like they accepted the way they’d treated her was wrong and she’d had years of them talking down to her. Gabe did make them see she deserved to do something that made her happy but it didn’t really seem like they acknowledged their problematic behaviour in a meaningful way.
Speaking of Gabe, he was fine I guess. A career military man who had little else in his life apart from his dog, Trouble. He has family but they don’t seem very close and he hasn’t met anyone he’d like to ask to wait for him whilst he does his tours and the like overseas. With Sara that changes and he sees someone he could make a life with. There are quite a few bumps in the road, some of which feel a bit farfetched. There’s a strong reliance on ‘mean girl syndrome’ for conflict, which is my least favourite sort of conflict for a burgeoning couple. Sara travels to Alaska but there’s little about it….Gabe is working for some of it which means she’s alone so they don’t really do any exploring, so you don’t really get that Alaskan vibe. There were times when his intentions, although I think were good, came off as a bit full on and ended up creating some awkwardness between them. Although Sara was such a wet blanket that she’d probably never have agreed to actually go to Alaska to spend time with him if he hadn’t basically forced her hand. She was so convinced she couldn’t leave her family and her niece in the lurch, after the years of being made to feel like somehow, she owed them. I do appreciate that Gabe could see the value in Sara as a person and was willing to have her back, stand up for her, make her family respect her. But it felt sad that Sara couldn’t do this herself. Her family were horrible to her when she was there, even worse when she left to see Gabe. It was disappointing.
This was just okay for me. It was a long time before I really felt any romance and although I appreciated the build, there were times when it was more awkward and distant and it made me wonder why anyone would continue to suffer through that. I would’ve liked more about Alaska, especially in regards to Sara going there from North Carolina and adjusting to what it’s like up there. Gabe lived in Anchorage, so not exactly the wilderness but it would still be a different experience you’d think, for Sara. It took a long time for anything to happen and then once it did, it felt a bit over the top but Gabe was sweet and I’ve no doubt that he’d make Sara’s life better (and more about her, than it always being about other people).
To be honest, the title of this is a bit misleading because Alaska isn’t really featured until past the halfway point in the book and it’s in such a way that it could really be anywhere that experiences snow in winter, it doesn’t feel specifically set in Alaska.
Sara gave up her job several years ago to become a nanny for her brother and his wife. She adores her niece but it isn’t long now until her niece will be in school and Sara is aware that soon she won’t be needed as much. When she overhears an advertisement on radio to write to troops stationed overseas and send a card, Sara decides to do so on a whim. She gets a response back from Major Gabe Randall, who is terse at first, but Sara’s warmth and wit gradually draws him out of his shell and soon they are communicating every day, moving to texting and then FaceTime. When Gabe returns home from Iraq he wants Sara to come and spend time with him in Alaska and see if they can explore this attraction that has developed from writing and talking. But a few things go wrong and…..soon it’s about salvaging something.
I really like novels that feature letters but this one often featured the letter that one of them would write as they were doing it and then again as the recipient read it, which seemed a bit of an odd choice as it made it feel a bit repetitive. I appreciated the idea to write to those stationed overseas as I’m sure it gets lonely and frustrating for soldiers and it gave Sara something to do that wasn’t literally being a doormat to pretty much her entire family. Her sister-in-law is hideous, I think it’s framed as her guilt being a working mother making her be horrible to Sara but there’s literally no excuse for the way she treated the woman basically raising her child. Her brother is wilfully oblivious to how horrible his wife is and is also guilty of taking advantage of Sara and believing her to be without a life. Their mother is manipulative and plays helpless since the death of Sara’s father and constantly critical of Sara, despite the fact that she’s given up her whole life to assist the family in various different ways. This got to be incredibly frustrating – it made me annoyed at Sara because she’s so incredibly passive and allows these people to just walk all over her, make her feel bad or worthless and even at the end, when it’s supposedly ‘resolved’ it didn’t at all feel like they accepted the way they’d treated her was wrong and she’d had years of them talking down to her. Gabe did make them see she deserved to do something that made her happy but it didn’t really seem like they acknowledged their problematic behaviour in a meaningful way.
Speaking of Gabe, he was fine I guess. A career military man who had little else in his life apart from his dog, Trouble. He has family but they don’t seem very close and he hasn’t met anyone he’d like to ask to wait for him whilst he does his tours and the like overseas. With Sara that changes and he sees someone he could make a life with. There are quite a few bumps in the road, some of which feel a bit farfetched. There’s a strong reliance on ‘mean girl syndrome’ for conflict, which is my least favourite sort of conflict for a burgeoning couple. Sara travels to Alaska but there’s little about it….Gabe is working for some of it which means she’s alone so they don’t really do any exploring, so you don’t really get that Alaskan vibe. There were times when his intentions, although I think were good, came off as a bit full on and ended up creating some awkwardness between them. Although Sara was such a wet blanket that she’d probably never have agreed to actually go to Alaska to spend time with him if he hadn’t basically forced her hand. She was so convinced she couldn’t leave her family and her niece in the lurch, after the years of being made to feel like somehow, she owed them. I do appreciate that Gabe could see the value in Sara as a person and was willing to have her back, stand up for her, make her family respect her. But it felt sad that Sara couldn’t do this herself. Her family were horrible to her when she was there, even worse when she left to see Gabe. It was disappointing.
This was just okay for me. It was a long time before I really felt any romance and although I appreciated the build, there were times when it was more awkward and distant and it made me wonder why anyone would continue to suffer through that. I would’ve liked more about Alaska, especially in regards to Sara going there from North Carolina and adjusting to what it’s like up there. Gabe lived in Anchorage, so not exactly the wilderness but it would still be a different experience you’d think, for Sara. It took a long time for anything to happen and then once it did, it felt a bit over the top but Gabe was sweet and I’ve no doubt that he’d make Sara’s life better (and more about her, than it always being about other people).
March 2, 2020
From Alaska With Love by Ally James is a sweet and different kind of romance. We meet our heroine, Sara Ryan, as she attends a family function and is embarrassed by her aunt, who tells everyone she is a spinster. Sara lives with her brother and his wife, as she takes care of her niece; and though she is beautiful, Sara has no confidence and does not believe she will ever marry. Her family, other than her niece, takes advantage of her, and expects her to do their bidding. During a local event, everyone is collecting Christmas cards to pass on to troops overseas; and Sara sends a sweet funny card to whomever receives it.
Major Gabe Randall, our hero, is now in his 7th deployment and when he is given one of the cards coming in, he gets a kick out of Sara’s card, and decides to respond, and a pen pal relationship begins. What follows is a warm-hearted sweet story, where both Gabe and Sara welcome the friendship their correspondence has given them; especially with Sara’s funny posts, which were a bright light for Gabe during his hard tour in Iraq. With each new letter, which they now uses Facetime, they both begin to have feelings for each other; they decide they need to meet.
While in the planning stages for Sara to visit Gabe in Alaska, where he has 6 weeks before being deployed again; Gabe decides to make a surprise visit to North Carolina, which due to her brother’s comments turned into a fiasco, and Gabe leaves. Sara is determined to fix things with Gabe, and tell him he misunderstood her brother. She decides to fly to Alaska and spend time there as intended with Gabe, but at first, he was surprised she showed up and was somewhat cold. In a short time, Sara learns to love Alaska, and Gabe’s army friends. Slowly their romance heats up, and they succumb to their feelings for each other, as everything falls in place; Gabe knows he has to find a way to somehow bring Sara’s family and their lives to an acceptable arrangement.
I loved many of the characters that James created, especially Chloe, Jason, and especially Trouble the dog, who I absolutely adored. From Alaska With Love was an enjoyable sweet romance, which was well written by Ally James.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Major Gabe Randall, our hero, is now in his 7th deployment and when he is given one of the cards coming in, he gets a kick out of Sara’s card, and decides to respond, and a pen pal relationship begins. What follows is a warm-hearted sweet story, where both Gabe and Sara welcome the friendship their correspondence has given them; especially with Sara’s funny posts, which were a bright light for Gabe during his hard tour in Iraq. With each new letter, which they now uses Facetime, they both begin to have feelings for each other; they decide they need to meet.
While in the planning stages for Sara to visit Gabe in Alaska, where he has 6 weeks before being deployed again; Gabe decides to make a surprise visit to North Carolina, which due to her brother’s comments turned into a fiasco, and Gabe leaves. Sara is determined to fix things with Gabe, and tell him he misunderstood her brother. She decides to fly to Alaska and spend time there as intended with Gabe, but at first, he was surprised she showed up and was somewhat cold. In a short time, Sara learns to love Alaska, and Gabe’s army friends. Slowly their romance heats up, and they succumb to their feelings for each other, as everything falls in place; Gabe knows he has to find a way to somehow bring Sara’s family and their lives to an acceptable arrangement.
I loved many of the characters that James created, especially Chloe, Jason, and especially Trouble the dog, who I absolutely adored. From Alaska With Love was an enjoyable sweet romance, which was well written by Ally James.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
March 22, 2020
3.5 stars
After a few Alaska set books I looked forward too seing this the blurb had me intrigued plus the dog covered. Sara's life was stagnant somewhat and pity party going which lasted throughout the book. It lead to the writing a letter to someone deployed military overseas. The pacing was slow and a bit disjointed at times with scene transition.
Sara had a pen pal going with Gabe who was deployed in Iraq but stationed in Alaska. They grew close through the letters and chatting. Sara was scared to move out of her comfort zone, her family took advantage and helped with low esteem.
While her first actual meeting with Gabe didn't go well, she sought him out when left because of her indecision. I agree I was frustrated with Sara in the first half especially when her family was condescending. The Alaska part starts at 60% which I started to get into it more. I loved Trouble the dog in the cover made it better. Gabe had a good story arc you saw the change in him. I would have to see more from Sara aside from just leaving her family.
While I was hoping for life in Alaska in general aside from the love story it was more Sara finding her place in Gabe's life and an adjustment to finally being on her own. It wasn't like the other books that had some degree of loneliness of isolation and coping with being self sufficient. But it was cute and sweet too in how Gabe and Sara overcame things. It felt a bit cut short since it was more focused on the relationship aspect. The whole family issues made it more realistic. I liked it enough.
After a few Alaska set books I looked forward too seing this the blurb had me intrigued plus the dog covered. Sara's life was stagnant somewhat and pity party going which lasted throughout the book. It lead to the writing a letter to someone deployed military overseas. The pacing was slow and a bit disjointed at times with scene transition.
Sara had a pen pal going with Gabe who was deployed in Iraq but stationed in Alaska. They grew close through the letters and chatting. Sara was scared to move out of her comfort zone, her family took advantage and helped with low esteem.
While her first actual meeting with Gabe didn't go well, she sought him out when left because of her indecision. I agree I was frustrated with Sara in the first half especially when her family was condescending. The Alaska part starts at 60% which I started to get into it more. I loved Trouble the dog in the cover made it better. Gabe had a good story arc you saw the change in him. I would have to see more from Sara aside from just leaving her family.
While I was hoping for life in Alaska in general aside from the love story it was more Sara finding her place in Gabe's life and an adjustment to finally being on her own. It wasn't like the other books that had some degree of loneliness of isolation and coping with being self sufficient. But it was cute and sweet too in how Gabe and Sara overcame things. It felt a bit cut short since it was more focused on the relationship aspect. The whole family issues made it more realistic. I liked it enough.
November 11, 2021
Sara Ryan is a young woman who has become a slave to her family. When her father died, she came home to help her mother adjust. While she was home she helped out her brother and his wife with their daughter. The next thing she knows, she has quit her job and is now a live in nanny for her brother as well as helping her mother with whatever she needs. During a local charity event collecting Christmas cards to pass on to troops deployed overseas, she sends a rather humorous letter that ends up in the hands of Major Gabe Randall. They continue their correspondence and as they get to know each other through emails, they begin doing chats and video calls. They fall for one another, and Gabe invites Sara to come and spend time with him in Alaska while he is on leave. She is not sure what to do and Gabe decides to fly to North Carolina to meet her and fly back to Alaska with her. He shows up at the door and with some misunderstandings, he leaves and it is up to Sara whether she will visit or not.
This was a sweet romance that I enjoyed. Both Sara and Gabe are somewhat loners, but both hope there is someone special out there for them. Both have issues of trust and they come into play in this story. I really enjoyed their banter and letters back and forth as they got to know each other. I was so ticked off at Sara's family. She did so much for them and they treated her terribly. There were shades of Cinderella. Fortunately both Sara and Gabe had friends who wanted them to be happy, so they both had pushes and nudges they needed to move forward. It was not an exciting story, but it was sweet and I enjoyed this romance with new beginnings, taking chances and making decisions for your own happiness.
This was a sweet romance that I enjoyed. Both Sara and Gabe are somewhat loners, but both hope there is someone special out there for them. Both have issues of trust and they come into play in this story. I really enjoyed their banter and letters back and forth as they got to know each other. I was so ticked off at Sara's family. She did so much for them and they treated her terribly. There were shades of Cinderella. Fortunately both Sara and Gabe had friends who wanted them to be happy, so they both had pushes and nudges they needed to move forward. It was not an exciting story, but it was sweet and I enjoyed this romance with new beginnings, taking chances and making decisions for your own happiness.
May 12, 2020
I really loved the premise of this book, and the beginning was so charming and fun. I was definitely rooting for these two to get together from the first chapter!
This story relies heavily on the miscommunication trope, which I usually am on board with, since I do feel like most of the problems we face on a daily basis really from miscommunications. For that to work for me in a story though, I need to understand the characters and their motivations, and I didn’t feel like I did in this one.
The characters both had dramatically different sides to their personalities, and while I do want characters who are multifaceted, these two changed so dramatically back and forth between chapter to chapter, it gave me a bit of whiplash and left me feeling like I didn’t understand them and why they were doing the things they did. The supporting characters were also a bit overdrawn to the point of feeling like caricatures instead of people.
I did love the setting and the setup. There is so much potential here, and I’m certain there are plenty of readers out there who this would totally work for.
This story relies heavily on the miscommunication trope, which I usually am on board with, since I do feel like most of the problems we face on a daily basis really from miscommunications. For that to work for me in a story though, I need to understand the characters and their motivations, and I didn’t feel like I did in this one.
The characters both had dramatically different sides to their personalities, and while I do want characters who are multifaceted, these two changed so dramatically back and forth between chapter to chapter, it gave me a bit of whiplash and left me feeling like I didn’t understand them and why they were doing the things they did. The supporting characters were also a bit overdrawn to the point of feeling like caricatures instead of people.
I did love the setting and the setup. There is so much potential here, and I’m certain there are plenty of readers out there who this would totally work for.
September 9, 2020
3.5 out of 5 wine glasses.
I listened to the audio of this for the most part and found the experience highly enjoyable - the narrator did a fantastic job with the southern accents and distinguishing all the different characters. My biggest issue is the repetitiveness I encountered in the first portion of the book. When either of the main characters corresponded with each other, we got it (verbatim) twice. That was a bit annoying and seems like a waste of word/page count. This was my first book by the author (idk if this was her debut), and depending on the premise, I'd be happy to read another from her!
I listened to the audio of this for the most part and found the experience highly enjoyable - the narrator did a fantastic job with the southern accents and distinguishing all the different characters. My biggest issue is the repetitiveness I encountered in the first portion of the book. When either of the main characters corresponded with each other, we got it (verbatim) twice. That was a bit annoying and seems like a waste of word/page count. This was my first book by the author (idk if this was her debut), and depending on the premise, I'd be happy to read another from her!
February 8, 2024
I think I might have a cavity from how sickly sweet the last few chapters got. I skimmed the first 50 pages or so to get to the letter writing parts I wanted. This was published in 2020, but it read more like 2014 - doormat heroine, overly positive view of the military, and some OW drama. This will most likely not work for most romance readers l know. I got the penpal vibes I was looking for so I'll give it an average rating.
February 26, 2020
I received an ARC through Netgalley. Thanks to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author Ally James. All opinions expressed are my own
Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I wanted to read From Alaska with Love, because it reminded me of Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata, and I loved both books. Both books start with similar circumstances (single woman writing to a soldier) and love is built through letters. Both are slow-burn romances.
I felt so much for Sara. I wanted her to celebrate her worth and take a chance in her life. And I really wanted to shake her mom & brother to wake them up and for them to see the beautiful woman they were taking advantage of.
Gabe is in the military. This has kept him from forming deep attachments to other people. But through their correspondence, Gabe begins to fall in love. Sara is sweet, funny, and caring. And the letters keep his morale up as he completes another tour of duty in Iraq.
BTW, I have my fingers crossed for a book with Sara's cousin Chloe. She needs a HEA.
Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I wanted to read From Alaska with Love, because it reminded me of Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata, and I loved both books. Both books start with similar circumstances (single woman writing to a soldier) and love is built through letters. Both are slow-burn romances.
I felt so much for Sara. I wanted her to celebrate her worth and take a chance in her life. And I really wanted to shake her mom & brother to wake them up and for them to see the beautiful woman they were taking advantage of.
Gabe is in the military. This has kept him from forming deep attachments to other people. But through their correspondence, Gabe begins to fall in love. Sara is sweet, funny, and caring. And the letters keep his morale up as he completes another tour of duty in Iraq.
BTW, I have my fingers crossed for a book with Sara's cousin Chloe. She needs a HEA.
wanted-2020
December 3, 2019Dear God we have to wait till spring to read this !!! I'm going to send myself to my room for the temper tantrum I'm planing on throwing ! #CountDown2020Wanted #NewAuthorAlert #ReadabookInFlorida #BeachesAndBooks #YouWriteIllRead #MyOpenBookAtTheDragonfly
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