First Class Hero

First Class Novels #5

by A.J. Harmon

Lieutenant Commander Paul Lathem has served his country proudly for eleven years as a navy Seal. He has risked life and limb to preserve freedom and has loved every minute of it, but having entered his thirties, he realizes he’s looking for more. He wants the wife and the kids and the life he sees his older brother Matt enjoying. And he is sure he wants it with Nic, but she isn’t convinced. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, Nic Stewart has had a difficult childhood, with scars burned deep in her heart. Recently fired from her job as a kindergarten teacher, Nic increases her employment search radius and ends up in Manhattan, just blocks from the Lathems…and Paul. Will Paul be able to soften Nic’s heart and rescue her from the demons of her childhood? Can he convince her she deserves a love story?

Genres: Military Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2013

About the author

AJ grew up in Perth, Western Australia. She is the third of six children and her first exposure to romance was her parents. Now married for almost 55 years, they have always been her example when working on her own marriage and parenting skills.
Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Georgette Heyer, were the writers she grew to love in adolescence and still loves now. Her list of favorite authors now has grown to include, not only historical but also contemporary authors as well. Sadly, she doesn’t have as much time to indulge in novels as much as she would like. Her family and now writing her own novels, keeps her very busy, but you will always find a book on her nightstand.
Other hobbies include cooking, one her favorite television shows is The Next Iron Chef on Food Network, and traveling, the UK and the Caribbean her favorite places to visit.
She and her husband of 28 years, reside on the west coast of the USA and have two grown children, making them empty-nesters, and recently adopted a rescued puppy, Max, from the local humane society.

Reviews

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book started a little slow. If you give it a chance it picks up and is just as good as the rest of the First Class books! I loved Paul in First Class Voyage so I was very happy that I did not have to wait for his story! By chapter 3 I was hooked and had a hard time putting it down. By the end of the book it had made me cry once, almost twice! It ended just the way I like happy but not an over the top unrealistic everything worked out to be perfect. While my favorite First Class book is still the first one, I have never been sorry I bought one!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul the Navy SEAL in the story is The First Class Hero and like men and women in our military and their supporting families, we all need to be aware of the service they give. Paul the fictional SEAL is a nice man that is ready to leave the SEAL's and settle down. He meets Nichole 'Nic' on a cruise and looks her up on his next leave and they rest of the story is how he wins his reluctant bride. First Class Hero is a romance about a military hero and I recommend it to anyone interested in this type of story.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, the characters, and the story line. It was a predictable story, which is exactly what I wanted. And although it was predictable (don't hold that against the book or the author), I found it realistic at the same time. Both the main characters, especially Nic, were very likable. The protagonist and another that was less than likable added to the realness. I recommend this as a good read.

[Pill1267 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just happened across this book. Read it. Loved it. Just finished it and realized that it is the last book in the series.. opps.. :) I am starting the first book in the series right now.. And that only means that I get to read this one again..

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good easy read. I really liked the characters.

[Tangy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little TOO sweet for me, but it was well written with very likeable characters.

[Jessica Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. I loved Nic's story. So sweet! I'm a sucker for the happily ever after.

[Wauktown Thumper · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is my favorite story in the series. I like the story line, the fairy tale ending for the male (Paul) as well as the female (Nicole).
I gave it four stars because there were still some editing errors such as words being repeated which is probably a minor issue to some people but it throws off the flow of the story a bit for me.
If I haven't state this in my other reviews I would like to comment that I' m glad I bought this as a box set and at a reasonable price. I wish more authors would follow this lead. It encourages me to continue reading especially since the stories brief the reader with a suddle cliff hanger about the next storyline.

[Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming tale of finding true love when you least expect it. When Paul met Nik he was unsure what his future in the military was going to be, but when love walked into his life he knew exactly what his decision was going to be. Through emails the two embarked on a getting to know you timeline, but that only made love blossom more and in the end the heart knew what the heart knew. Loved it!!

[Mary Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. From the first line to the last, it had me hooked. Something new is always happening and the family is fantastic. No spoilers and I’m going to post the same review for all 9 books. This is the umpteenth time I have read them. I give them another read when I want to be completely immersed in the Lathem family and come out feeling great. Wonderful romances. Read them all!

[KS Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very sweet and uplifting albeit a little predictable story. Very well written and quite original how the author expresses the passing of time. I felt a bit voyeuristic but it was fun to kind of watch down from above the story. I found my self yelling at the screen in places. Very fun read!

[Andrea Huseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

********I am proud and honored to support all the men and women( past
present future) that serve,protect,and defend the freedoms that allow me
to live the life I choose.********
Number 5 in the First Class series and is not a
standalone.I have read each book in this series till now. Each one has
been a 5 star rating. This one is my absolute favorite. Giving it 5 stars
just isn't enough. I fell truly madly in love with Paul and Nic.I wasn't
prepared for such an instant emotional connection and attachment to both.
Superb writing and development of the characters within in the story. I
loved the way both Paul and Nic were such strong people. What really got
me, was how each one had a total different life experience to make this
way. The childhoods, families, career choices, relationships, etc.. were
so different. The passion and acceptance in Paul helping to balance out
Nic's strong determined skiddish personality traits. Excellent job of
creating realistic desirable lead characters. Oh, and can't forget also
get to see some familiar faces and catch up with them. It is wonderful
watching these two start their own magnificent love story. Very good
writing and format for such a great storyline. I also enjoyed the dialogue
and humor that helped make this read so smooth and entertaining. You can't
go wrong with settings that include the military and educational realms.
Positive and supportive reference to subject matter that might be
considered more difficult to discuss. Not a smooth emotional read- but I
loved it for that. I felt every emotion. I can not stress how valuable
and meaningful this read is. IT IS A MUST HAVE TO ALL LIBRARIES. AndreaAH
(gc)

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

First Class Hero is a contemporary romance, 184 pages and book five in AJ Harmon’s First Class Novels series (of 5).

Nicole wants nothing to do with Lt Cmdr. Paul Latham, it’s not him per se. Nic has her own personal reasons for rejecting a navy man but Paul is nothing if not persistent.

My thoughts and spoilers

Paul meets Nic on a cruise and despite her best efforts he’s not put off by her caustic behaviour. Intrigued he contacts her when he visits a friend in Norfolk; Nic’s home town. The reader feels Nic’s frustration as she’s forced to push farther and farther afield for work in her chosen profession as a Kindergarten teacher. Paul is at a crossroads, he wants to get married and he’s serious enough about it to consider giving up his naval career. Can he push through Nic’s prickly exterior, help her to overcome her past and convince her to take a chance on him, on them. Emailing each other is a start and call it what you will but fate or coincidence is about to lend a helping hand.

There was too much emphasis on external happenings that created a slow romantic pace but given Nic's reluctance and Paul's deployment absences it probably couldn't have worked any other way yet it would have been nice to see the burn when they were together. Not my cuppa tea but a tender sweet read, ideal for readers looking for a slow building reasonably clean romance that involves one sex scene and a handful of kissing scenes near the end.

[BooksandBeyondFiftyShades · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lieutenant Commander Paul Lathem has served his country proudly for eleven years as a Navy Seal. But as he sees his close knit family marry, have children he begins to take stock in his future. He looks forward to the same happiness his brothers have. And has to make a decision whether a soldiers life blends well with Family life, he doesn’t think so.

Nic Stewart from Norfolk, Virginia, Devoted Kindergarten teacher, who was just laid off, is having a rough year, or maybe a rough life. Her childhood wasn’t filled with the normal loving parents, and her past issues come into play once again.

This series continues featuring all 7 Brothers all handsome and all have a special quality, Paul is not exception, sexy commanding. He meets Nic, but the instant chemistry he wanted wasn’t returned, so being the gentleman he is, he slowly romanced her to show her how much he wanted her.

Sexy, and continually entertaining. You will love how the series bring back all the characters from the books you read before, and added bonus. I loved it, and look forward to the next book.

I would highly recommend the series but by the collection, because you’ll be back for more!

‘First Class Hero’ is the fifth book in the First Class Novel series by AJ Harmon, preceded by Download your copy now! 215 pages

Other Books on Kindle from Top Rated Romance Author AJ Harmon
A military romance by USA Today bestselling author, AJ Harmon
(For Mature Audiences Only – Adult Content)

[Book Junky Girls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul left the cruise trying to decide if his time in the military was done and surprisingly it a woman who blew him off on the trip that's making him consider a future, with her! Nic didn't mean to be rude to the Navy guy, but she'd grown up with her mother saying they were the worst kind of man. Now she's make home in Virginia at her crappy waitressing job waisting her degree when he call her out of the blue, can she really turn down a man who went through so much trouble? But right as they begin to get to know each other he's recalled to active duty and it's through email that they get their chance to learn about the other. While he's gone Nic is finally getting some interviews to teach again, but if she gets them it'll mean a big move, sometimes though fate has a way of figuring things out for you and when Paul comes back all the pieces come together. But with the baggage of her childhood will she ever be able to really let Paul in?

I loved seeing Paul's story, his struggles and decisions many military personal have and seeing how he decides what's right for him. He's done allot for his country and now he has to decide what he's gonna do next. Nicole was closed off at first, but seeing her blossom and come to truely enjoy her life was quite the joureny to follow. Loved seeing these two and how things came together for them.

[Anna Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I... wasn't sure what to expect. But mediocre is what I got. It's a book that wants to be Suzanne Brockmann, but falls hopelessly short. It's about an average girl and a guy you're told is an amazing SEAL, but... it's not there. The secondary characters are undeveloped, the story flows meanders like a river, not really giving more than a 'nice' ride. It was nothing special. In case you were wondering.

Nic (I hate the name) wants to be a kindergarten teacher. She ends up moving whole states to find a job - and it's insanely competitive, and... in the meantime she meets a SEAL on a cruise ship, he falls for her and whaddya know, she lives by his friend until she gets her job states away, and too-coincidentally, she gets a job within walking distance of his family (with his mother on the board as her liason in her move). It was too pat, too banal. Skip it.

[Lovetoread · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Paul Lathem's story. He has been a with the Navy Seals for eleven years. Now Lieutenant Commander Paul Lathem want his life to go in another direction. At thirty, looking at three of his brothers happily married some with new babies, he wants what they have, a a wife and kids of his own. And he is sure he wants it with Nic, but she isn’t convinced. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, Nic Stewart has had a difficult childhood, with scars burned deep in her heart. Recently fired from her job as a kindergarten teacher, Nic increases her employment search radius and ends up in Manhattan, just blocks from the Lathems…and Paul.

Really liked this continuing saga of the Lathem family. Love how we can catch up with the lives of characters we fell in love with in previous novels. Sensual rate for me is a 4.

[Lynn Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being disappointed with the previous books in this series, I wasn't sure if I would continue with the remainder. However, there is something about the Latham family that keep drawing me in.
I was pleasantly suprised how A J Harmon tackled Paul and Nic's relationship....I didn't sense any kind of chemistry between them, when their characters were introduced in First Class Voyage. The inclusion of their email communication was a cute feature. Maureen Latham continues to be a monster of a character...at least her boys are not choosing to marry women like her-LOL! I've given Hero 3*'s as I like story and characters. I'm not really liking the writing style as the beginning of the book reads more like a running commentary BUT when the story telling begins, it is an enjoyable read.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul needs to figure out whether he wants to retire from the Navy SEALs.

He also finds Nicole, who he met on the cruise, because he can't stop thinking about her.

She ends up getting a teaching job in NY, at the same school where Maureen sits on the board. Their relationship blossoms, even while he's deployed they keep writing to each other.

He finally comes back, retires, and they start to date. We also learn that Nicole had a crappy childhood, a crappy mother and an absentee father, who her mother finally tells her about. She asks Paul to locate him, turns out he's dead, but his parents are still alive. And so Nic goes from a party of 1 to a party of 12 million with that big Lathem family and her new grandparents.

HEA for this couple.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think each one in this series keeps getting better and better. First Class Hero is the fifth one in the series. This one is about the brother, Paul, who is in the Navy and struggles with the life decision of staying in the military or starting a family. He falls in love with a lady who had an unhappy childhood and was having a constant unhappy adulthood, until she starts to have a friendship with him. I really like these two together. I actually cried a couple times and laughed even more. Once again, Harmon writes very well with well-defined characters and an easy to follow story line. This story does have one love making scene at the end, but it is not too explicit. Looking forward to starting the next one.

[Janeiowa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is well into the First Class series, and the author has written a much better edited story than the only other one of the series I've read--- First Class to New York. This book centers on Paul Lathem, the Navy SEAL, and a young woman who is a laid-off Kindergarten teacher who is working as a waitress in a bar in Norfolk, VA.

I did find the use of what I guess I'd call "texting" English a bit annoying- using " cuz" for because and "busted" instead of burst, etc. There was also a strange format problem. The letter J would appear at the end of a sentence in the strangest places.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series by AJ Harmon, I had thought I had reviewed it when I read it but come to find I hadn't and that was two years ago and I still remember this series and the characters, What an interesting family and each book is dedicated to one member, its the type of family most of wish we could belong too. These books have the whole meal deal, laugh out load moments, sadness and family gatherings that would make a good movie series. Thank you AJ for your writing and giving me so many good memories of reading, Cheers

[Fabie Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul was definitely my favorite Lathem brother!!! I love the sweet side of him even though his job requires him to be anything but! This story really captured me, though Matt and Mark are the oldest and the most successful, I love that the military character was finally portrayed as a tender, unsure, and conflicted man. I also love the fact that these characters are not 20 years old!! BRILLIANT!!

[Suzanne Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a Navy Seal who just happens to be one of 7 very hot brothers! This book you will learn more about Paul, and the girl who couldn't say NO enough on the cruise Nicole. Wonderful read I found myself not able to put it down till I was finished.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am trying to like the rest of the series but cannot do it.

The idea was good and had potential. The connection between H/h is forced. There was no passion or draw between the two. I didn't care for it.

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story!!

This such a great story. I loved watching the progression of their relationship and seeing it from both sides. I really liked reading the correspondence between them while he was deployed. It was just a great story.

[Jen Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. It was cute and easy to read. I got sucked in enough to read the short book in only one day. But there just wasn't much more pizazz to it. The events were all just too coincidental to be realistic. All in all it was decent, quick, and not horrible... but fell a bit subpar.

[Stace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Under BookJunkyGirls

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite so far...a kindergarten teacher and a Navy man? Since that's my real life, it was a fun read for me!