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DIY Divas Military Romance #2
Playing with Fire
Nevaeh's father might just be the grumpiest man on the planet. But without her mother around, he needs help in the office of his growing stone and tile business. When Nevaeh arrives, she's floored to see the one man her father despises most working in the back for him.
Trent was always just a dream. Her father forbade them from dating. But that was in high school.
Trent's filled out and packed on muscle from his years of military service. Nevaeh's grown up and built her own business designing stone features for residential gardens and commercial atriums. Her unexpected hope at a second chance with Trent wanes when her father admits he's only helping the soldier get his life on track after the military. Before long, Trent will be moving on. And he still doesn't want her to get any ideas about dating the young man.
Nevaeh can't believe her father's still trying to control her life. Furious, she shuts him out until her curiosity grows too strong. At a get-together with her best friends, she pools them for ideas but finds nothing helpful except the notion that Trent is not who he says he is.
Seeing Nevaeh again has Trent reconsidering his plans for the future. But the last thing he wants to do is disrespect the man giving him a new set of skills after the military. Unfortunately, being around Nevaeh grows too tempting. One night on the town for St. Patrick's Day with Nevaeh has his judgment skewed. After wrecking their car and spending a treacherous night in the middle of nowhere, Nevaeh's father fires Trent, putting them at odds again.
When a surprise visitor shows up to defend Trent and give him a second chance, secrets come out in a fiery confrontation that changes everything.
Will Nevaeh ever be free of her father's overbearing rules and find love with Trent? Or will the two of them uncover a truth they can't endure and be forced to part ways forever?
A clean and wholesome romance. Some action scenes and suspense.
DIY Divas Military Romance
1 Surprise Valentine
2 Playing with Fire
3 Loving Lavender
4 A Rush to Remember
5 Dare Dating the Rebel
6 Home to Her
7 Life Began with You
Trent was always just a dream. Her father forbade them from dating. But that was in high school.
Trent's filled out and packed on muscle from his years of military service. Nevaeh's grown up and built her own business designing stone features for residential gardens and commercial atriums. Her unexpected hope at a second chance with Trent wanes when her father admits he's only helping the soldier get his life on track after the military. Before long, Trent will be moving on. And he still doesn't want her to get any ideas about dating the young man.
Nevaeh can't believe her father's still trying to control her life. Furious, she shuts him out until her curiosity grows too strong. At a get-together with her best friends, she pools them for ideas but finds nothing helpful except the notion that Trent is not who he says he is.
Seeing Nevaeh again has Trent reconsidering his plans for the future. But the last thing he wants to do is disrespect the man giving him a new set of skills after the military. Unfortunately, being around Nevaeh grows too tempting. One night on the town for St. Patrick's Day with Nevaeh has his judgment skewed. After wrecking their car and spending a treacherous night in the middle of nowhere, Nevaeh's father fires Trent, putting them at odds again.
When a surprise visitor shows up to defend Trent and give him a second chance, secrets come out in a fiery confrontation that changes everything.
Will Nevaeh ever be free of her father's overbearing rules and find love with Trent? Or will the two of them uncover a truth they can't endure and be forced to part ways forever?
A clean and wholesome romance. Some action scenes and suspense.
DIY Divas Military Romance
1 Surprise Valentine
2 Playing with Fire
3 Loving Lavender
4 A Rush to Remember
5 Dare Dating the Rebel
6 Home to Her
7 Life Began with You
- GenresRomance
First published March 8, 2024
8 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Elysia Lumen Strife
30Ìýbooks129ÌýfollowersElysia Strife is a self-published author of sweet holiday romance as well as scifi novels. If you're looking for her science fiction, please visit that profile here: /author/show...
Amazon bestselling author Elysia Strife is best known for her sweet (often clean) holiday romance with tough but humble male leads and feisty but kind-hearted women. If you're looking for a cozy read with lots of treats, snuggles, a touch of humor, and happily ever afters, you're in the right place. Strife designs her books to be uplifting and inspirational escapes.
Her work typically features small towns, country settings, Christmas themes, and chivalrous characters who sometimes swear and get themselves into and out of suspenseful situations. Strife often pulls from her experience in the U.S. Air Force when writing her military characters and tense situations but always prefers her stories are tied up with a bow by the end.
She enjoys reading on rainy and snowy mornings with a Christmas-scented candle burning and a fire going, even if it’s just the fake one in her RV. Her stories are inspired by the strengths and sacrifices of those around her and fueled by caramel macchiatos and Twinkies.
Strife lives with an amazing man who can build anything he puts his mind to and a rescued dog that steals socks and chases the vacuum. Together, they travel the country—from the golden plains of North Dakota to the warm ocean of the southern Texas coast and back to the green valleys and vineyards of Oregon. Anywhere is home as long as they’re together.
If you’d like to know when Strife’s next books will be out, and to ensure you have access to her free review copies and other giveaways, visit her website: and subscribe.
Amazon bestselling author Elysia Strife is best known for her sweet (often clean) holiday romance with tough but humble male leads and feisty but kind-hearted women. If you're looking for a cozy read with lots of treats, snuggles, a touch of humor, and happily ever afters, you're in the right place. Strife designs her books to be uplifting and inspirational escapes.
Her work typically features small towns, country settings, Christmas themes, and chivalrous characters who sometimes swear and get themselves into and out of suspenseful situations. Strife often pulls from her experience in the U.S. Air Force when writing her military characters and tense situations but always prefers her stories are tied up with a bow by the end.
She enjoys reading on rainy and snowy mornings with a Christmas-scented candle burning and a fire going, even if it’s just the fake one in her RV. Her stories are inspired by the strengths and sacrifices of those around her and fueled by caramel macchiatos and Twinkies.
Strife lives with an amazing man who can build anything he puts his mind to and a rescued dog that steals socks and chases the vacuum. Together, they travel the country—from the golden plains of North Dakota to the warm ocean of the southern Texas coast and back to the green valleys and vineyards of Oregon. Anywhere is home as long as they’re together.
If you’d like to know when Strife’s next books will be out, and to ensure you have access to her free review copies and other giveaways, visit her website: and subscribe.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 9, 2024
This romantic suspense was so much fun to read because of the characters. Nevaeh, also known to her friends as Eva, was a breath of fresh air.Ìý She was sweet and kind and did notÌýput up with anything,Ìý I found this amazing because of herÌý background and how her mom was MIA and her dad drank too much.ÌýÌý
Trent knew Eva from high school before she moved away.Ìý She loved him then and still did now but he was on a mission unbeknownst to her.Ìý He was a pararescue for the Air Force and he was sent to protect Eva.Ìý They both still had feelings for each other but Trent did not think he should be pursuing her because he would be leaving soon.Ìý Her dad did not want her dating anyone in the military back in high school and he had not changed his opinion since then either.
I liked how Trent came back into Eva's life and the "impossible" romance brewing between them until he was called up for duty.Ìý I could not put the book down. I also liked the conflicts and surprises.Ìý I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
Trent knew Eva from high school before she moved away.Ìý She loved him then and still did now but he was on a mission unbeknownst to her.Ìý He was a pararescue for the Air Force and he was sent to protect Eva.Ìý They both still had feelings for each other but Trent did not think he should be pursuing her because he would be leaving soon.Ìý Her dad did not want her dating anyone in the military back in high school and he had not changed his opinion since then either.
I liked how Trent came back into Eva's life and the "impossible" romance brewing between them until he was called up for duty.Ìý I could not put the book down. I also liked the conflicts and surprises.Ìý I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
March 27, 2024
A sweet clean military, friends to lovers romance with a touch of suspense and no cliffhanger.
Some of the lines I like --- "I'm a landscaper just helping my father with his shop in the evenings. I know that if I don't take care of things, they will literally die. So anyone that boasts such a plastic promise should make you curious. When they say lifetime, it doesn't mean mine or yours, it means of the product. What's the lifetime of the product? It can be extended or shortened based on how we take care of things." ---
"Plenty of people in this world are forced to survive. They have no opportunity to live. So I am going to take my chance to live and die what I can to better the lives of others so that we all may live." ---
"Everything has risk, Torrent. Pick a risk you like. Enjoy your life. Do good with your life. And you won't regret it." ---
I enjoyed the story very much. I received a free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
Some of the lines I like --- "I'm a landscaper just helping my father with his shop in the evenings. I know that if I don't take care of things, they will literally die. So anyone that boasts such a plastic promise should make you curious. When they say lifetime, it doesn't mean mine or yours, it means of the product. What's the lifetime of the product? It can be extended or shortened based on how we take care of things." ---
"Plenty of people in this world are forced to survive. They have no opportunity to live. So I am going to take my chance to live and die what I can to better the lives of others so that we all may live." ---
"Everything has risk, Torrent. Pick a risk you like. Enjoy your life. Do good with your life. And you won't regret it." ---
I enjoyed the story very much. I received a free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
March 8, 2024
Military realities
I found this to be a truly gripping story about the realities of life for so many families in our neighborhoods. Very few of us do not know, or have known a family in our community dealing with a deployed member, be it parent, spouse or child. I loved the way Ms.Strife showed us the way the families remaining at home cope, and how we can support them as they support our deployed troops.
The overt conflict to the story is a cell of foreign agents targetting the families of MIA deployed soldiers. This plot device is so entirely feasible that the reader is left wondering if it has actually occured at some point, and we would never hear about it on the news under the heading of 'national security'.
I received a free advance copy of this story from the author via BookFunnel and voluntarily chose to share my review.
I found this to be a truly gripping story about the realities of life for so many families in our neighborhoods. Very few of us do not know, or have known a family in our community dealing with a deployed member, be it parent, spouse or child. I loved the way Ms.Strife showed us the way the families remaining at home cope, and how we can support them as they support our deployed troops.
The overt conflict to the story is a cell of foreign agents targetting the families of MIA deployed soldiers. This plot device is so entirely feasible that the reader is left wondering if it has actually occured at some point, and we would never hear about it on the news under the heading of 'national security'.
I received a free advance copy of this story from the author via BookFunnel and voluntarily chose to share my review.
March 9, 2024
This clean engaging romance is about Nevaeh and Trent. Trent an ex-military man returned home and got a job working at Nevaeh's father tile business is spotted by Nevaeh who was once close childhood friends until her father put a stop to their budding friendship. Trent is undercover with a mission evolving families of MIA soldiers being targeted. Nevaeh lives under the strict control of her father even though she runs her own landscaping business. Nevaeh had a crush on Trent in her younger days and one night out on the town for St. Patrick's Day brings them together. What occurs afterwards is an engaging emotional story with drama and intrigue that drew me in this copy I'd enjoyed reading and volunteer to review. I loved the characters depicted, the military influences, and the mystery in this enjoyable story.
April 17, 2024
I loved Playing with Fire and could not put it down. I wanted to find out if the main characters would come together and have a happy ever after. They had some difficult situations to overcome, from early separation and a father discouraging any contact as the military took his wife.
Our heroine was torn between wanting to build her own business, but also wanted to help her father with his business. We eventually find out about our heroine's mother and her challenges.
This is the kind of book you feel as though you are there living the ups and downs, seeing how obstacles can be overcome, while other characters traverse the story.
I recommend reading this book in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of wine. You are going to be there a while wanting to find out what happens to our heroes!
Our heroine was torn between wanting to build her own business, but also wanted to help her father with his business. We eventually find out about our heroine's mother and her challenges.
This is the kind of book you feel as though you are there living the ups and downs, seeing how obstacles can be overcome, while other characters traverse the story.
I recommend reading this book in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of wine. You are going to be there a while wanting to find out what happens to our heroes!
March 19, 2024
Nevaeh “Eva� Driscoll wanted to date Trent Kearney in high school but her father, Oisin, forbid it. Now years later, Eva is helping her father in the office of his growing stone and tile business. Eva has her own landscaping business and uses stone and tile from her father in her designs. Two years ago, her mother, who was in the military, was kidnapped and the rescue teams never found her.
Trent is in the military. He is on leave and working temporarily for Oisin. Oisin is still forbidding the couple to date. However, the couple is still attracted to each other.
I liked the story from beginning to end.
Trent is in the military. He is on leave and working temporarily for Oisin. Oisin is still forbidding the couple to date. However, the couple is still attracted to each other.
I liked the story from beginning to end.
March 30, 2024
Nevaeh, Eva to her friends, runs her own landscaping business and helps her dad run his stone and tile shop. Her mom's disappearance on a military mission makes him overprotective of her. When her dad hires Trent, her high school boyfriend, old feelings surface. Her dad is determined to keep them apart and Trent is conflicted because he could be called back to duty at any time.
This is a second chance, military romance with elements of suspense. You can't help hoping for these two to get together.
Another excellent book in this series. I am looking forward to the next one.
I received an arc copy of this book and am freely offering this review.
This is a second chance, military romance with elements of suspense. You can't help hoping for these two to get together.
Another excellent book in this series. I am looking forward to the next one.
I received an arc copy of this book and am freely offering this review.
June 20, 2024
Trent and Nevaeh work through a cycle of emotions, as they rekindle a high school relationship, even though Nevaeh's father is determined to never support this relationship.
Remembering why you love what you do provides motivation to stay the course; to be strong and steadfast when life's twists and turns become challenging.
As Trent and Nevaeh work through obstacles presented by people and circumstances that come their way, they embrace the value of compromise, letting go, making the best of what comes your way, and holding fast to what really matters to have a happy and successful life together.
Remembering why you love what you do provides motivation to stay the course; to be strong and steadfast when life's twists and turns become challenging.
As Trent and Nevaeh work through obstacles presented by people and circumstances that come their way, they embrace the value of compromise, letting go, making the best of what comes your way, and holding fast to what really matters to have a happy and successful life together.
March 10, 2024
Nevaeh's story is well-paced and keeps moving at a fairly rapid clip. Lumen Strife does a great job of foreshadowing that is subtle and sweet. The book is sweetly romantic, which I greatly appreciate. I can't wait to read the next in the DIY Divas Military Romance series. They've been very accessible to non-military me and I've enjoyed them both. I found book #2 more personally engaging than book #1, but they are both well-done.
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
I received an ARC; this is my honest review.
March 10, 2024
Great story with well written characters that will hold your interest throughout. I have to say right up front that I loved how this story ended and wrapped up the loose ends. Trent and Eva have loved each other since high school, but circumstances and her father kept them apart. Don’t miss out on this wonderful book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my voluntary, honest review.
March 12, 2024
reasons
I simply couldn't understand Nevaeh's father vehemently denying his daughter and Trent a chance at love for a second time. Why blame Trent and punish his daughter for the wrongs somebody else inflicted on him? I liked the brotherhood between the military members, there were surprising twists in the plot but somehow the unhappy atmosphere underneath got to me, too. I could have done without that.
I simply couldn't understand Nevaeh's father vehemently denying his daughter and Trent a chance at love for a second time. Why blame Trent and punish his daughter for the wrongs somebody else inflicted on him? I liked the brotherhood between the military members, there were surprising twists in the plot but somehow the unhappy atmosphere underneath got to me, too. I could have done without that.
March 15, 2024
This is turning into such a great series. I was hooked from the beginning until the very end. The characters were well written and keep you interested in their story. This book is about Nevaeh and Trent loves story. They get to have a second chance love. This book will put you through your emotions but it's worth it. I would definitely recommend this book!
Thank you Elysia Lumen Strife for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.
Thank you Elysia Lumen Strife for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.
March 9, 2024
Playing with Fire is a clean, inspirational, gut wrenching, suspenseful, second chance romance. I love Ms. Strife’s characters and her support of the military. These characters and their story captured my heart. Once I started reading, I was up until almost 5 am because I could not put the book down! I had to learn how everything would be resolved!
March 9, 2024
This is a well written book. The characters have depth, and military life was depicted very well.
When you start reading, you won't want to put it down. You'll want to know what's going to happen at the end.
I received a free ARC, and this is my honest opinion.
When you start reading, you won't want to put it down. You'll want to know what's going to happen at the end.
I received a free ARC, and this is my honest opinion.
March 9, 2024
She loved him in high school but was kept away from him because of her dad. Loved reading what happens to the relationship in this book. Enjoyed the characters and the military aspect. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2024
This story was full of strong characters, Nevaeh and her parents, Trent and his buddies...I hope we read more about his military brothers. And Sean, too. I liked that Nevaeh had a different type of job, landscaping, stonework and creating water fountains. It was interesting.
March 13, 2024
Love this story. Girl falls in love, boy leaves her but returns, they fall back in love. All this while arguing with dad about him not wanting Nevaeh to fall for Trent because he’ll just leave again whenever the military calls him. Read to see how they overcome all through love.
September 26, 2024
Fast-paced action romance!
Playing with Fire is an interesting and entertaining military romance. The main characters are believable and are likable. I was pleasantly surprised by the action in the plot and enjoyed it very much.
Kindle Unlimited
Playing with Fire is an interesting and entertaining military romance. The main characters are believable and are likable. I was pleasantly surprised by the action in the plot and enjoyed it very much.
Kindle Unlimited
March 8, 2024
This is an intriguing story, with mystery, drama and romance. The characters are captivating and complex, and the plot is well written. I enjoyed reading.
March 9, 2024
This story was so good! Sad that it’s over. Would definitely recommend reading!
March 9, 2024
This is a great story. The insight into how our world is today is amazing. It is about getting second chances.
March 12, 2024
Nevaeh and Trent were crazy about each other years ago but her father kept them apart. Loved how both they both so excited to see each other again. There are some things that come out slowly as the story progresses. One than one happy ending. There interactions are quite witty as well as romantic.
March 15, 2024
Fast paced, with lots of action, this story has secrets and intrigue from start to finish. Lives are changed and a HEA is is assured. I received an ARC, with this being my honest review.
March 15, 2024
Playing With Fire is a book, that you won't want to put down. Nevaeh (Eva) has loved Trent since highschool, but her Dad insisted she stay away from him, not giving her a reason why. Eva is used too the military life, both parents are and her Mom has been missing for years. Trying to make a go of her landscaping business and help her Dad is a struggle. One day she comes back to the office and finds Trent working there. She can't believe it and wants to start up again, but if course her Dad forbids it. She tells him she is an adult now and can do what she wants. She doesn't know that Trent is not there by accident, he has a mission to complete. It is a hard situation, but will love win the war.
I was given an ARC of this book by the author for an honest review.
I was given an ARC of this book by the author for an honest review.
January 8, 2025
Nevaeh works with her dad and as a landscaper. Her dad has struggled since losing contact with her mom, who was overseas on a mission. When Trent shows up she's excited, but her dad is anything but. Why does her dad have a problem with Trent? Will she fight for Trent or listen to her father's bias? What happens when Trent gets sent on a sudden mission? Can she handle the military life again?
I received a copy of this book from the author. Review voluntarily given.
I received a copy of this book from the author. Review voluntarily given.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
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