The Soldier and the Baby in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Oct 12, 2008 MelissaB rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-romance, exotic-locations, favorite-contemporary-romance, military-men, jungle-love, 2022-reads

Reilly is an ex-soldier who goes to Sao Pablo, a tiny Central America in the middle of a revolution, on a mission to rescue the wife and baby of his deceased friend because he promised to save them as his friend died from a car accident. He doesn't expect much from his buddy's wife, he knows his friend's tastes ran to stacked blondes with more beauty than brains but he plans on saving both her and the baby no matter what.

Novice Carlie Forest has been in the nunery in Sao Pablo for nine years sin Reilly is an ex-soldier who goes to Sao Pablo, a tiny Central America in the middle of a revolution, on a mission to rescue the wife and baby of his deceased friend because he promised to save them as his friend died from a car accident. He doesn't expect much from his buddy's wife, he knows his friend's tastes ran to stacked blondes with more beauty than brains but he plans on saving both her and the baby no matter what.

Novice Carlie Forest has been in the nunery in Sao Pablo for nine years since she was 17 and her missionary parents were murdered right in front of her. At the nunery she has finally found peace from the nightmares and terror that the outside world brings her. She still hasn't said her vows because the mother superior does not believe that Carlie has a calling to be a nun, she is afraid Carlie is merely running away from life. When fighting gets too close to the nunery, all of the nuns except for Carlie leave for Brazil. Carlie stays behind to care for the pregnant Caterina Mendino, who delivers a healthy baby boy but dies a few days later due to infection. The baby, Timothy, is in danger because Caterina was the step-daughter of the deposed dictator of Sao Pablo and the revolutionaries would kill him merely for being related to the ex-dictator.

Reilly shows up at the orphanage and finds Carlie and Timothy. Carlie tries to tell him who she is, but he believes she is Caterina so she goes along with it so she can stay with Timothy to protect him. Carlie is not at all what Reilly was expecting, instead of a stacked blonde she is a small woman with short brown hair who seems innocent instead of a jaded socialite. As they start their trek through the jungle, Reilly sees how much Carlie loves the baby and how much courage and determination she has, all of which are unexpected.

Reilly, Carlie and Timothy go through a daring, harzard-filled journey to get to the plane Reilly hid away in the jungle. Along the way, Reilly comes to really admire Carlie and fights an intense attraction to her despite the fact he still thinks she is the selfish Caterina. Carlie has to face her fears of the outside world and come to grips with the violence she experienced so long ago. Reilly eventually finds out that Carlie is a novice nun, which puts a big damper on his feelings toward her because he knows she will leave him when they get Timothy safely out of the country. Carlie has to decide what she really wants - the safety of hiding away in a nunery or risking her heart on Reilly, just as Reilly has to decide if he can trust his heart to Carlie enough to risk declaring his feelings and bringing her with him to his home in Colorado.

This was fun, exciting story to read. The setting was exotic and the author does a great job of making you feel like you are racing through the jungle with Reilly and Carlie. The love story was very good, I enjoyed reading about how these two different people came to care for and understand each other. The epilogue was great, they were going to need quite a big house for all of those kids! ...more

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Mar 21, 2009 Dina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-romance, harlequin-silhouette, to-blog, romantic-suspense

What an amazing story and wonderful characters! I麓m so happy I was able to find this OOP and VHTF book, it麓s never going to leave my keepers shelf! :)

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Jun 28, 2011 Saly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: harlequin-silhouette, virgin-heroines, category-romance

I loved the Solider and the Baby. At times I couldn't stop laughing or stop appreciating the courage and resilience of the heroine.

Carlie Forrest aka Sister Maria is still an apprentice nun, she has still not taken her final vows despite wanting to. She has spent her time ever since she was seventeen and witnessed the massacre of her village with her parents(they were missionaries) in Sisters of Benevolence. But now San Pablo is in a dicey situation, it is war and only Carlie has stayed behind w I loved the Solider and the Baby. At times I couldn't stop laughing or stop appreciating the courage and resilience of the heroine.

Carlie Forrest aka Sister Maria is still an apprentice nun, she has still not taken her final vows despite wanting to. She has spent her time ever since she was seventeen and witnessed the massacre of her village with her parents(they were missionaries) in Sisters of Benevolence. But now San Pablo is in a dicey situation, it is war and only Carlie has stayed behind when everyone has left. The dictator's step-daughter Caterina died giving birth to a baby boy and she promised that she would make sure he reaches his American father.

Reilly is an ex-soldier doing a favor to his friend who died. The last place he wants to be in is San Pablo, he is tired of wars and jungles, he only wants peace and quiet. He doesn't believe Carlie when she says she's not the spoiled Caterina, so she lets him believe what he wants and they make their way through the jungle with the baby.

Reilly doesn't like Caterina, she doesn't have the best of reputations. Carlie confuses him, first she doesn't breast-feed(they have this whole embarrassing conversation), and her eyes look innocent when he knows what sort of a person she is and she is a good mother and travels without complaining even when her foot is injured.

Carlie has spent her life sheltered and obedient and Reilly makes her frustrated and angry. She never raises her voice but with him she can't stop. She just wants to take her final vows but slowly she is coming awake of the sleep she has been in the past nine years and healing.

Carlie is so innocent, I mean when Reilly tries to kiss her you could see she was really confused, and when they have to spend that night in the same room.
Poor Reilly when he finds out that she is a nun and that he is attracted to her. I loved the book, every moment of it. How Reilly is one of those tough men, and then he is so gentle with the baby and even comforts Carlie when she has a flashback(and more when she asks and curses like anything).

I loved the ending and seeing these two fall in love. Reilly didn't stand a chance in front of her. ...more

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Oct 30, 2008 Holly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: anne-stuart

Another great book by Anne Stuart! Seriously, can this woman do no wrong?

Reilly travels down to a war torn Central American country to rescue his deceased friend's wife and newborn baby. It's a deathbed promise he made and he's determined to fulfill it. What he doesn't count on is the wife. He was expecting a spoiled, stacked blonde, a notorious celebutante that he was going to have to baby back to the States. What he finds is a brave, tiny little lady who takes her motherhood very seriously. H Another great book by Anne Stuart! Seriously, can this woman do no wrong?

Reilly travels down to a war torn Central American country to rescue his deceased friend's wife and newborn baby. It's a deathbed promise he made and he's determined to fulfill it. What he doesn't count on is the wife. He was expecting a spoiled, stacked blonde, a notorious celebutante that he was going to have to baby back to the States. What he finds is a brave, tiny little lady who takes her motherhood very seriously. He admires her courage as they tackle the jungle and is bemused by her uncomplaining attitude. He is also seriously alarmed to find himself growing very attracted to her and wonders how long he can hold himself back.

Novice nun Carlie Forrest promises to care for and protect the son of deceased Caterina Mendino, the stepdaughter of the newely deposed president. Unsure of what to do next, fate drops in a rough soldier who tells her Caterina's husband, Billy, is also dead and he's here to get her and the baby to the United States. Reilly refuses to believe she's not Caterina and she doesn't waste time arguing. The rebel armies are approaching and the grandson of the ex president would be an eventual problem no new dictator is going to let live. They've got to get out of there. They plunge into the jungle and after almost a decade, Carlie is outside her convent walls, facing the world again. She doesn't know if she can handle it, especially with her growing attraction to Reilly by her side.

The Soldier and the Baby was a good book. A simple, straightforward adventure story of two people trekking through the jungle, looking for a way out. They are alone for the better part of the story and have only each other for company. Carlie is surprised that her nunlike behavior is rapidly evaporating next to the virile, vexing soldier and Reilly is stunned that he's falling for a spoiled celebutante that seems to have the most innocent blue eyes he's ever seen. Until things stop adding up and he begins to wonder who exactly he's been lusting after. When he discovers she's an almost nun, you have to laugh at his horror. This was a fun romp through the jungle and these two were made for each other. I love these type of romances where the hero and heroine are stuck with each other in tight situations, forced to deal with each other day and (especially) night. This has the usual Anne Stuart witty banter and it was nice to see a little bit of the happily ever after at the end of the book. I highly recommend the Soldier and the Baby and can't wait to read more from this talented author. ...more

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Oct 17, 2008 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing

Shelves: scary-sexy-cool-dangerous-hero, heroine-i-adore, owned-copy, desert-island-books, hero-to-die-for, modern-virgin-heroine, favorite-or-autobuy-author, hero-i-want-to-lick, 2014-cover-to-cover-challenge, in-disguise

This was a comfort reread that I completed on my Kindle Text-to-Speech between May 21 and June 8th, 2014.

Anne Stuart is my all time favorite author. Her skill with writing romance is evident in her category Harlequin books as much as her mainstream books that she writes now. She has a way of combining romance with edgy danger and suspense to make the kind of book that a romance fan who loves action, thrillers or suspense can enjoy for equal components. She shows the knowledge of key elements to This was a comfort reread that I completed on my Kindle Text-to-Speech between May 21 and June 8th, 2014.

Anne Stuart is my all time favorite author. Her skill with writing romance is evident in her category Harlequin books as much as her mainstream books that she writes now. She has a way of combining romance with edgy danger and suspense to make the kind of book that a romance fan who loves action, thrillers or suspense can enjoy for equal components. She shows the knowledge of key elements to a scintillating romance story: A compelling hero, a likable and identifiable heroine, a scenario that allows tension to grow and culminate into a lifetime love, and plenty of moments of enjoyable, sigh-worthy scenes between said hero and heroine along the way.

Reilly is the kind of guy you'd want to be stranded in the jungle alongside (if you want that at all). He's the strong silent type, and beneath the rough edges, he is a decent person with a firm moral compass. He's also sexy and strong and appealing in that luscious romance novel hero way. He's got more than enough bad boy appeal (or otherwise this wouldn't be an Anne Stuart book). I pretty much hate being hot and sweaty and dirty, so a jungle doesn't sound fun to me, but I love reading books where the hero and heroine slog together through a jungle because they are so much fun.

Carlie is one of my favorite Stuart heroines. She's actually rather innocent (courtesy of spending nine years in a convent), but also has plenty of emotional scars from the tragedy of her past. She's soft but also strong, and not a pushover that makes a dominant hero like Reilly seem like a bully when he acts all gruff and grumpy. She's taken a lot of licks in her life, but she keeps on ticking.

The chemistry between Reilly and Carlie is electric as it can only be in an Anne Stuart book. Even though the love scenes aren't that descriptive, they feel steamy to me. Because Stuart is so good at building tension. You can feel their attraction (reluctant at first) and the slow slide into love that makes it clear that neither will be able to walk away when they get back to safety.
I had a happy, sappy smile of satisfied romance lover when I finished the book, even though I've read this at least twice before now (probably more).

Timothy, the baby is an integral character. He reveals the vulnerabilities of both characters, and personalizes Reilly as a man who is tough as nails but also can be gentle and caring with an orphaned child.

The scenario is exciting and fun, although more energy is focused on the romance since this is a shorter-length category romance. There is more than enough atmosphere present to buy the sense of risk of being in a war-torn country south of the border.

Although this is from the 90s, it doesn't feel dated, but moreso classic. One of those tried and true romances from that period that I consider a sure thing when I need an escapist romantic pick-me-up.

I am biased in the sense that I am a diehard Anne Stuart fan, but this is definitely one of my all-time favorites by her. Recommended!

...more

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Jan 04, 2010 Lynsey A rated it really liked it

Shelves: baby, pregnancy, 2010-reads, harlequin-american-romance, modern-day-virgin-heroine, child-children-involved, awesome-epilogue, no-longer-own-book, 3-point-5-stars

This was a 3.5 stars for me. I really did enjoy the book in the beginning and I loved the end. There were just times in the middle of the book when I wanted to hit Carlie over the head.

If I'm escaping through the jungle with a young infant and a hardened soldier who knows the ropes, with a bunch of dangerous rebel soldiers after me, I'm going to listen to the soldier who is trying to save my life. It just seemed that Carlie fought Reilly a little more than needed.

Despite my issues with Carlie's ...more

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Aug 03, 2009 K. rated it liked it

Shelves: dead-tree-books-i-still-own, currently-on-my-pbs-shelf

鈥淭he Soldier and the Baby鈥� (HQ American Romance #573) by Anne Stuart

Carlie and Reilly
This is my first Anne Stuart read, and although I never felt like it would become a DNF, it didn鈥檛 really compel me to want to stay up all night reading when I had no time, either. It falls right on the three star definition here . . . 鈥淚 liked it.鈥� I didn鈥檛鈥渓ove it,鈥� but it was better than 鈥渏ust okay.鈥�

Carlie Forrest, novice nun 鈥淪ister Maria Carlos鈥� to those at the convent she has been living at for the past 鈥淭he Soldier and the Baby鈥� (HQ American Romance #573) by Anne Stuart

Carlie and Reilly
This is my first Anne Stuart read, and although I never felt like it would become a DNF, it didn鈥檛 really compel me to want to stay up all night reading when I had no time, either. It falls right on the three star definition here . . . 鈥淚 liked it.鈥� I didn鈥檛鈥渓ove it,鈥� but it was better than 鈥渏ust okay.鈥�

Carlie Forrest, novice nun 鈥淪ister Maria Carlos鈥� to those at the convent she has been living at for the past nine years of her life, befriends Caterina de Mendinos, the sultry and spoiled daughter of San Pablo鈥檚 reigning 鈥渂lood money presidente鈥�. Caterina appears seeking asylum at the nunnery as her father was murdered as part of the latest rebel rebellion, and 9 months pregnant with her American husband鈥檚 baby, she is a very likely target for assassination as well. The country has become so war torn, that the nuns now find it essential to abandon their convent and retreat to the safety of Brazil, but leave Carlie behind long enough to assist Caterina when her time comes. Unfortunately, Caterina dies shortly after childbirth, but not before securing Carlie鈥檚 promise that she will take care of and protect 鈥淭imothy,鈥� her newborn baby. As Carlie is planning to take Timothy and join up with the sisters in Brazil to take her final vows, Reilly (鈥渏ust Reilly鈥�) suddenly appears on the scene to spirit them both off to safety under his own pledged commitment to rescue Billy Morrissey鈥檚 widow and child -- Caterina and Timothy. Stealthily dropping into Carlie鈥檚 bedroom, and under the impression that Carlie is Caterina, he surprises Carlie just coming out of the shower in nothing but a towel. Reilly immediately 鈥渞esponds,鈥� much to his dismay, to Carlie physically despite his utter distaste for the 鈥渟poiled little rich girl 鈥淐aterina鈥檚鈥� reputation. Since Reilly is convinced Carlie is Caterina, he insists that she鈥檚 fleeing with him immediately whether she likes it or not. No one is going to stand in the way of his mission to fulfill his debt to his once best friend Billy to see them both safely in the U.S. with Billy鈥檚 family. These two embark on a dangerous 鈥渞oad trip鈥� romance that takes them through the jungles of South America and off the beaten path, to hole-in-the-wall establishments in their trek back to America to deliver Timothy safety to his wealthy, if what seems to Carlie to be, emotionally-removed grandparents.

It鈥檚 quickly apparent that Carlie definitely has issues with the closeness of the situation between her, Reilly and the baby and I think experiences some 鈥渓ive in the moment鈥� times when she laments not knowing how she can part from them after all they鈥檝e been through. She definitely wants to be able to distinguish the difference in how she feels about them from the 鈥渄esperate, on the run living鈥� she鈥檚 currently involved in, and have some time for reflection to see if she feels the same, or it鈥檚 all fostered by the excitement of the moment. I liked that about her, and her character appeared admirably resolute. All that said, I wasn鈥檛 crazy about this story having a potential nun as the heroine. Although this book is really in no way 鈥減reachy,鈥� having attended many years of Catholic parochial school . . . it normally squicks me out to mix ANY religious scenarios at all with my romance reading. :\

Reilly wasn鈥檛 particularly stand-out as heros go, until he found out that Carlie was a nun (which she wasn鈥檛 in actuality yet 鈥� she hadn鈥檛 taken any vows, and in fact, he became a 鈥漺rench in her works鈥� when it came to her complete commitment to the convent). His perennial cliche 鈥渢ough guy鈥� facade started to break down and he let us see his endearingly protective side once he had this information about Carlie. I really started to think he was more than just a one-note character at this point, because prior to this, Stuart just represented him with the usual toss-off/鈥滻鈥檓 unconcerned and uninvolved鈥� emotions. Reilly pretended to bail out emotionally every time he was actively caring for Carlie and Timothy鈥檚 welfare, and then blaming it on the reason that they 鈥渨ould slow him down.鈥� (Sure Reilly, whatever you say. ;) Reilly was especially freaked out because he came from a religious Catholic upbringing (LOL! Did I just say that?!), yet now finds himself lusting after a nun . . . "What?!". A bit disconcerting to say the least; this quote really shows how pent-up and freaked out he is about the fact, as he unconsciously debates with himself over this new information that she鈥檚 a nun:

鈥滺e reined in his imagination with steely control. She鈥檇 been trouble enough in her other incarnations. . . . . Hell, she was probably used to silence, he thought bitterly. What kind of vows did they take? Chastity, he knew that one for sure, and it was a thorn in his side and his conscience. Poverty and obedience. Well, she鈥檇 flunked the last one, but if she was supposed to keep silent she was doing a good job of it.鈥�

At this point, Reilly is basically not sure which direction to go from here, or what to do with his feelings for Carlie, afterall, up until this point of the story, we (the readers) have been aware of Carlie鈥檚 chosen vocation since the beginning, but Reilly鈥檚 been under the impression she鈥檚 a spoiled, rich jet-setter. Quite a 180 for him.

Overall, as a first Anne Stuart read, I enjoyed her writing and she did built some good chemistry with her characters over time. I had a distinct feeling, this early work probably doesn鈥檛 carry the depth of emotion she鈥檚 able to evoke from readers in her later books, so I鈥檓 planning to explore a few more by her (without the religion aspect would be a better choice for me personally ;). I think I have an idea of what everyone is drawn to with regard to her 鈥渆motionally distant鈥� heros that are gruff and standoffish now . . . yet readers generally seem to swoon over in the end 鈥� good to know! This book is engaging enough overall, but with 鈥渂arely there鈥� steam, and a storyline that has the H/h together 99% of the time. . . and the author making little progress between them, it鈥檚 not one I鈥檇 say you are really 鈥渕issing out鈥� if it鈥檚 not in your 鈥渞ead鈥� pile.
K.
...more

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