What I Should Have Said: A Small Town Military Romance (Anchors and Eagles Book 1)

I loved Griffin. How can you not? I loved all the inside jokes and witty banter they had. However, my only issue was how vicious and rude most side characters were. The fact that everyone allowed Cara to spew nastiness repeatedly was ridiculous. I wish we would have had more than a brief into to his Seals buddies so we would be excited for their stories. All in all, it was a good book with some fun excitement.

Had a good story but I wanted something else towards the end. *Spoiler* I wanted to know what Cara says after they marry and how things work out with the grandma. How griffin and Jane felt after finding out they were pregnant WITH TWINSSS!! I just wanted more of the tiny details :( Overall, good book! Minimal spicy scenes which I also wanted more raunchy scenes lol.

This book started off good. But it took so many random turns that I was so confused. I had to DNF 50% in. Just random out of left field things kept happening. There was truly no context. The way griffins family behaved when they first met Jane was honestly insane. No normal human would behave that way... EVER.. I couldnt take it anymore and had to quit. If you like being confused, go ahead and read.

Title: "What I Should Have Said" Author: RL Atkinson ✨NO SPOILERS✨ What I Should Have Said unfolds against the backdrop of a quaint small town in Idaho, intertwining the lives of two unlikely souls, Griffin and Jane, in a military romance that captivates from the first page to the last. The story begins as Jane, a spirited and compassionate high school teacher, meets Griffin for the first time by sitting on his face. To say this launched a strongly woven thread of humor throughout the novel would be an understatement. Even though she's mortified, Griffin, a rugged Navy SEAL haunted by his past, is completely enamored. Multiple conflicts drive the plot as Atkinson masterfully crafts their romance, delicately weaving together moments of tenderness and passion amidst the challenges they face. Griffin's struggles with PTSD and Jane's stubborn personality add layers and depth to their story. Throw in a fake engagement and a handful of plot twists, What I Should Have Said is more than just a love story; it's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love. With its evocative prose and richly drawn characters, this novel left me spellbound and longing for more. An enchanting tale of love, hope, and second chances, this is a must-read for fans of small-town romance and military fiction alike.

Do not hesitate, just read it! This story was so different from Atkinson's other books in the best way possible! The action packed scenes were some of my favorite and I was hanging onto every word. I knew exactly what to expect with this author's diet spice scenes. For those not familiar, if you aren't paying attention, you'll miss them because Atkinson writes these scenes with so much emotion and feeling you forget the characters are going at it. As for the story, Jane and Griffin were just ... UGHHHH. I fell hard and fast for these characters. Miscommunication is a big theme and I get it with the justified fiery emotions Jane has throughout the book. If anyone can handle her, it's Griffin. For a long book, it's surprisingly fast paced. There's a lot that happens but none of it felt too much. The storyline was exactly what was needed. If you aren't a straight dark romance reader but enjoy the action and fast paced scenes that come with those kind of books, What I Should Have Said is a perfect compromise!

In this book you follow Jane and Griffin. The book is written in first person and only from Jane’s POV. This book is a fake dating military romance. I love the dynamic between the MMC and FMC and the banter is bantering. The writing is absolutely perfect in terms of making me feel exactly like the FMC, and the suspense oh my! There is some heavy topics in this book and overall i think Atkinson gets around it all right. Although there is a lot going on in the book so things don’t really get resolved. The way that danger follows these two is the reason for 4 stars because it’s a little too much for me.

I had the pleasure of ARC reading this book before it came out, and I genuinely loved it so much! I was actually in tears by the end of it, it was such a cute and wholesome ending to a fantastic story. The characters and relationships were so beautifully written, the banter back and forth had me laughing and smirking to the point my face hurt😅 I was on the edge of my seat majority of time, in between my heart being melted by the character development. Defenitely give this book a try! You will love it! The spice is definitely a bit underrated compared to other YA books on the market, but I'm ok with it. It's a nice change of pace.

It was a good read, I don't have much interest in the second book. The over baring mother, the need to constantly please others, Zero ability to stand up for herself in front of his rude for no reason family except the snark under her breath and the one time she actually does open her mouth. the fact that she was supposedly trained in self-defense, but never really used her skills, just kept getting tossed around. The passive-aggressive conversations, no actual resovlement of problems that kept arising between them and Griffin's aunt. You'd think someone would have clocked that woman in the face. It's a HEA ending, so that's at least a plus, I didn't have to be dragged into 7 book cliff hangers. It's also a one person view point then entire book, which wasn't bad. But could have used more description for the other characters. Overall, it wasn't my favorite read, but I didn't hate it.

Es hat mir wirklich gefallen. Auch wenn alle möglichen Szenarien in dieses Buch verpackt werden mussten, um es in die Länge zu ziehen. Es ist gut geschrieben spannend erzählt und hat alles, was eine gute Geschichte braucht.

This book went totally different how I had anticipated. ... And it worked for the story and the characters. And while I tend to like spicy books, this one was steamy or diet spice, and I still loved it.

I loved the beginning, the characters and the plot but then it got so bad. The plot was twisted into one strange thing after another and the characters… how could you change something that started this good in something so bad🙈

This high quality, huge book is a roller coaster of all the human enotions: giggles, jumpscares, and heartwarming moments... just like real life. Very well written.

Superb story and great characters; nothing less than I expect from this author. From the very beginning, the interplay between Jane and Griffin has serious impact, each on the other. Initially, through misunderstandings and personal issues, that impact is negative, but slowly morphs to something positive and substantial. How they deal with their changing emotions is strained and difficult. Secrets, lies, and their individual histories come into play. The author very deftly handles their emotions, and as Jane’s past violently intrudes on top of everything else, relationships crumble. The road to happy ever after is never smooth or easy. Two other characters standout. Jane’s mother I found unpleasant and rather self-centred, and I couldn’t warm to her character at all. Dayton, Griffin’s brother, is an absolute delight. Cheeky, clever, endearing, I see him following in his big brother’s footsteps. I’d love RLAtkinson to write a book about Dayton’s road to his own happy ever after. Highly recommended.