From Alaska with Love

Starred review from January 13, 2020
James (the Lucian and Lia series, written as Sydney Landon) expertly tugs at the heartstrings with this irresistible military romance. When Sara Ryan’s beloved niece, Kaylee, was born, Sara gave up her own ambitions to help her ungrateful workaholic brother and sister-in-law raise their child, who is now in preschool. Sara’s frustrated with the arrangement and dogged by feelings of inadequacy in the face of familial judgement
. On a whim, she responds to a radio PSA asking people to write letters to soldiers overseas, and in her “Dear Soldier” letter she comically overshares about her familial problems. Sara’s humorous rant reaches Army Major Gabe Randall, who is on his seventh deployment to Iraq, and the pair quickly bond through flirty correspondence. But when their plan to meet in person in Alaska goes awry due to a miscommunication, it throws their relationship into jeopardy. James doesn’t shy away from depicting the stress and danger of Gabe’s deployed life, but Sara’s laugh-out-loud letters and the sweet supporting cast—including the adorable Kaylee and Gabe’s aptly named dog, Trouble—balance the serious moments with joy. Both spicy and sweet, this charming tale will satisfy romance fans. Agent: Jane Dystal, Dystal & Goderich Literary Management.