Kay Hudson

Forget Me Not is the second installment in Heather Ashby’s Love in the Fleet series, published by Hennery Press.

Daisy Schneider is a veterinarian, a volunteer, and a war widow. Her husband, a Marine helicopter pilot, was killed in Afghanistan, but even before that he suffered from PTSD, and Daisy never wants to deal with that again.  She stays busy with her practice, and taking her well-trained dogs to entertain children and retirees.

Brian “Sky” Crawford is a Navy helicopter pilot, assigned to drug patrol duty. Outwardly a carefree playboy, he hasn’t faced his own PTSD, the result of a crash from which he was unable to save his copilot, trying to convince himself that his nightmares don’t really mean he needs help.

Sky’s path crosses Daisy’s when he finds himself in possession of a stray cat. He takes it to the handiest vet clinic, hoping to find it a home. Instead he finds Daisy, and the cat (impulsively named Daisy Mae) becomes his ticket to seeing the charming vet again.

Soon everyone, from the children at the Boys and Girls Club to the seniors at Portside Manor, agrees with Sky that he and Daisy belong together. Everyone, that is, except Daisy–and Daisy Mae.

As their relationship develops, Daisy and Sky run into problems, of course, but these pale compared to the trouble brewing far away as determined drug smugglers make plans to defeat the next helicopter to challenge them.  And when all is said and done, it’s Daisy Mae who has the last word.

Sky was a supporting character in Ashby’s first novel, Forgive & Forget, but it’s not necessary to read the books in order. Ashby has a gift for combining romance, humor, and serious issues with a detailed military background. I highly recommend her books, and look forward to the next one, Never Forget, coming in July 2014.