Loving a Warrior

Hansen (Everything Changes) strongly inaugurates a contemporary series with this buddy-buddy romance between two Navy SEAL trainees. When Matt Knytych runs into Shane Hovland, he is instantly attracted to the former Marine. Their unspoken desires become harder to deny when Shane and Matt are assigned to be “swim buddies” and go everywhere together. Matt copes with his attraction to Shane by teasing and competing with him on the obstacle course and the basketball court. As they bond over dinners and laundry, Shane wonders whether his interest in Matt is reciprocated. Hansen creates appropriate conflicts: Matt and Shane don’t want to be distracted from their goal of becoming SEALs, and their romance may have an expiration date. As Matt and Shane agree to wait until graduation to consummate their relationship on a trip to Vegas, personal and professional obstacles get in their way. Hansen’s focus on these physically tough but emotionally insecure guys developing trust and sharing intimacy and vulnerability is what makes this tender romance so convincing. (Nov.)