Synopsis: She knew. That’s why Mom hadn’t opened the door. She knew he was dead.Twenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn’t know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mom falls apart.Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbor, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can’t deny their intense attraction.Until Josh’s secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he’s worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.
5 Stars
I won this book from Unofficial Book Club on Facebook. Which is weird because I rarely win books. It looked good though, so I started reading it right away. This story was incredibly sad tinged with a happiness that was balanced beautifully. I cried multiple times. It was so much more than a love story. And honestly that wasn’t what really captured my interest.
It was the grief and the military aspect that did it. It’s very detailed in how a military family deals with death as opposed to a civilian one. The rituals that are adhered to were very informative and gave me a look into a different lifestyle than I am familiar with. There were little things that I could identify with. The thing that really set it apart from a contemporary romance for me was that the love interest didn’t stand out as much as the five stages of grief did.
Somehow she navigated the grief and kept her life from falling apart. The strength that Ember shows is admirable and awes-inspiring. She has a stubborn streak that I totally laughed at because I do that same thing with regards to asking for help. The author was able to keep my emotions engaged without me losing interest.
I would definitely recommend this book to romance lovers.
Favorite Quotes:
His understanding softened me even further. It was one thing to lust after him, but quite another to find myself…liking him as a person, not just a hot body.
But there was beauty in not knowing what was coming my way, in being unable to brace for impact.
He was like a puzzle where every piece was black, and I couldn’t tell what went where.
[…] My Review: This is actually a reread for me, but I pretty much feel the same way so I’m just going to copy and paste my review. Can’t wait to finally be finishing this series!! Also, check out Curly Carla’s review of this book here. […]