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His Road Home
To avoid an Afghan warlord’s matchmaking, Staff Sergeant Rey Cruz invents a fiancée he’ll never meet—until he’s flat on his back in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and marine biologist Grace Kim shows up with one question: why did you lie?
Cruz can’t explain his fabrication to her, the news media, their families, or their hometown, because his traumatic brain injury has manifested as aphasia, leaving him with few words to navigate his new world.
Grace offers friendship, a big step for a woman who prefers Orcinus orca to most company. Texting throughout his recovery, they connect in ways neither anticipates. She agrees to help drive his classic muscle car home across-country at Thanksgiving. His hands-on method of teaching her to operate a manual transmission is the beginning of his challenges to her comfort zone. She responds by introducing him to the steamy world of South Dakota ice-fishing shacks, and they both learn to look beyond labels into each other’s hearts.
Cruz can’t explain his fabrication to her, the news media, their families, or their hometown, because his traumatic brain injury has manifested as aphasia, leaving him with few words to navigate his new world.
Grace offers friendship, a big step for a woman who prefers Orcinus orca to most company. Texting throughout his recovery, they connect in ways neither anticipates. She agrees to help drive his classic muscle car home across-country at Thanksgiving. His hands-on method of teaching her to operate a manual transmission is the beginning of his challenges to her comfort zone. She responds by introducing him to the steamy world of South Dakota ice-fishing shacks, and they both learn to look beyond labels into each other’s hearts.
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2014
24 people are currently reading
1390 people want to read
About the author
Anna Richland
5 books203 followersAnna Richland (she/her) writes romances about geeky heroines and the sexy men who fall in love with them. She is a former US Army officer who now fills her days with imaginary people and real coffee. When not wearing pajamas at her computer, Anna takes weekly watercolor classes, plays decisively mediocre pickleball, and maintains a fifty-year habit of reading too much. She lives with her quietly funny Canadian spouse and two occasionally-resident children in a very old house in Seattle.
Publishers Weekly called HIS ROAD HOME, winner of the 2015 Romance Writers of America's RITA® Award for Best Novella, "Tantalizing." The reviewers at Smart B*tches, Trashy Books wrote, "The closing scene between Rey and Grace is so freaking romantic I could pass out."
Publishers Weekly called HIS ROAD HOME, winner of the 2015 Romance Writers of America's RITA® Award for Best Novella, "Tantalizing." The reviewers at Smart B*tches, Trashy Books wrote, "The closing scene between Rey and Grace is so freaking romantic I could pass out."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
June 19, 2016
HEARTBREAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL.
This was a very, very beautiful short story that went straight to my heart! Reading this book was like taking a journey of love and hope alongside Rey and Grace. I don’t know why it took me so long to pick up this one, but I’m certainly glad I did. The story was so emotional, so much so that it made me go all mushy and teary-eyed.
His Road Home is a story of Reynaldo Cruz, a former Special Forces soldier, and Grace Kim, a marine biologist.
While Rey served in Afghanistan, an Afghan warlord offered him one of his daughters because Rey is the only one in his team who wasn’t married. He needed to get out of this situation so he gave the warlord his fake fiancée’s photo, thinking nobody would see it. But later, when he lost his legs and his ability to speak and write in an explosion while trying to rescue a local boy, this picture appeared all over the internet.
Grace was so shocked to discover that she'd already had a fiancé she’d never known existed. She didn’t know this man and she wanted to know why he lied. When her boss gave her a week off and offered her a plane ticket to visit Rey, she could do nothing but go to D.C. to find out the truth. And this was where they met each other in person for the first time.
This is the most interesting plot I’ve ever read this year. It had me hooked from the very start and I could hardly put it down. The way they communicated was so lovely that I couldn’t help but root for Rey to win Grace’s heart. It was so sweet seeing them exchange text messages every day, and all of those messages started with ‘Hi’ and ‘Hi back’. For the fact that I’m a sentimental type of person, of course, I cried over this little thing! There were many heartbreaking moments that made me feel overwhelmed and moved me to tears. But when these two were together, I felt so happy and couldn’t stop myself from smiling and laughing with them.
I loved both Rey and Grace, they are so adorable. Rey is an optimistic person who never gives up on his life no matter what he’s been through. He realized that he loves Grace, and with his current condition, he knows he has to try harder to be the best man for her. Grace is so caring and she’s honest to her heart. I loved that she never treats him like he is different, but always sees him as a MAN.
“Shrapnel.”
“What?” She knew shrapnel meant the metal debris from a bomb but didn’t understand what that to do with a ring.
“Lost legs.” He cradled her face in his hands. “Found you.”
All in all, this was my enjoyable read. It was sweet, beautiful, fast-paced, and inspirational. This story hit all my buttons and touched every corner of my heart. I couldn’t praise this book more!
Loved it!
This was a very, very beautiful short story that went straight to my heart! Reading this book was like taking a journey of love and hope alongside Rey and Grace. I don’t know why it took me so long to pick up this one, but I’m certainly glad I did. The story was so emotional, so much so that it made me go all mushy and teary-eyed.
His Road Home is a story of Reynaldo Cruz, a former Special Forces soldier, and Grace Kim, a marine biologist.
While Rey served in Afghanistan, an Afghan warlord offered him one of his daughters because Rey is the only one in his team who wasn’t married. He needed to get out of this situation so he gave the warlord his fake fiancée’s photo, thinking nobody would see it. But later, when he lost his legs and his ability to speak and write in an explosion while trying to rescue a local boy, this picture appeared all over the internet.
Grace was so shocked to discover that she'd already had a fiancé she’d never known existed. She didn’t know this man and she wanted to know why he lied. When her boss gave her a week off and offered her a plane ticket to visit Rey, she could do nothing but go to D.C. to find out the truth. And this was where they met each other in person for the first time.
This is the most interesting plot I’ve ever read this year. It had me hooked from the very start and I could hardly put it down. The way they communicated was so lovely that I couldn’t help but root for Rey to win Grace’s heart. It was so sweet seeing them exchange text messages every day, and all of those messages started with ‘Hi’ and ‘Hi back’. For the fact that I’m a sentimental type of person, of course, I cried over this little thing! There were many heartbreaking moments that made me feel overwhelmed and moved me to tears. But when these two were together, I felt so happy and couldn’t stop myself from smiling and laughing with them.
I loved both Rey and Grace, they are so adorable. Rey is an optimistic person who never gives up on his life no matter what he’s been through. He realized that he loves Grace, and with his current condition, he knows he has to try harder to be the best man for her. Grace is so caring and she’s honest to her heart. I loved that she never treats him like he is different, but always sees him as a MAN.
“Shrapnel.”
“What?” She knew shrapnel meant the metal debris from a bomb but didn’t understand what that to do with a ring.
“Lost legs.” He cradled her face in his hands. “Found you.”
All in all, this was my enjoyable read. It was sweet, beautiful, fast-paced, and inspirational. This story hit all my buttons and touched every corner of my heart. I couldn’t praise this book more!
Loved it!
March 9, 2015
4.5 Stars! This is now one of my treasured reads.
His Road Home might have been Rey's story, but it was also very much Grace's journey! While I loved Rey, his optimism and outlook on life, it was Grace who stole the show, she truly was "Amazing Grace"!
I adored Rey, simply adored him, and I'm not trying to minimize the tragic way his life changed or the role he played in this book, but Grace was the star here in my opinion! She goes on my favorite heroine list. Grace never treated Rey as anything less than a whole man. Nothing phased her, other than when he fell apart, but who wouldn't be moved by that. She embraced everything about him. Rey in turn showed her he could over come the odds, and still had the stuff heroes are made of, and proved it when someone's life was threatened.
I can't stop thinking about the two of them. I could have read about these two all day! I like the fact that they "fell in like" with each other first before they "fell in love". The relationship that they built forged a love for a lifetime!
This novella was unbelievably well crafted and offered a rich story that had a little bit of everything; humor, steam, sorrow, romance, and quite a few amusing moments for a book that covered a serious heart wrenching subject. Oh, how I wish that the author will bring us back in the lives of these two wonderful characters. Vignettes please!!
February 11, 2016
Anna Richland has balls of steel. Ovaries of steel. Either. Both.
Because holy crap, does this book take chances. It's a love story between a Latino soldier who's had his legs blown off below the knee in Afghanistan and has a traumatic brain injury so he can barely speak, and a Korean-American ichthyologist with a doctorate who has never met him but due to THINGS has to pretend to be his fiancee. Risks: Author is, I think, white. Barely verbal narrator. Characters have to get to know each other while one is bedridden and stammering out syllables. Gotta be in awe of the writer's ambition here.
Richland sent me a review copy because I mentioned on Goodreads (and on the delightful Smart Bitches, Trashy Books) that I loved her earlier novel, First to Burn, which I hope kicks off a massive trend of immortal Viking Beowulf-referencing New Jersey Mafia military romance epics. (What I'm saying is it was NUTBALLS. DELIGHTFULLY nutballs.) This novella is much grimmer, set in the real world, without an iota of paranormal. Richland's got range. And this book accomplishes SO MUCH with a tight word count, without feeling rushed.
Greatest achievement: Our hero Cruz is funny and vivid without being able to use his words. For a book so full of loss, deception and pain, there is a LOT of humor. And Cruz's growth as a person isn't the cliched THRU NOBLE SUFFERING I HAVE LEARNED THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE AND LOVE; it feels like a natural journey in which you still see the cocky semi-dick he was before. As with First To Burn, you can tell that Richland has a military background: the scenes at Walter Reed are full of legit-feeling detail. I also appreciated her nods to the fetishization of wounded heroes -- I'm not surprised that injured veterans have groupies. (Which, btw, points to a problem I have with most books about SEALs and cowboys and firemen and cops who were nearly killed on the job: they rely on the reader's romanticizing of the JOB to do much of the work of CHARACTERIZATION.)
Also: Both of Richland's books deal with explicit consent. LOVE THIS.
I'm rarely interested in contemporary romance. (TRANSPORT ME: gimme paranormal/fantasy/historical-but-preferably-not-Regency-zzz.) The fact that I was up until 2 am reading His Road Home is testament to Richland's skill. I did have some quibbles: Our heroine Grace isn't as dimensional a character as Cruz (IMHO in First to Burn, the hero was too perfect, and in His Road Home, the heroine is). Cruz's adjustment to his changed circumstances was pretty quick. Walter Reed Medical Center comes off as awesome, and even in a romance I'd have liked some acknowledgment of how the place is troubled and how our government is so often failing our veterans. The portrait of the military and military families was a smidge idealized for me. And I had a couple of tiny wincing "ay caramba" cultural moments.
But hey, overall, wow. I felt like Richland set up an obstacle course of all the ways a book (a NOVELLA even! THE DREAD NOVELLA!) could possibly be wince-inducing and icky, and she made it thru like a ninja warrior. Hello, new name on my very, very short list of auto-buys.
Because holy crap, does this book take chances. It's a love story between a Latino soldier who's had his legs blown off below the knee in Afghanistan and has a traumatic brain injury so he can barely speak, and a Korean-American ichthyologist with a doctorate who has never met him but due to THINGS has to pretend to be his fiancee. Risks: Author is, I think, white. Barely verbal narrator. Characters have to get to know each other while one is bedridden and stammering out syllables. Gotta be in awe of the writer's ambition here.
Richland sent me a review copy because I mentioned on Goodreads (and on the delightful Smart Bitches, Trashy Books) that I loved her earlier novel, First to Burn, which I hope kicks off a massive trend of immortal Viking Beowulf-referencing New Jersey Mafia military romance epics. (What I'm saying is it was NUTBALLS. DELIGHTFULLY nutballs.) This novella is much grimmer, set in the real world, without an iota of paranormal. Richland's got range. And this book accomplishes SO MUCH with a tight word count, without feeling rushed.
Greatest achievement: Our hero Cruz is funny and vivid without being able to use his words. For a book so full of loss, deception and pain, there is a LOT of humor. And Cruz's growth as a person isn't the cliched THRU NOBLE SUFFERING I HAVE LEARNED THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE AND LOVE; it feels like a natural journey in which you still see the cocky semi-dick he was before. As with First To Burn, you can tell that Richland has a military background: the scenes at Walter Reed are full of legit-feeling detail. I also appreciated her nods to the fetishization of wounded heroes -- I'm not surprised that injured veterans have groupies. (Which, btw, points to a problem I have with most books about SEALs and cowboys and firemen and cops who were nearly killed on the job: they rely on the reader's romanticizing of the JOB to do much of the work of CHARACTERIZATION.)
Also: Both of Richland's books deal with explicit consent. LOVE THIS.
I'm rarely interested in contemporary romance. (TRANSPORT ME: gimme paranormal/fantasy/historical-but-preferably-not-Regency-zzz.) The fact that I was up until 2 am reading His Road Home is testament to Richland's skill. I did have some quibbles: Our heroine Grace isn't as dimensional a character as Cruz (IMHO in First to Burn, the hero was too perfect, and in His Road Home, the heroine is). Cruz's adjustment to his changed circumstances was pretty quick. Walter Reed Medical Center comes off as awesome, and even in a romance I'd have liked some acknowledgment of how the place is troubled and how our government is so often failing our veterans. The portrait of the military and military families was a smidge idealized for me. And I had a couple of tiny wincing "ay caramba" cultural moments.
But hey, overall, wow. I felt like Richland set up an obstacle course of all the ways a book (a NOVELLA even! THE DREAD NOVELLA!) could possibly be wince-inducing and icky, and she made it thru like a ninja warrior. Hello, new name on my very, very short list of auto-buys.
February 12, 2015
Life didn’t make bargains. It just dealt hands.
Grace Kim is a marine biologist.
Rey Cruz was a medic in special force.
About his injury:
Rey: They bother you?
Grace: No. Although sometimes what they stand for does. …It challenges me to pay attention, to think about politics, duty, America. A lot to consider.
This novella has some flaws in the plotline because of its shorter length, but it is well-written and heartwarming. My first book by Ms. Richland, and I really liked it.
#The author donates a portion of her book proceeds to two charities: the Fisher House foundation, and Doctors Without Borders. Sergeant Bryan Anderson’s memoir was instrumental to her research.
Grace Kim is a marine biologist.
Rey Cruz was a medic in special force.
About his injury:
Rey: They bother you?
Grace: No. Although sometimes what they stand for does. …It challenges me to pay attention, to think about politics, duty, America. A lot to consider.
This novella has some flaws in the plotline because of its shorter length, but it is well-written and heartwarming. My first book by Ms. Richland, and I really liked it.
#The author donates a portion of her book proceeds to two charities: the Fisher House foundation, and Doctors Without Borders. Sergeant Bryan Anderson’s memoir was instrumental to her research.
February 9, 2017
5/5; 5 stars; A+
For someone who loves romance, this book hit the spot on all levels.
I loved the characters, Grace and Rey, and the story of their developing friendship and eventual romantic relationship.
The backdrop is grim. There is no way around the fact that soldiers returning from war bearing physical, mental, and emotional injuries, have to basically re-invent their lives. However, in this short, sweet novella, that backdrop allowed the solid gold calibre of the characters to really shine.
For someone who loves romance, this book hit the spot on all levels.
I loved the characters, Grace and Rey, and the story of their developing friendship and eventual romantic relationship.
The backdrop is grim. There is no way around the fact that soldiers returning from war bearing physical, mental, and emotional injuries, have to basically re-invent their lives. However, in this short, sweet novella, that backdrop allowed the solid gold calibre of the characters to really shine.
Want to read
November 5, 2025HIS ROAD HOME is a National Finalist! Romance Writers of America announced the nominees for the Rita Award for best novella of 2014, and guess who's going to New York City for the ceremony? Sergeant Rey Cruz and Grace Kim!
I'm thrilled that HIS ROAD HOME has been selected (with nine other great authors) to be a finalist. You can see the whole announcement here: RITA Award Announcements
Thank you for supporting this story!
Previous Review:
I'm the author, so I won't rate my own book ... but I want to share part of the Publishers Weekly review of HIS ROAD HOME for readers who might not see it:
FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 8/25/2014 (Starred Review):
"Richland (First to Burn) packs a novel’s worth of plot and characterization into this tantalizing novella ... [It] is a raw, emotional story of two embattled people slowly building a life together. Painful self-examination is rewarded with a deeper understanding of what it means to love and be loved in return. The story’s only flaw is that it ends far too soon, leaving readers desperate for more of Richland’s powerful descriptions and deep characterization."
I couldn't be more excited that reviewers are connecting with Cruz and Grace as deeply as I did!
I'm thrilled that HIS ROAD HOME has been selected (with nine other great authors) to be a finalist. You can see the whole announcement here: RITA Award Announcements
Thank you for supporting this story!
Previous Review:
I'm the author, so I won't rate my own book ... but I want to share part of the Publishers Weekly review of HIS ROAD HOME for readers who might not see it:
FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 8/25/2014 (Starred Review):
"Richland (First to Burn) packs a novel’s worth of plot and characterization into this tantalizing novella ... [It] is a raw, emotional story of two embattled people slowly building a life together. Painful self-examination is rewarded with a deeper understanding of what it means to love and be loved in return. The story’s only flaw is that it ends far too soon, leaving readers desperate for more of Richland’s powerful descriptions and deep characterization."
I couldn't be more excited that reviewers are connecting with Cruz and Grace as deeply as I did!
November 22, 2015
Nice book. On the whole I enjoyed it. The biggest thing holding it back from more stars was that it felt rather distant, a bit more tell than show. The theme was interesting and I enjoyed both main characters. The story also could have benefited from more description.
November 9, 2014
I don't get it...
I really wanted to like this book, because it started off with such an interesting premise: Reynaldo, a medic/soldier working in the Middle East, gets out of a warlord offering up a bride to him by saying he has a fiancee back home. To prove it, he takes a random girl he vaguely knew from his hometown and photo-shops a picture of them together. But then Reynaldo gets blown up, losing his legs and sustaining a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) in the process, and somehow Grace winds up being known as his actual fiancee.
Somehow, everyone totally believes that Grace managed to have an entire relationship behind their backs, and Grace's rather weak protests get unheard. Grace shows up at Rey's bedside but can't get an explanation out of him because of his aphasia (which was a rather interesting twist to add). She continues to linger (Why...?) and keep him company, and it's never really clear just how she feels about this whole situation. In fact, I one big negative I found in the book was the lack of description and how the plot seems to make giant leaps in the space of a few paragraphs. For example, when Rey first sees Grace he puts in a quick sentence about her "not being his type". Yet then a week has magically passed and when Grace can't come up with any more excuses to stick around he kisses her (and since that whole week was just skipped, we have no real description for how their romance builds up during this time).
More time flies by in the book without detail. Reynaldo just lost his legs and his ability to talk, but the book would have you believe that he is pretty much just okay with this from the beginning. As far as his legs go, Rey seems to just shrug his shoulders and be like "well, there's lots of amps (amputees) in the military, so I'll just get prosthetic legs and be about my merry way". Admirable endurance, but I feel that even the best of men would have been at least a little upset at having lost their friggin' legs. As for the aphasia, Rey does offer a few sentences expressing his frustration, but for the most his situation is just accepted without much grief. I feel like this book would have had so much more depth to it if we could have seen Rey struggle to overcome his new disabilities (with Grace's help, of course). Instead, months flash by very quickly and Rey gets his new prosthetic legs without a hitch. In fact, the loss of his legs was almost like just a vague background plot to the story.
The lack of description combined with the fast-moving timeline made me really confused as to where Grace and Reynaldo stood in their relationship. I might be partly to blame because about halfway through the novel I was ready to give up and so I moved very quickly through the last pages to finish it. I never really felt like I could get inside the characters' heads and understand what they were feeling. The whole novel felt flat, and I was very sad about that. I really wanted to get more engaged, but it just never happened. I almost wish that this novel of only 120 pages or so would double in size so that the author could flesh out and go deeper into what could have been a very interesting romance.
I really wanted to like this book, because it started off with such an interesting premise: Reynaldo, a medic/soldier working in the Middle East, gets out of a warlord offering up a bride to him by saying he has a fiancee back home. To prove it, he takes a random girl he vaguely knew from his hometown and photo-shops a picture of them together. But then Reynaldo gets blown up, losing his legs and sustaining a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) in the process, and somehow Grace winds up being known as his actual fiancee.
Somehow, everyone totally believes that Grace managed to have an entire relationship behind their backs, and Grace's rather weak protests get unheard. Grace shows up at Rey's bedside but can't get an explanation out of him because of his aphasia (which was a rather interesting twist to add). She continues to linger (Why...?) and keep him company, and it's never really clear just how she feels about this whole situation. In fact, I one big negative I found in the book was the lack of description and how the plot seems to make giant leaps in the space of a few paragraphs. For example, when Rey first sees Grace he puts in a quick sentence about her "not being his type". Yet then a week has magically passed and when Grace can't come up with any more excuses to stick around he kisses her (and since that whole week was just skipped, we have no real description for how their romance builds up during this time).
More time flies by in the book without detail. Reynaldo just lost his legs and his ability to talk, but the book would have you believe that he is pretty much just okay with this from the beginning. As far as his legs go, Rey seems to just shrug his shoulders and be like "well, there's lots of amps (amputees) in the military, so I'll just get prosthetic legs and be about my merry way". Admirable endurance, but I feel that even the best of men would have been at least a little upset at having lost their friggin' legs. As for the aphasia, Rey does offer a few sentences expressing his frustration, but for the most his situation is just accepted without much grief. I feel like this book would have had so much more depth to it if we could have seen Rey struggle to overcome his new disabilities (with Grace's help, of course). Instead, months flash by very quickly and Rey gets his new prosthetic legs without a hitch. In fact, the loss of his legs was almost like just a vague background plot to the story.
The lack of description combined with the fast-moving timeline made me really confused as to where Grace and Reynaldo stood in their relationship. I might be partly to blame because about halfway through the novel I was ready to give up and so I moved very quickly through the last pages to finish it. I never really felt like I could get inside the characters' heads and understand what they were feeling. The whole novel felt flat, and I was very sad about that. I really wanted to get more engaged, but it just never happened. I almost wish that this novel of only 120 pages or so would double in size so that the author could flesh out and go deeper into what could have been a very interesting romance.
November 24, 2022
Wonderful! I think this might be the most perfect novella I've ever read. The trope here is fake fiance, and I am all about it!
Rey is in Afghanistan when he finds he needs to invent a fiance to avoid offending a headman. When he is injured, the picture he created with Grace (a girl from his hometown) falls into the hands of the media. Poor Grace finds herself engaged to a man she's never met before. Her sister knew him in high school, but she's never even spoken to him. Her boss buys her a ticket to DC to go visit her wounded "fiance" in a military hospital, and she doesn't feel like she can refuse.
Away she goes to meet Rey, and his injuries are severe. I won't give too much away because it's a short book, so I should leave something to the reader. Let's just say that Rey and Grace have sizzling chemistry, they exchanged texts and phone calls for months while Rey is recovering. They eventually get together for a road trip, and the forced proximity helps them to solidify the relationship they've been building.
This was seriously romantic and hot. The H/h were great together. They both grew as people and fell in love. Great pacing. Great character development. An Asian h with a Hispanic H. Great premise. Great book!
Safety
Rey is in Afghanistan when he finds he needs to invent a fiance to avoid offending a headman. When he is injured, the picture he created with Grace (a girl from his hometown) falls into the hands of the media. Poor Grace finds herself engaged to a man she's never met before. Her sister knew him in high school, but she's never even spoken to him. Her boss buys her a ticket to DC to go visit her wounded "fiance" in a military hospital, and she doesn't feel like she can refuse.
Away she goes to meet Rey, and his injuries are severe. I won't give too much away because it's a short book, so I should leave something to the reader. Let's just say that Rey and Grace have sizzling chemistry, they exchanged texts and phone calls for months while Rey is recovering. They eventually get together for a road trip, and the forced proximity helps them to solidify the relationship they've been building.
This was seriously romantic and hot. The H/h were great together. They both grew as people and fell in love. Great pacing. Great character development. An Asian h with a Hispanic H. Great premise. Great book!
Safety
July 9, 2017
2 friends read and liked this, but honestly, I think I saw a soldier in Walter Reed Militar Center and somehow translated this in my head to MICHAEL and REBECCA. (I was wrong.)
A+ for diversity. Not only are both characters of colour, there's also a very clear depiction of the ways in which undocumented workers are exploited and abused, which can carry on for a lifetime. (Rey's mother raised the kids by herself, after her husband was killed in a workplace accident, for which they got no compensation or insurance, she has to travel across country by bus when Rey is brought to Walter Reed because she can't fly, her health isn't good and she's looking at sleeping in the hospital because she can't afford anywhere to stay in D.C.)
A+ for disabled romantic lead. Once they get over the deception that led to the fake engagement being announced, the way they handled his rehab after losing both legs was just lovely. And lots of marks too for Ray's pragmatic approach to the choice between wearing his (top-of-the-line!) prostheses or using a wheelchair. It was a little detail that gave more depth than you'd expect.
C- for gender essentialism that I just didn't like. Grace often compares the massively ripped Rey to the kinds of guys she's known and been with in the past, once saying 'the guys who were interested in women with her degrees and slow timetable weren't generally men with vast seduction skills'. REALLY?? He's also different from them because even after coming, he's *still* big enough to 'please her, the way a man should take care of a woman'. She thinks about his height, which she hadn't noticed before, but they fit 'the way a man and woman should'. And on and on in like manner.
As usual, I found the sex scenes so overblown (ouch - not intentional) I was mostly just impatient to get back to the story. I know, it makes very little sense for me to read steamy romance, *ever*. All in all, a lot of strengths, but I should probably just have reread The Road Home for the undiluted emotional score. (Oh, but Michael SO deserves excellent prosthetic legs for walking, running ...skiing!!)
A+ for diversity. Not only are both characters of colour, there's also a very clear depiction of the ways in which undocumented workers are exploited and abused, which can carry on for a lifetime. (Rey's mother raised the kids by herself, after her husband was killed in a workplace accident, for which they got no compensation or insurance, she has to travel across country by bus when Rey is brought to Walter Reed because she can't fly, her health isn't good and she's looking at sleeping in the hospital because she can't afford anywhere to stay in D.C.)
A+ for disabled romantic lead. Once they get over the deception that led to the fake engagement being announced, the way they handled his rehab after losing both legs was just lovely. And lots of marks too for Ray's pragmatic approach to the choice between wearing his (top-of-the-line!) prostheses or using a wheelchair. It was a little detail that gave more depth than you'd expect.
C- for gender essentialism that I just didn't like. Grace often compares the massively ripped Rey to the kinds of guys she's known and been with in the past, once saying 'the guys who were interested in women with her degrees and slow timetable weren't generally men with vast seduction skills'. REALLY?? He's also different from them because even after coming, he's *still* big enough to 'please her, the way a man should take care of a woman'. She thinks about his height, which she hadn't noticed before, but they fit 'the way a man and woman should'. And on and on in like manner.
As usual, I found the sex scenes so overblown (ouch - not intentional) I was mostly just impatient to get back to the story. I know, it makes very little sense for me to read steamy romance, *ever*. All in all, a lot of strengths, but I should probably just have reread The Road Home for the undiluted emotional score. (Oh, but Michael SO deserves excellent prosthetic legs for walking, running ...skiing!!)
October 17, 2014
His Road Home is the story of a soldier, Rey, who invents a fiancée to get out of marrying the daughter of a local warlord in the Middle East. He chooses to present a photo of Grace, a girl he barely knew from his hometown but who seems to fit the bill. When he’s severely injured and brought back to the US, Grace - who is clueless about the deception - is contacted and encouraged to visit her fiancé. She grabs a plane and flies to a military hospital in Maryland, where she meets Rey and demands some answers.
This is where the story evolves into something truly special. Rey’s wounds are severe . Regardless of his dire circumstances, Rey has an inner light of hope that shines beautifully. Grace and Rey connect and are attracted to each other. Through messages and texts, their friendship develops into something more. Most of the book is Rey’s car journey to his home, as Grace drives them both across the country. But it is also an inner journey, where he learns to adapt to the physical changes in his body and accept that his road in life is now altered. This story is much more than an army romance, it’s bittersweet, hopeful, and a reminder that strength is much more than your physical capacities. Rey and Grace are strong in every way that counts and their love story is brilliantly narrated. I’d love a sequel to see how their future unfolds.
I’m really glad I picked this book up (thanks lassie for the rec)!
This is where the story evolves into something truly special. Rey’s wounds are severe . Regardless of his dire circumstances, Rey has an inner light of hope that shines beautifully. Grace and Rey connect and are attracted to each other. Through messages and texts, their friendship develops into something more. Most of the book is Rey’s car journey to his home, as Grace drives them both across the country. But it is also an inner journey, where he learns to adapt to the physical changes in his body and accept that his road in life is now altered. This story is much more than an army romance, it’s bittersweet, hopeful, and a reminder that strength is much more than your physical capacities. Rey and Grace are strong in every way that counts and their love story is brilliantly narrated. I’d love a sequel to see how their future unfolds.
I’m really glad I picked this book up (thanks lassie for the rec)!
October 13, 2014
My Review:
What an incredibly moving, beautiful story with an incredibly creative set-up. Rey needs a girl's picture to show a warlord in Afghanistan to prove that he has a fiancee and doesn't need the warlord's daughter to fill the position. He's simply trying to avoid a conflict with the tribe. So he goes to facebook and finds a picture that will work...a modest and respectable looking girl from his hometown, but one that he's never actually met. After a little bit of doctoring he has the engagement photo, but before he can use it, he gets blown up and the burned, tattered photo makes the international news.
Although Grace knows who his mother is in their small town, she has no idea how or why Rey would be saying she's his fiancee when she doesn't even know him. But he's a desperately wounded soldier and everyone around her knows that she should be with her fiance during this time. She's basically railroaded into visiting him and not given time to say two words about the fact that she doesn't know him before she's shepherded onto a plane headed for Walter-Reed Army Medical Center.
Rey lost both his legs and his brain doesn't connect quite right anymore which affects his speech. Although his brain works, he can't unscramble the right words to explain what happened with Grace to her or anyone else.
Grace is one of those people...she's empathetic and although she knows she doesn't belong here, she can't abandon Rey who's basically hurt and alone and a bit confused and more than a bit traumatized. This bizarre set of circumstances set up one of the most beautiful romantic stories I think I've read this year. The timeline of the novel takes place over around 8-9 months and these two are only together that first week he's home when he got hurt. The rest of the time they are connecting long-distance via text and creating an incredibly strong bond and friendship. Everything about that worked for me.
And I loved these two characters. Anna Richland does an incredible job with Rey showing his doubts, fears, and hopes along the way. He hates what has happened to him and hates it even more that Grace sees him helpless like this. I can't imagine how hard it would be to deal with this kind of communication issue on top of everything else. It made my heart ache so much for Rey and I know that there are so many real Vets who are dealing with these kinds of losses every single day.
There are many times throughout the book where the ideal of "hero" is examined. Rey lost a lot, others lost more and the book is a great reminder of that. There are heroes every where in our lives, but we owe our soldiers so much. They are just doing their jobs, but those jobs can come at such an incredibly high price. It's a good reminder.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
What an incredibly moving, beautiful story with an incredibly creative set-up. Rey needs a girl's picture to show a warlord in Afghanistan to prove that he has a fiancee and doesn't need the warlord's daughter to fill the position. He's simply trying to avoid a conflict with the tribe. So he goes to facebook and finds a picture that will work...a modest and respectable looking girl from his hometown, but one that he's never actually met. After a little bit of doctoring he has the engagement photo, but before he can use it, he gets blown up and the burned, tattered photo makes the international news.
Although Grace knows who his mother is in their small town, she has no idea how or why Rey would be saying she's his fiancee when she doesn't even know him. But he's a desperately wounded soldier and everyone around her knows that she should be with her fiance during this time. She's basically railroaded into visiting him and not given time to say two words about the fact that she doesn't know him before she's shepherded onto a plane headed for Walter-Reed Army Medical Center.
Rey lost both his legs and his brain doesn't connect quite right anymore which affects his speech. Although his brain works, he can't unscramble the right words to explain what happened with Grace to her or anyone else.
Grace is one of those people...she's empathetic and although she knows she doesn't belong here, she can't abandon Rey who's basically hurt and alone and a bit confused and more than a bit traumatized. This bizarre set of circumstances set up one of the most beautiful romantic stories I think I've read this year. The timeline of the novel takes place over around 8-9 months and these two are only together that first week he's home when he got hurt. The rest of the time they are connecting long-distance via text and creating an incredibly strong bond and friendship. Everything about that worked for me.
And I loved these two characters. Anna Richland does an incredible job with Rey showing his doubts, fears, and hopes along the way. He hates what has happened to him and hates it even more that Grace sees him helpless like this. I can't imagine how hard it would be to deal with this kind of communication issue on top of everything else. It made my heart ache so much for Rey and I know that there are so many real Vets who are dealing with these kinds of losses every single day.
There are many times throughout the book where the ideal of "hero" is examined. Rey lost a lot, others lost more and the book is a great reminder of that. There are heroes every where in our lives, but we owe our soldiers so much. They are just doing their jobs, but those jobs can come at such an incredibly high price. It's a good reminder.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
February 16, 2017
3 ½ stars. I enjoyed it.
It was a nice idea about a couple forced to meet and then they fall in love. But something about the falling in love was a little too superficial. It might be that the reader was not in Rey’s head. I didn’t feel his emotions or see his desire for her. He had brain issues so he was limited in his talking. His words could not convey his thoughts. I think I would have liked more of his emotions and feelings.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 109 pages. Swearing language: strong but not often used. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: current day Afghanistan and U.S. Copyright: 2014. Genre: contemporary romance, paraplegic romance.
It was a nice idea about a couple forced to meet and then they fall in love. But something about the falling in love was a little too superficial. It might be that the reader was not in Rey’s head. I didn’t feel his emotions or see his desire for her. He had brain issues so he was limited in his talking. His words could not convey his thoughts. I think I would have liked more of his emotions and feelings.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 109 pages. Swearing language: strong but not often used. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: current day Afghanistan and U.S. Copyright: 2014. Genre: contemporary romance, paraplegic romance.
March 17, 2015
A cute romance. Very sweet and very touching.
March 13, 2016
Originally reviewed here @ Angieville
You guys. I've been waiting to fall this year. I've been waiting for that first review (embarrassingly late, I know) to need to be written. I've been reading and reading. And I've really liked a number of things (reviews on those to come, promise). But the night before last I fell into a book that filled me up in just the way I needed to kick me into gear to talk about it. Which is good, because you'll want to pick this one up. His Road Home by Anna Richland is a contemporary novella that I wished was twice as long as it was because I didn't want to be separated from the characters and their compelling situation by its ending. Happily, according to Richland's acknowledgments at the end, we may have a sequel to look forward to in the near future. This is my first outing with Ms. Richlands writing, and I picked it up based on my trusty Chachic's rating over on GoodReads.
Grace Kim's fairly straightforward (very quiet) life is thrown into rather spectacular upheaval when media outlets across the country report her engagement to wounded war hero Reynaldo Cruz. To say that she is shocked is the wildest of understatements. His name rings the vaguest of bells, as the two did grow up in the same small town in Washington state. But their lives followed radically different paths after high school. Grace got her PhD in marine biology and spends most of her time with obscure fish species. Reynaldo trained in the military and shipped off to Afghanistan. But when Rey tries to get out of an arranged marriage by faking an engagement to that smart girl back home and then steps on a land mine and finds himself at Walter Reed without his legs, things get . . . complicated. The two finally "meet" for the first time at the hospital. Grace is determined to untangle the lie and escape, while Rey is monumentally embarrassed and all set to let her, particularly as he is suffering from a traumatic brain injury that's left him fighting aphasia. But somehow . . . she comes back the next day. Somehow, his explanation haltingly drifts out, in one word, then two, then three. And somehow a decision is made to work through this exquisitely knotty situation together.
I really couldn't look away from Grace & Rey. Their story is such a quiet one, and not just because of Rey's struggle to speak coherently. Grace leads a very solitary life. It isn't easy for her to step into the role of fake fiancée, even long enough to figure out why a man like Rey would link himself to a woman like her. But after the initial shock and bafflement . . . they see each other. In that hospital room, in his crazy car on a drive back across the country, as they text each night for months while Grace is away on a research trip. And it's beautiful how gradually their friendship and growing feelings for each other unfold. Rey is as tough as they come. His determination to pick up his life, to adapt to his new prosthetic legs, and to not let Grace go (if she comes to want to keep him, too) was a pleasure to witness. Everything about their progression felt natural to me. They said (or texted) the things you would. There were no nasty recriminations, but merely the ones you would by all means expect. Nothing about the restrained and eloquent storytelling is rushed in the interests of manufacturing a desired effect on the reader. In fact, the reader is given just enough time in each protagonist's head to garner respect, affection, and a truly breathtaking empathy for them both, even as they are doing the same for each other. It was such a sweet experience reading His Road Home. I needed it.
You guys. I've been waiting to fall this year. I've been waiting for that first review (embarrassingly late, I know) to need to be written. I've been reading and reading. And I've really liked a number of things (reviews on those to come, promise). But the night before last I fell into a book that filled me up in just the way I needed to kick me into gear to talk about it. Which is good, because you'll want to pick this one up. His Road Home by Anna Richland is a contemporary novella that I wished was twice as long as it was because I didn't want to be separated from the characters and their compelling situation by its ending. Happily, according to Richland's acknowledgments at the end, we may have a sequel to look forward to in the near future. This is my first outing with Ms. Richlands writing, and I picked it up based on my trusty Chachic's rating over on GoodReads.
Grace Kim's fairly straightforward (very quiet) life is thrown into rather spectacular upheaval when media outlets across the country report her engagement to wounded war hero Reynaldo Cruz. To say that she is shocked is the wildest of understatements. His name rings the vaguest of bells, as the two did grow up in the same small town in Washington state. But their lives followed radically different paths after high school. Grace got her PhD in marine biology and spends most of her time with obscure fish species. Reynaldo trained in the military and shipped off to Afghanistan. But when Rey tries to get out of an arranged marriage by faking an engagement to that smart girl back home and then steps on a land mine and finds himself at Walter Reed without his legs, things get . . . complicated. The two finally "meet" for the first time at the hospital. Grace is determined to untangle the lie and escape, while Rey is monumentally embarrassed and all set to let her, particularly as he is suffering from a traumatic brain injury that's left him fighting aphasia. But somehow . . . she comes back the next day. Somehow, his explanation haltingly drifts out, in one word, then two, then three. And somehow a decision is made to work through this exquisitely knotty situation together.
I really couldn't look away from Grace & Rey. Their story is such a quiet one, and not just because of Rey's struggle to speak coherently. Grace leads a very solitary life. It isn't easy for her to step into the role of fake fiancée, even long enough to figure out why a man like Rey would link himself to a woman like her. But after the initial shock and bafflement . . . they see each other. In that hospital room, in his crazy car on a drive back across the country, as they text each night for months while Grace is away on a research trip. And it's beautiful how gradually their friendship and growing feelings for each other unfold. Rey is as tough as they come. His determination to pick up his life, to adapt to his new prosthetic legs, and to not let Grace go (if she comes to want to keep him, too) was a pleasure to witness. Everything about their progression felt natural to me. They said (or texted) the things you would. There were no nasty recriminations, but merely the ones you would by all means expect. Nothing about the restrained and eloquent storytelling is rushed in the interests of manufacturing a desired effect on the reader. In fact, the reader is given just enough time in each protagonist's head to garner respect, affection, and a truly breathtaking empathy for them both, even as they are doing the same for each other. It was such a sweet experience reading His Road Home. I needed it.
October 26, 2025
2.75
ho letto questo libro perché la copertina era bella.
non conoscevo questo libro ma la cover mi ha colpito e ho deciso, anche leggendo la trama ( che mi ricorda un po purple heart), di dargli una possibilità.
Un libro carino nel complesso. Il difetto più grande è il non essere riuscita a empatizzare con i personaggi, sembrava piuttosto distante, si basa molto sul racconto invece che sul mostrare. I temi trattati erano interessanti e ho apprezzato entrambi i personaggi principali. La storia avrebbe anche potuto beneficiare
da una maggiore descrizione e caratterizzazione.
Volevo davvero che questo libro mi piacesse, perché iniziava con una premessa così interessante
Reynaldo, un medico/soldato che lavora in Medio Oriente, fake dating perché lui finge di essere fidanzato con una ragazza con cui era andato a scuola assieme per evitare la proposta di matrimonio di un magnante afghano.
Ma poi Reynaldo viene fatto saltare in aria, perdendo le gambe e subisce un TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) e in qualche modo Grace finisce per essere
come la sua vera fidanzata
In qualche modo, tutti credono che Grace
sia riuscita ad avere un'intera relazione alle
alle loro spalle e le deboli proteste di Grace rimangono inascoltate. Grace si presenta al capezzale di Rey, ma non riesce a ottenere una spiegazione da lui a causa della sua afasia (che è stato un colpo di scena piuttosto interessante da aggiungere). Continua a soffermarsi (perché...?) e a fargli compagnia ma non è mai chiaro come si sente in tutta questa situazione. Infatti, un grande aspetto negativo che ho riscontrato nel libro è stata la mancanza di descrizione e il fatto che la trama sembra fare salti giganteschi nello spazio di pochi paragrafi.
Ad esempio, quando Rey vede Grace per la prima volta, afferma subito che "non è il suo tipo". Ma una settimana dopo quando Grace non riesce a trovare altre scuse per rimanere lui la bacia (e dato che l'intera settimana è stata è stata saltata, non abbiamo una vera e propria descrizione di come si sviluppa la loro storia d'amore durante questo periodo).
Nel libro passa altro tempo senza alcun dettaglio.
Reynaldo ha appena perso le gambe e la capacità di parlare, ma sembra che non abbia avuto problemi fin dall'inizio.
Per quanto riguarda le gambe, Rey sembra semplicemente scrollare le spalle e dire "Beh, ci sono molti amputati nell'esercito quindi mi procurerò delle protesi alle gambe e me ne andrò per la mia strada". come se niente fosse.
Ammirevole resistenza, ma credo che anche il migliore degli uomini sarebbe stato almeno un po' turbato dal fatto di aver perso le loro dannate gambe. Per quanto riguarda l'afasia, Rey dice alcune frasi che esprimono la sua frustrazione, ma per lo più la sua situazione viene accettata senza molto dolore. Credo che questo libro avrebbe avuto molta più
molto più profondità se avessimo potuto vedere Rey lottare per superare le sue nuove disabilità (con Grace, ovviamente). Invece, i mesi passano molto velocemente e Rey riceve le sue nuove protesi alle gambe senza problemi. In effetti, la perdita delle gambe era quasi una vaga trama di fondo della storia.
La mancanza di descrizione, combinata con la veloce della linea temporale mi ha reso davvero confusa di Grace e Reynaldo nella loro relazione. Non ho mai avuto la sensazione di poter entrare nella testa dei personaggi e capire cosa stessero provando. L'intero romanzo mi è sembrato piatto, e questo mi ha molto deluso. Volevo davvero essere più coinvolta, ma non è mai successo.
ho letto questo libro perché la copertina era bella.
non conoscevo questo libro ma la cover mi ha colpito e ho deciso, anche leggendo la trama ( che mi ricorda un po purple heart), di dargli una possibilità.
Un libro carino nel complesso. Il difetto più grande è il non essere riuscita a empatizzare con i personaggi, sembrava piuttosto distante, si basa molto sul racconto invece che sul mostrare. I temi trattati erano interessanti e ho apprezzato entrambi i personaggi principali. La storia avrebbe anche potuto beneficiare
da una maggiore descrizione e caratterizzazione.
Volevo davvero che questo libro mi piacesse, perché iniziava con una premessa così interessante
Reynaldo, un medico/soldato che lavora in Medio Oriente, fake dating perché lui finge di essere fidanzato con una ragazza con cui era andato a scuola assieme per evitare la proposta di matrimonio di un magnante afghano.
Ma poi Reynaldo viene fatto saltare in aria, perdendo le gambe e subisce un TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) e in qualche modo Grace finisce per essere
come la sua vera fidanzata
In qualche modo, tutti credono che Grace
sia riuscita ad avere un'intera relazione alle
alle loro spalle e le deboli proteste di Grace rimangono inascoltate. Grace si presenta al capezzale di Rey, ma non riesce a ottenere una spiegazione da lui a causa della sua afasia (che è stato un colpo di scena piuttosto interessante da aggiungere). Continua a soffermarsi (perché...?) e a fargli compagnia ma non è mai chiaro come si sente in tutta questa situazione. Infatti, un grande aspetto negativo che ho riscontrato nel libro è stata la mancanza di descrizione e il fatto che la trama sembra fare salti giganteschi nello spazio di pochi paragrafi.
Ad esempio, quando Rey vede Grace per la prima volta, afferma subito che "non è il suo tipo". Ma una settimana dopo quando Grace non riesce a trovare altre scuse per rimanere lui la bacia (e dato che l'intera settimana è stata è stata saltata, non abbiamo una vera e propria descrizione di come si sviluppa la loro storia d'amore durante questo periodo).
Nel libro passa altro tempo senza alcun dettaglio.
Reynaldo ha appena perso le gambe e la capacità di parlare, ma sembra che non abbia avuto problemi fin dall'inizio.
Per quanto riguarda le gambe, Rey sembra semplicemente scrollare le spalle e dire "Beh, ci sono molti amputati nell'esercito quindi mi procurerò delle protesi alle gambe e me ne andrò per la mia strada". come se niente fosse.
Ammirevole resistenza, ma credo che anche il migliore degli uomini sarebbe stato almeno un po' turbato dal fatto di aver perso le loro dannate gambe. Per quanto riguarda l'afasia, Rey dice alcune frasi che esprimono la sua frustrazione, ma per lo più la sua situazione viene accettata senza molto dolore. Credo che questo libro avrebbe avuto molta più
molto più profondità se avessimo potuto vedere Rey lottare per superare le sue nuove disabilità (con Grace, ovviamente). Invece, i mesi passano molto velocemente e Rey riceve le sue nuove protesi alle gambe senza problemi. In effetti, la perdita delle gambe era quasi una vaga trama di fondo della storia.
La mancanza di descrizione, combinata con la veloce della linea temporale mi ha reso davvero confusa di Grace e Reynaldo nella loro relazione. Non ho mai avuto la sensazione di poter entrare nella testa dei personaggi e capire cosa stessero provando. L'intero romanzo mi è sembrato piatto, e questo mi ha molto deluso. Volevo davvero essere più coinvolta, ma non è mai successo.
May 11, 2015
Some lovely internet miracle led me to pre order this book. It showed up like as an unexpected gift on my Kindle.
I can see why I one clicked it even though I have no recall of doing so given all its wonderful themes--
interracial romance between non white leads, road trip, pretend relationship, scientist heroine, middle eastern wars, medic special forces hero, disabled hero, PTSD, 2nd generation immigrate experiences.
Those themes and the possibility of what kind of story could be told within their structure drew me to the book but those elements (as wonderful in combination as they are) aren't what makes it a 5 Star Romance for me.
It is the storytelling, the lilt of the writer's voice of humor, sorrow, and hope, the love between the characters (and not just the hero and heroine) and the perfectly placed details that add nuance and depth to make each place, person, and event believable and captivating.
I want to tell you those little flourishes but it would take away your fun. I will just say I love this book so much I retold the plot to my husband over breakfast.
I already bought her other book. You should buy this one.
I can see why I one clicked it even though I have no recall of doing so given all its wonderful themes--
interracial romance between non white leads, road trip, pretend relationship, scientist heroine, middle eastern wars, medic special forces hero, disabled hero, PTSD, 2nd generation immigrate experiences.
Those themes and the possibility of what kind of story could be told within their structure drew me to the book but those elements (as wonderful in combination as they are) aren't what makes it a 5 Star Romance for me.
It is the storytelling, the lilt of the writer's voice of humor, sorrow, and hope, the love between the characters (and not just the hero and heroine) and the perfectly placed details that add nuance and depth to make each place, person, and event believable and captivating.
I want to tell you those little flourishes but it would take away your fun. I will just say I love this book so much I retold the plot to my husband over breakfast.
I already bought her other book. You should buy this one.
November 3, 2015
I'm out of practice with simple man/woman romances.
Rey and Grace are intelligent, thoughtful adults--and I almost didn't know what to do with that, but I managed to adjust ^__^
It's pretty short, with no filler. Some of the off-page action could have happened on-page to give me more to read (I am greedy), and that's my only real complaint.
Rey and Grace are intelligent, thoughtful adults--and I almost didn't know what to do with that, but I managed to adjust ^__^
It's pretty short, with no filler. Some of the off-page action could have happened on-page to give me more to read (I am greedy), and that's my only real complaint.
no-dnf-zzz-avoid
December 22, 2015Zzzzz
November 16, 2014
If any book can pull me out of a reading slump or make me like romance, this is it. These days, almost all romance books will have the hero and heroine in lust and in bed by chapter one. Or when they don't, the book is so full of courtship dance I've read before that I ended up rolling my eyes as I pass the book for the next in line.
In this book though, the hero and heroine was somehow presented in a way that intrigues me and wants to read more. Though the book isn't insta love/lust, their 'getting to know' stage was presented in a believable way and believable circumstance. It's not a forced connection that's why when they finally came together, I believed in their HEA.
The heroine's life was presented clearly without information dump and her fear and uncertainty balanced her great mind. I love that though she's a loving daughter, she never let her family run her life; a loving sister but never let her sister run roughshod on her. I love that though she did not enjoy karaoke she join her sister because her sister like the activity yet when her sister interfered with her personal life, the heroine put the sister in her place without being mean. I love a character who can made her stand known and clear without being crass or mean.
The hero is more than deserving of his title. Without his disability and his personal demon, he would have sound like a very cookie cutter hero. But his road to recovery, to happily ever after, and road to healing showed that his heroism was earned with his strong character and loyal heart. He's a hero I'd like to read in every book. He presented the best of our men and women in uniform. Like I said he is too good to be true except we were given a glimpse of his fear, of his anger, and his insecurities - before and after injury.
The voice of the book alone is new to me but it's a difference I like and came to enjoy. The one liner finishing and on every banter of the characters exemplifies the phrase 'less is best' when it came to words.
Overall, this book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you mad, and will make you laugh all over again. It made me see that love has many faces and that a little kindness can go a long way to make a better world.
I will definitely check this author's other books.
In this book though, the hero and heroine was somehow presented in a way that intrigues me and wants to read more. Though the book isn't insta love/lust, their 'getting to know' stage was presented in a believable way and believable circumstance. It's not a forced connection that's why when they finally came together, I believed in their HEA.
The heroine's life was presented clearly without information dump and her fear and uncertainty balanced her great mind. I love that though she's a loving daughter, she never let her family run her life; a loving sister but never let her sister run roughshod on her. I love that though she did not enjoy karaoke she join her sister because her sister like the activity yet when her sister interfered with her personal life, the heroine put the sister in her place without being mean. I love a character who can made her stand known and clear without being crass or mean.
The hero is more than deserving of his title. Without his disability and his personal demon, he would have sound like a very cookie cutter hero. But his road to recovery, to happily ever after, and road to healing showed that his heroism was earned with his strong character and loyal heart. He's a hero I'd like to read in every book. He presented the best of our men and women in uniform. Like I said he is too good to be true except we were given a glimpse of his fear, of his anger, and his insecurities - before and after injury.
The voice of the book alone is new to me but it's a difference I like and came to enjoy. The one liner finishing and on every banter of the characters exemplifies the phrase 'less is best' when it came to words.
Overall, this book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you mad, and will make you laugh all over again. It made me see that love has many faces and that a little kindness can go a long way to make a better world.
I will definitely check this author's other books.
May 10, 2024
4.5 stars.
Esta es una de esas historias que, a pesar de ser cortas, lo tiene todo. Es refrescante encontrar un romance donde los protagonistas pasan por todas las fases (amistad, atracción y amor) antes de llegar al sexo. Ha sido preciosa, sin melodramas innecesarios, sin rodeos y repeticiones aburridas y lo mejor de todo, con los sentimientos de los personajes como protagonistas de la historia.
Perfecta.
Por ponerle una pega, quizás la recuperación y adaptación a sus nuevas circunstancias de Rey ha sido un poco rápida, pero lo achacaré a la longitud de la historia.
La historia de amor ha sido maravillosa y su ejecución casi perfecta, y eso que empieza con un malentendido y una “mentirijilla” que no suelen ser santos de mi devoción, pero esta circunstancia ha estado siempre en un segundo plano y no ha sido el eje principal de la historia, éste ha sido la relación de los protagonistas.
Me ha parecido sincero y bastante realista (a pesar de la “pega”).
4.5 stars.
This is one of those stories that, though it is short, it has it all that is important in a romance (IMHO). It is refreshing to find a romance where the protagonists experiment all the phases in a relationship (friendship, attraction and love) before they get to the sex part. It has been beautiful, without unnecessary melodramas, detours and boring repetitions, and best of all, with the feelings of the characters as the protagonists of the story.
Perfect.
If I have to find a “but” to the story, that would be the recovery and adaptation to his new circumstances of Rey, it had been a bit quick, but I suppose it has been because the length of the story.
The love story has been wonderful and its carry out almost perfect, even though it starts with a misunderstanding and a "white lie" that are generally not my cup of tea, but this circumstance has always been in the background and it has not been the main focus of the story, this has been the relationship between the protagonists.
It has seemed sincere and realistic enough (despite the "but").
Esta es una de esas historias que, a pesar de ser cortas, lo tiene todo. Es refrescante encontrar un romance donde los protagonistas pasan por todas las fases (amistad, atracción y amor) antes de llegar al sexo. Ha sido preciosa, sin melodramas innecesarios, sin rodeos y repeticiones aburridas y lo mejor de todo, con los sentimientos de los personajes como protagonistas de la historia.
Perfecta.
Por ponerle una pega, quizás la recuperación y adaptación a sus nuevas circunstancias de Rey ha sido un poco rápida, pero lo achacaré a la longitud de la historia.
La historia de amor ha sido maravillosa y su ejecución casi perfecta, y eso que empieza con un malentendido y una “mentirijilla” que no suelen ser santos de mi devoción, pero esta circunstancia ha estado siempre en un segundo plano y no ha sido el eje principal de la historia, éste ha sido la relación de los protagonistas.
Me ha parecido sincero y bastante realista (a pesar de la “pega”).
4.5 stars.
This is one of those stories that, though it is short, it has it all that is important in a romance (IMHO). It is refreshing to find a romance where the protagonists experiment all the phases in a relationship (friendship, attraction and love) before they get to the sex part. It has been beautiful, without unnecessary melodramas, detours and boring repetitions, and best of all, with the feelings of the characters as the protagonists of the story.
Perfect.
If I have to find a “but” to the story, that would be the recovery and adaptation to his new circumstances of Rey, it had been a bit quick, but I suppose it has been because the length of the story.
The love story has been wonderful and its carry out almost perfect, even though it starts with a misunderstanding and a "white lie" that are generally not my cup of tea, but this circumstance has always been in the background and it has not been the main focus of the story, this has been the relationship between the protagonists.
It has seemed sincere and realistic enough (despite the "but").
February 24, 2016
The premise of His Road Home is pretty amusing to me - you have this soldier who makes up he has a fiance so that he can get out of a really awkward situation in Afghanistan. He finds a girl from his home town that he didn't know and photoshops a picture of them to show to this warlord. Unfortunately, he gets severely injured by a landmine while saving a boy's life on his way to deliver the image. The media finds out about this photo and proceeds to go crazy trying to get his fiance to him. What follows is a somewhat cute but totally unrealistic romance.
The unbelievable parts start from the moment that you're introduced to Grace (the main female character). She basically starts ridiculous getting calls from her work, friends, family, etc. Her family somehow believes she's been dating this guy and even got engaged to him without her even telling them about it. Her boss at work *calls her* to tell her she's getting time off to go be with her fiance. Heck she even gets free plane tickets and gifts to fly out there. Nobody will even listen to a word she has to say about not knowing this guy.
Once she finally gets out there and meets Rey the book gets a little bit more down to earth - but I still found myself having a difficult time of getting into it. Aside from the continued lack of realism throughout much of the book, I found myself feeling uncomfortable about the horrible situation Rey was in. The descriptions of the lack of limbs and difficulty in speaking definitely made me cringe - which I, admittedly, feel somewhat guilty about. Combine that with characters I had a hard time relating to or believing in and I was left off feeling like the book was just "ok."
I think if you're ok with some graphic scenes and are wanting to read about a soldier who finds someone to care for him despite those injures - you may like this book. I just couldn't get over the unrealistic progression of the relationship and the somewhat flat characters.
The unbelievable parts start from the moment that you're introduced to Grace (the main female character). She basically starts ridiculous getting calls from her work, friends, family, etc. Her family somehow believes she's been dating this guy and even got engaged to him without her even telling them about it. Her boss at work *calls her* to tell her she's getting time off to go be with her fiance. Heck she even gets free plane tickets and gifts to fly out there. Nobody will even listen to a word she has to say about not knowing this guy.
Once she finally gets out there and meets Rey the book gets a little bit more down to earth - but I still found myself having a difficult time of getting into it. Aside from the continued lack of realism throughout much of the book, I found myself feeling uncomfortable about the horrible situation Rey was in. The descriptions of the lack of limbs and difficulty in speaking definitely made me cringe - which I, admittedly, feel somewhat guilty about. Combine that with characters I had a hard time relating to or believing in and I was left off feeling like the book was just "ok."
I think if you're ok with some graphic scenes and are wanting to read about a soldier who finds someone to care for him despite those injures - you may like this book. I just couldn't get over the unrealistic progression of the relationship and the somewhat flat characters.
November 13, 2016
This was really good. Thank you, Angie, for putting this book on my radar.
January 16, 2023
Tanto potencial y siento que no estuvo aprovechado. 😔
November 3, 2014
I really enjoyed another of this author's book and particularly a few of the side characters so I was thrilled to death that she pointed out that she had written a new novella featuring one of them, Army Special Forces medic, Rey Cruz. This story focuses on Rey's come back after he is critically wounded in Afghanistan and must recover from a traumatic brain injury along with learning how to operate as a double leg amputee. Rey learns that life isn't over and there is a new bend in the road for him that offers a new adventure, a new romance and a new life.
The story opens with Rey and the others in his unit serving in Afghanistan. A kindness to a local powerful Afghan leads to him scrambling for a good reason why he can't accept the man's daughter in repayment. So Rey produces a picture of a girl from his high school. It seems like a harmless lie until it all blows up in his face, literally.
Marine biologist, Grace Kim, learns she has a fiance when her family gets wind of it through the news of her fiance being critically injured in a bomb blast and coming home a hero. Grace has no idea what any of them are talking about. She vaguely remembers the Cruz family from her small town home. It all has to be a mistake. She lets the assumptions lie about her status and heads to Walter Reed hospital where the one person who can explain all this is recovering.
Rey gets one glimpse of Grace Kim's grim expression and knows he needs to explain, but his words won't come. The doctors tell him that his condition has left him with a neurological thing called aphasia where his neurons tangle up the words so he can't get them out. Oddly, even when he is crabby at her, Grace stays by him for a week. Grace is nothing like he assumed and so much more than he could have imagined. He doesn't want to lose her in his life when her week-long visit ends. Grace is the one who figured out that he could still communicate through texting. She is his life line and so much more if he can just work hard and become worthy of her.
And so back home, Grace doesn't know what she's doing, but the appointment with Rey each night for them to exchange texts is the highlight of each day. Even out on one of her research cruises, she won't give this time with Rey up. He actually likes to hear her 'fishy' stories and all about her research and she loves it as he shares about his progress through therapy relearning so much and adjusting to his new circumstances. They take the next serious step when it is Grace that Rey asks to drive his muscle car home and share a road trip with him. Grace is afraid that she can't be strong enough to be with a man of special needs even though she has come to love Rey, but she sure wants to try.
This was an incredible story and I'm so glad to have read it. It puts so many things into perspective and reminds me of how much I have for which to be thankful. The author really did her homework. This story is told with authenticity and respect. Respect for both their ethnic cultures and for the world of a military vet with disabilities. I love the hopeful tone that tells the truth, but leaves room for a success story. My heart broke for Rey's roommate who lost his wife because she couldn't handle the drastic changes and I understood Grace's hesitation to go all in, admitting it was a weakness in her and not something lacking in Rey. The romance develops at a good pace. The beginning when Grace was so confused was pretty humorous and the difference in their personalities just added to the fun.
I loved the peek-in with the characters from First to Burn and I'm happy to learn there will be more from that series and another novella to follow-up on Rey and Grace. Though this has ties to the other book, it can be read as a standalone.
All in all, it was a good strong story and romance and I would recommend it for anyone who loves Contemporary Military Romance.
My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
The story opens with Rey and the others in his unit serving in Afghanistan. A kindness to a local powerful Afghan leads to him scrambling for a good reason why he can't accept the man's daughter in repayment. So Rey produces a picture of a girl from his high school. It seems like a harmless lie until it all blows up in his face, literally.
Marine biologist, Grace Kim, learns she has a fiance when her family gets wind of it through the news of her fiance being critically injured in a bomb blast and coming home a hero. Grace has no idea what any of them are talking about. She vaguely remembers the Cruz family from her small town home. It all has to be a mistake. She lets the assumptions lie about her status and heads to Walter Reed hospital where the one person who can explain all this is recovering.
Rey gets one glimpse of Grace Kim's grim expression and knows he needs to explain, but his words won't come. The doctors tell him that his condition has left him with a neurological thing called aphasia where his neurons tangle up the words so he can't get them out. Oddly, even when he is crabby at her, Grace stays by him for a week. Grace is nothing like he assumed and so much more than he could have imagined. He doesn't want to lose her in his life when her week-long visit ends. Grace is the one who figured out that he could still communicate through texting. She is his life line and so much more if he can just work hard and become worthy of her.
And so back home, Grace doesn't know what she's doing, but the appointment with Rey each night for them to exchange texts is the highlight of each day. Even out on one of her research cruises, she won't give this time with Rey up. He actually likes to hear her 'fishy' stories and all about her research and she loves it as he shares about his progress through therapy relearning so much and adjusting to his new circumstances. They take the next serious step when it is Grace that Rey asks to drive his muscle car home and share a road trip with him. Grace is afraid that she can't be strong enough to be with a man of special needs even though she has come to love Rey, but she sure wants to try.
This was an incredible story and I'm so glad to have read it. It puts so many things into perspective and reminds me of how much I have for which to be thankful. The author really did her homework. This story is told with authenticity and respect. Respect for both their ethnic cultures and for the world of a military vet with disabilities. I love the hopeful tone that tells the truth, but leaves room for a success story. My heart broke for Rey's roommate who lost his wife because she couldn't handle the drastic changes and I understood Grace's hesitation to go all in, admitting it was a weakness in her and not something lacking in Rey. The romance develops at a good pace. The beginning when Grace was so confused was pretty humorous and the difference in their personalities just added to the fun.
I loved the peek-in with the characters from First to Burn and I'm happy to learn there will be more from that series and another novella to follow-up on Rey and Grace. Though this has ties to the other book, it can be read as a standalone.
All in all, it was a good strong story and romance and I would recommend it for anyone who loves Contemporary Military Romance.
My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 4, 2015
What an amazing, moving, beautiful and realistic story.
To avoid an Afghan warlord’s matchmaking, Staff Sergeant Rey Cruz invents a fiancée he’ll never meet—until he’s flat on his back in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and marine biologist Grace Kim shows up with one question: why did you lie?
Rey had his legs blown off in Afghanistan while trying to save a young boy. He also has aphasia from a brain injury which affects his expressive communication. When Grace realizes she is the invented fiancée and the story goes public, she travels to the medical facility to meet Rey. From that point on events take a turn and a friendship develops between the two which eventually, with some time, turns into love.
My thoughts and feelings about this book; The author focused on Rey's abilities, as opposed to his disabilities. Rey was a strong character and didn't feel sorry for himself. He was always thinking about what he could do with his life after his injury. Grace was a strong, kind woman and never looked at Rey different because of his injury. The story was very realistic. It began with their hesitancy of each others feeling to their road trip across the country and Rey's speech difficulties. The ending was beautiful and a definite tear jerker. I highly recommend this book!!
To avoid an Afghan warlord’s matchmaking, Staff Sergeant Rey Cruz invents a fiancée he’ll never meet—until he’s flat on his back in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and marine biologist Grace Kim shows up with one question: why did you lie?
Rey had his legs blown off in Afghanistan while trying to save a young boy. He also has aphasia from a brain injury which affects his expressive communication. When Grace realizes she is the invented fiancée and the story goes public, she travels to the medical facility to meet Rey. From that point on events take a turn and a friendship develops between the two which eventually, with some time, turns into love.
My thoughts and feelings about this book; The author focused on Rey's abilities, as opposed to his disabilities. Rey was a strong character and didn't feel sorry for himself. He was always thinking about what he could do with his life after his injury. Grace was a strong, kind woman and never looked at Rey different because of his injury. The story was very realistic. It began with their hesitancy of each others feeling to their road trip across the country and Rey's speech difficulties. The ending was beautiful and a definite tear jerker. I highly recommend this book!!
February 18, 2016
I grabbed this because I saw on Twitter that it was just USD0.99. It's a sweet romance with an intriguing premise and I finished it fairly quickly. I liked both the characters and how straightforward they were with each other, there weren't any unnecessary drama between the two of them.
August 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! More thoughts to come after I have a chance to process a bit.
November 21, 2017
This was perfect, in every way possible. By far one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read. The writing felt flawless as I read it, describing two characters that felt real beyond the pages. There is a definite emotional story to tell here, and wow, what an incredible journey it was to be on.
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