Forged in Fire

Coming Home #8

by Jessica Scott

From USA Today bestselling author Jessica Scott, book three in her all new Homefront Series.

A warrior focused on war…

Captain Sal Bello wants nothing more than to train his men for their upcoming deployment. But life at home is far more complicated for many of his men. And Sal doesn’t know how to stop the unraveling within his formation. 

A warrior tested by combat...

First Sergeant Holly Washington has been baptized by fire and come out steel. She knows how to lead soldiers in combat and bring them safely home. 

As these two warriors clash over what it means to be a leader at home and at war, they'll cross the line between officer and enlisted. And the fallout could be more than either of them are prepared to face. 

Genres: Military Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Military Romance

268 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

Sign up for Jessica’s newsletter https://jessicascott.net/subscribe/

Jessica Scott Jessica Scott is a USA Today bestselling American author of more than 20 novels, including Because of You which launched Loveswepts Digital Imprint in 2011 as well as Homefront, and Before I Fall. She is an Army veteran, a veteran of the Iraq war, the mother of two daughters, a small zoo consisting of too many cats, dogs and the occasional domesticated rodent, and wife to a retired NCO.

Her novels comes from her personal experiences as a soldier, a mother, and an army wife and often explores themes of family, the legacy of war, challenges of military life, and includes contemporary military romances, psychological suspense, and nonfiction works.

Follow Jessica

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaScottAuthor
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She's also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Author photo courtesy of Buzz Covington Photography


Learn more at https://www.jessicascottbooks.com

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

The third book in the Homefront series, Forged in Fire is another classic Jessica Scott. There aren’t any more good things I can say; I have exhausted my vocabulary on how much I love Jessica Scott books. Jessica Scott writes what she knows; I love the insight of life on base and all the bull crap political stuff the characters (and inevitably real life soldiers) have to put up with.
Like in her other books, Sal and Holly fight to make things work. They have suffered so much that finding peace with each other just makes sense. One problem is that there are rules that could get them in trouble for being together. Another problem is favoritism is going on and people who should be discharged are being kept on because other people trust them in combat, even if the combat is breaking them emotionally. One other thing that this book touches base with is abuse; Holly believes one of Sal’s soldiers is physically abusing one of her female soldiers. One tangled web of deceit and lies has Sal and Holly working together after a rocky start. Holly is brought in to help get things straighten out in their unit, after a bad experience she never wanted to get involved with another soldier again but in walks Sal all sexy and alpha. Sal and Holly bump heads on how they should lead and train their soldiers, not every soldier is so easily trained by yelling at them and insulting them. The attraction is there and they are both willing to risk their careers to be together. Sal sees Holly for who she really is and admires her strength and commitment to her troops. Holly gets over thinking Sal is caveman-ish and sees that he really does care about his troops and he needs to learn how to do that even if it means knowing when to let go.
Overall, this is an emotional story with the right amount of humor to lighten the mood of the books so it’s not all gloom and doom. Romance as usual fits right in and is cohesive with the story line. I must apologize to Jessica Scott, because I am lucky enough to be able to get an ARC from her and I am so late in getting this review out. It was released the end of June and here it is two months later. I am usually more prompt than this and I’m sorry.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

How could I resist when this book became available for review? It's no secret that I love Scott's books; they're passionate, emotional, and provocative.

"Forged in Fire" is another solid entry in Scott's Homefront series. Unlike the other books in this series, it's not a second chance romance; Holly and Sal have not been involved before. Like her other books, Sal and Holly start out at odds. Also like her other books, there are personnel problems within the unit, the officer in charge, in this case Sal, is blind to certain problems due to his loyalty or affection for one of the men under his command, and the higher ups are uncooperative. There's nothing new here, Scott doesn't break new ground, but sticks to her formula. As always her writing is compelling and entertaining. She intertwines a romance with serious military issues, giving us several stories in one.

Sal just wants to get his men ready for war but his unit is a mess - arrests, drugs, poor performance, etc. Holly is brought in as First Sergeant to oversee Sal's unit and another one. They disagree frequently and vociferously, and Sal goes nuts when Holly acts impulsively, or simply not as carefully as he'd like, and puts herself at risk. He conveniently arrives on multiple occasions in time to step in and save her or help her. After the second or third time, I had the thought that A) this was happening too often, it was too convenient, and B) if he wasn't careful he would undermine her authority.

Holly and Sal, in addition to their work problems, have personal baggage and the complication that fraternization is frowned upon. As their professional respect for each other grows and they break through their respective emotional walls, their attraction also grows. Holly and Sal are both smart-mouthed and impulsive and neither one likes to back down. Sal is serious, rarely cracking a smile or showing much humor while Holly is sarcastic and quick to crack a joke. She delights in poking at Sal, trying to get him to smile or laugh. He does have a sense of humor but is super-serious and focused. I loved watching them come together and slowly letting the other in. Holly, due to a traumatic past relationship, is reluctant to trust but Sal just keeps coming and pushing until she lets him in. When they come together, it's explosive.

"Forged in Fire" delivers a touching romance, an emotional subplot about domestic abuse and drugs, and kept me reading right through until the end. It's not one of my favorites by Scott but it's still a good, solid story that will entertain and educate.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this, I still get really confused - is everyone in this series a sergeant, what are the different ranks, who reports to whom, etc but it didn't matter so much (although, as an aside, I would really appreciate it if Jessica Scott included an Idiot's Guide to the ranks and reporting lines).

Holly is new to Fort Hood, an experienced sergeant with a sassy mouth and a tendency to make a joke about everything she has been brought in by (Seargeant?) Cox to bring some much needed discipline and structure to a group which is spiralling out of control. Holly is living with her own demons relating to her past and Korea which she masks with her sarcasm.

Captain Sal Bello has become lost in the grip of war, all he thinks about is preparing his men for war and shooting bad guys - everything else is irrelevant and a waste of time. At first Holly's caustic comments about the men under his command and her insistence on following procedure irritate him, but soon her observations start to hit home.

Soon Holly and Sal are embroiled in an odd triangle of misbehaving privates, NCOs and sergeants, violence simmers just under the surface and Holly struggles to impress upon all of the senior officers the dangers of the situation.

This was probably my favourite book of the three. Holly was such a fantastic character, strong, feisty in a balls-to-the-wall kind of way, quick to jump into a fight and totally committed to her job. Sure there was inappropriate behaviour between Holly and Sal, but for the most part that consisted of a hot kiss behind closed office doors.

Sal grew on me, at first I was wholly prepared to dislike him but he soon softened and became a wonderful character who really appreciated the best of Holly and was there for her when the worst was revealed.

This series, despite the obligatory HEAs, is not a light and bright series, it highlights the difficulties faced by soldiers outside the theatre of war, the way in which the military fails to act when soldiers are injured, mentally scarred or just acting inappropriately. It's gritty and a little shocking and totally addictive.

[Luisa Rivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, it was awesome! This was a great couple. I know I said that I loved Gale Sorren and Melanie, and then I loved Sean Nichols and Sarah, and now I love Sal Bello and Holly. How to choose a favorite? Impossible! Each couple had their charms and great moments, and each book had an important message about the ravages war wreaks upon the soldiers that come back. In this book, we have men who are excellent warriors but their value is debatable in the face of domestic violence. We also see the double standard for women in the military. It is frustrating to see the importance given to prepare a soldier to fight but not enough is given to prepare him to live a good life.

Sal was such a soldier. His focus and priority is getting ready to go downrange. Holly's is to do what needs to be done for the human beings in her charge. She's so feisty and brave. Sometimes foolhardy and too lippy in the face of her superiors. She reminds me of Vic Carponti in her irreverence. She humanized Sal Bello and he broke through her barriers and liberated her from her emotional chains. Great couple, great reading.

Again, like in previous books, I get lost in a lot of military jargon, but found some explanations and ignored others, since they don't detract from the story. Totally recommend!

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometime u read books because u want to escape the real world, falling into somewhere not full of sad, hard truth n ugly world, especially when u read romance books.

Too real, I did know sexual discrimination in the working environment, not only in army, but the author just pictured them in words. I don't want to know it in deep because we r doing living everyday. Too real it's hurt.

I do know soldiers had their problems because they have been seen the hell during their service, no need to emphasis them, because we all knew it.

As the reader, we just want something lose ourself, let we stay in the different world, it's good if the world is sexy, funny, love n not too hard n too realistic.

The third book give me too 'real', I can't say I dislike it but, it's too real that not my original intention to read it.

[Denise Agnew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Scott is always on my auto buy list. I can count on her gritty stories to tell it like it is, and I love that about her stories. As the wife of a retired army officer I've heard a lot and experienced a lot of military life. Jessica gets to the bone, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Although her Homefront series is indeed a series, I never feel like I'm reading the same story with only character names changed. Each hero and heroine have unique battles to face in career, life and love. Bravo Jessica. Keep up the great work.

[Me Like Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal ‘Last One Home’ soundtrack: Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Human Touch’.

Loved it. Loved Sal Bello and his sandpaper exterior hiding a lifetime of hurt. Loved Holly Washington’s sarcasm and spitfire personality. Classic enemies-to-lovers trope in which two warriors as unlikely lovers share souls that have been wounded as casualties of war and life and are compelled to each other like, well, quite frankly, moths to a flame that quickly grows into a fire that consumes them both, burning away the darkness as the light leaves behind two hearts clean and whole, like a phoenix from the ashes...

Ya get the picture.

*cheesy grin*

Seriously, this was a very emotional and well written book that I enjoyed reading.

Still don’t understand all the military jargon and ranking system. I just made things fun by turning words into double entendres:

Judging by the size of his gun, he must be able to shoot some spectacular rounds with those bullets.

As the one in charge, her rear detachment was in perfect formation.

Holly must’ve rubbed off on me, or as she said to Sal at the end of the book, “I’ll rub something all right.”

Hooah!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good until it just…ended.

Once again, Jessica Scott tells a wonderful story of the sometimes unknown struggles faced by men and women in our armed forces. It’s not always pretty but it is real. I immediately liked Holly. She a survivor. What I didn’t like was the way the story just abruptly ends. I mean I need some HEA here. Maybe that’s just not how it works in the military, but that’s how romance books should work IMO. All in all, though, great read.

[Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Scott knows, and lives, the military life. Her stories are always very realistic. She has the knack of immediately getting us deep into the characters. This whole series is very good. Even though the story ended rather abruptly, I knew Sal & Holly would be ok.

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Previously published as “Find My Way Home”.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 25% not feeling it.

[Michel Reinhard (Saucy Southern Readers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forged In Fire by Jessica Scott is the final book in the Homefront series. Once again she has written another heart felt story about today's modern army and the officers employed by the Army. These men and women have dedicated their lives and careers to their country. Their jobs go beyond being a soldier and warrior. They probably have the most difficult kind of job in the management field. Their jobs are beyond battle plans and war strategies. They are managing people. People that come from all walks of life and experiences. Not only are they dealing with their individual personalities, they have to make these people come together and work as one unit. They also have to deal with issues that most work organizations don't have to deal with. There is drug abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic problems, and psychological problems including PTSD. There is a trail of paperwork that they have to document for each soldier. They have to keep their i's dotted and t's crossed. They have to do this in triplicate for legality purposes. At the same time they have to prepare these individuals for the warfront or get them out of the Army.

Throughout the Homefront series and the Coming Home series, Jessica Scott has approached different issues in today's Army. She does not shy away from the truths or sugar coat the ugly realities. At the same time she brings two unlikely people together to find love. It makes their world a bit brighter and easier to cope with. It gives these people a home life that makes all of their sacrifices worth it.

Forged In Fire brings a war hardened Captain and dedicated First Sergeant together. They have both experienced the ugly side of war. They have both experienced some ugly issues on the home front. The difference is on how they choose to cope and how they deal with their unit. When a serious case of domestic abuse and a secretive love triangle begin to disrupt their unit they will have to band together to find the truth. They will have to weigh their moral stance against their military stance. They may lose good soldiers with war experience or they may end up with soldiers that can't handle the warfront any better than the home front.

I really liked this installment of the Homefront Series. Not only did Jessica Scott deliver strong solid characters, she allowed them both to have vulnerabilities. She also emphasized that life is not black and white, every coin has another side, and every road has a curve. Once again she gave the reader a fantastic book that was educational, romantic, and interesting. A soldier doesn't have to be a warrior all the time. A soldier is an ordinary man or woman with ordinary feelings.

Well done Jessica Scott.

Forged In Fire can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order. I highly recommend this book and series.

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

4.5 stars

Crossing the line into a taboo relationship while partnering up in an internal investigation isn’t the smartest thing she’s done, but First Sergeant Holly Washington’s taking a chance with sexy Captain Sal Bello in a scorching new Homefront novel from Jessica Scott! This series is always unforgettable, and for me provides a lot of insight into soldier’s inner lives. Forged in Fire is no exception, with Sal and Holly proving two sides of the coin in the way they view how to train soldiers for battle while at home. Interesting conundrum and totally appropriate to right now.

Captain Sal Bello is annoyed at how the leadership at Fort Hood are hassling him with petty things like reports and minor behavioral concerns while he’s stationed with his men there. They really need to know how to shoot and do the things they’ll be doing when they’re overseas, but they can’t even get their paperwork straightened out to get enough ammo to do a proper shooting practice. All this petty bull$hit is driving him crazy and his men are acting up with all this time on their hands. Supposedly First Sergeant Delgado is taking care of all that stuff so that he can spend his time preparing his men. But what if Delgado isn’t?

Holly Washington knows first-hand what happens when the military ignores its soldier’s bad behavior. Maybe tough men are needed on the battlefield and certain things are overlooked–but at what cost? Domestic violence is domestic violence, no matter how good the soldier. Wanting a hard-a$$ on the battlefield doesn’t necessarily mean looking aside when that behavior goes beyond legal and moral limits. Holly had paid a physical and professional price in her previous marriage; and watching it play out at Fort Hood was making her rehash it all over again. Investigating a possible abuse situation between two men in Sal’s unit and a woman in hers made her bump heads with Sal and Delgado. Someone seemed to be covering things up–was it Sal or Delgado?

As Holly and Sal work together to solve the mystery surrounding the three soldiers, feelings become involved. What is taboo quickly becomes necessary as feelings build into lust then love. How difficult will it be to conceal their affair while investigating one that went horribly wrong?

As always, Jessica Scott’s spare writing style suits the military plot line she writes about perfectly, the prose precise and driven, playing out across the page in stark relief to the soft emotions that are always hidden under the surface. These soldiers are human; brutally flawed, damaged, yet powerfully healed by love. Sal and Holly both had strong character development, especially as Sal came to the realization that these men were also people under his care, not just weapons. Wonderful character story about the dangers to the soul of a soldier, and the trust that’s placed in leaders to protect that. Thanks JS!

[Philippa Lodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little conflicted on how to rate this one.

Since I'm not closely associated with the US military, I'm a bit shaky on who reports to whom and the complicated relationships among different ranks and positions. The first 1/4 or so of the book was a slog with Holly sassing and Sal being cranky. NCOs and Sarn't Major and a Sarn't and First Sarn't and so on. Even after I figured out basically who was supposed to be doing what, I still felt it was boiling over with characters, most of them angry.

I also wasn't convinced the innate conflict of an officer having and affair with a non-officer was solved, except that their commander said he would pretend he didn't see anything.

I also felt this could have used a pickier editor, because sometimes it read like one paragraph was doubling back and repeating the one before. And the commander had already told Holly he wasn't going to see anything, but Sal had to have a separate conversation with him and there's no mention that they both knew this at separate times. I think?

And did they ever explain what had happened as a result of the prologue when Sal, Delgado, and Baggins defied orders to try to get back a couple of soldiers who had been grabbed by the enemy? Except as a bonding moment for the three men?

Still, I always enjoy Jessica Scott's books, as they tear my heart out while making me laugh and I always have a crush on the leading man by the end. This one was no different in that regard.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Ending to the Homefront Series

I've loved each and every one of Jessica Scott's books in the Homefront series. I wish there were more, but understand that all good things must come to an end. Sal Bello and Holly Washington met in the most unlikely circumstances when both of their soldiers are arrested because of a former violence incident. They both try to smooth things over, but Holly was once a victim herself while stationed in Korea by her late husband. But his unit covered up the incidents so that he was still deployable.

Our men and women in the military have given everything, so we are safe from the war going on for the last 14 years, but some return needing help to cope from what they saw while serving. The cost of war is very high for those who do return and those who watched a friend die. Hopefully, we can help just one person with this book understand it's okay to ask for help so that they can survive the hardships of war. If we can, then perhaps that one person will in turn help another one of their fellow soldiers. Ms Scott has a gift with touching on the issues that our military face each day. Bravo on writing a superb series and hopefully there will be more books like this, it's that fantastic.

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, Forged in Fire is my absolute favorite book by Jessica Scott. I loved Holly and Sal and their entire story. It wasn't pretty, but it's the Army so you can't expect that. They were both so layered and well thought out that I could easily picture them in my head and really root for them.

Forged in Fire deals with First Sergeant Holly Washington and Captain Sal Bello. They both work at Fort Hood and Holly is under Sal's command. His outfit is in rough shape. The whole command staff has been replaced since the prior one was thrown out for a variety of reasons...including those of the illegal variety. Holly is brought in to help them out since she had worked with the Sergeant Major previously. Sparks fly between Holly and Sal from their first meeting. Neither is used to having someone to lean on and have some adjustments to make in order to have things between them work out. Plus, they've got their hands full with some soldiers who just can't (won't) behave.

I was hooked from the beginning and wasn't able to put it down until I was finished.

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

**more at melenasreviews.wordpress.com**

Once again Jessica Scott has brought us back to Ft. Hood showing us no matter who you are the Army will toughen you up no matter female or male. I loved Holly Washington and her fierce attitude in this book. She is not your usual Jessica Scott heroines for this woman kicks ass not letting any man tell her what to do. She may seem weak when it comes to his kisses and touches but beneath this woman is a warrior ready to pounce. Now Bello is just trying to do anything he can to get back into the fighting with his fellow soldiers. He`s got a past like Holly that still has a hold on him and just wants to forget it. I love how no matter who it is Jessica Scott in some ways shows us two sides of her characters. One where they are strong yet the other that shows a little bit of vulnerability. For Bello it seems something small yet with Holly it is something that makes her see what is really important. Like I said before Jessica Scott has a way of writing from experience yet putting in a remarkable brand of imagination to her soldiers. I loved it and definitely a story you want to read.

[Anima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarcasm is sexy and scary all in one. Holly is built from sarcasm and jokes, making light of every situation so the scary stuff doesn't get to her. All her time in the military she has seen and been a victim of terrible things. She's tough and smart and talks to other officers anyway she wants. I do not come from a military background and was quite shocked at the manner that she spoke, it was funny but she was hiding behind it. Sal is the typical military guy, big and scary. He's got a one track mind leading his men but he's not seeing the big picture, until Holly showed him. A few people are in a constant storm of crap and somehow Holly and Sal are trying to solve it. The romance between these two is like dynamite but the mystery of the staff issues was just as interesting. The story flows incredibly well, and not knowing some of the jargon didn't take away from their situation. Scott gives these couples, in all her books, a real life. We can put them on pedestals as heroes but they need us, as a country, to help them cope with the world again. Thank you to Ms. Scott for my review copy so I could leave my honest review.

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved every one of Jessica Scott’s fiction books and this one is no exception. I was sorry to learn that this will be the last one in the Homefront series, set at Fort Hood. Each one of the stories in this series is moving and has my emotions all over the place. I love a good story that can make me feel what the characters are feeling and going through.

Holly is a strong leader and she uses humor and sarcasm to hide the scars she has from past personal trauma. Sal feels much more comfortable when he’s at war and being back at Fort Hood doesn’t really sit well with him. It doesn’t help that Diablo Company has major problems with a lot of turnover in personnel.

Holly and Sal don’t get off on the best foot but that just makes the story more interesting. How they overcome their differences and get to their HEA is a compelling story that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning.

This story is part of a series but can also be read as a standalone story. While I’m sorry to see this series end, I know that Jessica has a lot more stories to tell and I can’t wait until she writes them.

[Julie Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have really enjoyed this series, its been an interesting story with both leads being two very independent people, with great strengths plus weaknesses both were trying to hide.

It was great to read where couples have an instant attraction, but do not dive straight into the lovey dovey stuff.

Sal & Holly, both felt the attraction to each other, and whilst it was a forbidden union, due to their ranks within the army, when love knocks on your door, you can try and ignore it but it doesn't go away.

As soldiers they both did fantastic jobs, although Holly had a more calming no nonsense approach over Sal.

I loved their banter, and how they both 'got' each other but also how they both just did their jobs.

Holly had a tougher job for being accepted, she always seemed to have to prove her worth as a Soldier ad now as an officer.

Jessica's stories are not just about strong Alpha males all consuming and controlling, but she also brings out both the guys and ladies softer sympathetic sides and their vulnerable sides too.

I think Sal and Holly were great together, and hope that we get to know more about them in future books?

[Jimnlori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What can I say? Jessica Scott can really make you stand up and take notice when she is writing about the tough things that our Military and their families have to deal with.
I have enjoyed her military romances from the beginning, but few stand out more than some of the others and this is one of them.
Captain Sal Bello is just trying to get his men ready for their next tour, but he has his hands tied with chain of command, paperwork and his men don't do well back home and have found trouble from day one.
Holly Washington is brought in to help iron out the problems and help get them all ready for their next tour, hopefully with very little complications.
Sal and Holly don't always see eye to eye dealing with complications and work issues, but their attraction for one another is definitely going in the same direction. Their relationship is frowned upon in the Military, but they find their relationship goes beyond attraction to friendship and support. They find healing in each other.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this story is fiction it explores the horrors of war and the physical, psychological, and emotional damage our service members face when they return stateside. The never ending responsibilities of military command is both evocative and beautifully written especially as told through Sal and Holly’s personal tragedy. I loved Holly’s dedication to her soldiers, her problem solving skills, and the irreverent sarcasm she uses to deal with the demons she tries so hard to bury. I loved Sal’s transformation from dominant and pragmatic combat warrior to an empathetic leader as this story also explores the horrors of domestic violence and the patriarchal attitudes that excoriate women for the sins of their psychologically damaged partners. I swooned at the emotional intensity that builds between Sal and Holly as they struggle with their personal demons and their stress filled jobs within a system that eschews emotional vulnerability. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Jessica Scott’s brilliantly evocative storytelling and the humanity of her appealing characters.

[Tina Hobbs Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly is, by far, my favorite Jessica Scott heroine! I'm sure it's her sarcastic nature and her tough exterior that draws me the most. Sal Bello is the perfect counter part for Holly Washington. He seems set in his ways, but finds that he can learn a lot from Holly's ability to see things that Sal hasn't let himself see, within his troops and within himself.

I always love Jessica Scott's telling of things I really know nothing about. The war and the things military people have to deal with on a daily basis in their lives. It is eye opening to me and I honestly love the candor in which she shares the things I know she has seen and lived.

But, I don't want to forget the "romance" part of this book! She never lets me down on that aspect! The love is great and sex is hot! Love this book and this series!

[Kathy Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forged in Fire

A fantastic read. Sal and Holly are both fighting their own demons. Suddenly three soldiers pull them together. They're breaking army rules regarding enlisted and officer fraternization. But the attraction is too strong. Can they learn how to love while dealing with their pasts and the conflict of three soldiers who are tied up with each other? Grab a copy of Forged in Fire and discover the story. After that if you haven't read Jessica's other books, grab them and discover an awesome author.

[Melody Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book felt a bit rushed and could have used a real editor, it does not take away from the impact of the story. This was a trip down memory lane for me with the endless meetings, endless paperwork and constant problems with the enlisted personnel. A woman in "This Man's Army" has a lot to deal with and Jessica lays it out in detail. Capt. Bello is wonderfully written and if you should ever find a man capable of actually seeing you, hang on for life. Holly is wonderfully strong and guilt riddled. Very hot and sweet and now I have to read the other ones in this series!

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a Jessica Scott novel I haven't liked. This one's heroine excels at her job. She's snarky. Uses humor to keep a protective bubble around her. She's fearless. The hero is a good guy who hates paperwork and all the regulatory stuff that is necessary but keeps you from the important stuff. He's trying to be the best man he can. He has a short temper. I enjoyed them both and their story.

[Danielle Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Scott never disappoints when she writes a book. The reality of war and what it does to people is agonizing. She creates a story and characters who have struggled but learn to overcome what has happened to them at war and their past. I laughed, I cried and at times wanted to strangle a few characters. Be sure to check her out.

[Sherry Bohrmueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this from the author for an honest review.
Forged by Fire was an excellent read!! I loved Holly and Sals story. Their life wasn't easy at all, but they took what they could. It was heartwarming and very moving. Love this series. Highly recommend reading these books.

[Joan Onderko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms Scott has strong men and strong woman in her books. But they must be strong to lead men and woman in the military especially in times of deployments to war zones. Ms Scott's book never let me down. I love them and look forward to many more.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forged in Fire is the next in the Homefront Series. It deals with trying to get men and women ready to deploy and trying to fix the soldiers who came home and don't know how to deal with it. Another compelling g story by Jessica Scott. Full review to follow.