I can't even begin to explain how HARD this book was to read, but I dug my heels in and read it anyway, knowing that I trust Megan Green not to break my heart into a thousand pieces without putting it back together again. I only found it so tough because the content at the beginning is so hard to face for so many people, people in my own life. This book is the third in a series (but can be read as a stand alone), and I just adore Megan Green and her beautiful way of telling such a heart wrenching, beautiful, second chance at love, story.
Character development is always a huge thing I look for in a novel, especially when reading books that touch on such hard subjects. I truly enjoyed seeing Nichole grow as a character, and I didn't find it very hard to see why she stayed married to a man who just couldn't appreciate all that she is. I liked all of the evidence included that allowed me to see what kind of man James really is. It was nice to see her learn to be brave, and to realize that she does deserve better than what she's been forcing herself to live with. The little snippets of the past are so hard to read. I also really loved her relationship with Cade, and I'm glad to know that her feelings towards his Daddy didn't hinder how she parented him. I promise, none of this spoils anything, you read this pretty much in chapter one. It's a huge part of building Nichole as a character.
"While mothers are teaching their kids the ABCs and 123s, I've been teaching mine what to do while his father beats the shit out of his mother."
Now Joey, who we'd met in a previous story, is a man's man. And coming home from serving in the military wasn't an easy transition for him. It was nice to see him again since we first met him in Soldier's Heart (book 2 in the Wounded Love series), it's a complete full circle to see this serious side of him, and even the vulnerable side when it comes to seeing Nichole again after so many years.
"There's something special about your parents not just loving each other, but actually liking each other as well. My parents were each other's best friend. There wasn't a single thing they weren't able to get through together. And I wanted a love just like theirs."
Joey and Nichole met back in their early childhood, dated as teenagers and were the best of friends... things took a turn when they couldn't survive Joey's decision to join the military... Now he's back years later, after an injury. Can they find love with each other again?
This book will forever stick with me, it's one of the best ones I've read this year... right up there with the first two in the series which I'd read earlier this year. This book is a second chance romance, one of the best I've ever read. You should truly give it a chance, you won't regret it. I actually liked this one a lot because it had a little less of the military in it - I'm not from that way of living so I can't really relate to it very well. I love Joey and Nicole, and you will too.