In more than five years together, Marines Cameron Warren and Sharon Rodriguez have weathered every challenge thrown at their relationship — including "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
But the world changed on September 11, leaving Cam to face civilian life on her own while Sharon deploys to Iraq.
For seven months, Cam reluctantly faces new challenges: making new friends, supporting those left behind, and realizing for the first time that she’s autistic. Life is hard, but everything returns to normal when Sharon comes home. Right?
A Marine Discovery is the last book of the trilogy that has Cam as the leading character. Cam is finally done with the Marine Corps and moves on to a new chapter in her life – college. At the same time, deployment takes Sharon and their friends away to Iraq, so Cam learns to adapt to the new normal as a student and a Marine’s wife.
A Marine Awakening was romance-driven with Cam and Sharon spending literally every moment together. And while I loved them together all the time, I’m excited to see Cam blossoming six years later. A life without Sharon in it for seven months forces Cam out of her shell. She develops her own routine, makes new friends and grows into her own. Cam also learns a lot about herself, discovering that she’s on the autism spectrum and finally able to put a name to her quirks.
I love how this book gives a voice to military spouses and families who struggle with deployment. It brings out the worries of loved ones, the added complication of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and also the reintegration of deployed troops back into society. Cam supports Sharon with all her heart but at the same time, her fears play out and she repeatedly reminds Sharon not to be a hero. I understand how Cam feels, which is why I love that she has a sort of support system going on back home - The parents and in-laws who check in on Cam and Cam who helps the loved ones of her friends when the going gets tough.
I know this isn’t the last we would hear of the characters because Mags and Lane’s book is next. And while I’m excited to read their story, I’m sad to have Cam and Sharon relegated to the background. They have really grown on me. Sarah too. And since Sarah isn’t likely going to have her threesome, what about a story for her?
I received a copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Is it a hard thing to do or is it something unchangeable? That’s the question that Cam Warren asks herself throughout this book and it’s such a potent query.
In A Marine Awakening, she meets her soulmate, Sharon Rodriguez in the Marine Corp during the time of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell but they make the relationship work in spite of the stifling policy. Six years later, in the sequel, they’re flourishing as a couple but their lives have hit a crossroads. Sharon is in the military for the long haul but Cam has decided to leave the Marines and return to college. This is a momentous decision that could potentially cause a rift between them. When Sharon’s unit deploys to Iraq, the separation triggers doubts and fears but unexpectedly, also allows them to grow as individuals.
It’s during this time that Cam is finally able to put a name to what she has always felt within herself, what fixed her apart from other people, the struggle to make eye contact, the inability to gauge social cues, a lack of emotional reciprocity, what might be difficult to alter vs. what is hard wired in her behavior. For Cam, the new self-knowledge about autism resets everything.
Discovery has intense moments but there’s also a lot of joy and humor. Cam and Sharon are one of my favorite young couples in fiction. The secondary characters are warm and genuine. I recommend that you at least read A Marine Awakening before this one. Lastly, Marines are hot and there are plenty of steamy scenes to prove it.
Loved this 3rd book in the series, really brings home the evil of “Don’t ask, Don’t tell.” Caught up with the characters & loved the slow play out of life. Recommended.
This is a great book by Jax Meyer, delving into the life of a marine who’s now living as a civilian, feeling lost w/her gf Sharon who stayed in the marines while Cam got out to attend school and to be true to herself (she was getting tired of hiding due to DADT). While learning to live alone (as Sharon was deployed), Cam learns more about herself and her quirks after attending a seminar. Along the way Cam makes new friends outside the military and learns to cope as a civilian. But that isn’t Cams only “discovery”, when Sharon returns home, the two have to discover how to merge their new lives together. I enjoyed this for a sneak peek into the lives of service members and it’s insights into the autism spectrum. Can be read as part of the series, this is book 3, but it can also be read as a stand alone (I haven’t read the previous two books and it was easy to follow along).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am completely smitten with Cam and her story. As much as Sharon was present and as much as I love her fierce feistiness, Cam won my heart.
Meyer's did a great job showing us the ups and downs of being in a relationship with someone who is in the military. Fortunately, Cam being freshly out, she could relate better to what Sharon was going through. The interesting part was that Sharon was like a fish out of water when it came to Cam's new way of life, the civilian life. Having to assimilate to Cam's new life with added ptsd and worry of her own career, Sharon didn't exactly have it easy when she returned. A part of me felt for her, but my love for Cam had me feeling irritated toward Sharon's agitation. What can I say, I felt protective toward Cam.
I feared the story would have been dull without Sharon physically there while she was deployed, but Meyer's captured my attention as we watched Cam maneuver her way through every day normal life where eventually she learned that she might be autistic. The process Cam went through to breakdown why she thought a certain way, why she acted this way or that, why all her life she felt slightly odd and like an outcast was eye-opening and rather entertaining. I learned a few things along the way, and to be honest, there were a few of Cam's traits that I have, myself. I adored the way Cam sometimes just burst out whatever she was feeling, then quickly realized her actions and withdrew herself almost as if she were ashamed. It was cute, but kind of heartbreaking at the same time that she felt she needed to hide her true feelings. I admit, I teared up and choked back a few sobs several times throughout the story, some were happy sobs, some not so much. Every now and again, my mind would wander back to Dal Segno and I would get blurry eyed, knowing the outcome of Sharon and Cam; I quickly reined myself in just so I could continue reading.
The intimacy between these two was always hot with an underlying tenderness that spoke volumes as to how much they were in love with each other. My favourite intimate moment was in the dirt at the cabin, refreshing and sizzling.
Another genuine 5 star read which met my expectations. When we first met Cam Warren in Dal Segno she was a woman approaching 40, taking time out to evaluate what was next for her in life. This book is the link between Dal Segno and A Marine Awakening, and we get to meet Cam and Sharon 5 years into their relationship, still very much together, but heading on different career paths. Sharon is the lifelong marine, whilst Cam has made the decision not to re-enlist, but instead plans to become a civilian and go to college.
Cam has to break out of her comfort zone when she starts classes and makes a friend who is even more painfully shy than she is, which only serves to demonstrate how much awareness and understanding Cam does possess. She shows a lot of personal growth in this book and I can see the author laying down the foundations of the Cam we first meet in Dal Segno. Despite the circumstances of her partner's deployment and the stress this brings, I'm so proud of Cam and the way she becomes the rock for other characters in the book and builds her personal resilience.
This book has filled in some blanks for me, Sharon’s deployment giving Cam the strength to take a sabbatical later in life and open herself to love again. The character development of Cam is a particular strength in this book in my opinion. In reading this series I feel like I've gained good friends in Cam and Sharon, and the author has really made me care about them. Mission accomplished Jax!
Excellent sequel to A Marine Awakens and Dal Segno. Meyer has the ability to make you feel as if you the reader is inside Cams brain as she battles with the understanding of her own psyche. Cam in this story gets to know herself without the presence of her lover who has been deployed to Iraq. Via a chance meeting with a psychology lecturer she discovers that she is on the autism spectrum. By knowing this she is finally able to live and love herself. When the lovers reunite they find initially that they are out of sync but as they remember what they had and what they have learned in the time apart they reconnect. I did not know much about autism before reading this series of Meyer’s but now I have an insight as to what it means and how it affects the individual and their loved ones. This is a great read and I recommend it wholeheartedly. Read all of them you will not be disappointed but prepare to have tissues handy.
This is the last book in this series. I only wish the author had written them in reverse order so I wouldn’t have known the future of the two MCs. It was hard to share in the joy this couple found in this story knowing what happens in later years. Thanks to this series I certainly have a greater understanding of the impacts anti gay policy had on women in the US military. I also have a better sense generally of women in the service, how they lived, the effects on family at home, and the integrity they bring to their Patriotic commitment. Thanks Jax, a job will done!
This book not only shows how deeply connected Cam and Sharon are but how Cam found herself. As children we are taught right from wrong...Good from bad...and by extension what is normal as opposed to not normal. Parents raise children according to how they were raised and with the expectations of not pissing off society by teaching what society deems as normal. As adults we try to navigate life biased on what we learned growing up. It's when we leave the comfort of our circle that we start to understand that normal to an individual is not to be defined by society but to be defined by the individual. I love that about Cams journey and having a partner who from day one recognize how unique and special she is was the icing on the cake. This book is more than just a connecting of the last two books....This book is an understanding that being different does not mean one is not normal, but that we are all special in our differences and that is what makes us all normal. If of course normal is an actual thing.
I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. Keep writing Jax you are very good at it.
If you’ve read book one in the series, Dal Segno, then you know Cam will eventually be without Sharon. Book two in the series tells how they fell in love and follows their lives through growing together amidst DADT. Book three expands on their lives through Sharon’s deployment to Iraq and Cams departure from the Marines and on to college. I fell in love with their characters. I know book one explains Sharon’s death, but in my heart she didn’t die. Since it’s fiction anyway, I have made a different HEA in my mind. Book four is about supporting characters that are in book two and three, Mags (Gunny) and Lane. Which is a great read. Cam and Sharon show up a bit through out the book. I don’t think I can bring myself to read book five in the series, although it has not been published yet. It will only solidify Sharon’s death, of which did not happen in my mind. I want Sharon and Cam’s love story to continue on to old age. With all the heartbreak in the world, I read to lift my spirits. Therefore, I do not want to read about more gut wrenching heartbreak, even though I know death is a part of living.
Wow I rarely write reviews but I usually do it for books that go in my reread pile. Hat off to Jax Meyer they did a fantastic job with this sequel. I rarely find a series that gets better with each book but this very much fits the bill. Also the title is very on point and there is romance I personally think that is not the focus point of the story. It's more a self discovery and how you overcome obstacles that life throws at you. Also normally I don't like how a story is told from the POV of only one main but in this case Meyer portrayed very well what Sharon was feeling as well
Side note: I also have the luck of finding about this author right before they published their second book so I get to see how their wring has evolved. Jax Meyer is one of those whose writing gets better with each book. Can't wait for her next novel.
The last book on Cam's story had me crying from time to time thru out the book. It was a very emotional book with Sharon's deployment, Cam dealing with civilian's life after 6 years of being a Marine and having Sharon with her at every minute of the day.
You can really know for a moment what hurtful policies can do to ppl that want to serve their country. We saw it after Sharon came back from Iraq and how difficult it was for both Cam and Sharon to go back to where they were before deployment.
I love their relationship because no matter how hard it gets, they went through it thanks to their love and communication, even when Cam explained to Sharon about her autism.
If you haven't read A Marine's Heart series, I highly recommend it, you won't get dissapointed. And even Cam and Sharon's story came to an end with this book, the series will continued with 2 more spin-off books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Waiting to read the third book of this story was a great pleasure and enlightenment.Cam is leaving the Marines and going to college while Sharon finds out the unit is been deployed for seven months. They promise to write to each other and still love each other. The story mainly revolves around Cam. Can keeps in touch with Marcus wife and daughter She also makes new friends. Not going to. give much away because it wouldn't be fair. This flows from the start to the end. Have enjoyed reading each book and getting to know the characters again. What I will say is that Jax Meyer did a brilliant job writing this and cannot wait for the next book.. Highly recommend this on. If you have read the first two books then you will enjoy this one too. 5** STARS.
Jax Meyer continues to wow me with her heartfelt story. I served in the military in the 70s and 80s and we didn't have any protection except each other so reading this series that took place in the last 20 years really touched some hidden parts. If I didn't know better I would have thought Jax was looking over my shoulder from some time machine. I was in my fifties before anyone recognized that I was on the spectrum and my odd behavior was not just my weirdness.
This series should be read by any woman concerned with supporting their partner/friends if they are a Veteran or have unique behaviors or both. The stories are heart warming and romantic but they are challenging and thought provoking at the same time they are filled with humor. I hope this continues to grow as a series... there are so many wonderful characters.
Don't be a hero! Jax Meyer did a great job with this book. Another 5 star for me!
Cam and Sharon's love story is so sweet and powerful. To see how the couple overcome a lot of hard issues and still are so in love with each other is so great. Cam was able to break out of her comfort zone with Sharon's deployment to Iraq. She needed to step up and learn how to live without Sharon and at the same time discover she is a autistic. Also Cam's interaction with the in-laws was sweet and she is so mature in this book to help their friends and families in a difficult time. I loved seeing more of their strengths as a couple in this book and how Cam becomes Sharon's rock now as their roles are reversed.
In this third book we get a much appreciated, desired & deeper look into the story of Cam & Sharon beyond their beginning in the Marines & their relationship.
I SO loved getting to experience their journey together more fully, but if only this book was first… cause I constantly found myself reading cautiously with a sense of foreboding & dread in anticipation of what I already know is inevitably coming. If only I didn't know this future, then I would've been completely enthralled in this love story.
This is the continuation of Cam and Sharon's relationship, after almost six years together, when Cam leaves the Marines and Sharon deploys to Iraq. Cam begins to maneuver life in college, making a new friend and learning important information about herself. All the while she's worried about Sharon and her other Marine friends we met previously. I'll be excited to read their stories in subsequent books.
Jax Meyer has a gift of writing all the emotion surrounding the unknown of deployment and the confusion/misunderstandings of reentry and reconnection upon return. I learned a lot. Cam and Sharon's relationship was never easy, but their love was always so real. It truly is a beautiful, heartwarming series!
It was good to finally reach this point in Cam and Sharon’s story. (My record keeping means that it’s been years since I first read Book 1 in this series). I identify with so much of Cam’s story, even with the major differences between us; I never served in the military, for example.
The other reason I have enjoyed these books is because they remind me of some of the joys of the earlier stages of my relationship with my wife. Cam and I both feel incredibly lucky to be loved by the women who have chosen us (and, especially in the early stages, worried that we’d somehow duck that up … as autocorrect would word it)
Excellent book - great insights into autism and being a Marine wife
JAX Meyer has done a wonderful job of creating great characters and sheparding them through challenging situations. She writes in a style that make it easy to learn from Cam's self discovery. She also makes it painful to feel the angst involved in the separation of deployment and the confusion of re-entry. I will anxiously await the next two entries in this series
I love watching Cam grow in this book while she goes through civilian life and discovering she's on the autism spectrum. Seeing the way she deals with Sharon being away at war and the love that they still have for each other after 6 years was beautiful to watch. I also loved to see the secondary love story between Lane and Mags. I've loved Jax's writing and this book is no different.
Appreciated the authors candor on autism, and the fact that labels can help put a name to something that make us feel identified/seen. Not everyone wants labels and that is fine but please respect those that do. I continue to love this love story and not sure what to expect on the next book as I don't want to get to the part of losing Sharon, but that too is life and can only imagine with what sensitivity the author will approach this.
I have had a lot of autistic students (and score a consistent 28 on the test myself, which is borderline) so I really like books with a character that is on the spectrum. Cam is a sweet character trying to discover who she is, and reading about how she grows is satisfying. I look forward to more books!
I fell in love with Dal Segno and I'm very glad that Jax Meyer gave us Cam's backstory. This book is very immersive without being mired in details. Just enough to give a sense of the demands placed on those who serve in the military. Being empathetic I fully absorbed the stress of deployment for those left behind LOL, but the author was right, the book does end well.
This is the follow up to A Marine's Awakening. Sharon and Cam face new hurdles but the strength of the characters is still amazing. Meyer does an amazing job of making you feel the angst of Cam throughout this book. The growth we see in Cam during this novel was fun to see even if it was painful at times. There is a rawness in this book that was not in the first one but it fits with the stages of the characters lives.
I am an ex army driver and loved every aspect of the, (Australian), army. I could relate to don’t ask don’t tell of service. This trilogy was an amazing tale of two women in love during those difficult time. If you love reading about women in the military then this story is for you. Worth the read.
Reading Jax's astute intelligent writing gives me a huge rush. As Cam's eyes were opened about her autism, so were mine. This is a warm, moving story that gives us insight into the lives of our serving sisters during that awful time of "don't ask, don't tell ". I really, really enjoyed reading this book! I cannot recommend it enough.
Truthfully it took a few chapters to for me to get into this book. Once I did it didn't take me long to finish it. I would read a few chapters before bed, wake up a couple hours later unable to sleep, pick up the book to still my mind. Looking forward to book 4!
Aghh great book and very enlightning. I learned not be so judgemental and that my own lack of understanding different people not only harms but causes me to miss out on great friendships.
I loved this whole series. I did mistakenly start with A Marine's Awakening, and then read Del Segno, before finishing with A Marine Discovery. This didn't affect my overall experience though, and the journey's of these characters were incredibly.
Getting a better understanding of Cam and her journey to understand herself was such a treat. In the first book Cam was 15 years older and Sharon had died, which was weird reading knowing all along that she did. But it didn't take away anything, i enjoyed it so much.