When the Smoke Clears

by C. Chilove

Lieutenant Colonel Brenden Jasper lives a life of secrets, danger, and clandestine missions. As commander of the most elite Black Ops unit in the world, nothing is more important to him than protecting the country he loves. But there’s a reason only the toughest, battle-tested, alpha men can call themselves members of the Black 2131 brotherhood. None but those in the highest realms of government even know of its existence, and it's Brenden's job to avoid emotional entanglements so he can keep it that way.Dr. Paige Nichols has spent her life ruled by logic and reason, teaching and analyzing art history, so nothing could have prepared her for the completely overwhelming attraction-at-first-sight when she sets eyes on Brenden. Their chance encounter at a party opens her up to a tantalizing dark side she never knew she had—and leaves her wanting so much more. But a man with a dark side often comes with way too many secrets…ones that could put her life in danger.Though their chemistry burns hotter than ever, when danger comes knocking on Paige’s door, Brenden will have to walk a fine line between duty, honor, and love.

Genres: Audiobook, Romance, Military Fiction

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2021

About the author

C. Chilove is a southern girl residing in the beautiful Sunshine State. When she's not writing, she's cheering on her little ballerina, being protected by her daring ninja, cooking yummy dishes for her hubby, or exploring flea markets and antique stores for hidden treasures.

Reviews

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough to rate. Some I loved, some annoyances.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really enjoyed the concept of the story. The author, whom I have not read before, combined romance with military action and suspense, along with a lot of problems the characters went through.

What I loved was the start of the book. It captures your attention and the sparks were just flying off these two characters.

Soon we segued into issues and a lot of very deep, dark, and sometimes disturbing content that focused on military maneuvers, PTSD, murder, race issues, manipulation, miscarriage, and a lot more.

I think the author was trying to include a lot of key features into this one story and it involved a lot of issues for the couple. The female character whined a lot, even though she knew what she was getting into, which I didn’t think was cool. Plus, we know who the culprits are by mid to three-quarters through.

Overall, the story is well written and it flows great. I love the connection between the two characters and Chilove hits the steam factor connection just right. I just wish the author hadn’t tried to dump so many issues into one story. I wanted to see more of the happy times and not quite so many issues to overcome.

But the great news is we get a happily ever after and that always makes a lot of things right.

* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/when-the-smo...

[Maru Rusiach · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I’ll be there when the smoke clears”

This story is full of roller coaster moments, especially the relationship between Paige and Brenden. It starts steamy and just like a one night stand with a little regret from both sides when the night passes. But nothing stays put, as life has its ways of reuniting them and guiding them through the ups and downs that every relationship withstands, moreover, if you are dating someone who has to keep secrets as a way of living.
For me, it was a great story, although it has its moments where it felt like the story was going nowhere and suddenly, you find yourself trying not to cry or to roll your eyes ( this last, everytime Paige demands to Brenden that he share at least a bit of himself and his line of work), but all in all, it was a very entertain reading. I fully enjoy the last chapters of the book, where action gets its peak and you are at the edge of your seat waiting for the next shoe to drop.


***Disclaimer: I’ve applied and received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

[Donna Repsher · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read the blurb for this title, by new-to-me author, C. Chilove, it sounded like a great read, especially since I'm fond of novels with Navy SEAL, Special Forces, and first responder heroes, and while the novel started out with a steamy, interracial attraction, for me, by the time I got to the midway point, I felt that the novel's forward momentum fizzled out completely, and the best I can give it is a 2-star rating.

Additionally, I felt no affection for any of the main or secondary characters, and got tired of reading seemingly endless passages which described everything but the brand of toilet tissues each character had in their bathroom, the furniture, the windows, the flooring, the art on the walls, the view, and darn near everything else to the point at which is was silently screaming, "Enough already, move on!" which is the main reason I dragged myself to the ending, but if ever a novel needed an editor, this one was it.

Further, every time that Brenden went on a mission, we never really were given much information about his missions or his teammates. Mostly his deployment chapters were just him leaving at the drop of a hat without mentioning it to Paige. The rest consisted of Brenden sitting in the plane, and the return flight. Where was the drama? Where was the danger? Nowhere I could find.

I also disliked reading about the reverse racism and two cardinal rules Paige's family had pressured her to live by. Rule One: Never date a military man, and Rule Two: Never get involved with a white man. Had the races been reversed in this novel, the author would be hearing from the NAACP. As someone who considers herself color-blind, and who has had two interracial relationships in the past, I found myself deeply offended by the attitudes of Paige's military father and brothers.

All in all, I barely made it through this rather long and dull novel, and I certainly don't recommend it.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel The opinions stated are my own.

[Alecia Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

When The Smoke Clears is a like if military romantic suspense and a telenovela had a baby. There were some things I liked but more that I didn’t so it ended up at a solid 2.5 for me.

Lieutenant Colonel Brenden Jasper works for a super top secret black ops team, Black 2131, trying to stop arms deals that could kill millions- no pressure. Dr. Paige Nichols is an artist, teacher, therapist who has two romantic rules, don’t date a military men or a white man. Unfortunately, Brendan is both. After a super steamy one night stand on New Years Eve they meet again months later when Paige recommends Brendan’s niece is dismissed from college. As their relationship deepens, Brendan fears for Paige’s safety being in his inner circle, Paige wants him to open up and some seriously bad guys try to kill them.

So what I liked.
The love between Brendan and Paige. I really enjoyed how he was smitten with her and how their romance developed in the first part of the book. The chemistry between Brendan and Paige is smoking hot, sexy AF and burned up my kindle for sure!!

What I wasn’t into.
There were so many plots going on. The military, the arms deal, the unexpected pregnancy, miscarriage, amnesia. The book is broken into parts and I felt like part three was really just so much. I would have liked to have a few of the plots been edited out. A trope could have been saved for another book. I appreciated the content warning of miscarriage. I didn’t enjoy how the miscarriage came about - I don’t want to put a spoiler.
There was a lot of military jargon- what’s a Q8? I fell like it was researched but the plot with the arms deal was confusing.

I was given an E-ARC from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

[Reading In Pajamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

✦Review: WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS by C. Chilove https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-bMw
Publication Date: April 19, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Military Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4 Stars

I enjoyed this romantic suspense and found a new author. Paige was an intelligent and accomplished woman with pain-shadows from her past. That pain rounded out her character nicely and explained her love of art therapy. I liked learning more about that and how the author didn’t inundate us with too much information. My two complaints about Paige are: 1. With her intelligence and detail-oriented background, how could she have forgotten something so important. (I won’t explain as I don’t post spoilers.) 2. With her family’s military background, her anger with his inability to give her work details frustrated me.

Brenden was a smoking hot Black-Ops member. Tough as nails and hard yet showing a tenderness that was appealing. His combat history has left him with PTSD issues in need of resolving. They made a good couple despite the chaos surrounding them. I enjoyed watching their relationship build, and the spicy hot romance. The storyline seemed unnecessarily chaotic at times, too many tropes thrown in that weren’t needed. However, I did like the tension from issues at her job – and of course the dangers from his Black-Ops work. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Chilove.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle $3.99 https://amzn.to/3egfyvO

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading this book. They say love hits you when you're least expecting it. Follow Paige and Brendens journey from the moment they meet through the ups and downs of an operators fight to not let complications and love into his life. It's definitely an amazing read!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Chelsea •chelseas.bookshelf2• · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read many romance books that are this heavy in awhile. This had a good premise, but seemed a little too dark for me. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Paige and Brenden though!!

[Lauren loves llamas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content warnings: violence (including lots of gun violence), violent death (including civilians and children), warfare (including suicide bombers), death of a sibling (before book starts), torture (not on page, but discussed), cyberstalking, surprise pregnancy, miscarriage (due to poisoning), grief (including breakdown), PTSD (from military service), suicide, kidnapping

While I don’t usually read military romantic suspense, I was intrigued enough by the blurb to pick this up. And while this didn’t work out well for me, it may read better for some more frequent readers of that genre.

Brenden’s special ops team is reaching the culmination of their mission to identify the source of weapons shipments to terrorists in the Middle East, and he doesn’t have time for any distractions. He’s well aware exactly how deadly they can be. So no matter how scorching his night with the beautiful woman in the green dress is, it’s for the best that he doesn’t know anything about her – that is, until he walks into a meeting with his niece’s college and sees her again. But can any relationship survive him being unwilling to give her the bare details about his work?

“Nichols, when the bombs drop I’ll still be here, baby. The smoke will clear and you’ll be in my arms because we stand on the front lines together.”

I liked Paige a lot, and I especially liked all the bits about art therapy. I sympathized a lot with her frustrations with Brenden’s obsession with secrecy, but I liked how the relationship built up. I certainly didn’t doubt that they had a lot of chemistry! I had a lot harder time with Brenden. The nature of his job means he could be called away at any moment, and he feels like he can’t tell Paige anything about what he does, not how long he expects he’ll be gone or how he got the various scars all over his body. While Paige is familiar with the military need for secrecy – much of her family is also military – she feels like he’s keeping this huge part of himself walled off from her to protect her from his darkness. He’s afraid that she’ll walk away if she finds out exactly what he does for a living. He tries to make it up with presents (he comes from money of course), but even those struck me as annoying. He buys her a puppy without even asking, for goodness’ sake.

“She wasn’t asking for mission details. Hell, she knew there were things he couldn’t tell her, but he had somehow lumped everything relating to his duty into a pile that was off-limits. So why was she so willing to bare her soul to a man who had all these damn secrets featuring the alternate life he lived?”

I’d hesitate to call this romantic suspense. While there are some military elements to it, besides a few key scenes, most of the military portions happen either in conference rooms before the missions or on transportation back from them. Most of it revolves around Brenden’s PTSD and how his secrecy affects his relationship with Paige. That’s not to say that it’s all on Brenden. Paige is Black, and her family (that is to say, her father and brothers) gave her two rules: don’t date anyone in the military, and date within her own race. There’s reasons for both of them. Her father and brothers are all in the military and have seen how it can wreck relationships, and they’re trying to keep her from making the same mistakes. In terms of race, they know the cultural differences can be too much. While the first worry is certainly true (even if still ridiculously patronizing), the second felt a bit like it was hand-waved. There’s some bits about Brenden being a clueless white guy (not understanding why she gets mad when he gets her hair wet) but that’s about it. (Please note that I am coming at this from the perspective of a white woman, so take it all with a grain of salt.)

My main problem with the book is that there is just too much going on. Almost the whole first half of the book feels like a setup for the latter half, when the pacing picks up and things start happening quickly. At points it felt like the characters were too busy reacting to everything around them to actually concentrate on their relationship – and that’s not even counting the curve ball thrown at them in the latter half of the book. I felt like I had whiplash from all the drama the characters had to go through. I also found the “super special black ops!!” team thing a bit overdone, but military romances are not usually my thing. I mean, I suppose I did find it pretty funny that at least one member of a supposedly highly classified super soldier team has a large recognizable tattoo.

Overall, while this book didn’t quite work for me, I liked the author’s writing and will probably check out her next book.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[MammaDi3Gatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars

When the Smoke Clears, by C. Chilove, is...a lot. Paige and Brenden's story is emotion charged, in part due to their strong feelings for each other but also due to the secrets they both keep and the events that happen both to them and around them. The storyline and its accompanying action will keep you reading long into the night.

It's hard to summarize this book without spoilers. In short, Brenden is a smoking-hot white black ops commander. Did I say black ops? I mean black ops of black ops. Commitment means complications, and from the moment he meets her at a New Year's Eve party, beautiful and brilliant Dr. Paige Nichols is both with a capital C.

Paige is pretty perfect, a Black woman with an astonishing artistic talent that she denies because of its close connection to one of her darkest memories. She counsels college students and is considered a brilliant mind in the world of art therapy. She falls head over green dress for a man who represents everything her Admiral father warned her against: white guys and military men.

The story follows their tumultuous road to happiness (yes, they get an HEA), Paige's career track, and Brenden's involvement in an op that is clearly compromised by a traitor. Brenden continually warns Paige that he can't tell her anything, and he tends to disappear at a moments notice. Paige demonstrates remarkable tolerance all things considered. When her life becomes endangered because of his job, he'll do anything to protect her. But will it be enough?

I found time to be hard to follow sometimes. A chapter would end seemingly in the middle of something, and the next would begin days or even weeks later, with the results of that something told as a memory. A few times, I even paged back to see if it's missed something. Long passages about Brenden on the job were sometimes confusing (a lot of military speak), and I wished there'd been similar attention paid to Paige's. With the amount of stuff this book covers, I suspect some of the content ended up in the cutting room floor.

The only other beef I had was the interspersing of serious dirty talk (both in quoted and narrative passages) in the middle of non-intimate situations. The sex scenes were off-the-charts hot, but for example, I didn't need to hear Brenden reminiscing about her delectable p***y while at his niece's birthday party. Ew.

Overall, though, I liked this book.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

[NICUnurse Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Smoke Clears is the first book I’ve ever read by this author. I’m a romantic suspense junkie that’s always on the hunt for my next favorite author, so with a great cover and an intriguing blurb, I decided to dive headfirst into this book.

This story is truly a rollercoaster ride of emotions. At times, the constant up and down of the relationship between Paige and Brenden was almost exhausting. But in the end, it was a beautiful love story between two extremely different people from more similar backgrounds than they realized in the beginning. It’s a book about how wonderful love can develop between two people of different races when attraction, chemistry, and love are all they can see. And the suspense kept me turning the pages and staying up way too late because I just couldn’t stop reading!

All in all, I really enjoyed my time spent in this story. There were some parts I was able to skim over, but for the most part, it was unputdownable. The mystery pulled me in from the get-go. And I loved Brenden and Paige’s chemistry. Sometimes I felt like he was a supreme jerk, but at the same time, I could understand where he was coming from. I loved that Paige was intelligent, beautiful, and loyal. The twist wasn’t entirely out of left field, though. However, some of the connections were, so that made up for almost figuring out who and why before the reveal at the end of the book. Some really steamy scenes might turn off some readers, but I promise the rest of the book makes it all worth it. Needless to say, I’m most certainly looking forward to more from this author!

NICUnurse’s Rating: I give When the Smoke Clears by C. Chilove 4 out of 5 stars!

[Allie // Kitasai · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided to me via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book started out with a great bang, but it slowly fizzled out and I found myself falling out of love. I think I would put that down to the use of trope after trope, which not only put us back at where we started, but also made me begin to dislike their relationship and feel as if nothing really mattered.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Paige and Brenden, it was a good mixture of pure chemistry and attraction, as well as the two of them actually having a chance to talk and get to know one another. Then we got to the last 40% of the book, and events that happened meant that the first portion of the book were just there to set up the story. I think that it could have worked if we didn't spend over half the book getting to know the relationship only to have it fail before being quickly fixed in the last 20-30%, it meant that the first half dragged on and the second half went too quick.

I really liked how good of a man Brenden was, and how much he cared for Paige, I often find in this genre it's not obvious that the man really cares. That made their relationship feel very realistic and heartwarming.

Overall it was a great story and I enjoyed my time, it's just unfortunate how it went in the end.

Solid 3/5

[Sandy Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. And while it wasn't horrible, there were a lot of things that I just didn't like. I was really hopeful just by reading the blurb, because the blurb made it sound excellent! But it just...wasn't. There really wasn't a lot of action. It seemed to skip over what he actually did with his team, and it also didn't really go into a lot of his relationship with his team. I didn't really get how they could be brothers, when they didn't really act like it. Brenden's relationship with Paige just seemed to be built on sex. Right from the start. And don't get me wrong, I love a great sex scene just like anyone else who loves romance books, however these scenes weren't even that great. There was a lot of "sexy" talk between them that just wasn't that sexy to me. It actually made me want to skip over it, which is strange for me. I didn't really like Paige and just couldn't connect with her. I liked her best friend more than her. This story has a lot of potential, it just didn't get there in my opinion. Honestly, this felt like a run through with a first book that hadn't been edited or had anyone ask for there to be more. I doubt I would read anymore by this author, which is sad because I am always looking for new author's to read.

[ALR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paige is a product of a military family and never thought “her guy” would be part of that life until one New Year’s Eve party when she meets up with Brenden. A passion filled night that leaves you reaching for a fan ends on a slightly awkward note when “Cinderella “ disappears. Fast forward a bit and the two meet up again under an even more embarrassing note when Brenden flexes his military and monetary weight around, almost getting Paige fired from her job do to a misunderstanding with his niece. But the sparks continue to fly and soon the two begin a relationship, but can it last knowing Brenden’s super secretive military designation will keep Paige isolated. This book has a nice mixture of heat, action, and tenderness with a bit of emotional drama. The military theme is quite heavy and there is a difficult pregnancy issue that may be a trigger for some, but it was nice to have both leads be strong in their own rights. This was a nice military romance and I hope that Brenden’s comrades get stories too. 4.5 stars. I received an arc copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

[Debbie Caswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have ever read by this author and as I couldn't find any others I believe it may be a debut novel. While it started of well it slowly became just to complicated as more and more was thrown into the story It would have been a far better read if it had just stuck to one or maybe two tropes instead of trying to cram just about everything that could be into it. There is huge potential in both the authors work and the story line it just needs some trimming.

Paige is a product of a military upbringing and she has always believed that she would never have a relationship with someone in the military That all goes out the window though She meets Brenden and the connection is instant and they spend a passionate night together but she leaves the next morning a while later they reconnect when a misunderstanding almost causes Brenden to cause Paige to lose her job Soon the connection between them flares again but Brenden isn't only military he belongs to one of the most elite and clandestine units around can Paige handle the life this will lead to You will have to read to see

[Trader (RedHotBlueReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brenden Jasper isn't just special ops -- he's double super secret special ops. His job makes personal relationships forbidden as he never knows when he has to leave on a mission. This guy lives and breathes the military, possibly to his own detriment.

When he meets Dr. Paige Nichols they have a super steamy one night stand, or so they think. She's drawn to him and he feels the same, but feels conflicted about the fact he can't share things with Paige. He's still hung up on the secrecy of his job and its not clear if Paige really understands why.

I love a good action story, and I did enjoy the action in this and wanted more. The romantic elements were super steamy. I'm not sure how much I liked the main characters. There is a lot going on in this story and sometimes it just gets to be too complicated and overwhelming. For these reasons, I'm rating this four stars. I will be looking to read more from this author.

[Tripip · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the synopsis of this book really intrigued me, the execution didn’t work. First, there was a really strong pro-American slant that I hadn’t come across in other military special ops stories. Then there was the one night stand with no protection used. Paige was the first to suggest no protection which had me shaking my head in disbelief. This decision made me believe Paige to be TSTL. And given Brenden’s high profile family background, I was surprised he wasn’t more careful. While the intimate scenes were explicit, I didn’t find them hot. They seemed rather perfunctory. I tried to stick it out for some action, however it just seemed to be meetings and references to action scenes. No action scenes themselves. This was not for me.

I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

[Whispers From · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brenden is one of the best of the best, Lieutenant Commander of a special black ops team Black 2131. His country comes before anything else until he sees beautiful Paige. Paige analyze and teaches art as a form of therapy. There is an undeniable attraction between Paige and Brenden. But Brenden has secrets he cannot reveal to Paige. The darkness Brenden has inside could destroy whatever he could have with Paige. So when danger comes for Paige, Brenden will do anything to protect her.
At first I couldn’t understand the story but it took no time for me to sucked into the story. My review may not make sense but I did not want to give anything away.
Action ✔️
Suspense ✔️
Smoking hot sex ✔️

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

[Mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

When the Smoke Clears is a story packed full of drama from an elite group of soldiers who disappear on deadly missions, to pregnancy loss, to memory loss and so much more this story had so much going on. But it wasn't the action packed, suspenseful read I was anticipating, and honestly, it didn't blow me away. Still, I did like the fact it featured an interracial couple, and I liked the group of soldiers too. I just wish there had been more of an introduction to them and what the Black 2131 elite unit and actual mission was all about.

**I was kindly provided with an ARC via Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review**

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I want to thank the author for the trigger warning to readers and the way she handled the process during the story. It only added to what was an awesome story about the fight for love of each other and country. Brenden was duty bound to serve his country. Love was not something he felt he deserved. Paige wanted to be loved for who she was, but Brenden broke all the rules she had set. The story is dramatic, action packed, and steamy. The characters are wonderfully developed as whole persons as they figure who they are and where they fit into each other’s lives. I am hoping that the rest of the series will be just as page turning and can’t wait to see the results.

[Nicole Pinto · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had the premise to be good but unfortunately fell flat for me. Brendan is a super secret army guy and we follow him and Paige’s story. This book is quite frankly a lot and half of it you can’t even follow. It almost ended up being a DNF for me but I trudged through. This clearly needs a good editing because it’s kind of all over the place. All opinions are my own, thank you to Nergalley for the ARC.

[Resting Book Face · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quick to request this book based on the blurb, which I thought sounded really interesting. Unfortunately, the story itself fell flat for me personally. I didn't feel any real connection with or between the characters, and thus I had a hard time rooting for them. I also wasn't engaged in the story like I thought I would be, and I struggled to finish it. I like very fast-paced storylines, and this wasn't it. I'm sure it will appeal to readers who don't mind a slower pace.

I received an advance copy; all opinions are my own.

[Lindy Dierks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was everything I enjoy in my romances—steam, action, suspense, sexy military hero, conflict and character connection.
It was well written and held my interest. I’m definitely going to read more from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

[SheaButtahBookhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 📖📖📖📖
Originality: 📝📝📝📝
Narration:🎙️🎙️🎙️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Action:👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽
Troupe: military, bwwm
Triggers: loss of loved ones and children

A captivating story about a man who’s ranked high in the military and the woman he falls for. If you’re looking for a military romance I’d highly recommend this book.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Suicide
Unplanned pregnancy
Miscarriage due to poisoning
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a sibling recounted
Death of a child
Torture, off-page
Gun violence
Kidnapping
Cyberstalking

[Gracie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paige and Brendon meets at a New Year’s party and hit it off quickly. What they thought would be a one night stand turned into something else quickly.

Paige gives therapy through art, Brendon is in special ops. He said he would never get into s serious relationship because of his job. But Paige made him break that rule real quick.

A lot happens including brendon losing his memory of Paige after an accident on one of his missions.

And they find out that it’s his ex girlfriends dad behind all of this.

[BookWormGrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found my new book boyfriend! Amazing!!

[A_Stylish_Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @entangled_publishing for a copy of this book. I love the chemistry between Paige & Brenden from their first steamy meeting. This book dealt with a lot of heavy subjects like PTSD, murder and race. At parts, I was frustrated with Paige since she knew what she signed up for yet she kept demanding the same thing from Brenden. This book was very fast paced and overall an enjoyable read.

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoy reading about military and love.

[Iris Light · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read! Kept me on an emotional rollercoaster. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of an epilogue. I would've loved to see a glimpse in their future.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

What I enjoyed the most about this book is that it was written about an active military personnel who stayed active despite the challenges. The book being an interracial romance was a bonus. However, I really wish the author made the heroine more emotionally mature. Her constant need to know the details of his military life was frustrating as well as her neediness for him to regain his memory. Clearly she was emotional and pregnant but one would have hoped that she would be extatic that her husband survived and concentrate on that instead of words of love after barely a few weeks. As for knowing details of his whereabouts realistically what would she do with that knowledge? I would have preferred it if she had been more proactive and focused on things she could control, like learning how to protect herself more effectively and joining a support group for military personnel spouses or seeing a therapist I also wished the book had more interactions with their friends and family, really showing their home life. Lastly, as often in these books we had to deal with the justification of prejudice. The whole my father is not racist but he rather I was with a black man, left a bad taste in my mouth.