“Military romance at its very best! Vibrantly nerve-racking 5 star read”KINDLE FRIENDS FOREVER“So easy to become swept up in. You’ll fall head over heels for Marine Sergeant Jackson Connor and gorgeous tenacious Maggie Buckman. Battle Scars is an in-depth and topical snapshot at the world we live in today and whilst there’s a beautiful romance running through it, it certainly has a strong message … strong message and pulls at the heart-strings as well.”
TOTALLY BOOKED
“One of the most profoundly touching romance novels I’ve read this year.”
MAZ’S MANIC MUSINGS
“Tumultuous and complex … intriguing, addicting … no way you can put the book down.”
THE BOOK BISTRO
From the dusty plains of Afghanistan to the sleek corridors of the New York Times, journalist MJ Buckman seeks the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What she doesn’t expect to find is a man who’s her complete opposite … and fits her perfectly.
Marine Sergeant Jackson Connor knows that relationships don’t work for men in the military. He’s living proof of that. But when a steely-eyed temptress in a flak jacket, who carries her moral cause in front of her, crosses his path, he’s furious, curious, and all kinds of in-lust.
* *
A grown-up love story about two people who aren’t looking for love, but realize how precious it is when they find it. They don’t play games and there are no stupid misunderstandings, just life standing in their way.
Can they compromise? And what does that look like in a modern relationship between two driven people?
Assignment Vs deployment.
They’re always traveling in different directions. What relationship can survive that?
* *
“What a journey. This novel isn’t about ‘giving up’ it is all about ‘becoming’ part of something bigger than yourself – the powerful symbol of the Marines is so perfect. Amazing words, characters that reach out to touch our hearts and souls.”
J.B.
more
loved the story and the way it was written
Reviewed on behalf of KFF
I have read the previous books by this author and always loved her style of writing. One can tell that this book was well researched; there is cohesion in every paragraph up to the final chapter, a seamless tale of romance and conflict.
Maggie Buckman is a 31 year old journalist of the New York Times, independent, strong willed and very much married to her career. Jackson Connor is a 30 year old marine and is stationed in Camp Leatherneck in Helmand. Their first meeting was not in the best of circumstances. Maggie was in the village interviewing one of the locals when everything went haywire and almost ended up in disaster but Jackson and his men saved her. He was not impressed with her stint, she hated his guts and sparks fly metaphorically and literally.
This is a very well written romance that portrays not only Maggie and Jack’s story but also the world that we live in today. The graphic description of war, the emotional and physical toll caused by violence, the cultural clashes happening in the world right now are all in this book, it makes it relevant. It is written in a way that is not too technical nor over simplified to insult the reader’s intellect. The deep love that Maggie and Jack have for each other amidst the backdrop of despair and death shows a vibrant imagery, it’s like watching a movie in my mind. There are some nail-biting scenarios in this fast paced romance. This book is the perfect sum of true love, understanding and grabbing that moment because life is too short. And as an added bonus there is a surprise appearance at the end of the story by some well loved characters from her previous books. I really enjoyed reading Maggie and Jack’s story and highly recommend it!
5-STAR REVIEW
> > Judging a Book by its Cover < < The primary focus is on the male model caught mid-stride. Faded, almost unnoticed, is a female model in the background. Strong yet worn and tattered looking title font and a smaller, thinner author font. It’s an appealing cover, but the synopsis is what truly grabbed and reeled me in. > > Looking Deeper < < POV ~> Dual first-person POVs
Setting: Middle East, Africa, US
This is the first book I’ve read by Jane Harvey-Berrick and if this is what her writing is like, I will be reading much more in the future. It was so refreshingly fantastic to read a mature love story with no ridiculous drama and angst, no petty jealousy or childish games.
Both MJ and Jack are at/around that 30-year age mark and are both smart, strong characters, successful in their respective careers, and mature and responsible enough to know what they like/don’t like, want/don’t want and refuse to waste time or apologize for it. Their relationship was raw, emotional, and progressed wonderfully. There was nothing, and I really mean NOTHING that I did NOT like about this story, including the harsh truths that both of them had to face in their job assignments. There was a brutal honesty to this story, without getting too macabre.
Well-written with an amazingly smooth flow. Predictability was low. The conclusion was solid and satisfying. Overall, an absolute pleasure to read.
.
Rating: [R] ~ Score: 4.65 ~ Stars: 5
==========================
**** Disclosure of Material: I borrowed a copy of this book from Amazon via my #KindleUnlimited subscription and am voluntarily leaving unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”. *****
Good stuff
Wonderful story of how a long distance relationship can work if enough love is involved. Also brought a new light to the pain and heart ache of those living every day in war torn countries. Excellent book!
Great book! I highly recommend! Very heartfelt!
Nice love story with two strong, likeable characters.
Battle Scars is a relatively light and easy read, while still dealing with some very real, and at times heartbreaking, realities.
MJ Buckman and Jackson Connor couldn’t have gotten off to a rougher, tougher, start if they had tried. While in Afghanistan working on an article for the New York Times, MJ comes under fire and has to be rescued by the Marine Corps unit she is “stationed” with, led by Jackson. Not appreciating having to put his men’s lives in danger to save a reporter, let’s just say things between them weren’t all glitter and unicorns during the rest of MJ’s stay.
But what started out as a prickly, antagonistic relationship soons morphs into a lovely and very heartfelt connection, one that takes them both by surprise. As Jackson and MJ navigate the ups and downs of life as a long-distance couple, you can feel the love as it blossoms and share in their hopes and fears that what they have could really be “it”. They’re both very strong, independent people who are realizing maybe it’s not so bad to depend on someone else for a change.
Jane Harvey-Berrick does a wonderful job in portraying the harsh realities of life in the military, as well as those of a civilian such as MJ, working as a journalist covering some of the toughest stories imaginable. She paints such an incredibly vivid picture throughout this entire book, I felt like I was right there with characters, from the desert of Aghanistan, to the snow in NYC, and the oppresive heat of Egypt.
I really appreciate the thoughtful and caring attention to detail she puts into all of her books, but I feel she gives special attention to her military stories and that’s what makes them so real.