PatienceCourage; a strong word Patience LaClare thought she lost the meaning to.Lost, the word she has come to know. She lost her way in a loveless marriage and stuck in a never-ending cycle of life which lacks any form of joy.That is all about to end, she is taking Courage back and finding who she truly is meant to be. With none of her friends close to help her, Patience finds her own way to … bring her life back to something she can be proud of.Everything is about to change.DukeBroken; is who Marine Duke Michaels is now. Medically discharged from the Marines, he is heading home where to Centennial, Montana and the first piece of his life fell apart.PatienceNot just a word of one’s state of being but the girl he left. She was everything to him and he let her move on with someone else. He lives with many regrets, but none are as powerful as not fighting for Patience. But things aren’t what he thought they would be once he came home.He discovers the shell of a girl he loved and sees she is now struggling to gain Courage once more. Duke isn’t about to let her slip through his fingers for a second time.This time, he has his own Courage to go after what he wants.
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Courage of Us by Brooke May is the first book in the Code of Honor series. This book is a fantastic read that really draws you, as the reader, into its pages. The author immediately builds the connection between you and the characters. I knew right from the word go that I wanted Patience and Duke to find their happy ever after.
The story was well paced too. The author gradually developed the story and the emotions within it. You could feel Patience’s pain on each page. This was a brilliant start to a new series and another great book by this author.
The perfect love story! Patience is a country girl who grew up a Tom boy. Duke is a country boy who grew up trying to become the right man. In this love story, Duke and Patience have one special night as kids before everything changes. Fast forward time, will they be able to fix what they have lost? After going through hell and back, each in their own way, they try to make their way back to one another. This book is about faith, love, and dreams. I recommend this story to anyone who loves happy endings and childhood dreams coming true.
A heartfelt second chance, military guy romance
This is not a fun and light romance read, which is why I enjoyed this book so much. The two MC’s are real with problems and hardships to overcome outside of their potential romance. But that’s not to discount the push and pull to see if they will give their love another chance.
Patience is a FMC that I feel so many can relate to, feeling low in life and going through the process of a divorce. Duke is an American soldier returning home after being medically discharged and diagnosed with PTSD. These two were best friends throughout their childhood, coming to the realization that they both liked one another after graduation, but Duke enlisted with the Marines and disappeared from Patience’s life for the next 8 years.
I felt that the characters and the circumstances were very realistic, though I wanted to smack Duke upside the head for the way he disappeared and stayed gone for so long. Patience has had a lot to deal with in life, but she’s still kicking and enjoying running the bakery in her family’s local grocery store.
I absolutely loved the side characters, both Duke’s and Patience’s moms and P’s aunt, and their meddling ways.
Trigger warning for mental and physical abuse, cheating, PTSD, and loss of an animal, and loss of a child.
This was my first May novel and I was super excited to start a new (to me) author! May is an excellent world-builder and is a gifted character-developer when it comes to feeling like you know the characters and that they are well-rounded people you could “see/know” in your mind. (Plus, I have family in that area of MT so it was a fun location to read about.) When it comes to the plot and speed, I found the pace to be a slow build that jumped into warp speed rather than maybe a faster start with a more realistic time frame for the romance. I was totally enjoying the book and rocking along with Duke and Patience until 55% and then it just became really unbelievable and unrelatable to me. The idea of young love that is true, real, and healthy, even if it’s immature with not-so-great problem-solving skills, is such a beautiful love story to me. So, on that, I would give May great credit. Where I found the downfall was in the jump back in after 7 yrs part. The real-est, truest love requires trust and stability to actually work. I don’t understand how Patience could have either with Duke for a significant amount of time after he returned. How they could go through the trauma that they did and for her to just say, “it’s ok we’ll pretend like nothing ever happened because you apologized” just makes zero sense and the book lost me. I completely understand that others might find the fast forgiveness acceptable and be willing to go along with it, but I just couldn’t ever relate to either person after that. I am giving May 3 stars for her writing ability even if I think the plotline is unbelievable. But please give it a shot, because this is just my opinion and thoughts and not a representation of how everyone might feel about the plot.
Patience and Duke are such an amazing pair. This is definitely a second chance story. It’s so beautiful! Those two thought they were doing the best for each other and themselves. My heart broke for what patience went through. I felt so proud of her allowing herself to overcome it. Though, she felt she had to do it alone. Sweet Duke comes back to help her pick the pieces up. They helped each other move forward and I adored that aspect. I loved the family dynamic and that everyone surrounded her. This is such a wonderful love story.
For the second time this summer, I have found a new favorite author in Brooke May! The first book in the Code of Honor series, Courage of Us by Brooke May is a real page-turner, making it easy for me to finish it in a few hours!
Brooke May makes the characters relatable, the novel not only focusing on their budding romance but also showing the growth both of them go through as they work through their traumas from their pasts. May also does a great job at illustrating the struggle that many couples face when it comes to opening up about trauma and mental illness, which made the book pull even harder at the heartstrings. By the end of the book, both of the characters have gone through considerable character development, which made me love the book even more. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
It’s a story of mixed signals and wrong assumptions from both Patience and Duke that came between the best-friends-turned-lovers for one night of passion following graduation, where Patience decided it was worth the risk of losing her friend if she gained a partner for life. But Duke leaving before Patience awoke the next morning led to the confusion that ensued for both, pushed further away by secrets neither felt could be revealed.
The story picks up seven years following that fateful night with Patience finally getting up the courage to divorce her abusive, cheating, alcoholic husband, Greg. After a move to Alabama and back home to Montana during her marriage, Patience realizes she’s a shell of the woman she used to be while she works in the cafe she opened in her parent’s grocery store. This revelation, and her learning to stand on her own two feet again, coincides with Duke’s return home to Montana after serving as a Marine in several tours that kept him away.
Duke avoided home during his service, in part, to avoid his feelings for Patience while pining for the woman who was married to another. Because of the distance they both put between themselves, neither were aware of the other’s change in situation. Duke takes a job as a sheriff deputy upon his reluctant return home, made hastily by his medical discharge from the military.
Add in some meddling mothers and an aunt, and the pair are reunited unexpectedly when Duke shows up at the cafe, and the sparks fly once again. With some tension and so many secrets between them, it gets off to a rocky start, but the two eventually admit to each other they both still love one another and spill the secrets that have come between them.
This book has such a relatable story, it’s hard not to get invested in the characters and their lives. I love the way the author paints the scenery and works in nuances to the characters’ personalities and interpersonal relationships. These feel like your friends, family, or neighbors, and the author has you rooting for love to prevail through the whole book. It’s an adorable love story with real life complications, and it makes the book read more like I personally see true love developing between two people, not just some sweet fairytale. It’s possibly one of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time because of this.
Can best friends, man and woman, become more? Patience and Duke prove you can. They grew up together and were best friends. Duke leaves for the Marines without telling Patience, and she enters a loveless marriage. Ten years later they find their way back to each other. They begin by being friends and telling their stories over the years. They learn that they each loved the other more than just friends but couldn’t find a way to tell the other. It works out in the end. They finally get their happily ever after. I really enjoyed this book.
This was my first book by this author. Courage of Us revolves around Patience and Duke, two lifelong friends and the trials of that friendship after a night together. This is a sweet romance novel that anyone would enjoy. I found both characters very likeable and with nice chemistry. The secondary characters especially Patience aunt and mom were engaging and funny. I could totally see my own family acting just like that lol. I appreciated that the author touched a bit on ptsd, but would have liked her to delve into that as part of the story a little more. I thought the author did a good job of showing what Patience had been through and letting us the reader feel that, but again I would have liked to see a little more depth to it. I thought this was a beautiful romance story that I would highly recommend. I intend to read other books by this author and can’t wait for more in this series.
I liked the book it was awesome. It was well written and it was good to read I kind of went through the same thing as the main character. I could not put it down, it was a good ending an done that I hoped it would have. There is the f word in it and I can skip over it where I don’t really notice it much anymore, but just a warning.
This was a great 5 star read, once I started I didn’t want to put it down. The author does a great job with her writing, you feel like you’re right there with the characters.
Patience finally got the courage or should I say liquid courage to tell her best friend Duke exactly how she felt. It turned into a wonderful night between them….that is until morning and he was gone.
We jump ahead seven years, Patience made some not so great choices and had some heartbreaking moments and is now going through divorce. She hasn’t heard from Duke since he left. So when she comes face-to-face with him she is shocked to see him.
Duke knows the way he left things with Patience wasn’t great. Now that he has returned home he wants to make things right with her and maybe even pick up where they left off. He eventually convinces her to go on a date with him.
Can these two rekindle their friendship and possibly have more?
Overall I really enjoyed this book and the characters were great. I really liked both of them and I can’t wait to read more from this series. If you’re looking for a great 2nd chance romance this is the one for you. 1-click and get started today.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it! I read this during the first week of a summer heatwave and it went perfectly with me sunbathing in my back garden so if you need a summer read by the pool or on the beach then this is perfect for you. Patience LaClare and Duke Michaels are the childhood best friends that end their childhood with one night together after graduation. Duke leaves for the Marines in the morning without telling anyone, leaving Patience to move on with her life. Both are filled with regrets and face the challenges that life can throw. However, seven years later and Patience is fresh from a divorce and Duke is home indefinitely. Can love be rekindled?
This book was fresh and exciting. Filled with romance and passion I fell in love with the characters and was really rooting for them.
This is the first book I’ve read by Brooke May, and it certainly won’t be the last. This book was everything I hoped it would be from reading the blurb and more. So many feels!
Patience was the perfect name for her, because she truly was the epitome of patient. Life kept throwing her hardships and she kept pushing through until she found her way again. And Duke! Gahhh, I loved Duke. I wanted to throttle him for not going back to her sooner but he was so incredibly sweet. The chemistry between them was strong, and pure. I cried through parts and cheered in others. Perfection! If I could rate this book 10 stars I would!
This is it.
This book is EVERYTHING- fight with someone else. This book covers literally everything I didn’t know I loved. The romance was there – it wasn’t too much or not enough it was perfect. The smut was also present, also in a perfect way. This writer has a full handle on how to write superb books & I am THIRSTY for the next books. I honestly think this might be an all time favorite in my romance category!
– disclaimer: please research trigger warnings following this book : there are a couple of different scenes that would be rather unsettling (not super overwhelming personally but could see other women from some themes being uncomfortable.
Patience and Duke go from a drunken hook up and total “I love you” confession after graduating high school – to Patience waking up by herself with no sign of Duke. As the day went on, Patience had discovered Duke had enlisted to the Marines and wasn’t coming back, she was forced to move on. After quite a few long years (a marriage, a child, Patience finding her live goals)- Duke moved back into their small town for good. Could the stars have aligned themselves any better just in time for Patience to get a hold on her very unhappy life. We watch and anticipate Patience divorcing her awful “husband” Greg, while literally BEGGING her to fall for Duke all over again. Upon discovering that they of course are ultimately still head over heels in love with each other; they both have to expose their baggage. Can they forgive the past and move on? Can Duke handle the secret that Patience had kept from him for all these years? Can Patience handle the twists and terms to come as we learn the real reason why Duke ended up coming home from his Marine career? Oh – did you think that was it? NOPE. Brooke May throws the worst cliffhanger of all cliffhangers I’ve ever read – I need the rest of the books ASAP
– disclaimer 2: this is a book you will not be able to put down – I not only finished it in one sitting. But I also stayed up until 3am because I absolutely could not put it down.
Courage of Us (Code of Honor Book 1) by Brooke May. This was a great second chance romance book. I loved every page. Its the story of Patience LaClare who had her heart broken by the one man she thought would never leave her. She married another man and is 7 years in miserable. He doesn’t love her and never has. He blames her for everything wrong in his life, he verbally abuses her constantly and tells her she’s useless. Duke Michaels is a man who left his whole world behind 7 years ago including the girl he loves Patience. He joined the Marines and has seen more loss and battle than he ever dreamed he would. He’s coming home a shell of the man he was before and when he sees Patience he realizes she is a shell of her former self. Duke has severe PTSD and is trying to recoup from that the best he can. When he and Patience see each other again he realizes he has to help her become the strong girl she once was. When Patience’s husband begins to physically abuse her she finally draws up the courage to leave him. Will Duke and Patience find the love they once had even though they are two very different people? Read Courage of Us to find out!
This was certainly a page-turner. I typically not interesting in military-esque stories, but the storyline had me captivated by the characters. There are so many elements in this story that you wanted a happy ending for the main character.
The emotions I feel about this book………I feel like I was on a roller coaster ride. My heart just ached for Patience and Duke. Putting pieces back together once you lose touch with someone you love. Patience dealing with an abusive husband and Duke trying to win her trust back, with a secret of his own, when he returns from the Marines. This book was so emotional and heart breaking. I was cheering Patience and Duke on to have their happy ending.
Courage of Us is the first in the series Code of Honor by Brooke May. This book centers around main characters, Duke Michael and Patience LaClare. The two grew up together and were best friends. Patience is shocked when, after graduation, Duke leaves her behind without a word. Devastated and hurt, Patience marries another man even though her heart is with Duke Her husband is a horrible and abusive man. Patience finally stands her ground and divorces him. I was rooting along with Patience’s family for her and Duke to get together. This book is a sweet love story that just makes you happy.
Courage of Us (Code of Honor Book 1) by Brooke May. This was a great second chance romance book. I loved every page. Its the story of Patience LaClare who had her heart broken by the one man she thought would never leave her. She married another man and is 7 years in miserable. He doesn’t love her and never has. He blames her for everything wrong in his life, he verbally abuses her constantly and tells her she’s useless. Duke Michaels is a man who left his whole world behind 7 years ago including the girl he loves Patience. He joined the Marines and has seen more loss and battle than he ever dreamed he would. He’s coming home a shell of the man he was before and when he sees Patience he realizes she is a shell of her former self. Duke has severe PTSD and is trying to recoup from that the best he can. When he and Patience see each other again he realizes he has to help her become the strong girl she once was. When Patience’s husband begins to physically abuse her she finally draws up the courage to leave him. Will Duke and Patience find the love they once had even though they are two very different people? Read Courage of Us to find out!
Courage of Us is an amazing romance story, but its not a normal romance story it’s a hot and steamy military romance. But it also has everything that a romance reader knows and loves including deep feelings, emotion, love, heartache, and pain. Ms. May puts so much description and care into her characters that it’s hard to immerse yourself into their stories and feel every emotion they feel. This story will take you on a wild roller coaster ride of emotions, second chances, and how to find love and get through all the pain that life throws at you. So if your looking for a great romance, or a book that you can lose your feelings in I highly recommend Courage of Us by Brooke May.