The most brazen terrorist attack in history. A country bent on revenge. A love affair cut short. A heart that never truly heals. I knew on the day of the attack that our lives were changed forever. What I didn’t know then was that I’d never see John again after he deployed. One day he was living with me, sleeping next to me, making plans with me. The next day he was gone. That was five years ago. … next day he was gone.
That was five years ago. The world has moved on from that awful day, but I’m stuck in my own personal hell, waiting for a man who may be dead for all I know. At my sister’s wedding, I meet Eric, the brother of the groom, and my heart comes alive once again.
The world is riveted by the capture of the terrorist mastermind, brought down by U.S. Special Forces in a daring raid. Now I am trapped between hoping I’ll hear from John and fearing what’ll become of my new life with Eric if I do.
From a New York Times bestselling author, Five Years Gone, a standalone contemporary, is an epic story of love, honor, duty, unbearable choices and impossible dilemmas.
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Ava Lucas has been in a relationship with John West but when he is deployed overseas she is unable to find out anything as they are not married. Ava waits for John for 5 years and then knows that it is time for her to move on, not knowing if he is alive or dead.
Now Ava has met Eric at the wedding of her sister Camille to Eric’s brother, Rob, and she wonders if it is time to let her heart go.
But will she ever be ready to fully let go of John?
I enjoyed this book and the struggle that Ava faced. It was so sad that John had kept her in the dark so she wasn’t able to find out anything and I was definitely mad at him for doing that to Ava.
I honestly loved when Ava broke down to her roommate Skylar and told her everything as she was able to start getting the help that she needed and it gave Ava a resource and support with Jessica. Ava was strong yet at the same time she was vulnerable after everything she went through with John and the unknown.
I thought Eric was such a great guy and he was so patient with Ava, especially when he learned what had happened to her. There was quite a bit of drama within his own family that was entertaining as well, especially with his mom.
I knew in the back of my mind what could happen and I really pondered what Ava was going to do but I thought how everything went down was perfect with everything.
The end of the book was great and I am really looking forward to the next book as I think it will be an emotional one!!
This story was beautiful. It is all about healing and moving on from the past but not forgetting any of it.
Marie Force writes about loss and love and how recovery and falling in love again is not perfect or easy. The characters were relatable, the emotions and struggles were very realistic. I liked the slow development of Ava and Eric’s friendship and I loved how Ava was slowly realizing she was starting to be attracted to Eric and have feelings for him. Everything between them was really sweet. Their previous relationships ended in a similar way and they are both vulnerable.
Ava’s boyfriend, John, was deployed and she never heard from him again, she doesn’t know if he’s alive or dead. She is obviously suffering from a lack of closure, she can’t let go of her memories and her grief. Eric is a perfect hero, tender, considerate, charming, a true gentleman. He sees the pain Ava tries to hide, he is very perceptive. I really enjoyed reading their story, told in multiple POV, and I could feel the struggles that they had to overcome to finally find the love they deserved.
John is a man of duty and he sacrificed his personal life. His turmoil was authentic, his story is tragic yet hopeful. I definitely want to know more about him. This moving story tugged at my heartstrings and made me feel all the feels. I loved it!
A will written compelling story of loss and recovery by Marie Force. She displays a sensitivity while portraying each characters struggles to move forward from life altering crisis. A great read.
4 stars
Five Years Gone, the new standalone from Marie Force, is a heartbreakingly beautiful book.
Sometimes love is like a lightning strike. Barely 21 and ridiculously naive, Ava fell deeply in love with a man that -it turns out- she didn’t really know. Spending time with him and falling for John is a dream come true. They exist only for each other and despite the fact that she’s far from home and otherwise alone, she loves keeping their relationship to themselves. As a Naval operator, he’s very private and together they exist in a lovely bubble while their love grows. She’s proud of his military career…she just has no idea of what that might cost her. The man she knows by name only is forced to deploy after a deadly terrorist attack and she’s stuck. Stuck in limbo, purgatory of sorts. Never knowing if he’s alive or dead, she’s forced to realize she barely knew him. After living in suspended animation for 5 years, it’s time to move on.
Meeting someone new was the last thing on Ava’s mind but being paired with Eric during her little sister’s wedding was a godsend. He’s become a wonderful friend and he’s making her come alive again. Eric has experienced his own pain and understands the agony of living with the unknown. She’s falling for Eric hard but every article, every episode of the nightly news keeps pulling her back to the first man she ever loved. Will she ever be able to move beyond her past to allow herself a future with someone new?
Yes this is a romance novel but it’s actually so much more. It’s theme of abandonment, depression and therapy is so on point in today’s society. I appreciated that the author provided an avenue to the heroine to combat her pain and showed that finally talking about her trauma took away some of its power. Ava spent five years shackled to her grief all by herself but when she finally shared get story, she learned she had people who wanted to love her through it all along. We aren’t meant to carry the weight of these burdens alone.
John broke my heart, made my intensely angry, made me feel guilty for being angry and then broke my heart all over again. While I’m certain his book will be emotional for me, I can’t wait to see him get his happily ever after. There is life after heartbreak and disillusionment and I believe that Ms. Force will do right by him.
This book was tough for me at several spots but I enjoyed it and glad I stuck it out. Great read and worth the tears!
AnnMarie – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Oh my God Marie Force just pulled me into this book in every direction. I loved that we just don’t see Ava, who is in love, but has been gutted to the soul trying to live again. The emotions that Ava goes through is heartbreaking yet we see a woman coming out of her shell slowly. Now Eric is one tough cookie on the outside yet like Ava is afraid. These two together and Marie Force with her imagination is well awesome. Five Years Gone is more than just these two but a story of doubt, fear and hope again. All in all it is a book you don’t want to pass up.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
Amazing story. This story grabs you from page one and takes you through a very emotional journey. A must read book!
Five Years Gone By is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The theme is current with today’s world events. You could feel the emotions of the characters throughout the book. I could not put the book down because I wanted to see what happened. There is a sequel that will be out next year. Marie Force does not disappoint her readers. I can’t wait for the next book.
Five Years Gone is an extremely dramatizing romance, results of war entangled with hanging on or moving forward.
Five Years Gone by Marie Force is a standalone, contemporary romance novel.
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From a New York Times bestselling author, Five Years Gone, a standalone contemporary, is an epic story of love, honor, duty, unbearable choices and impossible dilemmas. – the author.
And I wholly and with all my heart second that.
Five Years Gone is the story of three people that gutted me, put me in a roller coaster of emotions, put me inside out and then put me back together.
When I started reading Five Years Gone I was captivated from page one. I read the book in one sitting , I couldn’t put it down. And that I finished this fantastic read, I’m sitting here with a major bookhangover and can’t get the story and the characters out of my head and I know one thing for sure, Five Years Gone is one of my few favorite reads in 2018.
The writing is excellent and I can’t express how much I love the story and the characters, all of them.
The main characters are all a bit mangled, struggle daily and I will not spoiler here, only so much, I’m calling dibs on Eric, he’s a prince among men.
Five Years Gone is a heart-wrenching read, a slow burn with just the right amount of everything. My favorite : ” serial philanderer “.
I highly recommend Five Years Gone and really, really can’t wait for One Year Home, the next book.
this book was very powerful and full of emotions. Marie has done it again with her book. loved it.
Knew I had to read this book when it came out. My brother was a veteran whose life was forever changed by war. When I read the book I felt for all of the characters involved. A great read!
This book was awesome, I wanted so bad for the soldier to have a happy ever after at the same time I loved her new guy ! She was so conflicted and I felt her desperation! Two awesome guys
It reminded me of that old song called “ I have two lovers”! I reread it twice and couldn’t wait for the sequel! Well done
I went into listening to this audiobook with great heart pounding trepidation because I knew there was fantastic writing and major angst ahead. I was not disappointed. I am left gutted, drained, and so very devastated for Ava, Eric and John. I’m not sure but with Marie Force I suspect there is a more to come in this story line. Can’t wait!
OMG! Amazing!
Ava has been waiting for five years for any information about the man that she loves who just seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. John is military and had to leave on a mission after a terrorist attack but Ava can not find any information on him anywhere. After finally having enough and wanting to try to restart her life she moves to New York just before her sisters’ wedding. At the wedding, she meets the best man and brother of the groom, Eric, who is also dealing with his issues after his girlfriend up and left him without a word. Eric helps Ava the night of the wedding cure her indulgence in alcohol with his cheese pizza cure. Eric and Ava start a great friendship which grows stronger after they confide in each other about their pasts. After video surfaced about the takedown of the terrorists, Ava is shocked to see John in the video and the past comes back to her in a rush. Ava finds out that John is still alive and he wants to see her. Eric is worried that Ava going to see John is going to ruin everything that they have built together especially after she shuts down after seeing John.
This was the first-ever audiobook that I listened to and I am hooked on audiobooks now. Five Years Gone is the first book in the Navy Captain John West series by Marie Force, which can be read as a standalone or as the first novel in the series and is told in the first-person point of view by multiple characters. I enjoyed Five Years Gone and I am looking forward to more Marie Force books. This was a truly heart-wrenching story of love and sacrifice that takes you on a complete rollercoaster ride of emotions and keeps you hooked on the story to see what is going to happen next. Although I felt bad for John in the end, I am glad that Ava was finally able to get closure and find her HEA with Eric!
I gave this book 5 stars for story and overall and 4 stars for the performance by Andi Arndt and Joe Arden as I was not completely sold on Joe as Eric but enjoyed him as all the other male characters.
Marie Force is one of my MOST favorite authors! I didn’t want the book to end! Amazing believable relatable characters! Loved it!
Loved it. The characters are realistic and entertaining.
Five Years Gone by Marie Force is a gripping story that reminds me of the terrorist attach that happened on 9-11-01. However, a cruise ship is the focus of the attack. The book deals with how lives are shattered by losing loved ones in the attach and the coping process. Ava has suffered collateral damage in that her lover, John, is a member of the special forces that has been detailed to capture the main terrorist. Ava waits for five years for his return. When her sister gets married, Ava moves from the west coast to New York. Ava meets her sister’s brother in law. Can Ava find happiness with Eric? Will she choose John when he returns as a hero or will she stay with Eric?
I read this book as a serial read on Nook where a few chapters are delivered each day. I did not enjoy the open door sex between Ava and Eric. I felt that it could have been eliminated and the story would not have suffered. After a while, Ava was annoying to me. She seemed very insecure and wrapped up in herself. Overall, it was a decent story full of emotions.
*3 Star Audio Review*
I got the audio for this book through the Romance Read Club audio monthly newsletter. I haven’t listened to a tonne of audio books, and have been getting into them a little more lately. I listen when I’m walking for exercise, so sometimes I find myself missing bits because I’m focussing on other things around me (for safety, such as crossing roads and such).
I did like listening to this one, and the narrators were both good. It was a very interesting concept for a storyline, having a relationship with someone in the military and then they’re suddenly gone for such an extended period of time. Now, there’s way more to it than that in this story, and it really explores the notion of what people do to each other, and what they keep from each other in relationships. Leaving you wondering how well you really know some people.
I also found it interesting that we got more than just the POV of the main two characters. There were a couple of others thrown in that helped the story along at particular points.
I liked both our main characters, but I was more of a fan of our hero than our heroine.
The book also ends with what I believe is a lead up for who the next couple will be, and I would definitely be interested in either reading or listening to that one too.
This book absolutely shredded my heart in the best possible way. Grief, tragedy and heartbreak mixed with a second chance at love had me crying like a baby. My heart still hurts a little and I think I’ll need to read the next book to get closure. Will definitely seek out more books by Marie Force.