Briggs,Remember when we parted ways in Germany? It was the day I broke your heart. What you didn’t know was that I was breaking mine too.I thought they’d be enough–my husband and my son. That I’d get home and everything would go back to the way it was . . .Before the war. Before the ambush. Before you.But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t erase the trauma we shared. I can’t seem to forget the … trauma we shared. I can’t seem to forget the way my heart beat in time with yours.
The truth is I’m lost without you.
I thought the nightmare was over when they pulled us from that hole in the ground, but nothing could have prepared me for the war I’d face at home.
I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but, please, I have to see you one last time. . .
All my love,
Scottie
more
Top read of 2018! This book! I’ve never read a book where I felt every emotion I am capable. It’s deep,intense, heartbreaking, soul changing and so much more. Both authors you can tell gave us there heart with this book and has definitely opened my eyes to soldiers. Usually when I read a book I fall head over heals for one hero not this book in my opinion there are 3! I don’t wanna spoil this amazing story so I’ll leave you with this. War changes people. War opens your eyes to reality we never wanna see. This book opens your mind just by reading it. I will truly never forget this story and it will always be close to my heart. This book needs to be a movie and if it ever is I’ll be the first in line to go see it. I wish I could give this book 10 stars because it truly deserves it. 5/5 stars
This is not the first time Kate Stewart has left me speechless. I waited on this book and knew without a doubt she would try to break me. Well guess what? It happened. I knew what to expect. I went in knowing my heart would shatter and how I would fall…
Heather M Oregon and Kate Stewart, together, not only shattered my heart. They pulverized it. Stomped on it, chewed it into little pieces just to spit it out… then put it all back together again. And you know once you’ve had an organ removed in such a way, it never goes back in the same way it came out.
I felt everything. EVERYTHING. As Scottie and Briggs tried to figure out “Where do I go from here?”, I was right there with them.
This book encapsulates what it means to be a soldier and a soldiers family, and all the hardships they face every day, in the name of freedom.
Through their eyes, I was able to live in their life and feel all the guilt and rage. All the f-ing tears shed on just trying to be “normal”.
Stewart and Oregon found a way to bring the lust and betrayal, even in such a dire situation. You don’t want to feel it. It makes you squirm and writhe, but you can’t look away. You are able to put yourself in these characters shoes and have the same feelings of longing I know they were feeling.
While this book is a love triangle, thats not the heart of it, so to speak. Its about surviving and the ability to accept where you are and who you have become after paying the ultimate sacrifices.
Hats off to you ladies. One of the best reads of 2018.
Incredibly moving, this is one ugly cry book. It made me reconsider my views on certain tropes. The premise is well-related and reinforces the idea that not everything is black and white. So much lies in the grey, one different circumstance leads us down another (perhaps inevitable, depending on who you ask) path.
“In another lifetime, I know we’d have been perfect together.”
Briggs is the heartbeat of this story. He tipped the scales for me, he made the uncomfortable parts “acceptable” and made me root for him right from the start. His enigmatic character is beautiful, inside and out. He loves from his soul, and gives his all. He bleeds love and loyalty.
Caught in the maelstrom is Katy, or Scottie to Briggs. Perhaps the word “caught” is not appropriate, given how things transpire, but I am not here to discuss the blame. You can make up your own mind about it.
Last but certainly not least is Gavin. Three deep characters, with everything on the line, cope with the effects of PTSD, directly and indirectly. Lives overturned, emotions upended.
There are triggers so please check the description.
Heartbreak Warfare exceeded my high expectations and I thank the authors for a thought-provoking book.
This story prides itself on so much emotion and evoking those emotions in readers. These two authors have combined forces and provided a story in which I was engaged and felt intimately a part of in the most painfully poignant ways. I loved that about this story which kept the plot captivating and the characters illuminating. It’s full of angst, pain, trauma, and longing. It’s also a slow burn of healing, love, and selflessness. Each and every character provides brilliant solace and acute suffering to readers making the book very unique in how it’s presented and fleshed out. I very much appreciated the care, empathy, and compassion these authors used to convey their story in this tender realm of so many people’s lives.
I’d be remiss if I wasn’t completely honest though. The emotions are what kept it going for me and the fact that I felt deeply for these characters. I struggled even with rating a 4 a little bit because there were far too many instances where the writing and storytelling weren’t tight. I found several things that were reiterated as if I hadn’t just read them. Consistency issues led to spots not being concisely written. And a few spots where I questioned the characters vastly different reactions to the same desperate situations. If were to rate based on the writing alone my review would not be as favorable. But there’s no denying the story MOVES you in a way that really captures the essence of what these two authors wanted readers to take away from the story – it’s glaringly obvious that this story comes from a place of admiration, pride, honesty, and heart – and I find that fact equally as important as anything else.
„Heartbreak warfare” is first book I’ve read by both authors Kate Stewart and Heather M. Orgeron. It’s a full length, military novel and what the novel this is. This is just an epic book full of feels. This story is everything. It gave me all the feels, moved me, was very angsty, heartfelt, and a true masterpiece. The writing was truly top notch and the story was unique, intense, and moving. That’s definitely one of my favorite read this year.
Katy is a soldier. She leaves her husband and a son for a tour, even though it’s the last thing she wants to do cause it’s her duty. She’s there with her friend Mullins, which should make things easier, but it’s still rough for her and missing her family doesn’t make things easier. After some time, they make friends with a group of guys with Briggs being one of them. He is fun and flirty, but they are still just friends. But it’s war and the unthinkable happens. Everyone in that group of friends life is forever changed.
This story it’s definitely not the easy one. It’s quite complicated, from time to time even impossible. It’s really raw, heartbreaking and gut wrenching. It’s a definition of a grey area without any clear lines. The connection characters shared after what they went through it’s just unbreakable and that’s why you just can’t blame any of them for what happens in this story cause there is definitely no fault in any of them and they all trying just to cope in their own way and get back to their lives. But would their lives be the same? You have to read the book to find out. You definitely won’t regret.
You may say that I am really vague in my review this time but I am doing this intentionally cause this book is just have to be read and feel for yourself.
Heather M. Orgeron and Kate Stewart have created an amazing book. This story took over everything around me, my thoughts for days I was reading this story. “Heartbreak Warfare” is that amazing. It’s fast paced. Every scene , every moment, every word mattered to reader. It was important to the story. A story that’s relevant and had to be told. This story just needed to be told. This is what happens in war. It’s brutal and it’s real. “Heartbreak Warfare” is not the story told from the casualties point of view. No, it’s the story told from the heroes of war. The soldiers. The survivors. The American heroes. And even I am not and American citizen we have many wars and conflicts all around the world and that’s why this book is an important read.
“Heartbreak Warfare” is an instant favorite of mine this year. An all-time favorite. Epic is not a big enough word.
Incredibly beautiful, thought provoking and emotionally charged. This story broke my heart and then made it whole.
A story of going to war and coming back changed. Torn between the love she left behind and the woman she used to be and the new love she found when he was all she had to hold onto and who she is now. It was told true-to-life. War is not pretty and we got to see it from all sides. I felt all the emotions; fear, anger, lust, hate, devastation, heartbreak, betrayal, sadness, love and happiness.
These authors did this story justice and the impact was significant. The story was difficult to read at times because of it’s honesty, but it was worth it. I adored these characters because of their shortcomings. And the writing was absolutely flawless.
This was an epic read for me. An unforgettable tale of love, war and it’s aftermath. Read it.
With this book, these authors took my heart, tore it from my chest, squeezed the living daylights out of it and then shoved it back in.
I don’t think I can string enough words together in the right order to adequately describe this book but I’ll try. It’s brutal, it’s tragic and heartbreakingly intense. It’s stunning. Although this is a collaboration, the writing is seamless and the pairing of these two authors is genius. Their writing styles complement each other so beautifully, you wouldn’t know one from the other. Their creative writing is so vivid, it ensures that you feel everything with these characters and at times you live their nightmare alongside them. They are so real, and their personalities leap from the pages.
In the aftermath of certain events, I could see why Katy made the decisions she did and whether I agreed with them or not, I felt such empathy for her. Be aware, nothing here is glossed over, or sugar coated, and neither should it be. Her confusion and her guilt are palpable. When I think about Katy, the saying, “before you judge, walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” immediately springs to mind. When I wasn’t metaphorically standing behind her cheering her on, willing her to stay strong and believe in herself, I was trying to swallow the big lump in my throat and hold back the tears. I wanted to comfort all these characters on more than one occasion.
There was humour here too, which was fun and silly and irreverent. That in itself was a welcome relief from the heavy subject matter and established them as characters who are more than two dimensional.
As the story progressed, the anticipation, the need to know what was going to happen, almost drove me mad. I will admit, the urge to skip ahead was strong. I’m so glad I resisted, as this story needed to unfold in its own time. I would’ve deprived myself of the journey, the experience of feeling everything, the heart stopping emotions and edge of your seat moments you get when you become completely invested in the characters.
Exceptional writing and a powerful storyline secures this book as one I don’t think I’ll ever forget. One which I shall be recommending for years to come.
“No, we won’t be friends anytime soon, not with that kind of fire between us. Challenge accepted.”
Oh dear, I have no idea where to start. This book teared up so many emotions, feelings and thoughts that my mind is running non-stop. I even dreamed about this book after finishing it last night. Heartbreak Warfare is one of the most intense books I’ve ever read and surely became one of my favorite reads this year. Just writing this review tears me up and I haven’t even really begun.
I tell you one thing, if you are reading this review and haven’t read the book I ask you to stop right now. Not because I will spoiler in my review, but I strongly believe that you should go in blind. The blurb tells you nothing and everything at the same time. Take it or leave it. But I’m sure reading this book without your expectations tainted by reviews and other’s opinions is the best thing you can do to this book. However, a fair warning here: This book probably touches topics that might be triggers to you.
“We stand inches apart, but with the way that I yearn for his touch, it may as well be oceans.”
I still have no idea what I just read. Or how I can explain in words what this book did to me, my mind and my emotions. Heartbreak Warfare is raw, it’s intense, it’s angsty, thrilling and so full of emotions. If there would ever be a scale with all kind of emotions, this book touches every single one and more. After reading Drive by Kate Stewart at the beginning of this year, I never thought I would read a book that makes me feel this angsty while reading it ever again. This urge to turn the pages, the racing heart, the breaking heart, the adrenaline that suddenly pumps through your veins – this is an unbelievable reading experience.
“No matter where the journey takes us, when I close my eyes, it will be your face I see. When I breathe my last breath, your name will be on my lips.”
This book shows, while honorably touching a very sensitive and important topic, what war does to this world, to the people fighting it, to the people trying to keep the peace, to the innocent people caught in the crossfire. War is a horrible thing, it’s poison to this world and I truly wish we could erase this thing from earth. We can’t thank enough those brave people out there fighting for peace, people who have families at home and who have no idea how much such an experience will change them. And who have no idea about the impact everything has on their future way of life.
“I can’t seem to forget the way my heart beat in time with yours. The truth is I’m lost without you.”
But what’s almost as heartbreaking as war is being in love with two people. It shreds you into bits and pieces with no idea how to put back the puzzle pieces. The two authors did a fantastic job in creating three characters that work so wonderful together. It all felt so real like it was happening to me. I guess that was the reason why I couldn’t cut the ties and dreamed about this story.
“When it comes to you, my heart will always cross the line.”
I thought a lot about if I should write something about the characters, their interactions, their chemistry and attraction and decided that I won’t. They are all so special with so much depth and development, that you should experience them yourself, through your eyes, through the eyes of the authors. Kate and Heather did a great mix of changing POVs and even though Gavin’s POVs are the minority, they were able to create only with a few words a convincing character that steals your heart right away. Each character deals with his own heartache in such a believable way that touches you deeply.
“Ocean blue meets amber sunset. And it’s beautiful. It’s healing. It’s life-altering. It’s inevitable.”
Heartbreak Warfare is almost indescribable. Reading this book is an intense experience you most likely will never forget. It will rock you to the core and gives you all the feels. Be prepared for something you can never be prepared for!
“I went to war loving one man and came back in love with another.”
I haven’t read a book that punched me in my heart and my gut and destroyed me so thoroughly like this in a long, long while. I’m left raw and in need of a good ole hug.
HEARTBREAK WARFARE is a life lesson. About how we shouldn’t judge people’s decisions because we haven’t walked in their shoes – so start this story with this mindset because it’ll make you uncomfortable. It starts out with Katy leaving home and her husband and son for a deployment she doesn’t want to go on, meeting a fellow soldier she feels a connection with but she fights the attraction because she’s a happily married woman.
That was before the ambush. What follows is harrowing, a hail storm that batters your heart, leaving it ripped open and bruised. Heather M. Orgeron and Kate Stewart didn’t hold back when they described the nightmare of Briggs and Katy’s time in Iraq. It was painful but necessary because, let’s be real people, there are people in this world who live this nightmare everyday. If they can live it so that we can breathe easy and live free and in peace, then we damn well can read about it.
Katy’s resilience and strength is nothing short of awe inspiring. When she came back from Iraq she couldn’t accept the change in her. She was stuck in hell with no way out of it. Yet she fought for her family and herself with every breath she took. The guilt, the horror, the nightmares would be her companions for the rest of her life. The only person in the world who understood was the man she was trapped with in hell. Only he knew the atrocities because he lived them, too.
“Locked in our gaze, everything else disappears. I see the pain and fear leave her eyes. They’re replaced with trust, with a connection so powerful it steals my breath. We’re no longer in this bunker. There’s no pain. No torture. We’ve drifted off to a place that’s ours alone.”
Briggs, a cocky, wisecracking and mellow guy, had fun riling Katy up. He knew he couldn’t cross the line with her but those two months in captivity with her turned their initial connection into an unbreakable bond as only life-altering events experienced together can weld it.
She’s all that matters. As long as she makes it back to her little boy in one piece, and as long as I can see her smile again, I can live with whatever hand I’m dealt.
Gavin was a saint. That man deserves a medal for being one of the most selfless men in romance. My heart shattered for him, how he fought to bring the woman he fell in love with back from her darkness.
“She’s finally home, and I’m still living in the headspace we were in when she left. Not only are we not on the same page anymore, we’re reading completely different books.”
And here’s the thing – every single one of these characters is so wonderful and amazing that you can’t help but root for them all and it’s what tears you apart while reading this story. All of them are catapulted into an impossible situation and they have to make impossible decisions. If you had made me choose I wouldn’t have been able to and it’s that dilemma that makes you understand some of Katy’s choices. They all did things that hurt the other and it changed all of their lives fundamentally, but when you are thrown into Briggs and Katy’s hell your world is narrowed down to a very small piece with little room to wiggle and hidden exits.
Now I’m nursing the mother of all book hangovers. This book is hard, so hard that I had tears in my eyes pretty much all the way through which turned in ugly-crying at the tough parts. Heather and Kate definitely didn’t take the easy way out with their story-telling, which, by the way is effortless and seamless. Even though it may not be for everybody, everybody should still read it. There are so many lessons in this story. It’s darkness and light, violence and tenderness and full of undiluted love.
“Together, we breathe the ultimate sigh of relief, and as our climax ripples between us, our eyes never part. Ocean blue meets amber sunset. And it’s beautiful.
It’s healing.
It’s life-altering.
It’s inevitable”
HEARTBREAK WARFARE is raw, unfiltered and painful, and pure heartbreaking emotion, that will have your heart in your throat, make you cry and angry, oh so angry. It deserves its title 100%. Ms. Orgeron and Ms. Stewart have penned one of the best and most memorable stories I’ve read and these characters will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to all the soldiers in the world for their service so that we can live free and in peace.
oh my god!!!!!!! A 10 star story. If I get to shed one tear while reading a book, well in my opinion, it deserves all the stars in the sky.
This story is about Katy, a medic who goes overseas at war. She meets Briggs who’s funny and the light of the party. They bond and hold on to each when the worst and imaginable happens. Now they are home and must adjust.
This is the kind of story I want to read. It felt to real. I read about soldiers lives being torn apart but never read anything quite like this. It was addicted and captivated. I read this story in less then a day. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Not a good idea to read while at work. I was bawling.
I loved these amazing characters that really latched themselves to my heart, mind, body and soul. I was heartbroken but I was left smiling at the end.
Standalone told in a multiple POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
5 Trust Me Stars!! Epic! Phenomenal writing that will take you through a complete gamut of emotions. This story will have you torn apart during gut wrenching scenes and heartbreaking moments, that will keep you wanting more. You’ll definitely devour it and keep thinking about this story and characters long after you’re done. Definitely a top 5 read of 2018.
Wow is about the only word I have for this. The story is heartbreaking and deep and emotional. Showing the battle of war, PTSD and a heart that loves to the max. At times, this is a rough read. A lot of emotions hit you from all directions. Sticking with it will not only break your heart, but it will heal it in the end. The ending was what I needed after all the emotions of the rest of the book. You will not be disappointed.
This book….wow, this book is EVERYTHING…I want to thank both Heather and Kate for writing this.
As an Army veteran myself and also married to a Army combat veteran. I felt more in these pages than I have in a long while. This book made me ugly cry in the most beautiful way.
This story was beautifully written. It was honest, it was brutal and it was amazing.
This is the story of survival. It is a story of what happens when love changes and grows. It’s about the devastation of war and its impact on a family. It’s the challenges that makes you realize what really matters most in your life and the decisions made are not what may be best for everyone. But it’s what’s best for the person making them.
This story is about more than just Scottie and Briggs. It’s about all of the characters in this book. And the multiple POV’s just bring that fact home even more. I didn’t know who to root for more. I could see the devastation and happiness in each and every character. That is a true testament to great writing.
At its heart, this story is about healing, it’s about what traumatic experiences can do to a person. What traumatic effects do to a family and friends. It’s about the strength it takes to realize that the enemy “failed” and you have to adjust to your new world view.
This story is going to be in my “Top Reads of 2018”. Read this story! I had to step away a few times to catch my breath.
As an American soldier myself, I want to say thank you for writing this story. For writing with sensitivity, for writing with respect, for writing it with understanding and for writing it with love. Thank you…
Kate Stewart and Heather Ogeron have written a heart-wrenching masterpiece. The characterization exceeds all expectations preliminarily set forth by early reviews. The brilliance in being able to contrive three drastically different points of view all while keeping a tight plot is dynamic and overwhelming. Such raw, unedited emotion shines through in every aspect of the writing.
This book takes you on an emotional ride exploring the internal and external conflict of a woman and man bound together by trauma. Katy leaves for Iraq a loving mother and devoted wife but returns to the states a broken shell of who she was. Her husband and U.S. Army Captain, Gavin Walsh, will move heaven and earth to help her but somehow it’s proving not to be enough. Katy feels like she’s drowning. She only feels safe with Christopher Briggs, the soldier who she spent two months locked in hell with. Will Katy survive the aftermath of Iraq? Will her marriage? And what about her feelings for Briggs?
What happens will hold your heart hostage and take your breath away. Highly recommended. 5 stars.
This book was EPIC!
My heart was broken so many times that it feels like I can’t fully put it back together yet. I was consumed with this story from beginning to end.
Kate Stewart always slays me with her books ALWAYS! This was one hell of a collaboration. I haven’t read anything by Heather before this book, but now she’s going on my “to read” list because this book was EVERYTHING!
Three people in a love triangle for sure. What can you expect when you go to war and are stuck with another soldier for days, weeks, months! Briggs and Scottie were each other’s lifeline at one low point in their lives and once Scottie went back home to her family safe and sound, she was beyond broken that it was hard for her to get back on track.
Scottie’s husband and her son were her everything before she went to Baghdad, but once she came back a changed woman, it was hard to tell if everything would go back to normal.
I didn’t know who I was rooting for because it was such a hard decision, she could have gone either way because both men loved her unconditionally. Both soldiers had everything she’s ever wanted in a man, so how do you choose? Technically though, your heart is the one who chooses for you and even though it was hard and painful, I think it went the way it had to.
Both men were wonderful, sweet, kind, both were different in their own ways, but both owned Scottie’s heart, which was the hard part.
I can’t tell you how much this book is stuck in my head and in my heart.
Heartbreak Warfare will forever be a favorite of mine.
Heather has made a huge impact on my heart and soul! Definitely more than 5 Stars! This heart wrenching story will make you see the military in a different light! You have a better appreciation for the sacrifices they make just for your freedom! Such an incredible story of survival in more ways than one!! Phenomenal!!
Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M. Orgeron & Kate Stewart is so brutal and beautiful all at once. This is one book that will have you wrapped up with so many feels that you’ll be wanting to share it with all of your friends. I’ve literally had a dozen discussion with friends in just the last two days about how much this book touched us.
It’s hard to write a review without giving anything away. So I will just say this is a must read and share with y’all some of the quotes that grabbed my heart.
5 Huge Stars
“It’s here, sitting at a table full of soldiers with lives, families, and fears of their own, that I finally start to breathe a bit easier.”
“All she wanted was to help wounded soldiers, to be her father’s daughter, and to set an example for our son.”
“I’ll pray for my own glimpse of heaven. I’ll pray for her.”
“You’re still beautiful, full of life, and so strong. So fucking strong.”
“Soldier up, Katy.”
“Today, I’m going to live”
Mother of God you guys. This book will wreck you but the authors are kind enough to put your heart back together. All I’m saying go buy this book, read it, savor it , hell devour it. But tissues and possibly alcohol is needed depending on how you react to this book. I loved this book so much. It was worth every emotion I felt throughout it. I love both of these authors and to have them write a book together was very epic.
I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say about this book. I’ve sat here for three days trying to find the words to do this book justice and I can’t, I don’t have the adequate words.
This book was everything! It slowly ripped me apart and put me back together again. It made me feel every single emotion and I’ve got to be honest it hurt at times. It hurt to read what the characters were feeling/thinking. It hurt to witness their dark times. It hurt to feel their confusion and pain. But it’s one of those aches that I couldn’t get enough of. I was so completely and utterly invested in all of these characters and their lives and now I’ve finished I’m at a total loss as to what to do with myself. I’ve read a lot of books but I can count on one hand how many books have affected me like Heartbreak Warfare did.
Five stars is nowhere near enough for this book. The writing is superb. The emotions were felt in every word I read and these two authors somehow bring not just the main characters to life but every single character in this book becomes more than just a fictional character. There’s some hard reading in this book. It shows you a side to war that we sometimes forget about when reading military based romances. Things aren’t swept under the rug in this book, there is no fading to black, no glossing over what happens afterwards to the people that are left to pick up the pieces. We witness what the characters live through and it hurt reading it knowing that it’s not just fictional. These things do happen and real people are left trying to find a way to move on.
I had extremely high expectations of this book from the second I heard about it and even though it’s left me feeling emotionally wrung out and in a massive book funk, it was every I never knew I wanted it to be. It made my heart break, it made me angry, it’s real, raw and gut wrenching. Its complicated, sometimes it seems hopeless but at the same time it will make you hope and pray that all will be ok, it will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you feeling lost when you finish it. It will make you hate these authors at times for the words they’ve written but it will leave you loving them even more. Heartbreak Warfare has everything I need in a romance. The feels…it has all the feels. The angst is perfect and the story is addictive. Briggs and Scottie’s story won’t be forgotten any time soon.
******5+++++++I’m so confused about how I feel but I loved it Stars!!!!!!!!
I’m gonna have to come back and review after I quit crying
I have FINALLY quit crying when I even think about this book and its about 8 hours later!!
I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book where when I finished reading I’ve been so overwhelmed and confused about how I felt! I also don’t know that I can write this without spoilers.
This is my second favorite read of the year and let me tell ya, Kate Stewart has about 3 in my top 10! This was no exception! She and Heather did the most amazing job on this book and I don’t know that I will recover anytime soon.
Christ!!!!!! Let me start by saying the the Epilogue, which is my favorite part of a book, KILLED me probably more than the capture of our main characters. I read it 5 times and sobbed uncontrollably all 5 times. I still think about it and cry! My soul was broken in half! I got the HEA that I wanted but it came at such a heavy price.
We have a woman, that leaves to go to Iraq one person and she’s madly in love with a man and has been since she was 19. Then she comes back 4 months later and is a completely different version of herself and loves her husband but she has fallen for another man.
For two months Katy and Briggs endured sheer hell! This is not your run of the mill hell this is the kind where you honestly are thinking about your last breath, a breath that she said they shared. They breathed life into one another, they were clinging to life and to one another.
Things change drastically for Katy when she comes home, not only with Gavin but with herself. I honestly believe that if it hadn’t been for Noah things would have turned out so differently for our heroine. That little boy was her saving grace.
Gavin, what can I say…I loved him, he did everything right, nothing was his fault and he broke me.
Briggs, what can I say…I loved him, he did everything right, nothing was his fault and he broke me.
These two men were the epitome of alpha male goodness. Both in love with the same woman, one had her “before” and one had her “after”.
I don’t believe Briggs had a malicious bone in his body and I don’t believe he would have acted on any attraction that he had to Katy if not for the circumstance. He would have been happy with seeing her from afar and gone on with his life. Katy wrote that letter the night before departing and I believe that she did love Gavin with every fiber of her being, but then things changed. I couldn’t fault either of them. I believe that you do things to survive and that is what happened with them. They took a journey together that only the two of them shared, no one else would understand. This was written in the most raw, gritty, heartbreakingly beautiful way. These authors showed, what I feel like, probably happens in a good many marriages of military vets and pow’s. This was not an easy thing for Katy to deal with. She knew that the love she had for Gavin was a beautiful love but she also knew that the love she had for Briggs was very real and equally beautiful. The decision to be with Briggs was not one that I think she took lightly, all she saw was one half of her heart was missing. This is where my confusion comes in. I don’t believe in cheating, as I was cheated on, but when you look at this story and the things that these two people went through, you can’t help but root for all of them. I was happy and I was sad that things happened the way it did.
When Gavin makes the decision for her it was one of the toughest parts of the book for me, however, I had the most respect for him, I loved him before but at that moment i was heartbroken for him and loved him even more.
That EPILOGUE!!!!!! CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT EPILOGUE???? DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN!!!
Everyone was happy and it all worked out great but COME ON!!! GUTTED ME!!! The POV from Katy and Briggs was wonderful but when we get to the 10year mark and its from Gavin…Swear to God I cried for 4 hours! He was such an amazing man!!! I now need to know how he met Molly and their story!
This book was angsty, so so so real, moving, gut wrenching, and an absolute BRILLIANT masterpiece that left me happy and yet sad. The last line and the letter from Katy will remain in my heart forever.
Kate Stewart has given me so many beautiful reads this year and has cemented herself as one of my most favorite authors in the world. I thank her and Heather Oregon for giving me this book as it truly moved me in so many ways!
Angst *****
Cheating YES
Sexy Time***
Epilogue ************ BRILLIANT
Plot*****
I cannot recommend this book enough!!!