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
The life of a soldier is one wrought with devotion and honor. For Katy – her love of the armed forces began as a child. It was the honor instilled within her soul as she watched the devotion her father had for our country. That devotion led Katy to follow in her father’s footsteps and enlist.
When a soldier is slated for a tour, there is an uncertainty in the air. The unknown about your assignment coupled with the fear of leaving those you love behind. Katy finds herself faced with saying goodbye to her husband and son when her assignment is handed down. Nothing in her military career to that point was harder on Katy than saying goodbye to her family in that moment.
Life on base can be full of ups and downs. Luckily for Katy, her best friend Mullins is side-by-side with her on this tour. On their arrival, the girls become friends with a group of guys that will take their minds of the assignment at hand. Briggs is part of this circle of friends. He is everything that a single woman would desire…..he is handsome, witty, and a downright flirt. As far as Katy in concerned, Briggs is nothing but a friend. Someone to pass the time with as they count down the days of this tour.
Then one moment changes the course of all of their lives. A stark reminder that they are living in a warzone where the unknown is lurking around the corner. A tragedy that lies at the back of every soldier’s mind, but has quickly become the reality that this platoon now faces. A beginning that seems to have no end for these soldiers embroiled in the unimaginable…..this is their story.
Oh, let me catch my breath!! Heartbreak Warfare is unlike any story you have read in the past. It is full of emotional turmoil and the reality that faces ANY soldier when going on tour. What is contained between the covers will bring you to your knees and leave you struggling with that ‘grey area’ that faces us as adults. The pain that is captured in the writing will leave your heart wretched and beating like the wings of a hummingbird. It is emotional, but it is a reality that faces someone that has been on the ‘other side’ of war.
Whew….it’s so hard to put into words the emotion that you will experience through this journey. Yet – I am trying to stay as vague as possible so you can experience the magnitude of a story like Heartbreak Warfare. It is tragic but beautiful. A story that you know must end the way that this tale does, but you still can’t help but feel torn at the emotion that will pull at your heart.
This story has earned one of the top spots as one of my favorite books of the year. Simply put….you cannot miss experiencing the emotions that will engulf you when you dive head first into the tale that unravels with each turn of the page. A raw and gritty romance that transpires while walking in the boots of a soldier……….
If I honestly thought I was at all prepared to dive head on into this book , how wrong I was. The loss and devastation hit me instantly! From the first chapter to the last my stomach was in knots! These two authors wrote such a remarkable story that I will never forget it. Honestly my best and favourite read of 2018!
My heart hurts. This book is to blame. This book at times was so painful to read, I was in tears and had to put it down. Half of me wanted to keep reading the other half was begging to stop. The writing is flawless, The emotions are so raw, real, gritty, and you feel EVERY emotion in your soul. I have never read a book so emotionally driven before.
There is angst, then there is this book. Scottie, Briggs, Gavin, and the rest just grab you and don’t let go. I love how it was written with the alternating pov, it really helped you delve into the characters hearts, and souls, and I really don’t think this book would have worked any other way, other than how it was written.
The subject matter was intense, the feelings are intense. There is hopelessness, hate, anger, fear, loathing, hope, survival, lust, and love all rolled in this book, and you bet that these two authors tackled this and made it into this amazing book. The roller coaster of emotions is so worth it. All I can think about is this book. To me, these are real people, living their lives. Well done authors, well done.
I admit, I have only read two books by Heather Orgeron and I loved them, they made me laugh. Heartbreak Warfare…not so much, it was intense, raw, angsty – you want feels? All right here in this EPIC and I do mean EPIC read! Heather Orgeron and Kate Stewart have far surpassed any book I have read this year. I am hungover, in the best way, my head hurts, my eyes are puffy, my heart aches but is so full. When an author, in this case, a top notch duo can bring all the feels, there are no words. I just want to thank them for sharing their phenomenal talent. Hell, even as I am writing this review, I am tearing up….jump in, eyes wide open, have some tissues, possibly some alcohol, chocolate or whatever it might be that can bring you comfort as you take this emotional journey. No words seem enough for how I felt reading this book – nothing but love for these two authors.
This book is incredible! I am in total awe of Hearger M Orgeron and Kate Stewart. I just can’t describe how amazing it was.
I adored Katy. What she went through was horrific and you don’t wish it upon anyone. Gavin and Briggs, wow they are amazing men! I loved these characters! The different points of view was superb. Orgeron and Stewart wrote this beautifully, it couldn’t have been done better!
This story will have you laughing and crying but you will love it- that I am sure!
Incredible job ladies. Thank you. Definitely one of my favourites of the year!!
Even the title – HEARTBREAK WARFARE – gives readers a massive hint that this is a book filled with angst and misfortune. If you’re the type of reader that wants to dive into a book that’s likely to have your emotions tossing and spinning like they’ve been through a washing machine, then this one is for you.
I am a fan of Kate Stewart’s book but Heather Orgeron is a new-to-me author. I do feel a tad apprehensive when reading such collaborations because I wonder if the style of the author I am familiar with will alter greatly. In the end, I found this collaboration worked exceedingly well. These two definitely have a way with words and my ebook has scores of highlighted passages that resonated with me.
This story is not an easy one and I felt conflicted throughout and remain so after having finished reading it. Between Katy, Gavin and Chris we truly have a love triangle. It’s complicated, it’s messy, it’s intense. As sorely as I was tempted to at times, it’s hard to lay blame at anyone’s feet. This often left me frustrated and out of sorts because I do tend to like more certainty in the romance novels I read.
I do recommend this book but I doubt I will reread it. Well, at least not for a long time. It’s just too raw and real.
Holy hell!! Don’t read this book without a box of tissues! I cried, and cried, then cried some more! This book was absolutely beautiful! Heart wrenching and beautiful. This was my most anticipating book on my TBR, and I’m so glad I finally got my hands on it! It did not disappoint!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
This was an unputdownable, all consuming, angst fest, heartbreaking, tough story. I should’ve known by the title. Yes this is a love triangle the blurb says it but it’s definitely much more than that.
I had a hard time not spoiling the ending for myself as many times as I wanted to.
I can appreciate the magnificent story and how it was told. The writing is fabulous.
I can’t imagine experiencing what these characters did. It was an intriguing story that took a dive.
added 2 days after finishing: This should’ve been in my original post because I thought it and felt it as I read and especially as I finished. I did not believe that the heroine had true love with *spoiler*. I believe it was a bond created by their experience but not LOVERS. They should’ve remained friends. I was unable to relate to Briggs. I was not sold on his character. He didn’t pull feelings from me.
The ending did not make sense due to things were are told along the story and characters actions/choices.
I’m really not sure where to start and if I can do this amazing book justice , this book will stay with me forever it’s certainly up there amongst my all time favourite reads and it’s a book I will read over and over again. This book has all the feels, you will giggle, you will cry, you will feel all the emotions the characters feel because at some point in this story you will be thinking will these two ever get off the emotion roller coaster life has thrown them on. I don’t want to give the story away so my review is not going to have any spoilers because I feel you need to go in blind to enjoy the best from this brilliant read. This book is not just a love story it’s a journey, Heather M Orgeron and Kate Stewart describe the trails and tribulations of life in the military and what it feel like leaving loved ones behind brilliantly they have given us a raw heartbreaking gritty romance that I ask you all to read because this book will touch your soul and if you are anything like me it will leave you with one of the biggest book hangovers ever. Dark is not normally a genre I’m drawn to but I’m so glad I picked up Heartbreak Warfare and I hope these two very talented authors will look to write more together in the future.
Brilliant Novel of Love, Loss and Longing. It will haunt and restore you long after you finish
Real… Real… Real… An amazing work of fiction, that reaches far beyond Romance. Love these star-crossed lovers.
It felt so real, every heartbeat, every heartbreak. I love Briggs and Gavin. Katy is an amazing heroine, and so human.
I am so so happy I read this book. I will remember my first time reading it for years to come. It’s worth every tear or smile. And sexy. This big sweeping, broadly well-written book feels intimate, a small psychological love story between three great patriots. I am addicted to the rhythms and hairpin curves of this story and I can’t get it out of my head.
It’s an intense romance set against a soul crushing war story. Briggs Gavin and Katy are so well drawn. There are three heroes in this story, and it works on every level.
Once I started reading the book was like a shadow, following me around. All three heroes, I loved them all. The airport and ranch exchanges bookended Katy’s entire journey. I’m still overwhelmed by all my feels. It’s worth every tear. Gah! And sexy.
War. Trauma. It doesn’t just affect those who are impacted by it- it impacts everyone who cares for the solider. This book was so powerful, heartbreaking yet understandable.
Katy and Briggs are POWs in Iraq. Devastation happens around them and they are taken. Fellow soldiers lost. Katy’s husband- in the Army himself is left at home with their son never knowing if he will see the love of his life again.
When Katy and Briggs are saved, the story just opens a new chapter. The chapter to how to resume the life you had before all the horrible things happened to you and to Katy and Briggs together.
Heather Orgeron and Kate Stewart wrote this incredible real life story of how soldiers try and put their live back together after trauma occurs and PTSD sets in.
As I read the book, all I wanted was for Katy to get to a point of having good mental health. They do such a great job writing about how is getting counseling yet you feel the impact of her PTSD by her family and son. It was so beautifully written yet so heartbreaking to know people struggle with this everyday.
Katy is torn between 2 mean who love her and this book makes you love the 3 of them. For me- it didn’t matter who she was with as long as she got to a healthy state for her.
One of my top reads of this year! Thank you to Heather and Kate for this emotional, beautiful story of love and support post tragedy. God bless the men and women who serve our country everyday!
The best thing happened…my two absolute favorite authors wrote a book together! I was equal parts ecstatic and terrified going into this book because I knew it was going to be an emotional ride. I can’t say much, because I feel it’s best to experience this somewhat blind, because what I though I knew going into this book was not anywhere near what I got, it is so much more! This story was gut wrenching, funny at times, sexy at times, but most of all…it was hopeful. My heart has been obliterated and pieced back together in the best way. Heather and Kate did a superb job with this story and their magical words!
5+ STARS FOR SCOTTIE, BRIGGS AND GAVIN!! This book is in my top five books for 2018!! OMG…This book gutted me, broke my heart and I cried so hard I could not even see the words several times, but I could not put it down. The way these authors describe the scenes in this book with their beautiful, flawless words, I felt like I was there watching this story play out with these characters. Katy, Briggs and Gavin have a beautiful, heart wrenching story to tell you about their journey and you need to hear it. This book should be on your must reads for 2018.
Heather and Kate did NOT hold back. What an amazing journey. I was so angry, frustrated, angsty, anxious, heartbroken, sad, happy, etc while reading. So so many emotions. ALL the emotions.
It’s going to take DAYS to process this book. It will take years if not a lifetime to fully absorb this story. These characters will live with me for a long time.
There were times I threw my Kindle down not wanting to read the next part. There were times I just could not read fast enough. There were times, I wanted to savor the story and live in it a bit longer.
I do not want to give ANYTHING away. I will say listen to the authors and just read the book. TRUST the story. I know if you’ve read any other Kate Stewart book you will have a hard time trusting in it and I will say she will do what she does best which is mindf*ck you but in the best possible way. Sorta. I might not be 100% happy with her as things didn’t got the way *I* wanted them to. But it did go the way the story was meant to.
This is a story you will want to one star b/c it puts you through HELL. But you know that it’s really a 5 star BECAUSE it put you through HELL.
This book is absolutely phenomenal if I could give it more stars I would, Briggs and scotties story isn’t a light read but it draws you in and please make sure you have tissues at the ready, this book has it all, I am in awe of this book it is without a shadow of doubt the best book I have ever read
5+++ Houdini Stars
Boy oh Boy!!! I’ve just closed my kindle on this fantastic story and am speechless. Having been in the military life as a soldiers wife for 11 years, let me tell you, the story you read in this book is so real… I felt as though it was happening in real time. The fear each and every soldier comes to face, when they are no longer cashing a paycheck every month, they are at war fighting for our freedom and getting paid.
This story is real.
This story is emotional.
This story is what a soldier does to survive.
This story is raw.
This story is brutal.
This story is one that will rip your heart to pieces.
Yet with knowing all of this, there is a story of love. One that has the love. One that only dreams of finding love. One caught in the middle, fighting for survival.
If there is a book that will stay with me forever, this one hits the tick marks for being there! I flowed through the story word by word. Devouring each and everything happening. Sometimes I had to take a break, sometimes I laughed out loud over the jokes. But for most of the story, I was totally engrossed in what was going to happen next?
The talent of these two authors collaborating together is overwhelming. This story is flawless in writing with such a punch that it tears you apart. Kudo’s to these two authors for bringing us such a fantastic book!!!
#BookBistroBlogApproved
4.5 Love is War Stars
As a mother of a soldier who did a tour in Iraq I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle this story. The beginning pages take me back to a time of pride and fear. And that was just with the beginning pages. But you don’t have to have had personal experience to feel all those emotions- they are so very evident. They sweep you in and keep a tight grip.
The chapters are seamless. The writing so smooth you can’t tell one author from the other. I could talk about individual characters but this story is more than that. It’s a romance first and foremost, but it’s also about the many casualties of war, not just the physical but the emotional and not just on the soldier but everyone they love or come in contact with. It’s also about resilience and forgiveness and acceptance, loving and being loved.
Don’t get me wrong, I want to talk about the characters. There are qualities about each character that I love and hate. But their discovery, learning their truth, going with them on this journey is the beauty of the story. There are no simple answers or resolutions. You may not always like their decisions, actions or choices – I’ll admit, I didn’t – but we are all human and with that mistakes will be made, pain is suffered, growth is had, love is abundant. My recommendation is take the journey.
“Hummingbird & Cowboy get 5 stars”
Prepare ahead to have your heart hung, drawn and quartered by these two evil geniuses in this book. It’ll not let your tears dry, even for a moment. A story about trauma and survivor’s guilt that changes you forever and you never go back to the same moral parameters you were in before.
“This is my confession. I went to war loving one man and came back in love with another.
This book is a test to how much pain can your heart endure before you curl up in a ball. Ms.Evil & Ms.Cruel just smash your ribcage and pull your heart out. Heightened emotions and throbbing passions make it the most poignant read of this year. You’ll never see the impending accident with blinding twists and turns this story races through at breakneck speed. Much as Seargent Christopher Paul Briggs doesn’t see the humvee in front of him hit an IED and explode taking his own vehicle in the engulfing flames. He loses friends and fellow soldiers and gets captured with Staff Sergeant Kathryn Nicole Scott and Corporal Mullins. Taken hostage by radicals in Baghdad, they undergo most brutal of tortures and abuse before being rescued.
“I’ve gone and fallen for this woman. She’s married, with a child, and we are facing almost certain death. Life really is a motherfucker”.
Ever since Seargent Flirts-A-Lot Briggs laid eyes on Katy, there’s a spark, an instant tug and spending months together in the torture bunker just binds them together forever. A shared trauma acts as a catalyst that cements their fate. And the fact that he’s a devastatingly handsome rogue with a killer dimple isn’t helping matters either
His tousled hair, watered-down whiskey eyes, and full lips. Briggs isn’t the type of man you pass over; he’s a double take that makes ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ seem like an understatement.
But man plans and Gods say-hold my beer and watch this !
“Her eyes meet mine in the mirror, and for that moment, in the middle of the desert, I get lost in ocean blue.”
Katy is conflicted. Her heart is chained tight in her vows to a wonderful loving husband back home. And now a new rhythm just trespasses her heart and what is she supposed to do about it ? Her loyalty and love clash in the most godforsaken circumstances and awful of places. The last words spoken with her husband on American soil are fading in volume….
“Trust me?”
“Always,”
“Still love me?”
“Forever.”
And new words have replaced them like an echo in her ears and soul
“Run far and fast, dance that sexy dance, have that second baby. Smile, Scottie. Lighten up, tell jokes, live a long and happy life, for me.”
The dilemma this book puts you through had me chewing my nails to the quick and heart drumming so loudly as if it would jump out of my chest and land on the pages to hold and kiss Briggs!!!!
I was flabbergasted at times at Katy, so not believing the Bitch’s luck where two wonderful amazing men loved her so completely and pined for her love in return with so much patience. But understandably she is dealing with aftermath of war, scars of the battles, physical and emotional turmoil, heart behind pulled in two directions and a thousand tonnes of crushing guilt. She just soldiers up and tries her best to keep her head above waters.
It’s a struggle of garangutan proportions. Just living through this book gave me a newfound respect for army families.
” Army spouses deserve fucking medals.
They know their husbands, wives, and children made sacrifices and exactly what the cost is. They’re living it.” A-Fucking-Men !
Just jump in the story, immerse yourself under words, let sentiments wash over you, fill your being with so much encompassing love, flirt with Briggs, devour Gavin’s sincerity and become Katy. On the ranch, Underneath the stars, lie back under the blanket and just bliss out.
I did , you should too
That night I walk in a pasture filled with horses, next to a little boy with amber eyes and a dazzling smile. He leads me to the edge of a field as he points to the setting sun and tells me I’m free. So I run, and he runs with me.
Trauma always leaves a scar. It doesn’t matter how tough we are. It follows us home. It changes our lives.
Heartbreak Warfare is an epic military romance. It hit me hard. For four days I lived and breathed this book. Katy and Briggs’ story.
It’s raw, ugly and brutally honest. Nothing is swept under the rug. War is ugly! It leaves a scar and changes you. Affects you. Not only the soldiers, in this case Katy and Briggs but also the people at home. Their loved ones.
The repercussions of trauma is evidently clear to Katy and Briggs. They’re irrevocably changed. Forever. How to navigate through a new life after they have been to war, experienced a horrible trauma is not easy. Far from it.
Heartbreak Warfare depicts it beautifully and with an haunting authenticity and honesty that left me a sobbing mess. It’s not an easy book to read and I was prepared. Heartbreak Warfare is not fluffy and light. It shows all sides of trauma. How a prisoner of war is affected and tries to find their way back to a new normalcy. Their loved ones trying to get back to how it used to be but is now forever changed and will never be the same.
Katy and Briggs makes mistakes. Plenty of them. They’re adjusting to a new life and still holding on to the past. Their past together and the one before they met. Katy and Briggs have to go through a lot. Mentally and emotionally. They’re messed up and who can blame them. I didn’t. My heart broke for them. Maybe we have to get a little messed up before we can step up. Katy and Briggs are evidence of that. They step up when it matters. Stripping themselves open.
Heather M. Orgeron and Kate Stewart have created a spectacular book. This story took over my life, my thoughts for four days. Heartbreak Warfare is that amazing. It’s fast paced. Every scene , every moment, every word mattered to me. It was important to the story. A story that’s relevant and had to be told. Needed to be told. This is what happens in war. 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.
Heartbreak Warfare is an instant favorite of mine this year. An all time favorite. Epic is not a big enough word.
6 Hero Stars
Nothing I’ve read before could have prepared me for the emotional and mental ride Heartbreak Warfare took me on. This book is a must read for so many reasons. I was completely engrossed from the beginning until the very end.
Living in extreme situations changes someone; no ifs, ands, or buts about it. When you face your own mortality and come out the other side you see life differently; hence the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. In my opinion, the acronym has desensitized some of the severity of what the disorder really means, but that is my opinion. In Heartbreak Warfare the authors have done an amazing job showcasing what living with this illness means to not only the individual, but also to everyone who touches their lives.
The book also brings you the frontline of what the American soldier lives while serving our country. In Heartbreak Warfare you are dropped into the middle of Iraq. Katy “Scottie” Scott is an army nurse, serving her country overseas by patching up the soldiers who are continually putting their lives on the line. She wonders every day if she made the right decision in leaving her family to save so few of the damaged men who cross her medical table.
Christopher Briggs serves his country on the frontline in the infantry. A career soldier with no wife or children waiting for him at home, his love for his job and his country make him the perfect soldier. He’s quick with a joke, a man the other soldiers look up to, but from the first day Katy arrives he can’t seem to break through her armour.
In another life, another time, Briggs and Scott may have been friends, they may have even been more, but Scott is married and has a son. Scott longs to return home to the life she once knew. Briggs pushes for friendship, even toeing the line with his flirty banter living the only life he’s familiar with. While the two try to find a balance between friendship and partnership, nothing could have prepared them for what happened next.
Will anything be the same when or if they make it out of the desert?
I won’t add spoilers at this point because what happens alters everything, literally the entire course of the book. The authors do give warning before you begin the book that they hold nothing back. This is a book about war and to portray the events that unfold they leave no stone unturned. If it will offend, cause triggers, or anything graphic just isn’t in your taste then this book may not be for you. I will tell you that it is detailed, but it is not tasteless. I was so engrossed in the story that I couldn’t stop reading.
Heartbreak Warfare is, for lack of a better word, profound. A story that needs to told. Both to shed light on PTSD and to shine a light on the American soldier.