One year ago, the boy next door was captured as a prisoner of war.The boy whose window faces mine.The backyard buddy who bandaged up my skinned knees.The childhood crush that kept me up at night, wondering if he’d ever be my boyfriend.The town hero I wrote endless letters to after he shipped out.The green-eyed charmer who promised me a kiss the day I turned eighteen.And now, he’s home.But he … eighteen.
And now, he’s home.
But he didn’t come back as the boy I once knew.
He’s a man now, one with demons I can’t comprehend.
The damaged soldier keeps telling me I’m not his anymore.
That the war took him, turned him into someone unrecognizable.
What he hasn’t considered is that it took me, too.
He swears there is nothing left between us, that his heart died overseas. But with each look through our windows, we both know his lies are just that. With each fated meeting, the truth only becomes more evident.
Everett Brock occupies the shadows now.
And as much as I try to pull him into the light, it seems the switch is permanent.
What he doesn’t realize is that I’m willing to follow him into the darkness.
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Oh my heart! I was torn apart then put back together then torn apart again. Everett and Kennedy are the boy and girl next door. His life decision to join the service changes everything. When he comes home, nothing is ever the same. Their relationship is complicated to say the least but things happen for a reason. Carrie Aarons does a superb job of making you root for her characters. These two were so different. Everett is so young to have been through so much and is now lost with a purpose. Kennedy is an old soul in a teenage body. She hasn’t seen much outside her small town but has the ability to empathize with Everett’s situation. I will look back at these two fondly and sigh when I do.
Let me just start by saying that in my opinion this is this gifted authors’ best work to date! Everett and Kennedy’s story a beautifully written emotional roller coaster journey from beginning to end. This story is raw, gritty, heart-breaking, and a poignant love story, which had me totally captivated throughout this addictive page turner, which this talented author had giver her heart and soul into penning. I highly recommend for all.
The one thing I can say about this story is that it is one of Carrie Aarons best to date. The raw emotions and the pain through this story hit me hard in the heart. The storyline, the character build to the thought and attention to detail. Kennedy, for her age, has maturity of that of an adult even though she is in high school. Everett is such a broken soul and as you go through the story, you understand why. My heart ached and shattered for him. But the connection that these two have is so deep. Their bond, regardless of the tribulations that they go through, is beyond close and tight. I was blown away.
Overall, this is just one stunning story. I felt the pain that these two both go through. I honestly felt everything that flowed off these pages. The words flowed off the pages that wrapped me up and I did not want to leave. Aarons has gold with this book and it is very much a must read of 2020. I urge you to pick up with spellbinding story that will hit you so hard with the feels and make you want to cry and swoon in one sitting!
This is my first book of Carrie’s and I absolutely loved it. The beautiful love story between Kennedy and Everett had me swooning and crying all over the place. Both being each others crushes as little kids and then being separated without acknowledgement how deep In love they were for each other. If your looking for a little bit of angst, mixed with a broody alpha male and a HEA this is the book for you. Well done Carrie this is such an amazing book and I’m looking forward to more from you.
This book is definitely one that you will want to take your time with. When I picked it up to start reading, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, despite having read the blurb. I know, from reading previous books by this author, that she tends to write very emotional books, but this book absolutely gutted me! She ripped me apart, and then put me back together again, leaving me with a smile on my face that I wasn’t sure I’d get.
Kennedy and Everette grew up as neighbors, friends, school mates. There was always the possibility, the potential, the promise of something more growing from that friendship, but Everette left for the Marines, and didn’t come home. Until he did. But even then, he wasn’t the same person that left her behind. What he saw, experienced, did on deployment changed him, made him feel he wasn’t whole. That he wasn’t good enough.
The level of emotions in this book blew me away. The author was able to take the thoughts and feelings of this soldier, and put it to paper in a way that devastated my heart, and made me think about all of the guys returning from war zones every day, and what they have to go through. Kennedy and Everette’s story gave not only the POV of this vet who had seen and experienced the very worst, but also the girl he left behind, who is having to deal with his horrors as much as he is. Their story left me with a sense of hope, that even the horrors of war can be overcome by love!
Oh Carrie! What another great story you have shared with us! Thank you so much for this book!
I loved the story of these two so much, Everett and Kennedy.
They grew up next door to each other. They’d watch each other and not share how they felt about one another. Until right before Everett left, things shifted between them, but nothing happened. Off he went to be a hero. Kennedy left behind to finish off school.
They thought he was dead, they “buried” him, and he as on the minds of everyone around town. Especially Kennedy. Then, he found alive. ALIVE!!! Kennedy can’t believe it and then she sees him.
Of course with PTSD and depression, Everett stays indoors and never came out. Kennedy catches him on the back porch and he’s forced to face her again.
It took some time for Everett to come around. Of course been locked up underground with everything that happened to him I couldn’t blame him. And neither could Kennedy.
Can Kennedy make Everett come out of the shell again?
Can Everett make Kennedy see how much she means to him?
I loved their story, their backstory, what all happened when he came home. I know it’s a bit dark with some of the things that happened to him while he was held captive, but it’s for the benefit of the story.
I also loved the twists and turns in the story!!! Carrie you know how to keep someone flipping those pages!!
Kennedy has to get through school to finish up her senior year, but can she concentrate on it while Everett is there?
Can Kennedy help Everett see what great potential he has?
Hometown Heartless
Carrie Aaron’s
5 Stars
Amazing! Spectacular! Beautiful! Very deep down emotional! Makes you really think about life, love, and the war. Fell in love with the characters! Very well written.
It’s one of Carrie’s best books ever!! Loved it so much! I didn’t want the story to end!
“In this moment, I feel completely hopeless. I know many people say young love feels like a fireball to your soul, that it burns bright but fizzles quickly.”
“What we share feels monumental, it spans years and continents. I know, deep in my heart, I’ll never find that with someone else.”
“I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you skin your knee on your bike when you were six years old. I’ve been an idiot , waiting this long and never daring to tell you how I felt in person, but here it is. Wait for me. I’m coming home for you.”
Very highly recommend! I really enjoyed and you will too!!
WOW! This is by far Carrie’s best book to date. I won’t lie, I’m not a big fan of military books, but Hometown Heartless absolutely blew me away! This new standalone is intense and filled with so much emotion. I wasn’t sure my poor heart would survive.
Everett and Kennedy were close high school friends who had feelings for one another, but never acted upon them due to their age difference. When he enlists in the military, they took those feelings to paper, expressing what they couldn’t before he left. Then one day the letters stopped and word got back that he was a POW and presumed to be dead. Kennedy was heartbroken. She cried and mourned him.
Now Everett has returned home, but he is not the same person that left two years ago. He is broken, having suffered severely at the hands of the enemy. Due to this experience, he is now haunted, secretive and won’t let anyone in. But Kennedy never stopped loving or wanting him. She tried to move on, but nobody could ever compare to Everett. Despite the fact that he is cold-hearted and mean, she just couldn’t let him go.
Hometown Heartless is not Carrie’s usual sweet, small town romance. This book was so much more. It’s a story of grief and heartache. It’s a story of strength and never giving up. It’s a story of healing and finding yourself again. This story will tear out your heart and then put it back together again. All of the stars and more for Everett, Kennedy and Hometown Heartless.
I really enjoyed this book. There were times Everett’s actions brought me to tears. Some were tears of frustration and I wanted to shake him. My one peeve was that Everett was a Marine but is referred to as a soldier. Someone in the Army is a soldier. Someone in the Marine Corps is a Marine.
5 EMOTIONAL LOVE STARS!! Wow, what a beautiful emotional ride this was. My heartstrings were pulled from every direction with all the feels in this story. Everett and Kennedy’s story will grab you from the beginning and hold on until the last words. This author’s weaves a powerful emotional story in a beautiful light. This is one book you will want to read.
The emotion, feelings and romance. The impact the past can have on you. Second chances. Love that can endure whatever storm. These are some of the things Carrie Aarons addresses in this book. An epic tale that deserves more than 5 stars for sure!!
Carrie Aarons continues to get more readers with her writing! This book has a slow burn, angst and such emotion and feeling, you won’t even know what hit you. I was wanting to scream, cry and laugh all at the same time. These emotions were so real and raw. Her approach to the topic was amazing and tastefully done.
Carrie Aarons has always had a characters that were deep and emotional. She knows how to suck you in from the first word and continue every word after. She’s a master at words, emotions, and an overall amazing piece of writing that hits you deep and stays with you for a long time!!
Everett and Kennedy. Their past has defined who they are today. Broke people who have been through so much. This story will have you wanting to hurt, scream at, and slap Everett. It will keep you holding onto your seat and anxiously awaiting how their story is going to unfold. It an epic, deep romance that has everything you need.
WOW, BEAUTIFUL are just two words that come to mind in this new book by Carrie Aarons and just speechless. This is unlike what she has written before and have to applaud her for going beyond what she usually writes. We have two teenagers, Everett and Kennedy, new love blooming yet shyness and a promise of well to love with their whole heart. Everett is like any brave soul going off to fight but comes back in a way that he doesn’t even recognize himself. Carrie Aarons shows us a once carefree boy in love turn into a stranger fighting to come back to what he loved before the fight. Decisions he made haunts him and not knowing what the future holds for him scares him but loosing Kennedy forever terrifies him. Then we have Kennedy, who even though is strong can sometimes feel like giving up but knows her Everett is still there. This was not an easy book to read because even though Everett fights it takes a strong girl like Kennedy to make him see there is no giving up. All in all this is beautiful book by Carrie Aarons that not only shows us faith but also hope, second chances and most of all the strength to go on.
“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.”
I devoured this story!
This book is my favorite book by this author to date. This story is quite a bit darker than the previous books I’ve read by her and my heart was not ready for the journey I was taken on. This book took on such an intense topic but it was done extremely well, and you could tell the author did a lot of research to make sure it was done correctly.
Kennedy is a relatable character and I loved reading about what she was going through. When the love of her life comes home from the dead after being held captive for two years, he is not the same person who left. He is dark, suffers from PTSD, and is damaged in a way that no one can understand. They both have suffered so much and yet their bond is unbreakable.
These two have such a strong push and pull relationship which is so heartbreaking to watch. The connection they share is intense and the bond they have may be the only thing that can save Everett. I loved watching them reconnect and work on all of the trauma they both went through. While Everett was very hot and cold towards Kennedy, it was completely understandable as to why he acted that way.
This story captivated me from the first page and it still hasn’t let me go. I still think about these characters and how important their story was. I can’t wait for more books by this author.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
4 STARS
This second chance romance will give you all the feels. Carrie Aarons captivates you with Kennedy and Everett’s story. I highly recommend reading this book as it is certainly a MUST read. Hometown Heartless by Carrie Aarons will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ELITE!!!
4 stars
Oh the feels in this book! Be prepared with a box of tissues.
Our characters meet in school and have an instant connection they can’t deny but their age difference has Everett seeing Kennedy more as a kid sister than a love interest, or so he says. When Everett joins the military straight out of school, they put their connection to the test through time, distance and letters. When the uniforms show up at their door, his family and friends are devastated. Mourning their loss, they couldn’t be more shocked to have him walk through their doors months later.
The man who returned from war isn’t the one who left. Tormented by his time in the military, Everett’s withdrawn and haunted. His family and friends quickly learn the scars you don’t see are the hardest ones to heal.
This book was raw and emotional. Hailing from a military family myself and having loved men in the military, the first few chapters left me a twisted emotional mess. The journey back to each other for our H and h was tragic and beautiful. Excellent writing from Carrie Aarons.
AnnMarie – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog