He came home a hero and lost the only woman he’s ever loved… JohnI have no idea how to survive without my beloved Ava. She had no choice but to move on with her life during my six-year deployment and has now married Eric. I hate him for taking her from me. I’d prefer to wallow in my depression and heartbreak, but the whole damned world wants a piece of the SEAL Team leader who helped capture … wants a piece of the SEAL Team leader who helped capture the world’s most-wanted terrorist. I need help handling the relentless requests, and when Ava sends her new sister-in-law to manage the media circus for me, I’m prepared to hate her on principle. Her brother took my Ava. What else do I need to know about her?
Julianne
It takes five seconds to realize Ava’s ex is going to be the most complicated and difficult client I’ve ever had, but the opportunity to represent the most celebrated man in the world could make my career. I’m determined to do the job, even if I dislike John from the moment I meet him. And I like everyone. So much so that my brothers worry about me being exploited by those who would take advantage of my unwavering love for others. But John… He’s in a class by himself, and his bitterness is a festering wound that I begin to wish I could somehow fix for him. The more time we spend together, the more our mutual disdain morphs into something that feels an awful lot like desire. There’s no way I can want this man, or so I tell myself, and when Eric finds out I’ve developed feelings for the man causing trouble in his new marriage, well…
That’s going to be a hot mess.
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Thank you Marie Force for giving me John’s book! After reading Five Years Gone, I was needing the sweet, broken man to get his happy. And I devoured One Year Home.
The more I got to know John, the more I wanted to wrap him up and show him the joy that can be found in the everyday. Thankfully he had Muncie and Julianne to help pull him out of his funk. Mostly Julianne. She was brightness and joy and hope and everything John didn’t want in his life, but she was exactly he needed. She saw John for all he was and not what he had lost.
It was a flurry of traveling, preparations, press and family drama. And while it could’ve driven a stake between John and Jules and what they had been building, it only brought them closer together. That’s not to say things didn’t get bumpy a time or two because they certainly did…
I loved that Marie Force tackled PTSD in a way that didn’t make the sufferer seem weak. It made John stronger. It made me want his happiness that much more. It made every step forward he took, and even the setbacks, that much more meaningful. One Year Home examined grief and pain and hope in all its wonderful agony. Talk about an emotional whirlwind. And that ending, my heart almost burst for all that Julianne and John’s love propelled them through and how far they had come.
“One Year Home. I love all Marie’s stories but this one is my favorite as of today that is. This story had all the raw emotions of love, loss and finding that special one that was a meant to be. I literally could not put it down and many times it had me on the edge of my seat with a heartache. A bad heartache and a good one. I love stories with happy endings and this one has been one the best ever with a HEA.
A fantastic read to me is when I finish and close the book and days later, I’m still involved in the story. With One Year Home (as well as Five Years Gone), I’m still deeply affected by the feelings from the journey Marie Force took me on. I’m not an observer of the story, I’m part of it. I’m right there with the characters, feeling all the deep feels. It’s a moving, emotional, and character driven read. A wonderful romance featuring a broken military hero who everyone wants a piece of yet just wants to be left alone to wallow in his heartache and physical pain. Julianne is sent in to help with the media chaos. She soon sees why Ava had waited five years before moving on. John and Julianne’s mutual dislike soon morphs into a life changer for both of them. After reading Five Years Gone, I wasn’t sure how Marie could get a believable HEA for John. Marie definitely nailed it!
Note: If you haven’t read Five Years Gone, I recommend that you do that before reading this one.
This book grabs your heart from the first page and hold it until the end! There were times when I couldn’t breathe, I was so engrossed in the book. Marie is an amazing author! Every book she writes is wonderful! This series is so great, I loved every character and the storyline was wonderful!
First off, you need to read Five Years Gone before you read this one. If you don’t, you will be lost. John, an American Military Hero, has to put his life back together. Enter Jules. If you read the previous book, then you know who Jules is. This book had a lot of push and pull from the characters. Eric and Ava play a big role in this book as well. This book replays all of the emotions and feelings that the characters are going through due to the unique situation that they all find themselves in. I felt for them. The book is angst-filled, in my opinion. I have to say there was a point in the book where I wondered which direction Marie was going to take her characters. Dual point of view with a little Ava and Eric in there as well. No cliffhanger.
If you read the book leading up to this one, then you know the characters and the basic plot. Navy seal finds dream girl, gets called up for duty to track terrorist who killed a large number of Americans on a cruise ship. He never told his girlfriend his true name, or that he was part of a special group who couldn’t have ties to anyone because they needed to stick to a mission for however long it might take. The first book deals with the girlfriend, Ava. This book deals with John. He was badly injured in the capture of the terrorist leader and lost two of his closest friends in that operation. An infection nearly takes his life and he loses most of his left leg. He’s depressed, despondent and angry with the military and the world that is left to him without his woman. She moved on after 5 years and no contact from John. The characters survive a gut-wrenching situation and manage to come out the other side surprisingly sane after their ordeal! Loved both books!!!
Marie Force never disappoints.
Beautiful, emotional, and heartwarming! Marie nailed ALL the feels with this one!
I love military romance, especially when they deal with the sometimes difficult realities soldiers face when they return to civilian life. Marie Force is just that – a FROCE to be reckoned with as a storyteller. And never moreso than in the 2 books that tell the story of John West and his second chance. Get it now, along with chocolate, wine and kleenex!
One Year Home continues the story of military hero John West who we met in Five Years Gone. He is a man who did his duty for his country only for it to cost him everything he held dear. In this book John is struggling to cope with both his physical & mental traumas. In the eyes of the world he is a hero especially after a video is released showing him capturing a dangerous terrorist but this is the last thing he feels. He wants to sink into obscurity & try to forget but of course there’s no way this can happen. Everyone wants a piece of him. To help him cope with the media attention Julianne Tilden is sent in but with painful connections to his past is she really the best person for the job?
This was an amazing book that drew me in from the first page and I know it is one I will read again and again. Marie Force has a way of writing such vivid characters that the reader can’t help but come invested in them & what happens in their lives. To me the ultimate sign of a great book is when you can picture it playing out in your mind as you read and that definitely happened with this book. You’re willing John and Jules to find their way to each other. After all, if anyone deserved a second chance at happiness it was John.
One Year Home is the follow up to Five Years Gone and I would strongly recommend that you read these books in order to optimise your enjoyment of this wonderful story that runs the gamut from loss & despair to healing & hope for the future.
What a beautifully emotional ride! Marie force knows how to do military romance. Do not miss this one.
A compelling emotional story! Download your copy today for an emotionally satisfying read!
The highly anticipated followup to last year’s FIVE YEARS GONE, ONE YEAR HOME is here, and it’s the story FYG readers have been waiting for! Navy Captain John West lost his leg, his two best friends and the love of his life during an endless six-year deployment to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist. Now that his beloved Ava has married someone else, there’s nothing left for him except a media circus after the release of a video that shows him squarely in the middle of the terrorist raid. Now, the whole world wants a piece of the reluctant hero, and he’s floundering. Ava sends her new sister-in-law, Julianne, to help John deal with the media onslaught, and when sparks start to fly between the two of them, they quickly realize that sometimes the worst possible thing can lead to something you never could’ve seen coming…
The highly anticipated followup to last year’s FIVE YEARS GONE, ONE YEAR HOME is here, and it’s the story FYG readers have been waiting for! Navy Captain John West lost his leg, his two best friends and the love of his life during an endless six-year deployment to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist. Now that his beloved Ava has married someone else, there’s nothing left for him except a media circus after the release of a video that shows him squarely in the middle of the terrorist raid. Now, the whole world wants a piece of the reluctant hero, and he’s floundering. Ava sends her new sister-in-law, Julianne, to help John deal with the media onslaught, and when sparks start to fly between the two of them, they quickly realize that sometimes the worst possible thing can lead to something you never could’ve seen coming…
The highly anticipated followup to last year’s FIVE YEARS GONE, ONE YEAR HOME is here, and it’s the story FYG readers have been waiting for! Navy Captain John West lost his leg, his two best friends and the love of his life during an endless six-year deployment to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist. Now that his beloved Ava has married someone else, there’s nothing left for him except a media circus after the release of a video that shows him squarely in the middle of the terrorist raid. Now, the whole world wants a piece of the reluctant hero, and he’s floundering. Ava sends her new sister-in-law, Julianne, to help John deal with the media onslaught, and when sparks start to fly between the two of them, they quickly realize that sometimes the worst possible thing can lead to something you never could’ve seen coming…
The highly anticipated followup to last year’s FIVE YEARS GONE, ONE YEAR HOME is here, and it’s the story FYG readers have been waiting for! Navy Captain John West lost his leg, his two best friends and the love of his life during an endless six-year deployment to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist. Now that his beloved Ava has married someone else, there’s nothing left for him except a media circus after the release of a video that shows him squarely in the middle of the terrorist raid. Now, the whole world wants a piece of the reluctant hero, and he’s floundering. Ava sends her new sister-in-law, Julianne, to help John deal with the media onslaught, and when sparks start to fly between the two of them, they quickly realize that sometimes the worst possible thing can lead to something you never could’ve seen coming…
The highly anticipated followup to last year’s FIVE YEARS GONE, ONE YEAR HOME is here, and it’s the story FYG readers have been waiting for! Navy Captain John West lost his leg, his two best friends and the love of his life during an endless six-year deployment to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist. Now that his beloved Ava has married someone else, there’s nothing left for him except a media circus after the release of a video that shows him squarely in the middle of the terrorist raid. Now, the whole world wants a piece of the reluctant hero, and he’s floundering. Ava sends her new sister-in-law, Julianne, to help John deal with the media onslaught, and when sparks start to fly between the two of them, they quickly realize that sometimes the worst possible thing can lead to something you never could’ve seen coming…
The highly anticipated followup to last year’s FIVE YEARS GONE, ONE YEAR HOME is here, and it’s the story FYG readers have been waiting for! Navy Captain John West lost his leg, his two best friends and the love of his life during an endless six-year deployment to capture the world’s most wanted terrorist. Now that his beloved Ava has married someone else, there’s nothing left for him except a media circus after the release of a video that shows him squarely in the middle of the terrorist raid. Now, the whole world wants a piece of the reluctant hero, and he’s floundering. Ava sends her new sister-in-law, Julianne, to help John deal with the media onslaught, and when sparks start to fly between the two of them, they quickly realize that sometimes the worst possible thing can lead to something you never could’ve seen coming…
I have been waiting for John’s story since I read Five Years Gone and I am so happy to have finally gotten his HEA, even if it was in the most unexpected places.
There are some parts that were a bit slower than others but I really enjoyed how it all came together. The biggest issue I had with this book was actually Ava and Eric, I felt that their issues were unnecessary for this book because it wasn’t John’s problem, but I absolutely fell hard for his Poppy and I couldn’t be happier with how they were together!
I would definitely recommend this book but I feel it is necessary to read Five Years Gone first!
John West doesn’t want to move forward from the heartbreak of finding the love of his life married to another man during the 6 years he was away. But there are so many people, from the Navy to the media, who want to hear John’s story, who want a piece of him that he can’t disappear to wallow like he wishes he could. Hiring Julianne, his former love’s new sister-in-law to manage the media requests is partly a good idea, partly a recipe for disaster: they are both determined to not like the other.
Julianne is looking forward to the challenge of representing John, her biggest client to date, but also knows there will be more to juggle than just the job. Her family doesn’t understand how she could have taken this job but they would never understand as Julianne realizes the lines between dislike and desire are blurring. She finds she admires everything John has done and is attracted to the man he is now.
I knew John would have to put aside his feelings for Ava, and it would only take time for that to happen. I loved watching as he discovered he could love another woman just as fiercely. Jules was a perfect match for him — her calm, her confidence, and her ability to roll with the chaos that is his life right now are exactly what he needs as he finds himself now that his Navy career is at its end.
I enjoyed returning to this world and seeing where John took his decisions following learning of Ava’s impending marriage. We also get a peak at Ava and how she is holding up knowing John is alive and well.
I loved watching John find his happiness after everything he sacrificed when he left Ava 6 years before. He still loved her, but had to learn to move on after learning she was getting married to someone else. (This part of Five Years Gone wrecked me, and I needed this follow on story to feel better about everything that happened to John after he disappeared from Ava’s life.)
This was the closure I wanted for John from the time he came back into Ava’s life. His decisions caused them both pain, but after this story I feel like they both have the happily ever after they each needed.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
One Year Home is a powerful follow up to Fives year gone . Marie did an amazing job writing Johns story. The struggle that John goes thru really captures your heart and makes you want to reach out and offer him a shoulder to lean on. Julianne is everything he needs to overcome his issues and deal with the new life he has to adapt too. The story was Sexy, fun and very emotional. Prepare yourself for a few tears to fall , so grab your tissues.