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Review

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS BOOK!

A breathtakingly beautiful second-chance-romance that is full of emotion and kept me enthralled from start to finish. What an incredible love story!

“I am yours, whether you want me or not. I’ve given you my heart, and even if you don’t want it, you can’t give it back because it belongs to you. I know what I have— what we have. It’s special. It’s once in a lifetime.”

5 stars

The prologue of the book introduces us to 17 year old Katie and Devin. They grew up together and were the best of friends, eventually falling into deep, all-consuming, life-changing love.

“You’re more than my best friend— you’re it for me … You’re my soul mate. You hold my heart in your hands.”

But life interfered with their plans to be together forever, and they were torn apart – both of them left broken-hearted.

The story then picks up ten years later and Katie is facing a devastating tragedy that completely shatters her world. Unable to deal with her heartbreak, she buries herself in anger until she becomes numb to all around her. As part of her efforts to recover, her therapist suggests she writes to a soldier serving overseas as part of a military pen-pal program, and when she see Devin’s name on the list of soldiers, she can’t help but see it as a sign. And so, she writes to him, pouring her heart out in her grief, while also using it as an opportunity to get closure on their past.

Devin is serving in Iraq and is beyond stunned to receive Katie’s letter. His life spun out of control after he and Katie separated. He knows he did wrong by her, but has never forgotten her, and he is beyond touched that she reached out to him. Wanting to make up for hurting her and to be there for her, he writes back.

My heart has ached for her since the day I left. I’d give the world to change what I did. Horrible decision? Try the biggest regret of my fucking life.

I love books with letters, and the letters between Katie and Devin are incredible! They hold nothing back from each other – hashing out the past, talking about the present, and opening up to each other about everything. The story is written in dual POV, and it is with great excitement and anticipation that I waited for each piece of correspondence between them as we get to see their reactions to each other’s words. Letters soon turn to emails which soon turn to phone calls, and through it all, they help each other heal, but they also re-establish the connection between them and find that the feelings they had for each other never died.

“I’m not gonna lie, I really like knowing that you’re becoming emotionally invested, because I’m already there. Your letters have the same effect on me, and this connection … it’s not just nostalgia. It’s real, and in case I haven’t already made it clear, I feel it too.”

They are totally open and honest, holding nothing back from each other. They put themselves right out there, putting their hearts on the line for each other, and their reconnection is sensational as they fall for each other all over again.

“Yes, it’s powerful and overwhelming, but in a good way. Christ, what we had … I’d never felt anything like it before, and now, there just aren’t words for it.”
I sniff, wiping my face with my arm. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that. I didn’t know … I thought maybe it was just me. That maybe I was making it so much more than it was—”
“It’s everything.” His voice grows thick with emotion. “Whatever this is between us … it’s big, Katie. Bigger than you, bigger than me … and ten years hasn’t changed that.”

“I want you back. I want us, Katie.”

This is an absolutely beautiful love story! Yes, it’s intense and emotional, but there is a wonderful playfulness between the characters as well, and there are so many times that I read with a huge grin on my face. And it’s so cleverly written. I could feel the connection and the emotion between Katie and Devin even though they spend most of the book apart, and the build up to them actually seeing each other is epic! I actually teared up at the big moment, and was thrilled that their chemistry easily translated into the bedroom and HOT DAMN!!!

“You own my fucking heart, Katie. You always have and that’s never going to change.”

But Devin is a soldier, and he still has time to serve. They both know it’s going to be hard, but this time neither of them are letting go.

“Katie,” he says, cutting me off. “You’re my home. I’m coming home to you. Where you are, that’s where I’ll be.”

I particularly loved Devin’s POV in this book, and his experiences as a soldier is fantastically written. I love that the authors don’t hold back when showing us all that he and his men endure – both the fighting and just their every life. Devin’s commitment and loyalty to his men shows so much of his character and the camaraderie between the boys is something really special. And his heartbreak over everything that he sees over there and his struggle to do his job when all he wants is to be home with his girl is heartbreaking.

“I will fight like hell to make it back to you.” Devin’s eyes fill with tears. “I’m coming back to you.”

Katie and Devin have a hard road to get to their HEA, and my heart was pounding through so much of this book. There is a lot that these characters need to deal with – both individually and together – love, death, grief, fear, and the tragedy of war. My emotions were all over the place as I felt everything right alongside them, and the intensity builds brilliantly, keeping me glued to my kindle right until the very last moment and through to not one, but two gorgeous epilogues! And through it all their love story is super functional with no stupid behaviour from either of them, and I absolutely loved that!

“It’s always been you, and it’ll always be you.”

I loved this book! Emotional, dramatic and swoonily romantic, it’s such an amazing story and I lapped up every single moment of it.

5 stars.