Merrick Thatcher went through a hell that no one could possibly imagine. He fought to protect his country, his family, and the men standing at his side, but it wasn't just being a soldier overseas that changed him. He watched his friends die in front of him, felt indescribable pain, and lost his sight in the very same moment. Badly injured, blind, and angry, he's done with war, but now he’s fighting his own battle. So, he’s waiting for it to end, spending his days and nights in a thick darkness no light can penetrate. Until Grace walks into his life and his broken eyes open to a woman that changes everything for him. A story about two flawed souls finding love amidst the grief. A love that shines vividly, even in the dark, and discovering that sometimes being broken is how the light gets in.
For readers 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations
My Review: (ARC provided)
4.5 stars!
First I want to point out how wonderful I think it is that Jessica is donating fifty percent of her sales the fifteenth through the rest of the month to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. I really loved this book, it made me feel good. Yes it's somewhat bittersweet at times but the message is beautiful.
Sometimes when I read I don't care for the H or h but still enjoy the book, well this wasn't the case, not at all. I loved the heroine, I want to be friends with her, she was a selfless person and truly good and kind. The hero although comes across unlikable I couldn't help but love him too. I had a soft spot for him from the beginning and knew there was more to his broodiness. I feel he had every right to be angry. He may have taken it out on the people he loved the most but that's reality; don't we all do that? This is such a heartwarming story and even though I knew where it was headed it didn't take anything away from me.
Merrick (H) has been to hell and back he's lost his sight, and is wheel chair bound for the time being. Grace (h) is broken herself, not fully healed and moving back home with her parents for a while. She is hired as Merrick's nurse, she's always had a crush on her neighbor and he's never seen her. Now that she's back and helping him heal literally and figuratively he wants nothing more than to be able to see her, but he's lost his chance. She soothes him with her voice and soon the relationship is headed into a territory Grace shouldn't go, being that he is her patient. Can they both heal? And will Grace risk her job to take the leap to be with Merrick?
I can't imagine what it would be like to go through what either one of them did. Jessica does a good job of capturing it and making me believe. This book isn't overly angsty or melodramatic. It's touching and I think very true to life of someone that had to go through this. The only thing I wished is for him to remember her. I wanted so bad for a memory to click or something to trigger it. This book was very well done and I commend Jessica on it, I'm sure it wasn't an easy one to write.
HEA? (1)<<<click here if you want to know.
EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR INTERVIEW & CHAPTER REVEAL
w/ Panty Dropping Book Blog
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
READ CHAPTER ONE
Like many other foundations, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation provides assistance to injured soldiers as well as their families. SOWF also focuses on one of the most important challenges those families face; 'getting to their hospitalized loved ones as quickly as possible'. With grants immediately provided to the family, they can travel to be bedside with their loved one, especially for those crucial first days. SOWF also provides a scholarship program, family services (including clinical social workers, scholarship counselors, and family services counselors). With on-going support and helpful counseling to all families of fallen members in every branch of the military, they are able to help in all the ways that count. The SOWF was highly recommended to me by a recent veteran who served in Iraq. Therefore, I am thrilled to be able to help them in any way possible. Every little bit counts.
I felt her hand rest on my arm, stopping me from rolling away and getting the hell away from her before I said something stupid.
"I know you don't remember me from before, but I ..." Her words trailed off, her fingers constricting against my skin.
God, if I could just touch her, I wouldn't need to ask questions. I would be able to feel every soft curve and edge, and I wouldn't need anything more than that. If I could just touch her.
"I was never one of those girls that you found yourself with all too often."
I frowned and leaned forward, waiting for an explanation. I had no idea what she was talking about. Of course she wasn't one of those girls. She was real and sweet, compassionate and smart. Those other girls were just fake. The pretty was only on the outside.
"I was never really pretty. At least not the pretty that everyone would have seen. I was kind of awkward and nerdy, but rounder in areas where other girls were flat. Still am. Does that make sense?"
I hesitated before nodding my understanding, grinning when I envisioned her. "So you're telling me that you look like a real woman and not a stick?"
She gasped and pulled her hand away from my arm. "I didn't say that."
I waited for her to continue. Anything that would give me a better picture of her. She stayed silent. I was starting to feel like the air around me was too thick to breathe.
Grace cleared her throat and shifted in her chair. I wanted to know what she was doing with her hands. Was she wringing them together? Were they in her lap? In her hair? Was she looking at me or trying to avoid that?
"I'm just me," she said, quietly.
"You're beautiful." The words left my mouth without my prompting, but there was nothing inside of me that wanted to take them back.
She released a self-deprecating laugh and, again, I wondered what she was doing with her hands.
"I may be blind, Grace. But I can still see some things."
I live in Morgan, Utah with my husband, beautiful daughter, and a couple of spoiled pups. If I'm not deeply involved in writing my next book, then I'm probably reading in the safety and quiet of my closet. I love yoga – which I now practice regularly – playing hide and seek with my daughter (only to have my hiding spots revealed by one of the pups), and I love Fruit by the Foot, Twizzlers and Peace Tea. These are great ways to bribe me into revealing secrets about what's to come.
I have an unhealthy obsession with Supernatural, The Walking Dead, and The Big Bang Theory. I also enjoy talking about them, so if you like them, too, come find me.
Writing has become an enormous part of my life and every book I write holds a special place in my heart. If you read one of my books, I hope you have the same experience.
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