To be quite honest, the blurb gave me a bit of a pause. I had no idea how the story would turn out but it did seem a bit weird that Riley's dad and former co-soldier would get together. However, the author handled this successfully and I enjoyed the book very much.

The story is divided into two parts: Before and After. Given that we know from the blurb that Riley will die, it is quite difficult to read the Before part and not dreading THE MOMENT. The reader gets to know Riley and the other soldiers and that is why the After part is so much harder to read.

Despite the fact that Jesse seems like a total douche when he is introduced, we get to know his reasons even though that does not really excuse his behavior. But he becomes Riley's best friend and vice versa of course. Riley knows Jesse's secret and Jesse is the one who comes to visit Riley's dad.

And becomes one who guides him through the grief they both experience. He helps Trevor (Riley's dad) to move on day by day and is always there for him, with the help of his boss who does not mind Jesse missing some days to help Trevor.

Eventually they bond so much that they begin a relationship, which is not easy on either of them as they both have to work through their issues.

What I LOVED about this book was the fact that the grief did not just magically disappear and 'all was well' did not happen in this way. It is still there and they have to live life day-by-day.

The epilogue was also a very teary part for me and I loved it. So, this is a good book to read but be prepared for crying...and don't read it if you have a bad day I guess. It does have the Carina happy ending promise but that does not mean the ending will not make you cry :)

This book should come with a disclaimer: Warning! May cause drowning due to excessive ugly crying. This book is more than just a story, it is more like an experience. I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down. Trevor and Jesse’s journey to love is a heartbreaking one but it is beautiful because of that struggle. The love that both of these men have for Riley and the hole in their hearts is evident. It was almost like a paranormal story because Riley’s presence was so tangible to the men that it was like they were haunted by his ghost. You can’t help but fall in love with Riley as well, you’ll feel his loss along with the MCs.

It’s powerful when a book can take you out of the real world while it immerses you in its fictional setting and I feel that the ability of this book to do that is amazing. The book is told in two segments: before and after Riley’s death. In the before segment, the story has two settings: Trevor at home and Jesse with Riley at war. In the before section, you get to know Riley as a friend first, as he befriends Jesse while serving with him. In the after section, you get to know Riley as a son while Trevor reminisces about him.

The majority of the book is spent getting over Riley, both Jesse and Trevor have to come to terms with him being gone. But that doesn’t mean that the romance isn’t beautiful, it is. Because the men’s hearts are broken, it seems that sealing the holes in their heart’s with their love for each other is the only way for them to move on. Their relationship has other issues than just Riley, such as an age gap and jealousy. Seeing them overcome all their issues to have their hard won HEA was really rewarding and made me love this book. But the underlying message of “that while grief is hard, it is still able to be overcome” is why this is a 5 star read.

This book is classified as a romance, and it is, but it is equally a story about military service and the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces and their families. Readers who aren’t willing to delve into those weighty issues should probably avoid <i>Point of Contact</i>, but for those who are, I’d highly recommend it.

Given that the two main characters, Trevor and Jesse, don’t even talk to each other in depth until Part II of the story, this is clearly not a typical romance novel. They do meet at the very beginning of the book, when Trevor throws a party for his son Riley’s platoon mates, including Jesse, prior to them shipping out to Afghanistan in 2007. They get off to a bad start because Jesse is rude to Trevor, in part because he is trying to hide his sexuality in the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Then the focus of the story turns to Jesse’s and Riley’s tour of duty in Afghanistan and Trevor’s experiences as a father of a soldier in active combat. It’s not until Riley is killed in action and Jesse leaves the army that they meet again, when Jesse brings Trevor some of Riley’s belongings. Even then, it takes a while for them to do more than provide support for each other in their grief and actually act on their attraction.

When I initially read the description of the novel, I was doubtful about how a romance could be built on the framework of a soldier’s death. Wouldn’t grief get in the way of romance? But giving the backstory of that death, showing Trevor’s love for his son and Jesse and Riley’s close friendship, allows the reader to get invested in their feelings and appreciate their shared grief. Having their relationship start with comforting each other and slowly build to more over time seemed realistic and worked well for me.

I found the military aspects of the story to be just as compelling. The author has family in both the Air Force and the Navy, so she’s clearly no stranger to military life. The parts of the book detailing what Jesse and his platoon mates experience in Afghanistan seemed true to life to me, as did the descriptions of Trevor’s fear for Riley and then his paralyzing grief and slow recovery from his loss. The issue of post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans is also addressed sensitively in the storyline. The author’s acknowledgements suggest that this was a difficult book for her to write, and I can certainly see why that might be the case given the subject matter.

Readers who are looking for a book focusing primarily on the romantic relationship of the main characters might want to give this a miss. As someone who doesn’t have family or friends in the military, though, I found this book to be a powerful read, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a romance with depth.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Kintgusi is the centuries-old Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by joining the pieces and emphasizing the fractures with gold, silver or platinum. Instead of hiding the breaks, the fractures become part of the restored piece, showing there is beauty in the imperfect and broken.

In much the same way, Point of Contact shows lives that are crushed, destroyed, ended … yet the reconstruction creates a new beauty, a new life that is not simply a repair of the old, but a new creation that will forever be different than the original, but no less valuable and precious.

In another writer’s hands, this story might have been a brief introduction to Riley – Trevor’s beloved son who dies in Afghanistan – with the bulk of the story about Jesse, Trevor’s platoon mate, and Trevor getting to know each other, falling in love, and having lots and lots of hot sex. A good read, yes, but nothing to really touch your heart.

Point of Contact gives us Riley – his birth, childhood, young adulthood – in loving detail, as well as glimpses of the man he might have become. And when he dies, it falls to his best friend Jesse and his father Trevor to put the pieces of their lives back together, and create a new life together. Jesse gives Trevor the gift of sharing the man Riley was becoming, while Trevor gives Jesse the background of how Riley came to be the caring, kind, goofy, loving 20-year-old he was. And along the way – slowly and gently – the two men fall in love and their story is so, so beautifully written. I especially love how Hansen crafts Carl (Trevor’s former fiance) who is not the villain of the piece, despite leaving Trevor. And Riley’s combat mates from Afghanistan are also lovingly fleshed out as well.

Yes, there is a lot of grief and heartbreak, and I shed a lot of tears while reading Point of Contact, but it was worth every tear and I highly recommend this book. 5+ stars for Point of Contact.

This was a very good book. You cry as soon as you read it and pretty much don't stop until it ends. This was a very slow and sweet burn. I absolutely enjoyed it.

Trevor's world is his son, Riley. It is completely upended when he dies overseas in a war. Jesse, Riley's best friend one day shows up with some of Riley's things and sees Trevor still grieving and unable to handle the loss. One day at a time Trevor and Jesse heal each other's hurts and grief, but the lines between a real romantic relationship versus a relationship of attraction convenience on the foundation of Riley get blurred.

This was a smartly written story. It has flashbacks for both Trevor and Jesse and usually it's hard to frame that when you know that two characters are going to get together but you don't know "how" exactly. I expected this to immediately start off with the hard stuff, but it slowly built up to Riley's death. Hansen really set the stage expertly for how Jesse and Trevor get together. I really enjoyed seeing the angst in Trevor as he went through all his emotions because it felt real. I mean this book is HEAVY, but it was done really really well. I just can't even praise that enough. I think this is the first title from this author that I've read, if it is, it won't be the last. 4.5 stars!

This was a really good book and while I really enjoyed it, it was just too sad. I don't think there was enough balance between the sad and happy, even the happy moments were sad. I'm going to read a few romantic comedies to move on from this.

Melanie Hansen is a master of writing men who are recovering from all kinds of loss and trauma. In Point of Contact, Trevor and Jesse are grappling with the loss of the same person. Riley, killed in Afghanistan, was Trevor's son and Jesse's brother-in-arms. These two survivors come together gradually over the course of the book.

Hansen excels at showing how long and rocky a grieving process can be. No two people process loss in the same way, and over the course of her books Hansen gives each unique character a specific, difficult path. Point of Contact is no different. Jesse and Trevor move through their trauma each in their own way. It can be hard to experience it with them, but it always feels honest and true. Their romantic connection is less well-realized, thought it too has a realistic timeline of years. As always, Hansen's characters never heal - it would b e unrealistic to expect them to - but they do move forward.

Je suis tombée sur ce livre vraiment par hasard. Je ne connaissais pas l'auteur. J'avais lu le début du synopsis qui me tentait assez malgré le ton annoncé vu le thème abordé. Et je me suis pris une claque.
J'ai commencé ce livre peu de temps avant d'aller dormir. J'ai lu quelques pages, probablement un voire deux chapitres. Et j'ai su que j'allais adorer ce livre. J'y ai repensé toute la journée suivante et bien que je connaissais à peine les personnages, il me tardait de finir ma journée de travail afin de me jeter sur ma liseuse pour les retrouver.

C'est l'histoire de Riley, un jeune homme gentil, courageux, qui adore son père et l'admire... Riley qui ne dépassera jamais la vingtaine d'années et restera à jamais un jeune homme, un soldat, un héro.
C'est l'histoire de Trevor, devenu père très jeune et qui adore son fils, il représente toute sa vie... Trevor, qui est fier de son Riley mais qui va le perdre beaucoup trop tôt.
C'est l'histoire de frères d'armes, ces jeunes soldats courageux et loyaux.
C'est aussi l'histoire de Jesse, meilleur ami de Riley et à peine plus âgé que lui, mais ayant déjà tellement vécu pour son jeune âge...

Nous suivons Riley, Trevor et Jesse, au Colorado, en Afghanistan, des flash-back, l'avant, puis l'après... On le comprend dès le départ, on le sait. Cela va parler d'amitié, d'amour, de bravoure, de la perte d'un être cher et de comment réussir à vivre, à survivre avec son absence, mais aussi de comment reprendre une vie normale après avoir vu tellement d'atrocités. Cela parle du rapprochement de deux personnes, deux hommes blessés, qui ont tout perdu.
En général, pour être honnête, je crains de lire ce genre d'histoire, celles qui touchent au deuil, pour différentes raisons. Mais il faut que ce soit bien écrit, vrai et juste. Ce qui a été complètement le cas ici.

J'ai aimé chacun de ces personnages. Je suis tombée amoureuse d'eux. J'ai souri, j'ai ri, j'ai angoissé. Mon cœur s'est rempli de joie et de tristesse en même temps. J'ai aimé chaque page, de la première à la dernière.
J'ai fini ce livre très tard dans la nuit, je n'arrivais pas à le lâcher. La première chose que j'ai fait au réveil est de relire des passages, et je ne voulais qu'une chose, relire le tout.
Je trouve ce livre magnifique. Le tout est si bien mené, les émotions si bien retranscrites. J'ai aimé aussi la construction du roman, qui je trouve, nous permet de connaître encore mieux chacun de ces personnages, en particulier Riley, qui n'est plus présent.
J'ai aimé la façon qu'a eu l'auteur de nous faire ressentir la puissance de ce lien qui existe entre ce père et ce fils, mais également celle de Jesse pour son ami. La manière également dont Jesse et Trevor se rapprochent l'un de l'autre. C'est si beau, si vrai et si naturel. La romance est si belle aussi, tellement délicate.
L'auteur traite vraiment bien le deuil et de chacune de ses phases, en toute pudeur et en finesse.

Je pourrais parler pendant des pages et des pages de ces personnages que je ne pourrai pas oublier, parler des nombreux passages qui me reviennent en tête, sauf que je le ferais probablement mal... Les mots me manquent...
Ce livre m'a transportée, m'a prise et m'a retournée, m'a noyée, serré le cœur et l'a rempli de bonheur, d'amour et d'espoir. Un très beau coup de cœur...

Point of contact est de ces romans qui vous éparpille en mille morceaux, vous font souffrir mille morts, mais sont en même temps tellement beaux ...

Ainsi que le mentionne le résumé, le sujet central de ce roman de Melanie Hansen est le deuil, qui plus est le deuil le plus terrible qui soit, puisque l'un des personnages perd son fils au combat, en Afghanistan.

La construction de ce roman est déconcertante, la première partie est à la fois dépaysante, drôle, pleine de camaraderie, mais aussi terrible et tragique à la fois. Elle nous broie le cœur à petit feu et quelque part, on pourrait reprocher à l'auteur de faire preuve de cruauté, mais en même temps, ces passages-là sont très importants. Toutes ces aller-retour entre passé et présent, entre le Colorado et la vallée de Korengal apportent une vraie densité au récit, et nous montre que ce roman n'a rien d'une romance classique. Du coup, j'ai lu toute cette première partie d'une traite, quasiment en apnée. J'ai apprécié que l'auteur dépeigne une situation dépourvue de manichéisme, qu'elle montre les choses dans toute sa complexité, leur crudité aussi. On est très loin d'un patriotisme exacerbé, même si dans le fond, ce livre est pour moi un très bel hommage à tous ces hommes et ces femmes engagés dans l'armée, ainsi que toutes ces familles à tout instant susceptibles de perdre un être cher. Et cet engagement à toute épreuve m'a questionnée ...

La seconde partie est bouleversante, la douleur de Trevor est terrible à lire, mais l'auteur ne verse pas dans le misérabilisme. Melanie Hansen décrit avec justesse, délicatesse et pudeur le combat quotidien de cet homme pour s'en sortir, les questions qui l'agitent, les regrets qui l'animent ... L'arrivée de Jesse dans sa vie va lui donner un point d'ancrage, et il va s'accrocher à lui de toutes ses forces. Ce dernier est un véritable pilier dans ce roman, et pas seulement pour Trevor. Leur relation est belle à lire, le glissement entre amis et amants s'opère très progressivement, et ils franchissent nombre d'étapes avant d'en arriver là.

Jesse est un personnage solaire, d'une force à toute épreuve, pourtant, il reste vulnérable, car lui aussi a vécu l'enfer. Il porte la culpabilité du survivant et souffre de stress post-traumatique, même si celui-ci semble mineur. Trevor s'est toujours donné à fond pour son garçon, voilà 20 ans qu'il se définit comme un père, et lorsqu'il perd Riley, son identité est brouillée ...:

"I don't know know who am I am if I'm not Riley's dad anymore."

Sans voyeurisme, voir Trevor passer par les différentes étapes du deuil, y compris avoir des détails très techniques, cliniques même, à certains égards, est à la fois poignant et fascinant.

La romance est tout en finesse et en délicatesse, Trevor et Jesse forment un beau couple, lumineux et complice, après tout ce qu'ils ont traversé, et partagé. Ce roman ne vous laissera assurément pas indemne, votre petit cœur sera malmené, mais c'est là que réside toute la beauté de la lecture non ? 26 petites lettres, et autant de combinaisons possibles pour vous faire vivre les plus folles émotions ...

Once in a while you stumble across a book you just know will overwhelm you with emotions. A book that will wreck you in every sense of the word. But in the end it is a book you would never regret reading and you are glad you got to know the people in it and their story, even if it might shred your heart into tiny little pieces. Will your heart be whole again in the end? Not always, no. Especially not when someone you came to know, who you laughed with, felt with and who proved to be an amazing person you as a reader even became proud of, dies and you are witness to his death in all its brutality and senselessness. Yes, I know I am talking about a fictional character, and I can't even begin to imagine how it would feel in real life to loose your only child to war, or how it would feel when your best friend dies in your arms. The void he leaves that can never be filled.

I won't go into detail about the story itself because I believe this is a journey you should take on all by yourself and I still have tears in my eyes while I'm writing this here, so let me just say you will meet three exceptional men in this book:

Riley, the twenty-year-old soldier, bound and determined to make something of his life, resolved to make his dad proud and who is leaving his home to fight for his country in a war that cannot be won. A war that will claim yet another victim...

Trevor, single father to Riley, whose love for his son oozes from the pages through his memories. Whose son simply means the world to him, a world that crashes down around him when he learns that Riley got killed in the war. Suddenly his life turns into a daily struggle to move on and not to break under his deep mourning. Until he meets...

Jesse, brother-in-arms of Riley, who formed a special bond with Trevor's son only men who fought together and for each other can share. A man who witnessed and still mourns the death of his best friend and who maintains a struggle by himself to adjust to a life after war.

What begins as two men mourning the death of a man they both loved and who both find a way to console and help each other to overcome a tragedy ends in a relationship moving forward at such a slow and steady pace that it felt absolutely natural for them to form a special bond on their own, originally based on shared grief that grows from comrades in suffering over friendship to love.

Point of Contact is a story about loss, grief and the slow process of healing an emotional wound that simply cannot be healed. This wound will have an impact on the bereaved that will change them forever and they can only take one step at a time at finding the courage to accept the fact that a part of their life will always be missing from now on.

Sometimes it is a curse knowing what's going to happen, because every word, every promise, every little gesture makes you already tearing up and fill with trepidation since you know that things will never turn out the way the characters expect. And still it hits you like a physical blow when it happens. Learning that Riley died on my birthday made it even worse, as ridiculous as it might seem, but it made me aware that I am not perceptive enough to the fact that while I'm enjoying myself, there are people like Riley out there dying and what kind of ramifications this has on their loved ones.

This book is exceptionally well written, in a touching, almost haunting manner that absolutely matches the story itself. The ending was still wistful in a way, but it also made me smile through my tears and all the guys in here will always have a special place in my heart.

Stories like this, stories that make me feel, stories that will stick with me forever, are the reason why I read and I hope the same goes for you. 5+++ stars from me and highly recommended!

I sobbed through this book. Be warned. Trevor's son dies in combat. His friend and fellow platoon member, Jesse, returns Riley's things to his dad. The two men are able to share their grief with each other and start healing. But there is the difference in their ages and the weirdness that Jesse was his son's friend. Great characters.

Melanie Hansen is a go to when I need an excellent angsty read that will make me cry and man did she make me cry! When you read the blurb for Point of Contact, you know there’ll be heartbreak. I mean losing your child is every parent’s worst nightmare. What I wasn’t expecting going in to get to know said child.

Spoiler
Some highlights

-Dual POVs

-Jesse, Riley’s best friend. He was beautiful, loving, understanding, and wise beyond his years. I loved his backstory, his relationship with his parents.

-Trevor. He became a dad at a young age, took responsibility and never looked back. Riley was his world. I hurt for him; I couldn’t help but imagine his pain. Just thinking about it now chokes me up.

-Riley. Fuck. He was an exceptional young man. I guess what hurt most is that yes this is fiction- but – this is someone’s story out there.

-The process of healing. It wasn’t rushed, which I appreciated.

-And the end was beautifully written.

Why not the full 5 Stars? I wanted more romance. This felt more like fiction with some love towards the end, and because of that, I felt like it hindered the relationship development a little bit. It felt a tad rushed; endearments came very fast. I either would’ve liked less backstory, well not really. All the Riley’s of the world deserve their story told. I think I would’ve wanted a longer book. I wanted more time with Trevor and Jesse as a couple, but maybe it’s me being a greedy reader.

Anyhoo, all in all, what an exceptional story. It’s a haunting story of family, loss, grief, healing, and finding love when and with whom we least expect it. 4.5 Stars!

Wow.

I am honestly floored after reading Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen. It's such an exquisitely painful novel that isn't afraid to delve deep into important, almost taboo, topics and discuss them in a respectful manner.

The novel deals with the effects of war, grief, PTSD, depression, survivor's guilt, internalised homophobia, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell requisite, what it's like being closeted in the US Army, and brotherhood. So many important topics and Hansen managed to give them each enough page time.

Point of Contact is based on the perspectives of two men: Trevor, a 38-year-old gay father who's only son has signed up for the US Army, and Jesse, a 24-year-old closeted man who has lost everyone he's ever loved and decides to join the Army. Jesse and Trevor's son, Riley, become best friends will serving together in Afghanistan.

The novel is also broken down into two parts: 'before' and 'after'. 'Before' focuses on Jesse's first (almost) year in the Army as well as Trevor's life while his son Riley is away. 'After' is set after Riley is killed, focussing on the two men's grief and slow friendship.

If you didn't realise already, this is a very emotional novel, but it is so worth it. It paints a raw picture of the devastating effects of war and how grief completely derails a person's life. I absolutely loved the growing friendship between Trevor and Jesse: how it starts off as Trevor listening to stories about his son through Jesse, learning things he never knew, and developing into something neither man can live without. What I respect so much from Hansen is how their relationship never felt forced, or unequal, or rushed into. It takes a long time for both men to realise their feelings' and then to act on it, while still respecting their seperate journeys of grief and attempting to live a normal life after war.

And Hansen's writing - wow. The way she convey's so much emotion in a simple sentence has me gobsmacked. I envy the way she so flawlessly communicates to her reader.

Point of Contact is a beautiful novel - a painful one, but a beautiful one. I would recommend this to anyone. I even managed to read it in one day, and it's over 400 pages long. If that doesn't tell you how amazing this novel is, I don't know what will.

This review contains minor spoilers.

This book started out so strong. The writing is beautiful. Not being a parent myself, I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose a child, but thanks to Melanie Hansen’s excellent writing, I don’t feel as if I have to imagine because she portrayed that loss so heartbreakingly, brutally, and tragically through Trevor and his shattering pain. He was just so devastated, and I was devastated for him. I admit it, there were scenes that made my eyes leak. I loved that Hansen took the time to make me fall in love with Riley, so that his death hit me like a speeding semi despite knowing that it was coming. It would have been so quick and easy to have it happen early on and go straight to Trevor’s grief, but watching Riley become a war-hardened man and a damn good friend only to die so young??? Dammit, my eyes are leaking again!

And I thought Jesse was a beautiful character, so shutdown and walled off because of his personal and military-imposed closet, so afraid that if his secret got out, he’d not only lose his career but his brothers-in-arms. And After, so experienced with grief and loss that he could council someone else through death even while he dealt with his own pain.

Those factors alone are reason to pick up this book, find a comfortable chair, and tell the rest of the world to leave you alone for a few hours.

And I would have kept feeling that way had the book ended after about 250 pages, which is when Trevor and Jesse finally admitted their feelings and became a couple. For me, the story was pretty much over at that point with just a few loose ends to tie up. Unfortunately, the book kept going for another 70+ pages and Jesse and Trevor’s relationship just dissolves into sex scenes with a few fights thrown in. The fights seemed out of character for Jesse and were over so quickly that they seemed pointless. I thought the plot got a bit lost.

In the end, the story regains its earlier beauty in a series of annual trips to Riley’s grave where we learn what Trevor and Jesse have been up to and how their relationship has grown. Overall, it was a beautiful story and the writing was really beautiful…I could have just used a little bit less of it.

My advice: definitely read this book and definitely keep the tissues close.
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4 Stars!

There's a whole heck of a lot of suffering in this book. Melanie Hansen sure can write the hell out of sad and suffering. But I don't like to be sad and to read about so much suffering.

The real knife to the chest was making us experience the war. The first 50+% of the book we are at war. We get to know Riley as a person, his best friend Jesse. And then BAM....knife to the chest.

There wasn't as much romance with all of the suffering. I like romance. I liked Trevor. I liked Riley. I liked Jesse. My heart hurt for the circumstances they all were faced with them.

I'm glad I read their story. It's just not my favorite type of story. But I can give credit where credit is due and this one was very well written and Melanie Hansen nailed the suffering.

don't think I can read this book again in the future. As much as I loved Riley, he's gone, and it's a mess after he's gone.
It's been eleven years after I lost my soldier back then, and it's still hurt every time I think of him.
And Jesse and Trevor's grieve also need time. They're perfect for each other.
But oh part 'before', was the hardest one. There's ugly cry and there's ugly cry even 'after'.
The reason why did I finish this book for a while, was that I can't read with teary eyes.
And Carl..oh, that sweet Carl, I cannot hate him for bailing on Trevor. He tried, he did try hard to understand and be there for Trevor, but Trevor just didn't let him in.
I didn't feel like Trevor really love Carl, and that sad. Instead of talking to him, Trevor chose Jesse.
I know they're shared the same grieve, and that's all they need.
Sometimes, I hated Trevor for being too absorbed in his grieving. I know it's hard losing a son, the reason for him to live.
But somehow, he and Jesse managed it just fine with their own way.
I'm also happy that Carl finally found someone who really need him after the broke up, I hope I can read his story in the future.

*Thank you Netgalley for the ARC*

5+ stars.

"Hell, dying was easy. Being left behind, having to live with everything they were seeing — and doing —
That was the really scary part."

Ugh, don't mind me. I'm a blubbering mess here. The book is still fresh in my mind so I thought I'd try to write something useful. Point of Contact book was powerful. And emotional, heartbreaking, yet so hopeful and beautiful all at the same time if that makes sense.

“...Grief is a journey, except there’s no point A to point B. It’s a fucking twisty-turny, up-and-down, forward-and-back piece of shit. It’s one good day... hell, maybe it’s only a few good hours...in the midst of a shit-ton of bad ones. But you don’t give up, and you keep going."

This book put so much in perspective for me. The everyday life of a person who lost a loved one in war. The grief, depression, and in this case, PTSD. What we take for granted every single day is what those men die for. It made me bawl. It's something I never really thought much about it until now and realizing that, it's a sad truth. This book really changed me.

"It was amazing how one man’s life— and death— had changed the course of so many others’, leaving people as adrift as pieces of flotsam on an angry sea. So much loss, so much pain, all because a bullet had missed one target and found its mark on another..."

This story is told in two parts. Before and after. I'm not going into detail because I think that's a journey you need to take without spoilers.

The way Melanie wrote about everything was perfect. Their grief, the love story, and the progression of it all. It worked. It was about two souls lost in pain and grief who formed a beautiful friendship and unique bond. And their journey to finding love together.

“The thing is, that picture’s changed a bit, though.”
“How?”
“Because you’re in it now.”

This is easily one of my favorite books ever written. One that will stay with me for time to come.

This is my first book by this author and I don’t think it’ll be my last. I read the blurb and it sucked me in as it ticked a few of my boxes; May to December romance, military theme, tons of UST... SOLD!

As you’ll see from the synopsis, I also walked in knowing this wouldn’t be an easy read as it centres around a casualty of war. Sometimes it takes a few pages to get into a story but I was hooked as soon as I started this one. I liked how strong Trevor Estes was and how loving and human he was, he really was the whole package and for someone like him to suffer the greatest loss a person could go through, losing his son Riley, was utterly heartbreaking. Told in two parts, we see how close Trevor and Riley are before he goes off to war, they’re as close as any father and son can be. The second part of the story deals with the tragedy and the aftermath. I must say this was dealt with so sensitively and it genuinely upset me as it was portrayed so honestly.

Jesse Byrne was Riley’s comrade, and although when Trevor first met Jesse before the boys shipped out, he didn’t leave a great impression, but read on and you find out why he said what he said and it all becomes a little clearer. Jesse meets up with Trevor again when he brings Riley’s belongings back and what follows is two men finding some comfort in each in their grief, which then turns into something a whole lot more.

This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking tale and it will stay with me for a while. It really touched my heart and for me, it’s one story that will take some beating. I highly recommend it.