A sweet romance with a Marine for the hero. It was a quick read with a happy ending, and what can I say I"m a sucker for Marine heroes in books.

Jake has returned home scarred and suffering from PTSD. He's hiding out at his ranch with his support dog Molly. Molly has decided she loves visiting Skyler who lives next door. As Jake, Skyler and Molly navigate a new friendship he becomes more involved with the Gilmore family and the residents of Haven. This is book 8 in the Match Made in Haven series. It can be read as a stand alone but does give updates on various couples from previous books. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Marine’s Road Home
Match Made In Haven series
Brenda Harlen

Brenda Harlen’s latest in her Match Made in Haven series, The Marine’s Road Home, is poignant and heartfelt, filled with painful pasts and hopeful futures. Her small town setting complete with nosey neighbors and doting family is the perfect backdrop for this story and her couple are genuine and likeable and really deserve their HEA and watching them go through the obstacles to get there is worth every page. Readers who love wounded warrior stories and who know the down-home goodness Moto of the SE series will adore this read, and although the story is part of a series they can all be read as stand-a-lones but as with every story are better read in order.

Jake Kelly was still battling many demons after his discharge from the Marines so when he discovered his uncle left him his ranch in Haven, Nevada Jake packed his bags and his devoted dog Molly and headed there hoping he could heal while being left alone to deal with his survivor’s guilt. What he didn’t count on was a sexy bartender who he couldn’t get out of his mind but who he knew he could never be good enough for.
Sklar (Sky) Gilmore has always been unlucky at love so why did she feel an instant connection to a handsome stranger who showed up one night and ordered a beer at the bar where she worked even though he made it clear he didn’t want company. Was she just asking for more heartache or could this finally be the real deal?

Book 1: The Sheriff’s Nine-Month Surprise
Book 2: Her Seven-Day Fiancé
Book 3: Six Weeks to Catch a Cowboy
Book 4: Claiming the Cowboy’s Heart
Book 5: Double Duty for the Cowboy
Book 6: One Night with the Cowboy
Book 7: A Chance for the Rancher
Book 8: The Marine’s Road Home

Who is John? Where is he? What does he do for a living? Or what did he do? Who is Jake? Where does this story take place? Who is Skylar and what does she do for a living? I had to laugh at Mr. Virga's comment to Sky! My heart broke several times throughout this book, but it also lept with joy at other parts. Read and see why and what happens to and with Jake.

Very good book. Jake came to Haven looking for peace and a way to get his life back on track after leaving the Marines. We first see him when he walks into Digger's Bar and orders a beer. Sky is the bartender, and she attempts to make conversation with him, but Jake isn't cooperating. He bluntly tells her that he's "not here for conversation," so she leaves him alone. But he made an impression on her, and she keeps an eye on him as he drinks his beer and leaves.

Sky is a friendly, kind, and compassionate woman. Besides a couple of shifts she works at Digger's, she also works at her family's store and is a counselor at the high school and the local women's shelter. She is also on a relationship hiatus, as all of her previous relationships have ended badly. But there is something about Jake that stirs her up.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Jake and Sky develop. It started very slowly. Jake comes into the bar at the same time every Wednesday night, drinks one beer, and leaves. Sky never gives up on him and continues to talk to him until he finally talks back a little. The sparks are there, though Jake is determined to ignore them. He does pretty well until the day he finds her stranded on the side of the road. The sparks burst into flame, and they spend some very satisfying time together. But Jake is so freaked out by how right it felt to be with Sky that he behaved like a jerk to her. Fortunately, he apologized and explained, and they continued to spend time together.

I hurt for Jake because of his struggles. He was medically retired because of the injuries he received during the attack that also killed most of his team. Besides his PTSD, he also suffers from survivor's guilt. He feels that he's too broken to be suitable for anyone. He moved to Haven to get away from his family after a flashback incident. Jake feels like a failure when he compares himself to his older brother, Luke. Those feelings aren't helped by their father, a retired Marine who continually harps on Jake's lack of a plan for his future and his "quitting." Jake's best friend is his dog, Molly, who helps ground him during his episodes. Molly takes a liking to Sky, and there are some fun parts involving the three of them.

The more time that they spent together, the closer Jake and Sky grew. I loved how Sky gave Jake the space that he wanted by not pestering him to talk about his experiences or feelings. Jake fought hard against his feelings for her, convinced that he would only hurt her if he tried for something deeper. Meanwhile, Sky realized that she had fallen hard for Jake, and was looking at likely having her heart broken. There is an emotional and heart-wrenching confrontation between them when she calls him out on his refusal to take a chance on them. Jake gets some advice and help from an unexpected source, after a heart-to-heart that opens his eyes to what he needs to do.

I hurt for Sky during this time as she tried to deal with Jake's rejection and disappearance. There's a sweet conversation between Sky and her younger sister, Ashley, that helps her to feel a little better. The ending was great as Jake put his heart on the line spectacularly and romantically.

There were also some emotional moments as we get a peek into Sky's professional life. Her actions regarding Ashley's friend Chloe, as well as Chloe's sister Jodie, showed the depth of her commitment to helping young people. I also liked the way that Sky helped her former high school classmate escape from her situation. Both incidents demonstrated Sky's determination and compassion.

Due to my rating I won't be reviewing the book until it's been out for a while.

This book had everything in that makes me stay up all night...and yet.

I had two problems with this book - the passage of time/events and the expectations of being more informed about the previous books.

The second wouldn't have bothered me if not for the first. Too often we thought something was going to happen or we were about to see something when next we knew it was in the past. There were times I wasn't sure something actually happened. It was often quite jarring.

When you set that on top of the expectations that we know a lot of the players and situations already, it added up to the occasionally frustrating chapters.

Other than that, it was a lovely story - no surprises or struggles out of the ordinary. Nothing that felt like the real emotional zing that many of the Special Editions give us. Sadly, the combination of these things brings me to a 3 star rating.