I have read almost everything that Jessica Scott has written and this is my favorite. The book is darker as it takes on more of the reality of war and what it is like to be a woman, military and a single mother. The decisions and sacrifices that are made are not easy and come at a cost. The emotions are real and raw. I loved the main characters and the demons they each had to fight to find love with each other again.

Great book. Truly depicted the coming home experience. I liked the length of the noel. It was so realistic it was almost non-fiction. I dont like how some of the character relationships are not wrapped up. I cant wait to read the novel on the female Major.

4 - "I'm glad you came home." Stars!

After the War is the second book in Jessica Scott’s Homefront series, whereas book one, entertained but didn’t really blow me away, Sarah and Sean’s story pulled me in, and gradually turned me into a blubbering mess, as it progressed.

Funny how a decade at war changed everything.

I get a perverse pleasure when a book evokes such a strong emotional reaction from me, as it happens very rarely nowadays. This couple, their past, the potential for their future and everything that happens in the course of their lives in the nine intervening years before their reconnection has been put together into a story that you cannot help but get invested in.

I think the one thing that always rings true for me when I read a book by Jessica Scott, regardless of how much I like the storyline or characters, I know I am getting a ‘true grit’ version of life for someone who is in the Army, has spent time in the theatre of war, or is now dealing with the aftermath of those two things. Jessica writes from the heart, you can feel the authenticity of the experiences her characters go through not to mention the depth of their emotions and the feelings it provokes in you as a reader because of it.

”This doesn’t feel wrong to me. I just wanted you to know that.”

There is a lot going on in this book, but each and every part of it is relevant to Sarah and Sean’s blossoming relationship, a little intrigue and suspense, characters you will love and others you will hate, Jessica for me ticked every box with their story, in relation to the type of book I want to read, and exceeded my expectations with others (see the paragraph outlining my emotional blubbering!)

”You will always be first in my life.”

I don’t know anything about life in the Army, having a family while serving in the Army, raising a child as a single parent in the Army, or losing someone who is serving in the Army, but After the War has given me at least a small insight into all those things, it’s not all hearts and flowers, the risk definitely outweighs the reward most of the time, and you are most certainly a very special person if you have the strength of character, and the willingless to act in such a selfless manner for others, who a lot of the time do not even appreciate the sacrifices that are being made for them.

Face the Fire the next book in the series is due in June, and I look forward to seeing where Jessica takes this series next.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.

Absolutely adores this story. good romance and characters.

Sarah has has a lot of loss in her life and she is ready to start over again and give her daughter the life they both deserve, the only problem is she has a mouth that gets her in trouble and she runs into a person from her past she is just not ready to face ever again. Sean has his own demons he has to deal with when two guys in his unit seem to be facing there own demons and he keeps getting thrown into the middle since he's there boss and he is so over it. The only problem he is facing is having to work with Sarah the one person he was never wanting to see again, accept he has a secret of his own he needs to make sure he faces before he can be honest with himself and Sarah. This book is really good it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I found myself turning each page wanting so much more the ending was amazing and the book is really worth the read. If asked to use words to describe this book it would be intense, amazing, lots of romance and a little bit of erotic but over all AMAZING. This book and the first one Homefront are both books you will not want to pass on.

After the War is the second novel in the Homefront series by bestselling author Jessica Scott and is a contemporary military and second chance romance. Jessica Scott has an undeniable gift of creating something beautiful out of the terrible circumstances that war can bring about. Her knowledge of the military brings a sense of realism to her stories and her characters are often flawed and scarred yet have traits that make them heroes in the eyes of others. The subject matter of war brought together with the love the characters in her stories find is often heavy and dark but also always hopeful and insightful.

Sarah Anders and Sean Nichols carry with them a lot of baggage, courtesy of their break-up as a couple nine years ago and their own experiences with the war plus the death of Sarah's husband Jack. With this being a second chance romance, I'm glad that there wasn't this immediate need for either of them to rekindle what they once had because then it would have felt forced or somewhat unnatural. The pace in which their relationship went through reconciliation and re-establishing love and trust for each other gave me the chance to fully appreciate the highs and lows of Sarah and Sean falling in love all over again.

This isn't your typical story about a couple who parted ways years before but never stopped loving each other and then reconcile. Sarah truly did fall in love with her late husband and they had a good life together. Life went on for the lead characters during their nine years apart which was more real than had everything been put on pause or they spent all that time thinking about only each other. There are some emotional moments in the story and I know when it starts affecting me because I had that heart-squeezing feeling in my chest time and again. After the War is a love story worth reading and gets five stars. ♥

Jessica Scott is the go to writer for true emotional authentic military romance. Ms. Scott does not gloss over the military life to enhance the romance in her stories. Instead she shows the rest of us how these courageous individuals live and love in spite of the pressure of duties and the horrors of war.

I really didn’t think she could out do Homefront with Gale, Melanie and Jamie Sorren but she certainly has with After the War. This is a beautifully bittersweet story of love, loss and second chances.

Sarah is such a wonderful character, trying to juggle being a single mom with her career in the Army. Her loss, her heartache and her joy of a daughter is emotional moving. At the beginning as with most books is the note – “these books are fiction. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidence” BUT heaven have mercy, Captain Sarah Anders’ story reads like she is a real mother wearing a real Army uniform.

I don’t even know how to describe how I feel about Sean. Seeing inside his head was so eye opening. I would never have guess the insecurities and guilt that lies beneath the cocky confidence. His growth as a person and a leader really serves to make him irresistible. You can keep Rambo, I’ll take a Sean any day.

As I have come to expect from Jessica Scott, After the War is not light or flirty but it is real, emotional and a story of hope for the future, too. Fiction yes, but it has the realism of true life threaded through every page.

Whenever I see a book by Jessica Scott I jump at the chance to read it. I’ve read many of her books and have really enjoyed them. “After the War” is the second book in the Home Front Series. Just like the previous book “ Homefront” deals with the life of soldiers and the way their lives and their families lives have been affected by the army and combat. In true Jessica Scott fashion, she presents very complex and multi-layered characters. Her characters always portray raw emotion and the raw truth of what life is like in the military. Captain Sarah Anders and Captain Sean Nichols are no exception.
Sean and Sarah use to date when they were still very young and both were still new in the military. Although Sean asked Sarah to marry him she said no. Sarah explains that she wanted to make something of herself in the military before she became someone’s wife. Sarah ends up marrying another soldier named Jack and they have a daughter together. Jack does not make it back from Iraq and Sean feels a sense of responsibility. When Sean and Sarah are reunited many of their old feelings come back but so do new feelings. Sarah realizes that Sean has grown and changed since they were last together. Sean realizes that he made the mistake of losing Sarah once but does not want to make the same mistake again.
Scott is very honest and raw about military life and about the impact it has on a person. Her heroes are often wounded and trying to become better people while battling their demons. She is also very candid about the pitfalls of the military, the chain of commands and the less than stellar conduct of some military personal. This includes people in command. Sarah is a recipient of unfair judgement placed on her by superior simply because she is a single mother. Her superior, although a woman herself, makes Sarah’s life as difficult as possible all in an effort to prove that women don’t belong in the military. I have to say that although I really enjoy Jessica Scott I had a hard time staying interested in the story. One reason is that Sarah seemed almost identical to Melaine from Homefront. They were both single mothers and both portrayed the struggles of balancing motherhood and work. Their personalities were also very identical. Also, Sean and Gael, from Homefront, were also very similar. They both wanted desperately to make up for past mistakes. They also seemed very similar. I also felt that there were parts of the story that were very repetitive. Sarah and Sean seem to have the same conversation over and over. Although I really enjoy the realistic military-life feel that Scott gives many of the scenes and scenarios she described went over my head and I just did not understand. Putting the above aside, I enjoyed reading about both Sarah and Sean. I kept hoping that they would find their way back together and loved that she had them rebuild their relationship based on friendship. I know that Jessica Scott fans will cheer with “After the War” and I’m personally looking forward to reading “Face the Fire” the next book in the series.

Sean Nichols didn't want Sarah Delaney to be a soldier. When he proposed she said no because a soldier was all she wanted to be. She didn't want kids and didn't want to be a wife, so they broke up. Eight years later, she'd been married, widowed and shortly after found out she was pregnant and now has a five-year-old daughter. Sean's grown up a lot since then. They both hold different positions in the military. Amongst all the chaos of investigations and interviews, can these two find their way back to each other or has too many years passed?

Jessica Scott has done it again. She writes military romance so true to life you feel like you're watching someone's life unfold before your very eyes. I hate that Sarah lost her husband to the war. I am happy that a second chance romance was a possibility for her and Sean. I can't imagine being a single mom in the military. The push and pull of the job seems to be exhausting. Thank you Jessica Scott for another fabulous read in the new Homefront series. I can't wait to read more.

Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in this series and the second book I've read by this author. I absolutely loved this story.

This is a story about second chances. It's a story of the repercussions of war. It's Sean and Sarah's story. Sean and Sarah thought they'd never see one another again. When they did they were both shocked. Can they get past their past and move on?

Like book one this author was able to pull big fat tears out of me. It's a brilliantly written emotional story that pulled on my heart strings. I would have liked a little more on the daughter at the end but heck that's only my point of view. Can't fault this story at all. I truly loved it. Really need to get 1-clicking this authors other books:)

This is a fantastic book. I have read many Jessica Scott novels and I think each one gets better. After the War is a heartfelt story that deals with loss....not only the loss of a loved one but also the loss of life as it was before war. Sarah is dealing with the loss of her husband and Sean is dealing with the choices he made during combat. It is also a second chance romance which only makes it better in my eyes. Jessica Scott captures the heartache, regret and survivors guilt like no other. I highly recommend this book.

This is a real poignant emotional book that is wonderfully written and covers very emotional and delicate topics in a perfect way. We cover sensitive topics such as demons, stress after being in war, the demons left behind from a war zone, loss of loved ones and friends, allowing the guilt to take over and destroy and trying to find a way to live with our guilt and memories.

Sean has been in war many times and the last hurt him. Haunts him as he comes away scathed with guilt and loss. Kearney is the one who brings him from losing his sense of self and helps him from losing his humanity. Kearney is now the one floundering and fighting for his soul as is Haverson who sadly allows guilt to overcome him. Kearney goes to the point where Sarah is called to investigate.

Sarah is a part of Sean's past and a love he lost due to being immature. He recognizes this and is now trying to show her who he is now and that he still loves her and wants to be with her. He has guilt over the loss of Sarah's husband and how it is because he knew him. As they get to know each other again they have other issues happening around them that holds them back. For Sarah it is her love for her deceased husband and her daughter. she also fears that Sean is the same as he was. For sean it is his guilt and demons that haunt him.

As they get closer, Sean's demons are coming more to the surface. the investigation is bringing back his past for him and haunts him. His loyalty is admirable but also crushing him in not being able to forgive himself. Kearney is having the same problem and for him it is taking over. Sarah in the end helps Sean after a really poignantly sad time that shows what can happen when the demons and guilt takes over.

the closeness that comes about between Sarah and Sean is beautiful. Her daughter is a hoot and so cute. She wraps Sean around her little finger. Sarah and Sean become a beautiful equal of a couple. The show each other respect and admiration but also are able to communicate with each other and help each other from the edge.

this is a emotionally charged book that will have you laugh, smile and hope for the best for others. We get to see the effects of the battlefield on all aspects of soldier's lives and it is done beautifully. The romance between Sarah and Sean is slow building and one that is built on friendship and trust first. A book that shows us change, second chances and forgiveness that will tear at the heart. Beautiful poignant book and story.

4.5 star

I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, pain, tragedy, secrets, second chance at love, and heartbreak.

If you have not read the below I would recommend reading those books(s) first Homefront (Homefront #1)

This is Sarah and Sean’s story. Sarah and Sean were in love before up until they could not agree on life’s big choices. They went their separate ways. Sarah married and is raising her daughter on her own after losing her husband. Now she and Sean are stationed at the same base. Sarah needs to investigate two of Sean’s men. While she investigates they get closer. Sean has never forgotten Sarah and to this day still wants her. Can he convince her to give him a second chance? Or will the secrets he is keeping be what keeps them apart forever?

I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I highly recommend this book and this series

Review was posted on From the TBR Pile May 10, 2015: http://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com/2015/05/blog-tour-after-war-by-jessica-scott.html

Goodreads 4 stars:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1196605291

Amazon 4 stars: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1L8J39WTXYDNK/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

My thoughts:
After the War is the second book in the Homefront series about the lives of soldiers in war time. I always say this when I review one of Ms. Scott's books, so I'll say it again here. Her military experience and background really helps infuse a lot of reality into her books. She doesn't sugar coat anything. The reality of war, the price our soldiers and families play? They all suck! But, sometimes in amid all of that you can find a sense of home and love to help you through the bad times.

In this book, Sarah has been assigned to Fort Hood. She lost her husband in the war 6 years earlier. Now she is a single mom and soldier trying to make her way doing what she loves. Sean is her ex-fiance who is eager to try for a second chance with the woman he never forgot. I was totally rooting for this couple the whole time. I'm a sucker for second chance romance. Theirs was a hard story to read. Both have suffered immense loss because of the war. I really felt for Sarah as she tries to find the courage to open her self up to love again, knowing that she is risking heart ache.

Apart from the romance, the book also takes a look at the role of single mother's in the military. Sarah's boss is a female who believes that single mothers have no place in the military at all. Sadly, I'm sure there is a lot of this attitude today.

If you haven't tried out this book or any of the others that Ms. Scott has written, what are you waiting for? I definitely recommend you do so. I hope you all fall in love with them as I have! -Kari

Fantastic book! I read this one before Homefront but I can't wait to read the other one too. Excellent writing! I left a link for my review but I'm still working on it!

The second book in Jessica Scott's Homefront series, After the War is an engaging read with a storyline that goes beyond romance. Life in the army is often glamourised and to be presented with serving officers and the situations they have encountered and continue to face, was quite humbling; running parallel to this second-chance love-story is one that makes you realise just what these men and women sacrifice.

"Sean Nichols was nothing more than a bad memory. One she was determined to leave exactly where he belonged. In the past."

Sarah and Sean have a history, Rewind several years and we have a young man who didn't want the woman he intended to marry to become a soldier, and a woman who didn't see her role in life as that of an army-wife and mum. Ending their relationship, Sarah pursued her dreams, married, had a daughter and faced her own tragic loss. But when circumstance places them in the same place eight-years later, they discover war may have changed them, but their feelings for one another remain.

"This doesn't feel wrong to me."

Whilst at times it felt a little steady, it was an enjoyable read. Sean and Sarah were likeable and their reconnection was touching, emotional and at times a little heart-wrenching. I have no idea what army-life is like, but with a gritty accompanying storyline it's given me what I can only perceive as a reality to the struggles officers face. Jessica Scott is an author that I will certainly read again and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Wow, this was different from what I love to read, and I don't really know what to say. What an amazing book!

Once again, Jessica Scott has written a very emotionally charged drama featuring our military heroes. This is the second book in a series but it can be read a stand-alone novel. However, if you have read the books from the Coming Home series, you will recognize some familiar secondary characters.
Having served in Iraq herself, Scott knows first hand many of the problems that her characters face as they transition home or even as they get ready to deploy again. In this novel, Captain Sarah Anders has lost her husband in the war and is trying to continue her career in the army while also being a single mom. Her latest assignment forces her to work with her ex-fiance, Sean, who feels guilty not just in how things ended with Sarah but also feels guilty for not being able to save her husband Jack. Both Sean and Sarah face a myriad of problems one of which being their attraction to one another all while trying to serve the army's needs.
I can't say enough about the books I have read by Jessica Scott and I certainly look forward to more. She is able to express what so many soldiers are dealing with every day and puts the focus on just some of the problems they are dealing with while still writing a gripping story.

I have a short list of authors who are a must read when it comes to contemporary romance. As far as military romance, Jessica Scott is at the top of that list. I've read all but a couple of books in her Coming Home series and I'm looking forward to continuing that along with her new Young Adult Fallen series. Homefront is also turning into one of my favorites.

She pulls no punches when it comes to what affect war has on soldiers and their families. Homefront puts the fear, pain, heartbreak, loss and all the other after affects front and center. The situations are real and the feelings are raw. The author's first hand knowledge and experience is evident in what her characters feel and go through. Coming home is almost as hard as being deployed. There are feelings that can't be turned off, nightmares that continue to haunt and memories that can't be buried.

Sarah and Sean's story is no different. They both lost people that they cared about. Sarah lost her husband and was still dealing with grief. Sean lost friends and fellow soldiers and was dealing with guilt. In a way, they had also both lost each other years before. After the War was a story of love, loss, tragedy and hope. I think that's why I love Jessica Scott's stories so much. Her characters are broken, but they pull themselves together and become even stronger in the process. Along the way they learn to deserve the love and support that they didn't even realize they were searching for.

WOW! This one touched me in so many ways I don't know where to start. There are several stories going on in this one, each one special and unique. It's a touching reunion story between the H/h, Sarah and Sean, but the rekindling of their feelings for each other brings along feelings of guilt and great loss. This series sheds light on what our soldiers face once they return from war, and how difficult it can be dealing with day to day life while serving in the military. This is a fantastic story and I highly recommend everyone have it on their must read list.

Review posted on Amazon, goodreads, BN. itunes, kobo, googleplay

I have to admit I am in love with Sarah and Sean. They may be my favorite book couple. I appreciated how real and honest their struggles were. Sarah had so much that could have dragged her down but she kept going for her daughter and the honor of her husband's memory. She is doing everything she can to balance her military career and being the best mother to her daughter, Anna. Oh my how I loved Anna she was so wise beyond her years. Sean is loyal and supportive of those around him, way beyond anything required. He carried so much back with him from all his tours of duty. Sean not only feels responsible for his decisions but also those of his men. He is such an honorable and solid man but does not see it. Sarah and Sean have a lot of things to work through between work issues and their past relationship. I sat down and read the whole book straight through because I just had to see how things would work out. I loved this story and can not wait to read more from Jessica Scott. I highly recommend the Homefront series.

After the War is the first Jessica Scott novel I have read. Enjoyed this second chance romance with a slight difference. I received an ARC of this story through NetGalley for the purposes of writing an honest review.

Sarah and Sean, past lovers are reunited ten years after their relationship ended in a way which left them both hurting. Much has happened since they last saw each other, but it does not take much to make them see that despite the years and happenings over the last ten years, there are still threads of their relationship that remain.
Both characters were very relatable, the style and introspection helped to feel really connected with the characters. I loved Sarah as the single mother, demonstrating the hardships of having lost a husband she loved very much, the difficulties of raising a daughter by herself and the challenge of devoting her life to a career which does not seem to easily lend itself to women, let alone sole carers of a child. The hardest part for her was seeing her struggle not only to balance her schedule, which she is determined to do, but also to cope with the scrutiny she, and I dare say several other women who serve in the military might face. Sean had been through his own struggles, and he's thus grown and emotionally matured, able to see exactly what caused him to lose the love of his life the first time around. As his story and secrets were uncovered, we got another frightening insight into what many soldiers could be faced with.

"He felt hope. Like maybe there was a place for him in this world that did not involve the war."

What I loved about their story was that it wasn’t simply a story about their pining for and not being able to forget each other. Sarah had truly found happiness with her husband, she had found the kind of love she needed, and she did not regret any of her time with him. That, I feel, gave a very tangible and beautiful depth and context to the story. It was not a case of star-crossed lovers awaiting the moment they could be brought together once more.

A number of different themes were touched on (including trauma, second chance romance, overcoming grief, the bond between friends and soldiers, women in the workforce) and I liked how all those elements interacted. I look forward to checking out Homefront.

*Reviewed for Owl Book Corner

A Demand too dear and a cost too high…it is war and what comes after. I don’t know what to make of this story. I loved it and it broke my heart. Decisions were made, sacrifices were made and there was so much loss as a result. Was it worth it? These two think it was. Oh the costs that some folk pay…

There is love and there is happiness, but it is tempered after the hard road it took to get there. This was not easy and the rose-colored glasses are no where in sight for the reader to view this story. I do not think this story will be for everyone. Don’t grab it if you want light and easy and definitely not if you don’t want to be challenged in the mind about what you would give up to be who and what you really want or need to be to be you.

If you can’t tell already, I reacted to this story. Strongly. I also couldn’t read it in my usual way which leaves me at a loss for how to share my review thoughts with other readers. I can’t imagine anyone being indifferent once they engage this book.

I felt compelled to read on and get Sarah’s story- or I should say, Sarah and Sean’s story. I love this author’s work and I trusted her to take care of this special and delicate-type plot she wove into a story about a woman who was driven to have her career as a soldier and the personal heartache she experienced along the way and the story of a man who must live with nightmares because in war there is loss and life-long shadows.

Captain Sarah Anders basically got fired from her previous job because of an incident that was beyond her control and little more than an opportunity for her boss to get rid of an unwanted employee. Her unit had just arrived in Afghanistan, but now she has been yanked out and moved to headquarters at Ft. Hood. Her new assignment is working for a hard woman major who has it in for someone like Sarah- widowed, single mom. Sarah is given the task to investigate what should have been an open-shut situation of an officer and one of his men getting in a bar brawl over a woman. Her past stands before her suddenly when she learns both men are under the command of none other than Captain Sean Nichols, her ex-fiancé and the man who couldn’t handle her choice to be a soldier and wanted her to change. She left him and found a man who accepted and made no demands, but she lost him a few years back during his deployment. She thought she had buried all that and now knows that she never really dealt with the feelings she thought were all hate and pain.

Sean can’t believe it. First he is dealing with the mess in his company and trying to keep doing what he can for guys he owes so much, but they can’t seem to stay out of trouble and an investigation is started. And the investigating officer? The woman he loved and who rejected him. After all these years, he is faced with Sarah Anders, the woman who said she couldn’t marry him, walked out of his life without looking back, and goes on to do with another man what she refused him- marriage and a child. To complicate it further, her dead husband was one of his best friends that he had to helplessly watch die and couldn’t save. He wants to hate her, but instead he hates himself and the guilt he feels for surviving and coming home when her man and the father of her child didn’t come back. This is another chance when they are older and different people, but he doesn’t know if it is right.

The story is told in alternating perspectives by Sarah and Sean. This is a second chance romance, but man, it felt like no second chance romance I had read before. The surrounding plot offered a strong conflict and swirling emotions as the truth behind the incident at the bar come out. I liked how the romance wove into this situation so well as it forces Sean and Sarah to really see the new people they have become and realize that the trouble before was that they were so young and inexperienced compared to the world-weary people they are now. The added stress of his work to shape up his command team and for her to deal with a hard woman boss who is looking for her to screw up made for constant pressure and start to deal with the possibility that she may never see combat and how she feels about that now that she’s the sole surviving parent of her little girl.

As is this author’s forte, she lightens things up with humor between friends and co-workers that have your back no matter what and the fun sweet moment’s that Sarah’s little girl brings to it all. I loved the inclusion of Claire and Evan along with even a Reza sighting with this story’s tie-in to the characters of Until You from the original Coming Home series. The scene of little Anna and Sean in his office as she draws over his organizational thoughts on the whiteboard telling him about the paratrooper hamsters, the bad rats, the strawberry mission and the HIC (Hamster in Charge) cracked me up and gave me a warm fuzzy moment.

The romance itself was heartwarming. They circled each other warily and still felt that old attraction. They communicated. They were mature in how they faced their issues and demons. The sensual side of the relationship felt organic when it came. I loved them together and loved seeing it happen along the way. That epilogue was the perfect touch.

In summary, it was brilliant, tough on the feels and yet full of warmth and hope. This is part of a series, but can be read out of order in a pinch. I would recommend these for those who enjoy hard fought for and emotional spicy military romances.

Jessica Scott has the extraordinary gift of depicting a story as if it were real. The characters are relatable, the story line is addictive, and the emotional turmoil resonates throughout the entire novel. I have enjoyed this series immensely, but this installment added a deeper tone to the set. There were several heartbreaking obstacles for Sean and Sarah, yet there was comedic relief to balance the two. Alternating POV was implemented expertly, and the author's military background elevates the detail. A "second chance" romance that will punch you in the gut! Highly recommend!

This story has two former lovers meeting many years later. They are both Captains now and when they were dating many years before he was taking a promotion to Sargent and wanting her to leave the Army to marry him and follow him to Korea. She said no and now she has been assigned to investigate his unit. They are both shocked to see one another and him especially when he finds out by her last name that she was married. He had actually served with her husband in Iraq and was in the vehicle behind his when they were being attacked. He saw her husband die but did not know it at the time. He also finds out that she has a five year old daughter that she did not know she was pregnant with until she got the notice of her husband’s death. So the story goes along and she is trying to save her career from the Major who does not like single mothers in the military though she is a women herself. She realizes that she is still attracted to Captain Sean Nichols, who is trying to win her back and let her know that he was wrong and stupid when he was younger. Captain Sarah Anders, is wanting to get back together with him because she is surprised how not only is she reacting to him but also her daughter and how he likes being around them. He actually tells her about Iraq and her husband and he helps her in the investigation of his own unit. All of this leads to a very emotional story that I could not put down until I got to the end. Once again she has done a great job with the characters and with the story. An excellent book.

Captain Sarah Anders never counted on being a single mother, but being in the Army she understood the risk when she married a soldier. But before she married, there was another man in her life, one she’s tried and failed to forget, Captain Sean Nichols. Now years later when an injury brings her back to the States, serving at Fort Hood, Sarah is face to face with the man that broke her heart. Can they put the past behind each other and work together peacefully or even better (IMO) have a second chance at love?

Captain Sean Nichols has never loved another woman since Sarah, but she chose the Army over him, or at least that’s what he thought so many years ago. It’s funny what growing up can do to your perspective and Sean realizes now what an idiot he was to let Sarah get away back then. When he comes face to face with her again, pain overrides his sensibilities and Sean lashes out, but an investigation forces them to put the past behind them and work together. Realizing the amazing opportunity he has before him again, Sean sets out to right the wrongs of the past and win the woman he never forgot.

Life in the Army is no walk in the park. Navigating the politics and personalities is difficult. Dealing with the demons these soldiers dragged home from war complicates things further. Sean’s team has two men fighting in what seems like a cut and dry situation until Sarah is called in to investigate. It’s tricky and heartbreaking trying to do right by these men who’ve given up so much for their country. Sean struggles to balance what’s right with loyalty to a man that had his back in battle years ago. My heart went out to all involved.

After the War was a touching second chance romance, and I found myself tearing up over Sean and Sarah’s story. Jessica Scott writes beautiful, emotional romances, and I think her background in the military makes the stories feel authentic and relatable. The troubles and growing pains Sean and Sarah went through felt realistic, and I could easily understand how they bungled things up when they were young, even though they were so passionately in love. Of course, I was thrilled that these two would have a second chance at happiness.

If you don’t already know, Jessica Scott writes extraordinary tales of men and women in the Army. After The War is her latest and second installment to Homefront series. This spin off from Coming Home Series, focuses on military lives after the war, reminding us that survival of the fittest is not only physically, it is also emotional strength.

“War has a way of changing people. Making you see what’s really important.”

Did it ever and definitely the case for Captain Sarah Anders and Captain Sean Nichols. After their relationship had ended so long ago, their lives had done a complete turn around. Where Sarah, avoided to be strapped down to have a family, she now has a daughter. And where Sean once wanted to settle down and have kids, he is now committed to the Army and is still single. Fate demands them to have a second chance and the time is up to see if they’ll take advantage of the opportunity.

This is not my favorite of Scott’s books but as always, Scott writes about heroes or heroines with real life issues capturing any readers heart. And it deserves no less than a four star rating. Sarah and Sean were strong despite the beat down the war has given them. Their love, though it was from the past, stayed strong making the opportunity of second chance easier to accept. This took the insta-love equation from the story and that’s always a plus. I enjoyed their union despite the issues with their jobs. It was nice to ee them fall right back from where they left. I would have like to see more interaction between Sean and Sarah’s daughter. She was adorable and since she is a big part of Sarah’s life, I don’t think she had enough page time.

Overall, another great read and always, I recommend any of Scott’s books if you have the need for a military read.

Great story. Sean and Sarah are reunited in this story. Of course, they stil have feelings for each other, but circumstances are not making a reunion between them easy. Jessica Scott is a great author and keeps you entranced from the beginning to the end.

Scott continues to impress with this latest novel!

**Review Copy Provided by Netgalley**

I always seem to hesitate when I pick up a book by Jessica Scott, not for fear of the writing, but more for fear of how much I am going to end up crying while reading…I can’t think of one of her books yet that hasn’t made me blubber like a baby in places and After the War was no different. In After the War, Ms Scott tackles the often unwritten about tragedy of war, the death of a spouse – especially, as in this instance, when the initial couple was dual military (meaning both were serving at the same time); and then following on, what if that widow(er) finds love again and how do they/can they move on. In the case of Sarah and Sean – there was that history between the two of them, which to me, made the relationship more believable. I could see from the writing that Sean still loved Sarah, even though they had been separated for many years and while Sarah was struggling with being a widow and a single mother, Jessica made her transition to love again appear believable to me.

As with all her other books, the other characters in After the War just enhanced the story and make it all the more real. Including the Col that Sarah worked for – I spent the vast majority of the book wanting to just scream at her for her behavior towards Sarah and yet at the same time, its behavior from senior officers that I have observed in real life (those that don’t have families and hate individuals who do because it interferes with their perception of the individual doing their job; the idea that if the Army (or Navy) wanted you to have a family they would have issued you one. I’ve been lucky enough to not personally experience this, but I know women who have.

As with her previous books in the series (and the series that lead into this one) – Jessica managed to walk the line between love and angst, but I will say that I did end up tearing up a little bit – not as much as I have in previous books, but enough that I was reaching for a box of tissues towards the end. After the War got 4 stars from me and I already have the next book in the series waiting on my kindle (although I am rapidly running out of books by her to read)