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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
Don't pass out or anything, but until a couple days ago, I'd never read anything by Kate Stewart or Heather M. Orgeron. I know. I know. I dwell beneath rocks, but not anymore! I've seen the light, and now, I'm in full on stalker mode. If the quality of this book is any indication of how incredible the rest of their work is, I have a lot of catching up to do! This book alone made me a fan for life!
Okay, enough about my shortcomings. If you know me, you know that I don't go looking for books that are going to make me cry. In fact, I usually avoid them as much as possible, but after my friend mentioned this book to me, I read the blurb and an excerpt of it on Facebook. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. It seemed like the heroine would have an impossible choice to make, and well, that sold me immediately.
When I teared up on page two, that should have given me a clue as to how emotional this book was going to be. Lol I foolishly thought it wouldn't be as heartwrenching for me as it was for others I knew that read it. I was wrong. VERY wrong. This book tore me apart! My heart was shredded into ribbons before it was only partially mended into some semblance of what it once was by the time I reached the end.
I read all night long, because I couldn't leave Katy, Briggs, or Gavin until I knew what was going to become of them. Truth be told, I loved all three. Any outcome was going to gut me, and the love triangle was only part of it. To see what Katy's experience did to her was beyond devastating. Watching her try to lead a normal life after everything she experienced in Baghdad was heartbreaking. I already had nothing but the utmost respect for the members of our military, but damn. This story brought it to a whole new level.
You see, it wasn't just Katy affected by her time overseas. It changed the lives of her husband and her son, too. Gavin is the face of so many military spouses that watch their loved ones walk out the door praying that who returns is the same person that left them.
Not everyone will be affected to the extent Katy was. Don't get me wrong. Katy and Briggs' fate is something that every soldier prays will never befall them. The fact is it does happen to some people. We never really hear their stories much though, do we? There are men in my own family that were prisoners of war, and the rest of the family doesn't have a clue what really happened to them. Katy, Briggs, and Gavin's story is a fictional one, but it makes you think. It makes you FEEL...and there is nothing I love more than a book that does exactly that.
Fiction gives you the unique opportunity to step into the shoes of someone whose life is nothing like yours and experience what it might be like to be them for just a moment, and it's honestly, what I love most about it. Heather and Kate slayed that task! The skill it must take to be able to do so at the level they accomplished leaves me in awe! I don't know if I've ever been more moved by any characters in my entire life.
At times, my sobs were so loud I had to struggle to keep from waking my husband sleeping beside me. I say that not to scare you off, but to demonstrate how affected I was by this incredible story that can be called nothing less than a masterpiece. It's an epic journey of souls that had their hearts twisted up, crushed, and ripped into pieces salvaging their lives the best they can.
Captivating, complicated, raw, devastating, real, and beautiful, it's an emotional rollercoaster like no other! Do yourself a favor, and don't read any spoilers for this one. Knowing anything other than what you get from the blurb and any excerpts floating around will ruin it for you. Go in and just experience everything this book has to offer. Open your heart, and take it all in. It's going to get uncomfortable, but soldier through. It's so worth it.
Make no mistake about it though. These authors do not take the easy way out. There is no clear right or wrong. No simple answers. No choices without severe, life altering, and painful consequences. Everything about this story is difficult, but after reading it, I felt like I was given a gift. I think you will, too.
Heartbreak Warfare obliterated my expectations, destroyed my heart, and owned my soul! I recommend it not only to fans of military romance but to anyone that enjoys a damn good story. Fiction readers of all kinds will be able to appreciate it. If you give one more book a try before the end of the year, let it be this one.
ARC generously provided for an honest review.
This was an absolutly amazing read. The story was so heartbreakingly beautiful. One of my new all time faves.
the title says it all
All the feels. I absolutely loved this book and the audio. Very well written and some beautiful quotes and felt very full circle at the end. Kate & Heather did a beautiful job on this book.
It did have some parts so check trigger warnings.
Trigger warnings: death, talk about PTSD & prisoners of war, torture, cheating and descriptions of soldiers deaths.
All the feels. I absolutely loved this book and the audio. Very well written and some beautiful quotes and felt very full circle at the end. Kate & Heather did a beautiful job on this book.
It did have some parts so check trigger warnings.
Trigger warnings: death, talk about PTSD & prisoners of war, torture, cheating and descriptions of soldiers deaths.
I was not prepared for this book. I have read books that were heartrending. Books that left me unable to breathe, in tears, and so sad. Books where people fall out of love, even when they don’t mean to. But this book was a different kind of heart tearing.
I have known many people who served in the military. Even several who were deployed in a war zone. But I was not prepared for this level of devastation. I cannot imagine coming back from what these two went through. And Gavin. Damn the man did nothing wrong and yet his whole life was upended.
Part of me wanted to rate this lower because I so wanted a different outcome, but it is so well written.
Will I read it again? I doubt it because it was hard for me to get through. Would I recommend it? Yes. If you enjoy losing your breath and being ripped apart by fictional people.
I have known many people who served in the military. Even several who were deployed in a war zone. But I was not prepared for this level of devastation. I cannot imagine coming back from what these two went through. And Gavin. Damn the man did nothing wrong and yet his whole life was upended.
Part of me wanted to rate this lower because I so wanted a different outcome, but it is so well written.
Will I read it again? I doubt it because it was hard for me to get through. Would I recommend it? Yes. If you enjoy losing your breath and being ripped apart by fictional people.
The cover. The cover NEEDS TO BE CHANGED, it is so deceiving.
I fully intended to read a smutty military type book. BOY WAS I WRONG.
I write this review fully sniffling and festering.
Katy & her husband Gavin are both in the army. Katy goes on a 12 month deployment to Baghdad.
Now, I totally see where people might not enjoy this book. As someone who has been on Gavin’s side, waiting for someone to come home.
This book broke me. You can’t communicate with your people when they are so far away, keeping you safe. Every day both lives are moving forward on completely different pages.
It’s every family members biggest fear, whether it’s at the forefront of our minds or not.
Katy meets Briggs while deployed, and they go through some SHIT.
On the flip side, you can’t ever relate to your loved ones and the things they experienced.
They come home and it’s so hard to readjust to normal life. Especially when you go through what they did.
We don’t know a lot about PTSD in our bubble, or truly fearing for our lives.
I am still sitting here with so many emotions. I loved both Gavin and Briggs. I was SO TORN.
My goodness, I need a few days to recover & an emergency couch chat with my favorite doctors
I fully intended to read a smutty military type book. BOY WAS I WRONG.
I write this review fully sniffling and festering.
Katy & her husband Gavin are both in the army. Katy goes on a 12 month deployment to Baghdad.
Now, I totally see where people might not enjoy this book. As someone who has been on Gavin’s side, waiting for someone to come home.
This book broke me. You can’t communicate with your people when they are so far away, keeping you safe. Every day both lives are moving forward on completely different pages.
It’s every family members biggest fear, whether it’s at the forefront of our minds or not.
Katy meets Briggs while deployed, and they go through some SHIT.
On the flip side, you can’t ever relate to your loved ones and the things they experienced.
They come home and it’s so hard to readjust to normal life. Especially when you go through what they did.
We don’t know a lot about PTSD in our bubble, or truly fearing for our lives.
I am still sitting here with so many emotions. I loved both Gavin and Briggs. I was SO TORN.
My goodness, I need a few days to recover & an emergency couch chat with my favorite doctors
“Run far and fast, dance that sexy dance. Smile, Scottie. Lighten up, tell jokes, live a long and happy life, for me.”
An amazingly wonderful story that will break your heart, show you the stark reality of war and give you a romance that will never leave your soul!
An amazingly wonderful story that will break your heart, show you the stark reality of war and give you a romance that will never leave your soul!
Jeeze, that was a full on trip.
This book has sat on my Kindle shelf for 9 months. Because
This book has sat on my Kindle shelf for 9 months. Because
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lovely HEA
There's absolutely no way I can share my thoughts on this book without spoilers, so here we go:
First, I want to stress that I liked this book. The writing style definitely worked for me, and I loved the military setting and the PTSD representation in this story. I also loved both male protagonists, Gavin and Briggs. I'm also happy with the ending of the story.
Ultimately, my reason for knocking this book down a star is the female protagonist, Katy.
Love triangle tropes are a tough sell. I like them, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm hyper-critical of the person in the middle of the love triangle, choosing between two love interests. And I was not sold on Katy.
Katy and Briggs meet while deployed, and Katy's husband Gavin (a military captain) is at home watching their son. From the moment Katy and Briggs met, I felt that they were set up to eventually hook up and that Katy would cheat on her husband, Gavin. Katy and Briggs cross the line and have what I would consider moments of infidelity before Katy and Briggs are thrown into a traumatic event where they are both held captive. From that point, Katy and Briggs bonded further over the trauma of what happened. Katy then decides to return home to her husband Gavin and her son, even after Briggs expresses his feelings for her and lays it all out on the line.
If Katy and Briggs had not had those moments prior to their captivity, I would chalk Katy's toxic behavior toward Gavin up to PTSD. And while I know that a lot of her reactions and self-destructive behavior were because of that, I'm not sold that all of it was because of Katy’s infatuation with Briggs before they were ambushed. Once home in Texas, Katy made some really dumb decisions and seemed to want to "have her cake and eat it too," all while hurting both Gavin and Briggs (and her son) in the process.
I want to stress that I really liked both Gavin and Briggs. I liked Briggs's personality, and how forward he was with Katy, while also respecting her boundaries and her wishes. And I also loved Gavin's self-respect and boundaries as well once he realized that the wedge in his marriage was really due to the fact that Katy was in love with another man the whole time.
First, I want to stress that I liked this book. The writing style definitely worked for me, and I loved the military setting and the PTSD representation in this story. I also loved both male protagonists, Gavin and Briggs. I'm also happy with the ending of the story.
Ultimately, my reason for knocking this book down a star is the female protagonist, Katy.
Love triangle tropes are a tough sell. I like them, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm hyper-critical of the person in the middle of the love triangle, choosing between two love interests. And I was not sold on Katy.
Katy and Briggs meet while deployed, and Katy's husband Gavin (a military captain) is at home watching their son. From the moment Katy and Briggs met, I felt that they were set up to eventually hook up and that Katy would cheat on her husband, Gavin. Katy and Briggs cross the line and have what I would consider moments of infidelity before Katy and Briggs are thrown into a traumatic event where they are both held captive. From that point, Katy and Briggs bonded further over the trauma of what happened. Katy then decides to return home to her husband Gavin and her son, even after Briggs expresses his feelings for her and lays it all out on the line.
If Katy and Briggs had not had those moments prior to their captivity, I would chalk Katy's toxic behavior toward Gavin up to PTSD. And while I know that a lot of her reactions and self-destructive behavior were because of that, I'm not sold that all of it was because of Katy’s infatuation with Briggs before they were ambushed. Once home in Texas, Katy made some really dumb decisions and seemed to want to "have her cake and eat it too," all while hurting both Gavin and Briggs (and her son) in the process.
I want to stress that I really liked both Gavin and Briggs. I liked Briggs's personality, and how forward he was with Katy, while also respecting her boundaries and her wishes. And I also loved Gavin's self-respect and boundaries as well once he realized that the wedge in his marriage was really due to the fact that Katy was in love with another man the whole time.
My heart hurts. This book is to blame. This book at times was so painful to read, I was in tears and had to put it down. Half of me wanted to keep reading the other half was begging to stop. The writing is flawless, The emotions are so raw, real, gritty, and you feel EVERY emotion in your soul. I have never read a book so emotionally driven before.
There is angst, then there is this book. Scottie, Briggs, Gavin, and the rest just grab you and don't let go. I love how it was written with the alternating pov, it really helped you delve into the characters hearts, and souls, and I really don't think this book would have worked any other way, other than how it was written.
The subject matter was intense, the feelings are intense. There is hopelessness, hate, anger, fear, loathing, hope, survival, lust, and love all rolled in this book, and you bet that these two authors tackled this and made it into this amazing book. The roller coaster of emotions is so worth it. All I can think about is this book. To me, these are real people, living their lives. Well done authors, well done.
There is angst, then there is this book. Scottie, Briggs, Gavin, and the rest just grab you and don't let go. I love how it was written with the alternating pov, it really helped you delve into the characters hearts, and souls, and I really don't think this book would have worked any other way, other than how it was written.
The subject matter was intense, the feelings are intense. There is hopelessness, hate, anger, fear, loathing, hope, survival, lust, and love all rolled in this book, and you bet that these two authors tackled this and made it into this amazing book. The roller coaster of emotions is so worth it. All I can think about is this book. To me, these are real people, living their lives. Well done authors, well done.