Series: Coming Home 2.6
Format Read: Kindle galley
Source: The publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate link; the blog receives a small commission for purchases made through this link.
Blurb from goodreads:
There's nothing in the world Army Sergeant Vic Carponti loves more than his wife and his country. Smart-mouthed and easy tempered, he takes everything as a joke . . . except his promise to come home to his wife, Nicole, for Christmas. As he prepares to leave for his latest deployment into Iraq, Vic will do everything he can to shield his beautiful, supportive wife from the realities of war . . . and from his own darkest fears.
As a career army wife, Nicole Carponti knows just what to expect from her husband's tour of duty: loneliness, relentless worry, and a seemingly endless countdown until the moment Vic walks through the door again. But when the unthinkable happens, Nicole and Vic's bond is tested like never before and changes everything they believe to be true about the power of love and the simple beauty of being home for the holidays.
Bea's Thoughts:
Buy it. Read it. Have lots of Kleenex on hand.
Scott's stories are always powerful and emotional but they're honest, she doesn't jerk you around or manipulate you. The power of the stories and of the characters emotions gets into you and sweeps you away. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" is set in 2007, earlier than the books, so you may know some of the events that happen but the ride is well worth it.
Carponti is a goof, a clown, a loyal friend, a loving husband, a good soldier. But juggling all those roles, especially husband and soldier, is difficult. At the start of the story Carponti is readying for deployment; both he and his wife have done this before and know what to expect. He's trying to make things easier for her and she's trying to make things easier for him.
She knew the fear she would love with for the next year. And she hated it.
But she loved her husband and he loved being a soldier. She'd never planned on making the military a career. Vic? Vic wanted to stay forever. And because she loved him, she'd wait or him. No matter how much it hurt.
This war sucked.The story is told mostly from Carponti's perspective but we also get Nikki's. We get a close up of life and war in Iraq and we see what life is like back home for Nikki and the other wives. It gives you a good appreciation for what military families go through. Carponti acts the clown but there's a method to his madness - he keeps up morale and provides a focus for the men other than the battles, the long hours, the time away from their families, etc.
But that didn't make saying goodbye any easier. And Nikki, God bless her, was doing her best to put on a brave and happy face.
But it's not all grim; there's humor (oh, the man dress! I laughed out loud at that one) and there's sexy times. Scott writes them all beautifully, making you feel as if you are right there. There is some bad news along the way but in the end we get a happy ending. I was rooting for everyone to be safe and for Carponti to make it home on leave for Christmas. Does he get there in time? Read and find out.
Oh Love her books Bea! I need to get caught up on them. She's one that usually leaves me a mess while I'm reading but I love it.
ReplyDeleteyes, I'm a mess too when reading her stories but they're so worth it.
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