Review: Touching Military Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 17, 2014
REVIEWED BY SUNNYConnections between a man and a woman can be strong, and it was the early bond between Mira and Jake in HOLD ON TIGHT that kept drawing me further and further into their story. They met by chance before Jake was deployed, and I loved how Jake realized early on that Mira was different. As one simple example, he found himself telling her everything in his head, which was far from typical behavior for him. They both let their guards down with the other, which allowed them to create a unique relationship neither had experienced before. The bond they so easily formed proved to last over many years and was felt when they were reunited eight years later, once again by chance.I really was touched by Jake. I was so impressed with how Serena Bell wrote his backstory as well as how she provided him with a war history that was realistic. The icing on the cake was how those two parts of his past made the realization that he was a dad so difficult and so amazing at the same time. He was in a bad place when he returned from the war. His main goal during the day was to pace himself on how often he could take another drink of whiskey so he didn’t become an alcoholic. That is, until he meets Sam, his son. Then he attempts to get his crap together and help where he can, gaining purpose in his life again.Sam is a sweet and smart seven-year-old who I couldn’t help but love! He was super supportive of his single mom and quite frequently acted way beyond his years. He had a special ability to bring out the best in people.Mira is trying to survive life on her own. What I loved most about Mira was the incredible qualities she demonstrated as a mom. She is a protective mom, in the best way possible. She wants more in life—for Sam and for herself—so when she is brought face to face with Jake after eight years, she is brave enough to tell him the truth about Sam, even though it was a risk considering she had him to herself all those years.When Jake and Mira were reunited, the bond they created eight years prior was easy to remember and ignited into an extremely strong chemistry. It felt like sparks flew every time they were with each other, but that made things complicated. One aspect of the book that threw me a bit was their attempt to keep things simple and uncomplicated. This seemed a bit unrealistic to me, as I haven’t met a relationship that wasn’t complicated. That being said, I really enjoyed what the chemistry led to in HOLD ON TIGHT. Jake and Mira were able to have some special times together even during the tough times of trying to do what was right by each other and for Sam.This was a very quick read and was one of those books where my curiosity was piqued as to how the hero and heroine would get their happily ever after. I enjoyed it very much and will be reading more of Serena Bell in the future.BOTTOM LINEHOLD ON TIGHT was a quick and enjoyable read! If you are fond of military romance or stories where, even after years, chemistry can bring two people back together, this is a must read. If you like when people fight to do what is right even when it is difficult, this won’t let you down.RATING: B+Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher.