Review: AMAZING, HEARTWRENCHING, BEAUTIFUL
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2014
Every time…every…damn…time I read a book by Jessica Scott I’m reminded why I love her work so and why I keep reading despite the book hangover I get and the amount of tears I shed until I’m dehydrated. As much as I’ve loved every book in this series, Back To You is my favorite even though I originally never really cared for the hero in this book. However, this author has a way of making her readers get inside the character’s head and understand the way they think and how they feel. She makes the reader face the cold hard facts of war, the problems within our military system, and the issues or men and women in uniform and their spouses face day in and day out. Yet she does this without being preachy, without being judgmental, and without showing any animosity towards our government. She simply makes you think, makes you aware, and most of all makes you understand how difficult war is on those who serve and those left behind to pick up the pieces.I always felt Captain Trent Davila was standoffish and wasn’t completely present in any portion of his life. Like he was going through the motions because that’s what was expected of him. It really bothered me that he seemed detached from his wife and kids and while he supported his men with everything that he had, to me he even seemed somewhat dissociative with them as well. So, while I was surprised by the extent of his issues, I wasn’t surprised that he had them and while he didn’t have what most would term classic PTSD, he did have this just in a different form. The fact that he refused to share any of his problems with his wife of course just led to more issues of various degrees leading him to the point of refusing to sign the divorce papers she served him with months before.For years Laura Davila stood by her soldier and supported him through everything good and bad. But with accusations against him mounting and his refusal to discuss anything with her she did what she felt was best for her and her two children and that was file for divorce. Months later, he hasn’t signed the papers and he’s back on post and because of his upcoming legal battle, back in their lives. She agrees to help him as long as once it’s over he’ll sign the papers and let them be free.From the beginning of this book I knew it was going to be a tough one because we have two people who so obviously love on another but can’t seem to find the fight to stay together. Trent was so defeated and refused to ask for help from anyone including his wife. He was a complete mess inside and without anyone to confide in he just kept pulling away and pushing people out of his life. I felt so bad for him and his situation even though some of it was his own doing. Laura was such a strong female character and I admire her for everything she went through and how hard she tried to keep her marriage afloat. I don’t blame her for filing for the divorce or the choices she made when she had no support from her spouse. These were two very broken and sad people trying to survive the best they could under horrible conditions.While this book was at times very hard to read, I also appreciated the fact that there was no easy way back for them. They both had to take very big steps and face some pretty insurmountable obstacles in order to save their marriage and rediscover the love they once shared. Add in two children who are scared and confused and a pending court martial and it’s understandable that they faced a very hard road.This is not a book for the faint of heart; it deals with some very real tragedies and a marriage on the brink of divorce. It deals with characters that have demons that make other people’s demons seem like furry kittens. It will unnerve you and make you think a lot about what our service men and women deal with on a daily basis. However, Back To You will also remind you that sometimes trust in your partner is enough to make you want to see things through to the other side. It will restore your faith in the human spirit and it will absolutely make you a believer in the power of love.Review copy provided for an honest review