Review: Enjoyed it!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2014
Enjoyed Embattled Minds a lot. Ember lives in a blue collar world that pretty much revolves around her family (her son and her father) and the bar that she and her dad run together. Her dad, Hank, has some post-war issues to deal with; issues that Ember has tried hard, but unsuccessfully, to get him to address. Ember is forced to make a tough decision so that her dad has no option other than to finally seek help for himself. Ember meets Zeke as her dad hits a critical point and she kind of transitions from trying to fix her father to trying to make Zeke understand that he doesn't need the fixing that he (Zeke) thinks he does. Zeke and his group of veteran buddies are frequent guests as Ember's pub. Zeke is your typical hero physically, except for the pretty big issue (at least in his mind) of significant disfiguring scarring. He has also suffered a pretty major injury that is not as obvious.Ember is patient with Zeke as he slowly grows to accept that she cares about him despite his injuries. He is fiercely protective of her during a time of transition in her life related to her dad which, as always, warms your heart in books like these. Both characters have issues to deal with, and they very effectively handle them together without intending to do so. Their relationship just kind of grows in unexpected ways before their very eyes, and it surprises both of them. Bonus points from me for the camaraderie between Zeke and his small group of fellow veterans that have a tight little support system going on. Love the way that Zeke and Ember's relationship grows, love the vulnerability that Zeke displays, and love the persistence of Ember. She's sensitive to his issues without using kid gloves and holds her ground well without apologies. I'll be reading more from this author.