Review: Heartbreaking journey of healing and loss
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 30, 2014
Once again this author brings heartbreaking issues to the table and leaves you a sobbing mess getting through them.  Gretchen Hendricks has been in all of the previous books and we’ve known her as a strong caring woman that has helped many people. What we never got to see was that what she presented to the world was not what was on the inside. Gretchen has the same fears and insecurities as the many women and children she has helped. But helping is also in her nature and she cant help but to get involved with a childhood friend when she sees what he has become after losing his arm in combat.This is not a standalone book. Gretchen, her ex husband Will (from the first book) and Tony Lindstrom (hero in this book) were all friends since grade school. Gretchen only had eyes for Will and never knew that Tony had always harbored feelings for her from the beginning. Neither Will nor Gretchen knew what had happened to Tony two years ago and are both shocked at his loss and also in the mean and surly person he has become. Even though at times it kinda put Will in a bad light it was great to see that forgiveness for the past was finally brought front and center and dealt with.There are multiple journeys taken in this book. The main is the healing and bringing back to life of Tony. The author did a great job of not only showing us all the grief and anger a war veteran goes through after losing a limb but also the effect that it has not only on him but also his family and friends. Another is a grandmother with terminal cancer we’ve met in a previous book and her granddaughter that Gretchen will get custody of when she dies. This story plot had me crying more any other. The young girl Olivia not only was instrumental in helping Tony but the issues she brought up for Gretchen were hard to deal with as they made her very venerable and we saw her strong disposition start to crack.All the previous characters are back in this book and as Gretchen was instrumental in many of their recoveries it was great to see them be there for Gretchen when she needed help.  I’ve yet to read a Leanne Davis book that hasn’t touched my heart in some way and this one was no different.