Review: Another hit from a fantastic storyteller!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 8, 2012
My 4.5 review from GuiltyPleasuresbookreviews.com:Way back in January I read a review on Guilty Pleasures by DiDi for Jessica Scott's first book, Because of You. I put it on my TBR list and a few weeks later, I bought it and read it. I remember feeling emotionally wrung out by the time I was done. It was such a fantastically written book I felt like I was living every moment with those characters. When Until There Was You came up for review, I asked for it wondering if Jessica Scott could do it again. The answer is yes, she absolutely can do it again. She has managed to write another incredible story of bravery, loss, love, courage, and friendship that has no boundaries. I found myself constantly shaking my head in agreement, screaming in frustration at the stupidity of "superior" officers, and holding my breath for those in danger. I could not put this book down and only when I succumbed to sleep with the Kindle in my hand did I stop and I started right back up when I woke up.Evan Loehr is a captain and a company commander. He's a by the book kind of guy almost to a fault. He has a reputation of being fair but demanding and not giving anyone any slack. He's also broken by something that happened along ago that shaped him into the man he is today.Claire Montoya is a new captain, she's former enlisted and still maintains a close friendship with one of her enlisted friends, Reza, who she covers for often. She's competent but she also likes to bend the rules; which has given her a certain reputation.Evan and Claire met briefly; then spent some time deployed together but other than one kiss they can't seem to get along. They find themselves in Colorado to train a team for deployment, a team that is not close to being ready. Evan and Claire do not see eye to eye on the training plan set forth by the Colonel which leads to some interesting conversations. In addition Evan helps Claire deal with her friend Reza during a drunken episode which causes even a bigger riff between them but also finds them kissing once again. They two dance around each other a lot and even though they are blind to it, it's obvious to everyone else that there are some serious sparks.When they finally do give in, it becomes pretty clear that both Evan and Claire are wounded. While they both have been affected by what they've seen and done in the war, their wounds are older and deeper than that. Evan actually shares quite a bit with Claire but she holds back a lot. This frustrates Evan as he soon realizes she's come to mean a lot to him and it kills him that she doesn't trust him. These two have a rough time to get to their happily ever after; it's not pretty, it's not sugar coated, and at times it's frustrating but they do eventually get to it. Their story however is completely captivating and just proves that perseverance pays off.Until There Was You is another stellar offering from Jessica Scott. The writing is mesmerizing and manages to convey the seriousness of a situation with some humor thrown in from time to time, the build up between Evan and Claire was entertaining and engaging, the plot twists and turns keep it interesting, and the ending is hopeful and beautiful. Jessica Scott is without a doubt a very talented storyteller.