Review: HLB Reviews Hold on Tight
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 29, 2014
I do like a good second chance book, and I was more than happy to pick up this book since it had a military theme. I was actually a little worried at the beginning of the book that I wasn’t going to enjoy it as much as I thought because when it started out it looked a little harsh, but I was pleasantly surprised how well everything came together and how much I enjoyed it.So I have to admit that I haven’t read a lot of secret baby themed books, and it turns out I actually really liked this one. Mira and Jake were seeing each other briefly before Jake when and deployed, and after Jake left, Mira found out she was pregnant. Mira did try to get a hold of Jake, but he had such a common name, and it turns out she had the wrong first name too since he went by a nickname, but never ended up finding him. I was actually really glad that Mira tried so hard to find him, mainly because it made me respect her, it’s not like she went out of her way to keep the secret. More than that though the minute she runs into Jake eight years later, she tells him right away. She doesn’t ask him for anything, or expect anything, just wanted to let him be apart of their son Sam’s life. I really loved that about her. I think the other thing I really enjoyed about Mira is that she was so willing to be understanding about Jake’s life and how traumatized he was coming back from the war. She never pushed him, just was willing to be there, and she had this way of getting him to be comfortable without even trying, the perfect match for Jake.Jake as a character you just can’t help but feel for. Even though he lost a leg in the war, the author writes him in such a way that there is no doubt in my mind he is a fine looking man. He really is so broken after the war and losing his leg, and the loss of his best friend. He doesn’t want to let anyone, and I think on some level he really doesn’t seem to want to live at all. He fights everything with Mira, but he finds himself being drawn back to her and Sam at every turn. I loved at how good of a dad Jake was to Sam, without ever even knowing him, it was just instinctual with him.The chemistry between Mira and Jake is great, and the relationship forged between Sam and Jake was just so authentic, sometimes heartbreaking, but mostly heartwarming. I just really enjoyed the interaction between the characters. And I also really thought that Jake was authentic, I could easily see this being an actual guy coming home from war. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary romance, military, or second chances books. So go check it out.