Review: Try to get through this without crying. I dare you!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 11, 2014
I've been sitting on my feelings for this book for almost a month now and I'm no closer to putting into words what this book did to me and for me. I picked this up on the heels of watching the movie Lone Survivor starring Mark Wahlberg about a group of men trapped in Afghanistan trying to take down a dangerous terrorist leader and one man's survival. Needless to say after watching such an emotionally charged movie the patriotic side of me that loves this country and the people who fight for our freedom was at an all time high so it's no wonder I loved this book. It's one thing to write a story about a soldier who gives up his freedom to protect yours but it's a completely different ball game to write a story about a wounded veteran. I've only read a few but in all honesty I would love to see more stories about this subject.The story of Asher Lee is pretty cut and dry. After 9/11 he was stirred to action wanting to defend his country and joined the army and became a medic after having gone to college to become a doctor. During a routine mission he was in the blast zone of a roadside bomb that killed one of his friends and left him severely disfigured. Upon coming home he was welcomed with pitying looks or looks of disgust and the scar of that has caused him to hide away in his home for almost a decade with no human contact aside from an old friend of his parents. When Savannah Carmichael shows up on his doorstep wanting to do a story for the 4th of July about his homecoming she opens up something in him thought to be long dead. As the weeks go by and the two spend more and more time together what was at first a tenuous friendship blooms into something stronger and deeper than either planned for.Both characters were very well written and for me the focus remained on Asher. I loved Savannah don't get me wrong but Asher Lee WAS The Vixen and The Vet in my opinion. This man served his country voluntarily so right there that's major cool points. He lost his hand and most of his face and suffers daily with horrible self doubt and loneliness because he's so afraid someone will pity him and cringe when they look at him. So he hides himself away never gives anyone the chance to get to know him. Right there that should make you want to jump in his damn lap and hug him until he can't breathe right but you know the ONE THING that made me adore the hell out of him? Asher Lee is a romantic at heart. He sits in his library and binge reads romance novels just to experience the love and closeness of a couple that he can't be a part of! *hands you a box of Kleenex* *pats your back* "Shhh. There, there, it's gonna be alright". I know. I died a little inside when I read that so naturally I wanted him to have that kind of love and connection with someone. Add all this into the fact that he doesn't have any family to cleave unto after his parents died while he was in college and Asher Lee is almost invincible in the hero department.Savannah is coming off a pretty bad experience herself after learning the guy she had been intimate with was only using her to clear his name in the press. A move which left her career in shambles and had her laughed out of New York with her tail between her legs to move back home. Her Heart was broken and she wasn't looking to start anything else much less get close to another one of her interview subjects because after all she learned her lesson rather painfully. What I loved most about her was her determination to succeed no matter what it cost her and it almost cost her everything again. Savannah gets an offer from another slightly big news journal with one chance to prove she has the chops to make it so she sets her sights on Asher and his dismal homecoming and the repercussions afterwards. After spending time with him and getting to know him and love him she was willing to go to bat for him. Willing to stand up to anyone and defend him and I can't tell you how amazing that felt once I got to know how wonderful Asher was. He needed someone like Savannah in his life to love him for who he was. Savannah stole my heart as she steadfastly stood by his side and showed him the love and support he needed to grow and change.9 times out of 10 I will side with the underdog of the story but in a way both characters had a little bit of the UD in them. Granted Asher tipped the scales a little more in his favor they both appealed to me in that sense. Building a friendship turned to love was flawlessly done between them and I don't know how many times I can gush about this authors writing. It's passionate. Heartfelt and heartwarming. Deep. Emotional and just downright amazing. Regnery never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful characters and her words. Asher wasn't just a disabled wounded veteran you wanted to feel sorry for. She made you love him then she had you championing him as he grew into a more assertive character and found within himself the will to keep fighting when he wanted to give up. Savannah wasn't just a shrinking violet who let a few people keep her down. She dusted herself off, found her story and even when things didn't go her way AGAIN she fought tooth and nail for what she wanted. At the heart of the story is a beautiful message about not letting someones outer appearance stop you from getting to know the amazing person they are within. The Vixen and The Vet is just another testament to how amazing an author Regnery is. The beauty that flows out of her pen always manages to squeeze the vice around my heart with more force than intended and I love every minute of it. Please do yourself a favor and pick up this amazing story. If you've read nothing else of Regnery's work or you're just now learning of her, this one should be your first experience.