Review: A very well written book for very touch issues that will have you laughing and crying
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 20, 2014
This book hits on very serious issues, PTSD, alcoholism, drugs and suicide. Mix that up with military, war and fighting memories from hell, you have one hell of a mess. This book is about love not only romance but love for our troops. This author has hit on many serious issues; I would say a lot of this book is the true on how our military deals with their life when they come home from war. I find this book not only to be believable but very close to fact. These issues aren't just military but civilian issues too, suicide, depression are in our everyday lives. These are hard issues to talk about and deal with. The author did an outstanding job on writing a well written book. You will laugh the humor in this book is outstanding and you will want to cry.Reza is a soldier who has many problems, he is a leader and lives to lead his men. He is strong but he is weak. He doesn't let anyone get close. He will fight to the death for his men. Reza knows his weakness and tries so hard to overcome them. His men are depending on him. He just can't forget the men he feels he has let down, so he turns to the bottle. He uses dark humor, sarcasm to get through the day, to not to think, to make the day better. When he thinks it starts drinking to chase the demons.  In walks Emily, will she be enough to turn him around?Emily psychologist in the army, she treats those who are suicidal. All those in charge are coming at her from all corners. They want those military weaklings out of the army, military should only be for the strong not little weaklings. Her job is to help them get a second chance and keep them alive. She has her own issues, family and friends who aren't the best support she can have. She joined the military to make a difference and to get away from her issues.When Reza and Emily meet sparks fly and not in a good way. They hit head on and keep butting heads. The question is can they meet in the middle and come out winners.I quote and I agree with this quote "Most people forget there's a war going on let alone give any real thought to what war really involves"This story touched me in many ways, as I read I took a walk down memory lane, remembering my many years of support. Care packages, emails, letters, the many nights I walked the floors wondering if my friends where ok. Those memories brought smiles and tears. PTSD is serious but so are all the issues the author brings to this book. I had many a night wondering if the soldiers I supported would not only make it home but if they would commit suicide. Not all but I did worry over a few. These were men I would never meet, but will always hold a big piece of my heart. Many we joked and had a wonderful time. It helped get them through the tough times until they came home. I also there through the bad times, we talk, oh how we talked.I supported a whole unit, they love the care packages. The Sgt who was my contact we got close. You know war isn't just hard on the troops but their wife's.  His marriage wasn't going to well. I spent many a night looking for sweet love things for him to send in his emails to his wife. Before he came home he said you most likely single handily saved my marriage thank you so much. His unit was hit by an IED, I knew within hours of this happening through other soldiers I supported. It took me days to reach him, he was in bad shape, and he need to be there for his men but had no one to be there for him. I let him talk oh the emails we sent. One died, one was so messed up in the mind. My heart went out to him so much. How do you pick up and carry on but war stops for no one, you have no choice but to keep moving.Then you have the wife's who just do not care and make the soldiers lives a living hell. Oh the emails that went out to that solider. I contacted him after his unit had been hit by IED. It isn't easy when you pick up your friends in pieces to send them home. Between dealing with the wife and the IED and war issues he was a mess from the get go. We got real close and still are today. Out of my entire soldiers he was the one I worried about the most. The things he's wife said and did were downright mean, words cannot say how I feel about her. He care packages were of candy to give to the children. That was all he wanted, oh the pictures he sent, he loved those kids just as if they were his own. He and another soldier where the ones to send me the pictures of the true war; death. I told them I wanted to see what they saw, they said no you don't. I said if it is good enough for you then it is for me. It's hard on anyone to kill, but to kill because you don't have a choice it is either them or the troops. You must carry on you cannot stop to breath. It leaves scares that do not leave when you come home. Loud noise can set it off, sleepless nights for the rest of your life just to name a few.I have never served in our military but there were times I felt like I had. There are tons of stories that would break your heart, live you sleepless.It doesn't even have to be war, 9-11 was hard on us all but those that cleaned up will have nightmares the rest of their lives. I had one soldier who cleaned up, none of his friends or family wanted to hear about it. Years later he still had not talked about it, we did. When he told his story it was just as I was there, rubber burning off their shoes it was so hot. Changing shoes in short periods of time, the bottoms had burn through. He thanked me for letting him get that out. We still touch base on every Sept. 11th; he is surprised I still remember. I just wanted him to know I knew how hard that day is for him and I am still thinking about him.This book touched me in so many ways, it was a wonderful read, and the author truly knows what she is talking about. The book is well written on very serious issues, not only with our military but civilians as well. They are every day issues with every day people. It has an easy flow, a lovely romance, you will not be able to put this book down. I would give this book a 10 if I could. I would like to thank the author for a very well written book that touched me in so many way. I look very much forward to reading more from this author.