Review: Fantastic Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 7, 2013
When life seems to be at its lowest, opportunity can present itself in the most unexpected ways.Captain Joe Cooper is a true Marine hero. Injured while attempting to save other members of his unit under attack, he is relegated to a wheel chair until his back and leg have the chance to heal. Though he hates the idea of the chair, it's literally the vehicle that brings his true love into his life.Melody Carter is a Marine widow struggling with a sickly baby. Alone in every respect, she is exhausted from carrying the burden of the emotional and physical efforts since her husband's death-and before. When Joe offered his help, her initial reaction was fear, but the combination of his wheelchair and her gut instinct told her he was trustworthy, and she allowed herself to finally lean on someone.This is a beautiful story of love and redemption. Each character has suffered through their own trials and tribulations, but has persevered and eventually found a match in the other. I love that most of the story is told from Joe's point of view, since most romance novels focus predominantly on the woman. We do, however, get a good deal of Melody's viewpoint, so it's easy to connect to each of them.Joe had my heart from the start; a man battling back from injury and determined not to give up. Melody is an outstanding character as well; despite being battered and put down, she refuses to submit and is resigned to doing whatever it takes to care for her ill child. We even get to meet Joe's mom, who is a woman we'd all be lucky to have in our lives-smart, strong and nurturing.I do wish we had a little more time with the two once their relationship grew, but considering their emotional states, it really was for the best they waited. The slow build up between these two was perfect and natural. Since both were dealing with their share of challenges, it was wonderful to see that neither looked to the other to "fix" things. They first developed a beautiful friendship, although the attraction and love was brewing under the surface.Those familiar with the rest of Ms. Long's Always a Marine series will recognize some other familiar names in the course of the story, and it's fun to see how they can all interact. This book is great not only for the fans of Ms. Long, but for anyone looking for true friendship and love.Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews