Review: Romantic with a Heavy Subject Matter
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 23, 2013
Location: St. Louis, MissouriRena Woods is the owner of Rena Woods Designs. As she left her apartment to meet a client she was slowed up by a moving van parked in her way. After dealing with the stubborn driver of the van, clearly a military man used to barking orders and getting his own way, Rena is finally on the road to her appointment. She is not at all looking forward to having that guy as the neighbor if he is indeed the one moving in.C.J. Riker is a Staff Sargent (3rd Battalion 24th Marine Regiment) who came home from the previous tour in Afghanistan minus a leg but not lacking in the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) department. Due his bravery Riker is able to come home with a completely intact Marine Unit. He is gruff, rough, and edgy, however when he lets his guard down is a very caring, concerned individual.Rena and Riker's relationship starts off very rocky. It takes most of the novella before Rena is able to coax out Riker. He lives beneath a mask of insecurity, uncertainty, and fear - PTSD does that. Loud noises cause war-like reactions which the author does a great job of including in her story. PTSD is no laughing matter and Riker is portrayed with dignity and written with the utmost of care.I found Neighbors to be a great mix of romance with a huge and heavy step into very real subject matter. Our soldiers are very important and as such, I'm grateful that L.S. Murphy took the time to build up this flirty novella with a heavy subject matter. They deserve our undivided attention, assistance, and compassion after dealing with the horrors of war. I'm glad Rena was written in such a way as to be strong enough to push past Riker's hard exterior and love the man for who he is inside and out. Neither character is perfect - they are both flawed in some aspect, yet are able to move beyond the imperfections.Review copy courtesy of:  Entangled Publishing/NetGalley, at no cost/compensation, in exchange for an honest review.