February 3, 2016

5* Review: HALLOWED GROUND by Rebecca Yarros

Title: HALLOWED GROUND

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Source: eARC from author for review & bought kindle ebook



goodreads...

There are some debts you can’t repay.

Josh Walker is loyal, reckless, and every girl’s dream. But he only has eyes for December Howard, the girl he's craved since his high school hockey days. Together they have survived grief, the military, distance, and time as they’ve fought for stolen weekends between his post at Ft. Rucker and her college at Vanderbilt. Now that Josh is a medevac pilot and Ember is headed toward graduation, they’re moving on—and in—together.

Ember never wanted the Army life, but loving Josh means accepting whatever the army dictates—even when that means saying goodbye as Josh heads to Afghanistan, a country that nearly killed him once before and that took her father. But filling their last days together with love, passion, and plans for their future doesn’t temper Ember’s fear, and if there’s one thing she’s learned from her father’s death, it’s that there are some obstacles even love can’t conquer.

Flight school is over.
This is war.


My take...

Here was my salvation.
December was my saving grace.
***

Little did Josh and Ember know, but the real war would begin the moment he returned home from it. Fighting every day to remain sane and go one hour without the guilt crushing in on him. Working tirelessly to make others believe you really are ok when you say "I’m fine." Will their love be able to survive or will they become casualties themselves?

I will be the first to admit I have no real connection to the army life and war. But since I know this author does and has lived this life day after day, I am confident that the way this story unfolds is as close to real as it gets. So let me just take a moment and say thank you to those of you who are serving, those of you who have loved ones serving and those of you who are holding down the fort back here at home. You guys deserve all the love and prayers! Thank you!!

***
Holding her was so easy when the world around us got too complicated. Everything else slipped away until I was left with the simple, incorruptible truth that I would always love December Howard.
I just prayed my love wouldn't destroy her.
***

So, back to the book. I'm going to tell you something crucial. Something you must listen to very closely to. Have. Tissues. On. Hand. That's it. Because I bawled about every other chapter. Especially around the 20% mark and most definitely around the 70% mark. I was a blubbering, hot mess. I was surprised I could read through my blurry, tear filled eyes. So much pain flows through this book. It isn't all romance and rainbows. It's gritty and raw and torn open, broken hearts. And sometimes there is the sweet and beautiful here and there. But most of all it is real. Heart-wrenchingly real.

Most definitely one of my favorite books so far this year. Yeah, I am only a few reads in, but this book spoke a million words to me. It has me looking at our world in a whole new light. Thank you, Yarros for this one. 5 Gut you from the inside out Stars!

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