Three Stars
Leif Brevik and Zoe Phillips meet at a mutual friend’s barbeque. Although they are both attracted to each other. They both have some baggage that weighs them down. Corporal Leif Brevik has physical and emotional wounds. His leg was badly injured during his service in the military. Besides the limping that reminds him of his physical wounds he has survivor’s guilt. He survived and one of his closest friends, Spence, did not. He also suffers from PTSD. He is by no means a golden hero. He is still very angry and loses his cool a couple of times. I absolutely LOVED Leif!! I thought he was such a fantastic guy. He was sweet but angry. He was caring but guarded. He was completely taken with Zoe but afraid of his vulnerabilities. Leif is a genuine gentleman, he gave Zoe her space and was always so attentive and caring. You can’t help fall in love with Leif!
One of the many wonderful things that I loved from this author is that she made Spence a real part of this story. One of my favorite parts was when Leif shares a conversation with Spence, it had me in tears. The memory of their lost friend was a very real and present part of this book. Bravo Ms. Morgan! She never glamorized war and she made the soldiers and their feelings real. I thought I was reading about real people living in Snowberry Creek. The friendships and the sense of family that the characters in this book shared felt real and genuine. I felt like if I drove to Snowberry Creek I would find this close-knit community.
Zoe is a nurse practitioner and was also a part of the military. Her time in Iraq left her with her own psychological scars. For me, Zoe was harder to understand because the author gives us a l ot of insight into Leif. We know what makes him tick, what he feels and thinks. We only learn about Zoe’s own struggles towards the end of the book. I also couldn’t understand why Zoe tried to end her relationship with Leif. Although she explains that because she is treating him for his leg it would be an improper relationship between patient and doctor, she also encouraged Leif and enjoyed his company. I really loved Zoe but I found her to be full of contradictions.
As a couple Zoe and Leif were perfect and perfectly wrong for each other. Because both of them carried the experience of the military they both had some instability issues. Zoe had her own wounds and I loved that she tried to heal Leif from his wounds but she hid her own. I also loved that Zoe was ready to move on with her life and she had a very sweet and caring nature. Both Zoe and Leif were very nurturing people. They were surrounded by people that loved them. I thought that when Leif took in Austin it just made him even more fantastic. Austin provided Leif with some healing. I have to say that Austin took me by surprise I never expected him to play such a big part at the end of the story. I definitely recommend this book and even though it deals with the heavy subject of war and the impact it has on soldiers there are also many sweet and funny moments.
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