I’ll confess, right off the bat: I don’t read much contemporary romance. I’m not sure why – maybe I overdid it on Nora Roberts in the first decade of this century; maybe it’s not escapist enough – whatever the reason, I read 10 or even 20 historicals for every contemporary.
That said – if someone gave me more contemporaries like this one, I would read them like crazy!
This book – really more of a novella – was every bit as poignant as it needed to be, considering the hero lost his legs and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Both of these are dealt with in a non-patronizing way, and I especially like that the heroine, Grace, steps up to the challenges thrown her way. As the family member and friend of people who’ve dealt with TBIs, I also appreciated the very realistic and sensitive portrayal of what Rey went through and how frustrated he was.
Other great stuff: it’s a road trip story, which is always a win for me. Rey is a cocky smart-ass, which also really works for me. My best friend dated a guy just like him in high school who, coincidentally, went into the Army. I know the type and Rey’s character rang true all the way through. The supporting characters were great too; I especially liked when Rey met Grace’s parents.
5 stars, and definitely on the re-read list.