SEXY SUMMER SATURDAYS, #13 ~ BECAUSE OF YOU by JESSICA SCOTT

Sexy Summer Saturdays is a weekly post that Hackaroos Reviews, Sims-Sational Books, The Autumn Review,  and The Bookish Babe created for fun, to challenge one other to add a little spice to our reading and to spread the word about sizzling, sexy reads.


**The books featured on SEXY SUMMER SATURDAYS are for adults. If you are under 18 years of age, or do not like smexy books, please stop here. **

Series: Coming Home #1
Publisher: LoveSwept
Publication Date: November 14, 2011
Format: ebook
Pages: 262
Source: Received from author for review.

From the war-torn streets of Baghdad to the bittersweet comforts of the home front, two wounded hearts navigate the battlefield of coming home from war in this explosive eBook original from newcomer Jessica Scott.

Keeping his men alive is all that matters to Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison. But meeting Jen St. James the night before his latest deployment makes Shane wonder if there’s more to life than war. He leaves for Iraq remembering a single kiss with a woman he’ll never see again—until a near fatal attack lands him back at home and in her care.

Jen has survived her own brush with death and endured its scars. And yet there’s a fire in Shane that makes Jen forget all about her past. He may be her patient, but when this warrior looks her in the eyes, she feels—for the first time in a long time—like a woman. Shane is too proud to ask for help, but for Jen, caring for him is more than a duty—it’s a need. And as Jen guides Shane through the fires of healing, she finds something she never expected—her deepest desire.

With it's compelling story and broken but strong characters, Because of You is a story of finding love and the courage to move forward.

Some days, I am so happy to be an adult. I've always been a bit of a "genre jumper, bouncing back and forth based on what I want to read on any given day. But sometimes, I just want a good adult romance with an alpha male and the woman who can break down his walls. That's exactly what I got with Because of You. Contemporary Military Romance is a new sub-genre to me. I can already tell that I like it, though. The underlying issues with military life lends extra drama to the story. Because of You takes the reader on a gripping journey as Shane and Jen meet right before deployment, to the Middle East while Shane is on tour, and back home with him returning broken and defeated, and under Jen's care. But they physical healing is only half the battle. Jen and Shane both have emotional baggage they must work through if they ever want to have a relationship.

Shane is a tough, respected leader amongst men. But without a family at home, his fellow soldiers are his only family. Keeping them as safe as possible, bringing them back home is his focus in life. He considers every loss on the battlefield as a personal failure. He sees his broken body as a failure. As a reader, someone on the outside looking in, it's so easy to listen to Shane beat himself up and say "Snap out of it!". But we all know guilt is a tricky thing, and Shane's is understandable and realistic.But Shane is also a man. A man who wants the woman who is nursing him back to health. And I promise you, that leads to some very funny, vulnerable, and sexy situations. Ultimately, I  fond Shane to be kind, honorable, and sexy as hell.

Jen has some tough issues of her own. After a tough battle of her own, her confidence in her appearance is shot. She's a character that is easy to identify with, even without sharing her experiences. I didn't feel as if I knew her quite as well as Shane, but a lot of her story revolves around helping him. I did admire her strength and resilience, and the fact that she doesn't fight what happens between the two.

Because of You was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. The story was heartbreakingly authentic. I loved Shane and Jen, rooted for them to get their happily ever after. Author Jessica Scott is a fantastic writer and I am looking forward to reading more from her in the near future. If I had any gripe about Because of You, it would be that a major issue with two of the secondary characters, Trent and Laura, was unresolved. I really liked Laura and wanted to know what happened next. Luckily, these two are getting their own book! I can easily say that if you are a lover of Contemporary Adult Romance, you will be enjoy Because of You.


Favorite Quotes:

  "His breath caught in his throat as he lowered his mouth to hers. He hesitated, nudging her lips open before he curved his mouth over hers. It had been far too long since he'd kissed a woman simply for the sake of it. And now?
  Now he felt like he was drowning in her." (ebook, pg 33)


"He'd hold the memory of that kiss with him even as he walked - willing and able - into a war. He'd volunteered to serve, but tonight, for the first time, he was walking away from something precious. Because of Jen, he had a reason for coming home." (ebook, pg 35-36)


"His fingers curled around her forearm, catching her hand and holding it to his cheek. Her fingertips rested at the edge of his still damp jaw. He stared up at her, time suspended. Her eyes darkened in the low light. Her pulse throbbed visibly in her throat. And in the stillness, she moved. A simple caress. Her thumb slid against the edge of his cheek." (ebook, pg 117)

You can purchase Because of You at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house. 

You can connect with Jessica Scott at:
her website  |  GoodReads  |  Facebook  |  Twitter