{FRISKY FALL SATURDAYS} UNTIL THERE WAS YOU (COMING HOME #2) by JESSICA SCOTT

Summer is over, but just because the temperature is dropping, doesn't mean we have to stop reading scorching hot books! Frisky Fall Saturdays is our new weekly post created by The Autumn Review, The Bookish Babe, Hackaroo's Reviews, and Sim-Sational-Books. Feel free to join in. (let us know so we can add a link to your post) As those leaves start piling up in the yard, ignore them and pick up a sexy book!

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

Series: Coming Home #2
Genre: Contemporary Military Romance
Publisher: LoveSwept
Publication Date: Oct 8, 2012
Format: eARC
Pages: 230
Source: Received from author for review.

He plays by the rules, she’s not afraid to break them. Now these two strong-willed army captains will prove that opposites attract . . .

A by-the-book captain with a West Point background, Captain Evan Loehr refuses to mix business with pleasure—except for an unguarded instance years ago when he succumbed to the deep sensuality of redheaded beauty Claire Montoya. From that moment on, though, Evan has been at odds with her, through two deployments to Iraq and back again. But when he is asked to train a team prepping for combat alongside Claire, battle-worn Evan is in for the fight of his life.

Strong, gutsy, and loyal, Captain Claire Montoya has worked hard to earn the rank on her chest. In Evan, Claire sees a rigid officer who puts the rules before everything else—including his people. When the mission forces them together, Claire soon discovers that there is more to Evan than meets the eye.

He’s more than the rank on his chest; he’s a man with dark secrets and deep longings. For all their differences, Evan and Claire share two crucial passions: their country and each other.

 

Why I Chose To Read Until There Was You:
I really enjoyed Scott's first book in the Coming Home Series, Because of You and wanted to read about more military couples.

Finding love, and keeping it is tough for anyone, even more so for those in the military. Job stress, absences, and the emotional impact of tours of duty all place extreme burden on the people involved. But how about when both members of a relationship are soldiers? In Until There Was You we go on that very journey with Evan and Claire; two people, two soldiers struggling to maintain a good work relationship while fighting and eventually giving in to a personal relationship.

Evan and Claire are tough characters. Both have experienced a great deal of emotional turbulence, both on the battlefield and their home lives. I liked that Evan was strong, yet vulnerable once he let Claire close. I loved that that Claire was fearless, kind, and loyal. She wasn't a damsel in distress, needed Evan's protection. Claire is a strong, capable woman who is also passionate and loving. These two definitely resisted giving in to their attraction for as long as physically hospital. I'll admit that I may have yelled "Do it, already!" at my poor Kindle. But once they do give in, the chemistry was perfect. Scott writes really great love scenes that will get you all steamed up, but still maintain a air of decorum that won't leave you feeling you need to scrub yourself off afterwards.

I feel that Jessica Scott's Coming Home Series is an important one. I, personally, have been enlightened about the struggles that those who are in the military, and their loved ones, go through on a day to day basis. I also feel that those who live this life may enjoy the solidarity that the stories provide. I will say, though, that Until There Was You was very heavy on the work atmosphere, which is totally fine, but did cause me to feel out of the loop and unable to form a very strong connection to the story.

A story of two strong people and their road to finding love on the battlefield and beyond, Until There Was You is a story that will appeal to fans of Contemporary Military Romance.

Favorite Quote:

  "Evan had no idea what the hell he was thinking, but this woman had struck a chord inside him, awakened a hunger that refused to be ignored. Kissing her was a sensuous, gorgeous mistake."  (eARC, pg. 16)

You can purchase Until There Was 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

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