Until There Was You, Coming Home Series #2 (by Jessica Scott)

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Until There Was You rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Release Date: October 8, 2012

Coming Home series rating:  4 out of 5 stars

EXCERPT

"Until There Was You" is the second book in the Coming Home series

and can be read as a stand-alone novel

How's the sex scenes?

Not scathing, but very hot and intense with interesting positions.

How are the story lines?

THIS is where Jessica brings the heavy.  Her story lines are phenomenal and filled with so much reality surely someone has mistaken her books for partial tell-alls.

Would you read it again?

YES.  I read an unfinished ARC - meaning I've pre-ordered me a finished copy.

Back of the Book

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, battleworn 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.

Review

Until There Was You is a contemporary military romance set in 2008 Colorado Springs, Colorado.

It's focuses solely on the romance between hero Evan and heroine Claire and there is no suspense. 

They are in Colorado training troops who are not ready for deployment.  Evan demands the training schedule be followed.  Claire almost encourages mutiny because she doesn't want to send her friend unprepared to war.  This is their tension - this is not their story.

Evan and Claire are emotionally wounded characters and sex does not fix them.  They do not need the other to make them readable.

I do not fully understand secondary character Lieutenant Engle's purpose.  Is she ditzy, but tries hard?  Smart, but somehow utterly useless?  Do we like her, do we hate her?  Why are people upset about Claire's treatment of her? The Lieutenant didn't pass her inspections.  

I settled on ditzy, but tries hard despite being a cry baby.  I'm not sure if that's right.  I blame this on my having read an ARC and not the finished book. (And despite my dislike, her wishy-washy likeability is very lifelike.)

Secondary character Reza Iaconelli is solid and adds greatly to the plot.  His humor, immaturity and problems are perfectly written.  Amy's small character is excellent, too.

Having read several deleted scenes, I really wish Loveswept would up their word count on this one.  Jessica's writing amazing stories and the deleted scenes would contribute more substance.  (Like the home-coming scene - even a small section of it.  Most definitely the Evan-rats-Claire-out scene - minus some butt chewing and add more Evan/Claire dynamic.)  

But what do I know?

Ending: heartwarming.  

Last love-making scene: spectacular.  

Until There Was You: read it.

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Published by Loveswept, an imprint of Random House.
Disclaimer:  No compensation was received for this review.  eARC received from author in exchange for an honest review.