⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. Love grows and expectations get shattered in this love story that spans several years and finds culmination during a time of war.
When Izzy Astor gets on a plane to go home, she isn’t expecting much. It’s the usual holiday travel experience: busy, crowded, stressful. Then she spots her seatmate, who is anything but ordinary. Nate Phelan sports dark hair, blue eyes, and a deliciously rugged charm that Izzy can’t resist. Their connection is undeniable. Izzy never believed in destiny before, but she does now. Just ninety seconds after takeoff, their plane goes down in the Missouri River. Their lives change. They change. Nate goes on to a career in the military while Izzy finds her way into politics. Despite a few chance encounters over the years, the timing never feels right. Then comes a high-stakes reunion in Afghanistan, where Nate is tasked with protecting Izzy’s life. He’ll do anything to keep her safe. And everything to win her heart.
MY THOUGHTS
A lot of beauty sleep was sacrificed to the reading gods here, I just couldn’t put it down. For all its flaws (mentioned by other reviewers) it was a gripping tale that had me hooked right from the start.
I am not a huge fan of going back and forth between timelines, but as the past got closer to the present and things heated up more, I really didn’t care anymore which year we were in, I just wanted to know where it was going.
Watching Izzy and Nate’s friendship grow and evolve was exciting. It bothered me a bit that though they kept in contact, and they obviously couldn’t forget each other, they didn’t spend a lot of time physically together and when they did, it was in extraordinary circumstances, like going to Fiji, or reuniting in a war zone.
But I was very happy when, after all their own growth and soul searching, they managed to make their way back to each other. And that incredible twist at the end had me gasping.
The story is told by Izzy and Nate in turns, each using the first person. I can recommend this if you like a slow-burn, steamy romance that includes dealing with issues such as war and PTSD. See what other readers are saying on Goodreads.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Hot
Tropes: Slow Burn, Military Romance
Published: August 1, 2023
I am really looking forward to reading this one! I picked it as my Amazon First Reads pick last month and think that it sounds great.
Yeah, there were a lot of negative comments about it being in Afghanistan and how it’s tone deaf, but honestly, I didn’t see that, and I enjoyed it.
I’m not really a fan of the alternating timelines either. I did get this one through Amazon Prime First Reads. Not sure if I’ll get to it, but nice to hear it hooked you!
I’d be interested to know what you think.
I got this one as my Amazon First reads. I’m glad to see you enjoyed it.
Great review! I am with you on going back and forth in time, but it really worked for me in this book. That has to be thanks to Yarros and her writing. I loved this book.
Thanks!
I got this one as am Amazon First Read. So glad to see you enjoyed it.
Yay! I’m happy you enjoyed this one. I did as well. Yarros is such a good writer.
I got this as a Prime freebie and look forward to diving in.
I’ve enjoyed a couple of her past books so I’ll likely be trying this at some point. Like you, the split timeline can be a gamble whether I’ll like it or not. Glad it was an overall win.
Hope you like it.