Because of You by Jessica Scott

Shane Garrison and Jen St. James' book



Because of You

By Jessica Scott

Book Blurb:
Contemporary Military Romance
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.


Well hell, that was a depressing read. It was a well written book but I just feel really depressed and that is not how I like to close out a romance read. I imagine that Because of You is really close to what military families and officers experience; and that just depresses me further. 

The entire story was how Shane and his fellow military buddies recover from the aftermath of war. It was depressing and sad. Even the heroine, Jen is recovering from her own personal battle from cancer. 

Because of You is heavy and emotional and when the protagonists gain just a little of happiness, I found I was over celebrating because there just aren't that many triumphs.  To be honest, I almost stopped reading numerous times but I was determine to get to the end so I could selfishly have a happily ever after with this couple. I got there and wondered what the entire book was leading up to? Depressing page after depressing page and then the happily ever finally arrived on the_last_page followed by a quick epilogue.

The writing was excellent and Because of You did pull a lot of emotion from me but I don't think I will be moving on to any more books in the series. I would recommend Because of You to anyone who loves a military story that is very realistic and deals with the aftermath of war. For me, I like my fantasy world. This one hit too close to home and was very real. It left a lump in my throat and it was too heavy as a romance.