by
Melanie Hansen
ADULT title
Two battle buddies. One fateful deployment. Two vastly different sets of wounds. One friendship changed forever.
A childhood in foster care taught Carey Everett to hold tight to what he has. Enlisting in the Marines gave him purpose, but a life-threatening injury ended his career—and took his leg. Now fully recovered, Carey’s happier than he’s ever been. He has a fulfilling job, a chosen family and, best of all, a cherished friendship with Jase DeSantis, the platoon medic who saved his life.
Despite Jase’s heroism in combat, he’s haunted by his actions overseas. Playing music with his band keeps the demons at bay, but it’s a battle he’s starting to lose.
After a week of sun and fun in San Diego, Jase and Carey’s connection takes an unexpected turn. With change comes a new set of challenges. For Jase, it means letting someone else into his deepest pain. For Carey, it’s realizing love doesn’t always equal loss. In order to make their relationship work, they’ll have to come to terms with their pasts…
…or risk walking away from each other for good.
*********************
Excerpt
His throat tight, Carey said, “Please look at me.” He tugged on their joined hands. “Please.”
Finally Jase dragged his eyes to his. The remoteness in them scared Carey even more than tears would have. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry for everything I said that night.”
“I know…”
“No, you don’t know, because I don’t think I’ve ever said it plainly, flat-out, that I’m so fucking sorry for every hurtful, untrue word that came out of my mouth that night.” Carey sucked in a fortifying breath. “And for not saying the words I should have said. Like thank you. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for fighting asshole medics for me. Thank you for coming to the hospital, for moving in with me, for working out with me, for—”
“Stop.” Now Jase’s eyes held the glimmer of a smile. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Oh, but I do.” Carey grinned. “Except it’d take all day, because there’re so many things I’m grateful to you for. Like teaching me yoga. Fetching the mirror. Playing me songs. What I should do is make you sit here and listen to all of it—”
“Carey, stop.”
“—but how about I just kiss you instead?”
Amazon buy link
**********************
About the Author:
Melanie Hansen doesn’t get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she’s visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off-time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.
Website
Goodreads
*********************
GIVEAWAY
The tour dates can be found here
*********************
My review:
4.25 stars
Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen centers around Jase DeSantis and Carey Everett, whose friendship was tested by the rigors and trauma of war. As time has passed, they have pursued different paths in life, but each is still dealing with wounds, and their relationship is changing but may not progress unless they learn to truly trust in each other.
This adult contemporary gay military romance is the first story in the ‘Resilient Love’ series and features two compelling veterans. There are many poignant elements that tug at the heartstrings combined with the exciting glimpses of a nascent music career, and one is captured immediately by these charismatic guys. Jase is a bit of a jerk at first, with his disregard for one of his fans, but his care and consideration for Carey definitely redeemed him in my eyes. One can’t help but ache for Carey’s back story as well, and it makes his wariness understandable.
The author did a wonderful job of showing some of the high prices paid by those who serve in defense of our country, both at the time of service and afterward, and I learned a lot about the challenges of coping with an amputation. I love stories that immerse me in the characters’ struggles even as they teach me, and I was particularly struck by the demonstration of accepting an individual’s choice of how he or she wants to live life. Be prepared to need tissues, as there are several very emotional episodes that are cathartic and enlightening. There are sizzling intimate scenes, but there are also wonderful demonstrations of the intense brotherhood that forms among those who serve.
It would have been nice to have a little more depth to some of the secondary characters, but I think several of them get their own time in the spotlight in other of this author’s books, such as Point of Contact. I look forward to being inspired by more of these folks and their courage and acceptance.
A copy of this title was provided for review
Thanks so much for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I enjoyed reading the excerpt and your review!
ReplyDelete