It's Always Been You (Coming Home #5) by Jessica Scott

She plays by the rules . . . 

Captain Ben Teague is many things: a tough soldier, a loyal friend, and a bona fide smart-ass. He doesn't have much tolerance for BS, which is why he's mad as hell when a trusted colleague and mentor is brought up on charges that can't possibly be true. He's even more frustrated with by-the-book lawyer Major Olivia Hale. But there's something simmering beneath her icy reserve--and Ben just can't resist turning up the heat . . .

. . . and he's determined to break them

The only thing riskier than mixing business with pleasure is enjoying it . . . and Olivia can't resist locking horns--and lips--with Ben. He's got more compassion in his little finger than any commander she's ever met, a fact that makes him a better leader than he realizes. But when the case that brought them together awakens demons from Olivia's past, she will have to choose between following orders--or her heart . . .

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5 'keeping this short because words can't do it justice' stars!!

I wish I could reach through my computer, take you by the shoulders and look you in the eye in hopes you'd be able to see my passion for this series, because I just don't have the words that can explain how brilliant a writer Jessica Scott it.

I love everything about the way she tells a story:

They're exciting, thought provoking, poignant, and inspiring! The plot, the humanity, the heartbreaking reality of how war can destroy a person in ways that have nothing to do with IEDs and grenades and rifles, and most of all I love the unwavering loyalty these men and women have to our country, to always doing the right thing no matter the cost, and to each other.

I love her honorable heroes:

This was the burden of command: to balance the needs of the army over the needs of the individual. A tightrope he had to walk alone.

I love her sassy heroines:

"Wow, you're going all caveman. I'm not sure if I should swoon or wring out my panties."

The only thing I don't love:

She doesn't write fast enough!

My sincerest 'thank you' to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of "It's Always Been You." In return I'm giving them an honest review.

All for You (Coming Home #4) by Jessica Scott

Description:

Can a battle-scarred warrior . . .

Stay sober. Get deployed. Lead his platoon. Those are the only things that matter to Sergeant First Class Reza Iaconelli. What he wants is for everyone to stay out of his way; what he gets is Captain Emily Lindberg telling him how to deal with his men. Fort Hood's newest shrink is smart as a whip and sexy as hell. She's also full of questions—about the army, its soldiers, and the agony etched on Reza's body and soul.

. . . open his heart to love?

Emily has devoted her life to giving soldiers the care they need—and deserve. Little does she know that means facing down the fierce wall of muscle that is Sergeant Iaconelli like it's just another day at the office. When Reza agrees to help her understand what makes a soldier tick, she's thrilled. Too bad it doesn't help her unravel the sexy warrior in front of her who stokes her desire and touches a part of her she thought long dead. He's the man who thinks combat is the only escape from the demons that haunt him. The man who needs her most of all . . .  

*****

5 ‘edgy but poignant, agonizing but hopeful’ stars!

The thing I love most about Jessica Scott’s stories is the humanity of them. The behind the scenes graphic, candid look at how the survivors of war – and in this case I mean the soldiers – deal with their emotional and physical scars. And further testament to her ability to tell a tale is that she can show us all this without making statements of political correctness. Whether war is right or wrong, good or evil… 

All For You is gut wrenching, heartbreaking, and gritty. It’s romantic, poignant and sexy. It’s thought provoking, uplifting and inspiring. It’s one helluva brilliant read.

An eARC was provided by Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley and in exchange I’m giving them an honest review.

Anything for You by Jessica Scott

Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison has spent a year recovering from his combat injuries. A year spent in the arms of the woman of his dreams. But loving Jen comes with a price: every time he touches her, he faces the uncertain fear that loving her might mean losing her forever.

Jen is a breast cancer survivor and with Shane, she’s found a man who loves her despite her scars. But her scars may be too much for their love to survive.

As their love grows, so does the risk to Jen’s life. And Shane must make the toughest decision any man can make to save the woman he loves.

*****

Anything for You is a short, sweet, touching story, revisiting Shane Garrison and Jen St. James from Because of You, the first book in Jessica Scott’s Coming Home series. If you haven’t already read Because of You, I would strongly encourage you to do so before reading this story, as it’s a continuation of Shane and Jen’s developing relationship.

If you’ve read the books in this series, you know that the draw is how honest these stories are. They’re what life is really like for military men and women who have to face the same things we do. It’s not always about blowing up terrorists or saving the world from corrupt leaders… these are real stories about real people making the same life decisions that real people make, and that means that I connect with the characters, every single time.

Anything for You is a very tender story about loving a cancer survivor. Shane’s concerns, his fears that Jen might get sick again one day don’t stop him from loving her, but they are coming between them in one of the most painful ways any couple can imagine. Ms. Scott tells this story in such a way that my heart broke for them both because I could completely feel where they’re coming from. This is an issue that many cancer surviving couples have to deal with, and there’s no right or wrong to it. Just supporting one another, and living and loving with everything in you because the future gives no guarantees of what’s to come. So, while the choices they had to make, and the things they may one day have to face broke my heart, it gave me such hope and so much happiness for them, and that's what matters.

Ms. Scott, thank you so much for writing this story…for all the books in the series, but especially this one. I know what it's like to wonder, "will it come back?" It's not fun, but it's always there, always a possibility, and everyone's stories deserve to be told, especially the "real" ones. This is life. This is love. This is real. So yeah, thank you.

Anything for You was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.