ARC Review: Back to You by Jessica Scott

My goodness what a story! I was a nervous wreck the entire story! I hated and loved this book because it put me through an extreme emotional roller coaster! Captain Trent and Laura Davila are in the process of getting a divorce. Laura, fed up with her husband’s dedication to the military and several tours, can’t take the abandonment she feels any more. I hurt for Laura! As a mother, I identified with her trials as a mother, her desire to give her children a stable home life. My heart ached for her and Trent! These are two very good people who have done damage to their marriage. Although Laura served Trent with divorce papers, over a year ago, she is still very much in love with him. I was in tears for practically the entire book! I wanted to be angry with Trent because I was so sad to see Laura struggle to be a good mom, work and deal with her failing marriage.

Captain Trent Davila is such a great guy. I wish that he was a jerk and that I could have screamed at him for what he did to his marriage, but my heart ached for him too! He was trying very hard to win back his wife but it was obvious that he did not know how to. Seeing Trent’s emotional pain was so heartbreaking. It was so difficult to know how badly he wanted to reconnect to his family but just did not know how to. His need to keep re-enlisting felt almost addictive from his stand point. I hated that he lost his job in the army but I felt so relieved that he would somehow have a chance to make a normal life with Laura. It was very sad and eye-opening to see how a tough army captain felt anxious about taking care of his children. When he lost his temper with them it felt real and understandable. Every time he wanted to connect with Laura he was terrified of pushing her further away. From Laura’s point of view he seemed cold and distant but from his It was understandable that he did not know how to communicate with her.

I will say this, this is not the type of book you want to read while you’re depressed because the material is very heavy. I hate to be melodramatic but I lived through their pain! Every time that Laura and Trent pulled away from each other I wanted to scream “make it work!” Jessica Scott really knows how to tell a story, these characters felt so real! I mean I knew they would end up together, but I kept turning the pages trying to figure out HOW???? How are they going to find their way back to each other??? There were no bad guys between their relationship, just two people that didn’t know how to repair the damage that they created in their marriage. This family was so lovable! The emotions and the everyday interactions felt real. It was so easy to become engaged in this story and to champion for Trent and Laura. I loved that Ms. Scott painted such a real and heartfelt picture of what military families go through when a member is serving. Every character in this book seemed so real. She also provided the perfect amount of tension between Laura and Trent. They had the right amount of chemistry. When Laura is asked to help Trent as he faces trial for accusations thrown at him she accepts the challenge if only to be free from him. But it’s very clear that neither want to be out of their marriage. Although this is a very emotional story it really pays off. It felt like a marathon of emotions but when you reach the finish line it definitely feels worth the effort. I really enjoyed seeing Laura and Trent fall back in love with each other and grow together. I really learned a lot about the military. When I read the authors bio I could see how she would have so much genuine experience about military life and she definitely shares it with her readers. I just absolutely loved this book my mind and heart were both engaged in Laura and Trent’s second chance at love!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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