ARC Review: Break My Fall by Jessica Scott

I went back and forth about my rating for this book. I was somewhere in between a 3 and a 4 but in the end, it wound up being a 3. Let me just start by saying that I don't really read new or young adult books. This is really somewhere in between a new adult and young adult book. The main characters are in college but the Hero, Josh, is older. Josh was in the military for several years before going to college on the GI bill. Abby, the main female character is an average college age student in her very very early 20s. I don't normally read about characters this young and I worked really hard to be fair about my rating because their particular brand of drama usually turns readers like me way off. The reason why this book was still relatively high up on my rating scale is because of the quality of the writing.

The language used in this book was superior and the story telling was really good. The relationship between Josh and Abby develops slowly over a lot of pages. That can go either way on you. If the writer is good, that can be a very good thing. If the writer is less talented, it can get downright tedious. In this case, the writer was good and at the end of the day you feel really connected to the main characters. Abby is struggling with the violent ghosts of her past and for different reasons so is Josh. Josh's character was particularly compelling. He is locked in this internal suffering that prevents him from fully connecting with the world around him. Abby is kind of going through the same thing but it comes across in a different way and the reasons for it are different. Nevertheless, it gives her an accord with Josh. We get a story of two people who need to connect to each other so that they can connect with the outside world. It is a wonderful story of unified redemption. I thoroughly enjoyed that part of the book.

The only issue for a reader like me which may be a reader like you too is the amount of angst and introspection in this book. The characters have very deep emotional issues and there is a lot of air time given to their thoughts about their feelings and their internal struggles. For example, the agony Josh feels over the things he did in the military and the losses he suffered is replayed in his memory and thoughts more times than I care to remember. The angst and emotional suffering is just so so thick, it can be overwhelming. I needed more dialogue and activity and less repetitive introspection. Besides that this really is a good book and I highly recommend it for all you new adult and young adult fans.

**ARC provided by Author**

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ARC Review: After the War by Jessica Scott

Whenever I see a book by Jessica Scott I jump at the chance to read it. I’ve read many of her books and have really enjoyed them. “After the War” is the second book in the Home Front Series. Just like the previous book “ Homefront” deals with the life of soldiers and the way their lives and their families lives have been affected by the army and combat.

In true Jessica Scott fashion, she presents very complex and multi-layered characters. Her characters always portray raw emotion and the raw truth of what life is like in the military. Captain Sarah Anders and Captain Sean Nichols are no exception.

Sean and Sarah use to date when they were still very young and both were still new in the military. Although Sean asked Sarah to marry him she said no. Sarah explains that she wanted to make something of herself in the military before she became someone’s wife. Sarah ends up marrying another soldier named Jack and they have a daughter together. Jack does not make it back from Iraq and Sean feels a sense of responsibility. When Sean and Sarah are reunited many of their old feelings come back but so do new feelings. Sarah realizes that Sean has grown and changed since they were last together. Sean realizes that he made the mistake of losing Sarah once but does not want to make the same mistake again.

Scott is very honest and raw about military life and about the impact it has on a person. Her heroes are often wounded and trying to become better people while battling their demons. She is also very candid about the pitfalls of the military, the chain of commands and the less than stellar conduct of some military personal. This includes people in command. Sarah is a recipient of unfair judgement placed on her by superior simply because she is a single mother. Her superior, although a woman herself, makes Sarah’s life as difficult as possible all in an effort to prove that women don’t belong in the military.

I have to say that although I really enjoy Jessica Scott I had a hard time staying interested in the story. One reason is that Sarah seemed almost identical to Melaine from Homefront. They were both single mothers and both portrayed the struggles of balancing motherhood and work. Their personalities were also very identical. Also, Sean and Gael, from Homefront, were also very similar. They both wanted desperately to make up for past mistakes. They also seemed very similar. I also felt that there were parts of the story that were very repetitive. Sarah and Sean seem to have the same conversation over and over. Although I really enjoy the realistic military-life feel that Scott gives many of the scenes and scenarios she described went over my head and I just did not understand.

Putting the above aside, I enjoyed reading about both Sarah and Sean. I kept hoping that they would find their way back together and loved that she had them rebuild their relationship based on friendship. I know that Jessica Scott fans will cheer with “After the War” and I’m personally looking forward to reading “Face the Fire” the next book in the series.

**ARC provided by Author**

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ARC Review: Homefront by Jessica Scott

I’m convinced Jessica Scott can do no wrong. This book was A-MAZING. I’ve read a few of Scott’s books so I should know by now what to expect but she always has a new trick up her sleeve. She always breaks my heart even though by now I should see it coming. I can’t help but feel for these characters. I constantly have to put her stories down and just breathe! Just like the previous books, once I started reading I could not stop and I quickly grew to love this characters.

Let’s start with the hero. First Sergeant Gale Sorren was such a juxtaposition of emotions for me. I really disliked his past because he basically left his then wife, Melanie, all by herself to raise their daughter. I admired that he was dedicated to his career but I disliked how he rationalized everything in his head because of his upbringing and because he and Melanie were married too young and got pregnant to fast. His big redeeming quality was his raw honesty. I could not help but ache for him. He was very upfront with Melanie about his faults and he took full responsibility. He also was very humble and didn’t just barrage into Melanie and their daughter ,Jaime’s, life. Just like the heroes in her other books Scott does not sugarcoat the effects of war and like her other characters, Gale is dealing with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Melanie, Gale’s ex-wife, was also fantastic. She was a mom trying very hard to help her daughter Jaime not only grow as a teenager but also battle her own personal demons. Melanie has held it together for the twelve years since she had Jaime. She has the basic mother and teenage daughter struggles. I thought that their relationship was very real and authentic. When Gale is back Melanie is obviously hesitant to believe in him and let him back into their lives. Although Melanie has had her hearth broken by Gale before she has never stopped loving him and he never stopped loving her. Scott had a lot of work to do with this story, not only did she have to bring a couple back together but also make them a family.

I really loved Gale and Melanie together and Scott didn’t make it one big fairytale. They both had to do a lot of believing and soul searching. I loved how she brought them together and I thought that they both had intense chemistry. I was happy to see characters from previous books show up here because it made it feel like a huge family. I have to admit I was super happy that both Gale and Melanie finally got their HEA but I was disappointed to see the story end. I am looking forward to the upcoming books in the series and can’t wait to see what she has in store for Captain Sarah and Captain Sea!

**ARC provided by Author**

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ARC Review: Before I Fall by Jessica Scott

I’ve read many of Jessica Scott’s books and have really enjoyed them. “Before I Fall” was no exception. Although a little different form her previous books. They were mostly about people in the military or getting out of the military. They were also mostly about adults. This book was a little different because it’s about young adults. Generally, I have to confess, that I don’t love young adult books because I find them to be very melodramatic but when I saw that this was written by Scott I was interested.

The story is about Beth Lamont. Beth is a young twenty year old. She is in college, specifically studying business. Beth is also beautiful and a teachers aid. Although she lives in a good neighborhood she lives with her dad on the outside of town. Her father is a veteran and relies on Beth to take care of him. Beth has to work to financially take care of her father and herself and most of the time they live pay check to pay check. One day Beth’s statistics professor asks her for a favor. She needs her to tutor a young man that is just coming out of the military. Noah Warren is young man who enlisted in the military at a young age. He is now out and thanks to the support of his friends he is enrolled in business school.

Both Beth and Noah are such nice people. They both carry a lot of burdens on their shoulders at a very young age, which in a way helps them connect to one another. When they first meet Beth is very defensive because she knows that Noah is coming from the military. Beth has had a lot of experience with the military because of her dad. Once they get to know each other they quickly fall for each other. Beth and Noah begin to see each other as they really are. This is both good and bad. Noah has his fair share of baggage. He is suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He is also very dependent his meds to help him with this condition.

In true Scott fashion she doesn’t sugar coat life in or out of the military. She delivers the cold, hard and sad truths. She is very forthcoming about all the issues that Beth’s father deals with at the Veterans Hospital. This was really a beautiful story about two very beautiful people. For me it was impossible not to ache for them. I do have to say that like many of Scott’s books they are very emotionally heavy, they are not light readings and “Before I Fall”is no exception. Just like her other books I couldn’t put the story down. If anyone hasn’t read her yet, I highly recommend that they do so.

**ARC provided by Author**

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Feature and Giveaway: All for You by Jessica Scott

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 . . .

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

Guest Post with Author Jessica Scott and Giveaway

Meet Jessica Scott, author of All I Want For Christmas is You.

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has served as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas.

She's pursuing a PhD in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Places to find Jessica:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Feature and Giveaway: Back to You by Jessica Scott

He's in for the fight of his life . . .

Army captain Trent Davila loved his wife, Laura, and their two beautiful children. But when he almost lost his life in combat, something inside him died. He couldn't explain the emptiness he felt or bridge the growing distance between him and his family-so he deployed again. And again. And again...until his marriage reached its breaking point. Now, with everything on the line, Trent has one last chance to prove to his wife that he can be the man she needs ...if she'll have him

. . . to win back his only love.

Laura is blindsided when Trent returns home. Time and again, he chose his men over his family, and she's just beginning to put the pieces of her shattered heart back together. But when Trent faces a court martial on false charges, only Laura can save him. What begins as an act of kindness to protect his career inflames a desire she thought long buried-and a love that won't be denied. But can she trust that this time he's back to stay?

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ARC Review: It's Always Been You by Jessica Scott

I’m convinced that Jessica Scott can do no wrong! This is my third novel by her and she never fails to impress and wow me! Her writing is always so intense and captivating that I find myself gripping my reading device with anxiety about what is going to happen next. She captures the raw, dirty, deep, emotions that make her characters so intriguing and complex. She has become one of my favorite authors!

I loved Olivia and thought she was such a fantastic character in the previous Coming Home book and in this book as well. She is strong, and very in control. She has a tough job but she is not afraid to do it! She also carries a lot of baggage with her. But her baggage serves to motivate her and keep her focused and it does not hinder her. Ben is equally fantastic. He is a typical alpha male with a lot of heart. And I mean a lot! Ben was so sweet and compassionate. He clearly loved his fellow soldiers and took his responsibilities very, seriously. When he had to deal with hard decisions it was easy to feel his pain and his angst about what he should do versus what he wanted to do.

Olivia and Ben were fantastic together. I loved how they balanced each other out and how they threw each other off balance! They both seemed to have very different ways to deal with tough decisions but both of them were equally able to stand by their decisions, even when they were not the right ones. My favorite part was their friendship. They had very strong respect for each other and they were able to appreciate their differences.

Once again, Jessica Scott is able to deliver on the terrible effects that war has on soldiers. Only she can get inside our heads and make us feel the terrible emotions that the soldiers are subjected to. I find her writing to always be thought provoking and her storylines to be exciting. I highly recommend this amazing story and really anything by JS! Another hit!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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Interview with Author Jessica Scott and Giveaway

Meet Jessica Scott, author of It's Always Been You.

USA Today bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer; mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs; wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well-adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View: Regarding War Blog, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn and has served as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas.

She's pursuing a PhD in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one ofEsquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Places to find Jessica:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: All For You by Jessica Scott

I’m quickly learning that Jessica Scott doesn’t play-what an intense book! There is so much raw emotion, and battle scars in this book I feel like I need therapy! Sergeant First Class Reza Iaconelli, where to start… My heart broke for him. He was pure male power wrapped up in a lot of personal demons. I seriously had to catch my breath a couple of times with him. He is full of contradictions. Physically he is all male. Big and physically strong. Emotionally he is living one day to the next trying to function as best he can. He tries to be the best Sergeant he can for his soldiers. He is sympathetic to their insecurities yet battles with how to adequately prepare them for the realities of war and military life. Reza is a recovering alcoholic, he struggles everyday with his addiction. He is also surrounded by soldiers that have the same struggles. Aside from struggling with alcoholism he is also dealing with PTSD. Reza came with his own scars before joining the military and we learn about his home life and how it shaped him.

Captain Emily Lindbergh is the opposite of Reza, although she struggles with her own personal issues, she comes from a life of privilege. Her father was in the military but she never personally experienced the life of a soldier. She is trying to bring help to soldiers such as Reza and his men, but not everyone thinks this is a good idea or is very welcoming to her. Emily was a fantastic character. She tried to show the soldiers her commitment to their mental health and was often the target of military personnel’s wrath. Emily is alarmed at the high number of suicides and tries to provide the soldiers with some psychological support.

As a couple Emily and Reza where exact opposites yet perfectly matched. Where he is physically strong and emotionally weak Emily is physically weak but emotional very strong. They had excellent chemistry and I loved that they formed a strong friendship. I loved that they each met the other where they were at. Emily never tried to “fix” Reza she accepted and gave him the support he needed although at times did not want.

These characters were so real, Scott really peels back all their emotions and gives us two very vulnerable people. When I read “Back to You” I felt the same way. The characters were both so imperfect and so real. Ms. Scott really captures the damage that soldiers experience during combat, after, and before.

Honestly, this is a tough read. I put the story down a couple of times, not because it was not well written or interesting, because it was all of those; but emotionally very challenging. The characters were worth it. It’s not a light read but it does provide a very “unromantic” look at the hardships of war and military life. Overall, I think I can say that I recommend everything and anything written by Jessica Scott. She really knows how to strip down her characters and show us who they are. After the emotional odyssey it’s beautiful to see Reza and Emily find their way together! Another fantastic journey with Ms. Scott!!

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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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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Interview with Author Jessica Scott and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome author Jessica Scott to RFTC. Jessica is celebrating the recently released Anything For You and has stopped by to answer a few questions. Please give Jessica a warm welcome.

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

Oprah has called her. True story.

Her debut novel BECAUSE OF YOU launched Loveswept, the first Random House digital imprint.

She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and is currently a company commander stationed at Fort Hood.

Most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.

Places to find Jessica:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |