A Lover's Lament by KL Grayson & BT Urruela
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Spoiler Free Review by Rachel
Synopsis:
In a matter of seconds my
entire world changed, and it was in that moment that I stopped living and
simply began to exist.
In my grief, I sent a letter to the first boy I ever loved. I hoped in writing it I’d find some peace from the nightmare I was living, some solace in my anger.
I didn’t expect him to write back. I wasn’t prepared for his words, and I certainly wasn’t ready for the impact this soldier would have on my life. A deep-rooted hate transformed into friendship, and then molded into a love like I’d never known before.
Sergeant Devin Ulysses Clay did what I couldn’t: he put the shattered pieces of my heart back together, restoring my faith in humanity and teaching me how to live again.
But now that I’m whole, I have a decision to make. Do I return to my life as I knew it and the fiancĂ© I left behind, or do I walk away from it all for the only man to ever break my heart?
***
I’ve been living in hell, but you won’t hear me complain.
These men depend on me, as I do them, and this brotherhood is the only family I’ve ever known.
The Army saved me from a callous mother and a life on the wrong side of the tracks that was quickly spiraling out of control. So unlike most of the men in my platoon, going home wasn’t something I longed for.
I was content overseas, spending my days defending this country that gave me my life back. Fighting became my new normal … until her.
A letter from Katie Devora—a letter that I almost didn’t open. Her words put a fire back inside of me that I didn’t know I’d lost. She gave me hope during a time when I was fighting every day just to stay alive, and now it’s time I fight for her.
In my grief, I sent a letter to the first boy I ever loved. I hoped in writing it I’d find some peace from the nightmare I was living, some solace in my anger.
I didn’t expect him to write back. I wasn’t prepared for his words, and I certainly wasn’t ready for the impact this soldier would have on my life. A deep-rooted hate transformed into friendship, and then molded into a love like I’d never known before.
Sergeant Devin Ulysses Clay did what I couldn’t: he put the shattered pieces of my heart back together, restoring my faith in humanity and teaching me how to live again.
But now that I’m whole, I have a decision to make. Do I return to my life as I knew it and the fiancĂ© I left behind, or do I walk away from it all for the only man to ever break my heart?
***
I’ve been living in hell, but you won’t hear me complain.
These men depend on me, as I do them, and this brotherhood is the only family I’ve ever known.
The Army saved me from a callous mother and a life on the wrong side of the tracks that was quickly spiraling out of control. So unlike most of the men in my platoon, going home wasn’t something I longed for.
I was content overseas, spending my days defending this country that gave me my life back. Fighting became my new normal … until her.
A letter from Katie Devora—a letter that I almost didn’t open. Her words put a fire back inside of me that I didn’t know I’d lost. She gave me hope during a time when I was fighting every day just to stay alive, and now it’s time I fight for her.
My Review:
A Lover’s Lament is a beautifully written book about second chances. It is
heartbreaking, soul searching, and thought provoking. This book had my emotions
all over the place! I laughed, teared up, awed, and even had some full blown
waterworks thrown in for good measure. The story begins with a smoking hot prologue. Wowza! I made the tiny mistake
of starting this book at work because I just COULD NOT WAIT to get home after
work on release day to start it. That might not have been the smartest idea. I
couldn’t stop reading, but I also HAD TO stop reading. My face is way too
expressive to be reading at work, even with a semi-private office. Needless to
say I won’t be doing that again!
A Lover’s Lament is told in the dual POV of Katie Devora and Devin Clay who fell in love as teenagers, but were separated by circumstances out of their control. Katie is dealing with
grief the only way she knows how, with anger and resentment. It has eaten away
at her and stolen the girl she once was. Sgt. Devin Clay has never forgotten
his first love, even after being estranged for 10 years. All he has
in his life are the men in his platoon and a callous mother. At the recommendation of her therapist,
Katie sends Devin a letter to help her overcome her grief and anger. And thus begins the rekindling of their romance.
This book will break and mend your heart in many ways, but it absolutely shredded mine
in regards to Devin’s volatile relationship with his mother. The scenes in
chapter 25 had me sobbing. It brought such strong feelings to the surface that I
ended up closing the book for a minute after finishing the chapter.
Throughout the good times and the bad, I felt every
emotion that Katie and Devin experienced. Author KL Grayson’s writing draws you
into Katie’s grief and pulls every emotion to the surface. The dual POV lets us inside the minds
of both Katie and Devin to get a better understanding of the desperation in
both of their lives. Their loss, their love, their pain, and their journey back to one another. There is also an epilogue for each character and holy
mother of god, my heart was in my throat up until the very last minute! There
are numerous secondary characters that we come to love along the way in both Katie and
Devin’s lives. I wouldn’t mind another book about one of Devin’s Army buddies,
Specialist Navas, or Katie's no nonsense best friend, Maggie. Author BT Urruela was a US Army Infantryman before being
wounded in Baghdad and losing part of his leg. He uses his knowledge and insight to bring us the gruesome truth, along with the funny, and sometimes heart wrenching banter between the soldiers as they spend long months in the desert.
This is definitely one of my top reads of 2015. KL Grayson and BT Urruela are
incredible authors and fed off of each other perfectly as they wrote the story of Katie and Devin. I cannot
wait to see what they have in store for us next. They’re already working on a 2nd
book together that will continue this series.
KL Grayson is also the author of Where We Belong and Pretty Pink
Ribbons. This is BT Urruela’s first endeavor as an author.
See the links below to follow both of these can’t-miss authors!
BT Urruela, Myself, and KL Grayson at the RT Roundup in Houston, TX. October 10, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment