Whoooowheee! I read most of this book with my hand clutched to my breast, twisting and stretching the hell out of my t-shirt. At one point I looked at my five year old niece and screamed "This book is KILLING me" and she just stared blankly back at me and glanced at the door to the room where were sitting...like she was wondering if she could make a run for it before I could catch her. I mean, talk about angst and torture and EXCITEMENT!
I LOOOVED this story. When I finished, I texted my reading buddies and told them to stop whatever they were reading and start this immediately.
It was THAT good!
Let me get to the review.
This is the publisher's blurb: "Lt. Grayson Masters is focused on graduating the Apache helicopter course, and the last thing he needs is his gorgeous new roommate Samantha Fitzgerald distracting him. While her smart mouth and free spirit are irresistibly irritating, he can't deny their off-the-charts chemistry, no matter how hard he tries.
Having just been expelled from college, Sam has no business digging for Grayson's secrets while she's hiding her own, but that doesn't stop her from trying to tear down his walls. Each barrier she busts through drops one of her own, though, and she's not prepared for the truth: another woman laid claim to Grayson's heart long ago.
Falling in love is something neither Grayson nor Sam can afford, and when that line is crossed and secrets are exposed, they'll learn that sometimes it's the answered prayers that will put you through hell."
Now on to the review:
First, this is book 3 in Ms. Yarros' Flight and Glory series. But, you can read it as a standalone. When I bought it (one clicked after reading another review) I didn't even realize it was part of a series. You do not need to read the other two to be able to follow this story. The characters from the first two books Full Measure and Eyes Turned Skyward are both prominent secondary characters in this book and there are references to their story in this book, but not in a way that makes you feel like you've missed anything.
That blurb doesn't really begin to describe how tortured Grayson and Sam are. They are both carrying unfairly heavy guilty burdens over things things that have happened to them. Sam is spunky, smart and in need of a someone to unload on. Grayson is honorable, focused and incredibly hard working and he is in desperate need of someone to fight his corner. Their relationship begins on not a great note, they are both attracted to each other, but they have to get past their wariness of these feelings before they can actually start to get to know each other. They begin as friends and soon, can't resist their attraction to each other.
But, as the blurb says, Grayson has some issues to resolve before he can really be with Sam.
And boy, is it a complicated and tangled web THAT situation is.
I think Grayson handled himself very well. His family's lack of support and contribution to his already unfounded feelings of guilt was just incredible. My heart broke for him. But he is SO strong. He knows what he wants and when he decides he is going for it, he is basically a force of nature. He is a great guy and his patience - with himself and with others around him- is really worthy of sainthood.
Sam falls hard for Gray, but she has a sense of self preservation that is so strong that she closes up at the first sign of possible heartbreak. Despite that, she really tried to hang in there with Gray, but there were SO many forces in the way of their happiness, that at times it just seemed impossible.
But don't worry, when these two manage to get past all of the noise and be together, their love story is beautiful! There is so much passion between these two and despite their past experiences they are really able to love each other in a way that is healthy and completely authentic.
You will love watching these two find their way - it's hard and heart breaking, but as the story builds, so does the readers anticipation of their HEA.
These characters are Young Adults and this book sits firmly in that genre. If you've read my other reviews, you know it's not my favorite genre because I don't feel like I can relate to the issues that 21 year olds have and I also don't like the way they address their problems. But, these two are so mature- in order to survive and THRIVE in their circumstances- they have had to grow up fast. So, aside from the fact they are students it is easy to forget they are so young.
The only thing I didn't love about this story is that Sam stubbornly pushed Grayson away even after I thought she had no reason to. I hate willful blindness and characters who protest too much. But, at the same time, I had to admire Sam's determination to get herself together before she tried to tackle the issues she and Grayson were having. But all is well that ends well and this story ends magnificently!
