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Review

4 stars

The fourth book in the Flight & Glory series, this story takes us back to Josh and Ember, the couple from book #1, Full Measures, a few years after we left them. They’re still together, happy, madly in love and planning their future together when Josh is deployed to Afghanistan, and his mission ends in tragedy. Josh returns injured, traumatised, and forever changed, and it will take all the strength and love they have for each other to fight through the heartbreak, grief and confusion and get their happy ending.

This is an emotional read. It’s beautifully romantic, and the love story is so gorgeous, but seeing the realities of military life from both Josh and Ember’s perspective is really heartwrenching. From the crushing farewell to the palpable fear of the deployment, I felt it all with them.

“This wasn’t glamorous, or movie-worthy. There was no waving the handkerchief or kissing through the bus window one last time as I stoically sent him off. This was unedited pain and gut-wrenching fear in its rawest form. It wasn’t even the thought of knowing it would be nine months until I could hold him again. Hell, that was the best-case scenario. It was the true, paralyzing fear that I’d never get that chance again. Had I said everything right? Kissed him long enough? Showed him how much I loved him?”

And then there’s the actual deployment, which is intense and devastating, and the majority of the book is watching Josh and Ember deal with the aftermath. It’s tragic and sad, and though it’s frustrating at times, I imagine it’s a real representation of what veterans experience, and how they struggle to deal with their experiences. Josh and Ember may be a strong couple who are wildly in love and firmly committed to each other, but even they are put to the test by the way Josh deals (or doesn’t deal) with his trauma.

Through it all though, their love for each other shines, and seeing them together, so in love and fighting so hard to do what they think is best for the other, is so sweet. Despite the serious subject matter, this is a beautifully romantic story and the journey that Josh and Ember go on to get their happy ending, and the way they support each other through it, is really special.

“I don’t care how you come home. I don’t care what parts of you are broken, or bleeding, or… anything, just as long as you come home. As long as your heart is beating, I will want you, do you understand me? I don’t care what happens there as long as you come home.”

The characters from previous books appear, and I enjoyed seeing them again, and all of the group together is a real treat. They have such great dynamics as a found family, and I loved how they rallied around to support their friends.

I don’t know how, but I ended up reading this series out of order, and the next (and final) book is my favourite of all. But I recommend reading these books in order to avoid spoilers and experience the emotion and intensity of it all as intended.

The audiobook is narrated by Carly Robins and Teddy Hamilton, and they do a great job, telling the story beautifully.

This is a great read, and a sweetly happy ending for Josh and Ember.

4 stars.

 

Flight & Glory