Review: Catch My Fall - Jessica Scott

Former Army Sergeant Deacon Hunter is trapped.

Trapped in the friend zone. Longing for the woman who captured his heart when they were deployed in Iraq.

Former Army Sergeant Kelsey Ryder has scars, the kind of scars she hopes that no one ever sees. Working around the guys at the Pint, she’s reminded of everything she lost when she left the Army behind.

But some scars refuse to stay hidden.

One fateful night changes everything and neither of them know if their relationship will ever be the same.

All Deacon knows is that he’ll be there to catch her when she finally falls

Falling Series:
Before I Fall
Break My Fall
After I Fall
Catch My Fall

Visit Jessica Scott's website for more information.

Review:
Kelsey and Deacon are both former army Sergeants who served together in Iraq, they had an intense secret relationship during their deployment but things fell apart when they returned home before Deacon deployed again. Now they've both left the army and they're struggling to find their feet in a civilian life, both studying to complete their degrees they meet again when they become colleagues at The Pint. The sexual chemistry is definitely still there but Kelsey is terrified of getting hurt again and returning to the dark place she was in at the end of their last relationship, Deacon wants more but knows pushing too hard will only make Kelsey run so he's working on winning her around slowly. They're both fighting demons though and need to learn to deal with the emotional and physical scars left by everything they experienced in the army before they can find a way back together.

I always love Jessica Scott's writing and Catch My Fall is another perfect example of why I enjoy her books so much. Her military romances are always so incredibly heartwarming but they also highlight the difficulties faced by soldiers returning home from deployment and the way they can struggle to adjust to civilian life. It's not just the emotional turmoil though but also the way it can be so hard for them to get the medical help needed, this would obviously be slightly different for soldiers in the UK who have access to the NHS, but I was absolutely horrified by the way Kelsey was treated by the VA and I can only assume that this is something that happens to vets all the time in the US. As a serving soldier herself and with a husband who is also in the army you can tell that Jessica Scott writes from real life experience, her stories have so much genuine emotion in them that not all military romances manage to capture.

In spite of showing how hard life can be for army vets this series is above all a romance and Catch My Fall is about finding yourself again after emotional trauma and finding a way to move forward. It's not about love fixing all your problems but it does show that the right support can make the world of difference, be that support of a partner or from family, friends and colleagues. The staff at The Pint are all ex military and they've built a great network where they all watch out for each other. It was nice to catch up with some of the previous couples and we also get to know Caleb a bit better so I'm really looking forward to his story. I absolutely loved Kelsey and Deacon's story, they were such a brilliant couple and I'm glad they finally found their way back to each other.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Spotlight: Catch My Fall - Jessica Scott

I love Jessica Scott's Falling series and Deacon & Kelsey's story is one I've been looking forward to for ages so I couldn't wait to start reading Catch My Fall. Let's just say it fully lived up to expectations and you'll have to check back later to read my full review! In the meantime let me tell you all about the book and share a few excerpts to help whet your appetite.

Former Army Sergeant Deacon Hunter is trapped.

Trapped in the friend zone. Longing for the woman who captured his heart when they were deployed in Iraq.

Former Army Sergeant Kelsey Ryder has scars, the kind of scars she hopes that no one ever sees. Working around the guys at the Pint, she’s reminded of everything she lost when she left the Army behind.

But some scars refuse to stay hidden.

One fateful night changes everything and neither of them know if their relationship will ever be the same.

All Deacon knows is that he’ll be there to catch her when she finally falls

Falling Series:
Before I Fall
Break My Fall
After I Fall
Catch My Fall

Readers who want an extended sample can download here:
Kindle: http://selz.co/NkVTo3cuQ
epub: http://selz.co/4yGp329-7

Purchase links:
iBooks: http://jsscott.me/catchmyfall_ibks.html
Amazon: http://jsscott.me/catchmyfall_amz.html
Nook: http://jsscott.me/catchmyfall_nk.html
Kobo: http://jsscott.me/catchmyfall_kbo.html
Play: http://jsscott.me/catchmyfall_ply.html
Mobi: http://selz.co/NJ67Vx4KQ
Epub: http://selz.co/VyJF4lNYQ

Excerpts:

(Posted with permission of Jessica Scott)

Deacon

I let her go. I probably should stop fucking with her but with Kelsey, everything is complicated. And in the six months that she's been back in my life, it's only gotten more so.
"She's fine, you know," Nalini says softly. Her eyes are always bright and calm. I love Nalini like a sister and I love that she’s looking out for Kelsey because I no longer can.
I've known Nalini a while now, ever since I started grad school. She's a magnet to other vets on campus, kind of like Eli is over at The Pint. Between the two of them, they're the sun and the moon. The rest of us are caught in their orbit.
"I know."
She smiles warmly and pats my cheek. "But you're not sure. If you were, you wouldn't watch her like that every time she walks away."
I grin and lean against the broad table behind me. I love that The Grind has broad, wide tables as well as smaller ones and comfy overstuffed chairs. "How much trouble are you causing on campus today?"
"As much as I need to," she says. She folds her arms over her chest. "When are you going to stop pining after her and do something about this awkward standoff you two have going on? I feel like I’m caught in no man's land between the French and the Germans in World War I."
"That is a terrible analogy."
"Yeah, well, you should try being caught between you two once in a while. Take pity on the rest of us who have to deal with your sexual frustration. You can practically touch it."
She follows for a few steps while I laugh and move to the line for coffee. "I don't even know what to say to that." I place my order. “Large latte, extra shot of espresso.”
"Well, that'll put hair on your chest," she says dryly.
I shake my head. "What are you poking at, Nalini?" Because she always pokes until she gets around to what she needs to say.
"Nothing much. Just wondering how things are out at The Pint?"
"They're good. I mean, I know you don't drink but you really should come out some time. There's a whole bunch of us out there, even a couple of new guys who came by last week who used to be in First Cav. You could come by and just hang out, swap war stories about Stetsons or whatever you Cav people do."
She grins and glances down at her watch. "I'm good, thanks. Though it's awful tempting. You 82d Airborne guys think you're all that with your raspberry berets."
"Bite your tongue." Damn, sometimes it feels good to walk back over familiar ground, harassing each other because of the units we've both served in. "I chewed the same dirt as you did in First Cav."
"Well, use that common ground to make some damn progress with her, why don't you?"
I sip my coffee and instantly, my blood cells are more awake than they were a moment before. "Does she say anything?" I want to add in about me. But I don't.
Because I'm a coward when it comes to Kelsey.
"You wish. And even if she did, I wouldn't break her confidence."
"I hate playing games. You know that, right?"
"No games, Deacon." Nalini turns suddenly serious. "I worry about her. About the things she doesn't talk about."
I glance toward the door that Kelsey disappeared through. "Yeah, me too."
I know the things she doesn't talk about, at least some of them.
I know what things keep her up at night.
I know how good things used to be between us, once upon a war.
And I know exactly the moment things got screwed up.
I can't fix any of those things now, no matter how much I might want to. Kelsey has to want to unpack that stuff herself. In the few months she's been back in my life, she's given me no indication that she wants to go anywhere near our shared memories of sand and dust and war.
Not that I blame her.
I leave Nalini at The Grind and head to the old Wilson building for my graduate seminar. I’ve got a relatively light load this semester. At some point, I have to stop avoiding my thesis and actually start typing.
I've become a master of procrastination, among other things. Funny how leaving the war and the Army behind makes you find other things to keep you occupied.
My old first sergeant would kick my ass if he knew how much I was avoiding this work. I grin, thinking of him. I should shoot him a note one of these days.
But I won't.
Lately it's been like I'm running some kind of test with myself or something. How long can I stay away from the lure of the familiar? The good memories.
And yeah, even the bad ones are good when you're talking to someone who speaks the same language. There's something comfortable about just talking to someone who's been there. Bullshitting about the stupid shit we or one of our soldiers did.
I'm pretty sure America would have kittens if she knew the kind of shenanigans her soldiers pulled on guard duty in the middle of the desert.
But I won’t make the call. I can’t. It’s like I’m trying to prove to myself that I can cut the cord between me and the Army, that I can truly function out here as a civilian and not constantly be reaching back to the guys I left behind when I left Fort Hood.
Besides, it’s not like I don’t have enough Army around me with Eli and the rest of the gang at The Pint.
I smile down at my phone, double-checking the room number for the class Professor Blake asked me to assist with. She was pretty vague about who I was going to be teaching with this semester.
I probably should have asked for more details but she's pretty much been my fairy godmother since I decided to go to grad school and get my master’s in public administration, so I figure I owe her whatever she needs.
The classroom is just inside of the old Wilson building. You can practically smell the history in this place, along with the chill from the stone walls and ancient windows. There’s too much history here for a working class kid like me. I suppose people who are used to this kind of place aren’t really awestruck by it like I still am.
I still have no idea how I got accepted here. Or how I haven't managed to be politely asked to leave.
Ah well.
I push open the door to the classroom, tucking my phone into my back pocket, and then stop short. The classroom isn’t empty.
"You've got to be shitting me." What's that they say about fiction? It's supposed to be believable, right? You can't make this shit up because no shit, there is Kelsey Ryder sitting in a corner, her back to the wall.
And she looks ready for war.

Excerpt 2

"Are you okay?"
"Mostly." I should present to be a rational adult and have a reasonable conversation. Anything is better than the status quo, right? “I guess…sometimes things get to me that shouldn’t.”
"Yeah. I get that." I look up at her words, the frustration in her voice echoing the tension clawing at my heart, locking the words I need in my chest. “It’s hard, though. To say when something hurts.”
I say nothing for a long moment. Letting her words sink in. Letting their possibility wrap around me.
Then I move. Silent and slow, I back her up against the wall. "You don’t have to be strong all the time," I tell her softly. Her mouth is there, just there. She is soft against me, soft in all the ways I remember.
Soft in a thousand ways that will torture me for the rest of a lifetime.
"Neither do you." She’s goading me tonight. Crossing boundaries I know she’s set in place. I can’t figure out what’s changed. If it’s the fatigue I see in her eyes or the mixture of that with too much to drink. I don’t know.
And part of me doesn’t care. Part of me only cares that she’s here. That her body is pressed to mine. That I’ve penetrated the space around her and she has not pushed me away.
God, this woman is fierce and amazing. She doesn't back down, doesn't break against the threat anyone else would read in my body.
"I will never forget what happened between us in Iraq. Or when we came home." I reach for her then, cupping her face. Sliding my thumb along her full bottom lip. Wanting so badly to taste her. To end this unnecessary distance between us. “But we don’t have to keep suffering alone. Apart. It doesn’t need to be like this.”
And goddamn her, she presses her lips to my thumb. A gentle kiss. A thousand sensual memories slash through me, ripping away any shred of my composure.
It takes everything I have not to lift her, to urge her legs around my hips and grind against her. I'm hard as a fucking stone. I know she can feel me, solid and hard against her.
She's my addiction. The one woman I dream about when I'm with someone else.
And she knows it. She has to know it.
Her barriers hurt us both.
"We spent four weeks together when we got home and I don't remember any of them. Except the nightmares." She cups my face, brushing her lips against mine. "I can't do that again. I can't get lost in the alcohol and the sex. Because it doesn't help me forget. It only makes it worse."
I lower my forehead to hers, her quiet admission gutting me, ripping through me. That’s why she’s kept us apart. That’s why she’s walked away and pretended there was nothing between us.
Her words hurt; they slice at me, reminding me of how fucking self-centered I was when I first got home, wanting to do nothing more than drink and fuck, then drink some more.
I had no idea how much she was hurting. Because I didn’t bother to look.
"I didn’t know." It’s a pitiful confession. So insufficient. I step back then, releasing her from the wall.
Letting her go when it's the last thing I want. She disappears up the stairs, quiet as a ghost.
I lower my forehead to the wooden shelf holding parts of Eli's extensive and very expensive whiskey collection. We're a long fucking way from that bloodstained container where Kelsey used to live.
But we might as well never have left.
A piece of my soul stayed back there, mixed in with the sand and the bullets and the blood.
Forever entwined with hers.

Excerpt 3

I can't sleep.
I stare at my phone for a while; I guess I’m surprised that my pen pal is still talking to me. This is by far the strangest thing I’ve ever done, but right now, it’s comforting. Like talking to an old friend.
Me either. Nights like this can get really long, really quick.
Do you want to meet?
This could be an elaborate scam to steal my money or milk me for sperm to sell to a fertility bank. Or maybe my pen pal wants my kidney. Those are in high demand these days, aren't they?
To hell with my kidneys. I'm curious now.
Shouldn't we meet somewhere public and well lit, first?
She sends me the place: 42 North, an all-night café a few blocks from here.
What if I get there and we decide that meeting in real life is super awkward?
The email response is back almost before I can blink. There's a desperation in the speed of the reply, and with everything else that happened tonight it's got my Spidey senses tingling.
We'll have to figure it out, won't we? Do you like to play games? Like Monopoly or something?
That response I don't have to think about: Not particularly.
The response is delayed this time. As if she's thinking.
I'm assuming the person on the other end is a she. Could be a dude. Which would be awkward because I don't hit for the same team.
No games. No sex. I just…I don't want to be alone.

Excerpt 4

He looks down at his feet, his body tense, angled toward the door. Is he thinking of running too? "Look, we don't have to do this," he says. He's giving me an out. An escape. My heart melts a little more for this man. This big, powerful, quiet man.
"I'm not really sure that's what I want," I admit quietly. I'm trying not to cry in frustration. Deacon represents every complication in my life that I've been trying to avoid since I left the Army.
Everything is coming apart, no matter how hard I try to hold on. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be around him, day in and day out, and not lose my tenuous grip on reality.
I was wrong. I can't do this. Not alone.
He rubs the back of his neck, his T-shirt stretching tight over his biceps, distracting me from the aching silence between us. I have to smother the happy dance that's going on in my panties right now. Arms have always been my thing. And Deacon has really great arms.
I'm overtired. That's my story—about why my hormones are suddenly, deeply interested in a man I can no longer deny my feelings for—and I’m sticking to it.
"I don't really know how this doesn't get more awkward." His voice is deep and low.
"Oh, it can get plenty more awkward," I say dryly.
He grins sheepishly. "I guess it can. But we don't have to test this theory, do we?"
I look up at him. At the bright blue eyes that melted my willpower five years ago and the wide, full smile that filled my heart once upon a time. "No," I say softly. "I guess we don't."

********************

About Jessica Scott:

Jessica Scott is an Iraq war veteran, an active duty army officer and the USA Today bestselling author of novels set in the heart of America’s Army. She is the mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, and wife to a retired NCO.

She is the bestselling author of the Homefront series and the Falling series, both about soldiers and veterans adjusting to life after returning from the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. Her bestselling Falling series features soldiers integrating into life on college campuses.

She's also 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 Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

She's holds phd in morality in Sociology with Duke University and she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.
Jessica is also an active member of the Military Writers Guild.

Her debut novel Because of You launched the return of Random House's Loveswept digital imprint and launched the start of the ever popular contemporary military romance genre.

Connect with Jessica Scott online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Tsu / Goodreads

Review: After I Fall - Jessica Scott

Her entire life has been a lie. Being with Eli is the most honest thing she’s ever done.

Parker Hauser lives the perfect life and knows exactly where she's been and where she's going. Parker has to be perfect. Perfect grades, perfect body, perfect life.

Until she meets Eli Winter.

Eli throws her entire life into chaos when he denies her the one thing she wants from him.

One chance encounter stokes her desire for the man who refused to touch her and left her questioning everything.

When Parker tries to help his new business, the spotlight turns on Eli's military record. And the war he's tried to forget may destroy them both.

Falling Series:
Before I Fall
Break My Fall
After I Fall
Catch My Fall

Visit Jessica Scott's website for more information.

Review:
I've been wanting to read Eli's story ever since we met him in Before I Fall, the former officer has been a steady influence on both of the heroes from previous books. He runs the local bar and seems to collect wounded ex-soldiers and adopt them into his tribe where he can keep an eye on them. Eli is always watching out for other people and putting their needs first but he's very closed off about his own past and you just know he's keeping a lot of things to himself so I couldn't wait to get to know him better.

I'll admit I was nervous when I found out he was matched with Parker though, what we saw of her in After I Fall didn't exactly leave me with a good opinion of her. She came across as a typical spoilt rich girl, someone who had everything handed to her on a plate and who had no idea what it was like to live in the real world. I wasn't convinced I'd ever be able to root for them as a couple but I just love it when an author manages to change my opinion about a character and Jessica Scott definitely achieved that here. Yes Parker comes from money and she's never had to worry financially but you quickly realise that her life hasn't been a bed of roses. Her problems are very different to anything I've ever experienced but that doesn't make them any less difficult for her to cope with and she gave me a lesson in not judging someone by the size of their bank account!

I thought Eli and Parker made a great couple, they're both incredibly alone in different ways. Eli is surrounded by people that he cares for and who care for him in return but he always feels like he has to be the one protecting everyone else and he doesn't really let anyone know when he's the one who is struggling. Parker on the other hand has never had anyone put her first, her whole life is dictated by what her father wants from her, she has to look good and behave in appropriate ways to help him with his business contacts and she's even been forced into an engagement with a man she doesn't like because her father has chosen him as his future son-in-law. Eli is the first person to really listen to what Parker wants and to encourage her to follow her own dreams and in return Parker is there for Eli in ways that nobody else is. They fit so well together and have fabulous chemistry too.

If there is one thing I wanted to see a little more of it would have been more of what happened after Parker confronted Davis. I really would have loved an extra scene with her father that perhaps showed he cared for her after all but I guess that would probably have been a bit too much of a fairytale because he wasn't very likely to backdown after Parker chose to defy him. I enjoyed the brief appearances by previous characters from the series though and we get to see a lot of Eli's bar staff Deacon and Kelsey which I loved. I really can't wait to read their book later on this year - I need to know more about their previous history!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Spotlight: After I Fall - Jessica Scott

I love Jessica Scott's Falling series featuring young veterans who are trying to rebuild their lives after serving in the military. She creates such wonderfully realistic characters, characters who are flawed and damaged but who deeply deserve a happy ending! The stories in this series all work as stand alone but if you read them in order you'll enjoy spotting familiar faces in later books. I've already read After I Fall (watch out for my review being posted later today) but I'm excited to share more information with you here and I have some brilliant extracts too.

Her entire life has been a lie. Being with Eli is the most honest thing she’s ever done.
`
Parker Hauser lives the perfect life and knows exactly where she's been and where she's going. Parker has to be perfect. Perfect grades, perfect body, perfect life.

Until she meets Eli Winter.

Eli throws her entire life into chaos when he denies her the one thing she wants from him.

One chance encounter stokes her desire for the man who refused to touch her and left her questioning everything.

When Parker tries to help his new business, the spotlight turns on Eli's military record. And the war he's tried to forget may destroy them both.

Falling Series:
Before I Fall
Break My Fall
After I Fall
Catch My Fall (2017)

Readers who want an extended sample can download here:
Kindle: http://selz.co/Vksquq-Oz
epub: http://selz.co/E14id5-OG

Purchase links:
iBooks: http://jsscott.me/afterifall_ibks.html
Nook: http://jsscott.me/afterifall_nk.html
Kobo: http://jsscott.me/afterifall_kbo.html
Amazon: http://jsscott.me/afterifall_amz.html
Play: http://jsscott.me/afterifall_ply.html

Excerpts:

(Posted with permission of Jessica Scott)

Sexy Teaser 1:

She is on her knees in front of me. It is the most erotic thing I've ever seen in my life.

There is trust in that simple gesture. I cup her chin, stroking my thumb over her bottom lip. I can't look away. Her lips part, and I slide the tip in, just a little. Her mouth is soft and warm and wet. She closes around the edge of my thumb, sucking gently, so gently.

I ache in a way I haven't ached in forever. This touch, this complete surrender to the feelings of erotic, sensual caress.

There is nothing about this that will end well. We are from two very different worlds. And no matter how much I pretend to walk in hers, I'm only visiting. Trying to get funding to keep my business open. Trying to make a difference.

Trying to pretend that the things I do still matter.

But this afternoon, when she walked away, I couldn't let her go. I looked in her eyes and saw something there that called to me. That made me need to make her believe that she was touchable. That she was worth more than the people in her life had led her to believe.

And now she is on her knees in front of me. Waiting, unsure about what to do next. My brain may want her some other way, but my dick is perfectly happy to oblige her at the moment with just how she is.

I have lost control of this situation.

But then she reaches for my jeans, her palm sliding over my cock. She squeezes me, still sucking gently on my thumb. She traces the tip of her tongue over the edge as she pulls my belt open. Jesus, I'm a fucking goner.

The air is cool on my stomach as she pushes open my jeans. I can't move even if I wanted to. I need to see this through. I need to do this right.

But I can't fucking move. I can't blink. I don't want to forget a single moment of the erotic image of Parker on her knees in front of me.

She slides my erection out of my jeans, stroking me gently. Christ, I'm hard as fucking rock. It's everything I can do not to guide her lips to me. To urge her to put that beautiful mouth around the tip of my cock.

I thought I didn't want this? I fucking lied.

She drags her teeth over the edge of my thumb a moment before she releases me. I have nowhere to put my hands now.

I drop them by my sides. I am not in control here.

"Can I kiss you here?" she whispers, rubbing her thumb over the aching crown.

"Yes please." The words are strangled. A plea. She has me under her complete control.

I am completely still as she moves closer. Rubs her lips over the tip. A soft, gentle caress. I'm ready to fucking beg.

And then she opens, tracing her tongue over the edge before sucking me gently, so gently into her mouth.

It's heaven. Pure fucking heaven. Her touch is electric, like a thousand points of heat with every slide of her lips over my cock.

I close my eyes and fight the urge to move, to rock into her.

This…this is supposed to be for her but it's not. Because I am a selfish bastard who is just like a thousand other guys who won't turn down a beautiful woman on her knees.

I'm no saint.

But goddamn, Parker feels good. Touching me. Licking me. Sucking me. I am lost in her touch. Lost in the complete and total need to let her control this, let her take this wherever it will go.

She sucks me a little harder. A groan escapes me. My balls tighten, and I can't fight the urge to rock into her. Just a little.

I reach for her then, urging her to let me go. To stand. And when she does, I pull her against me, harder than I probably should, and kiss her. I'm too far gone at the moment to do anything but kiss her. To drink from her. To take all of her inside me in that single gesture.

"I don't want to come like this,” I whisper, nibbling on the edge of her meal.

"How then?"

"How do you want me?" A serious question. She needs to know that she's controlling things here. She gets to say how far we go. If we even finish. "Because right now? I'd sell the fucking bar to get you to agree to let me do terrible, forbidden things to your body.”

"What are you waiting for?"

I smile and rock against her a little more. "Those five little words."

And then she is on my sofa, her upper body braced on her palms. I capture her face in my palms and kiss her gently, lowering her until she is supported. Slowly, sipping on her lips. Savoring the taste of her. "Can I touch you here?" I slide my fingers down over the length of one of her arms. She makes a noise. "Say yes," I whisper near her ear.

"Yes."

"Can I touch you here?" I trace my fingertips over the edge of her ribs, just along the swell of her breast.

Her response is a huff against my lips. I smile. "Say yes."

"Yes."

I brush the back of my knuckles over the tight edge of one nipple. A shiver runs through her.

"Can I touch you here?" A slip of my fingers against her inner thigh.

She makes a sound. A whimper. Maybe a plea.

"I need you to say yes." I manage to get the words out. Barely. They are somewhere between a whisper and growl. It takes everything I have to restrain myself but this…this isn't for me. "Please say yes."

I slip my finger a little closer, running it gently, barely there, over the seam of her body.

Waiting, intensely and painfully hard, for her response.

Teaser 2:

Parker

"What do you want?" A murmured question that feels like a demand. The single word I need is lodged in my throat. It’s thick and heavy, filled with potential and promise.

"You," I finally say.

"Why?" Such a complicated question. I search his face, looking for an answer, a lie, something simple to fill the space left by his question.

I lift my hand, afraid he'll see it tremble. It takes every ounce of willpower I've got to slide my fingers over his forearm. I'm surprised by the raw power beneath my touch. I expected the tattoos to be physical manifestations of the violence on his flesh. His skin is hot and smooth. My hand looks pale and small against it.

"You seem…" I lift my eyes to his, never removing my hand. "You seem like a straightforward kind of guy."

A man with rough hands and dark ink carved into his skin. A man so unlike the men I'm used to, it's not even funny. I lift my hand to his cheek, just above the edge of his beard. I've never touched a man with facial hair before. He is still beneath my touch.

A moment before I'm about to press my palm to his cheek, he grips my wrist. Not hard enough to hurt, but he definitely gets my attention.

"Not here." I swallow. My mouth is suddenly dry. "Where?"

He jerks his chin toward the dark hallway behind us. I follow him silently, wishing he was already touching me, making me feel, letting me pretend I matter, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

He leads me through the maze of small tables and patrons at various stages of intoxication. Away from the noise and the smell of fries and smoke and cologne and all the good things that bars have.We step out of the noise and into shadows and silence. He doesn't pounce, doesn't push me against the wall and run those rough hands over my skin.

Instead, he leans against it—a casual, arrogant male.

Waiting. I know for what. For me to make the first move.

For me to step into the space between us. For me to touch him first. I want to. But I am paralyzed. Rooted to the damp concrete beneath my feet. The cool night air might as well be chains, holding me, restraining any thought or movement.

He doesn't move. His arms are folded over his broad, heavy chest, his T-shirt straining against his body. The silence hangs on, stretching and thick and tight.

"Scared?" he finally whispers. A dare. A terrible, wicked promise in that single word.

"Should I be?" My throat is tight and dry.

His answer is nothing I expect.

And everything I want.

Teaser 3:

PARKER

I needed to get out of my apartment and away from the creeping sadness that threatened to drown me if I stayed alone one more minute.

Tomorrow, I will find the owner of The Pint. Tomorrow I will figure out how to unfuck my life.

But right now, I’m standing in a closed-in space with a man who looks like a real-life rendition of Jason Momoa, and my panties are currently hosting their own episode of Celebration at the idea of standing just a little bit closer. I should be at the Baywater Country Club drinking top-shelf martinis and celebrating with Kylie and Bethany and Meaghan. But I can't see them tonight. For more than the obvious reasons.

I was planning on drinking myself stupid and forgetting everything about the last twenty-four hours in the human garbage fire that my life has become. It hurts and goddamn it, I'm tired of it hurting. I'm tired of being there for everyone else while I have to smile and look pretty.

Tonight? I thought I wanted the raw pulsing music and the bodies crushed together. I thought I wanted the contact. The distraction.

Don't make a fuss, Parker. Don't say anything to embarrass me, Parker.

What did you do to deserve it, Parker? Why didn’t you just do what he asked? Why do you always have to argue?

Anger crawls up my spine and squeezes my throat once more.

For once in my fucking life, I want someone to look at me and see me. Not my father's car, or my not-allowed-to-be-ex-boyfriend's tailored suits.

I want someone to see me. All of me.

I don’t know what I wanted when I left the apartment, but I think I may have just found it.

And the man standing next to me with the dark beard and dark eyes and terrifying tattoos seems like just the guy to take care of everything for a night.

Except that he might be a little too perceptive. I didn't plan on him seeing the bruises on my arm. Guess I need to rethink that career as a makeup artist if my graduate school plans don’t work out.

He's still watching me, a dark intensity in his eyes. An intensity that feels like a brushstroke over my skin.

I wonder what it would feel like to wake up wrapped in those massive arms, to feel those hands run over my skin while I sleep. What it feels like to be really touched instead of just positioned to receive.
My eyes burn, and I blink rapidly. I will not cry about the dumpster fire of my life and the garbage that surrounds me. I didn’t set out to solve anything tonight. I came out to escape. To try and find some release from the trapped air in my apartment.

Instead I think I’ve found a solution in search of a problem.

The Solution is a big man. Rough, too. The kind of man I would expect my father would call to lead the construction on a new project.

It’s his hands, though, that capture my attention. Big and flat and broad. They're a working man’s hands. Not polished. Not cupped in anger.

Just matter-of-fact hands. Hands that would be honest.

Hands that would feel like heaven on my skin.

I look up to find him watching me. I've never physically felt a look before this moment, this lazy caress of a man's gaze moving inch by inch over my skin.

I part my lips. Just enough that he notices. His nostrils flare.

"Careful, little girl." His voice is thick and deep and smooth. Like the gaze still trailing over my body.

"Or what?" I whisper. Kelsey’s voice slides through my brain.

This is foolish. Utterly stupid.

This is power.

And it is exactly what I need tonight. I need to feel needed. Wanted.

Tonight isn't about rational thought. It's about the opposite. About going in blind, completely on instinct.

"I'm not sure you want to find out."

But he has not moved away. He hasn't turned his back on me, and he hasn't dismissed me as some childish twat playing grownup.

God, but those words burn in my ears.

"Maybe I do."

The muscles in his neck bunch beneath the thick beard. "Do you always hit on random men at bars?"
I press my lips together and dare to take a single step closer. "Nope. You'd be my first."

He lifts one brow. "Oh yeah? What's the occasion?" He jerks his chin toward me. "It doesn't have to do with the bruises, does it?"

I lift my glass to my lips. Slowly I part them, letting the ice cube bounce off the tip of my tongue. When I lower it, his eyes are locked on my mouth. "No," I whisper. "It's got nothing to do with them."

Nothing and everything. But he doesn't need to know that. He only needs to take me some place and touch me.

Parker.

Me. I need him to see me.

He moves in then with a quickness that catches me off guard. In an instant, he is right there, right in my space. I can smell the faint, smoky scent of him. Something woodsy and spicy and smoky.

It's all I can do to stay still. To not back down from the challenge he presents in that single breath of space.

"What do you want?" His is a murmured question that feels like a demand.

The single word I need is lodged in my throat. It’s thick and heavy, filled with potential and promise.

"You," I finally say.

********************

About Jessica Scott:

Jessica Scott is an Iraq war veteran, an active duty army officer and the USA Today bestselling author of novels set in the heart of America’s Army. She is the mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, and wife to a retired NCO.

She is the bestselling author of the Homefront series and the Falling series, both about soldiers and veterans adjusting to life after returning from the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. Her bestselling Falling series features soldiers integrating into life on college campuses.

She's also 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 Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.

She's holds phd in morality in Sociology with Duke University and she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.
Jessica is also an active member of the Military Writers Guild.

Her debut novel Because of You launched the return of Random House's Loveswept digital imprint and launched the start of the ever popular contemporary military romance genre.

Connect with Jessica Scott online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Tsu / Goodreads

Review: Break My Fall - Jessica Scott

Violence.

I’m addicted to it. It’s how I feel alive. It’s the only thing that’s real any more.

And now I have to sit around and discuss it like it’s physics or calculus. I can’t do it. I can’t pretend that it’s some sterile academic topic. Violence isn’t sterile. It isn’t calm. It’s pulsing. It’s alive.

It’s my drug.

Until I met Abby, I never wanted anything beyond the next fight. Never considered that I might finally find a way back to the land of the living.

Now? Now I find myself dreaming of a woman with golden eyes.

But I can never be with her. Because I am not whole. And I never will be again.

But I cannot stay away.

And loving her might finally be what breaks me.

Falling Series:
Before I Fall
Break My Fall
After I Fall
Catch My Fall

Visit Jessica Scott's website for more information.

Review:
Jessica Scott writes stories about soldiers who have returned from war and are trying to settle back into life at home. You can tell she writes from experience and she captures the struggles they face perfectly so it is very easy to get inside her characters head's and feel everything right alongside them.

Josh spent two tours abroad and he's come home broken, he's not coping with the stress and is drinking far too much which doesn't help his anger issues so he's often getting into bar fights. He's trying to settle into college but he feels so different to all the other students and his PTSD makes it hard for him to even get to his classes let alone stay focused once he's there. Abby has had her heart broken before and she's determined to put all her energy into getting through college and coming out with good grades. She doesn't really have time or energy for a relationship but she wants to help Josh deal with his issues. Abby makes Josh want to be a better man but can he put the past behind him, deal with his anger and move on with his life?

I loved both the main characters in this story. Josh has been through a lot and is seriously messed up but he wants to deal with his problems and he slowly learns how to open up with Abby and his fellow ex-soldiers. I like that the author doesn't use falling in love as an instant fix for everything, he wants to do right by Abby but he still makes mistakes and has to work at making better decisions with his life. Abby is great too, she's been through her own version of hell and it's made her a strong and independent woman. I loved the friendship between her and her best friend and the way she supported him through his own difficult break up.

I think my main issue with the story was that things started to move quite quickly between Josh and Abby. That wouldn't normally bother me but knowing Abby's history made me find it really hard to believe that she wouldn't be more wary of Josh, especially since the first couple of times she meets him it's obvious he's been in a fight. Someone with experience of domestic abuse is much more likely to be wary of a violent drunk so even though Josh never, ever raises a finger towards Abby or threatens her in any way I just think she'd be more aware of the violence inside him and I think it would frighten her more. I could have totally got on board their friendship developing over a longer period and I do love them as a couple but I wanted things to happen a bit slower. Like I said please don't worry that Josh is an abusive partner because he really, really isn't and I wouldn't have felt so concerned if it hadn't been for Abby's background. This is an issue that's a little personal for me so I'm probably more sensitive to it than most readers will be and I'm sure others wouldn't even notice what I did.

I'm really enjoying this series, I love Jessica Scott's writing and I'm looking forward to Eli's story. He's been a great side character in the previous two books as a friend and almost mentor to both Noah and Josh and I can't wait to get to know him better.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

My Ten Most Anticipated Contemporary Romances for the First Half of 2017

The Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Andi's ABCS. As part of the challenge they are setting a different topic every month that participants can choose to join in with which I think is a brilliant idea so you can expect a post like this to appear at random most months throughout the year.

The January Prompt is:

Ten Most Anticipated Contemporary Romances for the First Half of 2017

(Links below will take you to the book's Goodreads Page)

1. For 100 Nights - Lara Adrian
2. Mastering Her Senses - Laura Kaye
3. Madly - Ruthie Knox
4. Crave Me - Cecy Robson
5. Rope 'Em - Delphine Dryden
6. Too Wilde To Tame - Tonya Burrows
7. Accidentally On Purpose - Jill Shalvis
8. After I Fall - Jessica Scott
9. Love in Lingerie - Alessandra Torre
10. It Started with a Kiss - Marina Adair

Are any of these books on your list? Which other contemporary romances should I be looking out for?

Underrated Contemporary Romance Books

The Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Gone with the Words and Love at First Page. As part of the challenge they are setting a different topic every month that participants can choose to join in with which I think is a brilliant idea so you can expect a post like this to appear at random most months throughout the year.

The May Prompt is:

Underrated Contemporary Romance Books

(Links below will take you to my reviews)

There are lots of books I want to shout to the world about and get everyone reading but in the end to try and narrow down my list a bit I decided to only include books with less than 5000 ratings on Goodreads (most of these books fall in around the 2-3K mark). I love all of these authors and would happily recommend any of their books, where stories are part of a series the book I've mentioned is the first one but more often than not I've read and loved them all. The Lara Adrian book is possibly a bit of a cheat as it was only released this week but it's still got less than 5K ratings, it's her first self published contemporary romance and I loved it so much that I really want to rave about it!

1. Ride With Me - Ruthie Knox
2. Before I Fall - Jessica Scott
3. Once Perfect - Cecy Robson
4. Rocky Ride - Vivian Arend
5. For 100 Days - Lara Adrian
6. Unbound - Cara McKenna
7. Come Back to Me - Mila Gray
8. Sexcapades - Christine d'Abo
9. Wrecked - Shiloh Walker
10. Cake - Lauren Dane

Have you read any of my choices? What books would be on your most underrated list?

My Favorite Contemporary Romance Tropes/Themes

The Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Gone with the Words and Love at First Page. As part of the challenge they are setting a different topic every month that participants can choose to join in with which I think is a brilliant idea so you can expect a post like this to appear at random most months throughout the year.

The March Prompt is:

My Favorite Contemporary Romance Tropes/Themes

(Links below will take you to my reviews)

Friends to Lovers

1. Once Pure - Cecy Robson
2. Before Jamaica Lane - Samantha Young
3. Wrecked - Shiloh Walker
4. Falling for His Best Friend - Katee Robert
5. Let it Ride - Vivian Arend
6. Rising Assets - Rebecca Zanetti

Brother's Best Friend / Best Friend's Brother

1. Dare to Resist - Laura Kaye
2. Rumour Has It - Jill Shalvis
3. Summer in Napa - Marina Adair
4. Come Back to Me - Mila Gray
5. Recipe for Seduction - Gina Gordon

Reunited Lovers

1. Once Loved - Cecy Robson
2. Wicked Games - Samanthe Beck
3. Tempted by the Soldier - Nicolette Day
4. Rescue My Heart - Jill Shalvis
5. Homefront - Jessica Scott

Reclusive / Loner Heroes

1. Ride With Me - Ruthie Knox
2. Unbound - Cara McKenna

Famous Heroes (Rock Star / Actor / Sportsman)

1. Rock Hard - Nalini Singh (Rugby Player)
2. Rock Addiction - Nalini Singh (Rock Star)
3. Lick - Kylie Scott (Rock Star)
4. Playing the Part - Robin Covington (Actor)
5. Hollywood Dirt - Alessandra Torre (Actor) - I'll be posting my review for this one very soon but the story is absolutely fantastic!

Forbidden Romances

1. Losing It - Cora Carmack (Teacher / Student)
2. Hard Time - Cara McKenna (Prisoner / Prison Librarian)

Geeky Heroes

1. Sexcapades - Christine d'Abo
2. Flirting With Disaster - Ruthie Knox
3. Playing for Her Heart - Megan Erickson
4. The Theory of Attraction - Delphine Dryden

Fake Relationships

1. One Night of Trouble - Elle Kennedy
2. Falling for the Marine - Samanthe Beck

Two Strangers who meet in the dark 

(who even knew this was a trope? I HAD to include it though since this is one of my favourite contemporary romance novels EVER!)

1. Hearts in Darkness - Laura Kaye

So those are some of my favourite romance tropes & some of my favourite contemporary romances. These are all books I've recommended to friends and most of these authors are firm favourites. Are there any books in these tropes that I've missed? I'm always looking for new books so recommendations are very welcome. Are there any tropes that you love that I've forgotten to mention?

Review: Come Home to Me - Jessica Scott

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU

From USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott comes an all new novella about a woman who came back from war changed and the man who loves her enough not to let her go.

All Major Patrick MacLean wanted was Christmas with the woman and child who were his family in everything but name. But Captain Samantha Egan has come back from the war a different woman than the one who left - and she doesn't know if she can love him anymore.

But neither of them counted on the determination of a little girl they both call daughter and if Natalie has her wish, her parents may have no idea what's coming for them. It's going to take Christmas miracle to bring these two wounded warriors back from the edge of a broken heart.

This story has been featured in Home For Christmas: A Holiday Duet with JoAnn Ross.

Homefront Series:
(This is a spin off from the Coming Home Series but can be read completely separately)
Come Home to Me (Novella, previously published with the title All I Want for Christmas is You)
Homefront
After the War
Forged in Fire

Coming Home Series:
I'll Be Home for Christmas (Novella)
Because of You
Anything for You (Short Story)
Back to You
Until There Was You
All for You
It's Always Been You

Visit Jessica Scott's website for more information.

Review:
Jessica Scott always writes such incredibly realistic military characters, it's so obvious that she puts part of her own experiences into her stories and that makes them feel all the more real. In Come Home to Me (which was previously published as All I Want for Christmas is You) we meet Captain Samantha Egan not long after she has returned home from a tour of duty where she saw her best friend die in front of her. She's grieving as well as suffering with PTSD and she isn't coping very well so she's packed up her daughter and moved back in with her parents looking for support.

Major Patrick MacLean may be the love of Sam's life but she doesn't know how to connect with him anymore so she finds it easier to walk away rather than try to deal with her issues. Patrick isn't about to give up on the woman he loves though, he knows exactly what she's going through and he knows that burying her head in the sand will only make it worse.

I'm not going to say too much more about the plot but this was a really emotional story about finding your way back to yourself and the people you love. Jessica Scott makes it very easy to feel exactly what both of the characters are going through and you can't help but root for them to make things work. This i perfect Christmas read that shows what's really important in life and it's a great introduction to the author's writing since it's the start of her Homefront series.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Homefront - Jessica Scott

He's always loved her . . .

First Sergeant Gale Sorren waited a war and half a lifetime for a chance to get stationed near the ex-wife who left him years ago. When he finally musters the courage to see her, the life he imagined she was living was nothing close to the reality.

She's never stopped loving him . . .

Melanie never stopped worrying about Gale each time he headed off to war. But he's never been there when she needed him and she's had fifteen years to steel her heart against him.

But when Gale moves to Fort Hood, he finally has a chance to make things right with Melanie and the daughter she raised without him.

Can Mel trust her heart to a man who has always let her down?

Homefront Series:
(This is a spin off from the Coming Home Series but can be read completely separately)
Come Home to Me (Novella, previously published with the title All I Want for Christmas is You)
Homefront
After the War
Forged in Fire

Coming Home Series:
I'll Be Home for Christmas (Novella)
Because of You
Anything for You (Short Story)
Back to You
Until There Was You
All for You
It's Always Been You

Visit Jessica Scott's website for more information.

Review:
I love Jessica Scott's Coming Home series so I was really excited to find out she was writing a spin off and couldn't wait to read Homefront. Although you'll spot some familiar faces if you've read the previous stories each full length novel focuses on a different couple and works really well as a stand alone. I've loved all of the books I've read by this author though and would happily recommend any of them!

Homefront is a story about second chances, it's about reconnecting with old loves, letting go of past mistakes and forgiving people for the hurt they've caused. It's about rebuilding trust and focusing on the future you always wanted but never expected to have. Mel and Gale were young when they fell in love and married, they were crazy about each other but the pressures of a new baby and Gale's long deployments overseas tore them apart. Mel felt that Gale was never there for her when she needed him and decided she would be better off alone but she never stopped loving him and was never able to move on and start a new relationship. Gale never meant to let Mel leave him without a fight but spending so much time downrange didn't give him much of a chance to talk her around. He never felt worthy of her anyway and came to the conclusion that she was better off without him.

Now, 15 years later, Gale has been assigned to Fort Hood and is living near his wife and daughter for the first time in years. He is determined to take the opportunity to reconnect with the woman he never forgot and to build a relationship with his daughter but it's not going to be easy to convince them that he is home for good and that he wants to be a solid presence in their lives. Things haven't been easy for Mel and her daughter, Jamie is a troubled teen with a lot of issues to deal with and their mother/daughter relationship is very strained. I actually found this side of the story quite hard to read at times because it reminded me so much of the issues my mother and I had when I was Jamie's age but that just shows how realistic the writing is and how much I connected with the characters.

Mel isn't used to Gale being someone she can rely on, in the past whenever she has needed him the army has got in the way but now Gale is making a determined effort to be there to support her and she realises how much she enjoys having him around. I absolutely loved seeing them reconnect, they obviously had a deep and long lasting love between them but they realised that they had both made mistakes in the past. They were able to talk through their issues though and find ways to get past previous hurt and disappointment. They are a great couple with fantastic chemistry and a deep respect for each other. Seeing them working as a united front against Jamie was great and I enjoyed the added emotional pull of seeing Jamie's relationship with each of her parents slowly improve throughout the story.

Homefront was a great start to this series, it was great to catch up with a few familiar faces but what I enjoyed most was spending time with this little family and watching them put their lives back together so I hope we get to see more of them in the next few books. After the War is definitely at the top of my wish list.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle: