Until There Was You (Coming Home 2) by Jessica Scott Review

Until There Was You (Coming Home 2) by Jessica Scott-Adult Contemporary/Military Romance

Kindle format given by author for review

He plays by the rules, she’s not afraid to break them. Now these two strong-willed army captains will prove that opposites attract . . .
A by-the-book captain with a West Point background, Captain Evan Loehr refuses to mix business with pleasure—except for an unguarded instance years ago when he succumbed to the deep sensuality of redheaded beauty Claire Montoya. From that moment on, though, Evan has been at odds with her, through two deployments to Iraq and back again. But when he is asked to train a team prepping for combat alongside Claire, battle-worn Evan is in for the fight of his life.
Strong, gutsy, and loyal, Captain Claire Montoya has worked hard to earn the rank on her chest. In Evan, Claire sees a rigid officer who puts the rules before everything else—including his people. When the mission forces them together, Claire soon discovers that there is more to Evan than meets the eye.

He’s more than the rank on his chest; he’s a man with dark secrets and deep longings. For all their differences, Evan and Claire share two crucial passions: their country and each other.

My Take:

Ok, I'll be honest. This is a hard review for me to write. It hurts me to say that. I really enjoyed Because of You, so I assumed I would connect with the characters in a similar way. I'm not saying there weren't things I liked about this book, but I just didn't feel as involved in the story. I know this sounds negative, but I want to get this part out of the way first and end on a positive note.

I'll start with Claire. The fact is, if I can't connect with the female lead, I have trouble. The strange thing about Claire, was that I liked her at the beginning, but she lost me somewhere in between. She's got some issues from her past that she needs to deal with and she has an unhealthy friendship that impacts her life and career. Towards the end of the story, once her walls start falling, I began to like her. I think Evan was good for her and I was happy to see her let him in.

Evan is a good guy. He's also somewhat guarded, but I attached to his character more than I did with Claire. He also has had a difficult past that he hides from. He puts his career first and doesn't make time for anything else. Once he meets Claire, he starts to think he may be able to open his heart again and begin to love someone. 

I think one of the reasons I struggled a bit with this book is that it's a bit heavy on the military. I have no issue with that, but since I have no military experience, nor have I been around it much, there were parts that I lost interest. I would have preferred more romance. There was a lot of teasing and lead in to the romance that was pretty steamy. Those parts were great. 

Even though Because of You  and Until There Was You are in the same series, you could read Until There Was You as a stand alone. There is no connection to the other characters. I will say that I am anxious to read more about the Carponti's and Laura and Trent. Those characters are from Because of You and I believe both couples will each have a book. 

I enjoy Jessica Scott's writing style. She gives you a clear picture of the setting and the characters. With her military experience, she definitely gives a realistic view on the military lifestyle. 

While I would have preferred more romance, I'd still recommend this book. I did like it, it just didn't wow me. If you are a fan of military romance, then I highly recommend this book. 

You can see an excerpt HERE.

Amazon|B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway