About the Book
Loving the Soldier
Nurse Kirsten Bailey places her family
above all else. She refuses to give former army medic Brady Hewitt any
leeway for being weeks late in visiting his ill grandmother. But Brady
has a good excuse, and he's eager to show the pretty nurse that first
impressions aren't always right. While working with Brady to care for
his grandmother and two orphaned boys, Kirsten realizes that his charm
and kindness aren't an act. But Kirsten plans on doing missionary work
abroad, and she's determined not to fall for the engaging soldier. Could
the man she once dismissed be the one to make her stay forever?
This book was released in July 2015
This is a well loved library book that was used for review
My Review
“Nursing the Soldier's
Heart” by Merrillee Whren is the second book in her 'Village of
Hope' series but is a stand alone book for these are two new
characters and a few characters from the first book in a background
kind of way. This is a sweet and tender book that shows second
chances are all around us if we are willing to reach out and grab a
hold of them, and that second chances are not just with love as in
the first book “Second Chance Reunion” but at happiness and life
with loved ones.
Lately I have been
struggling getting through reading books, for I go in cycles of
reading Amish, Historical, and Contemporary, but lately nothing seems
all that interesting, but this book was able to keep my interest.
The struggle within the
book, was internal without a doubt for one was struggling to move
forward when a door closed while the other was struggling with where
they belonged period. I guess in a way both of them were trying to
figure out where their futures lay after their past didn't work out
they way they hoped. One was learning a better way of living and the
other was struggling with hopes, plans and dreams not working out the
way they wanted them to.
Sadly, I was a bit
disappointed for there is one character who frankly seemed a little
flatter than the other. I am not sure if that is the best word for
it but I couldn't think of anything else for there is something in
this character's past that they really avoided talking or even
thinking about at all cost, which I think that if at least the
readers were able to see this part of the character, it would have
explained so much about this character. As it is, I personally
didn't understand the motives for holding themselves back part of who
they were but yet be so determined to win a challenge. I think if I
had more information then things would have been so much sweeter and
tender when emotions finally won out.
Kirsten is a woman who is
loves her family with all of her heart and it is because of her
family that she has made some of the decisions she has made. Her
heart is pretty much worn on the sleeve of her shirt but at the same
time she is determined to protect her heart as much as she can. She
seems to have so much energy for she is doing this or that for other
people, but she makes time for those who matter the most to her.
Brady is a man who oozes
charm in everything he does, with a bad boy look to him. That is one
thing that really disappointed me is the picture of him on the cover
for I got the impression that he had quite a few tattoos on his arms
yet they are not present on the cover. Even though apparently he has
this bad boy look to him, there is a heart purer than gold under it
all for he too is willing to do whatever he can in order to help
others even when a lot of the helping others had a motive under all
that. I got the impression frankly that even without the motive he
would have been there helping out so I didn't hold the motives
against him.
There are some pretty
important secondary characters who had a whole other level to the
whole story. Those secondary characters are Cora (we first met her
in “Second Chance Reunion”), Tyler and Zach. Each of them play a
pretty big part between their dreams and matchmaking and why they are
in the story in the first place. I wont give away who does what for
they did help with the story.
As I said this book kept
my interest though nothing really has had me in such grips that I
lost track of all time and only an emergency would have me put the
book down for some time. Because it was a new book that kept my
interest (lately been rereading books I love since I know they will
keep my interest) I am so glad that I picked up this book at the
library. It may have come out last month and I have put off reading
it a couple of weeks, I am glad that I did. I love the idea of The
Village of Hope and wish that there really was a place like that
around for oh what it could do for a community. I love all the
second chances that seem to be around The Village of Hope, at love,
at family, at independence, and so much more.
I would recommend this
book to all who are looking for a book on second chances beyond a
second chance of a love from the past, for those who are looking for
something uplifting and who just want romance that is a bit of
struggle to get there. This is a book really worth picking up and
look forward to reading more books in the future around The Village
of Hope.
Other Books in the "The Village of Hope" series
by Merrillee Whren
