Only Love (Only Love #1) by Garrett Leigh
What it’s about The diagnosis of a chronic stomach condition leaves thirty-two-year-old Sergeant Jed Cooper with little choice but to call time on his Army career. Then on the dusty streets of Kirkuk, an ambush gone tragically wrong decimates his team, and he returns to the US with a shattered leg and the memory of his best friend dying in his arms.
Life in his sleepy hometown proves intolerable until he finds solace in a lakeside cabin with vivacious young carpenter, Max O’Dair. In the shadow of the epilepsy that periodically plagues Max, he and Jed form an unspoken bond. After a late night episode, Jed realizes how much Max means to him, and life has taught him not to waste time.
But the lines between contentment and complacency are blurred. Things left hidden resurface to tear through their world, and before they can repair the damage, death comes to call again. Faces, past and present, rally around them to weather the storm, but before long, they are left with only love.
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KindleRomance’s Review 4 Stars!
War and violence didn't destroy them, but it caused a lot of damage to their lives. Can these two people open their hearts to love and finally find peace and happiness?
Max suffers from serious seizures caused by an incident in his past. He's now living down the street from his sister in a private cottage. His adorable dog helps him get by, and he's a generally happy, albeit lonely, person. Jed Cooper is home from the war recovering from a serious injury. He is also trying to determine how to live with the permanent illness he acquired during the war. He's extremely quiet and really doesn't talk very much. He needs a place to live, but staying with his brother, who happens to be married to Max's sister, isn't working out. However, since him and Max seem to get along pretty well, they decide to become roommates.
This was not an easy story to read. Both of these guys suffered through some serious trauma. Through flashbacks, we got a pretty good idea of the details and they weren't pleasant. It felt very realistic and had my heart breaking thinking about the people risking their lives for their countries every day. At the same time, neither of the guys expressed self-pity. They accepted their lives for what they were and made the most of it. There was plenty of family and friend drama, but it was also enjoyable to see the support that they provided to each other. I also liked watching Jed spend time with his nieces since he was such a great uncle.
There were two things I struggled with related to the story. Since Jed hardly talked, it was really hard to buy into his relationship with Max. There were barely any deep conversations between the two of them. This lead to the second issue of feeling like I was reading two separate stories where the characters sometimes spoke with each other.
This was a very touching story about a veteran trying to return to civilian life and enjoy the love of a good man.
*A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
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