Series: Tallgrass (Book 4)
Sergeant First Class Avi Grant's return to Tallgrass,
Oklahoma is a long-deferred wish come true. With her final tour in Afghanistan
over, Avi can focus on her future-a job here at home and a family of her own.
There's just one thing she has to do first: visit her beloved commanding
officer's widow and share her grief. The last thing she expected was to feel an
instant attraction to the woman's son. Too bad the sexy surgeon is impossible
to ignore . . . and even harder to resist.
The sting of his parents' divorce still niggles at Ben
Noble. So when a warm, funny, and beautiful young sergeant arrives, mourning
his stepfather's loss as strongly as his mother does, Ben can't help but feel
conflicted. If his parents taught him anything, it's that love doesn't last-especially
with a career soldier. But try as he might to keep his distance, Ben begins to
see that Avi-and the spark she brings to his life-is the stuff forever is made
of. As Avi's leave ticks away, can Ben convince her to take a chance on forever
with him?
In the previous book, A Love to Call Her Own, we met
Patricia and Ben. Patricia is the newest member of the widows group, the
Tuesday Night Margarita Club. Ben is her estranged son. He is a surgeon who
lives in nearby Tulsa. In the previous book he began to reconnect with his
mother, after his stepfather's death. He comes to Tallgrass on weekends to see
if she needs anything. Their relationship is slowly improving, though still
somewhat strained. He still resents that she left his father, sisters and him
to marry George, and pretty much ignored them for years.
Avi is a soldier home on a month's leave. Her
grandparents lived in Tallgrass and her parents recently moved there. George
had been a good friend of her parents and a mentor and role model for her. She
had been serving with him in Afghanistan when he was killed, and it was one
more death on top of others that have left her hurting. One of the first things
she plans to do is visit Patricia. She does not expect to meet Ben.
The attraction between Ben and Avi is immediate. Neither
one is particularly happy about it at
first. Avi knows she only has one month in Tallgrass before she returns to
Georgia and her next duty assignment. Getting involved with a man who is rooted
in Oklahoma would not be smart. Ben certainly isn't looking to get involved
with someone in the army. First, he associates the army with his mother's
desertion of the family. Second, he has no desire to uproot his own life and
leave his practice and his sisters behind.
I liked the development of their relationship. They
acknowledged the attraction and were honest with each other about their future
plans. Avi has eight years left in the army before she retires. She likes what
she does and plans to stay. She wants a family of her own, and hopes to find
someone that's right for her. Ben is clear on his plans to stay in Oklahoma. They
make the decision to spend time together anyway. They know their relationship
has an "expiration date" but spend as much time together as they can.
I loved seeing how much fun they had together. Though they don't always see eye
to eye on everything, there are no major disagreements between them. I
especially loved seeing how Avi's relationship with Patricia and George, and
sharing memories of him, helps Ben deal with some of the resentment he still
had. As the days went on Ben and Avi both realized that their feelings were
growing far deeper than they had planned. I ached for them both as it looks
like there is no way for them to be together. Avi has no real choice, as she
still has at least two years before she could get out, even if she wanted to.
Ben I wanted to shake a few times, because it would be so easy for him to pick
up and go. I loved the heart to heart conversation with Patricia that makes him
think about his future without Avi, and his sisters' two cents that seal the
deal. His big moment at the end was great.
I loved the realism of the life of the military people
and their families in Tallgrass. The good is shown with the bad, such as the
depth of the friendships and the support that is always there. There is also
the bad, such as the deaths, injuries, and mental problems. We were introduced
to Calvin Sweet, another Tallgrass native, who is having trouble dealing with the
memories that have built up over the years. A heartbreaking and scary moment
with him is an excellent lead-in to the next book. I also liked seeing more of
Lucy and Joe, who are good friends. It becomes increasingly clear that Joe
would like more than just friendship, but Lucy is blind to it.
There are also some wonderfully fun moments to lighten
the mood. The post-it notes that Avi's mom leaves around the house for her were
great. I loved her parents' attitude toward Avi and Ben's relationship,
accompanied by a terrific scene with Ben's mom the night before Avi leaves to
return to Georgia. My heart melted when
Avi went to the animal shelter with her mom and came home with a new friend.
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