It's quite a realistic story, I found it emotional at times, real problems and no easy solutions. ( )

Gale and Melanie married young, had a child and were torn apart by the demands of a life in the military. Years later Gale has fought to be stationed closer to Melanie and his daughter so that he might still have a chance to be a father before it is too late.

This was a good story. The struggles of being a family in the military are real and this book showed some aspects of that. The characters were written realistically and were allowed to be flawed. I would recommend this book. ( )

It was easy to look at him sitting across from her at her kitchen table and embrace the fantasy man in uniform that so many pined for. But the reality of loving a man in uniform was so much harder. It was long nights without phone calls; it was missed births and birthdays.
It was acceptance of being alone and sharing this man with the army. And the army was a demanding mistress.

Rarely do I get to read such a real story as this, Homefront is the first in its series and readers are going to need to strap in because it packs quite an emotional punch. As the title suggests this story is about the home front, no terrorists, bombs, or adrenaline pumping chase scenes but rather dark, deep, and in the trenches emotional toil. Melanie is a character that women married to military members are going to deeply connect with. The fear, frustration, and loneliness she feels had me wanting to reach through the pages and hold her hand. In the military there are a set of clearly defined rules, regulations, and operations for how to do things, not so in civilian life and what makes Gale slowly but surely escape into his job. Homefront, is a deeply moving look into a military family's life.

Full review can be read at: Reading Between the Wines book club ( )

Homefront brings the war home in this new series from Jessica Scott. Some tough issues are tackled throughout this book of the men and women who return home with anger issues, drug addiction, anxiety attacks and even child abuse.

As with most of the books this author writes she doesn’t pull any punches in showing us the darker side of military life. Each man or woman comes back with their demons and its up to them on how hard they are going to work on them or not. Its taken First Sergeant Gale Sorren over 16 years to finally try and right the wrong he did in putting his military career above his wife and daughter. During that time his wife divorced him and daughter took a trip to self mutilation land which landed her in the hospital. Now he is finally stationed in the same town that they live in and hopes to be able to repair his relationship with both of them.

Melanie and Gale were teenage lovers who got married so young and then she got pregnant right away but ended up having to raise her daughter on her own. She divorced Gale but it wasn’t because she didn’t love him it was because he loved Army more than he did his family. She has done her best to raise her daughter but now that she is a teenager and with the past scare of her cutting mother and daughter are at constant odds. So when Gale first shows up and suddenly wants to be a father she has a little bit of resentment to work through first. Its not long though before she sees that two parents carrying the load is far better than one.

Along with the family drama the Sorren family and Gale and Melanie trying to work at a second chance we get plenty of time at Fort Hood and Teague and Iaconelli (from previous books) are also stationed here. There is a side plot that interwoven that involves another soldier and his son that heartbreaking.

I really enjoyed this first book of the series and looking forward to Sarah and Holly’s story, who we briefly meet in this book.
( )

Love this author so much and this fantastic book is her latest. Trust me, if you've read her books before or not you won't be disappointed. In this book we get a good look at what difficulties a military family has to endure. Though the both still loved each other neither was strong enough to keep their young family together. Now, fourteen years later Gale Sorren has finally gotten stationed near his ex wife and daughter and he plans to do everything in his power to piece that family back together.

This is a definite must read, I highly recommend it. ( )