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A review by annica_reads_books
Heartbreak Warfare by Kate Stewart, Heather M. Orgeron
4.0
There's absolutely no way I can share my thoughts on this book without spoilers, so here we go:
First, I want to stress that I liked this book. The writing style definitely worked for me, and I loved the military setting and the PTSD representation in this story. I also loved both male protagonists, Gavin and Briggs. I'm also happy with the ending of the story.
Ultimately, my reason for knocking this book down a star is the female protagonist, Katy.
Love triangle tropes are a tough sell. I like them, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm hyper-critical of the person in the middle of the love triangle, choosing between two love interests. And I was not sold on Katy.
Katy and Briggs meet while deployed, and Katy's husband Gavin (a military captain) is at home watching their son. From the moment Katy and Briggs met, I felt that they were set up to eventually hook up and that Katy would cheat on her husband, Gavin. Katy and Briggs cross the line and have what I would consider moments of infidelity before Katy and Briggs are thrown into a traumatic event where they are both held captive. From that point, Katy and Briggs bonded further over the trauma of what happened. Katy then decides to return home to her husband Gavin and her son, even after Briggs expresses his feelings for her and lays it all out on the line.
If Katy and Briggs had not had those moments prior to their captivity, I would chalk Katy's toxic behavior toward Gavin up to PTSD. And while I know that a lot of her reactions and self-destructive behavior were because of that, I'm not sold that all of it was because of Katy’s infatuation with Briggs before they were ambushed. Once home in Texas, Katy made some really dumb decisions and seemed to want to "have her cake and eat it too," all while hurting both Gavin and Briggs (and her son) in the process.
I want to stress that I really liked both Gavin and Briggs. I liked Briggs's personality, and how forward he was with Katy, while also respecting her boundaries and her wishes. And I also loved Gavin's self-respect and boundaries as well once he realized that the wedge in his marriage was really due to the fact that Katy was in love with another man the whole time.
First, I want to stress that I liked this book. The writing style definitely worked for me, and I loved the military setting and the PTSD representation in this story. I also loved both male protagonists, Gavin and Briggs. I'm also happy with the ending of the story.
Ultimately, my reason for knocking this book down a star is the female protagonist, Katy.
Love triangle tropes are a tough sell. I like them, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm hyper-critical of the person in the middle of the love triangle, choosing between two love interests. And I was not sold on Katy.
Katy and Briggs meet while deployed, and Katy's husband Gavin (a military captain) is at home watching their son. From the moment Katy and Briggs met, I felt that they were set up to eventually hook up and that Katy would cheat on her husband, Gavin. Katy and Briggs cross the line and have what I would consider moments of infidelity before Katy and Briggs are thrown into a traumatic event where they are both held captive. From that point, Katy and Briggs bonded further over the trauma of what happened. Katy then decides to return home to her husband Gavin and her son, even after Briggs expresses his feelings for her and lays it all out on the line.
If Katy and Briggs had not had those moments prior to their captivity, I would chalk Katy's toxic behavior toward Gavin up to PTSD. And while I know that a lot of her reactions and self-destructive behavior were because of that, I'm not sold that all of it was because of Katy’s infatuation with Briggs before they were ambushed. Once home in Texas, Katy made some really dumb decisions and seemed to want to "have her cake and eat it too," all while hurting both Gavin and Briggs (and her son) in the process.
I want to stress that I really liked both Gavin and Briggs. I liked Briggs's personality, and how forward he was with Katy, while also respecting her boundaries and her wishes. And I also loved Gavin's self-respect and boundaries as well once he realized that the wedge in his marriage was really due to the fact that Katy was in love with another man the whole time.