Review: This Is One Moment by Mila Gray

Summary:

Didi Monroe’s waited her whole life for the type of romance you see in the movies, so when Hollywood heartthrob Zac Ridgemont sweeps her off her feet, Didi believes she might finally have met the one.

While Zac’s away filming for the summer, Didi begins her internship at a military hospital in California. There, she meets wounded Marine Noel Walker.

Frustrated on the outside and broken on the inside, Walker’s a pain-in-the-ass patient who refuses all help.

Yet Didi can’t help but be drawn to him, and though he’s strictly out of bounds it soon becomes impossible to ignore the sparks flying between them.

As the attraction simmers into dangerous territory, Didi finds herself falling hard for a man she knows is going to break her heart. Because Walker doesn’t believe in love or happy ever afters. So what possible future can there be?

Then tragedy hits, shattering both their worlds, and Didi is forced to choose between fighting for love or merely falling for the illusion of it.

Publication Date: September 10, 2015

I read This Is One Moment because I really loved the author’s previous novel in the series called Come Back to Me. And although I enjoyed the story of Kit and Jessa in the first book, I fell madly in love with Didi and Walker. Although I gave the first book close to five stars, This Is One Moment was a five-star plus read!

The setup was unlike anything I read before: Didi is a psychology intern at a military hospital where Noel Walker is recuperating. Walker has been through hell and is one of only two survivors of a vicious military attack. Although Walker is physically wounded, his emotional scars are much worse. Didi is a very empathetic person and she really makes an effort to help Walker despite his efforts to push her away.

The romance was epic in this one. Walker and Didi have so many obstacles to overcome and I really wasn’t sure if they would end up together. Walker was such a complex character and I liked that the story wasn’t just about the romance, but also about Walker coming to terms with his inability to save all of his men. Like the previous book, the novel touches upon PTSD in a very insightful way. Didi could be a frustrating character at times, especially in regards to her relationship with the movie star, but the love triangle did create some extra tension in the story.

This Is One Moment is an absolute must read! I loved everything about it and the ending was perfect. Although Come Back to Me is a great book, you can definitely read this novel as a standalone.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Come Back to Me by Mila Gray

Summary:

In this heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, a young Marine and his best friend’s sister plunge into a forbidden love affair while he’s home on leave.

When a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door, Jessa’s heart breaks—someone she loves is dead. Killed in action, but is it Riley or Kit? Her brother or her boyfriend…

Three months earlier, Marine Kit Ryan finds himself back home on leave and dangerously drawn to his best friend Riley’s sister, Jessa—the one girl he can’t have. Exhausted from fighting his feelings, Kit finally gives in, and Jessa isn’t strong enough to resist diving headfirst into a passionate relationship.

But what was just supposed to be a summer romance develops into something far greater than either of them expected. Jessa’s finally found the man of her dreams and Kit’s finally discovered there’s someone he’d sacrifice everything for.

When it’s time for Kit to redeploy, neither one is ready to say goodbye. Jessa vows to wait for him and Kit promises to come home to her. No matter what.

But as Jessa stands waiting for the Marine Chaplain to break her heart, she can’t help but feel that Kit has broken his promise…

Riley or Kit? Kit or Riley? Her brother or her boyfriend? Who’s coming home to her?

Publication Date: December 8, 2015

Military romances have been a new type of novel I’ve been reading lately and I’m really enjoying the drama and heartache involved in the stories. Come Back to Me drew me in from the first page and I couldn’t stop reading to see what would happen with these characters I began to fall in love with.

Kit and Jessa were very sweet characters. Jessa is very innocent and sheltered and Kit is the first guy who catches her eye. They have a forbidden romance because Jessa is the sister of Kit’s best friend Riley. Also, Jessa’s dad doesn’t like Kit and her dad is very difficult to live with because of his own issues with PTSD.

I liked reading from the perspective of a girl who is surrounded by military men. The author did a good job of portraying the heartbreak of not knowing if the man you are falling in love with will make it back home alive. The prologue is a tearjerker and that tension over whether Riley or Kit will be a war casualty is present throughout the story.

The romance was very slow building and it worked for the story. I liked that Kit was a nice guy but his character didn’t always grab me in the same way Jessa’s did. I did enjoy how committed they seemed to one another early on and how they tried to see each other as much as possible before Kit’s deployment.

The ending was very emotional and gut wrenching. The author has a great writing style and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!