True North #1: Finding Home by Allie Juliette Mousseau
True North Book 1 Finding Home Livie and Jake
Synopsis:
"When you're lost... True North" The North brothers were hell on wheels-adrenaline-junky bad boys. You’d think they had a death wish – every one of them – but they didn’t really, they just got off on the thrill of pushing every limit, that gravity or any other force told them they couldn’t conquer. What they weren't prepared for were the women that would steal their hearts.
Livie Morrisey is dreading seeing Jake after his heroic homecoming from Afghanistan. She's been in love with Jake North since she was a little girl, but he's three-and-a-half years older than her and her big brother’s best friend. She was always nothing but the off-limits little sister – until the night before Jake left for the Army, when he'd given her her first kiss. They'd kept in touch for a year, but once Jake was deployed to Afghanistan, he'd cut off contact suddenly and she'd never heard from him again.
For the past three years Livie has kept herself distracted with homework and her university studies, but now Jake's going to be up close and personal. And Livie can’t decide if tonight's finally the night to prove to Jake she’s all grown up or the night she should let him go forever.
Review:
True North: Finding Home was a good read even though there were parts that annoyed me. Livie and Jake's story was really sweet, though at times too easy. Livie has always loved Jake. He is her older brother's best friend so she knows she is just the little sister. Jake used to sneak into her room and they would talk all night. It was magical for her and she loved it, though they never did anything more. Then the night before Jake leaves for the army he tells her how he feels and gives her her first kiss. So sweet, but he leaves the next day for the army. They keep in touch for a bit until one day he suddenly stops writing.
The book picks up when Jake first comes home. There is a party that everyone in town is invited to and Livie is really nervous to see Jake again. I mean what if he has moved on? What if he has someone else? She still loves him, but she is also hurt that he cut her off like that. Everyone keeps telling her that Jake is different, but she just doesn't seem to get it. He seems to still like her, but he freaks out at times and is having a hard time being back. When he really freaks out Livie just shuts down and is all me me me with the thing. She can't see that Jake is suffering and might have come back from Afghanistan with some issues that he has not been able to deal with. She doesn't even think maybe he has PTSD or anything. She quickly realizes that he might have come back different than when he left and then oh, then they were so great together.
I haven't read very many military romances or many romances where someone has come back from a war or anything and I did really enjoy that part of the story, though it seemed too easy. It seemed like it wasn't that bad as you didn't really get to see all of the issues Jake had. You were told he woke up with nightmares and stuff, but it just...I wish it would have been more. I did like the discussion of how we don't really help our vets when they come back and how it is hard to get the help you need while you are still in the military and such. It is quite upsetting as these men and women go and risk their lives and they don't get repaid very well for their service.
The other issue? Livie's dad and home life. She sometimes has issues, but seems fine the rest of the time. The whole scene with her dad at the end just didn't make sense. Up until that point she never seemed like she would make poor decisions like that or really care that much. The bigger issues in the story were told to the reader, but never really shown through the characters. That was my main issue with the book. Still I enjoyed the story and liked both Jake and Livie. Was it the best book ever? No, but I enjoyed it enough to look for the second book in the series.
Rating: ★ ★ ★1/2
The book picks up when Jake first comes home. There is a party that everyone in town is invited to and Livie is really nervous to see Jake again. I mean what if he has moved on? What if he has someone else? She still loves him, but she is also hurt that he cut her off like that. Everyone keeps telling her that Jake is different, but she just doesn't seem to get it. He seems to still like her, but he freaks out at times and is having a hard time being back. When he really freaks out Livie just shuts down and is all me me me with the thing. She can't see that Jake is suffering and might have come back from Afghanistan with some issues that he has not been able to deal with. She doesn't even think maybe he has PTSD or anything. She quickly realizes that he might have come back different than when he left and then oh, then they were so great together.
I haven't read very many military romances or many romances where someone has come back from a war or anything and I did really enjoy that part of the story, though it seemed too easy. It seemed like it wasn't that bad as you didn't really get to see all of the issues Jake had. You were told he woke up with nightmares and stuff, but it just...I wish it would have been more. I did like the discussion of how we don't really help our vets when they come back and how it is hard to get the help you need while you are still in the military and such. It is quite upsetting as these men and women go and risk their lives and they don't get repaid very well for their service.
The other issue? Livie's dad and home life. She sometimes has issues, but seems fine the rest of the time. The whole scene with her dad at the end just didn't make sense. Up until that point she never seemed like she would make poor decisions like that or really care that much. The bigger issues in the story were told to the reader, but never really shown through the characters. That was my main issue with the book. Still I enjoyed the story and liked both Jake and Livie. Was it the best book ever? No, but I enjoyed it enough to look for the second book in the series.
Rating: ★ ★ ★1/2
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