Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

 Deep End by Ali Hazelwood with Thérèse Plummer (Narrator), Ben Holtzmuller (Narrator), 13 hrs. 45 min. (443 pages) 

"Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

 Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes. 

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water…"--Provided by publisher

Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite contemporary romance writers and this book's emotion-evoking storyline proves why. The open-door romance of this book can be a lot, but the emotional tether between these characters, whether they be romantic, friendship, or familial, was very well-written. 

Dark Night by Paige Shelton

Dark Night by Paige Shelton--390 pages

3rd in the Alaska Mystery series.  Beth who is an author is hiding from a man who kidnapped her and left her for dead.  She has moved to a remote area in Alaska where she feels safe.  Only a few people there know her real story.  While there she has become an amateur sleuth and is very helpful in helping the sheriff solve murders.  I love this series and am looking forward to reading #4 "Winter's End".

Bruised by Sarah Skilton

Bruised by Sarah Skilton, 274 pages

Imogen is a sixteen year old girl whose life is shattered after a local diner is held at gunpoint and the night ends tragically.  Suddenly Imogen's life feels like a lie. Everything is called into question: her dedication, her hard work, the beliefs she has cultivated her entire martial art career. If her training couldn't help her when she needed it the most, what use was it? And without Tae Kwon Do, what's left?  Can she find her way back to normal? 

The imagery that Skilton uses is beautiful and brutal all at once. Imogen's anguish and trauma is heartbreakingly tangible. 

These Gentle Wounds by Helene Dunbar

These Gentle Wounds by Helene Dunbar - 308 pages

Gordie is living with his half-brother Kevin.  Kevin is the only one able to keep Gordie safe and focused on getting his life on track after the horrible day their mother tried to kill Gordie by driving into a lake.  But just when things seem to start to be getting better, Gordie's father comes back into the picture.  Now Gordie is falling into a tailspin . . . .

While this was not a happy book to read, I did enjoy it.  It was well written.  I think it does a good job of showing the aftereffects of abuse and how it stays with a person forever. 

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
448 pages / 15 hrs, 2 mins

"Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier.

"Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

"At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women...But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates...Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves."   --from the publisher

It was hard to read about Cora's helplessness in her situation of domestic abuse. If that wasn't enough Ernt became more paranoid and unreasonable, and still Cora couldn't find a way to get help. It was difficult to see friends reach out to her, but not be able to do anything since Cora didn't want their assistance...more helpless feelings! Because of my own childhood experience with domestic abuse in our neighborhood it just hit too close to home. (No pun intended.) When the situation was finally resolved (well over half-way through!), I was able to enjoy the story better. I gave it three out of five stars.

The Fighters by C. J. Chivers

The Fighters: Americans in Combat in Afghanistan and Iraq by C. J. Chivers-374 pages

Chivers is a journalist and former Marine Corps officer who profiles several dedicated military personnel throughout the long conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The book details the pain these individuals experienced and the frustrations of battling an enemy they often can not engage directly. The book clarifies the circumstances conventional forces face in current conflict zones and the effects on U.S. personnel afterwards.

Beacon 23 - Hugh Howey

Beacon 23 - Hugh Howey - 256 pages

A PTSD-riddled space war vet saves the day by doing nothing.  His reward?  Just what he wants: a post in the far reaches of space, manning a beacon far away from the front lines and everyone else.

But, in the inky blackness of self-imposed exile, only you can hear your mental and emotional health slowly deteriorate under the weight of the aftermath of your own front lines failure and survivor's remorse.  Stoned by the gravity well half the time and manic over repairs, pet rocks, and a brewing rebellion the next, our anti-hero is eventually faced with a brutal choice between the lives of his compatriots and the lives of...well, everyone else.

What I loved about this book was the unflinching depiction of a man struggling with mental illness.  What I didn't love about this book was it didn't get to the point until very late in the story...so late that I didn't really believe it.

Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván

Until Tuesday by Luis Carlos Montalván -- 252 pages

Tuesday's training started when he was three days old. Every detail of his young life was intended so that he would one day be a service dog. He was never trained by the same person two days in a row, and was taught to serve the person holding the leash. So when he changed facilities and programs, there was only one person training him, and he bonded to that person quickly. Then they left, and then the next person left, and Tuesday's enthusiasm was gone. He was disappointing as a service dog with a mind of his own. He didn't trust anyone to stay with him anymore.

Luis served in the military for seventeen years, and when he was finally honorably discharged, his body and brain were broken. Traumatic brain damage and a cracked spine and Luis could get no where. He swallowed half a bottle of pain meds a day and drank constantly, trying to keep the pain and memories away. He could hardly walk down the street because of extreme PTSD and avoided trains and subs at all costs.

Until Tuesday is the story of how two broken spirits came together and healed.

This story is heart-breaking, heart-warming, exciting, and insightful. I'd recommend it to any person who ever had even a slight interest in service dogs.