HEALING A HERO (Camerons of Tide's Way #4)

HEALING A HERO                                                   SKYE TAYLOR

Philip Cameron is a Marine sniper, a leader of men in the field for most of his career. Although decorated for saving the lives of five fellow Marines when their vehicle hit an IED, he doesn't feel like a hero. His right hand was crushed and bones in his shoulder and arm were broken. He was shot and nearly bled to death, but after several months and surgeries at Walter Reed Medical Center, he turned down a medical discharge and has been reassigned to a desk job in intelligence at Camp Lejeune, where he faces months of physical and occupational therapy to regain full use of his hand and arm so that he can get back to doing what he does best, leading quick response teams in the field.

After the dissolution of her marriage, Elena Castillo is eager to move on with her life and cement her growing reputation as a top-notch therapist for recovering soldiers. She returns to the east coast with her teenage daughter to step into a very desirable position in the physical therapy department at Camp Lejeune, where her very first patient is Gunnery Sergeant Philip Cameron.

But Elena and Philip have a past that could compromise both of their goals.

Fourteen years earlier, home on compassionate leave, Philip fell in love with Elena, but she was young and he was afraid to declare himself until she had time to discover what she wanted in life. Elena fell hard for her older brother's best friend, but was never sure Philip felt the same about her, so when his leave was up, they parted.

Then 9/11 happened. And Elena discovered she was pregnant.

War tore them apart.

Can its aftermath bring them back together?

"Turmoil, tenderness, and painful secrets from the past!"--Heather Ashby, author of the Love in the Fleet series

Skye Taylor is a former Peace Corps Volunteer. She writes The Camerons of Tide's Way series, published by Bell Bridge Books. Visit her at skye-writer.com.

MY REVIEW:

     What do you do when you’re on a ship due for leave that you just can’t wait to hit port?  Where you can finally call, and talk to your girlfriend Elena Castillo.  Who you should have told before you left that you loved her.  Being that you are ten years older than her and knowing she felt the same way you and you didn’t want to tie her down, knowing she needed to go back to the west coast for college at USC.  You suffer.
     She told you she’d be there waiting for you at Christmas you couldn’t wait.  But, right before your turn to call 911 happens on the East Coast, USA.  You were all ordered back to ship. And order to make no calls, no emails, no nothing.  So, Christmas comes and goes and you have no way of speaking to her not even your family.  No one would contact her from the Marines and she wouldn't even contact them and no way to find out.
     When you do come home a year and a half later and you find out she had gone back to school after Christmas the guy that was her roommate and she married him.  Philip Cameron was crushed.  Now he had been let down by two women.  You see he had been married before and given not only the boot but lied to about the baby he helped deliver.  It wasn’t his.
     Yet, the whole reason he didn’t tell Elena he loved her is because she was 10 years younger.  And he wanted her to experience life and love.  She did and he was mad.  He never asked her brother his best friend why?  Or for her number.
     But after her divorce from Eli who had cheated on her numerous times she moved back to the East Coast.  She was a physical therapist who was well known for her work.  Camp Lejeune was so glad to have her.  Never knew her first day at work the first name on her list would be Philip B. Cameron.  Life just got interesting.  Could she do this.  Should she do this the anger was coming off them both.  As they would each think back they were left behind as far as they were concerned. 

     See how it got to this point.  A very good story.  Characters had a lot of depth to them you could feel the truthfulness of the pain a vet would go through.  Especially, one who has lost everything.  The love this man has for wanting to be a parent is so painful and real.  I give this book 5++++ stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com.