A heart-wrenching new military romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Carmen Jenner.
Available exclusively on Amazon and KU
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Nwg2Oj
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1TiqZDz
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01FOQJ780
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01FOQJ780
Blurb
Jake Tucker is broken. At twenty-two, he went into the Marine Corps a naïve, troubled youth. Nine years and four tours later, Jake finds himself back on US soil, though his mind remains firmly planted in the sands of Afghanistan with the men he left behind.
Wounded, chewed up and spat out by war, Jake has only his dog, Nuke, PTSD, and survivor’s guilt to keep him company. He’s lived every day for nine years wondering when it will be his last, but there’s little comfort in the fact that he’s still standing when his platoon isn’t.
Ellie Mason doesn’t have time for broken. She’s too busy trying to put food on the table. And keeping up with the demands of her autistic son, Spencer, is sometimes like fighting behind enemy lines. As if navigating the minefields of single parenthood isn’t enough, Ellie finds herself drawn to the quiet Marine who’s just as lonely as she is. But she’s loved damaged men before, and it left her wounded.
Set against the picturesque backdrop of Fairhope, Alabama, Ellie and Jake find themselves running toward the sound of chaos.
Love is war.
Only the strong survive, and surrender is inevitable.
Excerpt
I ease her down on her feet, before the bed and take a step back. I want this, God do I want this, but I’m terrified. Elle’s eyes roam over me and she takes in a deep breath, and I won’t lie—it hurts like hell. I don’t want pity, and I don’t want the woman I care about looking at me like a monster just sprouted from my back. She reaches out a hand and trails her fingertips over my scarred flesh, feeling the hard, ugly edges. I flinch a little, and she pulls away as if she’s been burned.
“Did I hurt you?” she whispers.
“Angel, it hurts just looking at you.”
She smiles and continues her exploration of my body, openin’ old wounds with every scar she touches, and yet it’s as if she’s tenderly sewing them shut at the same time. I haven’t felt the touch of a woman for a very long time, and never again did I think I would, especially not one as perfect and kind-hearted as this.
“What did they do to you, Jake?” Her eyes are bright with tears, and I grab her hands and hold them flat to my chest.
“I don’t want your pity, Elle.”
“You think that’s why I’m here?” she says, staring up at me with those incredible eyes. “You think that’s all this is between us?”
“I thought about it.” I nod. “I can’t see much other reason that a woman like you would want someone like me. I’m a freak and a drunk, and you? You’re so goddamn beautiful it hurts.”
My Review
Toward the Sound of Chaos is an emotional roller coaster involving a single mom and her precocious young son with Autism and a war ravaged POW. Ellie and Jake are fighting battles that most days seem bigger than they think they're capable of handling yet together their demons may be overcome if they can let go and allow themselves to heal.
Ellie is raising her son alone with the help of a not very good but well meaning landlord and a service dog trainer best friend. Doing everything she can for her son, she never feels like it's enough but every day she puts her own wants and needs aside. Routine is a mainstay in her life because her son Spencer thrives on it so every morning they go to the beach. And every morning Ellie watches Jake, whom she's never spoken because hardly everyone has spoken to him, run with his service dog. When she has an accident, Jake is there for her. In turn their lives become more entwined than either thought possible especially when Jake and Spencer hit it off. But both have to pull themselves out of their own heads before they can ever hope to move forward.
Carmen Jenner wrote a very real and often times haunting tale about two damaged people who have trouble getting outside of their own heads long enough to see what is right in front of them. There were parts, especially about Jake, that were hard to read because they were so well done. He was such a sympathetic character and Ms. Jenner did her research in writing his part. He was one of the best parts of this book. Then there was Spencer. He was written perfectly as well and I loved how Ms. Jenner played the man and the boy off of each other showing there are more similarities than differences in people. Plus watching those two together made Jake just that much more swoony. Add in Ellie who was strong and determined and so overflowing with love for those she loves that I just wanted to shoulder some of her burden and I rooted for these characters until the very end.
Reviewed by Paige
★★☆ 4 "Emotional Battle" Stars ☆★★
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About the Author
Carmen Jenner
Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author.
Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU 2015.
A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore lipstick addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.
A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?
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