Title: The Way Back Home
Author: Carmen Jenner
Genre: Military Romance
Release Date: May 29, 2017
Blurb
August Cotton shouldn’t be here. When a tragic accident
calls him home to Magnolia Springs, this returned Veteran adds his parents to
the list of things he’s lost in recent years, right along with his IED
detection dog and his left leg. As the sole guardian of his four-year-old
sister, August must rely on his Marine training in raising a tiny hellion who’s
as stubborn as he is. But the Corps could never prepare him for this. Nor could
they prepare him for Olivia Anders, a woman who’ll stop at nothing to get her
way.
As owner of Paws for Cause, Olivia is no stranger to the
broken men and women who return home from war. She’s no stranger to broken dogs
either. In fact, she’s made it her mission to pair the two and enrich both of
their lives, but pairing ornery and aloof August Cotton will take some work.
The last thing August wants is some pushy southern woman occupying his parents’
bed and breakfast and forcing him to open up about the hell he narrowly
escaped, but that’s exactly what Olivia intends.
They complete one another, and yet they can’t stand to be in
the same room.
Can Olivia make this hardened Marine feel again and finally
show his heart the way back home?
*** Intended for a mature 18+ audience only. This book may
contain triggers for some readers.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
“You know, if you want to see me naked and sweaty, all you have to do is
ask, darlin’.”
“I do not . . . I wasn’t . . .” My words are stolen from me as he stalks
forward with a maddening smirk on his face. “What are you doing?”
“Getting tired of waiting for you to be okay with this.”
“August, we talked about boundaries.” I press my hand to his chest
because he's too close, and I can't think straight with the heady scent of his
sweat and sandalwood soap distracting me. It wasn't my intention to run my hand
over that sweat, to feel the hard-won muscle beneath, but here I am, petting
him as if he's my favorite kitty.
“No. You talked about boundaries. I told you I was gonna fight, and I
ain’t above fightin’ dirty.”
“How dirty?” I breathe.
August’s lips curl up into a smile. “So dirty.”
Both hands snake around my waist and he lifts me onto the counter,
wedging his hips between my thighs. He hooks a finger in the sash and unties my
robe as if he were opening a gift made just for him. I wrap my legs around his
hips to pull him closer, and that’s all the admission he needs. He threads a
hand through my hair and pulls my neck back to expose the tender flesh to his
mouth. I close my eyes and whisper his name as my whole body turns to flame,
starved for the oxygen that only his touch can bring. His hot mouth trails down
my neck, his hands cup my breasts, squeezing, kneading, and I slide a hand
between us, into the waistband of his shorts. I take his hard length in my
hand, stroking him from base to tip. August grunts as he pushes my negligee out
of the way with frenzied hands. His fingers find me bare and exposed with no
panties.
“So fucking’ dirty,” he groans, wetting his lips.
Author Bio
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 makeup 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?
PUBLISHED TITLES TO DATE:
Welcome to Sugartown (Sugartown Series #1)
Author Links
4.5 stars.
Olivia helps army veterans by finding a dog to pair them with to help them live with their PTSD. She's fully invested in Paws for Cause and helping both man and dog. When she decides to open a new clinic in Magnolia Springs, it lands her on August Cottons doorstep. I loved Olivia. Shes got her own secrets. She's determined and pushy when she needs to be. She's loyal, caring and dedicated to helping others. Finding herself in a small town that love to gossip, she knows she's got a fight on her hands to win the locals over including moody August.
August has moved back home following the deaths of his parents. Left with his adorable 4 year old sister Bettina to look after, he's trying to do what's best for her whilst dealing with his own problems. He's troubled, broody and not really a people person. The last thing he wants to deal with is the sassy, stubborn woman who turns up on his doorstep.
My favourite thing about this book was the slow burn. The chemistry between August and Olivia is there from the start but it's left to simmer while they build a friendship. With Olivia feeling like she's taking one step forward and two steps back, and August needing to accept who he is, it's plain to see it's not all going to be smooth going. This book sucked me in. I was so invested in the characters, not just the main two but others that are introduced and dealing with their own problems. The tone of the book is perfect. There's a depth and a real ness to the characters that makes them feel like real people. Carmen Jenner has this ability to make you feel like you're right there with them. The PTSD storyline is written brilliantly. Without glamourising/glossing over the issues faced, she manages to make you really think what these veterans have to go through once they're back home and the ongoing problems they face on a daily basis.
