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June 1, 2009 (Mass Market Paperback)
June 1, 2009 (Kindle eBook)
Harlequin Enterprises/Steeple Hill Love Inspired
Category Romance
Inspirational Fiction/Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback and eBook
Rating: 4.5
A CK2S K2 Recommended Read!
Amanda “Mandy” Manchester has come to Refuge to perform her residency at the local hospital so she can finish her medical training and become a doctor. Then one afternoon she is caught in the middle of the collapse of Reunion Bridge, leading in and out of Refuge, after a collision. Mandy just manages to rescue some school children caught on the bridge when shock of shocks, she sees the last person she ever thought to run into again... pararescue jumper Nolan Briggs, the only man she has ever loved. He trampled her heart when he abandoned her a decade ago.
Now Amanda has too much to deal with between completing her medical training, recovering from her injuries from the collapse, and suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). The last thing she wants to deal with is facing her emotions about Nolan, especially when additional heart breaking complications arise in her already tenuous relationship with her mother. Only new friends and God can help her through it all. If only she hadn't turned her back on God that day Nolan left her…. Now, however, Mandy and Nolan have been given a second chance, she just needs to trust in God and in her very own heart.
A Soldier’s Reunion is a wonderful, emotionally charged story full of conflict and faith. I especially liked how Cheryl Wyatt addressed the subject of PTSD with tenderness. She reminds us that it can afflict anyone at anytime, after any kind of traumatic experience and can be a truly debilitating experience. It’s not something that only happens to soldiers and other types of war veterans.
I thought it appealing how the faith crisis showcased here was worked into the story. When they were younger, Mandy was the one with the strong faith who was known for her compassion for others and for being a prayer warrior. Ten years ago, Nolan’s faith was essentially non-existent and Mandy tried so hard to help him find his path. Then after these two were separated, Mandy lost faith and Nolan found it. So when they meet again, their spiritual lives were completely reversed, with Nolan becoming the one with a strong faith and prayer ethic whereas Mandy had no use for it anymore. This is just one way of reminding us god works in mysterious ways and uses us in ways we can’t imagine.
Mandy and Nolan have both been through a lot in their time apart, changing them in indelible ways. Experiencing their rediscovery of the new people they have become makes for a moving story of faith in action. I found myself wondering that if they hadn’t been separated once before, would they have ever been able to have as strong of a relationship as they are building now. Both had valuable lessons to learn before they could do what God made them for.
A Soldier’s Reunion is a sweet and romantic story of love lost and love found anew. While this could have been a heavy story due to all the emotional triggers we experienced alongside of Nolan and Mandy, Cheryl Wyatt keeps it light by adding a touch of whimsy here and there. After all, who can resist the loveable Mooch? I also found the whole panda theme applied to the relationship of Nolan and Amanda to be an especially cute touch.
Cheryl Wyatt has a knack for really reaching our hearts with her stories, teaching us valuable lessons, and engaging us in the lives of her characters. They become like real friends to us and we want to find out everything we can about them. I loved my most recent visit to refuge in A Soldier’s Reunion, and can only hope for more opportunities to visit the townspeople in future Wings of Refuge books.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2009. All rights reserved.
~eHQ April 2008 Member of the Month~
