BOOK REVIEW- A LOVE LIKE OURS

BOOK- A LOVE LIKE OURS- Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake's childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion's reluctance to run.
Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake's will, Lyndie's sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he's built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he'd thought he'd lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?  AMAZON LINK

Jake and Lyndie's time together as children was such an interesting and sweet thing to read about.  They had such a rich history together. It was still there to a certain degree even after 20 years apart.  Even when Jake was fighting with everything within himself; he didn't want to care or feel again.  After his injury and losses during his tour, he didn't want to interact with people and held them all at a certain distance.  Lyndie?  That wasn't her style at all, she loved animals and she loved people.  She wanted the boy she adored back; healed and whole. He gave up on God after everything that has happened and doesn't think he can be healed.  

Jake was an overachiever when it came to over protecting those he cared for and felt responsibile for.
He had an obsession with keeping Lyndie safe, it caused him torment and fear when he wasn't sure he could do that.   Lyndie was a ray of sunshine; a  stubborn, determined, multi-talented, loving one. In so many ways she was fearless and filled with faith in God.  There are so many good people in this book, I liked so many of them.  Lyndie's mom Karen, her Grandpa Harold and Mollie; what a great part of the story they made.  As did Jake's brothers and their wives.  His sister, Dru was a force to be reckoned with; tough, direct and smart.  Lyndie's friendship with her neighbor, Amber and her son, Jayden was something to  to enjoy as well.  Amber also is looking for someone to share her life with and she's drawn to one man in particular- Will McGrath.  Could he be the man God has picked for her?  That's for another story I think.  

I liked this story but you could really feel the struggle that Jake was going through with the PTSD  and his survivors guilt.  One of my favorite descriptions of Jake's expression was that his face hardened like stone. That seemed a pretty good way of putting it and it really got the point across.   All in all a pretty good story, with life struggles and faith struggles as well.  There is also faith in God lived in inspiring ways too.  

There are 12 Questions at the back of the book designed to be conversation starters. 

I received a free copy of this book from Baker Publishing Group for Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. 

A NOTE FROM Amy Green, Bethany House Fiction Publicist

One special note on one of our titles: if you buy Becky Wade’s A Love Like Ours, you’ll actually be helping veterans! Because of her research to create Jake Porter’s character, a wounded hero with PTSD, Becky wanted to give a portion of her proceeds from sales of the novel before May 17,7to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, an organization that supports those who serve in the military and their families.