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If you're looking for the perfect novella to get you into the holiday spirit, look no further. This little gem packed a punch in a very short amount of time.

Sam has returned from the war a broken woman. She lost her best friend in the line of duty and when she returns to her boyfriend, Patrick, who's also in the Army, and her daughter, she is void of all emotion and feeling. She has completely shut down and refuses to deal with it, by admitting she needs help. Instead, her solution is to pick up her daughter and move back to her hometown in Maine.

This seems rash, but learning of Sam's fears of abandonment helped me understand what she was going through. Not only was she abandoned my her father and the father of her daughter, she has seen the ugliness of war, and no one returns from that the same person. I can't even begin to understand or fathom what that is like. And Jessica Scott does a fantastic job of making you understand those feelings and emotions.

Patrick, when he could have just let her walk away because they were never married, nor was Natalie his biological child, refused to give up. He loves Sam and knew she was hurting. He knew she was burying her issues instead of dealing with them, and wanting to help her, he surprises her by flying to Maine.

A beautiful relationship-in-crisis novella full of emotion and a very realistic situation. My heart hurt for Sam and Patrick. I felt pain for what she was going through emotionally. And my heart broke for Patrick as he faced his biggest fear - possibly losing the woman and daughter he loves more than anything.

I LOVE reading stories like this! Patrick was a dream. Every woman wants a man who is willing to fight for them, and he wasn't going to walk away easily. I'm so glad the back and forth between him and Sam didn't drag on unnecessarily. They have a beautiful relationship that came alive in such a short amount of pages.

Thank you to my friend, Rachel, for putting this book on my radar! It was a great start to the holiday season for me. :)