No rating DNF at 52%
I have never read this author before but the blurb caught my attention so I don't wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately this book was very boring and I couldn't get into the story at all. At times the back and forth was confusing too.
It was Cassie's idea to get married to help out with her insurance for medication for her newfound illness while Luke is shipped out to Afghanistan to protect our country. While trying to pretend to be a happily married couple, it was just awkward and for her to keep a boyfriend through it all didn't sit right with me.
Unfortunately I lost interest and have too many books on my tbr for the blog to continue :(

Review will be posted week of 5/4/17

Cassie's world is turned upside down when she is let go from her steady job. Instead of falling apart, tries to make the best of it by focusing 100% on her music career as that is her true passion. Cassie is a part of a band and now that she doesn't have a job and can focus on music, she is hoping that her band will take off. She is bartending to pay the bills, but there's one problem. She doesn't have health insurance and the timing couldn't be worse. During one of her gigs, she faints and finds out that she is suffering from diabetes, which is a costly disease. Without insurance, this would be a disaster financially. One night her childhood friend, Frankie, walks into the bar she is working at and they reconnect. She meets a few of his friends who are all in the Army and heading off to fight in Afghanistan. Later on, she asks Frankie if he would "marry" her, so they could receive more money from the government as a married couple and she'd have better health benefits. Frankie says no, but his good friend, Luke, is interested. But Luke isn't doing it just for Cassie. He has his own issues and needs more money immediately. Can they pull this off and make it look like a real marriage? Tess Wakefield's Purple Hearts is a compulsively readable story about an unlikely romance. I absolutely adored it.

Cassie is an interesting character in Purple Hearts. I didn't always agree with her choices, but I cared about her a lot. Her true passion is with her band and while I wanted her to pursue her dreams, it wasn't very practical, especially when she is diagnosed with diabetes. In walks Luke, who she doesn't hit it off with at first, but they have some sort of connection. They decide to enter into a marriage of convenience; however, it shouldn't be taken lightly as it's fraud. If they get caught and the consequences are devastating. Can two people who barely hit it off at their first meeting convince the world that they are in love? Cassie isn't too worried about it, because she knows that Luke is going to be shipped off to Afghanistan soon and they won't need to interact too much other than through Skype. Once he is home, they can get a divorce, right?

I adored Luke in Purple Hearts. I was rooting for him from the beginning. He isn't perfect though, but that's why I appreciated him. His back story will definitely tug on your heartstrings and he fights his own demons daily. His own difficult situation gets even more complicated with the return of someone from his former-before the army-life. He needs more money as soon as possible, so marrying Cassie seems like a good deal. He just wants to gain the trust back that he broke with his younger brother and his family. Luke just wants his life back, but things keep getting in the way.

Things happen in Afghanistan that complicate things further for Cassie and Luke in Purple Hearts. I don't want to give too much away, but I absolutely adored their journey. This book had me flipping the pages late into the night and I just had to know how things would end up for them.

What is even more exciting is that Purple Hearts has already been optioned for film with Gina Rodriguez playing Cassie, which is perfect casting. I think this book will translate very well to the big screen and I can't wait to see who they cast as Luke.

So, if you're looking for a book that will tug on your heartstrings and one that is filled with an unlikely romance which will have you swooning, definitely check out Purple Hearts this summer. It would be the perfect read for a lazy summer day or a relaxing day at the beach.

This one feels like a movie...which is why it didn't surprise me it was optioned for a movie, and came from a packager, Alloy. Cassie and Luke's romance frustrated me--Really? You want to marry this guy you're attracted to but not give him a chance? I guess they had to add drama in somewhere....

Did not finish this book. I could not engage with the story or the characters.

Cassie and Luke need each other. They just don't realize it yet. Luke is a wounded soldier who needs someone help him recover and Cassie has just been fired as a paralegal while trying to boost her music career. They settle on a Marriage of convenience so she can have health care and he can pay her a good salary. As they navigate getting to know each other these two very different people discover just how much they have in common.