A War Like Ours

A War Like Ours was an okay read for me. James and Madison's story was not a light and fluffy one. Their story was dark and twisted and deals with subject matters that may be triggers for some readers. I would say that if readers enjoy a good dark and twisted read that this might be the story for you. James and Madison were not perfect characters; they each had their own flaws but somehow they were right for each other. My problem with this story was that although I thought the characters seemed right for each other, I just could not connect with them. I tried. I really did but even though I liked and disliked them at times, the connection just wasn't there and that was my biggest problem.

After spending the entire day by the pool reading this novel, I totally get why I kept hearing about it on all the romancelandia social media accounts--it's very different than many things you'll read. It's still romance, but it's a painful one. There's a lot of damage that these characters inflict on themselves and on others and, of course, have inflicted upon them. It's the examination of this damage and how they each decide to handle it (or not) and process it (or not) that is really a huge focus of this novel. Well, that and their really messed up relationship that they can't seem to walk away from.

I honestly don't know how I feel about these characters. There's a part of me that *gets* them and a part of me that's perplexed by them. They definitely make me sad--and that's not even shaken off by the end, which is unusual. So, all in all, I am still pondering exactly where I stand when it comes to this one. I will say that without a doubt, Saffron Kent definitely writes characters and situations you don't see often. Her heroes and heroines are maddening and I know she has a loyal following for all those reasons and more.

3 stars for now. I may add/change later as I reflect on this more. Link to come when review is live on the blog.

For a debut novel, A War Like Ours is pretty damn fantastic. Actually, for any novel, it's pretty amazing.

I don't want to give spoilers, I'll just say that as much as James and Madison disturbed me with their twisted af selves, I found myself um, not liking them exactly, but wanting them to be happy together. Their journey was disturbing and twisted and a little creepy, but in the end, it was kind of beautiful. Thank you Saffron Kent for this excellent (but twisted) story. It's definitely something I will not soon forget!

I really liked this read. The story is fast-paced with plenty of drama and suspense. Both James and Madison have great depth and are intriguing characters. The story held my interest throughout. A good read.

This is probably the darkest romance I've ever read. There was definitely some pretty hard stuff to read, but I think the story rounded out very well. These are two very broken people and as their pasts unfold it's easy to see why. I did love their chemistry even though they influenced each other in some questionable ways. I think the ending was perfect and what these two people needed in order to make anything work. If you're considering this book, please take the trigger warning seriously.

I just couldn't get into this one. The writing is beautiful and gritty but the storyline itself is darker. I just struggled to connect and decided to shelve.

i am in AWE of this book.. I know there are some triggers that some people won't like bu ti thought it was very well written and it kept me coming back for more.. this book gave me many emotions. Some I didn't even know I had actually. I was stunned. I was pissed off. I was happy. I was sad. I was frustrated.