The Military Wife

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the ARC in exchange for an honest review**TheMilitaryWife #NetGalley

4.5 stars! First time for me reading a book of Laura Trentham and I really enjoyed this story !!
Actually this was a great book about military life, from the pov of soldiers and pov from military wives!! It's s book that struggles with very emotional and important matters such as PSTD, suicide, death, loneliness!! For me it was emotional, beautiful, heartwarming and about moving on and find a second chance love!! The storyline was perfectly written!! It was a great read!!!

This is the first time I’ve read one of Trenthams books, and I was not disappointed. Harper Lee Wilcox lives with her Mom after losing her husband Noah in action. Her son Ben is what keeps her going and a reminder of Noah.

Upon learning that there is no bravery award, Harper questions the money she was given by Bennett, her husbands close friend with who he served. Harper tracks Bennett down refusing to take his money, has questions about her husbands death and won’t stop until she gets the answers. However, Bennett isn’t one to just open up to anyone but through time Harper learns the truth.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

The Military Wife has entered the small domain of my To Be Reread Many Times books. It is a small list of books that have touched me down deep and that call to me to read them. There is so much to love about The Military Wife: characters that resonate emotions and deep seated fears, a plot that is real and relatable (regardless of the military aspect), struggles that anyone can either relate to or empathize with, and excellent writing that draws the reader in completely and holds them throughout the entire book.
To summarize, Harper Lee Wilcox was left widowed and pregnant when her SEAL husband was killed on deployment. She has managed to raise a wonderful five year old boy, maintain a lackluster job and come out of her grief. She does not recognize that her life is lacking until she connects with her military wife friend, Allison, and they hatch a plan to help other military wives. A chance mention by Allison, moves Harper to contact Bennett Caldwell, the SEAL teammate that was with Harper’s husband when he died. They begin to develop feelings for each other but the shadowy presence of her husband flits back and forth between them.
Reading about the determination of both Harper and Bennett and their respective hesitations is stirring and unforgettable.

Emotional, beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking all in one book. This book takes you through every emotion. It shows a woman’s strength and resilience through a truly tough time.
Thanks for NetGalley and St Martins Press for my eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review

Thank you, Netgalley, for offering an ARC of this book. I had never read anything by Laura Trentham, but I thought this was really well done. I grew up an Army brat and while that isn't the same as a military wife, I distinctly remember the loneliness and anxiety my mother experienced one of the years my father was away in Vietnam. I thought Laura Trentham did an excellent job of describing the various challenges modern military wives face not only with the dangers some of their husband's face, but also with the need some of them have to have careers of their own. Her novel was a great mix of humor, romance, and reality.

If you liked the Lifetime drama "Army Wives" or the CBS drama "SEAL Team" or some of the other recent contemporary military dramas, I think you will like this novel.

An emotionally charged book, I was taken on a roller coaster of emotions and found myself laughing and crying, often at the same time. Harper only had one man in her life and when Noah died in action, she needed answers. Not knowing what had happened to him, left her with unresolved issues. When it becomes clear that there is one person with the answers she needs, she visits Bennet who is every bit as taciturn and bearish as his nickname depicts. Although the story does feature the growing feelings between Harper and Bennet, it mainly brings into focus the camaraderie and close bonds of brotherhood that forms between men in action, as well as the sacrifices that are made by the women and children they leave behind. War is a vicious beast that is no respecter of persons. The men and women in the firing line cannot help but be affected by the consequences of killing. It takes almost as much courage to face up to and deal with PTSD as it does to pull the trigger in the first place, as is well depicted in this novel. I loved every moment of this well-written story as well as the portrayal of the characters, each with their distinctive personalities. It appears that a series is going to evolve, but this is nevertheless a standalone with a heartwarming conclusion. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.