2.5 stars

Read as part of [b:Semper Fidelis|24058781|Semper Fidelis|T.A. Chase|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419444335s/24058781.jpg|43656495] Anthology. ( )

PTSD and the personal consequences of warfare are not an easy subject to deal with. Not for those who suffer from it, and not for their loved ones who are faced with, essentially, different people when they come back. Kendall McKenna does an excellent job showing the types of situations and reactions couples may have to deal with when one of them is affected. The result isn’t easy reading, but I found it well worth the effort, and one of the best stories in the ‘Semper Fidelis’ collection.

Marine officer Jamie may have made it back to his lover Tucker in one piece, with only a few physical scars to show for his year-long deployment, but his mental state is a different story. I didn’t understand his reactions at first, but once I realized what was going on, the things he did were as fascinating as they were scary. Nobody who has never been through the kind of hell Jamie had to endure while fighting the Taliban will be able to fully understand what it’s like, but this story gives an excellent, if painful, description of some of the consequences.

Tucker does not know what to do about the changes he sees in Jamie. He tries his best to deal with them, but he is in way over his head. Like any partner of someone suffering from PTSD he does eventually have to deal with his fears of losing Jamie – and the only way out is for him to make sure Jamie gets professional help. For their love to survive under these circumstances requires a minor miracle.

A lot of the more factual information about PTSD and some important details are missing due to how short this story is, but if you’re looking for an emotional sketch, a somewhat shocking description of some of the consequences of warfare, give this short story a go.


NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )