5 out of 5 stars.
Synopsis
When military veteran and country music star Jake Lassiter hires Susannah McGuiness as his interior decorator, she has no idea he carries a secret so great it will change the love developing between them.
Review
The Promise of Rainbows by Ava Miles is the fourth book in the Dare River series.
Wow. That pretty much sums up all my feelings as I finish of this latest offering from Ava Miles. Absolutely wow. This book was phenomenal.
Our hero Jake suffers from PTSD and is looking to find ways to cope. He’s already been through several therapists and different types of therapies, but in this book, he ends up working with Reverend Louisa, who we’ve met before in the other books in this series. Jake doesn’t believe there’s much hope, but working with Louisa, together with dating Louisa’s daughter, Susannah, he experiences breakthroughs like he never has before.
THIS book is what I was so hoping to see when Ms. Miles published “The Chocolate Garden”. This book accurately portrayed PTSD and the struggles that arise from it. Whereas I felt like “The Chocolate Garden” glossed over some of the difficulties of surviving domestic violence and entering into a new relationship after an abusive relationship, this book NAILED all the struggles and such that come with PTSD. Jake’s feelings about himself and the brokenness he feels is all very indicative of what many PTSD sufferers feel. I know. I am one. The brokenness, the self-loathing, the feel that others are better off without being in a relationship with you, everything.
And yet, Susannah sees past all that and loves the man who Jake is, not all the lies that PTSD tells him about himself. He ends up seeing Susannah as his miracle, helping pull him out of himself and back into the world. Each and every one of us has someone who either has worked such a miracle in our lives or who will work such a miracle one day. Not necessarily a romantic someone, but someone who pulls you up out of the depths when you can’t find the way out yourself. Even tho’ this is a romance book, the theme of having someone to lean on in the hardest of times is the main focus of the book.
It’s not an easy book to read given all of Jake’s struggles. If you struggle with PTSD yourself, like I do, you may find this book hitting very close to home. I certainly did. I cried more with this book than I have since The Bridge to a Better Life came out last spring. But it’s totally worth it. Take your time with the book, but read it. Give yourself breaks to process, but don’t hide from this book because of its subject matter. It’s too good to pass up.
The plot, the setting, the characters, everything about this book was phenomenal. One of Ms. Miles’ best books EVER. Read it. You won’t forget it or regret it.
(I received a free eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review. All conclusions are my own.)
Valerie's Musings 