Hold on Tight by Serena Bell

Author: Serena Bell
Publisher: Loveswept
Date of publication: June 2014

Fighting for his country gave Jake Taylor’s life shape and meaning. Now as an injured war hero he struggles to find purpose, until he runs into the gorgeous woman he dated briefly—and disastrously—before being deployed eight years ago. Turns out Jake doesn’t just need to figure out how to be a civilian . . . he also needs to learn how to be a dad.

Eighteen, pregnant, and totally lost, Mira Shipley couldn’t track down the soldier who fathered her child, so she put college on hold and focused on making a good life for her son. Now she’s determined to be something more than Sam’s mom, her parents’ daughter, or Jake’s girl—as hot as she finds her old flame’s take-charge attitude in and out of bed. Soon Mira and Jake realize that their passion didn’t disappear when Sam was conceived—and that instead of running away, sometimes it’s better to hold on tight.

Hold on Tight is a well written and often heart wrenching read.    Mira and Jake have a brief affair that results in their son Sam.  Unable to track Jake down in the military, she moves on with her life raising their son on her own.  A chance meeting 8 years later gives Mira the chance to tell Jake about their son.   From the beginning, I was rooting for this couple.  It was clear that they belonged together and needed to be a family.

What I loved more about this story was the realistic way the author dealt with the emotions and reality of a soldier returning from war.  The weight of survivor's guilt  and the grief over the loss of his friend really holds Jake back from figuring out what his future should be.  I also loved how the subject of the new life of an amputee was handled.  Not only day to day, but in the bedroom as well.  Those scenes came across as honest and realistic to me.

This is a fairly quick read and one I highly recommend.  I know you'll fall in love with Jake and Mira like I did!