A Love Like Ours {book review}

A Love Like Ours (Bethany House, May 2015)

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, took time off to raise her children, then felt God nudging her to pursue contemporary Christian fiction. Becky’s work has been a finalist for both a RITA and an INSPY Award.

My thoughts:  

I love visiting this Thoroughbred ranch in the books of Becky Wade.  This is the third book of hers I’ve read.  I enjoy meeting Bo and Meg in the first and then Ty and Celia in the second.  But, I really wasn’t prepared for meeting Lyndie and getting to know Jake who was always just the brooding dark brother in the other books.

Jake and Lyndie were forever friends separated as young teenagers.  They each missed the other but lost contact.  Jake went off to fight as a Marine and Lyndie pursued both her art and love of horses through exercising and jockeying.  Through a twist of events Lyndie moves back to Holley, TX and gets a job exercising horses for Jake.  Jake however is still dark and brooding and wants nothing to do with her.

Lyndie uses her love for Jake to bring him out of his shell.  She makes him feel again and learn to deal with his PTSD and survivors guilt.  Only time will tell if he’ll ever allow himself to love her or if he’ll keep pushing her away.

I enjoyed this book.  It was wonderfully written and sucked me in.  I didn’t want to put it down.  I know I say that a lot, but I get the chance to read books by some amazing authors over here!  Lyndie reminds me a lot of myself.  I want to heal people and animals.  I love horses and that special bond you form.  I am also short(not even five foot) and more of an introvert who likes to study people.  But I am definitely not artistic!  At All.  I have met and dealt with people like Jake, both as a nurse and as a friend.  I am so very glad that PTSD is getting recognition and having less of a stigma to it now.

Read this book(and the others in the series).  You’re going to love it!