Review: Surrender by June Gray

Bestselling author June Gray’s romances have been praised as “scorching hot”(MsRomantic Reads). Now, in her latest scintillating read, one woman is torn between remembering her past and committing to an unpredictable future...

Julie Keaton had everything—she had a new career in a new city and, more importantly, a bright future with fiance, Jason Sherman. That is, until the day she discovered that he had been killed in Afghanistan. In one moment, her life changed, as everything she’d hoped for died along with him.

Years later and Julie still feels the aftershocks of Jason’s death. She is no longer the same adventurous, open girl; now she wears armor around her heart in order to protect the most important thing in her life—her son.

But when Julie meets the mysterious Neal, she starts to feel the smallest flicker of hope, as what began as a fling quickly becomes something more. Neal is the first man since Jason’s death to break down her armor and make her believe again. But when she discovers the secret he’s been keeping, she has to ask herself: can she surrender to a future with Neal or will Jason’s death forever tie her to the past?


4.5 Stellar Stars!

Review by Jen Hagen

I read the author’s Disarm series and fell in love with her writing.  Ms. Grey can write a beautiful romance story while still putting us through the possibility of heartbreak and the wonderful feeling of angst that I have found is a prerequisite in order for me to really fall in love with a book.   I don’t like a cookie cutter romance story and I don’t like weak characters – and I am so grateful that the author does neither of those.  I don’t recall her Disarm series being as steamy as this current novel, and although one of these main characters is a by-product of that series, I believe that you could read Surrender without ever having read the Disarm series.  Eliza and Henry make brief appearances but are not a focal point.

Julie was in a relationship with Jason (the brother to the female main character in Disarm) and was pregnant with his child when Jason was killed in Afghanistan while serving our country.   Julie had always had a difficult time owning up to her admittance that she loved Jason, and this was a constraint in their relationship, but Jason accepted it as being part of Julie and never let it hold him back from telling her how much he loved her.  Julie lives with regret every day knowing that Jason died without her being able to tell him how much he really meant to her and that she wanted a life with him.

Julie lives in Dallas and is in California for the wedding of Eliza and Henry when she stumbles upon a gorgeous surfer one chilly early morning while out for a beach run.  Their banter immediately sets the tone for what  their future conversations will entitle.

                                             

“There’s definitely some shrinkage going on.”  I burst out laughing, taken aback by his crude kind of charm, the kind I liked best.

Neal lives at extended-stay hotels with really no place to call home. His freelance computer programming allows him to move from city to city, with an occasional stay required. Neal has previously served his country by being a full-time Air Force member, but has now stepped down to the reserves. He loves to serve his country and it is embedded into him to serve wholeheartedly. Neal is a fun guy with a positive attitude – he doesn’t fear death – and this is bothersome to Julie. Neal wants to be there for Julie and her son, Will. Julie just cannot give herself to anybody again. Neal also is hiding a deep secret that will threaten to end their new relationship when it is revealed.

“I love you.  But I know longer trust you.”

As Julie works through forgiving Neal, news comes in that Neal is heading out for another tour of duty.  Julie doesn’t want to think about what could happen to her heart if another piece of it doesn’t make it home alive.  She is ready to use every excuse she can to push Neal far away from her  and she can push really hard.  One last night before he leaves is a goodbye gift to both of them, and following that is a heartbreaking goodbye.

“Bye  Julie.  I wish you the best in life.”

                                                                                    

Neal is not afraid of death.  He will not fear it no matter when or where it calls.  He has always been a believer in we all have to die at some point and he knows when times is up, there’s nothing he can do about it.  During his tour he has the opportunity to see death looking through the windows, but does she knock?  Does Neal receive Julie’s message in time?

“I’m waiting for you.”  

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