Book Review: The Soldier's Refuge by Sabrina York

When two friends rediscover one another… It might be for keeps. Natalie Tuttle fled her hometown—and its humiliations—for big-city life. When she must return after her mother falls ill, the last person she wants to see is Jaxon Stringfellow, the onetime friend who shattered her heart. But military veteran Jax is so much more than the boy he once was. And he’s coming to terms with his own demons. Can Nat grant him the forgiveness he seeks…and so much more?From Harlequin Special Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

I really enjoyed this first book in The Tuttle Sisters of Coho Cove. From almost the first page you can feel the pain of childhood. We all have gone through something as a kid but being bullied has to be the worse. I didn't like it as a kid, and it still pulls at my heart as an adult. Having a crush on a boy and then him breaking your heart and siding with the bullies it just sometimes too much. 

You understand why Natalie has left her small town and refused to come back. She wasn't treated very well when she was younger and had no one, not even those closest to her to stick up for her. She loves her family but her one sister always finds fault with her even when she doesn't do anything wrong. He mother is pretty much the same way. Her other sister is the main reason she finally comes home after her mother's fall. She comes to help her out.

Right away you feel the tension within this family. Natalie is already strung pretty tight with coming home but the interaction between her and her family stresses her out and confuses her at the same time. In a small way she misses home. When she runs into Jaxon, she remembers all those childhood feelings she had for her. 

There is a lot that happens in the story, and you get to see things from other people's sides which I really liked. Jaxon was able to get forgiveness and Natalie learned to move on from her childhood. Our pasts shape us and sometimes we rise up from that past and become better people, other times we are stuck in the past and the glory of yesterday. 

This a good story of forgiveness and new love. The story moves quickly, and the funny part is most of the upset isn't between Natalie and Jaxon, it's more about her and her family. I like how Jaxon and Natalie fell back into a friendship and opened up to each other. They have much in common and that helps. The best part is seeing others with adult eyes instead of a kid. 

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