Blurb
Hold On Tight (Returning Home, Book One)
A wounded soldier. A secret baby. A second chance.
Jake Taylor has made a few terrible decisions, but none worse than the one in Afghanistan that cost him his best friend and his leg.
Or so he thinks, until he comes home from war to discover a seven-year-old son he never knew existed.
Jake can’t regret the blissful nights he spent with Mira in his arms, or the boy with his eyes, but he can leave them alone so they don’t become yet another one of his mistakes.
He’ll rehab his body, figure out how to find purpose again—and keep things simple with the woman he once craved desperately.
Except the sizzling attraction that drew him to Mira is still fierce, and staying away from her is a lot harder than he ever expected…
Mira Shipley has promised herself that if she ever sees Jake Taylor again, she’ll tell him he has a son.
She isn’t expecting to run into him at the physical therapist’s office, where he’s learning to live with an above-the-knee amputation.
She can’t blame him for being a grumpy jerk under the circumstances, but it would be a lot easier to ignore him if she didn’t desperately need child care for her son.
And if Jake didn’t make her feel brand new and dazzlingly alive.
She knows she needs to protect her son’s feelings—but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the long, sweet nights she and Jake spent learning each other’s bodies and each other’s secrets…
Hold On Tight Excerpt
On the other side of the room, the cocky guy with the prosthetic leg shifted in his seat, drawing her gaze. Brown hair, on the longer side of short, uncombed. A couple of days’ unshaven scruff. Not her type; she liked professional men, clean-shaven. Her mind was about to dismiss him—a guy I ran into in the physical therapist’s office and wasn’t attracted to, but not because he was an amputee, just because he wasn’t my fantasy. But something made her look again.
Holy shit. She knew that face. The strong jaw, the well-formed upper lip, the deep groove that ran vertically between his brows—
She’d memorized his features in the few weeks they’d been together, the quick three-quarters way he smiled, like he couldn’t quite fully commit to happiness, the all-in truth of his smile when he gave himself over. The creases that formed when he frowned, the way his jaw set when something bothered him. That night at the lake—the last night—the look on his face when she’d taken off her clothes. Gratitude and longing and Who, me? For real?
The night came back to her in sharp contrasts, pairs of impressions. The coolness of his wet skin and the heat of his body. The softness of his mouth moving over hers, over her breasts, and the hard tug of his suckling, the yank of desire she’d felt. The rich summer smells, green and overripe, and the clean soap scent of him. How open she’d felt, how boundary-less, melting, flowing, willing—and how her body had betrayed and frustrated her.
How good he’d made her feel, better than she’d ever felt in her life, and the way he’d hurt her. The way they’d dressed, packed up, and driven home in silence. How hard she’d cried, and for how long.
Jake.
His eyes caught hers, caught and held and held and held. Sam’s gray-blue eyes, Sam’s full lower lip, Sam’s absurdly long eyelashes. Jake’s face.
Would Sam someday have a jaw like that, square and strong? Would his nose, which was still a little boy’s pudgy upturned nose, be as bladelike as his father’s?
How many times had she promised herself that if this moment ever came, she wouldn’t hold the truth back from Jake?
What Readers Are Saying
“Sweet, sexy and real . . . In Hold on Tight, Serena Bell has written a beautiful story about a wounded soldier and the woman strong enough to love him.”—Jessica Scott, USA Today bestselling author of Because of You
“The authenticity of their story is resounding. This isn’t a story of instant love, but of an uphill battle and determination, of making decisions, and of living in the here and now.”—Heroes and Heartbreakers
“This contemporary second-chance romance is Bell’s best written book yet. It deals with the horror of war beautifully and with great care, weaving it into a great love story, and many, many swoons.”—The Book Hammock
“Just a beautiful, and yet not overly emotionally weighted, story of two people fighting their way out of a life they were dealt, toward a life they choose wholeheartedly. This book left me feeling warmed, encouraged, bolstered and full. Phenomenal writing by Serena Bell.”—Ripe for Reader
“I was completely swept away with the characters, story and the writing.”—Twin Spin
What I thought about Hold On Tight
I'm a bit of a sucker for a military romance, so I had a feeling when I started this I would like it, and I've got to say that Serena Bell's Hold On Tight was everything I wanted in this genre.
Mira and Jake have a brief fling that is part rebellion on Mira's part and military leave playtime for Jake. Neither one is ready for the feelings they develop and in a very sad and surprising scene, they decide that it's best if they part ways. Of course, Mira has no idea that the few seconds of fooling around sans-condom will have a lasting impact on her life. She tries to find Jake without any luck, and ends up being a single-mom for the last seven years.
Jake is a lifer in the military, until a devastating IED incident in Afghanistan not only takes his best friend's life, but also Jake's leg. He's rehabbing back home, just around the time when Mira decides to cut the apron strings with her parents in Florida to move back to Seattle. As fate would have it, Mira and Jake run into each other and so begins their second chance.
Over the remainder of the story, both Mira and Jake struggle through many different feelings as they try to determine what their relationship is going to be. Will they be able to sort out the obvious attraction still between them? Can Jake get over his insecurities and fears of having a family of his own? And can they even have a relationship without Sam getting hurt in some way?
For me, the most interesting part of this story was how they would resolve their relationship, after being somewhat forced together because of their child. I liked that they both had doubts and nothing was resolved quickly or easily.
This was a very enjoyable read for me. Recommended when you want a sweet second chance love story.
An ARC was provided for review.
About the Author
Photo credit Susan Young
Photo credit Susan Young
USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.
Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.
When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.
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