In the Likely Event

Don’t start this book at bedtime! The story grabs & holds you. The way the dual time line is written works better than any dual timeline I have read. I would have given the book 5 stars but the sex scenes were too detailed & graphic for my liking. I skipped a lot of pages that could have been filled with more adventure. Otherwise an Excellent read

3.5 stars This is my second read by Rebecca Yarros and first time reading military romance. I’m obsessed with Fourth Wing and decided to give this a go. This was obviously very different from Fourth Wing, as it’s a completely different genre. But still. It was hard not to compare the two, which kinda got in the way a bit at first for me. Not to say this wasn’t a good read. It was. I just wasn’t as into it, as I was with Fourth Wing. I really loved Nate & Izzy’s relationship. I kept rooting for them. However, it was one of those books that when I put it down, I didn’t feel like I was in any sort of rush to wanna pick it back up.

When this came up as a Frist Reads book on Amazon Prime I honestly didn't even look at the other choices. "The only woman I’d ever loved was here— in a damned war zone— and she was wearing another man’s ring. She was going to be another man’s wife." Izzy and Nate are from two completely different backgrounds but that doesn't matter when the connection they feel is instantaneous. Sadly fate has other plans and over the years they have moments and make sure to stay in each other's lives even if only through letters or emails. Now Izzy is in the last place Nate would ever want her to be and she's sporting a rock on her left hand that let's him know she will never be his. No matter that another man has his ring on her finger because Nate has always and will always do whatever it takes to keep Izzy safe. If he has to do things that will make her hate him then so be it. This book was so phenomenal!! I just could not get enough

I found this book an enjoyable read. It is the story of a 10 year relationship between a young man enlisting in the US Forces and a young woman who is heading to law school. They are involved in a plane crash where he rescues her and their relationship moves forward in short and emotionally charged meetings. She becomes a congressional aide and he becomes a Ranger and then special forces. He is from a farm family, her parents are wealthy and see her as a pawn in the marriage and political game to increase their standing. Nate, the hero, is concerned that he is not good enough for Isabeau and is concerned about the possibility of his being killed and tries to keep the relationship casual but does not fully reveal his concerns to Isabeau. Their final meet up is during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. I liked that you get to see the relationship from both perspectives, that Isabeau does not fully comprehend Nate’s concerns for her well being, and that Nate is not able to fully tell Isabeau his feelings because of his incipient PTSD plus the secret nature of his work. The author does an excellent job with the two main characters and you are left wondering how it will unfold until the very end. There are three sex scenes which I though were necessary to show the very passionate nature of the relationship. Yarrows was an army wife and she understands what those who are left behind go through. She also understands the army life and it is well depicted. Overall a good book.

"In the Likely Event" is a POV narration by Izzy and Nate of their fate-filled relationship, that begins when they are seat mates on a plane that crashes after takeoff. Nate heroically saves Izzy before duty calls him. Because they are from different worlds--he's a farm boy on his way to basic training and she's from a wealthy family who want her to advance their agenda--after the crash, they make no plans to meet again. Fate intervenes when Nate is on leave and she's at a bridal shower on the same small island. This time, a very intense relationship begins, but again, bad timing pulls them apart. They have only one day together. This becomes the pattern of their relationship. His secretive training and deployments and her time in law school assure that their intense love is limited to very short but perfect times when he's available. But that's not to say that all is perfect with either of them when they are not together--their family lives and work are fraught. This leads to a misunderstanding that brings even those short interludes to a close. Years pass, each has moved on, but fate is still not done with them. They end up face to face in Afghanistan as the US is exiting the country, civil society is falling to the Taliban and chaos is descending. As a congressional aide attempting to save an Afghanistani girls chess team, Izzy is provided security by the remaining special forces keeping order, which includes Nate. He is specifically assigned to her. This would seem a big chance for them, but their still-standing misunderstanding is further complicated by the fact that Izzy is now engaged to another man and Nate has a huge secret as well. You cannot read the story of Izzy and Nate without wondering how they can possibly overcome all the roadblocks to their relationship. They deserve their time yet nothing ever seems to work out for them. The collapse of Afghanistan is also an overwhelming threat to both. Nate is up against the clock to get Izzy out but she has a mission that makes her unwilling to leave and makes her take dangerous risks. This is a fast paced read that gives an insider's view to military life without making a point of it. You learn what it is like through the eyes of those who try to keep the realities of warfare from the ones they love. This fact is what makes for a surprise twist at the end of the book, one that you will not see coming. This is a captivating and heartfelt story of star-crossed lovers, one well worth your time. A+ and five stars.