Sargeant Wesley Denton had a life-changing experience when he met Star in that dank room. They didn’t get around to exchanging more than first names, but they bonded in a way few would expect from Wes. He was known by his friends as a ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’ kind of guy. The two of them were scared but they talked, prayed together, and then Wes was taken out of the area at gunpoint. When they were separated, his whole world was affected.

I am a fan of Ms. Mendoza’s writing. This book, however, was above and beyond my expectations. The plot was so different from anything I imagined a novel about captivity in Iraq would be. These two characters were brilliantly developed. The way she wrote made me feel as if I was there with them. Her secondary characters were well written and made the storyline multidimensional. The faith in God and the scripture quoted would not be offensive to anyone. It’s obvious that Mendoza knows of which she speaks.

I was totally surprised at the way this book progressed. I loved the book—from Star’s hippy family to Wes’s career military dad. Their friends were supportive and made the calamities comical if not for the seriousness of the debacle.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. It’s a great romance without the sex found in many books. It’s one you can let your daughter read.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Sweet

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
April 8, 2009