If this book were a movie, it would be an epic one...long, angsty and emotionally exhausting! And I mean that in a good way. The story takes you to war, it brings you home, it lays broken hearts before you and it asks you to fight for characters who may be too broken to fight for themselves. 
 Ryan, Jake and Fin have grown up together. They're more than friends, they're family. Ryan's home life is abusive and the Tanners become a surrogate family for him. He's been in love with Fin all his life but believes that he's too broken...that he can't give her what she deserves. And so we begin the story of a man who wants to help others who can't help themselves, even if it means denying himself the only thing he's ever wanted. I loved Ryan. He's so honorable and so strong. And, even though he believes himself too broken for love, he still wears his heart on his sleeve. He will do anything for his one true love, even stand by on the sidelines so she can live her life without him. In truth, I had mixed feelings about Fin. For the most part, I really liked her and thought she was a strong character. But there were instances where I felt her decisions were misguided, where she let others do the thinking for her. And, yes, I get that this book spans many years and she needed to move on...but...well, I just couldn't get behind some of it. It's these feelings about Fin that frustrated me a bit about the story. It didn't stop me from enjoying it but also took a little away from my overall feelings for the book. On the other hand...I absolutely adored Jake. He was such a "big" character and he added some needed humor and joy along the way in this often sad story. 
 So much happens here. The writing was wonderful and the story was told from both POVs which I really appreciated. We got to see and feel war but weren't overburdened with it, we got to experience heartache and redemption, and we were given an opportunity to root for these characters. Overall, this was a great read and, if you pick it up, be prepared with some tissues...you'll probably need them!