Stephen and Corina secretly married 6 years ago before he deployed. When he returned, he pushed her away but never explained why. Corina suspected it has something to do with the death of her brother, who was deployed with Stephen, but she's never gotten answers. Suddenly, the couple discovers their marriage was never annulled. After an internal struggle, Corina decides she wants to fight for their marriage. Stephen is convinced he's not worthy of her and that he will never live down one fateful day in Afghanistan.
Although this is book three in the series, they are all stand alone. Characters and events from the previous books are mentioned so if you don't want any spoilers you probably want to read these in order.
I enjoyed this story. Hauck has a way of blending the real world with a beautiful fictional kingdom. She also brings spiritual truth to the forefront of the story without being preachy or jerking you out of the plot. Stephen and Corina are a great couple and I loved their dialogue and banter. They also had to learn and choose to love each other, which I like. There was no instant romance even though Corina loved Stephen from the beginning, she had to learn what love really means.
Stephen also had to learn that even our greatest failures can be forgiven. Hauck did a wonderful job describing the internal struggles that Stephen faced. He knew what he wanted to do but there was always something holding him back and watching that all resolve was thought-provoking. It made me consider what, in my own life, I might be holding back and fighting to keep, even if it's coming between me and God.
What made me hesitate from a higher rating were Adelaide and Brill. I loved the characters themselves and the encouragement they were to Corina. I struggled to fit them into an otherwise realistic story. I know there are unexplainable things that happen in our lives and people that influence us. I felt like these 2 might have been a bit overboard. Maybe I'm being too stick in mud but it was hard for me to get around.
Overall, a great story with fun characters and a plot that makes you think.
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