Book Review: This Is One Moment by Mila Gray

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This Is One Moment
Come Back to Me #2

Author: Mila Gray
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Military
Released: September 10th 2015
Review Source: Pan Macmillan | Netgalley

Didi Monroe’s waited her whole life for the type of romance you see in the movies, so when Hollywood heartthrob Zac Ridgemont sweeps her off her feet, Didi believes she might finally have met the one.

While Zac’s away filming for the summer, Didi begins her internship at a military hospital in California. There, she meets wounded Marine Noel Walker.

Frustrated on the outside and broken on the inside, Walker’s a pain-in-the-ass patient who refuses all help.

Yet Didi can’t help but be drawn to him, and though he’s strictly out of bounds it soon becomes impossible to ignore the sparks flying between them.

As the attraction simmers into dangerous territory, Didi finds herself falling hard for a man she knows is going to break her heart. Because Walker doesn’t believe in love or happy ever afters. So what possible future can there be

Then tragedy hits, shattering both their worlds, and Didi is forced to choose between fighting for love or merely falling for the illusion of it.

This is an Adult romance novel recommended for ages 18+ due to sexual content and mature subject matter.

Every single time I prepare for the choking emotion Mila Gray makes me feel but it still manages to shock me like it was the first time. If you haven't experienced Mila Gray/Sarah Alderson then you're in for a journey. Your heart will be taken, your mind filled with the characters, and your heart will be broken. And trust me, once it's all over, you won't have it any other way.

So many books just outline the appeal of guys in uniforms but this series does so much more. This Is One Moment is life after battle...if you were lucky enough to get an after. Didi is doing an internship at a wounded veterans hospital and having already experienced the loss of her best friend's brother Didi isn't naïve to how dangerous the veterans have had it, but then there's Walker. A survivor who's been left injured and visually impaired with a case of survivors guilt with a fiancé who couldn't handle the disability and left.

Didi and Walker's relationship was beautiful. Watching as Walker developed from a lonely tortured soul, to a guy who accepted friendship from Didi and came to depend on her to shave his beard, to the sizzling chemistry which blossomed between the two. From first kisses and true love, we got to watch every step of the relationship develop and it was wonderful. Really, really wonderful.

This Is One Moment gives a whole new prospective on after war, of the mentally and physical damaged humans who sacrificed their well being for the safety of others. It's truly astonishing what some people go through and still come out on top. It's been a long while since a book has inspired me like this. It's a beautiful page turner which had me emotional from start to finish.

Book Review: Come Back To Me by Mila Gray

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Come Back To Me
Author: Mila Gray
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Romance
Released: December 8 2015
Review Source: Simon Pulse

In this heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, a young Marine and his best friend's sister plunge into a forbidden love affair while he's home on leave.

When a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door, Jessa's heart breaks someone she loves is dead. Killed in action, but is it Riley or Kit? Her brother or her boyfriend?

Three months earlier, Marine Kit Ryan finds himself back home on leave and dangerously drawn to his best friend Riley's sister, Jessa, the one girl he can't have. Exhausted from fighting his feelings, Kit finally gives in, and Jessa isn't strong enough to resist diving headfirst into a passionate relationship.

But what was just supposed to be a summer romance develops into something far greater than either of them expected. Jessa's finally found the man of her dreams and Kit's finally discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for.

When it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither one is ready to say goodbye. Jessa vows to wait for him and Kit promises to come home to her. No matter what.

But as Jessa stands waiting for the Marine Chaplain to break her heart, she can't help but feel that Kit has broken his promise.

Riley or Kit? Kit or Riley? Her brother or her boyfriend? Who's coming home to her?

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Jessa has known Kit her whole life, only because he is her brother Riley's best friend. The age gap has always been something she was aware of, but something she wanted to leap over. Having always had a sweet spot when it came to Kit, she always assumed that nothing would come of it. When one summer things change. Kit sees Jessa how she had always hoped he would, and now things are on a roll. But only being home for a month before being deployed again puts a damper on things. Kit and Riley are both Marines who deploy at the same time - without both her main men in her life, Jessa isn't sure what will happen. When that fateful day when a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door and she has to figure out which one she can live without.

Wow...I had never read a Mila Gray book before - not even a Sarah Alderson book - but I think I must now read all of her books. I really enjoyed this book, and I also have found myself liking the marine romances lately. The story between two people who can make it work even knowing that they only have a limited amount of time with one another astounds me. But the relationship that sparks between Kit and Jessa is to die for.

I found myself while their romance was starting worrying about whether Kit or Riley would be the ones to break our hearts. Already knowing that someone important to Jessa dies kind of makes you walk on eggshells, not wanting to get too attached. But Gray does a fantastic job of making you step on every single eggshell there is. Kit is the boyfriend that any girl wants, with his romantic gestures and his adorable things that he says. I wish I had a Kit of my own! And then Riley is the brother that you can tell he would do anything and everything for his sister. They are blood and he holds that dear. So I realized when I had fallen for both these characters that I was in for a world of pain.
With some twists and turns thrown in this story keeps you on the edge of your seat. You love the romance that happens, you love the troubles that the characters all go through when it comes to their life's, and you enjoy seeing how they get through everything that happens. I never once found myself bored with this book, and I honestly didn't want it to end.

Another Once Upon A Twilight blogger, Shannon, wrote a review for the UK release of Come Back To Me,  so you should check her review out as well!

Book Review: Come Back to Me by Mila Gray

Come Back to Me
Author: Mila Gray
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: June 19th 2014
Review Source: Purchased

Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have.

But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms.

What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down.

When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for.

Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for.

A breathtaking, scorchingly hot story about love, friendship, family and finding your way back from the edge of heartbreak.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Being a huge fan of Sarah Alderson (otherwise known as Mila Gray), I knew before I started the book that I was setting myself up for a huge shock and/or something unexpected and potentially heartbreaking. The author never fails. 

The prologue made my cry...that speaks for itself. Having emotion so strong that early in the novel, with no connection to any of the characters because of the lack of prior knowledge, it’s impressive. It’s a first for me. Never have I cried a mere few pages into a book before. If that doesn’t show the good signs of the author's writing then I don’t know what will. It was gripping. After reading the prologue, there was almost an urgency to read the rest of the book just to know the outcome. 

Come Back to Me is the tale of forbidden romance. Marine Kit Ryan is on leave and is yearning after a girl he shouldn't want… his best friend’s little sister. Neither can deny their feelings for each other, even go as far as sneaking around so her brother and father don’t find out, but they make each moment count. Kit is only home for a few weeks before going out on another twelve month deployment so they cherish each moment and make them precious. 

The feels...I’m speechless. This book took me on a journey. I got a lot more than I expected and I don’t know what to say.  Everything about this book felt real. The situations, the emotions, I felt like I was right there with Kit and Jessa. Come Back to Me made me cry a total of 3 times, all separately. Either because I emotionally invest too easy in books or this book just hit all the right buttons--I’ll let you decide. And although it was a brother’s best friend type, there was never a moment in my mind where this felt like an overdone plot. It was original. It was fantastic. The author knew exactly how to pull the readers in and keep them in a choke hold. 

Come Back to Me has a special place in my heart, the book is going to stay with me for a while. It had a perfect ending but it was bittersweet for me. I’d love another installment, maybe just a novella, just to take a peek at the characters and see how they're doing down the line because I’m not ready to let go just yet.