Until There Was You: A Loveswept Contemporary Military Romance [Kindle Edition]

Jessica Scott (Author)

Book Description

From the author of Because of You comes an all-new contemporary eBook romance. He plays by the rules, she's not afraid to break them. Now these two strong-willed Army captains will prove that opposites attract . . .
 
A by-the-book captain with a West Point background, Captain Evan Loehr refuses to mix business with pleasure--except for an unguarded instance years ago when he succumbed to the deep sensuality of redheaded beauty Claire Montoya. From that moment on, though, Evan has been at odds with her, through two deployments to Iraq and back again. But when he is asked to train a team prepping for combat alongside Claire, battle-worn Evan is in for the fight of his life.
 
Strong, gutsy, and loyal, Captain Claire Montoya has worked hard to earn the rank on her chest. In Evan, Claire sees a rigid officer who puts the rules before everything else--including his people. When the mission forces them together, Claire soon discovers that there is more to Evan than meets the eye. He's more than the rank on his chest; he's a man with dark secrets and deep longings. For all their differences, Evan and Claire share two crucial passions: their country and each other.

 
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: Blaze of Winter, The Devil's Thief, and Santerra's Sin.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A gripping and emotionally charged story with strong characters and incredible imagery. Scott's background gives her military romances a depth of truth and dose of reality that no others have."

~ Gina Maxwell | New York Times Bestselling author of Seducing Cinderella 

 

"There are books that need to be written in order to explain important moments in our history. 'Until there was You' is one of those books" 

~ Stacey | Absorbed in a Book

 

"A brilliant follow up to Because of You"

~ Gitte | Totally Booked

 

"Once again Jessica Scott amazes me with her heartfelt and deeply moving writing." 

~ Stella Ex Libris | Book Lovers Inc

 

"An absolutely captivating read by Jessica Scott. Not your typical light fluffy romantic read but a realistic look into military life that will leave your emotions reeling." 

~ Herding Cats and Burning Soup

 

"This story has the perfect balance of conflict, romance, passion and even some laugh out loud moments."

~ Romancing the Book

 

"Jessica Scott is an exciting new voice in romantic fiction!"

~Robyn Carr | New York Times Bestselling Author

 

"Jessica Scott writes with a soldier's heart."

~ Cindy Gerard | New York Times Bestselling Author 

 

"Put Jessica Scott on your "must read" list."  

 ~ Suzanne Brockmann | New York Times Bestselling Author

 

"Jessica Scott should be on every reader's list." 

~Brenda Novak | New York Times Bestselling Author

  

 

From the Inside Flap

"You realize it looks bad for you to hang out with your old enlisted buddy, don't you?"

Claire Montoya looked up at her oldest friend, Sergeant First Class Reza Iaconelli, whom she was no longer supposed to be friends with now that she'd earned her commission two years before.

"You're the only person--officer or enlisted--in this brigade I know. I don't really care what it looks like."

"Yeah, well, my commander might have something to say about that if he gets the wrong idea. The guy must have been potty trained at gunpoint."

 

"That uptight, huh?" Claire grinned and sipped her beer. She'd been in the Reaper Brigade Combat team for all of three weeks, and Reza was the one person she trusted to have her back. "Where is your illustrious commander, anyway?"

 

 "Working, as always." Reza grinned, and it was pure evil. "You'll never guess on what."

Claire braced for the worst. She could only imagine.

 

"Do I want to know?"

 

He tossed back the rest of his beer. "Apparently, there are eight new cases of chlamydia in our company.

 

So the battalion commander has tasked him to find out A, where they came from, and B, what he's going to do to prevent any more outbreaks."

 

Claire choked on a swallow of Dos Equis that went down the wrong pipe. It was a long minute before her lungs were clear and she could breathe again, let alone talk. "That is wrong on so, so many levels," she said when she could speak.

 

"Speak of the devil." Reza turned and pointed his beer at someone behind Claire. She twisted on the edgeof the wall that circled the dance floor, prepared to meet someone starched and rigid. "Evan Loehr, Claire Montoya. You two mingle. I'm getting another beer."

 

She was going to kill Reza. He was forever trying to get her to hook up the way he did: with all the discretion of a dog in heat. She stared daggers into his back as he walked off. He never quite understood why she wasn't into dating. Her track record with men

sucked, and she was not about to add to that losing streak tonight. She was getting ready to deploy with the brigade in less than two months. She didn't need a one-night stand with one of the company commanders to complicate things.

 

Not that he didn't look like the perfect candidate for a one-night dance with the devil. If she did that sort of thing. Which she didn't. But still, this man didn't look remotely the way she'd expected he would. His shoulders were wide and solid, and beneath that starched white shirt, his chest looked powerful. She could easily imagine those arms wrapped around her, holding her tight while he . . . Down, girl. She might not have moved from her spot on the low wall surrounding the dance floor, but her hormones had snapped to attention, that was for sure.

 

The way Reza had described him made her imagine a man who would show up in military uniform despite the Texas casual dress code. He seemed out of place in this smoky, seedy bar.

 

This guy seemed stiff and rigid, as if he'd rather be anywhere but here at this moment. The top button of his shirt exposed the strong line of his throat, revealing dark hair and a glimpse of smooth skin and carved shadows. Beneath the First Cav Stetson, his

hair was black and cut close to the strong line of his neck. There was confidence in the way he moved, a raw power that wrapped around Claire like the smoke in the bar and drew her close.

 

Claire stuck out her hand, needing something to distract her from her deviant thoughts. Small talk ought to do the trick. "Nice to meet you. Evan, right?"

 

"Yeah." His hand was rough and strong as her fingers slid into his. "How did you get the last name Montoya with hair like that?"

 

"I have no idea." Oddly self-conscious, she tucked her red hair behind one ear. "So you're Reza's commander?"

 

"For the last two months."

 

"And your first order of business is dealing with sexually transmitted diseases?" He scowled fiercely and Claire laughed out loud, despite her best efforts

not to.

 

"Glad you think it's funny." His voice rumbled over her skin, holding the promise of dark fantasies and primitive yearnings. It had been too long since she'd been with a man. Being around him made her want to do reckless things.

 

 "I've never been a commander, but I hope I never have to deal with what you're dealing with right now."

 

Evan looked so disgruntled, she smiled. She didn't know him. She shouldn't be amused by his discomfort, but the situation was ridiculous. Plus, the conversation came with the added bonus of locking down her hormones. Nothing said sexy like diseases, she thought

dryly.

 

He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the low wall next to her hips and dragging his hands over his face. "I can't believe that this is what I'm dealing with. Not weapons training. Not running patrols or shooting bad guys. Sexually transmitted diseases."

 

"Well, commander, what's your plan for dealing with the rash of diseased penises in your formation?"

 

Evan groaned and buried his face in his hands, then took a long pull off his own beer. Reza emerged from the crowd and clapped him on the shoulder. "I already took care of it. I sent Ramirez to the clinic to pick up a case of rubbers. They're sitting on the counter in the company ops."

"I should make them an inspectable item and have every soldier keep one in their wallet," Evan grumbled.

 

Claire laughed so hard, she almost fell from her seat on the wall.

 

Evan gave her a pointed look.

 

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to stop laughing before she permanently damaged his pride. "But you should see your face."

 

He took a pull off his beer. Claire watched his throat move, enthralled by the motion of sleek muscle and dark skin. "I feel like I should have a formation and make the platoon sergeants demonstrate how to put on a condom the correct way."

 

 "As one of your platoon sergeants, I'll be the first to refuse that order," Reza said before taking another drink.

 

Finally Evan laughed and the sound twisted Claire's insides, teasing away the tension and the fatigue and the bone-crushing pressure of being the new girl. Something warm unfurled against her heart, like hot steam rising from a hidden vent.

 

Something that told her she needed to stay far away from the source of the warmth.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 1922 KB
• Print Length: 251 pages
• Publisher: Loveswept (October 8, 2012)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008IU9SSE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,729 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great story, interesting characters, romance a little flat October 11, 2012

By ejaygirl

Format:Kindle Edition

Captain Evan Loehr is a straight arrow West Point graduate and does everything by the book, and doesn't have time for pleasure. He's got some baggage from his youth that seems to be the driving force behind his current identity. Captain Claire Montoya earned her rank the hard way, first enlisting in the Army and then completing Officer Candidate School and moving into the officer corps. Claire has her secrets, too, and they have shaped her current behavior. She and Evan had one brief interlude years ago but since then seem to have butt heads at every juncture. Both end up in Colorado to train a team for deployment to Iraq, forcing them to confront their differences and passions for their careers and each other.

I really liked Claire and Evan and found them to be compelling characters. It worked for me that she was brash and often bucked the system because of her roots in the enlisted ranks. Claire was passionate about her career, those under her command and her assigned missions. There was a lot to admire and respect about her, especially her loyalty to her friends. Evan's dedication was clear and even though his approach was different, it was no less passionate. He behaved with honor, even if it didn't always seem his feelings were invested in the people. It made sense that these two would connect because of their level of commitment and being opposites.

What didn't work so well for me was the romance between Claire and Evan. It lacked the passion we found in everything else they did. There were numerous starts and stops with these two that didn't quite ring authentic. We went from a sensuous interlude to a point of time three years later. It would have helped if there was more of the story about what happened in between to drive them so far apart other than just knowing they clashed on a regular basis. That would have made their coming together electric. When they succumbed to their attraction years later, those things that happened in between made a big difference in me being able to connect with them and tumble into the romance along with them.

The story was really interesting and the pitfalls of military command and politics was extraordinary. It's well written and the characterizations were really strong. I'm hoping, however, that some of the secondary characters (Reza, Sara, Lt. Engle) show up in the next installment of the series as their fates remain a mystery. I was also surprised to learn that some of the open ended issues regarding the characters from the first book were not included in this story, which was a disappointment.

I'm enjoying this series, even though the romance in this book fell a little flat for me. It was compensated by the strength of the story and the compelling characters. I'm looking forward to the next installment as I am dying to learn the fates of all those secondary characters from the first book and this one. I'm rating this book 3.5 stars.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed but intriguing heroes October 9, 2012

By Elf2060

Format:Kindle Edition

4 1/2 stars

"Until There Was You" by Jessica Scott is a realistic and heartwarming military romance that portrays some of the stresses experienced by soldiers and their superiors as they try to prepare to face deployment in a hostile environment. The conflict between following rules and achieving acceptable results is highlighted as are the complicated reactions that each person uses to cope with virtually impossible situations and responsibilities. Two officers, Evan Loehr and Claire Montoya, want to do all they can to ensure that the brigade they are preparing to deploy are as ready as they can possibly be given the limitations facing them. Unfortunately, they have diametrically opposing reactions to the agenda that they are tasked with. Evan is a strictly by the books officer whereas Claire seems to believe that the ends justifies the means but that difference in style doesn't keep them from being attracted to one another. The burdens from the past that each carries is another story entirely and may derail their ability to work with each other, let alone develop any potential personal relationship.

"Until There Was You" is another sobering yet incredibly romantic military story that provides glimpses of the sacrifices endured and the apparently insurmountable obstacles that must be overcome by both soldiers and the officers tasked with preparing them for virtually impossible tasks. This author understandably can provide incredible detail to provide realism based on knowledge obtained through personal experience even as she peoples her stories with richly textured characters who must fight battles both within themselves and externally. I was touched by the physical representation of Evan's penance and saddened by the emotional scars that so many of the characters carry yet hopeful that each of them will find some method of coping that will ease a little of their burden. This story mesmerizes one even as it provides stark reminders of the price being paid by so many brave men and women who unselfishly thrust themselves into danger time and time again. It makes us aware of how grateful we should be for all those who serve our country. Another enthralling tale from a talented author, can't wait for the next in the series which revisits characters from this author's first book, "Because of You" even as I hope that we will also eventually learn more about the characters who were introduced in this book.

A copy of this work was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Submitted to Night Owl Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars For me, a journey of discovery. October 8, 2012

By Kim

Format:Kindle Edition

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews.

Until There Was You is the second book by Jessica Scott, a current Army officer, but this is the first book by her I have read. Part of the title states that this is a military romance, but I found the only thing military about this book were the characters who are all members of the Army. The book takes place at bases in Texas and Colorado.

For me, I wanted to read this book for the romance. I found it hard to read for the military part. Meaning, I kept getting bogged down in trying to figure out what the ranks meant and some of the military language. I will say I gained a greater respect for our members of the military; for what they have to go through and endure for war.

If you're looking for a romance story where there's immediate attraction by both parties and within the first 15 to 20 pages of the book they succumb to their attraction, this book ISN'T for you. I like that the book builds up to the true romance. You get to know the characters and see what they truly are about.

I love the characters in this book from the main characters of Evan Loehr and Claire Montoya to the secondary character of Reza Iaconelli. Captain Evan Loehr is a career Army man. He has been in or a part of the military since the age of seventeen. He is a straight arrow, by the book kind of guy. He knows what happens when you don't follow the rules; sometimes the consequences can be deadly. Captain Claire Montoya is a hard working, break the rules for the greater good, kind of woman. In her mind, rules should not always be black and white. Sergeant First Class Reza Iaconelli is my favorite. Reza is a warrior soldier. He has his demons but he's the person you want on your side. He's funny and caring. He can give just as good as he can get.

In fact, Evan, Claire, and Reza all have demons they're battling. Evan is dealing with the death of his younger sister thirteen years previously. Claire has trust issues and feels she isn't worthy. Reza is an alcoholic who uses drinking to numb the effects of all the battles he's been a part of. Evan and Claire have misconceptions about each other. It isn't until they realize the other's past that they are able to finally understand the other.

Claire and Reza are like best friends. Best friends who technically shouldn't be friends, due to the fact that Claire outranks him. Throughout the book you see all the many times Claire breaks the rules for Reza because she cares so deeply for him and because he's really good at what he does.

All three are together on a training mission to train a team that a good friend of Claire is a part of. The training outlined by commander in charge of the division is lacking and Claire wants to change things to enable the troops who are going to be deployed to Iraq the best possible chance at surviving and coming home alive. Events transpire which result in someone getting injured. Reza is partially responsible for what happens and Claire takes the fall for him and everyone else. This puts her future with the military in jeopardy.

Interestingly enough, Reza is the one with the biggest and worst problem. But he's also the one who finally forces Evan and Claire to admit their feelings for one another out in the open.

At times, Until There Was You can be a little heartbreaking. But I love the discovery the characters make within themselves and the others they care about and love. Evan and Claire are two people who should really find and have a happily ever after. I wish, no, I hope that the same can be said for Reza.

I was able to review this book by receiving it from NetGalley.

More About the Author

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

Oprah has called her. True story.

Her debut novel BECAUSE OF YOU launched Loveswept, the first Random House digital imprint.

She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and is currently a company commander stationed at Fort Hood.

Most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.