Review: The Military Wife

The Military Wife by Laura Trentham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed "The Military Wife." The characters were well-developed and sympathetic, and I found it easy to root for them as they faced up to their struggles and tried to create new lives for themselves in the wake of tragedy. As someone with several friends and family members in the military (or with spouses in the military), I applaud the author's efforts to highlight the difficulties these families face, especially the impact of PTSD not just on the soldier, but the entire family. Also, the difficulties military spouses face in finding jobs is very real. The increase in telework and home-based business has helped a lot in this regard, but it was nice to see another idea presented for how military spouses may contribute if they wish to work outside the home.

As far as the romance between Harper and Bennett, I really appreciated the realistic conflict they faced in coming to terms with the "ghost" of Noah between them. I also very much appreciated the fact that the author didn't feel the need to tear Noah down in order to make Bennett look better by comparison. (I've read too many books lately where a "big secret" was revealed about the deceased spouse that suddenly made them seem like a terrible person, especially in comparison with the prospective new spouse.) It's possible to love more than one person over the course of a lifetime, and my personal belief is that a truly loving spouse would want his or her partner to be happy after they're gone. I think Noah would have been glad to know that Harper and Bennett found each other, and that his son has a loving stepfather who will make sure that he grows up to be an honorable man like his father.

I look forward to the next book in this series!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews