Dark Days of Promise

Shaunna
Gonzales
Genre: 
Inspirational

For Victoria Laramie, though divorced from her husband for three years, his death still comes as a shock. Her ex-husband, Marshall, a soldier, was killed in action. Along with the heartbreaking news to tell their three children, she must also shoulder the family's financial burden. Janine Chase is Vicki's best friend and elderly neighbor. She has been like a grandmother to Vicki's children and a mother to Vicki herself.  Now more than ever she needs Janine's support.
Janine's son, Staff Sergeant Kelly Chase, is home on leave and suffering from PTSD. Trained for combat and killing the enemy, Kelly struggles to adjust to civilian life. A number of times Vicki has triggered a defensive reaction in Kelly, and now she feels both attraction and fear. But when another man comes into the picture, who would she be safest with and who will provide the role-model for her boys?
Written in the first person, this is an engaging romance, a story of family, and of life involving military personnel. The respect and admiration for those who serve in the military shines through, as well as the care and sympathy for those suffering from the effects of combat PTSD.  With barely a hint of prayer or religious overtones, “Days of Promise” manages to be inspirational without being preachy. The heroine did tend to display a dual personality that rendered her less than sympathetic at times. And the second suitor was drawn as a one-dimensional stereotype. Overall though, this is a winning and uplifting contemporary romance!
Jill MacKenzie