Full Measures

Holy Smokes! When I requested this book from Netgalley I thought I was requesting a book about a HOT hockey player. Well, I did get Josh Walker but so much more than I was expecting. The story was beautifully written and gave us an inside look of the lives of military families. I was barely through the first few pages before I had tears falling. It showed a young girl named Ember Howard whose family has just gone through one of the toughest heartbreaks and how she has to take over the motherly role while her mother recovers from heartbreak. The story follows Ember and Josh as they begin a friendship then a relationship. I was not expecting Josh's secret to be what it was. That was a surprise. I knew there was something especially when I show more read he was shot but I thought the author was just trying to make us think it was something to do with the military. I am still shocked over the book and how well the author was able to tie everything together and make the story flow. The ending left my heart breaking all over again. The book left us with an epilogue but I want more to Josh and Ember's story. I hope the author follows up with a short story to give us what happens with Josh and Ember after she finishes school. I did some research online and it looked as if this is the authors first book. Wow! Even if it is not her first book the writing was beautiful. Last thing...that was the most creative names I ever read about in a book. I keep thinking they were all named after the month they were born. Can wait to recommend to friends. show less

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable in how they dealt with the life altering events that occurred in their lives. I loved the story line and the protagonists and the slight twist at the end was well written. I hope this author writes more books because I quite enjoy her writing style and characterization.

Three knocks can change everything.....
This line is well used in these reviews and is part of the synopsis, but it is so poignant and vital to this story. How life can change in a second, how the unexpected can turn your life upside down, how the human spirit can be tested beyond measure, and how love can save it all.

Full Measures is the debut novel by Rebecca Yarros, a NA story about loss and heartache, the reality of military life and learning how to trust in love and give yourself over to it.

Right from the first page December's family is thrust right into a heartbreaking situation, the loss of the rock of their family, her father, and things in December's nicely planned life will never be the same again. Add to that her mother show more checking out for a while, trying to cope with her grief, and December becomes the mother, sister and decision maker and organiser of the family as a result of those three knocks. When circumstances in Embers love life further test her strength, Josh Walker is there to help her pick up the pieces and stay strong. Josh has been December's secret crush since high school, the bad boy of the hockey team, the bad boy that every girl wants, and mostly gets, the boy that ties December in knots but the boy that she thinks she can never have. Years have passed between that high school crush, and Josh reappears in December's life, assaulting her senses, igniting a fire between them, and becomes a sanctuary from the overwhelming grief that her family is living through. The chemistry between Josh and December is smoldering hot, not taking much to ignite the passion between them but December tries to fight the attraction, thinking that Josh doesn't need the baggage that comes with her at the moment. Josh is smitten, has been since high school, but never thinking he was good enough for December. Josh won't let go even though he is keeping a secret that can tear Embers world apart again. Josh and Embers relationship is on again off again as Ember tries to sort out her life, worried that they are moving too fast and falling too deep. Ember is struggling with her emotions, trying to cope the best she can while falling in love with the one person who can totally crush her.

This story takes us through the stages of grief in a family trying to come to grips with their new reality. I thought the author did a really great job of showing the different stages of grief and how everyone grieves differently, at their own pace, in their own time. It was a touching reminder of the sacrifices that our military families make and live with on a daily basis. The emotion was heartfelt and obviously from the authors personal experience and had me welling up and feeling the devastation at the family's loss and the aftermath thereof. I thought the chemistry between Ember and Josh was tangible although I was a little frustrated with the amount of times Ember gave Josh mixed signals, and for how long she kept him hanging in limbo. Having said that though I connected with both characters easily and felt every emotion, felt every angsty moment that had my heart beating, and felt the tears of sadness and happiness.The last chapter before the epilogue had me in tears. I thought it was perfect!

I thought every character in this book added something to the storyline, particularly Gus. He stole my heart and I would love to read a book about Sam and Jagger. I loved the epilogue but could have kept reading for another page or two, greedy I know.

Overall a great debut by Rebecca Yarros and I will be eagerly awaitng her next novel.

copy kindly provided by Netgalley and the publisher show less

Holy Smokes! When I receivedHoly Smokes! When I requested this book from Netgalley I thought I was requesting a book about a HOT hockey player. Well, I did get Josh Walker but so much more than I was expecting. The story was beautifully written and gave us an inside look of the lives of military families. I was barely through the first few pages before I had tears falling. It showed a young girl named Ember Howard whose family has just gone through one of the toughest heartbreaks and how she has to take over the motherly role while her mother recovers from heartbreak. The story follows Ember and Josh as they begin a friendship then a relationship. I was not expecting Josh's secret to be what it was. That was a surprise. I knew there was show more something especially when I read he was shot but I thought the author was just trying to make us think it was something to do with the military. I am still shocked over the book and how well the author was able to tie everything together and make the story flow. The ending left my heart breaking all over again. The book left us with an epilogue but I want more to Josh and Ember's story. I hope the author follows up with a short story to give us what happens with Josh and Ember after she finishes school. I did some research online and it looked as this is the authors first book. Wow! Even if it is not her first book the writing was beautiful. Last thing...that was the most creative names I ever about in a book. I keep thinking they were all named after the month they were born. Can wait to recommend to friends. show less

Full Measures by Rebecca Yarros does have young 20-ish characters, but it is more erotic romance than new-adult, holy hot- full on hot, erotic romance. I have read plenty new-adult and this is much different, so beware, this is not what you may expect. Oh hum, another book that is in a questionable genre category.

I was not always fond of Ember. Her constant indecisiveness was maddening and I did not find her particularly believable. With the amount of emotional pain that she had, it is hard to believe that she wouldn't hold on to Josh instead of the cycling through backing off, apologizing over and over.

"If I tried to say I'm sorry now, I would probably start humping his leg like a horny dog" ~Ember Oh no she didn't just say that! This, show more along with a couple of annoying side characters, had me asking myself how something with this much substance could get so off track midway through. Thankfully it got turned around, and boy did it ever.

Rebecca Yarros incorporated enough story-line alongside the romance to ward off the dreaded predictability that is usually a stamp on romance. The turns and the way that things were resolved made the ending particularly amazing, delivering more tears and some real beautifully written portions.

The bottom line here is that there are moments of love, heartbreak, eroticism and sustenance and I feel like my time was well spent. show less

Una visita puede cambiarlo todo. Ember Howard lo supo al momento: la repentina visita de aquellos soldados significaba que su padre no iba a volver a casa. Lo que no sabía era de dónde sacar fuerzas para que su familia no se desmoronase. Entonces, Josh Walker, estrella del hockey, irrumpe en su vida. Una sola mirada, un único roce, bastan para borrar el dolor de Ember. Y por mucho que intente negar sus sentimientos y soportar sola el dolor, la atracción que hay entre ellos es evidente. Pero Josh guarda un secreto. Cuando Ember lo descubra, su mundo se romperá en pedazos, y deberá decidir si vale la pena amar a un hombre capaz de romperle el corazón.

This book actually has a good storyline. It's just that I hate it when a character, especially the female lead, does the exact opposite of what she thinks she should do. It's annoying.
But, gosh. The guy on the cover is sooooooo food looking. Haha.