Courage of Us (Code of Honor Book 1) by Brooke May – Review by Wendy Wary

Courage of Us by Brooke May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s a story of mixed signals and wrong assumptions from both Patience and Duke that came between the best-friends-turned-lovers for one night of passion following graduation, where Patience decided it was worth the risk of losing her friend if she gained a partner for life. But Duke leaving before Patience awoke the next morning led to the confusion that ensued for both, pushed further away by secrets neither felt could be revealed.

The story picks up seven years following that fateful night with Patience finally getting up the courage to divorce her abusive, cheating, alcoholic husband, Greg. After a move to Alabama and back home to Montana during her marriage, Patience realizes she’s a shell of the woman she used to be while she works in the cafe she opened in her parent’s grocery store. This revelation, and her learning to stand on her own two feet again, coincides with Duke’s return home to Montana after serving as a Marine in several tours that kept him away.

Duke avoided home during his service, in part, to avoid his feelings for Patience while pining for the woman who was married to another. Because of the distance they both put between themselves, neither were aware of the other’s change in situation. Duke takes a job as a sheriff deputy upon his reluctant return home, made hastily by his medical discharge from the military.

Add in some meddling mothers and an aunt, and the pair are reunited unexpectedly when Duke shows up at the cafe, and the sparks fly once again. With some tension and so many secrets between them, it gets off to a rocky start, but the two eventually admit to each other they both still love one another and spill the secrets that have come between them.

This book has such a relatable story, it’s hard not to get invested in the characters and their lives. I love the way the author paints the scenery and works in nuances to the characters’ personalities and interpersonal relationships. These feel like your friends, family, or neighbors, and the author has you rooting for love to prevail through the whole book. It’s an adorable love story with real life complications, and it makes the book read more like I personally see true love developing between two people, not just some sweet fairytale. It’s possibly one of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time because of this.

Reviewed by @wendywary

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