TRULY SWEET – Candis Terry
Sweet, Texas , Book 5
Avon Books
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-235115-9
August 2015
Contemporary Romance

Sweet, Texas – Present Day

Jake Wilder has just returned to his hometown of Sweet, Texas after injuries suffered in Afghanistan months ago.  It wasn't the honorable discharge he got because of his injuries, but the men in his unit who died that haunt him.  Especially Eli, his best friend, whom he promised to protect, and he also promised to look out for his wife and unborn child if anything should happen to him.  Jake is living in his old home with his mother until she gets remarried, and his other brothers try their best to aggravate him and be there for him.  Jake is living in a void; he has no idea what to do with the rest of his life, and it still hurts him that he can't return to the Marines where he felt needed.

Annabelle Morgan is back in Sweet after she told her boyfriend she was pregnant and he promptly vanished to follow his “band” somewhere.  Her baby son, Max, is so special to her, and with her sister, Abby, married to one of Jake's brothers, she can rentAbby's old house and try to make a living in Sweet.  She just heard that the crush of her life, Jake Wilder, is back in town, and she tries her hardest not to make a fool of herself when she meets him, but a hunk that fine looking is hard to ignore.

Jake's mother, Jana, is there for Annie whenever she needs an emergency babysitter, and all of his family have welcomed her into their arms.  Talking to Jake, she realizes he feels because he didn't die, he does not deserve any love in his own life.  He wants to make sure Eli's wife and unborn child are doing well, but doesn't feel worthy to go and see them…because he made Eli's child have to grow up with no father, and made his wife a widow.  There is no way he deserves happiness when he let down his best friend.  Jake feels something for Annie, but decides to let her go so she can find someone more worthy of her than a broken shell of a man like him.

Once again the war has left its imprint on Sweet, Texas, and Candis Terry brings us the trauma and hurt that goes along with its victims.  Written from Annie's and Jake's points of view, Annie is outgoing and hard-working, and willing to give all she can to help Jake; but some things have to be done by him alone.

Secondary characters are Jake's brothers, willing to tease him, but accept and love him unconditionally.  Jake's mother is getting ready to get married again after her husband died several years ago, and then her oldest son also died in war.  Annie's son, Max, is critical to Jake, it takes a long time for him to even look at him, remembering Eli's unborn child and how he isn't worthy to be around children.

TRULY SWEET will surely pull at your heartstrings and bring the lasting memories of war that linger with our veterans, no matter how much of their lives they left behind.  Inspiring and with a happy ending, TRULY SWEET follows four other stories of Sweet, Texas and the Wilder boys, who each faced his own war injuries head-on and survived.  Visit Sweet and meet the crazy Wilder men and how they love each other, and Annie, who saves Jake from himself.

Carolyn Crisher