Edge Pieces- C. Ward

This is not a book I would typically pick up. The author reached out and I figured I'd give it a shot. I did enjoy the book, there were a few lines that I had issues with, and they touched a nerve but overall, it's a good story. 

The story starts off in 1989, with a kid just out of high school in the army, in Saudi Arabia. The Gulf War looms. I remember this time, as the daughter of a veteran, my dad was over there, fighting for our freedoms. I spent most of my life without a dad so America could remain free. Even today, at 42, I barely know my dad. I really felt this book when his wife took his kids and left. My dad spent the last years of his service in Texas while we lived in Oklahoma with my mom. Most people that crap all over the military have no idea the sacrifices they make, both physical and emotional.

Alex is just a young kid that didn't want to go to college and decided the military was the next best thing. One day his unit receives some mail, and he responds to a random letter from a kid in Ohio. The kids' parents get together with the school district and they send a massive care package. In the package is another letter, this time from a young girl, Nikki and she sent a picture. They strike up a relationship through letters. When he gets some leave time and they're back in the states, he meets up with Nikki and they're instantly an item. They live about 4 hours away from each other and it takes its toll on their relationship. When Alex wants to move up in the military so he can provide better for Nikki, she ends up running off with someone else. Alex makes the military his life work and does well. Over time he meets someone else, Jenny. With Jenny things are good, then she gets sick, and things are derailed. In the end, Alex plays the hero one more time.

The book is a story of love and loss. Of what a true relationship means, standing beside someone no matter what. It's written like a diary, spanning 30 years, two wars and three relationships. There aren't a lot of details but at 190 pages it packs a punch. The story is raw at times and sad, I teared up on more than one occasion. I read this book in a little over an hour. I really wanted to find out Alex's fate. I would recommend this book. I received this book free from the author for an honest review.