Review: Indivisible

Indivisible

Jessica McQuinn

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: January 2011

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Pages: 338

Author Site: http://www.jessicamcquinn.com/

My Rating: 4.5/5

Source: Received for review from publisher

Synopsis:

[from goodreads.com]

Charlie and Gideon Cooper's story begins where most romance stories end: at the happily ever after. Gideon's protective nature makes Charlie feel safe and happy in her new life as the wife of a Navy SEAL—until her happily comes crashing down around her. And though she’s surrounded by loving family and friends, instead of pulling together in the wake of Charlie’s ordeal, their secrets and wrong perceptions threaten to break them all apart. The experience will test the bond they share and determine whether Charlie and Gideon are truly Indivisible.

Jessica McQuinn skillfully pulls readers into the conflicting emotions of an entire family—the traumatized wife, the far-away husband, the inadequate younger brother, the over-nurturing mother. McQuinn lets readers see their strengths and their vulnerabilities—everything that makes them human. And all the while, she deftly weaves in entertaining interactions so readers get to know and adore the characters’ lighter sides, even as the story ventures into dark territory. Indivisible is an unforgettable story of the power of love and the importance of trust.

Review:

I love the description in the synopsis that says the story starts after “happily ever after”. I actually love the entire synopsis. It describes the point of the story very well. Charlie and Gideon Cooper are a year into their marriage and life couldn’t be better for the couple. But things take an ugly turn after the navy SEAL leaves for a six-month deployment. Charlie, Gideon, and their families are all faced with a horrible incident that will change their lives and their relationships forever.

Jessica McQuinn is a very gifted story-teller. I was completely sucked into the heart-breaking and uplifting tale of Charlie and Gideon. There were times where I was so close to tears and other times that had me laughing out loud. The characters are so well developed and I felt like I knew them personally by the end of the book. Each of them had qualities I loved and hated. They mimicked family members and people I’m sure many of us have or have known.

One thing that kind of bothered me was the way Charlie and Gideon met and got together. The two only knew each other two days before they got married. And while McQuinn goes into some detail about both character’s knowledge of how crazy that is, I still felt kind of iffy. But at the end of the day I accepted the love that the couple shared. No matter how much it bothered me McQuinn certainly made me a believer that hey, maybe you can fall head over heels in love with someone at first sight.

I respect and admire every person who is currently in or has been in the military and their families. However, my father was in the Navy and the relationship I currently share with him is pretty much non-existent. I would never blame the military for the strain on my family or for his decision-making skills (or lack thereof), but I’ve always felt a little standoff-ish towards the military lifestyle. (But I mostly blame my father and his actions) Indivisible definitely had a personal effect on me. It wasn’t so much the actual events in the book that hit home, but rather the deployment issue and the strain of deployment on all the parties involved.

Despite my hesitation towards military related things I’m so very glad I got a chance to read Indivisible. It’s an emotion-driven book that took me on quite a journey. I look forward to McQuinn’s upcoming projects with some of the secondary characters and their stories. I think I may just be giving military reads, and men-in-uniform reads, more of a chance thanks to her. Indivisible is romantic, brave, family oriented and has real issues that I’m sure many people (especially military families) face all the time. I appreciated the qualities in every one of the characters. I definitely recommend Indivisible to anyone who loves a contemporary story that they can completely lose themselves in.

P.S. (cover talk)

I really enjoy simple covers that convey big messages. The raw emotion in the hug between the two cover models tells so much about the story. I think it’s great!