"A Marine Awakening," by Jax Meyer

New Adult Lesbian Romance

Book Blurb

In 1998, introverted Cameron Warren is focused on being a model Marine and surviving the social isolation of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Navigating the policy and finding allies is harder than she expected, but she's determined to complete her enlistment period and return to college.

Meanwhile, gregarious military kid Sharon Rodriguez knows connections are critical to navigate the unspoken rules of the Marine Corps. She’s confident in her ability to enjoy the casual flings she's accustomed to, while pursuing the 20 year career she desires.

When Sharon convinces Cam to attend a party with her, neither realizes their lives are about to become more complicated than they planned for. How hard will they need to fight for a love that must remain in the shadows?

A Marine Awakening is a contemporary lesbian New Adult romance that shows that no person or policy can stop two Marines fighting for each other.

My Review

Okay, my lovelies. This week’s read took a heartfelt dive into the tragic inner workings of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. It showed a beautiful, mostly angst-free romance between two characters I fell hard for, right off the bat. A Marine Awakening by Jax Meyer is the prequel to her debut novel, Dal Segno, and depicts the first love relationship of the hero in both tales, Cam Warren. However, it is highly recommended by the author that you read Dal Segno first because the beautiful tale told in A Marine Awakening shows a relationship that is tragically no more in the original story. (More on that, and the delayed bittersweet tears that knowledge brings, later.)

This story is an awe-inspiring study in Marine life. It is obvious Ms. Meyer was either a Marine herself or else did some crazy deep research. Her words stole me away with the level of detail and heart. I was rooting for these characters from the get-go and every moment had me cheering for the success of their love despite so many odds against them.

I went into this story blind. I don’t usually do any research ahead of time when I read for my blog because I find books can sometimes lose something if you do too much digging. I like to let the story tell itself and then look more into the world surrounding it. (Unless, of course, it isn’t a standalone… then I do like to have a general idea of what happened in previous books so I don’t get too lost! 😂) This time around, I found that my further delving into Ms. Meyer’s world left me a bit hollowed out and weepy. But, surprisingly, not in a bad way.

Because Ms. Meyer appears to be very transparent with this information, I’m going to disclose what it was that had me finding tears in an otherwise lovely and sweet story. The love interest in A Marine Awakening, Sharon Rodriguez, is Cam’s first love. However, she passes away before the original novel is set. That gave me a bit of a shock. To realize this couple I just spent so many pages rooting for finds such a heartbreaking end… well, it hurt, to say the least. But then it hit me. That’s life, isn’t it? Not all first loves last forever, and death is a part of our world. I’m officially champing at the bit to read Dal Segno now because I want to see Cam find happiness again. I think part of me needs to know she does. ❤

So, what are y’all waiting for? A Marine Awakening is available for your immediate reading pleasure! It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited!