Hi everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be discussing a novel called Breach by Kelly Sokol – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Breach was a far cry from the usual thrillers that I am so partial to and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Before we begin, I am going to be placing a trigger warning on Breach. One of the main characters is suffering from PTSD from his time in the Navy and there are also references to miscarriages and abortion.

Now, let’s get to it and peep that amazing cover art:

Marleigh is a hard working twenty-two year old who is desperate to create a good life for herself. She came from a difficult home life and is now working three jobs while taking night classes to give herself a bright future. Her most important job is taking care of her grandpa’s boxing gym and trying to keep it afloat. Marleigh’s “Pops” is suffering from dementia and was the only person in her life who ever looked out for her.

While manning the front desk at the gym and studying for school, a handsome stranger named Jace walks in. And, in that instant, Marleigh’s life will change forever. Jace is an EOD specialist with a similarly sad past and a whirlwind romance begins before he is deployed again. Marleigh didn’t know it was possible to love someone so much until their relationship and, for once, her life is good.

In the short amount of time that Marleigh and Jace have been together, they got married and pregnant. Jace would be deployed, he would return home, Marleigh would get pregnant again, rinse and repeat. For a while, things are good and Jace would come home as his normal self. However, with each passing deployment, his mood worsens and not even Marleigh or their three boys brings him happiness.

Not only does Jace struggle with civilian life but he is also hitting the bottle more and more regularly. Between sleepless nights, tracking her husband down at the bar, and being a boy mom of three, Marleigh is simply exhausted. It has gotten to the point where she hardly recognizes the man that she fell in love with and her boys seem afraid of their father.

Marleigh thinks back on her and Jace’s promise to each other to always be there no matter what. She is desperate to save her family but one tragic accident starts a rapid downward spiral. How will Marleigh survive this latest blow? Will she still end up with the life that she dreamed of? Read Breach to find out!

Like I said at the start of this post, I was taken by surprise by how much I liked Breach. I read it in three sittings and was, honestly, sad when it was over. I got so wrapped up in the story line, the romance (The love scenes are steamy!), and rooting for Marleigh to come out on top every step of the way.

I was so impressed by Marleigh as a main character and her work ethic reminded me of me. I definitely remember working three jobs before I graduated college and it was exhausting. I loved her dedication to her Pops, husband, and children. She was tough but caring, talented, and a survivor. My heart ached when her fairy tale romance began disintegrating because she deserved the best of the best.

Breach isn’t a true story but the plot of an enlisted special operator and his wife is all too real for so many people. In fact, I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. Don’t get me wrong, I love my thrillers and an unstable narrator – you all know that. However, the plots of those books are so far fetched that it wouldn’t happen in real life. Breach felt one hundred percent real and it had me hooked from start to finish.

I am going to award Breach with a seven and a half out of ten stars. As you all know, I am a stickler for typos but I only reduced the score by half a star this time around. With a book as good as Breach, I was feeling generous! I highly recommend this read.

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah