Hallowed Ground

I thought I was blown away by the three previous books in the Flight & Glory series, but that was nothing compared to what Hallowed Ground did to me. Rebecca Yarros has crafted a story that will tug on your heart strings from the beginning and it will stay with you long after you finish reading. The emotions in Hallowed Ground are so strong that you will be feeling everything Josh and Ember are feeling. Every struggle, every pain, every joy. Be prepared to FEEL! If you haven't yet met Josh, Ember and friends, I urge you to pick up all the books in the serious. I highly recommend them. You can't go wrong!

40hours since released in my timezone & I just finished it. Couldn't put it down. Excellent reading.Tissues recommended. Sexy,Heartbreaking, Heartwarming, Inspiring story. Full of Hope,Loyalty, Commitment,Honor, Understanding & Love. Beautifully describing the ugliness of war & everything involved in a military community not loosing the sight of individuals essence.As an Army brat, sister, niece, cousin & USAF flyer myself and having lost my SOARing fiancé in Afghanistan WIN25 I might not be the best critic however I do consider myself qualify to recognize this as a true to details reading. Hard to believe this could be the last Ember-Josh & Fly Boys installment I would love to see a Morgan storyline.

I always manage my expectations when I pick up a “military” romance. Very few authors have the real life experience to draw from. They make their hero a SEAL or “Special Forces”, make him an alpha-male, and call it a day. Hallowed Ground blew me away. Not only is it a true military romance, it touched me in a deeply personal manner and I might not be the most impartial reviewer. You see, I’m a combat veteran. Between two tours to Iraq and two tours to Afghanistan I was deployed for more than half of a five year period. Rebecca Yarros has truly captured what military family life is like. Hallowed Ground is so much more than a romance. As the wife of an Army aviator and daughter of an Army officer, she has lived the life and it bursts through the pages in every nuance of this book. Most importantly, she has managed to capture the emotions of being a military family. Not just between lovers, but between the friends you collect and make your family. The joy, the fear, the grief, the anger, the frustration. All of it. This could be a bit of a downer for some readers. There is a lot of emotion in this book. It’s not the usual happy-conflict-resolution romantic formula, but this is probably one of the most honest stories you will ever read. And when he jumps off the cliff and then meets her at the airport…not really, but extra points if you get the movie reference. ;) As much as I loved this story, there were times I felt a little lost. Hallowed Ground is the continuation of Ember’s and Josh’s story from Full Measures. There are a lot of references to their back story. This is absolutely not the fault of the author – it is completely my fault for being a new fan of Rebecca Yarros. I only mention as a warning for other new fans – go read the first three books. You won’t regret it!

I’m overcome with emotion while sitting down to write this review. This book not only is packed full of love, risks, consequences, and passion, but it is the last in the series, and as such, I can’t help but get a little choked up. All great series must come to an end. It never gets easier. But Yarros delivered one hell of a parting gift to those of us who are die-hard Flight & Glory fans. HALLOWED GROUND returns to the core couple who started it all, Josh and Ember. They’ve grown as individuals as well as a couple and we get to revisit them at a crucial point in their lives. All the trials, the separation by space and duty stations, has come to head and they get a taste of what a perfect future could look like. Then, true to military fashion, those plans are turned upside down and send Josh back to Afghanistan, the country that nearly killed him once. Their love is strong, epic even, but it’s hard to know if they’ll survive war. Yarros brings readers back home when slipping into Josh and Ember’s point of view and it is one incredible welcome. There is a fire between Josh and Ember’s characters that can’t be denied and the obstacles they must overcome to keep that blaze going are intense and heart wrenching. True to Yarros form, there isn’t a dull moment in this novel, or between our characters. They’re so fully constructed, they practically breathe from the pages, and one can only gasp with them as they face each problem, each blow, each passionate embrace that could be their last. It’s exquisite and heart breaking and awe inspiring. Throughout the Flight & Glory series readers have been invited into the military world with no sugarcoating, filters, or artistic liberties. The author is an expert on the lifestyle and brings an authenticity to the novels that gives readers the rare glimpse of the truth behind the men and women who have to constantly say goodbye to their partners, to have faith that their love can withstand any trial, any war. Yarros punches readers right in the feels every single time and HALLOWED GROUND brings a whole new level of beautiful pain. Reading the last book in the Flight & Glory series had my heart heavy, as saying goodbye to amazing characters you’ve kept up with and constantly hoped for, ever is. The only comfort I take is the fact that these books are so good, the characters so incredible, that I’ve re-read their stories many times already, and know that when I need them they’ll be there to take me on their epic journeys once again, and each time a new layer of emotion is discovered. Only truly great author’s have this capability—to keep readers pouring over the same lines they’ve seen before and gleaning new depth from it—-and Rebecca Yarros is one of them, one of the greats. 
I can’t wait to see what she introduces us to next and I’m grateful for the amazing conclusion she gave to all Flight & Glory lovers in HALLOWED GROUND. It’s everything I didn’t know I needed and above and beyond the description of epic.