Its Always Been You (The York Family)

It's Always Been You has ratings and 90 reviews. Catherine said: It's Always Been You felt quite different than most, if not all, of Victoria Dahl's.
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He is now forced into the role as Commander and he struggles going from being friends to being the boss. I loved seeing him evolve as a person as when he took on his new role. I loved who he became with Olivia. I also loved how she stood by Ben when he needed her the most even though at times she too herself was ready to fall apart.

I loved her strength and it was so refreshing to see two great characters who were so strong and very stubborn come head to head but slowly become a great team who eventually fall completely in love. This book was truly a fabulous read and I must say I really enjoyed this authors writing. I loved how the storyline played, it was a great mix of serious issues, some tragic past demons, funny banter that had me laughing and just the right amount of drama that kept me turning the pages.

And I must say that I loved how unpredictable I found this book, in my mind as I read I had ideas of how things would played out but loved that the book kept surprising me with the twist and turns it took, keeping me constantly engaged. This time around, Scott looks at the challenges of command and how and when to help the soldiers with problems.

In the previous book, "All For You", she looked at addiction and suicide, this time we get soldiers who are acting out - public fights, drinking while intoxicated, and domestic abuse for example. I get the feeling, reading these books, that Scott really doesn't like those in command in the army and defini As always with a Jessica Scott book, "It's Always Been You" was a powerful story. I get the feeling, reading these books, that Scott really doesn't like those in command in the army and definitely not the ones who makes the policies and run things.

The book was overly preachy at times, which detracted both from its impact and the love story. The romance between military lawyer Emily Hale and battalion commander Ben Teague is sweet but moved rather fast for me. I'd have liked if it had moved slower but I liked that the problems they had were realistic. Scott has a knack for writing realistic situations and throwing up artificial barriers. In this case, Emily and Ben both had incidences from the past that presented problems as well their current work which provided challenges where it was difficult to separate the personal from the professional.

I empathized with Ben's struggle with command and his conflicted feelings concerning his men. He went from being one of them to overseeing them and that was a challenge for both him and them. He's a good, decent, honorable man with deep wells of loyalty and a snarly sense of humor. He deeply believes that taking care of his men is more important that regs or procedures, which, as you can imagine, causes problems for him.

The military is big on obedience and on following procedures. When he becomes the commander of his unit, his loyalties are challenged and in conflict. He wants to help his men and take care of them but means more than just putting them in rehab or keeping them out of jail; he also has to make sure all the men receive the training and preparation they need to be deployed.

Taking care of the problem soldiers cuts into the time needed for doing that. Emily is a lawyer who works with command to drum out soldiers who are no longer fit to serve. As you can imagine, that creates conflict between her and Ben. At first, she tries to ignore the flicker of interest between her and Ben but it isn't long before she and Ben give in. Emily is passionate about her work and especially so about keeping the families of soldiers safe. Again, conflict with Ben. But while she's passionate, she's not hard-headed, she's willing to listen to reason, though it may not change her mind.

She comes off as a stick-in-the-mud at first, but gradually we get to see other sides of her and see that she has a sense of humor, is compassionate, honorable and willing to drop everything to help a friend. I didn't love "It's Always Been You" as much as I did previous books; it was, as I said, too preachy at times and too issue-laden but it's still a darn good book and it kept me up late finishing it. Scott writes such realistic characters and such engaging stories that I can overlook minor flaws. I'm ready for the next one! I have raved about each book in this series.

Jessica Scott combines military careers, civilian life, people with very real problems, and trying to build happy lives in situations that are very hard for those they love. This series has brought me to tears, opened my eyes to the problems the modern army faces, made me see a soldier as an individual person, and has delivered very real relationships. Each and every story is emotional. Each book addresses difficult situations that affect these courageous men and women. In the end, there is always the underlying message of hope and true love.

He is a stand up guy, always has your back, and has an understanding of human nature. He is a strong leader and recognizes each and every soldier under his command as an individual. This story begins where All For You left off. The battalion has cleaned house and new commands are assigned.

The objective is to clean up their newly assigned companies. Captain Ben Teague does not want the new Bandit Company he has been assigned to. He does not want to be a commander. Overseeing the clean up is Major Olivia Hale, a lawyer whose sole purpose is to make sure this happens. Captain Teague is on her radar. This reluctant leader seems to want to protect his men rather than the true victims.

His casual regard for the rules, his soft heart, and closed lip are not helping matters. One of his men, Escoberra, is under suspect for abuse of his child. She wants his family to be safe. Due to her past, her views, opinions, and drive are very influential in her actions. After she meets Ben, she will learn everything is not as black and white as they seem. Ben and Olivia are drawn to one another even though they are on opposing sides of the fence. Both will have to learn from the other. They will have to learn to combine their working relationship with their personal relationship.

They will have to learn how to deal with mental health issues and legal issues their battelian will face. But together they will both become stronger individuals. They will learn from each other and they will teach each other very different things about life. It was tough, mature, compassionate, heart wrenching, and empowering. It can be read as a stand alone or in series order. May 17, Luli rated it really liked it Shelves: Historia muy realista y madura, que trata con temas muy peliagudos de una manera extremadamente sincera.

Paperback Editions

This has been a mature and very realistic story that deals with very complicated issues in a extremely sincere manner. It has been very realistic, it has been something that can actually happen in real life and it has been a pleasure to see how the characters respond to the situations to which the author exposes them, I really understand every one of them and their points of view. It has been interesting. The romance has been interesting, without insta-love-lust.

I don't like when the authors confuse sex with romance. It had been a story with something other than romance, very realistic and entertaining. View all 3 comments. Captain Ben Teague has gotten a promotion that he does not even want. This promotion has him being in charge of his friends, not being able to protect them. His job also entails getting rid of the riffraff and trouble makers in his group. While cleaning house he has to work closely with Major Olivia Hale, a by the book lawyer hired to help him. Olivia has to deal with the demons of her past.

Helping Ben with a mentor and colleague who has been brought up on charges, charges Ben cannot believe, p Captain Ben Teague has gotten a promotion that he does not even want. Helping Ben with a mentor and colleague who has been brought up on charges, charges Ben cannot believe, puts this past front and center. But they are all absolutely amazing. Everyone of them touches on hard subjects with a tenderness and understanding that not many authors are able to handle.

Each book can stand alone, but as a series they are even better. He is so tough. He has not had the easiest life and it shows. Between the military and war, his mother being military and losing his father young, and the toughness of his new job, things are just not going the way he wants. From the very beginning you could feel how huge his heart is.

He would go to the ends of the earth and do whatever is in his power to help his fellow soldiers. Ben is the man who would give you the shirt off his back if that was what was needed. Olivia is the perfect match for Ben.

Book Giveaway For It's Always Been You (York Family, #2)

She is tough and can stand her ground when Ben starts his BS, but she is also understanding of all the troubles Ben is dealing with. She has the matching huge heart to go with Bens. I enjoyed watching the two of them circle each other, when they finally give in to their feelings the heat is absolutely amazing.

This is probably my most favorite military series. Jessica Scott is a great author. I highly recommend you check out this entire series or at least this book from the Coming Home Series. A painfully accurate portrayal of life in the Army in a leadership position. I won't claim to know exactly how things are done in the Army or how it feels to be in a position of power through it all, but having served as an Army Spouse to an NCO SFC retired for 14 years and now living as his caregiver, I'd like to think I have some idea.

The events described in this book were scarily similar to stories I heard day after day from my husband.

It's Always Been You (York Family, #2) by Victoria Dahl

So much so that I'm buying this book and forcing him A painfully accurate portrayal of life in the Army in a leadership position. So much so that I'm buying this book and forcing him to read it. Obviously he's not a huge fan of romantic fiction but this book is SO much more than just a romance. A large majority of the story was Captain Ben Teague's struggle to balance Army politics, rules and regulations with the brotherly bonds he formed during combat, as well as a strained family history.

The things he does aren't pretty, they are not always black and white, mistakes are made and rules are broken. Sometimes for the right reasons, others not so much. Jessica Scott portrayed this in the most honest real way I've ever seen in a fictional story and I can't stop praising the book for that reason. The romance aspect of the story was subtle but meaningful. The way that Olivia and Ben connected and supported each other was beautiful. Their romance was slow and steady, not rushed or forced. Getting lost in a good book is sometimes my only escape from the way my life has been impacted by my husbands time on Active Duty.

So it's almost ironic that I am so happy to be lost in a book that is such an accurate portrayal of war and what it can do to the people who fought it, but it's also a comfort to read about people who KNOW what it's like. People who are going through what my husband went through and what the people around him have to go through. I've only read the Christmas Novella from this series All I Want for Christmas is You and frankly can't figure out why I didn't read the others right after. This is definitely a series I'll be working my way through and already know that I'll be thoroughly enjoying each one.

Jessica Scott has never been afraid to take on the tough topics. In the midst she brings together Ben and Olivia. Ben is a reluctant commander, newly appointed to the position. Olivia is a lawyer more focused on the legalities of justice than the reality of being human. A classic case of opposites attract. Their Jessica Scott has never been afraid to take on the tough topics. Their differing viewpoints make them interesting to watch. Trust is hard won with these two, but they clearly earn it and the payoff is worth it. She seemed too rigid and convinced she was the only one who knew what was right.

Scott did a great job of providing her backstory so I knew why she was the way she was. However, she never quite made it over the hump to make me truly like her. That being said, I did think that she and Ben were good for each other. This book takes us in a new direction. Most of the fan favorites from previous iterations of the Coming Home novels do not appear.

We do have glimpses of Reza and Emily, but Shane and Carponti never make an appearance. There are new characters that have potential, so it will be interesting to see how they grow in future books. Thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC for this great story. Thanks to Jessica Scott for continuing to write stories that bring issues within the Military to light.

I respect the way she brings the reality to life in a way that you don't want to ignore the problem. What she writes about is what I want to do with my career. I was glad that we got to know more about Major Olivia Hale since we have seen her in previous books and I wanted to know more about her.

Olivia has a passion for her job and her past makes that passion for her job hit close to home in some cases. Olivia has walls protecting her heart but some how Captain Ben Teague finds a way over those walls. When an event involving one of his soldiers and his friend, who also saved his life, threatens everything he thought he knew about his friend. While Ben adamantly stands by his friend and knows that there has to be an explanation for what happened, Ben begins to questions what he thought he knew. How she tackles these subjects is a reality that people don't know about unless they are involved in it.

I am with me being a Social Worker. Each book has rung so true because Jessica knows what she is writing about. Each book has shown us a different side to what goes on in the military, and if the books did nothing else, I would thank Ms. But she is able to write a beautiful story of wounded, whether physically or emotionally, soldiers and make them very real.

In this book we see Ben, who has been in previous books, It's Always Been You is the next book in this wonderful series of military romance by Jessica Scott. In this book we see Ben, who has been in previous books, get his HEA but only after having to come to terms with becoming a commander to men that he has served with on the field. Some of these men are having issues that may or may not be military related, and when the Army wants to get rid of these soldiers, Ben feels their friendships may be threatened as well as his honor. His romance comes from a military lady lawyer, Olivia, who has some of her own unresolved issues that affect her views of the wounded and their families.

Together they find love while trying to help the soldiers in Ben's command. Another great book by a writer I respect so much. Apr 14, Up-in rated it it was amazing. Another great story in the "Coming Home" series. Ben must clean up his unit, the one he's recently been put in charge of, while trying not to betray the trust of his men. Olivia is the legal counsel Ben must work with. As Ben begins to look over the packets put before him, he realizes that some of these men just need a helping hand to move forward in life.

Not all of them are cut out to be in the Army, nor are they criminals.


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Those these topics can be "heavy" to read about, its done in a way that is positive and hopeful. Great book that I will recommend to others. Boy, is my agent smart! I had a great time writing Talk Me Down, the story of a young woman who goes back to her small hometown in Colorado and causes a huge stir with her secretive career and her burgeoning relationship with the chief of police.

So if you like cold weather, hot sex and dirty jokes, be sure to check out Talk Me Down out in January Speaking of cold weather, my family and I live in a beautiful ski town in Utah. No, I don't ski. I prefer to sit inside with a hot toddy and a good book while the snow falls. It's especially beautiful to watch when from the inside! I have a wonderful husband and children, and the house is kind of crowded, what with the dukes, Scotsmen, police chiefs, and naughty ladies running around, but my family is very understanding about my imaginary friends.

Good thing, since they refuse to leave! Then one day he spots a woman who looks exactly like his Katie. Her parents told Aidan that she was to her dismay. She never forgets Aidan although she moved on and married an older man, taking care of his plantation and learning about coffee beans. Kate is now back in England and has started her own coffee shop. When Aidan walks into her shop, she is just as shocked as he is.

Instead he asks to be her friend, which she accepts. Aidan wants Katie as his wife and for her to divorce her husband. Both Kate and Aidan love each other deeply, but I felt the reasons for their separation weak, including the mystery surrounding Kate and her marriage. I also found the love scenes pretty mundane, which may be my own problem because I expect so much more when it comes to a Victoria Dahl romance. This is a pretty run of the mill historical romance that may be soon forgotten once you finish reading.

Overall a ho-um and at times tepid reading, but otherwise should give readers a few hours of enjoyment, but nothing more. Sep 07, Laura rated it really liked it Shelves: I was anxious to read some of her historical and was pleased to walk right into my local library and have her latest title available for me!! Kate and Aidan met when they were young teenagers, growing up in London. Kate's family was quite influential in the ton and Aidan's father was a Baron. What started out as a close friendship quickly turned into something much more scandalous. Aidan, being a proper gentleman, went to Kate's father and asked for permission to marry her.

When Kate's father refused to let Aidan have her hand, he begged and pleaded for a chance to wed her to no avail. Shortly thereafter, unbeknownst to Aidan, Kate's father shipped her off to Ceylon to marry a governor there. Shortly after, her horrible family started the rumor that Kate had gone overboard on her ship and had died. Aidan is distraught beyond measure. The only place he can find true solace, is to bed numerous women that mean nothing to him.

It's the only time that his mind is able to escape the love of his life, Kate. Several years later, Aidan comes into the town of Hull on business and is startled to see that his Kate lives and he wants answers now. Even though he is furious with her disappearance, he still cannot deny the unbearable want he still has for her. Kate cannot believe that Aidan has found her after all these years. Old feelings for him immediately come to the surface and she's left wanting him in ways she cannot describe.

She remains careful and on her guard as to not expose herself in full honesty to him. An honesty, that will likely drive Aidan away. This book was highly enjoyable. It had some wonderfully touching moments and some blistering hot moments as well. Towards the end of the story, the reader is left wondering what's going to happen, and Ms. Dahl ties it all up beautifully into a heartwarming HEA.

Aidan is haunted by his past. Although he is now wealthy and successful he mourns the lost of his first love and he is ashamed of his wild behavior after her death. But while on the streets England he spies a woman that looks eerily familiar and follows her. Only to discover to his shock it is his lost love Katie! However, she is married. Katie is fleeing her past and hoping for a bright future in her coffee store. But her newfound peacefulness is shattered by her first love. A man who never came for her and caused her life untold misery.

Although she is still attracted to Aidan she is determined to forget those memories and keep him out of her life. But will she be able to keep her resolve or will their past keep them apart yet again? This story made me wish that these two characters had been able to marry when they were young. There is a feeling of sadness for the time they lost when they were cruelly separated.

It is a well-written story, but for some reason I was never quite able to become fully engaged in the main characters as much as I hoped. But she also shows the strength that woman have to recover. A strong and enduring heroine and a thoughtful story make for an original read. Dec 20, Minna rated it did not like it Shelves: Frankly, I read this because of the fairly good review on Likesbooks. And this is I guess one of those rare instances when I beg to differ from the reviewer.

The hero - set up to be tortured and angsty. Howeve Frankly, I read this because of the fairly good review on Likesbooks. However, view spoiler [no honorable man single-mindedly pursues and seduces a married woman. And he KNEW she was married. And okay, the heroine got a raw deal, even for Victorian times. But no worthwhile woman would lie and keep secrets, then torture the man for keeping his own. Kat i e came across as a self-righteous, hypocritical, martyr.

There was no romance, nor love, just lust. The relationship was nonexistent. The plot line started off well, quickly devolved into repeated sex episodes, and ended with a whimper. The motivations for many of the background characters - Aidan's mom, Katie's parents - were fuzzy. The much-dreaded meeting with the stepbrother I expected some kind of serial killer-ish character was a complete letdown. The ending seemed rushed and showed no growth on the part of the characters. A romance should uplift you, not drag you down I hate to give a book one star, but really, there was nothing about this book I cared for.

Oct 19, Romancing the Book rated it it was amazing Shelves: Reviewed by Valerie Review copy provided by publisher Oh, the lost love of youth!

The Lodge

This book had me hooked from the very beginning I wondered to myself Regardless, this is one I devoured in a few hours. Aidan and Kate were young lovers but when she told her father she wanted to marry him, and could marry no one else since she was ruined, Reviewed by Valerie Review copy provided by publisher Oh, the lost love of youth! Aidan and Kate were young lovers but when she told her father she wanted to marry him, and could marry no one else since she was ruined, a horrible hand was dealt to them both. Aidan spent his days and nights mourning her death since her family shared the story of how she died tragically at such a young age.

Ten years later be still, my beating heart , he STILL stops each and every time he thinks he might be spotting someone that reminds him of Kate Trying to make a new life for herself, yet stay safe and away from anyone who might know her, she has opened up a coffee shop using her knowledge from the decade she spent on the island. Watching these two characters reconnect was sizzling and incredibly heartbreaking. The biggest twist of all though is that both are hiding a secret.

Once the secrets are exposed, how they work through the repercussions kept me flipping the pages as quickly as I could read. Aug 27, Feminista rated it it was ok Shelves: Another historical romance I am disappointed with. I am disappointed that the hero in this book professes to love the heroine he thinks is dead, but within a month after he thinks she is dead, he sleeps with another woman. He doesn't just stop there, he proceeds to sleep with a disgusting amount of women. Even near the end, when he finds out that the heroine might be leaving to Ceylon, he thinks to himself that he will get drunk and find some barmaid to bed Let me be quite cl Rating: Let me be quite clear, I have said this before and I'll say this again.

If this is what it means to be loved, then I never want to be loved. It's sickening that promiscuous men are fashionable. It's sickening because if it were the woman, she would have been called fickle-hearted and worse names. It's sickening because these historical romances have exactly these two traits when it comes to second-chance-loves: It's sickening to consider that those two things might even be compared with one another.

Because they are never comparable. Rape, in this story, is not at all comparable to the hero's promiscuousness. He is weak, pathetic and an asshole. I hope I never read about men like this ever again, but I know how fruitless that wish is. Nevertheless, I gave this book 2 stars because I felt for the heroine and her plight. But if I were her, I wouldn't have married the hero even if he were the last man on Earth.

For some reason I love the cover of this book, it's so colourful, sweet and romantic So, the story goes: Aidan and Kate fell in love ten years ago and he asked her father her hand in marriage. Her father refused because Aidan's lack of wealth and decided to sent her away, all the way to Ceylon and told Aidan she was dead. Crushed, hear For some reason I love the cover of this book, it's so colourful, sweet and romantic Crushed, heartbroken and numb, Aidan drowns his sorrow in liquor At the same time Kate is forced to marry a stranger Ten years later, Aidan, now succesful and rich businessman, suddenly sees a familiar face.

A face that belongs to the love of his life and who he thought was dead. But here she is, changed and full of secrets The feelings they used to have for each other are still there, maybe stronger than ever The story sounded interesting and it was, but the ending felt really long. But all in all, very good book, this was my first book from this author and heard that she'd written also contemporaries, so I'll check them out, too Dec 31, Robin rated it it was amazing Shelves: Nothing really stands out about this book that makes it excessively good or exceedingly bad.

You of course want the Heroine Kate, Katie, Katherine to trust the Hero Aidan from the beginning but of course they both feel betrayed and lied to by the other one. And of course when they learn the truth they realized that they were not betrayed by each other but by others such as Katie's family. The guy that can be considered the villain is also a victim but his behavior tends to prevent you from f Nothing really stands out about this book that makes it excessively good or exceedingly bad.

The guy that can be considered the villain is also a victim but his behavior tends to prevent you from feeling sorry for him. Although, I can't think of a lot to say about this book in terms of what its about other than what's on the back of the book I'm glad I read it and its definitely worth a read. Oh, this is the 2nd book in the York Family Series I think its actually a trilogy the first is called and is about Marissa, the youngest and only daughter of the York's. I actually liked her story better.

Aug 03, Julieop rated it it was amazing. I love a good tortured hero story, and Aidan is definitely troubled. But it was Kate who really captured me. She's strong yet has plenty of self doubts.