In the Likely Event

Oh wow, what a read! An emotional, angsty, heartfelt second-chance military romance, this book completely swept me away with its emotion and intensity, and I adored every moment of Nate and Izzy’s remarkable story.The book is written in dual POV, and the chapters alternate between past and present. I would finish a chapter both desperate to keep going with that part of the story, yet so excited to be returning to the other part. I was entranced by all of it, and loved the way the story unfolded.The ‘present day’ part of the story is set in 2021 in Afghanistan, during the withdrawal of American troops from the country. Izzy is sent on a diplomatic mission by her politician boss, and it turns out Nate is her assigned security during her trip. We see sparks fly, and it’s clear that there is a whole lot of history between them.The timeline then shifts back to Nate and Izzy’s first meeting. They are on a flight together – she’s travelling back to college, and he’s heading off to join the Army - when their plane goes down shortly after take off. The easy banter and hint of interest they were sharing instantly develops into a strong connection that will change the rest of their lives.With the alternating timeline, I was desperate to see how their heart-pounding beginning became such a complicated, heart-pounding reunion. How did they fall in love? Why do they say they’re not actually exes when they are clearly soulmate? How did it all fall apart so badly? So many questions that are slowly uncovered in pacing that is perfect for maximum impact, and that kept me madly flipping pages.OMG, the feels! I felt so much while reading. I loved Nate and Izzy, I felt so much for both of them, I could empathise with them, I celebrated with them, I hurt with them, and I fell in love right alongside them. Their love for each other is so incredibly easy and yet so damn hard. Effortless and angsty all at once, as they battle time, distance, and their very different circumstances, neither able or wanting to walk away from each other, but unable to actually be together. Oh, my heart ached for them!But the romance is epic. They are there for each other, they get each other, they laugh and talk and love, and the passion between them is explosive. Their feelings for each other are never in doubt, they don’t play games with each other, they’re both battling to do what they think is right, and the intensity of it all had me in tears more than once. I love a second-chance-romance, and though this one has a bit of a different twist, all the feels are there, and I adored watching these two together, figuring it all out.And in the midst of their tumultuous reunion, they’re stuck in the middle of a country collapsing, and OMG, it’s so intense! I was reading with my heart pounding, desperate to see how it was all going to play out, and I read until the early hours, unable to put this one down. As always, Rebecca nails the military aspects, bringing so much excitement and depth to the story. I loved seeing Nate in action with his teammates, and I was fascinated by getting what felt like an up-close look at an event that only recently played out in the news. Just devastating.This is a wonderfully written story, that is just everything, and that ending… *dreamy sigh*. I loved it so much, and it’s a fave for 2023.

A heartfelt love story but you have to suspend some disbelief to imagine two people who rarely saw each other sometimes not for years would still have the same amount of deep attraction and devotion to each other as when they first met years before on a plane. Izzy and Nate are likable and it’s easy to root for them but the never ending running in circles trying to carve out any small amount of time to be together only to immediately be separated for large chunks of time goes on for too long making the storyline drag at times and feel too repetitive but their journey’s emotional with a surprising twist at the end, overall a good book.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook through Amazon First Reads.Thoughts: I really enjoyed this a ton. This is a well done contemporary fiction book that blends current events, thrilling adventure, and romance. I was hooked pretty much from page one and struggled to put this down. This is the first book I have read by Yarros and I plan on reading more.When Izzy and Nate end up sitting next to each other on the plane they are strangers, they find each other attractive but realize it's a temporary meeting...then the plane goes down and Nate ends up saying Izzy's life. Events that day bring them close together and then tear them apart again. However, they keep running into each other as the years go on. Now it is time for the United States to withdraw from Afganistan. Nate is in special ops and Izzy is in politics as an aide to a senator. Nate knows he is going to be guarding a senator's aide but when he finds out it's Izzy he is stunned. Add into the mix the fact that Izzy's news-reporter sister has gone missing in a country that is rapidly falling to Taliban rule and you have a high stakes situation.I loved the structure of this story. We alternate from past to present and then back to the past. As events occur in the present we are then given a chapter back in the past that relates to the present events somehow. I love this type of structure to a story and love how it unravels the mystery of the past even as you are living through the intense present actions.Izzy and Nate are both amazing characters with a lot of depth to them. The chemistry between the two of them is super intense. They are strong people with defined goals and they need to decide what's more important their career dreams or each other.I also loved the intensity of being in a war zone and also getting to learn more about the US withdrawal from Afganistan. I had read some about it in the news when it was happening but this book submerses you right in the middle of it and gives you a better idea of how unexpected and quickly things went wrong.The writing was flawless. It was incredibly easy to read and moved at a fast pace. Parts of this book will leave you breathless. I thought it was very well-balanced; you have intriguing historical events, engaging characters, lots of action, and an incredibly well done romance.My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this and I was completely unprepared for how much I loved it. You have an intriguing time and setting, amazing characters, non-stop action, and a well done long-running romance. On their own none of these would have been all that unique but the way they were blended together made for an unstoppable story that I could not put down. I am excited to pick up Yarro's fantasy "Fourth Wing" to read soon.