REVIEW: Surrender by June Gray

In Surrender (Disarm #8) by June Gray, when Julie’s fiancee Jason was killed in Afghanistan her life was forever changed. First pregnant and alone, now Julie is raising her and Jason’s son. For the first few years Julie had no contact with Jason’s family. They didn’t know about her or their grandson. Now they are part of Jason’s family, and they are in Jason’s home town for his sister Elsie and Henry’s wedding.

Out for a run on the beach one morning while there, Julie comes across Neal who is out surfing. The attraction between them is immediate, and when Julie meets him again they quickly give in to it. Julie is not looking for more, and thinks Neal is a safe bet for some sexy fun. Neal is more than just a random surfer on the beach though, and Julie sees him again when he appears as a guest at the wedding. As much as Julie is only looking for a fling, the magnetism between her and Neal is unstoppable, their times together unforgettable. Neal wants more than a fling…but can he have more with Julie? They both have secrets and pasts to get over, but the connection between them is powerful, and a fling could turn into something so much more if Julie can open her heart to love again. Secrets never stay secret forever though…will they have the power to end their relationship before it really has a chance? Can so much secrecy ever be forgiven?

Surrender is a fast paced novel, and June writes with good flow. Julie and Neal are interesting characters who drew me in to their lives easily. Julie is very cautious about opening her heart up for possible heart break. Neal is patient with her and hopes to be the one to show her that love is worth the risk. I really liked the two of them together, even with all the angst and drama Julie brings to the relationship. It made them interesting and real. There was no real smooth sailing as they got together, they seemed to go from one conflict to another, and June describes the emotions so well that you can feel Julie’s heart break. At times I did wonder why they kept trying, but it’s all about learning to trust again, learning from, accepting, and letting go of the past. Julie is strong, independent, and always puts her son first which gives us a lot of insight into her character. Neal doesn’t have an actual home, his work takes him all over. He’s never wanted a home until he met Julie. I loved how he was with both Julie and her son, and I found myself hoping that they could find a way to be together.

I liked that June gives us both Neal’s and Julie’s POV’s, it adds a lot of dimension to Surrender. I enjoy when an author is able to do this so effortlessly as June does.

Surrender is part of June Gray’s Disarm series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone. She does bring in characters from other books, but they blend in well with Julie and Neal’s story. The family dynamics of Jason’s family are a bit of a mystery, but for me they’ve been like that all along. I would have liked to understand why Julie didn’t meet his family much sooner and let them know about their grandson. This was the only thing I really felt like was missing from Surrender.

With complicated emotions and relationships, Surrender is a romance with strong military tones that I would recommend to romance readers who enjoy these kind of books.

Book Info:

Published November 4th 2014 by Berkley Trade | (Disarm #8)

Julie Keaton had everything—she had a new career in a new city and, more importantly, a bright future with fiance, Jason Sherman. That is, until the day she discovered that he had been killed in Afghanistan. In one moment, her life changed, as everything she’d hoped for died along with him.

Years later and Julie still feels the aftershocks of Jason’s death. She is no longer the same adventurous, open girl; now she wears armor around her heart in order to protect the most important thing in her life—her son.

But when Julie meets the mysterious Neal, she starts to feel the smallest flicker of hope, as what began as a fling quickly becomes something more. Neal is the first man since Jason’s death to break down her armor and make her believe again. But when she discovers the secret he’s been keeping, she has to ask herself: can she surrender to a future with Neal or will Jason’s death forever tie her to the past?