Footprints by Nicky Jayne

This will make you cry, of that I have absolutely no doubt.

Riley is the daughter of a military father that spends way too much of her younger years away from home on deployment and who is eventually taken from her completely, when he doesn’t make it back from his latest mission.

Devastated the young Riley makes herself a promise that she will protect her heart at all costs and will not suffer the heart ache that mother endured, military men are off her agenda – forever.

She is able to hold firm to her promise until Tanner. This broken man has her yearning for all manner of things she never thought she wanted.

Tanner is heading home before shipping out on his next deployment, He is a good man, completely devoted to his family but when he sees Riley his priorities suddenly shift but despite the fact that no matter where he turns she always seems to be around, when he gets to know her and her past, he isn’t sure that with everything he has going on in his life and his career, that starting up a relationship with Riley is really the best thing for either of them.

But Tanner is such a nice guy, really I was so taken with him, he deserved to be happy, but then so did Riley.

There was plenty happening in the story, it was delightful.

I liked the connection between Riley and Tanner, they went through so much.

Emotionally the story was strong, it ebbed and flowed and you will find that tissues are most definitely required on more than one occasion.

There were secondary characters that were a credit to the story – especially Marcie. She was such a sweetie and took everyone under her wing.

I love a happy ending and I while I had a warm feeling fairly early on that these two were going to make it, I have to say the story itself about the journey they took was very special.