Jamie Rae

Buy:
Amazon
B&N
iTunes 

Kobo

Add to Goodreads

Second generation pilot Tinklee Pinkerton has the Air Force in her blood. And following her brother’s death, she is even more determined to follow in his footsteps as a fighter pilot to carry on the family legacy. Preparing for her first days training to fly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, she is swept off her feet by her handsome British neighbor, until she learns he is one of her flight instructors. 

But flying, particularly flying the F-35 has been her dream and the dream she shared with her brother Her entire focus has been on becoming the pilot she is and earning her spot in that jet. She tasks risks, sticks to her guns, and finds a way whenever she is told "no."

Tinklee is fighting so many conflicting emotions that at times it is hard to remain in her head. The overpowering emotion she deals with though is guilt. Guilt about her brother’s death, which causes her to avoid her emotions as much as she can and close herself off.

Locke’s entrances into Tinklee’s world were both humorous and full of conflict. He was the perfect draw for this otherwise closed off girl, and for the first time she allowed herself to begin to feel emotions again. But the fear of the future and possibility of more lose made it difficult for Tinklee to give herself. He is charming, dependable, and a darn good flyer to boot. And that accent. *sigh*

There was a lot of detail in the story about the plane, the missions, and Tinklee’s journey to be accepted as one of the guys despite being the only woman in her squadron. When I allowed myself to fall into the story, it read with enough detail that it felt real. When I looked closer at some of those details the read as fiction rather than realistic actions regarding security and timelines. But the stretches were needed to make the story work, and within the story world they work for the characters and the plot.

Because there is more than a simple romance building through the story, there were lots of emotional ups and downs. I loved the ties between Tink and her brother that still lasted years after his death. From his friend, Stitch, to the airman crew member present for both siblings flights, there was a definite feeling of family in the squadron.

This was a fast paced story from start to finish. Guilt, love, obligation, and a stubborn streak a mile long combined to tell a story of a sister trying to clear her brother’s name, a woman trying to prove herself and live her dreams.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.