Searching For Harmony

By Kelly Elliott

Synopsis

Firefighter and first responder Preston Ward thought he had grown immune to the job’s emotional burns. But when he goes out on a particularly tragic call, he realizes that some scenes are too devastating to forget. And yet, if it weren’t for that terrible night, he never would have met the woman who makes him want to risk his heart.

More than once, Harmony Banks has watched her perfectly ordered world torn apart by fate. Now she’s finding out that what she lost wasn’t as perfect as she thought—and it’s tearing her apart. The only thing that keeps her going is the kindness of a stranger: the firefighter who saved her life the night everything changed.

Preston isn’t like the men who have come before. For one thing, he’s far more genuine. And the love Harmony feels growing between them is almost too intense for her wounded soul. But if she and Preston can push past heartbreak, they’ll find that something incredible awaits in each other’s arms.

Review

So after experiencing a bit of a book funk in June, I’ve been blessed with some amazing reads in July, and SEARCHING FOR HARMONY is another book I’m adding to that list. Make sure to have your tissues handy when you start because you will need them. Without trying to give anything away, Harmony endures quite a lot in this book and the worst is experienced in the first few chapters.

With everything she’s suffered⎯and all before she’s twenty-one⎯you can’t help but feel awful for Harmony. All she has left in the world is her older brother, Jake, and her new friendship with Preston, that over time turns into love. While she has moments where she breaks down, and rightly so, I loved the moments where her strength shined through. Preston is definitely book boyfriend material. Firstly, he’s a firefighter. Secondly, he’s a genuinely nice guy. It was so easy to fall in love with him, especially after the non-date he planned for Harmony, which was thoughtful, romantic, sweet and funny. That day was totally swoon worthy.

Opening up the passenger side door, I smiled as I pushed a piece of hair behind Harmony’s ear. Smiling, she opened her eyes and I knew in that moment I was done for. Yep. I’m totally fucked.

SEARCHING FOR HARMONY is a story that will have you experiencing a wide range of emotions. It’s sad and emotional as you see Harmony suffer, but it’s also beautiful when you see her fall in love with Preston. I thought the story flowed really well and that the romance between Preston and Harmony moved at a realistic pace. The only thing that bothered me was the occasional skips in time that came without notice; the characters don’t mention how much time has passed until several paragraphs into the chapter, and by then I found myself feeling confused, like I was missing something. It’s not a major thing, but just something that niggled at me enough to make it worth mentioning. SEARCHING FOR HARMONY is told in dual POVs, appears to be a stand-alone and comes with a beautiful HEA.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the way her touch makes my stomach drop. I’ve never had that happen with any girl I’ve ever dated.