Dylan Granger was a Special Forces medic for seven years in Afghanistan, until his world fell apart. A year after coming back home, he's still suffering from severe PTSD and no medication eases his torments. He is the sole survivor of his unit; he has violent nightmares, he is consumed with anger, guilt and shame, and he is prone to lose his temper at the drop of a hat. Dylan's brother Gage finally convinced him to seek further help, as nothing seems to be working: getting a therapy dog looks like the last resort. Gage found Julia Hart, who she trains therapy dogs; she knows it works, because it did for her. Gage and Dylan will stay for three weeks at Julia's ranch so that Dylan can train his dog. However, Evan, the man who was the cause of Julia's PTSD just got out of jail...

TAKING HEART is an exceptional book but it's no walk in the park: it's extremely intense but so worth it in the end. T. J. Kline is a remarkable storyteller, and this second instalment in the captivating Healing Harts series even surpasses the first book in my humble opinion. While Julia has more or less managed her issues, it would be an understatement to say that Dylan has not. His rage is palpable, it's almost scary how well the author communicates his emotions, almost to the point that I felt like recoiling from the page.

Ms. Kline creates such an intimate atmosphere, and the characters are so real, that we experience the events almost as much as Dylan and Julia do. He is darkness and frowns to Julia who is light and smiles; she is open and straightforward, a little naïve even while he has become sarcasm. The budding relationship between Dylan and Julia evolves organically, albeit fraught with bumps, and it is a magical and lovely romance, but what kept me reading frantically was that I felt I was "participating" in the therapy itself, along with Dylan. It's obvious a tremendous amount of research has gone into this book, and with her usual flair for understanding human nature, Ms. Kline has crafted an extraordinarily compelling read. Besides the fascinating look into animal therapy, the arrival of Evan culminates in such a suspenseful manner, I was holding my breath.

Ms. Kline's simple, elegant prose only serves to express a story that needs to be told; the writing is beautiful, but it never gets in the way of the characters' voices nor the story. TAKING HEART is a romance for the thinking, feeling romantic; no heart will be left unmoved.

Book Summary

T. J. Kline's Healing Harts series continues as a soldier suffering from PTSD and a therapy dog trainer find that some scars can only be healed by love

Julia Hart knows how much good she does training therapy dogs—it's what helped her overcome her own trials after a relationship turned unexpectedly violent. But moving beyond her mistakes meant trusting only her family with her heart.

Dylan, a former soldier, has run out of hope for recovery. Plagued by nightmares and flashbacks, he doubts anything will help him overcome his PTSD. When his brother convinces him to try one last time, he agrees to get a therapy dog.

Dylan didn't expect to find Julia or a chance for a "normal" future again. But when Julia's attacker is released from prison, Dylan and Julia will have to face the past together.