Jake Tucker is broken. At twenty-two, he went in to the Marine Corps a naive, troubled youth. Nine years and four tours later, Jake finds himself back on US soil, though his mind remains firmly planted in the sands of Afghanistan with the men he left behind. Wounded, chewed up and spat out by war, Jake has only his dog, Nuke, PTSD, and survivor's guilt to keep him company. He's lived every day for nine years wondering when it will be his last, but there's little comfort in the fact that he's still standing when his platoon isn't. Ellie Mason doesn't have time for broken. She's too busy trying to put food on the table. And keeping up with the demands of her autistic son, Spencer, is sometimes like fighting behind enemy lines. As if navigating the minefields of single parenthood isn't enough, Ellie finds herself drawn to the quiet Marine who's just as lonely as she is. But she's loved damaged men before, and it left her wounded. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Fairhope, Alabama, Ellie and Jake find themselves running toward the sound of chaos. Love is war. Only the strong survive, and surrender is inevitable."