3-3.5 stars. I was a little disappointed with Wounded. It started off strong but towards the end became a bit weak.
Rania is a young Iraqi woman with no family or real job. So, she does the one thing she's learned how to do, sell her body. With only herself to look after, she does everything she can to keep a roof over her head and food in her stomach.
After having his heart broken by a cheating ex-girlfriend, Hunter gets to deployed. This leads him to a gunfight that nearly kills him. The only thing that saves his life is a beautiful Iraqi girl.
This book started off strong. The backstory was powerful and heart breaking. Learning about Rania's life and what she has been forced to do really moved me. How her family was broken up by the war, being left all alone and starving to fend for herself, being forced to give up her innocence... it all made me want to cry.
I am not willing in this. I did not choose this life. I do what I must to survive. It is this, or starve.
When Hunter and Rania first meet it was moving. Despite the language barrier, they felt a pull towards each other. Rania never felt a gentle and compassionate touch and Hunter was there to show her that there was more than just sex. There was more than her just giving.
The only thing I have ever wanted is to not have to sell my body anymore.
I loved how patient and understanding Hunter was. He knew that she wasn't doing it because she wanted to, but because she had to.
What Raina does, she does out of necessity.
That didn't stop him from going all alpha-male on her, though.
When things started to heat up, I loved that he made it all about her. He knew that, being a prostitute, she was the one who always gave, the one who had her body used. This time, he wanted her to feel everything, the one who would take.
After the 75% mark is when things started to go wrong for me. I felt that everything was rushed. I didn't feel that they had enough time to develop an emotional connection. One thing led to another and by then end of the book I was left thinking, What in the world did I just finish reading?
Overall, the beginning was great, but I felt the end was lacking something. And there is a HEA.