Here With Me (The Archer Brothers #1) by Heidi McLaughlin

Ryley Clarke has grown up with the military in her blood, with both parents serving their country. Ryley knows the risks of being married to the military. But when the unthinkable happens, and her future husband is killed in action, Ryley can barely survive... until Evan's twin brother, Nate, helps her pick up the pieces.

After serving on a special mission with the military for six years, Evan Archer returns home to find the unthinkable - the love of his life, Ryley Clarke - engaged to his brother, Nate. With Nate on deployment, Evan needs to figure out what happened in his absence, and more importantly, how to win Ryley back from the man he once considered his best friend, but now thinks of as his rival.

4.5 LifeIsUnfair stars 

When I had read the blurb for this, I thought "Wow, this sounds very intriguing. I really need to check this out!"

Was I disappointed when it finally came to my hands? NO!The writing is EPIC! I enjoyed so much how the first part of the book was written in alternative POVs, while attending therapist's sessions! I haven't met something like that before, so I devoured it. I could already imagine this as a movie in my mind and it worked, for me, at least. Especially reading as they were going down on their memory lane. I found it fascinating!

Back to the plot now!

Evan Archer was in a mission with the Navy for 6 years and when he returns home, he finds his fiance not only welcoming him, as he expected, but in denial, because she claims that he's supposed to be dead. Meanwhile, she's engaged to his twin brother, Nate.

Obviously, Evan isn't dead and now Ryley is utterly confused with what she should do with her life. Evan was her high school sweetheart, her first and only love, she was about to marry him, until she was informed about his death. Even though, she tried to move on and she's about to get married to his brother, she still has feelings for him. After all, she would be his wife, if he wasn't claimed to be dead. On the other hand, we have her five year old son, EJ, who has met Nate as a father and she is engaged to him, so what is she supposed to do now?

The other half of the book was really sweet & had me in awe several times. I loved how Evan tried to get everything that he had lost. Especially his bonding moments with his son, EJ. They were really adorable! Evan struggles with the fact that Ryley isn't available though and he's trying hard to change that.

What makes me rate it 4.5 and not 5? The loss of Nate's POV. Sadly, Nate's POV came only close to the ending, something that made me think that this wasn't fair for his character.. The book seemed completely one sided and I may get the reason that the author did that, it doesn't make me feel better as a reader though. Because when I read the blurb I thought I would really struggle to pick one of them for Riley, but it seemed who the author favored & it somehow felt manipulative to me. 

Last but not least, the last chapters of the book were really thrilling, giving a sense of adventure to the story. I loved how it kept me on my toes & about the cliff in the end, it wasn't something that makes me impatient for the next book, but it gives me the idea that it's going to be very interesting.