First, pay no attention to the fact that this book is published through Harlequin Enterprises Australia. I don’t know how this caught their attention… it’s not a genre romance novel, and it take place in Texas. Not Australia.

Anyway, this story centers around two very different characters and is told in alternating points of view (which I adore more than anything in a book).

Mirriam is an Iraqi refugee. She’s been in the US for two years, moving around with her family in an attempt to stay hidden and safe in the wake of her father’s death after being mistaken as a terrorist by US troops. With the situation so shaky in Iraq, they make arrangements through family connections and make it to the US. Where this story starts, Mirriam has just moved to a small Texas town know primarily for its military base. Of course, given her history and dislike of US military troops, life is bound to be rocky… especially when she gets hit on by a typical all-American army brat on her first day at the high school.

Caleb is a high school senior with two college football scholarships to choose from… unless he decides to enlist in honor of his dad who was killed in combat in Iraq. He’s popular and not short on options for dates, until he hits on the new girl and is very publicly shot down.

As Mirriam and Caleb spend more time together, they begin to realize that they have far more in common than they could ever have imagined. Of course there are sparks and romance and those things you find in all great stories, but this is a heartwarming story, really, more about two teenagers healing together than about a sub-par genre romance storyline.

Needless to say, I really liked this. A lot.

A Missing Peace will be available online as an ebook starting on September 1st. AND… it’s a 99 cent preorder right now on Amazon. Go buy it!