Brightest Stars Series by Anna Todd

Twenty-year old Karina is proud of the independent life she is trying to create for herself in Fort Benning, Georgia. A dutiful officer’s daughter, supportive sister to a troubled twin brother, and caring friend to her roommate, Elodie, she always puts the needs of others ahead of her own, and prides herself on being a fixer of broken things―whether it’s the house she’s just bought or the fragmented family she works hard to keep intact... moreTwenty-year old Karina is proud of the independent life she is trying to create for herself in Fort Benning, Georgia. A dutiful officer’s daughter, supportive sister to a troubled twin brother, and caring friend to her roommate, Elodie, she always puts the needs of others ahead of her own, and prides herself on being a fixer of broken things―whether it’s the house she’s just bought or the fragmented family she works hard to keep intact.Like anyone who has grown up around an army base, Karina also knows the background noise that follows men and women home from war. And when she meets Kael, a handsome soldier on the cusp of discharge, she’s immediately intrigued by his brooding presence and enigmatic silence. As their uncertain and unexpected friendship starts to turn into something more, Karina tries to piece together Kael’s story: he is emotionally closed off, recovering from wounds and other trauma in the aftermath of two deployments in Afghanistan. In her practice as a physical therapist, Karina has a strong desire to help him heal, and though it challenges her many insecurities and anxieties, she has an equally strong desire to trust him. But that trust is fragile, like the preciousness of a soldier’s life. It can be gone in an instant. Ultimately facing a crossroads, Karina and Kael find their relationship will be tested by the one thing that Karina cannot accept, forgive, or understand.A new love story from Anna Todd begins with The Falling, the first novel in a new trilogy (Brightest Stars) from the #1 internationally best-selling author of the AFTER series. Anna Todd’s "Brightest Stars" trilogy continues with The Burning and The Infinite Light of Dust, coming soon. less

A bond this strong can’t stay broken.Life near the army base at Fort Benning, Georgia, might be small, but it’s safe. That suits Karina Fischer just fine. She knows letting anyone get close to her means she could get hurt, and she’s had enough of that in her almost twenty-one years to last a lifetime. The only man she’s ever let in, Kael Martin, betrayed her trust before they could find their way together. She can’t forgive him for what he’s done, but letting go still feels impossible... moreA bond this strong can’t stay broken.Life near the army base at Fort Benning, Georgia, might be small, but it’s safe. That suits Karina Fischer just fine. She knows letting anyone get close to her means she could get hurt, and she’s had enough of that in her almost twenty-one years to last a lifetime. The only man she’s ever let in, Kael Martin, betrayed her trust before they could find their way together. She can’t forgive him for what he’s done, but letting go still feels impossible.Kael Martin’s scars run deep, but the mark Karina left on him is deeper. He can’t get her out of his mind or his heart. He’s ready to start fresh, adjust to civilian life, and build a future outside of the Army―one he hopes could include Karina, because their spark, while it burned, was unforgettable.Now, just when it seems their world is crumbling and can’t be put back together, circumstances force them to confront what they can’t deny: the volatile, passionate, all-consuming love they can’t live without.Karina and Kael's unlikely love story, which began in THE FALLING, grows deeper and even more intense in THE BURNING, the second book in the Brightest Stars trilogy. less