In Loving Memory - A Review of In Honor by Jessi Kirby

On Goodreads:  In Honor

On Amazon:  In Honor 

 (Goodreads Blurb)

Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn’s celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her. 

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn’s last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn . . . and ruggedly good-looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

The Story...

Finn told me once, as we sat on the porch watching the sun go down, that one thing he remembered our mom telling him was that life sometimes gives you a tiny moment of peace when you need it most.  And that you had to be careful and look out for it or you'd miss it.

The day after her brother's funeral, Honor takes off on a road trip taking her from a small town in Texas to the California beaches.  Overcome with grief, Honor takes Finn's last letter and decides to follow his instructions to the letter, even knowing that part of it was only a joke.  Along for the ride is Finn's lifelong best friend, Rusty.

Rusty and Honor meet some interesting people along the way.  Honor attempts to celebrate her brother's memory by stepping out of her comfort zone and taking chances she never would have taken before.

The road to California isn't smooth.  A blinding rainstorm causes Honor to wreck her Impala, her last link to Finn.  Rusty and Honor take a detour by his mother's house where she ends up learning some startling truths about Rusty, Finn, and herself.

What Works...

Rusty and Honor's relationship is really kind of perfect.  Their sexual tension is heavy.  Their hesitation makes sense.  Their shared history is what makes this trip worth reading.

What Doesn't...

Some of the tension between Rusty and Honor is predicable and a few of the situations they get themselves in made my eyes roll, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

4 Stars