Mobility Mom Book Shelf: Codename: Dustoff by: Willow Sanders(Audio Review)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Book Description

Emmett

I have one word for the holiday season. Ba-humbug! It’s the same song for me every year. Another holiday alone. Not that I want to, but when you only have one arm, there aren't many ladies waiting for me under the mistletoe. Until I meet Amelia at an amputee support group. Not only is she beautiful and a bad ass, but she understands what it's like to feel incomplete. Except she's fresh from the battlefield with a forty-meter perimeter around her heart.

Amelia

I didn’t need amputee kumbaya. Every soldier goes into battle knowing the risk, even me. At least I got to come home. Being home at Christmastime was just a discomfort I’d have to get through. I hadn’t expected to meet a one-armed bar owner with a charming smile and a devil-may care attitude that made it all too easy to forget the crushing guilt of surviving.

When insecurities surface, will the pair be able to heal and find the love they both so desperately seek? Can two people who have seemingly given up on themselves, find purpose once again?

This winter, eleven sexy soldiers are coming home for the holidays! They're brave, they're strong, and they have been missed! Join in for surprise reunions, homecoming parades, Christmas tree lightings, and cocoa by the fire. These uniformed warriors are making up for lost time, and insta-love is in season.

About Willow Sanders

Willow has always had a penchant for weaving tales. Whether it was horror stories for her bunkmates during sleep away camp, or full blown novels, the written word is always something that Willow has been drawn to.

A Chicago girl born and raised, you will find that most of her stories are either based in, or somehow tie back to the city she knows and loves. Her loyalties lie on the North-Side, as she proclaims she is a Cubs fan, and a fan of anyone playing against the White Sox. She can also be found regularly rooting for the Illini, when she isn’t being forced by her husband to betray her loyalty to the Blue and Orange in favor of a weekend cheering on the Spartans.

A marketer by day, and a writer by night, she can be found feeding her coffee addiction at the Green Mermaid (otherwise known as Starbucks), spending way too much time on TikTok, or trying to convince others she's a long lost Gilmore Girl.

My Thoughts

Codename Dustoff by Willow Sanders, beautifully narrated by Ramza Wolf and Raquel Beattie, is far from your typical holiday fluff. Instead, it offers a deeply emotional and gripping love story about two people who have "drawn the short stick in the poor unfortunate souls lottery."

Amelia, a soldier returning from the battlefield, views her mandated attendance at an amputee support group as an eight-week sentence in purgatory—a task she considers worse than latrine duty. She is drowning in the crushing guilt of surviving while now facing life without a leg, and she certainly doesn't think she needs any "amputee kumbaya." Her carefully built emotional perimeter is immediately challenged by her fellow amputee partner, Emmett. He is not only more curious and persistent than an old widow on her front porch but he also dares her to start living again instead of just coping.

This is how their story begins: a journey of acceptance, healing, courage, and love. Emmett, a one-armed bar owner who carries his own emotional baggage, is facing another lonely holiday season until he meets the beautiful and badass Amelia. She understands what it's like to feel incomplete, but she's fresh from the battlefield with a forty-meter emotional wall around her heart. Despite her initial resistance, his charming smile and devil-may-care attitude make it increasingly easy for Amelia to forget her survivor's guilt.

Together, their story is an emotionally honest ride that highlights not only the hardships people with disabilities face and the ridicule they are sometimes subjected to, but also less-encountered topics like female sexual dysfunction. This was a detail I deeply appreciated, as it realistically addresses that not all women have the perfectly portrayed sexual response often seen in fiction.

The author does a masterful job of developing their connection, creating a foundation of mutual support and growing love. I am always drawn to books with disabled characters, especially those that realistically portray the struggle while imparting an empowering "you can do it" vibe—a message that it may be hard as hell, but you can adapt, carry on, and truly live. This book does that beautifully. As a disabled reader, I respected how the author handled the characters and truly felt the depth of emotion associated with living with a disability.

While this novel is part of the Soldiers For Christmas series, it stands alone as an addictive read that will engross you from the first page. It's not a lighthearted story, but it's neither dark nor heavy; rather, it weaves together moments of difficulty with a strong, continuous thread of love and compassion. According to the author’s note, this book was meant to honor men and women in uniform, but it achieves much more: it honors all differently abled people. It reminds us that even when life "punches you in the gut and makes you feel like you'll never be whole again," you can grit your teeth and carry on because it is absolutely worth it. The excellent narration by Ramza Wolf and Raquel Beattie only heightens the experience, keeping the reader captivated by breathing life into these intense, strong characters. This heartwarming, emotional romance is highly recommended.