Purple Hearts

A Novel

By: Tess Wakefield

Narrated by: Kyle Mason, Shayna Thibodeaux

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL FILM! When a soldier with a troubled past and a struggling songwriter agree to get married for the military benefits, neither expects much after saying “I do.” What happens when a marriage of convenience is anything but?

Cassie Salazar and Luke Morrow couldn’t be more different. Sharp-witted Cassie works nights at a bar in Austin to make ends meet while pursuing her dream of becoming a singer/songwriter. Luke is an Army trainee, about to ship out for duty, who finds comfort in the unswerving discipline of service. But a chance encounter at Cassie’s bar changes the course of both their lives, and within forty-eight hours this unlikely pair finds themselves husband and wife.

How did that happen?

Cassie is drowning in medical bills after being diagnosed with diabetes. When she runs into her old friend Frankie, now enlisted in the Army, she proposes a deal: she’ll marry him in exchange for better medical insurance and they can split the increased paycheck that comes with having a “family.” When Frankie declines, his attractive but frustratingly intense friend Luke volunteers to marry Cassie instead. What she doesn’t know is that he has desperate reasons of his own to get married. In this unforgettable love story, Cassie and Luke must set aside their differences to make it look like a real marriage...unless, somewhere along the way, it becomes one...

When Recovery Becomes a Shared Journey

I loved how this book alternates between character points of view in each chapter—it gives such a full picture of both sides of the story. As someone who has been through a life-altering accident and years of therapy, I found it deeply relatable. It doesn’t just capture the physical recovery, but also the heavy mental and emotional toll that a disability can take—not only on the person injured but also on their partner and family.

The way the author portrayed the struggle with pain medication was raw and real. Addiction after an accident is something so many face, and the book made it relatable while also offering hope. It shows that while the “cloud head” of pills can feel like an escape, there is so much more to fight for in life. Ultimately, it’s a story of resilience, love, and finding strength in the hardest moments.

Purple Hearts-A Heartfelt Love Story

I loved it! Well written and narrated. I wanted story to go on… Luke and Cassie. He fell in love first. She fell later but harder.

The movie was better…

I hated to say this, but I read this book when the movie came out, and this book just drew out too long, and I hated the extra romance with Toby, it was boring and unnecessary.

Overall I really loved the storyline, just not as good as the movie. It drew on too long in the middle and there was such little build to the romance, it could have been a great book if those things were different.

Eh

I listened to this before watching the movie and honestly, the movie is way better. Not worth the credit.

Good Book, Better Movie!

I loved the story, even though I could have done without the whole Toby storyline. The only part that bugged me was the person they chose for Cassie’s voice. She had a weird cadence that was sometimes distracting from the story. I wanted to read the book because I LOVED the movie adaptation. That you should definitely watch!