Full Measures

Full Measures (2014) is a contemporary new adult romance by Rebecca Yarros and the first novel in the Flight and Glory series. The story follows 20-year-old December “Ember” Howard, whose life is upended when her father is killed in action in Afghanistan, forcing her to become the anchor for her grieving family. While navigating her new responsibilities, she develops a complex relationship with Josh Walker, her childhood crush and a new neighbor whose own secrets threaten their connection. The novel explores themes that include The Impact of Grief on Relationships and Familial Roles, The Illusion of Control in a World of Uncertainty, and Weighing the Risk of Love Against the Fear of Loss.

Yarros is a New York Times best-selling author known for romance and romantasy novels, including the global success Fourth Wing. Yarros draws on her personal experiences as part of a military family to inform the novel’s authentic depiction of military family culture, sacrifice, and the rituals of loss. Her nonprofit organization, One October, which she cofounded with her husband, supports children in the foster system.

This guide refers to the 2023 Entangled Publishing edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness, death, substance use, sexual content, sexual harassment, and cursing.

Plot Summary

On her 20th birthday, while home from college for winter break, December “Ember” Howard is woken by her younger brother, Gus. Ember hears persistent knocking at the front door, but her mother, June, hasn’t answered the door. Ember opens the door to two Army officers, who inform the family that her father, Lieutenant Colonel Justin Howard, a military doctor, was killed in action in Afghanistan. As her mother enters a deep state of shock and her younger sister, April, becomes distraught, Ember takes charge. She shields seven-year-old Gus from the casualty notification and later explains their father’s death in age-appropriate terms. When Casualty Assistance Officer Captain Adam Wilson arrives to handle the arrangements, Ember continues to manage the family’s affairs, even buying a cake for her own birthday (at Gus’s request) to maintain a sliver of normalcy.

The family endures the military funeral, where Ember’s boyfriend of three years, Riley, arrives late and remains emotionally distant. In contrast, Gus’s part-time pee-wee hockey coach, Josh Walker, who was a soccer star at Ember’s high school (and her high-school crush), provides comfort and helps Gus with his tie. Throughout the service and burial, Ember is the family’s emotional anchor. At her father’s graveside, she makes a silent promise to take care of everyone.

In the weeks that follow, Ember assumes responsibility for the household, as her mother remains withdrawn and unresponsive. She manages daily routines for her siblings, but April begins acting out (e.g.,, skipping school and clashing with Ember). The family’s paternal grandmother, Grams, arrives and provides much-needed structure and discipline. Riley is largely absent, prioritizing a fraternity party at his family’s cabin in Breckenridge. Josh, however, becomes a consistent, supportive presence, picking Gus up for hockey practice and bringing the family meals. Seeing Ember’s exhaustion, Grams insists that she get out of the house and suggests that Josh drive her to Breckenridge to surprise Riley.

At the party, Ember discovers Riley having sex with her college roommate and friend, Kayla. She learns they’ve been having an affair for more than a year. Heartbroken, Ember leaves with Josh. When Riley belligerently confronts them outside, Josh defends her, punching him. They retreat to the Howard family’s cabin, where Ember breaks down. Josh comforts her, and they share an intensely passionate night. However, Josh stops before they have sex, stating that he wants their relationship to be about more than just a rebound for her.

Returning home, Ember officially ends her relationship with Riley and decides to transfer from the University of Colorado at Boulder to the campus in Colorado Springs (UCCS) to be closer to her family. She continues to manage the household, and her mother slowly begins to re-engage with life. April’s rebellious behavior escalates to include secret credit card spending. Josh remains a source of stability, helping Ember when her estranged uncle arrives with a news crew, attempting to exploit the family’s tragedy for a story.

Ember moves into an apartment with her old high school friend, Sam, and is shocked to discover that Josh is her next-door neighbor. They also share an American History class at UCCS. As their lives become more intertwined, Ember struggles with her growing feelings, wary of his reputation as a player and her emotional fragility. She repeatedly pushes him away, determined to handle her grief and family responsibilities on her own.

Despite Ember’s resistance, her connection with Josh deepens. He remains patient and supportive, declaring his feelings and his willingness to wait for her. Meanwhile, April’s recklessness culminates in a dangerous situation at another fraternity party, where she’s found naked and intoxicated with a boy named Tyler. When a group of freshmen attempts to photograph the scene from the hallway, Josh intervenes, preventing the photos from being distributed and protecting April from public humiliation. The incident forces a raw, honest conversation between the sisters, strengthening their bond.

Another setback to the family’s healing occurs when the Army delivers Justin’s personal effects. The family is devastated to learn that his laptop has been wiped, erasing his personal journals and photos. Among his belongings are final letters for each of them. The others read theirs, but Ember can’t bring herself to open the envelope, fearing the finality of her father’s last words.

After weeks of emotional turmoil, Ember and Josh go on their first official date. Josh reveals that his mother’s past battle with cancer was the reason he transferred to UCCS, but he remains evasive about a past leg injury. That night, Ember realizes that she’s in love with him. They consummate their relationship and confess their love for each other. However, Josh continues to disappear for one weekend each month, attributing his absence to vague “scholarship obligations.”

Gus inadvertently reveals that Josh is in the National Guard. Ember frantically searches Josh’s apartment and finds his uniforms and a Purple Heart awarded for wounds he sustained in Afghanistan. Feeling betrayed by his secrecy and terrified of loving a soldier after her father’s death, Ember ends the relationship. Josh explains that he joined the Guard to pay for college after his mother’s diagnosis and kept it a secret because he knew her feelings about the military and feared losing her. Despite his pleas, Ember refuses to reconcile.

In the following weeks, Ember focuses on her family and her healing. She has a cathartic confrontation with her mother, admitting her anger and the guilt she has carried for opening the door on the day of the notification. Curious about Josh’s connection to her father, she accesses Justin’s old email account and discovers a lengthy correspondence between the two men. Confronting Josh, she learns that her father was the surgeon who saved Josh’s life in Afghanistan and that they formed a close bond.

Ember and her mother attend the homecoming ceremony for her father’s unit. Witnessing the profound joy of the reunited families, she listens as her mother explains that the love she shared with Justin was worth every moment of pain and uncertainty. This gives Ember a new perspective, and she realizes that she’s done letting fear control her life. She takes her father’s letter out of her purse and reads it. The letter encourages her to live bravely, take chances, and find a love worthy of her.

Because Josh is graduating and commissioning as an Army officer that same day, Ember rushes to his ROTC ceremony. She arrives just in time to pin on his second lieutenant bars, an honor he had planned to ask her father to perform. In front of his fellow graduates and their families, Ember and Josh reconcile, professing their love and committing to a future together. They agree to a long-distance relationship while she attends Vanderbilt University and he begins flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama. In the Epilogue, set several months later, Josh helps Ember move into her Nashville apartment, and both are secure in their love and ready to face the challenges of their future.