About the Book:
In the romantic tradition of Dear John and The Lucky One, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with the story of an injured Navy doctor — and two women whose secrets will change the course of his life.
Trevor Benson never intended to move back to New Bern, NC. But when a mortar blast outside the hospital where he worked as an orthopedic surgeon sent him home from Afghanistan with devastating injuries, the dilapidated cabin he inherited from his grandfather seemed as good a place to regroup as any.
Tending to his grandfather’s beloved bee hives while gearing up for a second stint in medical school, Trevor isn’t prepared to fall in love with a local . . . and yet, from their very first encounter, his connection with Natalie Masterson can’t be ignored. But even as she seems to reciprocate his feelings, she remains frustratingly distant, making Trevor wonder what she’s hiding.
Further complicating his stay in New Bern is the presence of a sullen teenage girl, Callie, who lives in the trailer park down the road from his grandfather’s cabin. Claiming to be 19, she works at the local sundries store and keeps to herself. When he discovers she was once befriended by his grandfather, Trevor hopes Callie can shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his grandfather’s death, but she offers few clues — until a crisis triggers a race that will uncover the true nature of Callie’s past, one more intertwined with the elderly man’s passing than Trevor could ever have anticipated.
In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began.
My Review:
I was surprised how much I enjoyed ‘The Return’. I love a solid adult romance with grown-up characters who have experienced life. I found myself savoring this story and was able to escape real-life for a little while!
Trevor is a military veteran suffering from PTSD from Afghanistan. He was badly injured while serving as a doctor and exhibits both physical and emotional scars from the war. As with other books by Nicholas Sparks, this story takes place in a small town in North Carolina, where Trevor has moved. He is living in his grandfather’s place when he meets the lovely but very mysterious Natalie, who is a sheriff’s deputy. He is drawn to her but she is very elusive and although they obviously have a connection, something is holding her back emotionally.
Trevor also encounters a young woman named Callie whom his grandfather had befriended. Trevor’s grandfather had passed away very suddenly and mysteriously and Trevor feels that Callie may know more than she is admitting to.
I enjoyed the relatively slow pace of this book, and loved the very surprising and emotional twists and turns. Nicholas Sparks definitely knows how to pull at the reader’s emotions! The appeal of small-town life where everyone knows everyone else is part of this book’s charm. Even with the traumatic past of Trevor, I still found this to be an easy read, and loved the romance. Happy reading!
(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.)
Giveaway
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