ABOUT THE BOOK:
Returning home to Cannon Beach and living in Brambleberry House, a place where good things seemed destined to happen, had brought Melissa Fielding and her young daughter such joy. Perhaps it was no accident when the single mom “bumped” into Eli Sanderson, and discovered the handsome doctor was also back in town. The ex-soldier was still so captivating, but also more guarded. Was now the time to put old ghosts to rest?
MY REVIEW:
A Soldier's Return by RaeAnne ThayneMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Soldier’s Return by RaeAnne Thayne is a 2019 Harlequin Special Edition publication.
A tender, sweet medical romance-
After her divorce from her selfish, immature, ‘surfer dude' husband, Melissa Fielding, returns home to Cannon Beach, with her young daughter. She now works in the medical profession, living in the Brambleberry House- a very special residence.
While walking her neighbor’s dog, she has a run in with her old classmate and her boss’s son, Eli Sanderson. With old Doc Sanderson out of commission for a while, Eli will be taking over for his father, which means that for all intents and purposes Eli is Melissa’s boss- even if it is only temporary.
That doesn’t stop Melissa from feeling flustered around Eli. He’s not the nerdy guy she knew in high school anymore. He’s a soldier, fighting off the nightmares of war casualties, feeling like it is his duty to continue to serve in the Army.
For Eli, meeting the girl he had a crush on in high school has reignited his feeling for Melissa. But he knows his stay is temporary and he is no place for a relationship.
How will the pair manage to work together every day and ignore their attraction to each other?
Full disclosure- I added this book to my TBR list without reading the synopsis first. I have always enjoyed this author’s books, so I figured this one was probably a safe bet.
The book is published by Harlequin Special Edition, not Harlequin Medical - two entirely different imprints- so I was pleasantly surprised by the strong medical elements in the story. I’m also a sucker for military guys, so in many ways this book was a perfect fit for me.
The story also has a very mild paranormal element, which I found intriguing. However, it was too vague and I'm wondering if I missed out on some key information by not reading the previous books in the series, which was a bit of a drawback for me.
But, to be clear, this book can most definitely be read as a stand-alone. That said, I hope to eventually read all the books in the series, not only to see how the other residents of Brambleberry House get their HEA, but to discover all the other mysteries of the house, as well.
Overall, this is a very nice contemporary romance, made better for me due to the medical drama, and military themes.
An emotional second chance love story, cute kids and dogs turned out to be a pretty solid combination, as well.
GRAB YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Return-Women-Brambleberry-House-ebook/dp/B07FYGG8ZB/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-soldiers-return-raeanne-thayne/1129186202
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I'm not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer.
Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged.
After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist.
Through it all -- through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor -- I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love.
I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try -- their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 30 books later, I've come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the "that's-it!" feeling I get when a story is flowing.
I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains.
Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can't imagine my life any other way.
I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at my email address, [email protected]
