Mila Gray

Originally published: London: Pan Books, 2014.

Come Back to Me

In this heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, a young Marine and his best friend’s sister plunge into a forbidden love affair while he’s home on leave. When a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door, Jessa’s heart breaks—someone she loves is dead. Killed in action, but is it Riley or Kit? Her brother or her boyfriend… Three months earlier, Marine Kit Ryan finds himself back home on leave and dangerously drawn to his best friend Riley’s sister, Jessa—the one girl he can’t have. Exhausted from fighting his feelings, Kit finally gives in, and Jessa isn’t strong enough to resist diving headfirst into a passionate relationship. But what was just supposed to be a summer romance develops into something far greater than either of them expected. Jessa’s finally found the man of her dreams and Kit’s finally discovered there’s someone he’d sacrifice everything for. When it’s time for Kit to redeploy, neither one is ready to say goodbye. Jessa vows to wait for him and Kit promises to come home to her. No matter what. But as Jessa stands waiting for the Marine Chaplain to break her heart, she can’t help but feel that Kit has broken his promise… Riley or Kit? Kit or Riley? Her brother or her boyfriend? Who’s coming home to her?

Kit and Jessa have had feelings for each other since they were teenagers, but their hands-off relationship changes when Kit comes back from his first Marine deployment.  Jessa is now 18 and Kit can't stay away from her anymore.  They decide to keep their budding romance a secret from Riley, Kit's best friend and Jessa's brother, as well as Jessa's father, who hates Kit.  However tragedy strikes when Riley and Kit are on their second deployment, making any future Jessa and Kit might have had, seem hopeless.  

Come Back to Me is an effectively written new adult story about navigating both love and loss, producing plenty of emotional content.  The characters are well developed, especially Kit and Jessa as they first try to hide their relationship, and then struggle to save it. However, many of the events in the story are extremely predictable, making it difficult to connect with parts of the story. Also the plot seems unbalanced, as the lengthy construction of the romance at the beginning of the story is light and airy, while the meat of the story is much shorter toward the end where the majority of the emotion lies.  Overall, though, Come Back to Me is an enjoyable new adult romance with plenty of angst to keep the reader invested.

Lynn Braden

Kit and Jessa have had feelings for each other since they were teenagers, but their hands-off relationship changes when Kit comes back from his first Marine deployment.  Jessa is now 18 and Kit can't stay away from her anymore.  They decide to keep their budding romance a secret from Riley, Kit's best friend and Jessa's brother, as well as Jessa's father, who hates Kit.  However tragedy strikes when Riley and Kit are on their second deployment, making any future Jessa and Kit might have had, seem hopeless.  

Come Back to Me is an effectively written new adult story about navigating both love and loss, producing plenty of emotional content.  The characters are well developed, especially Kit and Jessa as they first try to hide their relationship, and then struggle to save it. However, many of the events in the story are extremely predictable, making it difficult to connect with parts of the story. Also the plot seems unbalanced, as the lengthy construction of the romance at the beginning of the story is light and airy, while the meat of the story is much shorter toward the end where the majority of the emotion lies.  Overall, though, Come Back to Me is an enjoyable new adult romance with plenty of angst to keep the reader invested.

Sven Test

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights ReviewsJessa and Kit have grown up together but Jessa has never expressed her feelings. She's sure Kit only sees her as his best friend's little sister. That is until Jessa turns 16 that Kit starts developing a crush. Neither have spoken about their attraction towards one another especially when Jessa and Riley's father holds a grudge against Kit's father which also leads to hating Kit. One summer, Jessa and Kit go from friends to lovers but they only have weeks before Kit and Riley leave on a military tour. Who will return, Kit or Riley?

"Come back to me. Promise you'll come back to me." She whispers.

"Always."

This story was sweet and would pull at your heartstrings. The beginning starts with a prologue that leaves you in a bit of a suspense, wanting to know what will happen but of course the reader finds out near the end and ultimately leading up to a wonderful conclusion to the story.

Sadly I didn't feel any connection towards the characters. I had no emotion towards them until almost the end when something happens that really makes me feel for some of the characters but that's pretty much it. There was some kind of insta-love in the story depending on how you see it. For me, it was kind of fast but it didn't bother me THAT much. But the romance was definitely there and the reader could actually believe this romance and the insta-love aspect of it. The relationships with the family were portrayed very well. We have the military father who has been affected by war and holds a secret that's been killing him inside so he feels the need to yell all the time which leads to his family to walk on eggshells when they are around him. We have the understanding mother who tries to keep everyone happy. We have Jessa who knows what she wants to do with her life but is scared to go after it because of her father. We have Riley who is fun and caring and sweet. We have Jessa's best friend who's having her own book coming out next year! I cannot wait for her story. We have Kit who is very swoon-worthy and loyal to his best friend, girlfriend and his dad. And finally, we have Kit's father who is honestly the most sweetest man in the world.

All of these characters make for a very interesting and impacting story. This story is about a forbidden romance of two friends who become lovers but is more than that. It also focuses on trying to experience life as much as you can with your loved ones and to appreciate those people who surround you. The author did a great job in portraying all of these characters, their individual lives and a subject that many people talk about but not many pay much attention to and choose to ignore. I really recommend this to everyone above the age of 18 because it really has a beautiful meaning.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews

Alani Lacaci

Mila Gray’s “Come Back To Me” is a great read! I would highly recommend this book. I could not put the story down and my cheeks were constantly hurting from the amount of smiling I did while reading.

samantha youngclaus

Jessica Guht

A really sweet book that was more emotional than I anticipated. The issues discussed in this book felt real, and brought to life struggles that I have never experienced.

Josee Blanchard

Come back to Me 
By: Mila Gray 

Hi, fellow Readers, 
Welcome to this amazing gem, 

Synopsis: 
Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa the one girl he can't have.

But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms.

What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down.

When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for.

Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for.

My review: 

I have never been this exited to write a review, This book a real masterpiece. I used to think the best romance book was Fifty Shades (not for the sexy part but the romance part). I have to say I have never cried for a novel but this one I had to put it down since I was working and can’t really cry and speak on the phone. 
The cover, perfect for what the story is about. The length if the book is enough to say the full story. The writing is perfect, I love the way it tells you what is going on now then goes back three months later. Even if you are a guy or a girl, by reading this book you'll get emotional.

Read this masterpiece! You will love it.

Con: I don’t have anything to say that's negative

Pro: Everything is perfect, the writing, the story. 


Quotes: 

Kit looks at me disbelieving, a flash of disappointment in his eyes that makes my inside curl up.

She leans forward and kisses me, biting my bottom lip, tugging it between het teeth, and all I can hear is my blood roaring in my ears, my gut tightening in response.

Sarah Campbell

This book was one of my absolute favorites. It gives you every single emotion, and you begin to feel attached to the characters. I finished this book in a couple of hours, in one sitting, it was that good. I'm definitely going to go back to read it again sometime soon.

As seen on Caity Reads.

This book was so much more than I expected it to be. In every way possible. It is jammed packed full of feelings, and yes, I may have cried a little bit. So sue me. I think I was expecting this to be pretty much strictly fluff, and don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of fluff. But it had so many other beautiful layers to it.

I’ll start by saying that I don’t know what it’s like to have close relatives go off to war. Neither of my parents were in the military, and my sister wasn’t either. I have had a friend here and there, but they’ve all come home. There’s always my brother, but he’s only ten, so we’ll give him a little more time for that decision. So the very topic of this book is not something I can relate to personally. That being said, the author does a fantastic job of making it feel so very real and personal.

I found the characters to be really enjoyable. Jessa was this sweet, kind of sheltered heroine, who really just wanted to be her own person. However, she also struggled with wanting to keep herself in her father’s good graces by doing what he wanted her to. Then there was Kit, who not only was a fantastic, swoon-worthy romantic interest, but also this person who helped Jessa become the person she wanted to be. I just loved that they were both two genuinely good people.

Then there were the side characters. I loved Riley in all of his aloofness as to what was going on, but also that his reactions to certain events throughout the novel just seemed so real to me. I love when the characters of a novel all feel like they’re there for a reason. No one in this novel felt out of place or like they didn’t need to be there. They all added something to the story.

Then, of course, there is the forbidden romance. I’m a sucker for forbidden romance, hands down. I’m not sure what it is, but I think it has to do with the idea that love doesn’t care who you are or what your situation is. It just exists. You can’t help who you love, right?

It’s forbidden for a couple of reasons. First, there is Jessa’s father, who hates Kit. And then there is Riley, her brother, who is Kit’s best friend. There is a whole backstory later on in the novel, that really tied it all together and gave it quite a bit of depth. There are some funny scenes involving the brother Riley, and his ignorance of the relationship which had me literally laughing out loud.

And on top of all that, is a first chapter that has you hooked from the start. All you want to know at the end of that chapter is what happened. So you read, and you keep reading until the book is finished and you want to cry because you’re both happy and sad.

Overall, I would most definitely recommend this novel. For the first few weeks after finishing it, all I could do was think about rereading it. Now that it’s been a few months since I read it, I may just do that. It’s one of those books that just leaves a mark. Also, apparently there’s a sequel? I believe it follows different characters, but I’m still interested in reading it!

Wendy M Holt

Tiffany Engler

READ MY REVIEW HERE: http://www.tiffanysbookblog.com/2016/...

A breathtaking, scorchingly hot summer read for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Abbi GlinesCome back to me. That was the very last thing I said to him.Always. The very last thing he said to me.Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have.But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms.What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down.When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for.Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for.A breathtaking, scorchingly hot story about love, friendship, family and finding your way back from the edge of heartbreak.

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This is a really difficult book to review, and not because I'm confused about my feelings, but because I don't want to give anything away. I loved this story. It was everything I wanted and more in a big brother's best friend crush/friends to romance/military story. (I've read quite a few books lately with this underlying theme, now that I really think about it.) Mila made me fall in love with her characters, damn near ripped my heart out of my chest, and then found a way to put it all back together again. If you're looking for a book with feels, this is the one. 

I'm not even sure I paused to eat or sleep once I started reading this book. The prologue grabbed me right from the first word and I was in tears by, like, page two. I knew *something* bad was going to happen over the course of the book, but with both Jessa's brother and boyfriend overseas, it could have been anything. Anyone. I was lulled into a false sense of security until around the 60% mark, still hoping desperately everything would wind up ok in the end. The last quarter of the book should be sponsored by Kleenex – at least for an emotional reader like me. But, the end is hopeful and happy. (Possibly TOO hopeful and happy, but I'll let you make your own decision on that.)

I absolutely adored Jessa and Kit. I love a slow, steady building relationship and that's exactly what theirs was. It was real and you could feel the passion and love between them on every page. It bothered me that they hid their relationship, but at the same time I kinda got it. Jessa was a good girl. Kit had a bad reputation. Their fathers had history, even if they didn't know what it was at the time, and they were afraid of what her brother would say. I just wish they would have come clean sooner. 

When Kit leaves to go overseas, he and Jessa decide they're going to make it work. It's only a year. They can survive this. Well, a lot can happen in a year – especially when you're talking about a military deployment. I can't tell you all that follows but what I can tell you is that it's a complete roller coaster ride of emotions. Ups and downs, twists and turns. This book has it all. There was pain and drama and heartbreak, but it never felt like it was too much. It was real and gritty and believable, even if it wasn't always pretty. 

There's so much more than simply romance to this book. It tackles family, friendship, love, guilt, loss, absolution and second chances and it does it in an unforgettable and beautiful way. The characters were relatable, the romance was sweet, the passion was real, the grief was palpable, and the ending was hopeful. Come Back to Me is an all around great new adult contemporary book.

Dana Safadi

Heartwarming and exciting book, perfect for getting out of a slump or if you enjoy romance overall

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

So I have to admit firsthand that this book was slightly out of my comfort zone. And really that’s only because of it involving the military aspect. I don’t usually read military books. In fact, I can’t think of even one that I’ve read in the last several years. But there was something about this synopsis that really intrigued me. I can’t really put my finger on it. But when Sarah (who writes under the pen name Mila Gray) emailed me about being part of her blog tour, I accepted with a smile. 

This book starts off with a sucker-punch right to the gut. A huge cliffhanger secret that you will spend the rest of the book dying to uncover. It definitely gets your attention, that’s for sure.

Kit and Riley, Jessa’s brother, are home on leave from the military for only one month. Jessa, who is so happy to see her brother, really only has concerns over his best friend, Kit Ryan. She’s always had this crush on him, and while he was away she found herself drooling over him in her dreams. Well, guess what… he has a crush on her too! They only have four weeks, and they fight it with everything they have, but the connection between them cannot be denied. Though they have to keep it a secret so it won’t upset Jessa’s family. Must easier said than done.

This story was so much fun. It definitely had it’s serious parts, but woven between the seriousness were the adorable first-love type of romances that I so love. There were actually a few in this story that gave me the warm and fuzzies. Seeing the way Jessa and Kit would run around on their secret dates was so adorable! Riley and Jo also had a relationship that just makes you smile. The friendships involved in the book were awesome great, especially Didi. She was such a great friend to Jessa, and that really showed through in her actions.

The overall military vibe was a bit different than I was expecting. I’m not sure why, but I thought there would be more of a patriotic story, and really we were shown the darker, sadder side of being in a military family. From Jessa’s father, who had serious PTSD issues, to Kit and Riley, who were currently marines suffering from their own issues and present circumstances. It was definitely a rougher, tougher look at the military and what it can do to a family.

My one issue with this book, if you can even call it an “issue”, is the language. Sarah (Mila Gray) is from London. So though she has this story taking place in the USA, California to be exact, she used quite a few words and phrases that we don’t use here in the US. It wasn’t really a big concern, they just kind of jumped out at me. She used words such as “fortnight”, which I honestly had to look up, “motorbike”, which I would assume is a motorcycle, and phrases such as “20 metres away”, which we would use feet as a measurement, not metres, and “shat his pants”, which just made me giggle. Not really a big issue, they just stuck out at me and reminded me that though these characters lived in California, they weren’t necessarily 100% American, due to the writing.

Overall, this book was really pretty incredible. I have two other Sarah Alderson books waiting to be read: The Sound and Out of Control. I have high hopes that these two books will be just as entertaining as this one was.

(Thanks to Sarah Alderson for the review copy!)


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