Name: Return to Me
ISBN: 9780425276877

Kelly Moran

Returning home to Covington Cove to care for the man who broke her heart, soldier Cole Covington, private nurse Mia Galdon discovers that the love between them has never died as they are forced to confront the past and learn how to forgive, let go and fight for a future together. Includes teaser. Original.

Return to Me

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Return to Me was a sweet little contemporary book with a wounded hero and a great second chance romance. I absolutely adored the characters and enjoyed reading along as they tried to put themselves back together and find their way back to each other.

It's been ten years since Mia has seen Cole Covington, his family or the house where she spent a lot of her time as a teen. She was the daughter of the "help" for Cole's rich (and assholish) family, but the bond between her and Cole was something real (against the best wishes of his family). After Cole broke her heart and tragedy struck, she found a way to move on. She fulfilled her dreams of being a nurse, cared for her younger sister who has Down Syndrome, dealt with her mother's death and built a pretty good life for herself. She's beyond surprised when Lacy Covington contacts her and asks to see her. She's shocked to learn that Cole has joined the military and was severely injured overseas. But shock doesn't even begin to cover what she feels when Lacy asks her to return to the old Covington beach house and help watch after Cole. Those are wounds Mia isn't in a great hurry to reopen, but she can't refuse Lacy's offer. 

Returning to the beach house wasn't easy. Seeing Cole again was even more difficult. His (internal and external) wounds have made him a different person than the boy she fell in love with. He's dealing with PTSD and nightmares, along with his physical injuries. He's shocked to see Mia and tries to push her away. But, at the same time, he really wants her there. He regrets so much of his past, but little more than how things fell apart after he ended things with her. He aches for a second chance, but he's not the man he once was. 

Mia and Cole didn't fall into an easy friendship immediately, but you could see the ghost of their past and what they meant to each other in their interactions. Mia pushed him. He pushed back. They slowly started rebuilding their friendship and dealing with the still-lingering feelings they had for each other. Had enough changed in their lives (and with his family) to afford them the second chance they deserved? 

I really liked the characters here – both main and secondary. Mia was a strong, independent woman and I appreciated that. Cole, while a little broken, was still a remarkable man. His sister, Lacy, was fantastic and the relationship she had with Cole and Mia was so realistic. I really hope she gets a book of her own in the future. I'd love more from her. I enjoyed the staff members at the beach house as well. Especially Rose. She was a great friend to Mia (and Cole) and helped her get perspective when she needed it most. The only character I really didn't like in this book was Cole's mom. She was an asshole. But, the other characters more than made up for her. 

This was the first book I've read by Kelly Moran, but it definitely won't be the last. I enjoyed her writing style and the Covington Cove characters and setting. I'm already excited for All of Me, the second book in this series. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Return to Me

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