Shannon C’s review of To Have and to Hold (Returning Home, Book 3) by Serena Bell
Contemporary Romance published by Loveswept 19 Jul 16

I love this series, and have done so since the first book, in which Serena Bell convinced me that a secret baby plot didn’t have to be the dumbest thing I’d ever read. The next one had a love triangle I didn’t hate, and now she has brought her A game with an amnesia plot that worked for me. Her books have just the right mixture of angst, passion, and realism to keep me wishing she would write more quickly.

Trina Levine is excited about her reunion with Hunter Cross, the man she’d been seeing before his last deployment to Afghanistan. The two had been slowly starting a relationship, their respective daughters were practically sisters, and now they would get the chance to move things to the next level. Unfortunately, when Hunter gets off the plane, he barely seems to recognize Trina. Which is awkward considering she’s been living in his house and raising his daughter. To make matters worse, when Hunter is plagued by nightmares, Trina seems to be the only one who can comfort him and pull him out of them.

What I love about this book is that both Trina and Hunter act like adults. Trina doesn’t huff off in a snit because Hunter can’t remember her. Hunter has moments of anger when memories don’t click, but he doesn’t whine about it. They both approach the problem the way rational adults would. Trina’s solution is to not put her life on pause. Since Hunter doesn’t remember her, she thinks the best thing to do is move on as quickly as possible and get out of his hair and let him resume a normal life with his daughter. Of course, fate doesn’t make that easy, but I could see why Trina wouldn’t want to put herself in a place where she’s subjecting herself to lots more heartache, because there’s no guarantee Hunter will ever remember their relationship. That solution isn’t without its flaws, though, and I particularly love the scenes between Trina and Hunter’s daughter, Claire, who has looked on her as a second mother over the past year.

For his part, it soon becomes obvious to Hunter that he needs Trina. Not only does she save him from his nightmares, but his body remembers their passion, even if his mind doesn’t. She also knows much more about Claire than he does, and Claire’s at the age where she’s going through puberty, and he doesn’t feel able to cope with that. I love watching him get to know Trina and to fall in love with her all over again as he realizes what a sweet and caring woman she is.

The romance is lovely. In many ways, Hunter feels as if he has to compete with his past self, the one he can’t remember, and Trina has some serious abandonment issues. This gives the relationship conflicts a lot more nuance than they otherwise might, and by the end of the book I was really rooting for the two of them to find their way through their complicated histories to an HEA. It also helps that the sex scenes, while not very frequent, are hot, and the two of them have definite chemistry.

Claire and Trina’s daughter, Phoebe, are also excellent secondary characters. Bell draws them with a deft touch and conveys their complicated pubescent brains beautifully. I connected particularly strongly with Claire, who has a particularly effecting scene at the end of the book with Hunter that made me downright misty-eyed, but I like Phoebe, too, particularly as she finds herself struggling to deal with her own hurt at Hunter’s not remembering them.

Bell brings in the rest of the characters from her previous books to offer needed advice, and it was nice to catch up with them again. Their presence felt integral, and not merely as an excuse to see cameos of previous couples. This is why I think you could read this well enough as a standalone.

If I haven’t made it clear enough by now, I love this book. I love the way Serena Bell writes about the complications that arise from coming home from war and that each of her couples are made up of flawed adults who generally act like adults who live in the same real world I do. If you like a little angst and a whole lot of sweetness, I highly recommend her books.

Grade: A

Summary:

In this emotionally charged novel from the bestselling author of Hold on Tight (“Sweet, sexy, and real.”—Jessica Scott), a war hero fights to remember the love he left behind—and the woman who refuses to fade away.

The reunion is supposed to be the start of the rest of their lives. But when Trina Levine sees the soldier she promised to love forever, Hunter Cross looks
at her like she’s a stranger. The connection is gone, lost in the blank stare of those soulful brown eyes. Hunter remembers his young daughter but not
Trina, and he certainly can’t recall why Trina and her own child are living in his house. Although his lean, rugged frame bears the scars of battle, his
mind took the worst hit.

But Hunter Cross hasn’t forgotten everything. His body remembers caressing Trina’s delicate curves, holding her close, never wanting to let go. Was it
just a dream, or was it real life? Now, as he tries to put the pieces back together, Trina’s the one who comforts him when his night terrors strike. It’s
Trina whose warm touch rekindles a connection no man could deny. Even with the odds stacked against them, Hunter wants to believe. Because passion has
the power to awaken the past—and remake the future.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: