RETURN TO ME

Two star-crossed lovers are reunited when she's hired to help him recover from war injuries, allowing them to revisit their past and start over.

Mia has lived the past 10 years emotionally scarred from the night she gave herself, body and soul, to Cole Covington, the boy she thought she loved, only to have him immediately abandon her. Now a registered nurse, she's approached by Cole’s sister, Lacey, to help him heal from combat wounds suffered in the Middle East. Mia resists but reconsiders when Lacey offers her long-term financial help, a welcome boost since she’s responsible for her sister who has Down syndrome. Of course, helping Cole means guarding her heart and shoring up all her defenses. She fell for the rich boy before, only to be used and tossed aside, so she knows better than to be caught under his spell a second time. Yet the angry, wounded soldier is nothing like the impish, charming teenager she knew, and when the truth is revealed regarding the tragic and devastating night that forced them apart, Mia might lose herself again to the reluctant hero. Fighting for their happiness, Cole and Mia have to sift through 10 years’ worth of secrets and extricate themselves from past misunderstandings and guilt. In a generally satisfying series launch that includes a number of popular romance tropes—including rich boy/poor girl; wounded soldier; betrayed lovers; and simmering secrets—Moran successfully juggles emotions and characters, the past and the present. Though the novel is touching and gratifying, there are a few missteps. Readers might wonder why Mia was so quick to believe Cole had abandoned her, given that they swore their devotion only minutes before, and once they’ve basically reconciled, their problems don't seem as insurmountable as they make them out to be. 

Moran’s ability to create romantic and psychological tension makes us care about the characters and root for their happily-ever-after.