Melissa rushes back to Heritage Cove when Barney, the man who’s been like a father figure to her since she was a little girl, ends up in hospital. After an absence of five years, her return isn’t going to be easy, especially when she bumps into Harvey, the love of her life and the man she’s never been able to forget.
For reasons he couldn't explain at the time, Harvey changed his mind about going with Melissa to start afresh as they'd planned, and life moved on for the both of them. But with Melissa back in the village and determined to stick around to help Barney, they can't avoid each other forever. Melissa knows she let so many people down by staying away for so long, but she and Harvey blame each other for what happened and neither of them is willing to admit to being in the wrong.
When Barney insists on cancelling the Wedding Dress Ball, the charity fundraiser he holds every year in the stunning barn on his property, Melissa and Harvey realise they’re going to have to pull together. Otherwise the man they once knew might be gone forever. And when they unearth a secret Barney has never shared with anyone, they go in search of answers to not only ensure the ball runs this summer, but to bring back the Barney they know and love.
Back in the cove after all this time, Melissa gets to see the life she left behind and it’s time to deal with what it was that drove her away in the first place.
Beneath the summer sunshine in Heritage Cove, the sea sparkles, the heat rises and new love, reconciliations and the answers to an old love story could bring changes for everyone.
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B086YYZF27
US - https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Home-Heritage-Cove-delightfully-ebook/dp/B086YYZF27
Review
A dreamily nostalgic book about lost love and coming home.
Melissa has it all - a job she loves, a fiance who loves her, and a life she's made for herself since she left her childhood home five years ago. But when the man she considers a father to her takes a fall, she finds herself back in town, face to face with her childhood friend and first love, Harvey.
You can probably foresee how the rest of the story plays out. There's a theme of loss that had me tearing up, but it was interesting to see how the grief that sent Melissa running has softened enough that she can look back and remember the good times and not just the loss. Melissa and Harvey are both fully realised characters with understandable flaws who share a past much deeper than the hurt that drove them apart.
There are a few things that spoil this book for me - first, there was a few missteps in editing. The most jarring was how Melissa mentions her brother a few times before bemoaning growing up as an only child. Second, it quite difficult to watch Melissa fall back in love with Harvey knowing she had a life and a fiance outside of the Cove. I know it's not intentional on Melissa's part, but I'm not a fan of love triangles. I never got the sense that the life she made and fiance she'd chosen wasn't enough until her internal narration announced it, which left me a little discomfited and desperately sorry for her fiance Jay. There was a beautiful line about have both roots and wings - but despite young Melissa's desire to leave and current Melissa's life satisfaction, the ending seems to clearly favour one over the other. Perhaps if Melissa had shown discontent with her life before returning, the ending would have gone down sweeter.
This is still a sweet book about the power of past love, so if you're keen on small towns, childhood friends-to-lovers, and a bit of past angst, pick this book up
Author Bio
Helen J Rolfe writes romantic fiction and contemporary women's fiction and enjoys weaving stories about family, friendship, secrets, and community. A dreamily nostalgic book about lost love and coming home.
Melissa has it all - a job she loves, a fiance who loves her, and a life she's made for herself since she left her childhood home five years ago. But when the man she considers a father to her takes a fall, she finds herself back in town, face to face with her childhood friend and first love, Harvey.
You can probably foresee how the rest of the story plays out. There's a theme of loss that had me tearing up, but it was interesting to see how the grief that sent Melissa running has softened enough that she can look back and remember the good times and not just the loss. Melissa and Harvey are both fully realised characters with understandable flaws who share a past much deeper than the hurt that drove them apart.
There are a few things that spoil this book for me - first, there was a few missteps in editing. The most jarring was how Melissa mentions her brother a few times before bemoaning growing up as an only child. Second, it quite difficult to watch Melissa fall back in love with Harvey knowing she had a life and a fiance outside of the Cove. I know it's not intentional on Melissa's part, but I'm not a fan of love triangles. I never got the sense that the life she made and fiance she'd chosen wasn't enough until her internal narration announced it, which left me a little discomfited and desperately sorry for her fiance Jay. There was a beautiful line about have both roots and wings - but despite young Melissa's desire to leave and current Melissa's life satisfaction, the ending seems to clearly favour one over the other. Perhaps if Melissa had shown discontent with her life before returning, the ending would have gone down sweeter.
This is still a sweet book about the power of past love, so if you're keen on small towns, childhood friends-to-lovers, and a bit of past angst, pick this book up
Location is a big part of the adventure in Helen's books and she enjoys setting stories in different cities and countries where she thinks her readers might like to escape to.
Helen J Rolfe also writes for Orion Books under the name Helen Rolfe.
Born and raised in the UK, Helen graduated from University with a business degree and began working in I.T. This job took her over to Australia and it was there that she finally turned to what she loved and studied writing and journalism. She spent a while freelancing for women's health and fitness magazines, volunteered with the PR department of a children's hospital where she wrote articles and media releases, and eventually began writing fiction in 2011. And now, she thinks she may just have found her dream job.
Helen currently lives in Hertfordshire, UK, with her husband and their children.
Social Media Links
Helen loves to hear from readers so please don't hesitate to get in touch. She can be found at:
www.helenjrolfe.com
https://www.facebook.com/helenjrolfewriter
https://twitter.com/hjrolfe
https://www.instagram.com/helen_j_rolfe/
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