Jack McConnell is having a tortuous time readjusting to
life after his battle activities in Mosul left him with an
artificial leg. Now the former SEAL sits at home alone,
mourning his parents, specifically not thinking about the
hero-worshipping girl he had left behind in the town of
Glory. Sudden bangs make him hit the floor and the only
thing that numbs his self-disgust is whisky.
Betsy Lewis trained in catering before returning to open a
bake shop in her home town, and while she knows Jack was
injured, she doesn't realise the mental scars he suffers.
She's submerged her loneliness and frustrations in her
cooking, not having found another man who suited her. She
thinks that if Jack would just meet her and kiss her
again,
surely they could make it work?
We learn about the cutting-edge tech of prosthetics as
Jack
has a mesh titanium implant to anchor his new leg. He's
still terrified that Betsy will find it ugly or scary.
Betsy is a determined young woman however, and she knows
what she wants. Admirably she just accepts Jack the way he
is, though the reality of his post-traumatic stress has
yet
to hit home.
Betsy makes some sumptuous recipes in her store. Walnuts,
coconut sugar and chocolate chips feature in one. Another
fine plan occurs to her when she learns of a PTSD support
group. Who wouldn't love a girl like that? The other
characters include Betsy's brother Caleb and his new lady,
India, recently ex-police. RETURN TO GLORY also features
a small-
town family Christmas celebration, with the scents of
baked
ham, eggnog and cranberry-orange candles.
Spice up your life and gain a new understanding by reading
this insightful tale of romance and learning to live
again.
This is the first in the Glory series by Sara
Arden.
In Glory, Kansas, the best bakery in three counties not
only
brings together ingredients for sweet treats, but is the
place where—through the powerful mix of friendship,
community and a well-stocked kitchen—a wounded hero can
forge a forever kind of love.
Back in the hometown he left behind five years ago, Jack
McConnell has returned battle-scarred and feeling like
half
a man. But Betsy Lewis only sees the hero who once saved
her
life and set her heart on fire. Now she's burning to save
him in return. She'll use every trick she's got up her
sleeve, from her generous natural assets to her talent for
baking, to coax Jack out from the bottom of his whiskey
bottle.
At first, Jack responds to Betsy like any red-blooded man
would. He's always denied his attraction to the innocent
girl he used to know, but he's returned to find Betsy's
grown into a full-on woman with strength enough for both
of
them. Until Jack realizes the only way to conquer his
demons
and be worthy of the hero's mantle she's pinned to his
shoulders is to save Betsy one last time—from himself.