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.