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Sunshine, secrets, and swoon-worthy stories—June's featured reads are your perfect summer escape.

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He doesn�t need a woman in his life; she knows he can�t live without her.


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A promise rekindled. A secret revealed. A second chance at the family they never had.


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A cowboy with a second chance. A waitress with a hidden gift. And a small town where love paints a brand-new beginning.


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She�s racing for a prize. He�s dodging romance. Together, they might just cross the finish line to love.


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She steals from the mob for justice. He�s the FBI agent who could take her down�or fall for her instead.


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He�s her only protection. She�s carrying his child. Together, they must outwit a killer before time runs out.


Return To Glory

Return To Glory, September 2014
by Sara Arden

Harlequin HQN Books
Featuring: Jack McConnell; Betsy Lewis
352 pages
ISBN: 0373779305
EAN: 9780373779307
Kindle: B00JIH8WZG
Paperback / e-Book
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"Her hero returns, but he's not the same man. Can they learn to love again?"

Fresh Fiction Review

Return To Glory
Sara Arden

Reviewed by Clare O'Beara
Posted September 7, 2014

Romance Contemporary

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.

Learn more about Return To Glory

SUMMARY

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.


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