Come Back To Me by Sharon Sala – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
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Description:
After a crime pitted their families against each other, high school sweethearts Phoebe Ritter and Aidan Payne were forced to say a tearful goodbye. Phoebe stayed behind in Blessings, Georgia, while Aidan and his father left town for good.
Twenty years later, after the death of his grandfather, Aidan comes home to Blessings–only to discover he has a nineteen-year-old son. Aidan is hurt, but thrilled to meet Lee. And as Aidan and Phoebe spend more time together, they realize their old feelings are as strong as ever. But with a complicated past riddled with drama and betrayal, can they truly forgive and forget?
Review:
Come Back to Me by Sharon Sala is the 6th book in her wonderful Blessings, Georgia series. Having read all the books in this series, I looked forward to reading this book, and to no surprise, I really enjoyed it. Sharon Sala always gives us wonderful feel good romances and a sweet couple we root hard for.
The story starts 20 years in the past, when teenage sweethearts were broken up by tragedy. Aidan Payne and Phoebe Ritter were in love, and planned to spend the rest of their lives together, even though they were only 19, they were meant for each other. Then a tragic fire destroys Aidan’s father’s business and Phoebe’s father was killed in the fire. Phoebe’s family accused Aidan’s father of setting the fire to get the insurance money to help pay for his wife’s (Aidan’s mom) cancer treatments. Feeling betrayed that the town believed those rumors, the family moved away, with Aidan unable to accept that Phoebe broke up with him due to pressure from her family.
Now twenty years later, Aidan, who owns a successful restaurant in New Orleans and returns to Blessings to handle his grandfather’s estate. He quickly notices Phoebe, and sees her with a young boy, whom he figures is her son. Thinking that she married during those 20 years, Aidan will be shocked to find out the Phoebe never married, and had a difficult time during those years, having been abandoned by her mother and uncle. It was Aidan’s grandfather, and the town of Blessings who helped Phoebe and her son, Lee to make a good life. The biggest shock was when Aidan learned that Lee was his son.
What follows is a heartwarming & emotional story that touched our hearts on many levels. Phoebe at first was determined to ignore Aidan, but at the same time allow him to become closer to Lee. I loved Lee, as he was such a sweet, loving and understanding young man, who wanted to push his mom and dad back together. In a short time, Phoebe and Aidan will realize that they never stopped loving each other, and it was a joy to see them begin their second chance at love. There was a side story that will touch base on who truly started the fire, and the resolution. I loved Phoebe, Aidan and Lee, as they were so wonderful together. Very heartwarming.
Sharon Sala writes another fabulous story that had us hooked from the start. She amazes me that she continually gives us such great couples that we become invested in, with each and every book. Come Back to Me was a sweet romance, with a lovable couple, wonderful secondary characters that we came to love. If you enjoy a pure romance, wonderful characters, great couples, and a small town atmosphere, then you should be reading this series. Come Back to Me was a wonderful read, written so very well by Sharon Sala.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
Seeing the porch light on as she pulled up to the house was just like old times. He’d done that since he’d been old enough to stay home alone, and she’d missed it. She grabbed her things, ran up the steps, and let herself into the house.
“I’m home,” she yelled.
“Me, too,” he yelled back.
She laughed. Just like old times. She left her purse on a table as she hurried into the kitchen, and found Lee at the stove, heating up food.
He gave her a big hug.
“I waited for you,” he said. “Go change and get comfy. I’ll set the table while you’re gone.”
“Wonderful!” Phoebe said, and hurried down the hall to her room.
She changed out of work clothes into a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt, and changed work shoes for sandals, washed up and hurried back to the kitchen.
“You cooked,” she said, eyeing the table and the inviting food.
“I just added some baked beans and fries to the ribs and slaw. Sit, Mom. Let me wait on you tonight.”
“I won’t argue,” Phoebe said, and smiled at him when he brought glasses of sweet iced tea to the table, followed by the food.
After filling their plates, they began to talk as they ate.
“My grade point for the year is 4.0 and I was accepted into an accelerated Physics program next semester,” Lee said.
Phoebe beamed. “Oh, Lee, congratulations. I’m so proud of you. I know you didn’t get that from me.”
Lee took a deep breath. “Did I get it from my father?”
Phoebe’s smile slipped a little. The sorrow she lived with was once again, evident on her face.
“Yes. He was very smart.”
Lee ate a few more bites, then took his phone from his pocket, pulled up the picture, and pushed it toward her.
Phoebe smiled. “A new girlfriend?”
He shook his head, then waited as she looked down.
Her fork clattered onto the table. She pressed a hand over her mouth, but it didn’t muffle the moan.
He grabbed her arm. “Mom. Are you okay?”
“Where did you…oh my God. That’s the store parking lot.”
She looked up. “You took this today.”
He nodded. “I saw him by accident. Wasn’t for sure, so I took a picture, then came home and compared it to yours. He’s older, but it’s him, isn’t it, Mom? That’s my father.”
She nodded, then started to cry.
Across town, Aidan was already asleep, more at ease in this old house in Blessings, than he was in his New Orleans home, sleeping with the best security system money could buy. But there was no way to control where sleep took him, or enough locks on a door to keep Phoebe out of his dreams.
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Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of hot, action-packed historical and sexy, emotional contemporary romance. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, and three Bengal cats. Visit Darcy online at 
