New York Times bestselling author Sandra Hill returns with love and laughter with the third book in the Bell Sound series.
Welcome to Bell Cove, North Carolina.
The famous bells in this small Outer Banks town are ringing a hero’s welcome when a former army captain returns home…
After being held prisoner for three years in an Afghan prison, Jake Dawson is finally going home–except … an Afghan prison, Jake Dawson is finally going home–except everyone, including his wife and young sons, believed he was dead. Jake has changed since he left for war, and now he isn’t sure where he belongs.
Sally has changed, too. Her marriage to Jacob was on shaky ground even before his last deployment, but he’s still every inch the hot, headstrong man she loves, despite his wounds, both visible and invisible. Seeing him with their three boys makes her want to fight for this unexpected second chance.
As summer winds down, all of the wacky folks in Bell Cove, which is awash with yellow ribbons and American flags, are aiming for a Labor Day Love Re-Connection. In fact, they’re pulling out all the stops, in their usual outrageous style, to get Jake and Sally together again…
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Previously I had only read the author’s Deadly Angels series, so wasn’t sure what to expect here. But her signature quirky characters and zany banter are also found here. And now I have a new series to read. And this one also, for some mysterious reason (at least to me) has a token ethnic Jew. Why?
While not superhero status, Jack Dawson was a POW, who was tortured for 3 years and his family was told he was dead. Before this last tour, he had reenlisted without discussing it with his wife and they had bitter words on his last departure. His wife, Sally, has felt guilty, but she was also left with their 3 young sons to raise and has grown strong and matured. But suddenly they have a second chance, because he has been rescued. However the politicians insist that he lie and claim he was MIA, instead of having been tortured, leaving him with PTSD, and severe eye and leg injuries. He had mixed feeling about even coming home to his small town, where he had brought Sally, his one true love, after they were married.
He fears for his family because of his red rages that he can’t control, but his boys are so happy to have him home. And while he and Sally still have that chemistry, neither can seem to say those three words: “I love you”. A very realistic story of what our men in uniform go through.uniform.
Very good second chance romance. Jake and Sally have been married for almost nine years, but he has been gone on deployments for most of it. Three years earlier, Jake had re-enlisted without talking to Sally about it. They fought bitterly just before he left on another deployment. Then Jake went MIA and was presumed dead.
Sally was devastated by his loss and the bitter words that were the last they shared. She pulled herself together for the sake of their three sons and moved on with her life. She started a business that she loves and became an integral part of the community. Then came a visit from some top Pentagon officials. Jake is alive after all and will be coming home soon.
Jake spent the last three years as a captive of terrorists, beaten, tortured, and maimed. He has spent several months in the hospital undergoing various surgeries and attempting to recover. Besides the physical injuries, Jake also deals with severe PTSD, which he likens to a “red tide” taking him over. He refused to let officials inform his family that he is alive, as he has no idea if he wants to go home. He feels that he is too broken to be around anyone, much less his family. As the story opens, Jake is informed that he has no choice and will go home. His rescue was kept top secret because the terrorists who had him are now high-placed officials in their country’s government. But the secret is out, and Jake must play his part. He is not at all happy when he finds out about the spin being placed on his return.
I hurt for Jake and the way what he has been through is covered up. The lack of control he had as a captive is now continued by his own government. He’ll go along with it for now, but has no idea what his future holds for him. His captivity changed him and has left him unsure of where he belongs. Should he take the desk job offered to him, join his father in his fishing business, or just disappear into the wilderness somewhere?
The rekindling of the relationship between Sally and Jake is not an easy one. Both of them have changed and must get to know each other all over again. Because Jake was away so much during their marriage, he has some eye-opening moments as he experiences the family’s day-to-day life. One thing that hadn’t changed was the strength of their love. I liked watching them fight for their marriage. I liked the flashbacks to their early years together and how those memories reminded them of the love that they shared. It was fun to see how their friends and family got involved in helping the two along. I loved seeing Sally’s efforts to help Jake, especially once she began to suspect the truth about his absence. I ached for Jake and his fears of hurting his family. The singing scene was a defining moment for Jake. I loved how he took back control of his life in an unexpected way. I liked the ending as Sally made her own stand for their love.
The secondary characters were great. I especially loved Jake and Sally’s three sons, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The scenes with them were fun and were a sweet relief from some of the more intense segments. I also enjoyed the scenes with Jake’s father, Joe. His scheme to push Jake and Sally together was a hoot, and I loved seeing him make it happen. The parts with Jake’s friend Izzie were great. Their friendship is a long-standing one, and I liked seeing how well Izzie understands his friend. He’s there when Jake needs him and has no trouble giving him advice. There is an interesting scene between Izzie and his ex-girlfriend, with plenty of sparks flying. I’d like to see a book for them. There were also plenty of scenes with the assorted residents of Bell Cove, providing lots of love and laughter.
One of the best books I have read. A wonderful insight into a POW’s struggle.
When I started reading this the words second chance romance came to mind. I had to stop and think about that because, to be honest, it is but it’s also not. Let me explain why I think it is. When you read the story you’ll learn that these two had some marriage issues. So I think now that he’s back from the dead it’s a new start for them.
The thing about a second chance romance is that you already have those feelings there but now you’re an adult and you can see things clearer and without the emotions that road you hard at the time.
These two might have been adults when he went missing but they also spent most of their marriage with him gone. They truly had to see each other with fresh eyes.
I always like reading books by Sandra Hill. Her stories are always full of humor, some sexy times and maybe just a little bit of sadness thrown in. In other words, life! This story ran the gambit for me. I was up and down with my feels. For some, that sounds tense but I like that in my books. I want to feel honest emotions with I read a story.
I might read fiction but I want my authors to give me a real-life feel.
I got that with A Hero Comes Home. My heart broke for both Sally and Jake. For him for what he went through. Every time I read something I would just… It was heartbreaking. And I was both sad and happy for Sally. Yes, she did go through the physical pain that Jake went through but she did go through her own crap. This is a woman who had to make herself over when she learned her husband was dead.
Not an easy thing. For most of their marriage, everything fell on her shoulders. She main took care of their children, the house and all the daily things that come up. Yes, he was doing some noble by fighting for our country and in this case, he was truly a hero but what about Sally? Isn’t she a hero for all she’s done for their family?
I think so!
I did love how these two worked out their issues, even when Jake had some personal work on his own. Everyone needs to deal with their junk. I also enjoyed them as a family. Their kids are so cute and sweet. All the questions they asked cracked me up.
This is a wonderful story that will make you fall in love with Hill’s books. It’s so well-written and keeps you tied to the book. I was so glad I was able to read it. It’s the third book in the series so I’d hurry up and run out and get the ones before it so you can read them all if you haven’t yet read this series. So worth it.