In the romantic tradition of Dear John, an injured Navy doctor meets two extremely important women whose secrets will change the course of his life in this #1 New York Times bestseller. Trevor Benson never intended to move back to New Bern, North Carolina. But when a mortar blast outside the hospital where he worked sent him home from Afghanistan with devastating injuries, the dilapidated … Afghanistan with devastating injuries, the dilapidated cabin he’d inherited from his grandfather seemed as good a place to regroup as any.
Tending to his grandfather’s beloved beehives, Trevor isn’t prepared to fall in love with a local . . . yet, from their very first encounter, Trevor feels a connection with deputy sheriff Natalie Masterson that he can’t ignore. But even as she seems to reciprocate his feelings, she remains frustratingly distant, making Trevor wonder what she’s hiding.
Further complicating his stay in New Bern is the presence of a sullen teenage girl, Callie, who lives in the trailer park down the road. Trevor hopes Callie can shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his grandfather’s death, but she offers few clues–until a crisis triggers a race to uncover the true nature of Callie’s past, one more intertwined with the elderly man’s passing than Trevor could ever have imagined.
In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began.
enage girl, Callie, who lives in the trailer park down the road. Trevor hopes Callie can shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his grandfather’s death, but she offers few clues–until a crisis triggers a race to uncover the true nature of Callie’s past, one more intertwined with the elderly man’s passing than Trevor could ever have imagined.
In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began.enage girl, Callie, who lives in the trailer park down the road. Trevor hopes Callie can shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his grandfather’s death, but she offers few clues–until a crisis triggers a race to uncover the true nature of Callie’s past, one more intertwined with the elderly man’s passing than Trevor could ever have imagined.
In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began.enage girl, Callie, who lives in the trailer park down the road. Trevor hopes Callie can shed light on the mysterious circumstances of his grandfather’s death, but she offers few clues–until a crisis triggers a race to uncover the true nature of Callie’s past, one more intertwined with the elderly man’s passing than Trevor could ever have imagined.
In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began.st to unravel Natalie and Callie’s secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began.more
Loved it. Great plot. Never disappointed with Nicholas Sparks.
I couldn’t lay it down. Was up half the night finishing it
With such descriptive details of location, can really picture the settings. Could feel their emotional pain.
First let me say that I absolutely love the double sided jacket! The book comes with a spring cover but you can reverse it for a winter/holiday cover, perfect for a Christmas gift.
Trevor Benson was a military surgeon who was forced to retire due to horrible injuries he suffered in Afghanistan. He ends up going to his later grandfather’s house that he inherited. Trevor is dealing with PTSD and often uses techniques that he’s learned to help him cope. This part of the story really interested me because I feel like PTSD is an issue that needs more awareness.
I don’t know that I would really classify this book as a romance book. Most of the story revolved around various mysteries. Trevor doesn’t understand why his grandfather died while traveling and he starts to question why he was in the location he was found. At the same time, he meets the mysterious Callie, a young woman who doesn’t talk much but who his grandfather had befriended. Trevor also meets Natalie and is instantly attracted to her. He knows that she shares his sentiments but she is holding back for some reason and won’t give him any explanations. Trevor’s grandfather taught him all about beekeeping and Trevor decided to continue his work while he is living there. The book contained a lot of interesting information about bees and the process of harvesting honey.
It’s been a while since I read a Nicholas Sparks book and I would have liked a passionate love story like The Longest Ride or The Notebook, but while different, The Return was still an enjoyable read that focused on family, love, and looking forward with hope instead of looking back at tragedy.
“Life endlessly offers us chances to set new directions and in the process we grow and change; when we look in the rearview mirror, we catch a glimpse of former selves who sometimes seem unrecognizable.”
“Forgiveness doesn’t mean you forget, or you stop wishing that you can change the past. Mainly it means that you accept the idea that you’re not perfect, because no one is perfect. And terrible things can happen to anyone.”
Glad to see Nicholas Sparks back with a sensational read!
Another wonderful book by Nicholas Sparks.
A excellent read by Nicholas Sparks. It was my beach read this week. I read it in two days.
I had previously read only one book by Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember. To be honest, I thought it was sad. When I had the rare opportunity to review his newest book, I decided to give him a try again…..and was not disappointed.
The Return is a leisurely enjoyable read. It is set in a delightful sounding Southern town, and is full of interesting and likable characters. The main character is Trevor Benson, a late 30’s retired Navy doctor who was injured and suffers from PTSD. The book is first person point of view told from his perspective. He is a very likable and cool character, and I found myself liking him more as the story progressed.
This is not a suspense novel, which is my favorite genre’, but Trevor’s time is taken up trying to unravel the mysteries of his grandfather’s last days and the secrets of a teenage girl and the town’s female deputy. The story had a lot of twists and turns, and more than one surprise. At one point it looked impossible that Trevor was going to get what he wanted, and I couldn’t wait to find out how the author handled the big twist in his life.
I like happy endings, and wasn’t sure there was going to be one in this story, but the author did bring about a satisfying ending and all of the mysteries were solved. It left me feeling happy that I read and reviewed the book. Great read.
I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.
Great book, very enjoyable and well written. If you’re a fan of this author, you’ll want to read this.
I may be the last person on earth to discover Nicholas Sparks, but this is a fantastic book to have discovered him. As a bookshop owner, I read a lot of advance reader copies and when I received this one, I decided to read it because I’d heard of the author and was curious.
The Return details a surgeon, disabled in a bombing and discharged from the military which had been his life. He returns to his late grandfather’s home where he’d spent many happy hours on a self-built boat on the river and helping with his grandfather’s beehives.
What I liked best about this book is its portrayal of the character’s on-going battle with PTSD and how he integrates his treatment into his daily life, though the demons he battles never fully disappear. With a disabled military spouse myself, someone who is fighting his own battles with PTSD, I found Sparks on-target and refreshing in his portrayal of this as something you manage for years, if not for life. Too many romances that mention these mental scars heal everything in an unrealistic “happily ever after.” Sparks has both of his protagonists enmeshed in realistic and thorny issues that aren’t easily resolved.
A poignant story of second chances as well as finding love and forgiveness.
Another hit!
I hope this one gets made into a film!
Not only does this book have a love story that got me choked up a couple of times, but it has this mystery that keeps you turning the page.
While The Notebook is still my favourite, this one is up there on my list.
Mr. Sparks has a way of pulling a reader into his stories. His writing style is so beautiful and has an easy flow to it. I find his books comforting in a slump. Guaranteed to have a story that will keep me interested, that’s what I expect every time, and he hasn’t failed me yet.
Fans will love this one, and people who haven’t read anything by this author yet, this is a great place to start!
4.5/5
I was really excited to get my hands on this book and start reading. It’s been a while since I read a Sparks book, so the anticipation was high. It started out a bit slow for me, then picked up speed as it moved along. I enjoyed the mystery aspect to it, I think that lifted it up for me… the mystery and the bees . Sparks fans will find he has kept to his roots as this will get you in the feels frequently.
When Navy doctor Travis Benson’s life and career are upended by a mortar blast, he winds up back in New Bern, NC, where he spent childhood summers with his grandfather. His grandfather recently passed away, leaving Trevor his slightly tumbledown house and it’s as good a place as any for Trevor to grieve and deal with his PTSD before he starts a residency in psychiatry.
As he waits for his move to Johns Hopkins, Trevor keeps up his grandfather’s beehives and tries to remember his stay is temporary. Even so, he winds up falling head over heels in love with local sheriff’s deputy Natalie Masterson. She seems to be feeling the same, yet she keeps a stiff distance from him and Trevor can’t pinpoint the reason for her aloof attitude.
Trevor has an additional complication to his supposed relaxation in the form of his mysterious neighbor, a girl named Callie who claims to be 19. When he learns she befriended his grandfather, Trevor tries enlisting her help in clearing up the circumstances of his death. She’s less than forthcoming with the truth even when it becomes imperative to her health. Through all these unexpected circumstances, Trevor and Natalie both learn love means something different than they thought and so does moving on.
So far I’ve only really enjoyed two of Sparks’ books despite reading quite a few of them. I loved one of them though so I keep waiting for a repeat of that experience but it seems that was a one-off for me and I’m not sure when I’ll learn. I’m not sure why I can’t remember that Sparks doesn’t really write romance. The bees and the PTSD angle were both interesting but really nothing happened otherwise and this just got caught up in the mundane details of routine. I never really saw a likable, working relationship between these two; they just never seemed to click to me. I saw the plot twists coming and this book just made me feel lonely and left me wanting better for both MCs, but especially for Trevor. I loved the descriptions of places I’m familiar with as a native of eastern NC, but the romance of that cute little town just didn’t convey here.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this new romance that touched my heart in all of the right places. Trevor Benson is a Navy Vet recovering from a serious injury. He returns to his grandfather’s home in New Bern, NC to make some serious life choices. It also seemed to me that he was there to say farewell to his beloved grandfather. While there, he meets a deputy in the sheriff’s department, Natalie Masterson, and the two fall hard for each other. But there is a complication that just broke my heart. No one can break your heart and put it back together again like this master storyteller! Then, there was the subplot of teen-ager Callie who was like a porcupine. She wanted to be left alone but she also needed to survive. Trevor’s stepping in to try to befriend and help Callie was so touching. I could just imagine the whole thing! I think my favorite parts were when the author educated me about beekeeping. As Trevor cares for his grandfather’s bees, he tells Natalie what he is doing and why and I learned more than I thought possible. I also enjoyed the setting since I have family in the New Bern area. There was nothing about this book that I did not enjoy, so I highly recommend it. I own a copy of the book and all opinions expressed are my own.
This is one of his best books in recent years.
Nicholas Sparks never disappoints and this is no exception! It will take you through the gamut of emotions. I highly recommend It!
Thought provoking.
Hopeful, heart-wrenching, and bittersweet!
The Return sweeps you away to the small town of New Bern, North Carolina and into the life of Trevor Benson, a young doctor and wounded war vet who inadvertently stumbles across a mystery and unexpectedly falls in love when he heads to his late grandfather’s home to regroup, refocus, heal and prepare to move on.
The prose is smooth and effortless. The characterization is well-developed with a wonderful cast of characters that are multilayered, strong, secretive, and endearing. And the plot is a tender tale full of life, love, heartache, healing, kindness, community, the intricacies of beekeeping, and a sliver of mystique.
Overall, The Return is an absorbing, charming, incredibly touching tale with a real undercurrent of heartbreak, loss, loneliness, and grief. And even though in classic Sparks style it had me a little teary more than once, it also left me warmed, smiling, and extremely satisfied.
I have to say I did enjoy reading about Trevor Benson. I liked that he was a vet, and I enjoyed the story of bees brought into the plot. I also enjoyed reading about the area of New Bern and the love story with Natalie. However, while I was reading, I wished there a few more Trevor and Natalie scenes. Yet, by the end, I thought that the story was perfect lined with just enough mystery, romance, and life scenes.
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