Return to Us by Corinne Michaels is now live!

A blissfully romantic second-chance-single-parent-romance with all the feels!

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Blurb

From New York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels comes a new second chance standalone love story.

At eighteen, I walked away from Willow Creek Valley for good.

I was young, scared, and stupid, and it cost me the love of my life—Grayson Parkerson.

Fourteen years later, a crash sends me back home to recover.

Back to where we met, fell in love, and planned a future.

The one he’s now living as a single dad to his daughter.

Working at The Park Inn together gives us a chance to reconnect, and seeing him with his little girl makes me long for the days when he was mine. One look in his gorgeous blue-green eyes, and it’s like I never left. One kiss, and my world is upside down. One night together, and I know without a doubt, in his arms is where I belong.

I’m not the girl I was—intimidated by his wealthy family and desperate to escape our small town. I can imagine a new life for us here.

But he’s learned to guard his heart, and trust won’t come easily.

How can I convince him to give first love a second chance?

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Review

5 amazing second-chance stars!

Oh, I love this book! A blissfully romantic second-chance-single-parent-romance with all the feels, and a hero that absolutely stole my heart! Grayson and Jessica’s story is absolutely beautiful, and a fave for 2021!

In a delightful tie-in, Jessica was introduced in Stay for Me (the final book of the Arrowood series). She was involved in the big climactic event at the end of the book, and I love that Corinne decided to tell Jessica’s story, including her recovery as such a bit part of her journey. You don’t need to have read Stay for Me before starting this one, but be aware that Jacob Arrowood does appear as a side character in this book (again, I loved this, such a treat!), so there will be some very minor spoilers for his story.

Jessica has survived a horrific trauma, but a brain injury has left her (temporarily) partially incapacitated, and with nightmares and horrific migraines. Unable to work, and needing time for her body to recover, she returns home to her family in the small town of Willow Valley Creek, the place she left when she was 18, leaving behind the love of her life (and the man she still loves), Grayson Parkerson, a decision which turned out to be her biggest regret.

Grayson never had plans to leave his home town, and when Jessica left him to create a bigger life for herself, he was shattered. He never got over it, but he did move on, and now he’s a single father to an adorably precocious 4 year old daughter, Amelia. But Jess coming back to town is about to upend his life in a way he never saw coming.

From the moment we see Grayson and Jess together, I had chills. Seriously. The chemistry, the longing, the depth of feeling is there from the very first glance, and I was captivated. It’s initially awkward, but they loved too deeply and meant too much to each other to just ignore their past, so neither of them shy away from it, and it sets up an absolutely fantastic dynamic as they fall back into each other’s lives.

There is SO much emotion between these two. They accept it, they don’t hide it, and it leads to so many wonderful moments where they revisit their past memories, talk about their lives, and hold nothing back in sharing all that they are feeling.

“You’re the girl who I have never really forgotten. I’ve tried, fucking hell, I’ve tried. You’re everywhere, and I can’t forget, Jess. I can’t pretend that I don’t want you and us.”

I was in a world of swoon, and loving every moment of these two together, and when little Amelia gets involved, their interactions are even better, with the little girl shipping her Dad and his new friend from the start. It’s a great set-up, every moment getting closer and closer to the inevitable, and when they finally realise that there’s no stopping it, they stop trying to fight it, and they dive right in.

“Please tell me this is real.”
I bring my fingers to his face. “Look at me.” He does. “It’s real. Make love to me, Grayson. Make it be us again.”
He pushes deeper, seating himself fully inside me, our eyes never leaving each other. “It’s always been us.”

Holy freaking swooooooon!

It’s a beautiful reconnection between two people who are truly meant to be, and I was reveling in it all. But the problems that tore them apart are still very much there. Jessica is only in town until she is well enough to return to her normal life, and there’s still the problem of Mayson’s wealthy family looking down on Jessica and never accepting her into the family. But they’re older now, they’ve experienced life without each other, and they know the significance of what they have together.

We don’t know how to love with reservations. The day I fell in love with Grayson Parkerson, he stole every part of me. He loved me so wholly that there wasn’t a chance of anyone else being able to hold her heart in its completion.

“I’ve never stopped loving you, Jessica. Not one single day.”

But when put to the test, will Jessica finally choose Parker? And can he trust that she’ll stay? It’s emotional and dramatic, with all the feels, and I was glued to my kindle as it all played out.

I love these characters. Jessica’s journey is realistic and understandable, and I felt for her and all that she goes through. Grayson is sheer perfection as the man who finally gets his second chance with the girl that owns his heart. Amelia is freaking adorable, and there’s a big cast of friends and siblings that are absolutely fantastic, and who will be featuring in future books. I’ve already lined up a number of the couples in my head, and I’m so excited for more of their stories. The events of this book create a great start for the rest of the series, and I can’t wait to continue on.

This book is Corinne Michaels at her best – wonderful characters, a captivating story, and a low-angst, emotional romance with ALL the feels, I adored this book and read it in one sitting, unable to put it down.

Absolutely fantastic – 5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Willow Creek Valley

Meet Corinne

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Corinne Michaels is the author of nine romance novels. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.

After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.

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Release & ARC Review: Return to Us (Willow Creek Valley, #1) by Corinne Michaels