For such a short book, this novel was a slow, slow burn! I absolutely love the premise of this book. Eli, an Army doctor, comes back to his seaside hometown after a devastating tragedy in his life to take care of his father. Melissa, a nurse, has been a single mom for years and finally moved back to the same town where both she and Eli grew up.

I wanted to love this book, it has all the elements I usually enjoy. I loved Melissa and Eli separately as characters. Their backstories are fleshed out, they’re self-aware mature adults, and I was rooting for both of them… individually. As a couple, well, there was no spark.

I have no problem with instalove or an unrealistic plot, but Eli and Melissa were barely together and they hardly talked throughout the book. They thought about each other a lot. There was a ton of introspection on their individual lives, but I just didn’t believe they had fallen deeply in love by the end of the book.

Overall, Raeanne Thayne is a beautiful writer and creates lovely worlds. This book was a fun escape for a few hours, it was just deeply lacking in actual romance.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

Melissa Fielding has returned to Cannon Beach for a more stable life for her 7 year old daughter Skye. Melissa had been following her ex from place to place trying to make sure her daughter had a relationship with her Father. Eli Sanderson returns to help his Father while he recuperates from a double knee transplant. Eli has been serving as a Dr in the military, being sent to locations around the world to help out refugees. They have an instant connection but Melissa is not about to uproot her daughter to follow another man from place to place.

This is part of the Women of Brambleberry House series but could be read as a stand alone. It is a sweet feel good romance. It is the perfect read for a winter afternoon with a glass of wine. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A Soldier's Return by RaeAnne Thayne What a great story ...thank you so much to the publisher and #NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. This book has all the feeling that pull you and keep you there ...and make you not want to leave. Melissa ( a young divorced mother of Skye who is trying to make a live for them) Eli ( a doctor for the Army who feels guilty for the loss of a close friend and has come home to help his dad on a temp basis) What is the secret of Branbleberry House.. the warm breeze.. the smell of roses? We meet old friends... and get to a very HEA. I'm looking forward to Sonia and Luke's story and the Rosa's story.

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Entertaining Page-turner Romantic Witty Wonderful characters Great world building Easy-to-read Happily Ever After

A young mother, recently divorced from a man who now has another woman in his life. A soldier who returned home to help his father, but also because he needs to heal. A cute kid who just wants everyone to be happy and loved. Can we guess where this story is going?



This is a charming book of hope and healing and love; just what you expect from RaeAnne Thayne.



I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade: B

This book was just ok for me. I found it irritating that women could not control themselves around the young doc. No one is that good looking. I prefer a bit more realism in the books I read. With that said the dogs were adorable as was Skye.

This is a lovely story and so engaging about a lost soul and a love weary woman finding exactly what they need in each other. I loved the way their relationship developed through care and concern for each other, all the while each fighting the pull to love.

Second chances at love can be beautiful. Melissa and her daughter have come back to her hometown to settle down after the divorce. Eli is an Army Doctor home to help his Dad through knee replacement surgery.
Both have painful pasts though Eli more than most.
They find their way to each other in the most heartwarming way.
I loved this story.

A slow-burning yet quick-paced romance with a woman who finds comfort and safety in the hometown of a man who's been tortured by the effects of being a doctor at war. RaeAnne Thayne is a new-to-me author and her third person POV writing was endearing and entertaining as were her characters. This is pure romance to me that follows the conventional formulas of the genre. Upon starting the book I had a good idea of where the simplistic and heartfelt plot was going. A war doctor returns home to help his father's medical practice and meets a new nurse with a young child. It's a second-chance'esque story for each character.

I've not read any other books in The Brambleberry House series and reading this I did not feel lost and am comfortable saying this one could be read as a stand alone. It's of novella length and I felt the author did these characters justice within those boundaries. It's a solid romantic read, perfect for when you have an uninterrupted afternoon to indulge in a love story.

I love the fact that the recurring character in this series is Brambleberry House. The pace of this book was a bit faster than many of the author's other books. It was a very quick read. Although the book is part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel.

This is the fourth book in the Women of Brambleberry House series. These are all set at Cannon Beach which makes it a great summer read. It has a lot of emotion and characters that you like from the begining