Such a good story. A mother and young daughter move to the small town where her sister lives after her husband dies and the findings come out about the airplane crash he was flying. Cassie's daughter was not handling it well, so she thought a move would help. The reaction of her new landlord was cute, especially his reaction. Cassie and Braden slowly got to know each other and became quite close. He was a pilot also and helped her daughter deal with her father's death. It was a very good story that was hard to put down

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

A Hero's Return by Carrie Nichols
Widowed Single Mom Falls for Grumpy Pilot
(Finding Forever in Sandy Shores Book 1)
He knows how to be brave on a battlefield
Now he has to be brave with his heart
Years of military service taught decorated veteran Braden Sullivan how to be strong. It didn’t teach him how to be vulnerable. Back in his Oregon hometown, with a job as a helicopter pilot and a two-family home to renovate, he’s not at all prepared for his heart to take flight after meeting his tenant, Cassie Donovan. The widowed single mom is beautiful, charming…and terrified of loving another pilot after losing her husband in a crash. Overcoming her fears and his own uncertainties will take courage—but isn’t that what a hero soldier is for?
This is decorated veteran Braden Sullivan's story.
This is Cassie Donovan and daughter Amelia's story.
Braden move back to his hometown in Oregon.
He rents the downstairs of his home.
Cassie move to the Oregon coast, to be closer to her sister, Andie.
To give herself and her daughter a fresh start.
Cassie and her sister Andie finds an apartment for her to rent.
The house belonging to Braedon Sullivan.
I recommend this book.
A Hero's Return by Carrie Nichols is a 4 star book.
I am looking forward to reading more books by.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.

Braden Sullivan, a highly decorated former Army helicopter pilot, has returned to his hometown of Sandy Shores after leaving the military to care for his ailing sister. Now flying for the fire department, he’s trying to build a new life while carrying the weight of his past. Cassie Donovan, a widowed single mother, knows all too well the pain of loss—her husband, also a pilot, died tragically in an accident. After years of grieving, she moves to Sandy Shores with encouragement from her sister, hoping for a fresh start for herself and her daughter.

When Braden and Cassie cross paths, neither expects the spark that forms between them. As they navigate grief, trust issues, and the fears that come from loving again, they slowly discover that happiness—and love—might still be within reach. The presence of Cassie’s sweet, wise-beyond-her-years daughter and the charming pets add extra warmth and lightheartedness to the story.

It is a tale of second chances, healing, and the unexpected ways love can bring two broken hearts together. With well-developed characters, an engaging plot, and a perfect blend of tenderness and hope, A Hero’s Return is a touching romance that reminds readers it’s never too late to embrace love and new beginnings.

I requested an advance reader copy of this novel based on it's title and description, since I am a fan of second chance at love romances. However, while it was a pleasant read, it simply didn't live up to its description, and the best I can do is give it a 3-star rating rating.

Cassie, the leading female in this novel, was widowed 3 years ago, when her husband, an airline pilot, crashed his plane into a mountain, killing him and his passengers. After the investigation into why this happened, the result was "pilot error." Although the report shouldn't have been released to the general public, it somehow made it to social media, making Cassie and her 10-year-old daughter, Amelia, pariahs in their town in the Massachusetts Berkshires. Three years later, Cassie finally relocates to the the Oregon coast, to be closer to her sister, and to give herself and her daughter a fresh start and some anonymity.

Rather than immediately purchasing a house, Cassie, with the help of her sister, Andie, finds an apartment to rent--the first floor of a house belonging to Braedon, an army veteran and helicopter pilot, who, upon meeting them for the first time is rather rude, and Cassie is snarky in return. And although he somewhat redeems himself later in the novel, it took me some time to eventually find him likeable, even though, at first glance, Cassie is attracted to her tall, fit, and handsome new landlord, and he to her.

As they're moving in, Braedon does eventually offer to help his new tenants assemble some of their furniture, and animal-loving, young Amelia, falls in love with Braedon's dog, Cary Grant, and eventually, Braedon also takes a liking to Amelia's giant Flemish rabbit, Gulliver.

As Cassie and Amelia are moving in, Amelia finds a box on her closet shelf--it's full of medals, and when she brings it to Braedon, he asks her to throw it away. That's how we learn that Braedon is an Army hero--and this is where my issues with this novel began, because at no point in this novel do we ever learn exactly why he won those medals or why he wants them thrown away. It was the perfect opportunity to add some depth and history to his character, which, as a reader, is something I always look for--character development, and in the case of this novel, sadly, there really isn't any.

There's even less character development when it comes to Cassie. She's a sympathetic character due to her widowhood, and parenting skills, but the most well-developed character in this novel is young, Amelia, now age 13, and she's wise wise beyond her years, and i did enjoy her budding relationship with Braedon and his dog.

While this novel held my interest, and wasn't poorly written, I never really took a liking to either Cassie or Braedon, nor do we ever learn exactly why he's billed as a hero in the title, why he received his medals, or why he wants them thrown away. Adding that information would have greatly enhanced this story, and added to Braedon's likeability.

Of course, this is a romance novel, and it does have the expected HEA ending, but for this reader, this novel lacked depth, and character development, which, in this reader's opinion, made this novel, and it's second chance at love billing, fall rather flat. If you're looking for a simple, no frills, pleasant little romance, you may find Hero's Return a more enjoyable read that did this reviewer.

As stated at the outset, I read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions stated are my own.

This was such a sweet book! I loved the care that the main male character had for the love interest. The romance gave me hope for the world.

A Hero’s Return is a deeply moving and beautifully written story about love, loss, healing, and the unexpected ways families are formed. Carrie Nichols crafts a tender narrative that pulled at my heartstrings from beginning to end.

Cassie and her young daughter Amelia move to the quiet town of Sandy Shores three years after losing Cassie’s husband, Jeff, in a tragic plane crash. They’re hoping for a fresh start - but neither of them expects their new landlord, Braden, to change their lives. Braden, a helicopter pilot who left the army after over twenty years to care for his sister during her final battle with cancer, is carrying deep grief and guilt. The woman who raised him after their mother’s death gave up everything for him, and he’s struggling with how to honor her memory.

Cassie and Braden’s first meeting is awkward and a bit prickly - both are guarded, and their instant spark only makes them more wary. But that underlying chemistry slowly turns into something deeper. Through gentle, heartfelt moments, Cassie helps Braden see that his sister’s sacrifices were made out of love and pride - not obligation. Meanwhile, Braden becomes a source of stability and comfort for both Cassie and Amelia as they continue to process Jeff’s loss.

One of the most touching parts of the story is the relationship that blossoms between Braden and Amelia. It’s clear that love in this book isn’t just romantic - it’s familial, healing, and hard-won. Watching the three of them grow into a new kind of family is incredibly rewarding.

Carrie Nichols handles themes of grief, second chances, and emotional rebirth with grace and sensitivity. A Hero’s Return is a quiet, beautiful love story that lingers long after the final page.

What a great book. Such an amazing love story. I love this book. I'm glad it ended with a happily ever after.

This book was so good! I really loved the relationship between not only Cassie and Braden but also Amelia with both her mom and Braden. I felt like this writer did such a good job with all of their backstories and all 3 of them helped each other be able to move on and deal with the sadness from their past. In doing this I felt so connected to the characters and was rooting for all of them to get that happy ending!

I loved how the romance built in this story and how genuine and authentic their relationship was, it felt very realistic. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more by this author