Thursday 14 July 2016

Review: To Have and To Hold by Serena Bell

In this emotionally charged novel from the bestselling author of Hold on Tight (“Sweet, sexy, and real.”—Jessica Scott), a war hero fights to remember the love he left behind—and the woman who refuses to fade away.

The reunion is supposed to be the start of the rest of their lives. But when Trina Levine sees the soldier she promised to love forever, Hunter Cross looks at her like she’s a stranger. The connection is gone, lost in the blank stare of those soulful brown eyes. Hunter remembers his young daughter but not Trina, and he certainly can’t recall why Trina and her own child are living in his house. Although his lean, rugged frame bears the scars of battle, his mind took the worst hit.

But Hunter Cross hasn’t forgotten everything. His body remembers caressing Trina’s delicate curves, holding her close, never wanting to let go. Was it just a dream, or was it real life? Now, as he tries to put the pieces back together, Trina’s the one who comforts him when his night terrors strike. It’s Trina whose warm touch rekindles a connection no man could deny. Even with the odds stacked against them, Hunter wants to believe. Because passion has the power to awaken the past—and remake the future.


ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: July 26th 2016 by Loveswept (first published June 28th 2016)
Series: Returning Home #3
Genre: Romance/Contemporary

Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

To Have and to Hold is the third book in the Returning Home series but can be read as a stand alone. The characters from the previous two books make an appearance but the story does not revolve around them. I have read all three books in the series.

Bell has an amazing ability to write stories that are filled with emotion, angst, chemistry and believability in a very minimal amount of pages. She did it in the first two books and achieved it again in this one. It is easy to get lost in the pages and finish quickly.

In this instalment we were introduced to Hunter and Trina. Both were single parents to eleven year old girls. They knew each other through the friendship of the two girls and eventually they began a romantic and serious relationship that they kept to themselves because of them. When Hunter was deployed for a year Trina moved into his house and cared for his daughter with plans of a more permanent arrangement when he returned. They were both in for a shock when an explosion rendered Hunter unable to recall any events of the last year including his relationship with Trina.

My emotions were all over the map while I read this book. My heart ached for Hunter and Trina. The fact that Hunter couldn't remember important things that happened throughout an entire year was unimaginable. Also, the fact that he couldn't remember Trina or the love and plans they shared made my heart bleed for Trina. The journey that the two took to figure out where they belonged while still parenting two pre-teens was beautiful.

The only thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was how the characters from the previous two books were tied into this one. It seemed a little forced and not overly natural. However, I was enjoying the story so much that I didn't let it bother me.

I have loved every second of this series and I hope that there will be many more instalments to come. This series has had everything that I look forward to in getting my love and romance fix.

Check out my review of Hold on Tight (Book #1) here.
Check out my review of Can't Hold Back (book #2) here.





About the Author

Serena Bell writes stories about how sex messes with your head, why smart people do stupid things sometimes, and how love can make it all better.

Serena wrote her first steamy romance before she was old enough to understand what all the words meant and has been perfecting the art of hiding pages and screens from curious eyes ever since—a skill that’s particularly useful now that she’s the mother of two school-aged children.

When she’s not scribbling stories or getting her butt kicked at Scrabble by a seven-year-old, she’s practicing modern dance improv in the kitchen, swimming laps, needlepointing, hiking, or reading on one of her large collection of electronic devices.  


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