Review: The Return by Nicholas Sparks

The Return

by Nicholas Sparks

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 368

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:   Trevor Benson never intended to move back to New Bern, NC. But when a mortar blast outside the hospital where he worked as an orthopedic surgeon sent him home from Afghanistan with devastating injuries, the dilapidated cabin he inherited from his grandfather seemed as good a place to regroup as any.

Tending to his grandfather's beloved bee hives while gearing up for a second stint in medical school, Trevor isn't prepared to fall in love with a local . . . and yet, from their very first encounter, his connection with Natalie Masterson can't be ignored. 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 from his grandfather's cabin. Claiming to be 19, she works at the local sundries store and keeps to herself. When he discovers she was once befriended by his grandfather, 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 that will uncover the true nature of Callie's past, one more intertwined with the elderly man's passing than Trevor could ever have anticipated.

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.

Kritters Thoughts:  Trevor Benson goes back to a place that always felt like a safe place - his grandfather's home in New Bern, NC.  In need of some TLC, he decides to live in the home for a bit before he starts schooling for his next endeavor, to become a psychiatrist.  Early on he meets Natalie, a local police officer who is battling things and Trevor can tell and Callie a young girl who walks by his place and he knows has secrets she is hiding, he will spend his time trying to solve all the mysteries.

It had been awhile since I had read a Nicholas Sparks book and to be frank, I was a little hesitant to pick this one up, but I am glad I did.  This one was different then most, yes, it had the love story that we all expect, but with Natalie and Callie it had some mystery which thickened the plot.  I liked that this book was more than a love story, it kept me turning pages and I read this one quick!

Even though I liked this one, I think I will continue to space out my Nicholas Sparks reads, so I can make sure I can enjoy and savor each one.  I have a few from his backlist that I hope to read in the near future.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Grand Central Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.