I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I could not get into this book and ended up not finishing it.

Rebecca Hartt out does herself with a book depicting what faith in God do in ones life. In the case of Jonah Mills a Navy SEAL thought to be MIA then declared dead found his way back from his captures. His wife Eden stunned by his return had come to terms with being single because before he left the had a less than stellar marriage.
This book brought me to tears and moved me in so many ways. It is a beautiful book a worthy of more than 5 stars.

Eden had bittersweet emotions storm her as she looked into her dead husband's eyes in the photo. Jonah’s eyes had mesmerized her when they first met. Jonah had disappeared only two years into their marriage, but he’d scarcely gave her the time of day. He did make it clear he didn’t want her to work. He was too wrapped up in being a SEAL platoon leader and in saving the world. He disappeared a year and a month ago. The navy wouldn’t tell her where he had been or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. All they told her was there had been an accident, an explosion Jonah hadn’t exited the building in time to escape. They had found Jonah’s tooth and the Navy immediately finally declared him MIA. The had finally declared Jonah dead. On the heels of Eden’s shock had come relief No more walking on eggshells , the way she did whenever Jonah was home. She wouldn’t have to give up her job that gave her so much satisfaction because he’d refuse to let her work. She would raise her fourteen year old daughter alone with Jonah’s life insurance money in the bank, her financial situation could not have looked more secure. With the benefit of hindsight Eden admitted to her best friend Nina marriage to Jonah had been a mistake. She had wanted her daughter mariam to have a father and she had been head over heels in love with Jonah. Marrying him had left Eden lonelier than ever. Less than a year into the marriage Jonah seemed to have forgotten Eden and Mariam. Now it was finally over. Eden still missed jonah from time to time. His touch and kisses had never failed to sweep her off her feet. Jonah’s quick wit had always made her laugh. His intelligence had always aroused her respect. Than as Eden was thinking about being free, she got a phone call Jonah was alive. But he doesn’t have any recollections of family, her or Mariam. Of course she’d be there for him. She’d been raised from childhood to consider marriage sacred. She would welcome him home warmly. She would help him regain his footing, do whatever was required of her. But after Jonah healed mentally, after he’d reestablished himself on the Teams, she might yet ask him for a separation. Blowing out a shaky breath, she accepted what had to be done . for now Jonak needed her. The knock at his hospital room door startled Jonah. He’d been staring at the blank TV screen envisioning a baseball game he had watched three years ago but couldn’t remember the two years that followed. Jonah thought maybe the knock had been his wife and kid -the ones he couldn’t remember. Jonah wondered when and how he had let the marriage happen. His father's death and years of abuse at the hands of his stepbrother had convinced Jonah never to wed. He knew he would be a lousy husband, and a terrible father. Tenderness? Compromise? Those were alien concepts to him. What had he been thinking to inflict himself on any woman? Than Eden and Mariam did show up at his room . Every cell in Eden’s body reacted to the to the familiar sound of his rough edged baritone. Her heart raced, her body heated. She said “ You don’t remember me, do you?” At last he shook his head” I don’t know how I could forget , but I’m sorry I don’t.” She pulled mariam close and introduced her as his stepchild. The Dr. told eden besides his PTS he suffers from chronic Sleep Fatigue Syndrome. A result of sleep deprivation. Plus he shouldn’t drive with the meds he was taking. His memory could return to him at any time. Some of them can be jarring, dangerous, shouldn’t be behind the wheel. The doctor said he could treat this like a mission. So much of it was out of Jonah’s control. Putting him in a familiar environment is the first step. Surrounding yourself with familiar smells, sounds, situation ought to trigger some memories others will return in the form of dreams. Though he’ll have significant trouble sleeping, He imagined a prescription of prazosin will help that. He could bring any issues up to Doctor bronson who was his therapist. Wednesday afternoon. Eden realized Miriam was right Jonah had been tortured. Eden had never heard Jonah converse casually with Mariam. Things had been steady, calm, and natural when Jonah was supposedly dead. Now that he was alive again, with no memory of their brief but disappointing marriage, everything seemed off kilter.. Unnerving, a little frightening to be honest. Eden was pondering how different Jonah seemed from the uptight husband she’d known.
Excellent book. I loved it. I didn’t want to put it down and only did when I had to. I loved the mystery, betrayal, intrigue, murder, danger, Seals, Upper command of the SEALS. Torture, captured by an enemy. Faith. Family, and so much more. I loved Jonah and Eden together. I loved that Jonah had found God in his cell being held by foreigners. I loved that God helps make him a better dad, and husband. Eden knew God was there for him and her. I loved the plot and pace. I loved how close the SEALS were. I loved the characters and the twists and turns of this book and I highly recommend it.

RETURNING TO EDEN is the beginning story in The Acts of Valor series. I’ll be very frank upfront, there were parts of this story that touched my heart that had me rooting for a successful return to a happier marriage for Jonah and Eden – and on the other side, I spent most of this story being annoyed at the actions of Eden. I get that Jonah wasn’t that great of a husband/father before he went on that mission, became MIA… but really, to toss aside every single thing he says as part of his PTSD or amnesia was just rude and unnecessary. As far as the faith aspects went it felt as if most of the time some people (Eden) were really good at talking the talk (about their faith) – but not so good at walking the walk (of showing their faith in their actions).

I wanted to love this story, but the truth is that I didn’t. It may simply be that I see faith, showing the actions of any faith in a different manner than were shown here. No one is perfect yet Jonah was trying to show his changes, I just wish those who mattered would have listened to him sooner. The added suspense aspect was intense as were the tensions, both personal and sexual, between Eden and this stranger she married. I think there is an audience that will love RETURNING TO EDEN. I’m still undecided if I’ll return to this series, I never say never. I enjoyed parts of this story so it gets a 3.5-star rating which I will round up as I post this review elsewhere. This is a story that you really should decide for yourself.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I really wanted to like Returning to Eden. The premise was good, but I unfortunately found the execution of it missing something. Several somethings…

Jonah Mills was a Navy SEAL, presumably killed during a mission. But after a year of torturous captivity in Venezuela he’s able to escape and make it home to his former teammates, and wife and 14 year old step-daughter.

Eden Mills has mixed feelings about Jonah’s return, and is even more conflicted when she learns he doesn’t remember anything about their relationship - not their brief courtship, not their year-long marriage. But she’s determined to stick with him, at least for a year, to help him through his initial time of healing and recovery from his ordeal.

There’s a lot of readjustment for the small family, and it’s all made more complicated by the apparent lingering effects of Jonah’s post traumatic stress. Except all the paranoid thoughts running through his head turn out to not be paranoia, and the more his mind heals the more those close to him are in danger.

There were a couple things I liked about this book. First off, Jonah is not your typical hero. Turns out, he wasn’t a good husband or step-father. And because of that, Eden’s life when Jonah was away on missions was more peaceful. A year after his disappearance and apparent death, she is enjoying her independent life when Jonah comes back. This situation is in contrast to just about ALL other books with this basic plot, where the hero was the love of the heroine’s life and she is distraught for years after his death. So I was pleased to see an author create a hero who was incredibly flawed, and a heroine who questioned whether or not she was better off without her husband - and felt guilty and conflicted about those feelings. I like when characters are flawed and we get to see their growth.

However...there was just too much telling and not enough showing for me to feel invested in, and have a connection with, Jonah and Eden’s love story. We see (or hear) nothing about the beginning of their relationship, we see nothing about how it fell apart. Just a sentence or two here and there that things were not good once they got married. So even though I was told Eden was conflicted about Jonah’s return, I never did feel it. And once Jonah was back, I wanted to see him fall back in love with the woman he married, and watch the same for Eden. But there was more time given to the suspense part of the story, which left me feeling ambivalent about Jonah and Eden. By the end of the book, I knew there was some growth, I just didn’t feel like I got to see it happen.

Then we have the religious aspect to this book. Rebecca Hartt is apparently the pen name of a woman who used to write romantic suspense under another name, but since becoming a Christian is wanting to add a faith element to her stories. That’s all well and good, but again here I felt we got more telling and no showing, and the faith of the characters seemed tossed in and not really a part of who they were. I usually stay away from “inspirational romance” because a lot of times it seems the author’s main goal is to proselytize instead of giving the reader a good plot. That wasn’t really the case here - there was actually a good plot, full of twists, turns, and intrigue - but the religious aspects in this story weren’t exactly seamless, either. It’s a difficult aspect to weave into a story, and I’d be curious to see if it becomes more natural to the author in future books.

Something else that bugged me is that the synopsis is wrong. Jonah is only gone a year, not three. And maybe it’s just me, but I was expecting more about their relationship. I know it’s marketed as Christian Military Romantic Suspense, but you can sometimes get a sense of whether it’s going to lean more towards the romance or the suspense. Personally, I like to see equal parts of both, and not heavy on one or the other. I felt the romance took a back seat to the suspense, and I really wanted more of Jonah and Eden and them finding happiness together again.

I find myself wavering over whether or not I want to continue with this series. On the one hand, I want to see the bad guys get caught. But on the other, I’m not sure I enjoyed the writing enough to keep going. When you throw in some stilted, awkward dialogue, along with characters using words people don’t use these days (like a woman who has been unable to get pregnant telling a date she is barren, which seems so old fashioned and out of place in a contemporary novel), in addition to the issues I mentioned above, I’m not sure my interest is piqued enough. When I thought this was a new author, I was willing to be forgiving about the telling vs showing issues, but learning she's written other books - and has apparently won awards under the other name - gives me great pause, and has me considering that Rebecca Hartt may not be my cup of tea.

So, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll keep reading this series, maybe I won’t. It will probably depend on my mood when I come across the next book.

* thank you to NetGalley and INscribe Digital/Rise UP Publications for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Wow, just Wow is all I can say about this amazing tough yet compassionate Christian military story. Returning to Eden (Acts of Valor, Book 1) by Rebecca Hartt may be one of the best returning home military books I have read in a long, long, time.

As Jonah Mills memories return, he sees that he has not always been the best of husbands or stepfathers. It is a story that shows regret, forgiveness and the love of God to change a person. The characters are authentic, and the feelings expressed genuine. I was rooting for this small family unit to made it.

Besides being a second chance marriage story, it is a strong edge-of-the-seat military story where POW horrendous events have been experienced. Highly recommend this well-written book.

I was sitting on the edge of my seat a few time during this read as my emotions were fighting for the safe and happy ending. This is my first read by this author Rebecca Hartt, Christian romance is not my goto genre but this one had my total interest from the start to the very end. It was full of sweetness, grief, forgiveness, hope, danger, doubt, trust, military, suspense but most of all love.

Jonah Mills has literally returned from the dead after being missing for the last year after a Navy Seal op that went completely wrong. But he is returning home to a home he can not remember, a Wife he can not remember, a step-father to a daughter he can not remember and a dog he can not remember. But his wife can remember all too well the man he was when he when missing and presumed dead.

Eden Mills is not completely over the moon that her husband has been found safe and sound as she has come to realise that during the past year with him being gone that her marriage but not in a great place. She promises to give herself one year to help him to recover from his captivity and hoping to retain his memory before she asks for a separation.

Jonah can not remember what type of husband he was but he can guess from his wife that he was not the model husband. He may not be able to remember her but he knows he is a home with her and Miriam. He may have PTSD or just brain damage but he must remember the missing two years to be able to return to the job he loves. Jonah soon finds himself in danger is it his PTSD playing tricks on him or is someone after him?

This book has a strong military storyline with many references to God, scripture quotes and praying. Jonah and Miriam were my favourite characters during this story, I didn't relate with Eden for a lot of the book. Jonah's Navy Seal members were very interesting to get to know and with this being book one of "Acts of Valor #1" I really hope we will get to know some of them a bit more in the future.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just reviewed Returning to Eden (Acts of Valor, Book 1) by Rebecca Hartt. #ReturningToEdenActsOfValorBook1 #NetGalley

Also enjoy a story that has Navy SEAL in them. Jonah and Eden works through a tough time getting their lives back together. Thank you for allowing me to read their story.

This is the first in a new series, Acts of Valor. Navy SEAL life comes alive as Jonah returns from MIA with no memory of his last few years. Remembering very little about his last mission and torturous captivity, Jonah tries to regain his life. His wife of two years and stepdaughter are very leary of the "new" Jonah who doesn't remember them. Is Jonah paranoid about being in danger or is he suffering from PTSD? Has he changed for the good or just hiding his self centered personality? Is someone a traitor in his own unit? All these questions are answered and much more in this very fast paced suspense novel. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this story. I liked the drama that came to be and when the h and H finally got back together they were uber sweet. I hadn't realized this was a Christian romance so that was different from what im used to be I really enjoyed it

Returning to Eden is book one of Acts of Valor series by Rebecca Hartt. It was a very fast paced, thrill seeking read and a romantic story. Jonah a Navy Seal goes Missing in Action and is presumed dead until he escapes a year after he is captured. When he returns, he finds out that he left behind a wife, Eden, and his stepdaughter, Miriam, who he has no recollection of. His memory from the past two years of his life including being captured is gone. Follow Jonah’s story as he tries to get his memory back, remembers the family he left behind and see how he discovers how he is still in danger! It also shows how when two people who are facing adversity in their life and marriage and they put God in the control amazing things can happen. If you are looking for action, suspense and romance this is the book to read! Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down! I cannot wait until the next one comes out! So many twists in turns it kept me guessing until the very end!

Wow! What an incredible book!!! Very difficult to put down once you start. This book is full of action and suspense, but not at all scary. Provides an inside look at the intensity of Navy SEAL life for families and team members. Includes many references to God and Christian beliefs as part of the lives of the main characters. Fantastic book! I can't wait for book 2 in the series!!!

I really loved this book! It kept me interested and wanting to read until I finished it, which made for me not getting much done otherwise! LOL! The story plot was very good, I love the thrill and the mystery involved with all the characters. And for me the love story was so real and I appreciated the author in keeping it respectful. I can't wait to read her other books!

This was an interesting story. First, you have a Navy Seal Jonah Mills who had been missing for over a year after a mission gone wrong. After going back to the site all they find of Jonah is a tooth that was knocked out and a building that is destroyed. Now over a year later and many months past the funeral, and just receiving the life insurance money. Eden gets a phone call that Jonah has been found. He actually was held prisoner and he escaped. When Eden and her daughter arrive at the hospital she is told that Jonah does not remember anything going back two years. Therefore he does not remember being married or Eden and his stepdaughter Miriam. Right away Eden is taken with how is talking with Miriam asking her questions and wanting to know what is going on in her life. He is also asking about her and though she is leery she accepts her role and knows she needs to help him get well. Eden’s character is wanting to be more helpful from the beginning but her friend who had a bad relationship keeps putting ideas in her head about walking away and that everything Jonah is doing is just a trick. Slowly over time, she realizes it is not a trick that he really has changed from the man that he was before he left. He really proves this when they visit her parents who have never accepted Miriam and after a short while her father is finally calling her daughter our granddaughter for the first time because of Jonah. She now knows the feelings she had before and having now are real. They just need to move on from the other part of the story which is who has been setting up the missions to fail. Overall a good book with good characters.

Returning to Eden
by Rebecca Hartt

Eden Mills and her daughter Miriam, have finally closed the door to their old lives and begin anew. Her Seal husband was declared dead, the memorial is over, was handed a flag and the insurance company paid the death benefits. But, the peace didn’t last long. A single phone call ended it with the proclamation that he’s alive and come pick him up. She decides to do her duty get him back to health and ask for a separation. Eden doesn’t want to put herself or her daughter through the stress of his brutal behavior again.

Jonah Mills, A Lieutenant in the Navy SEAL’s leader of the Alpa Platoon. Went missing in a mission that went bad, then captured and tortured for 13 months. Miraculously, he was able sneak away when his cage was left open and ended up being rescued. With his memories missing, he’s surprised to find he’s married and has a kid. Once he lays eyes on Eden it made sense why he married.

It doesn’t take long to figure out all’s not well on the home front. But with God’s help, he hoping to heal physically, emotionally and save his family. After a few incidents, he realizes someone’s out to kill him and he needs his team to help him figure out what’s going on and to end the threat.

I enjoyed the characters, they showed strength and weakness which made them to be real people. The plot dealt with a intense truth of our society that misguided deeds done for “good” still make you the bad guy. I loved that God was important in this book. Going to church and reading the Bible along with prayer they found that God was the best weapon!

I LOVED this book, and I know you will too. It’s a emotional read, so be prepared!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#Netgalley

I am always on the lookout for new authors within the Christian genre and so I was excited to give Rebecca Hartt’s Returning To Eden a try. Exciting, and tense, Returning To Eden is part romance and part suspense.

When Eden receives a phone call saying her husband, missing in action presumed dead, is actually alive and on his way home, it’s a shock. And not necessarily a good one. Eden and her daughter were just getting used to their freedom without a neglectful and controlling husband and stepfather. But Eden is resolved to offer Jonah support in his recovery, especially when she discovers he has no memory of the past two years, no memory of her or their marriage, and it seems he is a new and changed man. But Jonah is certain the dangers of the past year have followed him home and he is determined to protect his family, even if following his hunch means he could lose them forever.

I enjoyed Jonah’s side of the story. A story about his brave return from a year spent being tortured and to a situation of which he has no memory. He is determined to win back the affections of his wife and stepdaughter, realises he has a lot to make up for and is on guard for the trouble he can sense coming. He is a man of faith, determined to trust in God for guidance and protection, yet he’s not content to sit back and do nothing. There is plenty of both romantic tension, as Jonah tries to show Eden he is a changed man, and dramatic tension, as he tries to recall his last mission and prepares to counter a looming threat. While there wasn’t much room for surprise with the mystery of who was behind it all, as Jonah is so clued into the situation and the reader gets to ride along with him on his investigation, there was still plenty of close calls and action.

However, I didn’t like Eden all that much, which sadly detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story. While I can totally understand her reluctance to resume a romantic relationship with her husband due to his previous ill treatment of her and her daughter, her constant doubting of Jonah, of putting his suspicions and concerns down to him having PTSD or being ‘crazy’, was annoying and narrow minded. Sadly I think Returning To Eden had a great chance to help destigmatise PTSD and instead did the opposite. While I can totally understand why Jonah and his family would rather he wasn’t diagnosed with PTSD, I didn’t like the way it was referred to in such demeaning tones. Eden even mentions breaking up with Jonah should he be diagnosed. This, I believed contributed to the judgemental tone surrounding mental health in this book. She had no reason to doubt his training or combat experience (he was a lousy husband but an excellent warrior) and frankly her explanation for “I thought you had PTSD and so therefore I discounted all your observations, experiences and concerns, etc,” wasn’t good enough.

I really enjoy Miriam’s character. Strong, independent and just finding her way in the world, Miriam was the perfect tension reliever and I really enjoyed her blossoming relationship with Jonah.

Returning To Eden is classified as Christian fiction. The characters pray, quote scripture, attend church and freely speak about God. They are not without faults or profess to be perfect, which I liked (and also disliked, see rant above about Eden). There is also plenty of romantic and sexual tension between Eden and Jonah, as they rekindle their relationship.

Overall, Returning To Eden is a compelling story about second chances and faith-renewed romance, with action and strong military heroes.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

The prologue is exciting.

Nice car for a SEAL.

It sounds like he was a douche.

I think something corrupt is going on with his CO.

She could stand to have a little more compassion. Why did she even marry him in the first place?

Shut it, Nina.

Jeez, he's worth more dead than alive!

I knew something was going on.

Oh, Santiago is good.

I want to be Charlotte when I grow up.

For the love of Pete, Miriam!

Slow your roll, Santiago.

Duh, people.

Good job, Lloyd!

That was a wonderful prayer.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.