This third book in the Emerald Creek Romance series is a second chance romance that picked up ten years after the couple originally parted ways. Unfortunately, I did not read books one and two of this series and so I did feel a little bit confused at times. I'm unsure if the main characters, Ethan and Grace, appeared at all in the first two books which might have cleared some of my confusion but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed Ethan and Grace as a couple. Their love is so sweet and it is very obvious that they deeply care for one another.

As with any couple with a past, we watch while these two overcome some of the obstacles and misunderstandings that kept them apart for all of those years. They were both lost in their own versions of hurt surrounding their breakup and felt very insecure about moving forward. The reader just can't help but feel pulled into their sadness but the wonderful thing about Ethan and Grace is that despite those years of hurt feelings they were also able to pick up where their love left off.

Even though I was confused at times, I did really enjoy this story and I plan to read more by this author soon. Her ability to tell this hauntingly beautiful story has definitely made me a fan!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my thoughts.

This is a small town, second chance romance.

The story captured here is so sweet and enduring. 10 years have passed since the couple have interacted and held any semblance to an actual relationship. The burn for each other is such a hook! Grace and Ethan have such an interconnected past. Seeing their journey back to one another was nice.

He left to join the Air Force after his brother’s accident. She was left behind and eventually married someone else. The journey and struggles faced for these two through the years made their reunion so much sweeter. Especially knowing she held on, after all those years.

My main complaint for the book, was more so formatting of the story rather than the story itself. Certain parts felt rushed and then others were really drawn out. The pacing was a little off for my liking; it kind of distracted from the story.

I was looking forward to reading this book but once I started it, it just took me so long to finish. I can’t understand why but for me it just did not connect with me as much as I wanted to get into the story I just could not. Both characters Grace and Ethan were separated for ten years and then found each other again. Maybe it is because I feel that for most of the story, I just felt confused. Maybe others can get into it better than I did.

I just finished reading Bella Rivers' Return To You and I have to say, it's a delightful small town romance that delivers on the promise of a second chance love story. The book follows Ethan, who returns to his hometown of Emerald Creek after a decade away, and his rekindled romance with his high school sweetheart, Grace. As someone who loves small town settings and second chance love stories, this book really hit the spot for me.

The narrative is well-paced, balancing the emotional journey of Ethan and Grace as they navigate their past and present feelings. Rivers does an excellent job of crafting relatable and sympathetic protagonists, allowing me as a reader to truly invest in their relationship. I found myself rooting for them to work things out and find their way back to each other.

The steamy love scenes are tastefully written, and the themes of forgiveness and found family add depth to the story. While the plot may follow a familiar second chance romance formula, Rivers' skilled storytelling elevates the narrative, making it a thoroughly enjoyable and heartwarming read.

Overall, Return To You is a solid 4-star romance that fans of Bella Rivers' work, as well as readers who enjoy small town settings and second chance love stories, are sure to appreciate. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging and emotional romance that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

This one didn’t quite work for me. I requested it when I was in the mood for a small town, second chance romance. Not only is this book drawn out to nearly 450 pages but it’s not paced well. I felt lost for the first half not really knowing the character as I read along. I think the author was aiming for a big reveal but it didn’t do the story justice.

Second chance love stories are my absolute favorite of the romance tropes, so I was really looking forward to reading Return to You. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me.

I think the thing that landed wrong in this book is that we never quite get a full, clear picture of what went wrong between the hero and heroine. We know the hero is four years older than the heroine, and her feelings for the hero began when she was in her early teens. Then once she turned 18 the hero allowed his feelings to develop and they spent the summer having a clandestine affair. But then the hero’s younger brother had a car accident where the passenger died and the hero - for some not-quite-explained reason - blamed himself for it, and in the aftermath of that tragedy the hero and heroine broke up. Only it seemed like she thought he broke up with her, and he thought she broke up with him… Like I said, I found the whole thing about the past unclear and confusing.

Outside of that, I did like the storyline. The repetitive inner monologues of the hero and heroine got kind of repetitive, but I liked that once the hero decided he was still in love with the heroine, he was all in to persuade her to give him another chance. I’m a big fan of small town stories and this book had a whole chorus of side characters adding plenty of color to the story.

I do feel like the author gave the hero too much “character” though - he was a star hockey player in high school so when he came back they talked him into coaching at a clinic when the regular coach had to go out of town, he’s also a handy man capable of fixing all kinds of things like a stuck closet door or a hole in the roof caused by a tree that fell during a storm, and he’s got super computer skills that help him discover an international hacking scheme that wiped out the local high school’s student records which then turned into a government contract deal so he could get out of the military and stay in his home town with the heroine. It all seemed like a little TOO MUCH and towards the end I was kinda rolling my eyes at the unicorn the author turned the hero into.

I’m usually a big fan of small town stories, but I’m not sure I’m up to visiting Emerald Creek again. It took me over a week to get through this one, and I’m really looking for books that hold my interest and keep me more engaged than I think this author does.

* thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

"Return To You" by Emerald Creek Series is a heart-tugging small-town romance about second chances. Ethan and Grace, once young lovers, are thrown together after a decade apart. Their rekindled chemistry is undeniable, but old wounds and secrets challenge their reunion. Sweet, spicy, and full of meddling friends, it's a must-read!

It's been a while I have read such a heartwarming, comforting romance read. But I would say it's the effortless writing style that drew me in straightaway.
I loved reading Return To You by Bella Rivers!
I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is a sweet, small town, second chance romance. The story is no-frills, the main characters quickly find their way back to each other. The characters are likeable, even though the fmc is borderline obsessed with the mmc. This book is perfect for when you want to read something lighter.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

While I enjoyed the story in itself, the writing became redundant QUICKLY. Unfortunately when you're told so many times how the FMC hates the MMC, but not why for what feels like the longest time, it gets old fast. There was nothing that truly hooked me with this book.

Overall it was a decent read.

Grace and Ethan are a swoon-worthy couple. This second chance romance was full of angst, push and pull, and all the feels. A great dual POV book!

This was the sweetest story. I think Rivers did so well with the character creation. The outcome had me invested from the first few pages. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

good book and must read book. glad i was able to read this. must read book and page turner. will read more from this author. i was hooked.

Grace and Ethan were torn apart 10 years ago, only to be unexpectedly reunited. This book follows their second chance journey.

I'm all for second-chance, small town spicy romances, but this didn't hit the mark for me.

I found the reader was held captive for the first 40% of the book, not knowing what the circumstances were that drove Grace and Ethan apart. I was left confused, and really wish there was a flashback chapter from each character POV so that I could understand their current-day perspective a bit better. I found a lot of pages were dedicated to rehashing the same feelings over and over - and as a reader, it got redundant quickly. I couldn't picture either Grace nor Ethan, as they were never really described to me. I couldn't picture the setting (although Grace's home and spa were well described). The cast of characters got confusing, and I found the constant referral of some in the past confused me even more. The book read a bit disjointed because of this.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Return To You, written by Bella Rivers, is a small town, second chance romance title.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️

Grace (FMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️
Masseuse

Ethan (MMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️
Air Force

This second chance romance picks up ten years after the two main characters first fell in love. After some miscommunications and a lot of heartbreak, they find themselves back together through the help of their friends and family.

This title is a slow burn with a lot of drama going on throughout the book. There were issues with the FMC’s work place, natural disaster issues with the FMC’s house, and even had a computer hacking situation thrown in that the MMC was able to solve?!?!

No cheating or third act breakup, but there is a tiny bit of OW drama that is quickly shut down by the MMC.

Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

This definitely is better to read as a part of the series.

It's a little overlong but it's a nice second chance romance.

This book was SO good!!!!! If you are looking for a good love story and some spice, this is it. I loved the characters and the storyline. So sweet.

Gracie y Ethan fueron novios en su juventud hasta que un malentendido hace que terminenlas cosas, 10 años después se vuelven a ver y ella decide actuar como si fueran extraños.

Grace casi esta en sus treinta, pero tiene la mentalidad de una niña.

Ethan es un cobarde, se le hace mejor idea huir que hablar de las cosas

No entendí como todos en el pueblo querían juntarlos si pensaban que el estaba enamorado de la "novia" que murió.
El gato es un traidor por lo que hizo con la caja.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.