REVIEW: The Return of Brody McBride by Jennifer Ryan

In The Return of Brody McBride (The McBrides #1) by Jennifer Ryan, Rain Evans has done the best she could with her life since Brody McBride left her eight years ago. At age eighteen, she found herself alone and pregnant and had to give up her dream of college to raise their daughter. Rain also took in a daughter Brody had, unbeknownst to him, with the woman who ruined their lives. While Rain would never give up her two precious girls, she secretly dreams of a day that Brody comes back to win her heart. So when he shows up with exactly that intention, she knows it has to be too good to be true. Just as it seems like she’s going to get another chance with the only man she’s ever loved, their past comes crashing down on them threatening to damage their relationship yet again.

‘She’d find a way to bring him peace. She’d surround him with love and family. They’d make a home and a life together. First, they had to find a way to keep Roxy out of their lives.’

Former Army Ranger Brody McBride left the town of Fallbrook behind him eight years ago. But he’s never forgotten, or forgiven himself, for leaving his one true love, Rain Evans. After getting seriously injured in a roadside bomb overseas, Brody has learned what’s important. And he arrives back in town to make up for his mistakes…and to win back Rain. But when he finds out he is a father to not one, but two gorgeous little girls, he can’t imagine how he can ever make up for all that Rain must have endured alone. Brody is thrilled to have a family of his own. It’s all he’s dreamed of. But he must prove to them all that he’s trustworthy, even while he struggles with his recovery from the bombing as well as PTSD. Can he make amends to those he loves before more obstacles get in their way?

“I’ve let you down in so many damn ways. I don’t deserve a second chance, Rain, but I’m asking, begging you to forgive me enough to give us all a chance to see if we can make a life together.”

The Return of Brody McBride is a sweet reunion story with a ton of raw emotions and drama.

Ever since reading Jennifer Ryan’s story Waiting For You in the Confessions of a Secret Admirer Anthology, I’ve been waiting to read this first full length installment in the McBrides series. That short story introduced us to the town of Fallbrook, and to Rain Evans and her two beautiful little girls. I loved how romantic and passionate the characters were in the short story as much as I did here in Brody and Rain’s novel. The town was full of interesting characters once again, plus there’s even an evil ex-girlfriend this time to make things more complicated. And boy was Roxy spiteful and just plain horrible…

I couldn’t help but want Rain and Brody to end up together, they were so sweet and obviously still crazy for each other. There were a few times when it seemed like their conversations circled around the same things over and over, especially Brody’s guilt over leaving, but it didn’t necessarily seem unrealistic for him to keep trying to make amends and apologize to Rain for it. I have to give credit to Rain for how strong she was in the face of so much adversity, raising two little girls on her own under such circumstances. Even though I wanted to be mad at Brody for leaving town like he did and never looking back, I couldn’t after learning all the details as to what happened and all he’d been through.

With an alpha male righting past wrongs, a tough-as-nails woman who never stopped loving her high school sweetheart, and an ending that kept me on the edge of my seat, I think fans of contemporary romance will like this one.

Book Info:

Published March 4th 2014 by Avon Impulse

The black sheep of Fallbrook is back . . . and he’s in for the surprise of his life.

Former bad boy, now-decorated Army Ranger Brody McBride is home and on a mission: Find the woman he never should have left behind and right the wrong he did eight years ago.

When the man she loved broke her heart and skipped town, Rain Evans picked up the pieces. But along with heartbreak, Brody left her something infinitely better than she could have imagined: two beautiful daughters. One she gave birth to, and the other she rescued from the woman who helped destroy her relationship with Brody.

Brody is shocked to discover he’s a father, and he’s more determined than ever to win back Rain and protect his girls. Can they rekindle the love they once shared and become the family they were always meant to be? Or will a danger from their past return and ruin everything?