Come Back to Me

by Mila Gray

Home on leave in sunny California, Marine and local lothario Kit Ryan finds himself dangerously drawn to his best friend's sister, Jessa - the one girl he can't have. But Kit's not about to let a few obstacles stand in his way and soon Jessa's falling for his irresistible charms. What starts out as a summer romance of secret hook-ups and magical first times quickly develops into a passionate love affair that turns both their worlds upside down. When summer's over and it's time for Kit to redeploy, neither Kit nor Jessa are ready to say goodbye. Jessa's finally following her dreams and Kit's discovered there's someone he'd sacrifice everything for. Jessa's prepared to wait for Kit no matter what. But when something more than distance and time rips them apart they're forced to decide whether what they have is really worth fighting for. A breathtaking, scorchingly hot story about love, friendship, family and finding your way back from the edge of heartbreak.

• ISBN10: 1481439650
• ISBN13: 9781481439657
• Publish Date: 8 December 2015 (first published 19 June 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon Pulse
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Cocktails and Books]

3.5 Cocktails

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this one, but it ended up being a really good read with the tortured alpha male I always enjoy (as well as the hero being the heroine's brother's best friend....I always love those).

I enjoyed Kit and Jessa together. I liked how Kit, when home on his three week leave, did what he could to help the sheltered Jessa spread her wings. He knew the kind of home life she had and also knew she wished she could get out from under her father's thumb, so he gave her the freedom she wouldn't otherwise have. And when things went back at home for her, he made sure she had a home with his father while he was deployed. But their romance isn't all flowery. When the worst happens to Jessa's family, it's Kit who ends up being broken. He pushes everyone away, including Jessa, and drowns in the guilt that he's still alive. His self destruction almost costs him everything, but he figures out Jessa is what he needs to survive and without her his life just doesn't make sense.

If you like angsty new adult reads, this is definitely one to pick up. Mila Gay is an author that was new to me, but I definitely plan on looking for more from her in the future.

[Sam@WLABB]

You know from the get that something bad is going to happen. It is right there in the very beginning of the book. You would think I could have prepared myself for when I found out, BUT I still cried my eyes out.

This story is sad, funny, hot and schmexy, sweet and swoony, and heartbreaking. I went through a myriad of emotions, but I am happy for the experience.

I really loved that Gray gave us a great epilogue. All the loose ends were tied up, and epilogues are super important to me. Therefore, I was happy.

Overall: I really enjoyed this. If you like the brother's-bestfriend-forbidden-miltary-romance with a side of dysfunctional family and a good dose of heartache, you will like this one.

[whisperingchapters]

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights ReviewsJessa and Kit have grown up together but Jessa has never expressed her feelings. She's sure Kit only sees her as his best friend's little sister. That is until Jessa turns 16 that Kit starts developing a crush. Neither have spoken about their attraction towards one another especially when Jessa and Riley's father holds a grudge against Kit's father which also leads to hating Kit. One summer, Jessa and Kit go from friends to lovers but they only have weeks before Kit and Riley leave on a military tour. Who will return, Kit or Riley?

"Come back to me. Promise you'll come back to me." She whispers.

"Always."

This story was sweet and would pull at your heartstrings. The beginning starts with a prologue that leaves you in a bit of a suspense, wanting to know what will happen but of course the reader finds out near the end and ultimately leading up to a wonderful conclusion to the story.

Sadly I didn't feel any connection towards the characters. I had no emotion towards them until almost the end when something happens that really makes me feel for some of the characters but that's pretty much it. There was some kind of insta-love in the story depending on how you see it. For me, it was kind of fast but it didn't bother me THAT much. But the romance was definitely there and the reader could actually believe this romance and the insta-love aspect of it. The relationships with the family were portrayed very well. We have the military father who has been affected by war and holds a secret that's been killing him inside so he feels the need to yell all the time which leads to his family to walk on eggshells when they are around him. We have the understanding mother who tries to keep everyone happy. We have Jessa who knows what she wants to do with her life but is scared to go after it because of her father. We have Riley who is fun and caring and sweet. We have Jessa's best friend who's having her own book coming out next year! I cannot wait for her story. We have Kit who is very swoon-worthy and loyal to his best friend, girlfriend and his dad. And finally, we have Kit's father who is honestly the most sweetest man in the world.

All of these characters make for a very interesting and impacting story. This story is about a forbidden romance of two friends who become lovers but is more than that. It also focuses on trying to experience life as much as you can with your loved ones and to appreciate those people who surround you. The author did a great job in portraying all of these characters, their individual lives and a subject that many people talk about but not many pay much attention to and choose to ignore. I really recommend this to everyone above the age of 18 because it really has a beautiful meaning.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews

[shannonmiz]

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight

The Military

Let's start there. I am fascinated by this type of book, especially because when I started college, a lot of people I knew had joined ROTC programs and stuff like that. Less than a year later, everything in the damn world changed and these people were now going to be shipped off to hellish countries and into actual combat. And then, years later, one of my best friends was in the army (well, he still is, but he is in the U.S. again) and told me how awful it was- how the stories were not exaggerated, if anything, they were underplayed. So knowing that Kit and Riley are part of this was hard. Nothing was going to be sunshines and rainbows for anyone, because no matter who came home, they will have seen such horror. And while Kit and Riley are fictional, this type of thing is as real as it comes to so many young men and women. Basically, I think this kind of story is very important, and I love that the author not only included it, but did a good job of showing the emotions behind it for all the characters.

The Families

Everyone loves when a family is actually present in a book, and that is absolutely the case in this book. Not only is there a huge family presence, but it is neither all good nor all bad. I like that, because it's realistic. I love reading about really loving and supportive family units too, but sometimes things are messy. And in this case, Jessa's family is messy. I can relate to some of the things she is going through. In the very beginning of the book, Riley is home for his leave, and asks her how she is doing.

"You know." He nods. He knows. Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving... they are without a doubt the most stressful days of the year in our house.

Jessa's dad is controlling and miserable, and basically I want to call him a bunch of bad names. But for as much of a jerk as he is, Kit's dad is that nice of a guy. The relationship between Kit and his dad is so refreshing, because it's so rare to read about a solid father-son relationship, it seems. And the sibling love between Jessa and Riley is so sweet. They have squabbles, as siblings do, but you can just feel how much they love each other.

The Romance

That is what you came here for, right? Well, it's sweet! Jessa has had feelings for Kit since forever, so that is always fun. Plus, they have to hide their relationship, and I do love a forbidden romance! Kit is just the kind of character that you want to read a romance about. He's swoony but he still has flaws, but it's clear that he loves Jessa. While they are only together for a month before Kit has to go back, nothing seems rushed because they have known each other for so long.

The Characters/Plot

Jessa is okay as a main character. I didn't feel completely connected to her, which is why I think I wasn't quite as invested as I wanted to be. I adored all the side characters and their complexities, but Jessa felt a bit flat for my liking. I mean, she was fine. I didn't dislike her. I just didn't feel much about her at all. I feel like that was part of her personality, since she had quite a bit of trouble speaking up for herself, which did make sense in the story. And this is a totally random, personal thing which no one else likely even cares about, but her name really bothered me. Because the only time I had heard the name Jessa before was with The Duggars, and I don't like them. Every time someone said her name, BAM, they were in my head. But like I said, this was just a "Shannon is likely insane" sort of problem.

But as I said, the side characters were phenomenal. I felt like each one really added something to the story. And Kit, of course, was wonderful. He didn't always make the right choice, or do the right thing, he was flawed as hell. But his heart was good, and he cared so much about the people he loved. All the characters really grew during the course of the book as well, adapting to all sorts of challenges along the way. I threw plot in here because really, I can't say much without giving stuff away. Suffice it to say that while I did kind of know how some stuff would turn out, I still was invested in the story.

Bottom Line: Come Back to Me has a very lovely romance with a heart-wrenching premise. Kit was a fabulous love interest, and I enjoyed the family dynamics. Had Jessa been a bit stronger and more relatable as a main character, I think I would have been even more captivated in the story, but as it stands it was still solid.