His Return (His, #3)

by Sheila Kell

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

My first experience with Sheila Kell was when I read ‘HIS Desire’. I fell in love with her writing and since then I have been following the HIS series. ‘HIS Return is book #4 and can be read as a standalone. A note of warning though after reading one of these books you are going to want to read the remaining books.

This installment tells Emily and Jakes’ story. Emily had a crush on Jake since she was six years old. As she got older, her crush gradually grew into something more meaningful. Jake had found her crush amusing at first, but as she blossomed into a beautiful young lady he realised that what his feelings towards was not brotherly. On her 18th birthday, Emily decided that she would seduce Jake, however, this would lead to her and Jake being separated.

Fast forward 4 years later we see Jake contemplating his decision to run away that fateful day. I guess when you are faced with the prospect of death, it causes you to evaluate your life choices. This is the situation that Jake has found himself in. He realises that Emily was the only woman he ever loved and he may never have the chance to tell her how he feels. Fortunately, fate would step in and provide him with a second chance at redemption.
Emily has gotten the pieces of her life together since that night when Jake rejected her. She is a forensic accountant and works with a prestigious firm. She discovered that there were illegal financial dealings taking place within the firm. This discovery would place her as well as her family in danger. Added to this she had to deal with the emotional upheaval caused by Jake’s return.

Their reunion was bittersweet. Emily was glad to see that he was alive and well, however, she was not willing to trust that he was here to stay. I understood how she felt. Rejection is a hard pill to swallow, and to be rejected not once but twice by the person you love can be devastating. It was this devastation that Emily wanted to avoid. Jake would have to prove that he was worthy of her love, and she was not above making him jump through hoops to demonstrate it.

This installment took a different angle from the previous books. The focus was more on Emily and Jakes’ relationship. The attention that was given to the incident that placed Emily in danger took up about 30% of the story. It was not the fast-paced and suspenseful read that I was expecting. The story moved slowly, but I believe that this was a deliberate move by the author. I believe that her intent was for readers to be totally invested in Emily and Jakes’ journey towards healing, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

It was more on the emotional side which intensified as the story came to a close. There was a particular scene that brought tears to my eyes. For me, this was a great display of the ultimate sacrifice that a person could make for the ones they love. Shocking secrets came to life. I certainly did not see that coming but it certainly answered questions I had while reading the previous books.

VERDICT:
Although this was not what I had expected, it was still a good read. I loved this book and I am hoping that Tristan’s story will be next. I can’t wait to find out more about him.
RECOMMENDATION: For fans of emotional second chance romance.