Come Home to Love

Friendship, Love and Second Chances (Sunshine Bay)

By: Jeanine Lauren

Narrated by: Susan Fouche

Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Susan never expected to feel this way, but as the years stretch ahead of her, she can't help but wonder...Should she stay in a stale marriage with a man she no longer trusts? Or should she leave and face life on her own terms?

Susan McNeil has a list of unfinished dreams - some small, some larger - and she has decisions to make. Should she stay with her husband, Richard - the man she built her life with, but no longer trusts - or should she step out on her own and do all the things she's always wanted to do?

And what should she do about the attractive, newly divorced Sid Jones, who wants to rekindle their former love? The same Sid Jones who makes her heart beat a little faster whenever he's around.

Richard regrets the secrets he’s been keeping from Susan, and now he’s stuck in Mexico with his brother. When he learns Susan is spending time with Sid, he knows he has to get home and make things right or lose her forever. But how? And is he too late?

Will Susan choose life without him? Or will Richard come home to love?

If you like a story of friendship, love, and second chances in the second half of life, this one is for you.

©2020 Jeanine Lauren (P)2020 Jeanine Lauren

A lovely seasoned romance

Part of me rebels at the notion of ‘seasoned romance’. What does that even mean? But it’s a thing and I’ve discovered I really like them, so I guess having a category for them helps. I like romances with more mature heroes and heroines. Much of the angsty drama is past them. They’ve settled into their lives but some kind of disruption happens.

I read the first book in this series and the disruption was death on one side and divorce on the other. But two older people met, fell in love, and started a new life together. Jack and Sylvia were by no means past their prime – just ready to start again with a new partner.

This second book in the Sunshine Bay series is about a married couple. Susan and Richard have been together for many years. They raised a son who has since moved out and they’re getting close to retirement. They have some choices they have to make. All that being said, Susan is getting tired of her job and looking forward to the day she can start really living. Meanwhile, Richard appears to have taken early retirement, but things aren’t going well.

When he takes off to visit his step-brother in Mexico, Susan begins to discover things aren’t as they seem. She is forced to face some hard truths about the man she’s been with for so many years. She has to re-evaluate everything she thought to be true. And she needs to make some tough decisions about whether she’s willing to stick with Richard after everything he’s done.

One interesting structure in this book is the alternating chapters – one from Susan’s point of view and one from Richard’s. Every time I agreed with Susan’s righteous anger, I’d see how Richard was just struggling to hold everything together. I felt like my heart was ping-ponging and a few times I wasn’t sure which way this was going to go. But it’s a romance, so I got my happy ending.

I enjoy Susan Fouche’s narration. I’ve heard her do a number of Canadian novels and I think she does a really good job. I’m so glad I picked this up and I can’t wait for more books to come. There was one character in this book who intrigued me and I’m wondering if he’ll get a story…