cover image Return to Me

Return to Me

Kelly Moran. Berkley Sensation, $7.99 mass market (304p) ISBN 978-0-425-27687-7

Debut author Moran tries unsuccessfully to breathe life into a theme of second chances. The plot contains one tired cliché after another, beginning with the poor but honest girl from the wrong side of the tracks who falls for the handsome, wealthy scion of a prestigious political family. When Mia Galdon and Cole Covington were teen sweethearts in Wilmington, N.C., their romance was sabotaged by Cole’s tyrannical and snobbish mother. Ten years later, Mia’s a nurse who needs a job, and Cole needs help after sustaining serious injuries serving in Iraq. Now that they’re grown, it’s hard to understand why a tough military veteran would still have trouble withstanding parental pressure, so the plot devices are tedious. The most appealing part of this story is the warm and affectionate relationship between Mia and her younger sister, who has Down syndrome. Moran tries to show the healing power of time and love, as Mia recovers from betrayal and Cole from war trauma and loneliness, but the result is charmless and unconvincing. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Literary Agency. (Mar.)