Jackie Coles is a successful businesswoman, ambitious and hard-working. Rescued from Vietnam in the 1970s as a young child, she has forged a full and busy life in New Zealand, devoted to her adopted father Terry and her honorary stepmother Frankie. But as Jackie approaches her 40th birthday, she feels an emptiness in her life.
Then she meets Jeff, an old friend from her university days, and there is an undeniable spark, and they begin a relationship. But their romance is threatened when Terry dies, and Jackie decides to make good on her promise to him to return to the country of her birth. The trip to Vietnam is more surprising than she ever would have thought – full of unexpected revelations that take her life in a different direction. But will this threaten any chance she has of happiness with Jeff?
I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read in Carole Brungar’s ‘Return to Nam’ series, but The Return is my favourite. Jackie and Jeff’s romance is very well done, and the book nicely ties up some of the different strands in the series. For anyone interested in the Vietnam War, who likes books that blend history and romance, The Return and the others in the ‘Return to Nam’ series are great reads.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
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