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Heroes Come Home #2
The Army Ranger's Return
A soldier's second chance…As nervous as a teenager about to go on her first date, Jessica Mitchell waits for Special Forces Ranger Ryan McAdams-her best friend for the past year-whom she's never met! They've been pen pals while Ryan was away fighting for their country and Jessica was secretly fighting her own demons back home.She knows widower Ryan's fears of returning to civilian life and his hopes of reconnecting with his son. Now she can't wait to meet him face-to-face-to hear his voice and see his smile…
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2011
6 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Soraya M. Lane
119 books1,992 followersSoraya M. Lane is the Amazon Charts & Kindle #1 bestselling author of THE SECRET MIDWIFE and THE ITALIAN DAUGHTER.
Soraya is thrilled to be publishing four new novels in 2025. THE PIANIST'S WIFE and THE SPANISH DAUGHTER are both now available, and Soraya's newest WWII novel, THE SECRET LIBRARIAN, was published on August 15th. Book 7 in The Lost Daughters series, THE HIDDEN DAUGHTER, will be published in October.
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! Soraya describes being an author as "the best career in the world", and she hopes to be writing romance and women's fiction for many years to come.
Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real life hero and two sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze.
Add Soraya's latest novel, THE SPANISH DAUGHTER, to your Goodreads shelf today!
For more information about Soraya, her books and her writing life, visit sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Instagram @SorayaLaneAuthor. She would love to hear from you.
Soraya is thrilled to be publishing four new novels in 2025. THE PIANIST'S WIFE and THE SPANISH DAUGHTER are both now available, and Soraya's newest WWII novel, THE SECRET LIBRARIAN, was published on August 15th. Book 7 in The Lost Daughters series, THE HIDDEN DAUGHTER, will be published in October.
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! Soraya describes being an author as "the best career in the world", and she hopes to be writing romance and women's fiction for many years to come.
Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real life hero and two sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze.
Add Soraya's latest novel, THE SPANISH DAUGHTER, to your Goodreads shelf today!
For more information about Soraya, her books and her writing life, visit sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Instagram @SorayaLaneAuthor. She would love to hear from you.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 9, 2018
This was good.
About 20% into the book I told my husband that this was boring and I was probably going to dnf it and give up. But then around 40% the book took off and that last half was truly awesome. The feelings of evoked in me were tumultuous and I did tear up in several places. The blurb says this is a story about a wounded soldier meeting his pen pal and falling in love but it is so much more. It's about Cancer and how it affects the people who have it and the people around them. My Mother had Breast Cancer and so did this heroine. It really touched me. Her feelings, her thoughts, her doubts, everything. And the heros wife had died from Cancer and he swore her never go through that again. I just lost someone from Cancer and I totally understood where he is coming from too. So prepare for a slow start but then brace yourself for some heartache. This book is safe and fade to black love scenes. I think I loved it most because it felt real. I had a feel good moment at the end too. It was just right.
About 20% into the book I told my husband that this was boring and I was probably going to dnf it and give up. But then around 40% the book took off and that last half was truly awesome. The feelings of evoked in me were tumultuous and I did tear up in several places. The blurb says this is a story about a wounded soldier meeting his pen pal and falling in love but it is so much more. It's about Cancer and how it affects the people who have it and the people around them. My Mother had Breast Cancer and so did this heroine. It really touched me. Her feelings, her thoughts, her doubts, everything. And the heros wife had died from Cancer and he swore her never go through that again. I just lost someone from Cancer and I totally understood where he is coming from too. So prepare for a slow start but then brace yourself for some heartache. This book is safe and fade to black love scenes. I think I loved it most because it felt real. I had a feel good moment at the end too. It was just right.
May 8, 2012
Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner
The first time I read one of Ms. Lane’s books, I decided to choose the one with the cheating hero. Surprisingly, things turned out well and I ended up enjoying the book. So for my second book I decided to once again step out of my comfort zone and go for the one with the widower.
Jessica and Ryan have been pen pals for over a year now. Both of them relied on those letters to survive; Ryan because he was in the middle of the war, and Jessica because she was battling cancer. They became best friends and confidents, especially Ryan, because he was able to confide in her and tell her about his wife dying, his son rejecting him and his feelings of inadequacy. Jessica wasn’t as forthcoming but still she became dependent on him. So when Ryan gets back for a short leave, the natural progression is that they meet in person. But things don’t go as smoothly, first because they are attracted to each other but neither of them feel is the right moment to do something about it, and second because Jess won’t come clean about her disease for fear of being rejected, even as a friend.
Therefore they have to figure out what they want and what’s best for them, both individually and as a possible couple. In the process, Jessica will help Ryan reconnect with his son, and Ryan will help her reconnect with herself.
I’ve said before that I like books where the conflict comes from within the characters, and this is one of those. Jessica and Ryan had serious issues. After a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, she felt incomplete and insecure. She was also dealing with the social consequences of having a disease that had previously killed her sister, meaning that everyone treated her differently and was overprotective. Ryan was recovering from a wound, but also from the death of his wife and the ensuing abandonment of their son. When she died he didn’t know what to do, so instead of dealing with it he went away and stayed away. And now his son doesn’t want anything to do with him. So these are serious situation that feel real without being extreme and filled with external conflict.
I liked both leads. Jessica was a bit shy and insecure, but she had a good reason for it. Ryan was also insecure, although his reasons were more selfish. But they were likeable characters and I was rooting for them to find their happy ending.
There were a couple of things that didn’t quite work for me. First -and this may be just plain ignorance on my part, so take it with a grain of salt- is the fact that when they finally have sex, he can’t tell that what she had done was more than a boob job. I was under the impression that after having reconstructive surgery the scars are different than those of a regular implant surgery, so that was a bit weird to me. Then there’s the fact that at one point Ryan almost dismisses the dead wife, saying that he wasn’t sure he was in love with her, that they married too young, etc. As much as I hate heroes obsessed with the dead wife, I think it’s terrible when they act as if the poor woman wasn’t the love of their lives. He had nine years to figure out that he loved her but wasn’t in love with her, so what? She had to die for the guilt to give him a clue to his true feelings? Is that why he couldn’t deal with the loss and grief? I wanted to yell at him to grow a pair. Actually, growing a pair is his journey, really, read the book and see how he goes from coward to great hero.
My favorite part of the book was the ending and how the big misunderstanding was resolved, if there was and actual misunderstanding. Ryan redeems himself at the end and you can see how his character changes and grows. I loved it.
This is a short story and if you like damaged characters you will enjoy it. It has some flaws but overall it was a good book and I’m glad I read it.
Final Grade: 3.5
The first time I read one of Ms. Lane’s books, I decided to choose the one with the cheating hero. Surprisingly, things turned out well and I ended up enjoying the book. So for my second book I decided to once again step out of my comfort zone and go for the one with the widower.
Jessica and Ryan have been pen pals for over a year now. Both of them relied on those letters to survive; Ryan because he was in the middle of the war, and Jessica because she was battling cancer. They became best friends and confidents, especially Ryan, because he was able to confide in her and tell her about his wife dying, his son rejecting him and his feelings of inadequacy. Jessica wasn’t as forthcoming but still she became dependent on him. So when Ryan gets back for a short leave, the natural progression is that they meet in person. But things don’t go as smoothly, first because they are attracted to each other but neither of them feel is the right moment to do something about it, and second because Jess won’t come clean about her disease for fear of being rejected, even as a friend.
Therefore they have to figure out what they want and what’s best for them, both individually and as a possible couple. In the process, Jessica will help Ryan reconnect with his son, and Ryan will help her reconnect with herself.
I’ve said before that I like books where the conflict comes from within the characters, and this is one of those. Jessica and Ryan had serious issues. After a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, she felt incomplete and insecure. She was also dealing with the social consequences of having a disease that had previously killed her sister, meaning that everyone treated her differently and was overprotective. Ryan was recovering from a wound, but also from the death of his wife and the ensuing abandonment of their son. When she died he didn’t know what to do, so instead of dealing with it he went away and stayed away. And now his son doesn’t want anything to do with him. So these are serious situation that feel real without being extreme and filled with external conflict.
I liked both leads. Jessica was a bit shy and insecure, but she had a good reason for it. Ryan was also insecure, although his reasons were more selfish. But they were likeable characters and I was rooting for them to find their happy ending.
There were a couple of things that didn’t quite work for me. First -and this may be just plain ignorance on my part, so take it with a grain of salt- is the fact that when they finally have sex, he can’t tell that what she had done was more than a boob job. I was under the impression that after having reconstructive surgery the scars are different than those of a regular implant surgery, so that was a bit weird to me. Then there’s the fact that at one point Ryan almost dismisses the dead wife, saying that he wasn’t sure he was in love with her, that they married too young, etc. As much as I hate heroes obsessed with the dead wife, I think it’s terrible when they act as if the poor woman wasn’t the love of their lives. He had nine years to figure out that he loved her but wasn’t in love with her, so what? She had to die for the guilt to give him a clue to his true feelings? Is that why he couldn’t deal with the loss and grief? I wanted to yell at him to grow a pair. Actually, growing a pair is his journey, really, read the book and see how he goes from coward to great hero.
My favorite part of the book was the ending and how the big misunderstanding was resolved, if there was and actual misunderstanding. Ryan redeems himself at the end and you can see how his character changes and grows. I loved it.
This is a short story and if you like damaged characters you will enjoy it. It has some flaws but overall it was a good book and I’m glad I read it.
Final Grade: 3.5
August 7, 2011
Once again Soraya managed to captivate my heart with her story. Jessica became penpals with a soldier overseas. His name is Ryan and their friendship blossomed through snail mail. They confided in each other and basically was there for one another in time of need. Their letters helped them overcome obstacles in each of their lives. Him being overseas fighting for our country but also grieving the death of his wife and Jessica fighting for her health. By reading this book, Soraya in her own way has encouraged me to look into being a penpal for a soldier overseas. So as I searched online, I came upon a site saying to adopt a soldier. I further looked into it and here's the link. And I looked it up in the BBB to make sure it's legit. It doesn't hurt to send a few encouraging words to our soldiers overseas. Think about it.
Since Ryan and Jessica developed this friendship through letters. It wasn't a shocker that their relationship progressed when they met in person. Only thing is that neither of them were ready or yet looking into something more serious. Both battling their own demons of their past, they didn't feel that starting a relationship would be in their best interest. But who are we to think that we tell our hearts who to love. Because we don't. Our heart chooses who to love and it's our decision to do what we want with this love. Just like Ryan and Jessica.
Because they have their personal issues to battle. They both skeptical to start something they may not be able to handle. But Ryan has someone else to think about. He has a son, in which the death of his mother and his dad being deployed has put a strain on their father/son relationship. So his focus was his son as well. So Jessica didn't feel she should burden Ryan with the issues she was having. But in a friendship/relationship, you should never choose for the other person. You should always let them choose for themselves. So at the end she wrote him a letter and he made his decision.
I read another book by Soraya called "Soldier at her doorstep" and that book was a touching story too. She seems to have a theme with her books. They are all based on military themes. But she writes her characters so genuine that you can't help but love them. I give this book just like her last a 5 star rating! A love story with a reality kick to it. But nevertheless a happy ending. For all you "Happily Ever After" readers, this is your definite "Good Choice for Reading".
Since Ryan and Jessica developed this friendship through letters. It wasn't a shocker that their relationship progressed when they met in person. Only thing is that neither of them were ready or yet looking into something more serious. Both battling their own demons of their past, they didn't feel that starting a relationship would be in their best interest. But who are we to think that we tell our hearts who to love. Because we don't. Our heart chooses who to love and it's our decision to do what we want with this love. Just like Ryan and Jessica.
Because they have their personal issues to battle. They both skeptical to start something they may not be able to handle. But Ryan has someone else to think about. He has a son, in which the death of his mother and his dad being deployed has put a strain on their father/son relationship. So his focus was his son as well. So Jessica didn't feel she should burden Ryan with the issues she was having. But in a friendship/relationship, you should never choose for the other person. You should always let them choose for themselves. So at the end she wrote him a letter and he made his decision.
I read another book by Soraya called "Soldier at her doorstep" and that book was a touching story too. She seems to have a theme with her books. They are all based on military themes. But she writes her characters so genuine that you can't help but love them. I give this book just like her last a 5 star rating! A love story with a reality kick to it. But nevertheless a happy ending. For all you "Happily Ever After" readers, this is your definite "Good Choice for Reading".
November 23, 2020
Read free from the library - all the cheese!!
August 8, 2011
Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...
Can there be ‘love before first sight?’ Jessica Mitchell has spent a year exchanging letters with US Army ranger Ryan McAdams. Their first meeting – predictably – gives her a lot of anxiety. There aren’t just doubts about him – but she is full of self-doubt, as well as concealing a secret.
The wonderful thing is, each of them, through their letters, gave the other something to look forward to. The letters are cleverly shared, revealing so much more than they manage to stammer out in person. Ryan has seen the horror of battle and warn. He’s known personal tragedy, as well as a personal failure. He’s far from being the man his son needs to be.
At times, Jessica seems both bossy and silly. Ok, so she’s likely right, especially about his son. And, possibly, he needs someone to point him in a better direction. However, is seems overly familiar considering they just met. As readers, it's easy to feel a bit impatient with Jessie, especially at the start. Then again, we don’t know her secret...so her occasional awkwardness gets a less than sympathetic response from us. As it does from Ryan.
She has to worry if things between them would change, if he knew. Occasionally, her worry, her dragging interior monologue, is repetitive and fails to move the story along. It fails to reveal anything new about her – and its easy to feel impatient, as we simply want her to tell Ryan and know his response. In one sense, this worry is predictable, but in the series of emotions experienced, it really is not.
Truth and honesty challenge both of the main characters; challenge their feelings and trust – really in both ways. They are not ‘untruthful’ people, but each is used to struggling with their own battles, and not revealing their greatest challenges to another.
The Army Ranger’s Return is very sensitively and believably written. Lane creates powerful but very human characters, with admirable qualities, but also with qualities they each struggle with. There is an undertone of melancholy at times, but it makes the contrast with the joy of love so much more poignant. Do read.
Can there be ‘love before first sight?’ Jessica Mitchell has spent a year exchanging letters with US Army ranger Ryan McAdams. Their first meeting – predictably – gives her a lot of anxiety. There aren’t just doubts about him – but she is full of self-doubt, as well as concealing a secret.
The wonderful thing is, each of them, through their letters, gave the other something to look forward to. The letters are cleverly shared, revealing so much more than they manage to stammer out in person. Ryan has seen the horror of battle and warn. He’s known personal tragedy, as well as a personal failure. He’s far from being the man his son needs to be.
At times, Jessica seems both bossy and silly. Ok, so she’s likely right, especially about his son. And, possibly, he needs someone to point him in a better direction. However, is seems overly familiar considering they just met. As readers, it's easy to feel a bit impatient with Jessie, especially at the start. Then again, we don’t know her secret...so her occasional awkwardness gets a less than sympathetic response from us. As it does from Ryan.
She has to worry if things between them would change, if he knew. Occasionally, her worry, her dragging interior monologue, is repetitive and fails to move the story along. It fails to reveal anything new about her – and its easy to feel impatient, as we simply want her to tell Ryan and know his response. In one sense, this worry is predictable, but in the series of emotions experienced, it really is not.
Truth and honesty challenge both of the main characters; challenge their feelings and trust – really in both ways. They are not ‘untruthful’ people, but each is used to struggling with their own battles, and not revealing their greatest challenges to another.
The Army Ranger’s Return is very sensitively and believably written. Lane creates powerful but very human characters, with admirable qualities, but also with qualities they each struggle with. There is an undertone of melancholy at times, but it makes the contrast with the joy of love so much more poignant. Do read.
August 11, 2011
THE ARMY RANGER’S RETURN by author Soraya Lane is from the M&B Cherish line.
Jessica joins a pen pal program and starts writing to a soldier, while she is undergoing cancer treatment in hospital.
Ryan’s letters give her strength. As he is unaware of her treatment, on paper at least he treats her as a normal girl.
And Jessica’s letters give Ryan the strength to face coming home and being a dad to his grieving motherless son.
Meeting at last, they realize they had a stronger bond between them.
Can Ryan’s son forgive him for deserting him, just when he needed him more?
When will Jessica be able to tell Ryan, she had been undergoing treatment? To make matters worse Ryan lost his wife to cancer and can’t cope with losing another person he loves.
THE ARMY RANGER’S RETURN was an emotionally charged story of a soldier returning home to America. It was a tender tale of a son waiting for his Dad’s return. About what pen pals mean to the soldiers out on duty. And it was also the story of a cancer survivor. How Jessica copes, after losing her self-confidence. It was as much a story about recovering from grief and self-discovery as it is about the undeniable bond between Ryan and Jessica.
I felt Soraya Lane’ hero, Ryan was the sort of person with whom you could just hold his hand and walk with him, whatever happens he won’t break your heart.
At one point when Ryan kisses Jessica’s wrist and she realizes that she loves him, I had to close the book and savor the emotions. I felt so moved. And when Ryan broke through the wall between him and his son? Major tissue moment!
A tender and fabulous friends-to-lovers romance. You’ll be addicted from the first page.
The Army Ranger’s Return is a wonderfully written and richly layered love story and a truly magical read!
Jessica joins a pen pal program and starts writing to a soldier, while she is undergoing cancer treatment in hospital.
Ryan’s letters give her strength. As he is unaware of her treatment, on paper at least he treats her as a normal girl.
And Jessica’s letters give Ryan the strength to face coming home and being a dad to his grieving motherless son.
Meeting at last, they realize they had a stronger bond between them.
Can Ryan’s son forgive him for deserting him, just when he needed him more?
When will Jessica be able to tell Ryan, she had been undergoing treatment? To make matters worse Ryan lost his wife to cancer and can’t cope with losing another person he loves.
THE ARMY RANGER’S RETURN was an emotionally charged story of a soldier returning home to America. It was a tender tale of a son waiting for his Dad’s return. About what pen pals mean to the soldiers out on duty. And it was also the story of a cancer survivor. How Jessica copes, after losing her self-confidence. It was as much a story about recovering from grief and self-discovery as it is about the undeniable bond between Ryan and Jessica.
I felt Soraya Lane’ hero, Ryan was the sort of person with whom you could just hold his hand and walk with him, whatever happens he won’t break your heart.
At one point when Ryan kisses Jessica’s wrist and she realizes that she loves him, I had to close the book and savor the emotions. I felt so moved. And when Ryan broke through the wall between him and his son? Major tissue moment!
A tender and fabulous friends-to-lovers romance. You’ll be addicted from the first page.
The Army Ranger’s Return is a wonderfully written and richly layered love story and a truly magical read!
November 12, 2011
It takes a strong woman to overcome cancer, but when her pen pal returns from the Army her heart might be in danger of falling for him!
No stranger to heartache, Ryan has seen many lives taken by war and had to live through the heartbreaking task of watching his wife die from cancer. Jessica has been writing him for a while and now he is able to meet her face to face, but can he handle life back in civilization as just a normal man when he's had to be a hero for so long?
Jessica has a secret she is keeping from Ryan to keep from breaking his heart but that secret may be the wedge that drives them apart.....
This was a refreshing change of pace from the cowboys I normally read about. Ryan was kind and unsure at first, but he quickly decided he wanted more from life than the Army. I liked Jessica because she is a survivor of a horrible cancer. She is brave and kind, but I did not like that she kept her secret from Ryan. I guess that is what makes the book worth writing, though - having problems in the story to solve!
No stranger to heartache, Ryan has seen many lives taken by war and had to live through the heartbreaking task of watching his wife die from cancer. Jessica has been writing him for a while and now he is able to meet her face to face, but can he handle life back in civilization as just a normal man when he's had to be a hero for so long?
Jessica has a secret she is keeping from Ryan to keep from breaking his heart but that secret may be the wedge that drives them apart.....
This was a refreshing change of pace from the cowboys I normally read about. Ryan was kind and unsure at first, but he quickly decided he wanted more from life than the Army. I liked Jessica because she is a survivor of a horrible cancer. She is brave and kind, but I did not like that she kept her secret from Ryan. I guess that is what makes the book worth writing, though - having problems in the story to solve!
November 5, 2011
I really enjoyed this story. The idea of pen pals and supporting our troops. Jessica and Ryan- what a couple. It is nice to read about HEA and glad that George fit in so well. I felt every single kiss as if I was Jessica.
February 26, 2014
I have mixed emotions about this book. Cancer is a horrible experience for anyone. Deployment is hard on even the strongest of families and relationships. As serious as the subject matters this book packs a lot of content into a small binding.
May 17, 2012
I love Soraya Lane book's and her writing style. If you enjoy this genre then read her books they don't disapoint you.
Read
December 24, 2014Miniseries: Heroes Come Home
May 15, 2012
Cute story and easy read. It's pretty predictable but if you're just looking for a book with a happy ending then this will fill that request!
Read
December 24, 2014Miniseries: Heroes Come Home
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