Red Hot + Blue Reads: Release Day Excerpt & Review: 5 stars for To Have and to Hold (Returning Home #3) by Serena Bell

To Have and to Hold (Returning Home, Book Three)

He doesn’t remember her. She cherishes every moment of their time together. Is there any hope for a second chance?

Hunter Cross has lost a year. There’s a gap in his memory, and the woman who is living in his house has disappeared into it. He slept with her, fell for her, loved her—and he doesn’t remember any of it.

He knows he should send her away—except for one little thing. At night, when she slips into his bed, his body remembers hers.

Trina Levine is heartbroken, alone with her memories. Hunter won’t claim any of it—not the joyful days, not the steamy nights. It’s like Trina Levine dreamed it, and it hurts like nothing else could.

Except when Hunter cries out in his sleep and Trina comforts him. At those moments, Hunter’s body knows hers, and for a few, brief, blissful moments, Trina’s sure everything will be okay again.

Until morning comes.

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To Have and to Hold Excerpt

Copyright © 2019 Serena Bell
All rights reserved.

There he was.

Stepping through the glass gate doors at SeaTac. Striding, head up, not uniformed, as she’d expected, but clad in jeans, a gray T-shirt, and hiking boots. A backpack slung over both shoulders.

Trina felt like she’d never seen him before, and maybe she never really had. Because before, he’d been somebody’s dad. Somebody’s husband. And then friendship had morphed into love, so she’d never had that first-time-I-laid-eyes-on-you, love-at-first-sight moment. No heart stopping, no breath catching, no hormones firing in one big surge—

Not till now.

Because, damn. Dark hair and dark eyes, stubble smattered over his jaw, shoulders that poured off strength. Six-foot-plus of him, moving with intention. He was a guy who’d catch your eye on the street, pheromones setting you back on your heels before you’d registered that you’d turned to look. The hardness of his features, the everyman handsomeness, made an impression only after it was too late to decide how you felt about his appearance.

There were more lines in his face than she remembered—the laugh crinkles at the corners of his eyes, yes, but deep lines in his forehead, too. His eyes combed the crowd, looking for someone.

I’m right here.

Then his gaze swept past her and locked somewhere else, and his pace quickened until he was almost running. Behind her, someone broke away, flip-flops smacking heels.

“Daddy!”

Clara ran to her father and threw herself into his arms, forgetting Trina’s and her grandmother’s warnings to be gentle with him. Clara was laughing and crying and trying to tell her father everything that had happened in the last year, all at once.

“Slow down, baby.” Hunter knelt so he could hug Clara in earnest. “Slow down. We’ll have plenty of time.” He was smiling, looking so much like the man Trina remembered, and she realized she was silently pleading for him to raise his eyes and search her out. To turn that smile on her. And she shook her head, because this moment wasn’t for her. It was for Clara and Hunter. Trina would have her moment later. When she and Hunter were alone.

Hunter raised his head, and her heart skipped.

But his eyes caught on something behind her, and he rose and strode forward: “Mom.”

Trina wasn’t going to panic. She clutched her welcome home, hunter sign tighter, and tried to slow her pulse down.

Homecomings are weird, Hunter’s mom had told her when Trina met her flight several hours earlier. Don’t get your expectations up too high. He’ll need some time and space, and then it’ll be like he never left.

Plus, Trina had known they’d have to play it a little cool, to maintain the fiction for the girls.

In the meantime, Trina would remember what he’d said to her. Not only I love you, but also, I know my feelings, and they’re not going to change.

Hunter’s mom, Linda, was getting the full Hunter. Or the half Hunter, maybe, because Trina was pretty sure that Hunter at full strength would have swept both mother and daughter off their feet. Certainly in all her fantasies he’d swept her off her feet.

But with his chest wound just barely healed—a wound that had almost killed him—he wouldn’t be sweeping anyone off her feet for a while.

A hand snaked around her waist. Phoebe, at her side. Her daughter, awkwardly twelve and yet so beautiful, with that coltish mix of woman and little girl.

Phoebe was clearly feeling as awkward and left out of this homecoming as Trina was, and wanting solidarity.

That was the moment when Trina started to feel really, truly freaked out. Because she was fine with the fact that homecomings were weird and fine with Hunter’s priorities being for his daughter and his mother and fine with the secrecy that they’d agreed to keep up a while once he got back, but—

He hadn’t made eye contact with her. Not once.

Something was wrong. Even Phoebe could sense it.

What Readers Are Saying

“I have loved every second of this series and I hope that there will be many more installments to come. This series has everything that I look forward to in getting my love and romance fix.”—Twin Spin

“An absolute must-read . . . To Have and to Hold is fabulous.”—The Romance Reviews

“Five stars . . . [To Have and to Hold is a] crackling read that’s full of emotion and drama.”—Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews

“A great story that unfolds beautifully . . . There’s a great balance of drama and romance, and I really liked the characters and their journey.”—The Escapist Book Blog

“A well-crafted welcome addition to a great series . . . [with] plenty of passion.”—I Love Romantic Fiction

What I thought about To Have and To Hold

Trina can't wait to see Hunter when he returns from his latest tour of duty. She's been holding down the fort at home, taking care of his daughter along with her own while he's been deployed. After a traumatic injury, he's coming home and they can get on with their life. Except for one thing...

Hunter doesn't remember her.

He's not sure why he doesn't remember the woman and her daughter living in his house. Trina isn't really sure what to do with what is happening. So many emotions in this that it had me on the edge of my seat wondering how they would put things back together. Hunter has always been a bit reserved, and coming out of a marriage that shouldn't have happened hasn't helped him. Trina was his ticket to happines and he doesn't even know it.

I really enjoyed this story. It was fresh and interesting and I just absolutely loved Trina and everything she did to help Hunter through all this, while dealing with her own broken heart. How she navigates this situation really had me turning the pages and I just adored this story. This series is terrific if you like military romance. Definitely recommended.

An ARC was provided for review.

About the Author

Photo credit Susan Young

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.