Blurb:

Career-ending injury.

The most dream-crushing words I’ve ever heard. Goodbye NFL’s Rookie of the Year title I fought for since I was a kid, hello return to my small-town origins and wallow in unrequited love. Seeing my best friend Chaz married and trying for a baby will hurt worse than any torn ACL.

But things have changed since I escaped Pippen Creek—Chaz flounders beneath financial burdens and emotional turmoil instead of living his happily ever after.

Friendship takes precedence over longing, and I gladly take on the roles of comforter and supporter since those who have the right to love him out loud only see his failures. However, the more time I spend with Chaz, the harder it is to hide my feelings.

In a moment of mutual weakness, unexpected passion ignites.

Secret betrayal is a poisonous infection, but a twist of fate uncovers even more truths that further wound us both.

Will forgiveness allow us to survive traumatic grief and overcome guilt? Or will too much honesty end the other dream of always that has owned my heart since childhood?

https://geni.us/ReturningYourLove

*****

Review:

So I went from a low angst book to one that is pretty much ALL the angst. We get Jamie who has just had a life changing injury and Chaz whose marriage is on rocky ground. They end up back in each other’s lives and long denied emotions come out, and quite a few secrets, leading to all sorts of complications.

I feel for both of them and I do appreciate that Burke emphasizes mental health & professional help. (I am loving all the authors that have their characters address it and not just going with love fixes everything.) Chaz has a lot of issues – with his marriage, his friendship with Jamie, and his parents. It takes a while for him to come to terms with things but he puts in the work. It’s not easy, on him or Jamie, but it ends up being worth it.

As well as angsty, this one is also steamy … eventually, once they work thru their feels. It’s raw, raunchy, and spicy. These two have so much pining and suppressed feelings that when they get to that point it leads to so much sizzle.

This is my first book by Burke, but she’s prolific & well liked and I can see why. She piled it on her characters but she takes good care of them as they address their issues and try to figure out what the future holds. I’ll be keeping my eye out for what she has in store next for the men of Pippen Creek.