Finding Glory by Sara Arden

• Title:  Finding Glory
• Series:  Home to Glory #3
• Author:  Sara Arden
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  May 2015 – HQN
• Source:  Publisher

My take:  Finding Glory is the third book in the Home to Glory series but it can definitely stand on its own. Gina and Reed knew each other quite well as children but then life took them in different directions. Before doing that though, Reed and Gina’s sister Crystal had a relationship that was rooted in their drug addiction. Reed was able to break free but Crystal couldn’t and then became even more ill before dying. Unbeknownst to Reed, he had fathered a child with Crystal. When he hears the news he returns to Glory, Kansas to meet his daughter Amanda Jane who now lives with her aunt Gina.

Growing up Gina had hoped Reed would notice her as more than a friend but, instead, he was drawn to her sister Crystal. When Gina’s mom died from cancer she shouldered the responsibility of caring for Crystal and then Amanda Jane. When Reed finds a way for them both to raise Amanda Jane, Gina can’t help but worry that she and Amanda Jane will be let down by him.

Thrown together so quickly they all have to learn to live as a family. There are growing pains all around but you’ll have to read the book to see if they can find glory in their new life. Although I found some of the circumstances over-the-top, I still thought Finding Glory was a good addition to the series. Recommended to fans of small town, contemporary romance.

Unfaded Glory by Sara Arden

• Title:  Unfaded Glory
• Series:  Home to Glory #2
• Author:  Sara Arden
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  January 27, 2015 – Harlequin HQN
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  In Glory, Kansas, a fairy-tale wedding has local tongues wagging. But through this false engagement, can a wounded warrior and the woman he’s protecting find true love? 

Byron Hawkins doesn’t want to be responsible for anyone ever again. The former Black Ops soldier is better at taking lives than saving them. But on a mission in Tunisia to deliver a package to safety, Byron is dismayed to find that the precious cargo is actually a hostage rescue, and that his orders are to take Damara Petrakis back to U.S. soil and hide her in plain sight—as his newlywed wife. 

Back in Byron’s hometown of Glory, Kansas, petite, fierce Damara keeps surprising him; she may be royalty, but she’s fully trained in martial arts and will sacrifice anything for her country. As the town rallies around the returning hero and his bride-to-be, he’s finding that it’s way too easy to play the part, and after the hell he has seen, that terrifies him. Byron didn’t want another life to save, but the passionate beauty he’s sworn to protect might just turn the tables and save him instead.  (publisher)

My brief take:  Unfaded Glory started off at breakneck speed and kept up the pace for much of the book. The synopsis tells you what you need to know.

I thought Sara Arden did a terrific job with conveying Byron’s internal struggle to go on living when the rest of his special forces team didn’t. Little did he know that Damara would be able to make him want to live – and by doing so, he would save her.

Unfaded Glory is a story about love, trust and courage. Recommended to fans of the series and Sara Arden.

Return to Glory by Sara Arden

• Title:  Return to Glory
• Series:  Home to Glory, #1
• Author:  Sara Arden
• Genre:  Contemporary/ Small town Romance
• Published:  August 2014 – Harlequin HQN
• Source:  Publisher

Synopsis:  In Glory, Kansas, the best bakery in three counties not only brings together ingredients for sweet treats, but is the place where—through the powerful mix of friendship, community and a well-stocked kitchen—a wounded hero can forge a forever kind of love. 

Back in the hometown he left behind five years ago, Jack McConnell has returned battle-scarred and feeling like half a man. But Betsy Lewis only sees the hero who once saved her life and set her heart on fire. Now she’s burning to save him in return. She’ll use every trick she’s got up her sleeve, from her generous natural assets to her talent for baking, to coax Jack out from the bottom of his whiskey bottle. 

At first, Jack responds to Betsy like any red-blooded man would. He’s always denied his attraction to the innocent girl he used to know, but he’s returned to find Betsy’s grown into a full-on woman with strength enough for both of them. Until Jack realizes the only way to conquer his demons and be worthy of the hero’s mantle she’s pinned to his shoulders is to save Betsy one last time—from himself.  (publisher)

My take:  Betsy has been in love with Jack, her brother’s best friend, since she was a young girl. When he comes home wounded from war she’s determined to make him well again using any means that will work. Jack is determined to make her see that he’s not the man for her.

Sara Arden’s descriptions of the wounded warrior, Jack, seemed completely believable. I also bought into the way Betsy felt about him both when she thought they had a future and when she didn’t. The heartache was palpable. Their story is an emotional one that is further charged by their feelings for each other. Be prepared for some very spicy scenes!

The town of Glory is intriguing. Arden hints at the occupations of a few former military that I can only imagine will figure into future books of the Home to Glory series. It’s a charming town where the citizens have each others’ back. I look forward to my next visit to Glory, Kansas. Recommended to fans of contemporary, small town Romance.