Ryan's Return

This was the first book by this author I read and it certainly won't be my last. I loved it. All characters, even minor ones, had depth and were very lifelike - you would almost believe the city and its inhabitants really existed. What also struck me (in a positive way) was that the inhabitants weren't all raving lunatics - as compared to many smalltown novels nowadays.
Ryan and Kara both have their reasons not to get involved, and their characters and the relationship development are also very believable. As are the second romance and the family relations. I also liked the author's sense of humor.

An absolutely captivating story. Funny, witty, romantic, sad and endearing. The characters drew you in and made you want to know them better. Each character had a story, some smaller than others, but still something to tell you a little about themselves. I loved this book and found myself laughing many times and crying at others.
Ryan was the Blacksheep of his family...the whole town for that matter. Everyone blamed him for the woes bestowed on them. But Kara didn't care. Her only woe at the time was getting enough coverage for Serenity Springs' Centennial Celebration. And extending an invitation to the town's local bad boy would get it, then come hell or high water, she would bring Ryan Hunter back to town. Little did she know how much show more things would get out of hand when the trouble maker showed back up, or how attractive he was to boot. Ryan dreaded the thought of coming home, but he also wanted to see if anything had changed. And boy had they.
Faced with an angry brother, a stubborn father, a delectable inn keeper, and her imaginative daughter, Ryan would find himself treading dangerous waters every where he turned. show less

I really enjoyed this story, although the beginning was a little slow. It took me a while to get into it, because it sounded so familiar to begin with: a young man leaves his small town, goes to the big city and finds success (but not true happiness), then reluctantly returns home and finds everything he ever wanted was right there. However, Barbara Freethy has taken a common beginning and added her own twist to the story. Yes, the ending is quite predictable, but there are a lot of unexpected elements as well. I wasn't fond of the ghost plot line and really feel the story could have been resolved without that element, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Very Interesting, light romance, a story about a young man coming home again after 12 years to find things pretty much the same but different. Actually it is rather spell binding, makes you want to keep reading without putting the book down, really enjoyed reading this e-book.

This was not a terrible book, but it wasn't really a "good" book either. To start, there's not much likable about the hero, Ryan. Second, there's not much to like about his brother, Andrew. Third, there's really not much to like about their father, Jones. Also, this has a ripped from Empire Falls feel to it. Not the whole story, but the setting. Then there's the ghost. And the overblown emotions. At least this was a freebie.