Return to You

Laurel Heights #3

by Kate Perry

"Perry is a storyteller, weaving magic wherever she goes, much to the delight of her millions of fans." – The Literary Shed That rat bastard Michael Wallace is back. The last person Olivia Parker expects to walk into her lingerie shop is her high school sweetheart. She's so over him. Mostly. Except that he's hotter than ever and still knows her better than she knows herself. But how can she risk her heart when she knows he's just going to leave again? It's a simple return home, shoot the movie, and leave emancipated from the contract he signed eleven years before. But Michael's plan gets blown away the moment he sees Olivia again. Smart, sexy, and successful, Olivia is distraction personified. Only worse than that—Michael fears Olivia may be his heart and soul... Fall in love with the entire Laurel Heights Book 1: PERFECT FOR YOU Book 2: CLOSE TO YOU Book 3: RETURN TO YOU Book 4: LOOKING FOR YOU Book 5: DREAM OF YOU Book 6: SWEET ON YOU Book 7: TAMED BY YOU Book 8: HERE WITH YOU ALL FOR YOU Book 9: MAD ABOUT YOU Book 10: LOVED BY YOU WRAPPED IN YOU ABOUT Kate writes about hope, and dreams, and the bonds of friendship and family. Her acclaimed novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world, and her books have been translated into several languages. All her stories feature sassy, independent women who just want love and earthy men full of heart who are more than able to rise to the occasion.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Adult, Audiobook

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2012

About the author

With over 6 million books sold (and counting), Kathia’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world. They’ve received starred reviews from Booklist, have consistently earned Editor’s Picks for Best Romance, and have been featured by O, The Oprah Magazine and Entertainment Weekly.

Kate (aka Kathia) has written over 50 romcom and paranormal books so far, as well as a couple romantasy screenplays and various poems (her ode to the color orange is particularly moving). Full of hope and bonds of found family and friendship, her stories feature sassy, independent women who just want love and earthy men full of heart who are more than able to rise to the occasion.

Reviews

[Bookbound · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and I enjoyed the first part of this one, but the ending left me a bit disturbed. Michael had a lot of things to answer for, which were never resolved for the reader, and apparently not for Olivia, either. Why did he leave her behind in the first place, without inviting her to come along? Or why not at least try to make it up to her a couple of years later when he realized his mistake? He states once, briefly, that he was sad that she didn't love him enough to try to find him in L.A. That seems jerkish in the extreme...how could he expect her to come looking for him when he made it clear that she would just get in his way if she did? It seems to me that the author could have cleared this up quickly by say that Everett had told him that Olivia had a dream of moving to Paris, a dream which he would get in the way of by staying in Mill Valley with her or by inviting her to go with him to L.A. Than he could have seemed heroic rather than selfish and mean, and it would have fit right in with Everett's schemes and only taken a couple of pages to write.
The unexplained flirting with Sophie was fairly inexcusable, and I'm not sure how that could be explained away. It happened while Olivia was right there, and things were supposedly hot and heavy between them. What happens when Michael is away filming on location with some starlet, and he and Olivia have had a fight? Unless there is a REALLY good excuse for this hurtful flirting (which was obvious enough to get her father and all her friends involved) then he is NOT MARRIAGE MATERIAL! That kind of behavior doesn't just magically get better or less painful because of a ring.
And then, the flirting was followed with the mean question about who the father of her baby was. Even if he did assume that she had aborted, what did he expect that a doubly abandoned, broken hearted 18 year old should have done? And if she should have told him, when? While he was packing for L.A.? When he learned of her pregnancy, he should have gotten down on his knees and begged her to accept his apologies, not let her feel guilty for not having told him. Or, Olivia and the reader should have heard all about why he didn't do that, why he had been flirting, in short, anything to make us believe that Olivia should trust and love him again!
I feel short changed by this ending! Kate Perry, please will you include a strand in a future Laurel Heights book that will deepen Olivia and Michael's story, and in particular address these concerns?! I can see that I am not the only reader who was disappointed by the omission of these important points in an otherwise engaging romance.

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a whole lot of manipulation going on in this Northern California town. When Michael Wallace struts back into Olivia Parker's life, she never thought her day could get any worse. But when she finds out the Hollywood big-wig, "sperm donor"- who'd like to call himself her father - shows up as well, Olivia's day went to hell in a hand basket.

Back in the day, when their love was so sweet and nothing could tear them apart, Olivia and Michael's lives were pretty much set. But her meddling father enticed Michael to leave town to work as an exclusive director for his production company. Olivia waited for an invitation but Michael insisted she would be a distraction and therefore a hindrance to the dream he envisioned. Brokenhearted, Olivia left the country to lick her wounds and plan a future without the two men who abandoned her.

Eleven years later, both men came waltzing in back to her life. Everett Parker has a plan to right a wrong; Michael Wallace has a plan to finally get over the woman he could never forget and Olivia Parker has a plan to finally exorcise the ghosts of broken hearts, broken promises and her broken home.

I've been waffling back and forth on whether this book deserved another star. For what it's worth, the romance was one of those that will make you swoon while you desperately fight off the urge to pull your hair out of its roots. Michael and Olivia was a great pairing - their history made for a funny and gut-twisting read. It also helped that they let out steam with every look and every insult they throw at each other. The only snag in this otherwise perfectly flawed romantic pairing was how easily Olivia let Michael off the hook. I felt that she didn't make him work hard enough to regain her trust and forgiveness. Also, Michael didn't really dwell on the fact that Olivia hid a secret from him when he left. I mean, if I were in his shoes, I'd be stunned dumb, then hopping mad that he never had a chance to feel what he was supposed to feel, given the circumstances.

I'm also a little hesitant to give this book at least another star because it was peppered with minor mistakes. They're not overtly obvious but I noticed them anyway. This book is a self-pubb'd, freebie on Amazon, which makes me feel even worse for calling it out. But I'd like to point out that this was still miles better than most of the romance books I've read so far this year. I'm genuinely surprised.

I'd love to read the rest of this series because I can tell that her stories are something I'd enjoy. Please don't let the rating deter you from reading this book. Her characters are witty, fun and quirky with story lines that could sweep you away in a heartbeat. If you're looking for a scintillating romance with adorable characters, do yourself a favour and feed your E-reader with this book.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was just... I just... ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!

So I have recently fallen in love with the Laurel Heights series, but this just didn't cut it for me.

I loved Olivia. She was a fantastic character and she had to deal with a lot of shit that nobody seemed to understand the seriousness of. She was strong and gorgeous and funny and I really liked her.

I also have fallen for Rick. Rick is smokin' hot and sweet to boot. So you can understand my frustration and anger at the love of her life being that twat Michael, who never seemed to redeem himself, nor try. He was just a dick! Arghhhhhhh!!!!
Needless to say I was massively disappointed.

Also I felt a little uncomfortable reading about her dad's romance.
And by 'a little' I mean a shit ton.
It didn't help that I couldn't understand him and in no way could forgive him.


So overall I guess I'd have to say that I loved the protagonist but couldn't stand the path the story took. I just want her to be with Rick...

[Anne OK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazon Freebie (6/5/12)

3.5 stars

A very cute and fun to read second chance at love contemporary romance. After eleven years, Michael, now a successful Hollywood director, returns to his hometown - not by choice, however. Olivia Parker was broken-hearted when Michael left her behind to make a name for himself among the stars. She has never fully gotten over him or forgiven him for walking away without so much as a phone call. This is a sexy romp that gets lots of help from a lingerie store stocked full of tempting silk & lace and chocolate, too. The great secondary cast, including some headstrong matchmakers who won't give up their efforts to see that Michael and Olivia finally get their happily-ever-after, help make this one an even better story.

[Jaime Fiction Fangirls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book right up until the end. I love a HEA but there were too many loose ends not tied up. Why was Michael hanging all over Sophie at the party? Why didn't Michael and Olivia discuss the baby? Was he even made aware that it was a miscarriage?

[KristenReviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 Stars
Light, simple, soap-opera-ish read.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too fast paced, jumped all over... No real incline in the story just a bounce from one behavior to the next with significant gaps... Overall I would have liked the story, but Michael's character wasn't redeeming at all, it's a shame she couldn't end up with Rick. I enjoyed Lainie and Everette more than Olivia and Michael...
Olivia was bitter and hating him one minute, then screwing him the next, it was too fast!

[Lynn]

Pretty decent for a quick romance in between weightier books. My only problem with it is the end and how quickly the heroine accepts the hero's apology even though he doesn't explain himself AT ALL. Just an I'm sorry so let's sweep everything under the rug. That bugged me big time and didn't seem to fit the heroine (or give the reader any satisfaction). Other than that it was a good light romance.

[Bookswithbenefits · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: Olivia and Michael have been connected since they were only six years old, becoming, over time, best friends and lovers. However, as they grew up, Michael was lured from Olivia and their small town life by the promise of a directing career in L.A. When he abandons Olivia, everything they were together is lost. But over a decade later, Olivia's powerful father decides it is time to repair his relationship with his daughter, and he knows the first step is reuniting her with the man she has always loved. He cooks up a plot and moves himself, Michael, and an entire film crew into his daughter's little town and into her home! Will all of this go according to script or is this just a recipe for disaster?

Wanna find out? Currently, it is a FREE Amazon Kindle download!

The Good: Let me be honest here, shall I? I am terribly ill. Miserably ill. No, wretchedly ill with some summer bug, but this novel was enough to distract me from my woes for a little while. The novel has an intriguing synopsis, and it grows even more interesting when Perry reveals that Olivia's father's secretary has been pining for his attention. It was fun watching these parallel stories, and I enjoyed reading about a slightly older couple. The earnestness in that plot line was a welcome contrast to the hot-and-heavy-lost-their-minds plot line of the main couple.

The Bad: Do you remember what it was like pressing fast forward on a VHS? You would hear the high-pitched rattling of words as the world zoomed by and, if you had it set up high enough, it would skip entire scenes, racing to the end? That's what reading this book felt like. I don't know if this is a case of editor-took-a-hatchet-to-the-tale or if the author just wanted something short and sweet and, thus, didn't bother with creating something dense, and emotional, and real.

Olivia and Michael's history is simply backstory and little more than that. We don't get to know their younger selves or have much sympathy for them. And, I didn't really care much for their older selves either. Although they have so much history between them they are obsessed only with sex and with each other's physical changes. This is possibly Perry's plot contrivance (i.e. it must only be physical with them because they are both too emotionally scarred to move the plot quickly enough. So let's turn up the heat and see what happens). But, dammit, give them a chance to make it emotional. Make the book longer. Cut out some sex scenes for some conversation. Anything. Please. I'm begging you.

It's even worse in the Father-Secretary subplot. At one point, Lanie (the secretary) is swearing never to see Everett (the father) again. One very quick chapter-focused-on-Olivia-and-Michael later, she is on a plane back to town and back to him... Of course, she flew in thinking to meet Olivia, but when she sees him BAM!

Perry attempts to make everything work, and, honestly, there is consistently believable logic  that keeps this tale firmly on the rails, but the logic feels like rationalization not romance.

The Ugly: The Cover. Oh, the cover...

We’ve all been there. We’re wandering through a bookstore, or maybe  aimlessly searching suggestions, looking at  random lists on Amazon.com for something to read. Happily, we traipse through booktopias convinced that we’re going to find something wonderful to read and then… We are greeted with this:

Before I begin, I feel I must point out one very simple fact:

Most authors get absolutely no input in their covers, or, if they do, it’s mostly a kind of courtesy. Publishers rule. Authors weep and hope for reprints.

Challenge accepted. Unleashing Mockery… 

Stacking up even more proof that cover designers do not read the books! How could these covers both be for the same novel? One is full of tender moments and sweet good morning snuggles. The other is folded jeans, and tough-girl boots, and running from flesh-eating monsters. (I'm not the only one who sees Rick and Lori from The Walking Dead , right?) What's worse than these two separate covers is that neither of them match anything or anyone in the books.

I actually like the covers a wee bit and wouldn't cringe taking either of them up to the front register (with the exception of the phallic imagery in the right one...his little-man head aiming for her. ugh. *shiver*), . BUT--and this is one giant but--it makes me angry that neither of these moderately well-designed covers was created with the book in mind. This couple doesn't snuggle. They are afraid of intimacy. There would be no early morning chat and tumble and snuggly-buggly-wuggly. And, Michael would never run headlong toward Olivia. In fact, he is dragged kicking and screaming back into her town and her life. Her father essentially has to bribe him.

This book was incredibly short. I have no idea why the designers could not be bothered with reading it. Can't they consider reading the book part of their work?

I know some of you are hopeful and optimistic. You are thinking that romance cover designers aren't this lazy/too busy to read the books they design for, but let me tell you. It happens. When a book is coming  out, many authors get to fill out a suggestion sheet telling the designers about our covers. But we are asked: what do the character look like, where is the story set. etc. And that's it. No follow up. No feedback. So, I can only say...

Forgive the cover artists, for they know not what they do.

As posted on http://bookswithbenefits.com

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slick's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

3.75 Stars

Return to You by Kate Perry is a reunited lover’s story with a side story of new love thrown in for good measure. I always enjoy when writers can focus on their main characters but give us glimpses at other characters making the book a lot more entertaining. Kate managed to do this in spades!

Olivia Parker owns a lingerie store and is quite successful. She has a habit of taking care of or “mothering” her friends often giving them very sage advice (although she never applies it to herself). She lives with her Grandmother who raised her from age 5 when her mother passed away. She’s angry with her father who not only “dumped” her at age 5 but then offered her high school boyfriend (and best friend) a job 11 years ago. She claims she’s over the boyfriend yet she’s never really moved on.

Michael Wallace has become a very talented movie director thanks to Olivia’s dad, Everett. But, he’s not satisfied with his career and wants more from life. The last thing he wants is to return to his hometown to shoot a movie knowing full well that Olivia will not be happy about his or her father’s return. He agrees because Everett offers him something he can’t refuse.

When Olivia and Michael meet for the first time in 11 years, it’s confrontational. When Olivia’s friend, Rick arrives Olivia is thrilled and Michael departs thinking they are a couple. Olivia and Michael seem to run into each other frequently and eventually wind up spending quite a lot of time together through no fault of their own. During this time, they rediscover each other as adults rather than the kids they were a decade ago.

I’ll admit these two characters were not as endearing as the main characters in the previous books in this series. I didn’t dislike them, but they both seemed selfish and childish at times. I realize they had a volatile history, but I just found it a little hard that Olivia was still carrying around so much baggage and Michael could be so indifferent. That being said, the second love story between Olivia’s dad, Everett and his assistant, Lainey was sweet, sexy, and at times funny. I very much enjoyed the scenes with Olivia’s grandmother, Mae. I also liked that despite how Olivia felt about her Dad, she was willing to help Lainey in her quest to make him see her as a woman. There were also some interesting moments between Rick and another shop owner, Gwen. I mean sexual tension so thick you’d think you were fogged in at the San Francisco airport. I have a feeling these two may be the subject of the next book and boy that’s going to be one hot read!

Overall while Return to You is not my favorite in The Laurel Heights series; it had an interesting plot line, likeable characters, decent dialog, and of course the happily ever after we all enjoy. I encourage you to read this series and this author, both have a lot of potential.

[Nicole Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this novel and enjoyed it so much that it verges on 5 stars. It is extremely well written, captivating, and so much fun to read. The character descriptions and development were exceptional. I truly felt like I knew the characters. I believe that this is the third book in the series but I didn't know that until I was done with the book. That says something! I never felt like I was missing something or that I was "out of the loop". In fact, I thought it was the first book. Therefore, while it is a series, the books clearly stand on their own. My only complaint was that the dialogue was occasionally hard to follow. It was not always clear who was speaking. I would have to read a sections a couple times to try and make sense of the conversation. On the bright side, there were no spelling errors or typos, although there were a couple of issues with grammar and sentence structure. It was hardly noticeable though.
I genuinely enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more books by Kate Perry. What a talented author! Thank you!

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when our female characters are feisty, "you came in here to remind me of what we were?" she asked incredulously. "What did you expect? That you'd walk in here and I'd be overjoyed to see you?" Olivia is also a sarcastic one, "then you must be here to make a purchase. For a girlfriend? Unless you've taken up cross-dressing. In which case I have a lovely satin teddy that'd do wonders for your figure." There were times Michael was just an a**, "fact of the matter is I'm as pissed as you are about this, babe. Do you really think I want to be around you any more than you want to be around me?" Then there were other times I loved him and his stupid questions, "what's so funny? He's got to be gay if he doesn't care if another guy's making on his woman." I love Kate's books every story makes me happy and also makes me want to punch the characters.

[Dawn Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but the ending just left so much out. I mean I am glad the way it turned out but there should have been more with Olivia & Michael no mention of how he spoke to her regarding the news that he overheard, nothing as to why he was allowing Sophie to hang all over him. I mean I was happy with how Olivia stood up to him but I just thought there would have been more fuss. Parker & Elaine same thing I mean the fairy-tale is always great & the meat getting to the final was also telling but it just left me feeling mad that if these were supposed to be strong women then they would not have just given in so easily. I mean yeah give in to Love but they need to stand up more. Awesome Read though

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm debating on what to rate this.

The overall story was decent, but the main characters were really annoying. I don't really know how to describe it other than really fast paced make-up to an 11 year old feud that is started with and continued due to miscommunication because there is no talking going on - just sex and assumptions.

These kind of books drive me nuts. The whole plot mechanism behind the story is no communication and the characters just assuming intent behind actions/words without talking about stuff.

I'm giving it a 2 star because I did finish and I did enjoy the overall story and the characters in the story (that weren't Michael and Olivia).

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 5
An enjoyable second chance romance with two romances intertwining. Lovely characters, dialogue, and set up though I had some issues. I enjoyed it all up until the end. The ending was rushed and left too much unanswered. We never find out why Michael didn't ask Olivia to come with him 11 years ago. Or why he never came back to even visit. Also the business with the actress and pregnancy was just brushed aside. Getting married doesn't instantly dissolve the problems there. Michael basically tosses another woman in here face while accusing her of infidelity and killing their child. And nothing is said about it? Disappointing :(

[Kamillah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a free ebook... I couldn't decide between two or three stars because I was entertained, but I definitely wouldn't call it great writing. It's kind of like when you get sucked into a somewhat cheesy but engaging made-for-tv romance or romantic comedy on a random cable channel lol, albeit a somewhat graphic cable channel. The characters were a little one-dimensional and sometimes frustrating but in the end I really, really wanted to know the outcome. So I will admit, it kept my attention.

[Loren · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was too much manipulation going on for me to believe that any of these characters could have a healthy relationship. Virtually every character was manipulating at least one of the other characters and sometimes more than one other character. So many of the problems between various characters could have been resolved if the characters had stopped manipulating each other and actually had a conversation. In particular, the issues between Olivia and Michael never seemed to actually be resolved. Instead, we were given an epilogue that jumps ahead to a wedding.

[Bungluna · Rating 1 out of 5]

If the author had checked off every singly pet peeve of mine she could not have written a book more abhorrent to me! Meddling senior? Check. Manipulative relative? In spades check. Insta-lust that wipes all wrongs? Double check.

I liked Olivia at the beginning, but I gave up when she fell horizontal with the jerk "love of her life" and just allowed everybody to manipulate her. I wanted major "begging for forgiveness" so I skimmed to the end to see if this happened and couldn't believe the conclusion. For the sake of my blood pressure I just gave up.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Nice story, but sooooooo many typos took the enjoyment out of reading this one. Sometimes I even had to pause & reread a sentence to figure out what word should really be there. Arrrrgggh!

I loved Olivia's character and enjoyed visualizing Lainie's metamorphosis. I could see Michael's redemption and wondered about the outcome of Everett's manipulations. Predictably, it all comes out in the wash. Quick read, if you don't mind the mistakes.

[Opinionated Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this on the Top 100 free downloads on Amazon.

It was a quick read. I was disappointed by the one-dimensional nature of the love interest, Michael. I think that was one of the biggest drawbacks for me. I enjoyed the romance between Parker and Lainie and found it more compelling than the main storyline.

It was mostly lighthearted and a bit fun. A quick summer read.

[Dami (Damiellar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know whether it's due to my not having read the previous books in this particular series but I just found this a bit lightweight. Drama, drama, drama then it was resolved with a click of the fingers. It just felt too easy, some troubling incidents in the past seemed to be processed too easily. It was ok, but I don't think this'll make it onto my reread list.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a great start I was disappointed with the ending. You don't go through what Olivia did and just fall back into the arms of the men who did it to you. And then not discuss certain aspects of it. Definitely have to 'get lost in love' to believe it

[SheLove2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - maybe 3.5 stars. This would be a good rainy day/beach read. I didn't find it to be anything spectacular or out of the ordinary, but it was still an engaging, romantic story. Part of a series but can definitely be read as a standalone book.

[Sauniell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a few of Kate Perry's books and I'm not sure how I feel about these books anymore. I appreciate a quick read but I get annoyed how the storyline makes that unrealistic jump from no hint of sexual tension into sex in a mere second.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first one of her books I read and it caused me to go back and look for more. I like her writing style, easy to read, spicey, interesting contemporary stories, strong women, colorful people.

[Cheesecake]

The ending is too little too late... and the hero doesn't even try to to grovel till the very last bit. Luke warm at best. Her father didn't grovel well either. She should become a lesbian and do away with men all together.

[Misti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this to read during vacation. I was a little disappointed that the character let her ex back into her life so easily without THE talk or working things out. But, it was pretty good overall.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book. read it in less than a day though. loved all the characters in this one unlike book #3 I couldn't stand Treats mom.

[Louise Wardell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael and Olivia parted ways eleven years earlier. Now they are forced back together by the person responsible for splitting them up. All have hurts from the past.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so bad.