What do you think?
Rate this book
The Marine Who Came Back: A Single Dad Forced Proximity Romance
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 1, 2026
Cole, former Marine, is now a security contractor, and he’s been hired to run security for a reality TV show. He’s also a widower (his wife was also military and died in the line of duty) with an eight-going-on-twenty son. They’re staying at Casa Dorada for the show, and he is not happy about the lack of coordination on the part of the production team.
And then he sees the girl he left behind fourteen years ago.
Rowan was setting up her life to become an investigative journalist, but things don’t always work out as planned, so now she’s co-hosting the aforementioned reality show, whose producer is constantly making up phrases that sound impressive but mean nothing. Her co-host, Victor, is also touching her without consent, and he creeped me out the first time he appeared in the book.
Take a hike, Victor. You’re unsettling at best.
It’s sometimes painful watching Cole try to retain emotional control when he can’t stop watching Rowan. Oh, he still does his job, and he does it to perfection, but he’s reading what she’s not saying. The biggest hurdle between these two is that fourteen years ago, they were a couple. Then Cole took Rowan to dinner, and told her that he was leaving to become a Marine. There was no discussion, no input. And that’s a theme that affects more than this couple in the book.
As someone who has been married for almost twenty-nine years, my husband and I have made all our big decisions together. It wouldn’t even cross my mind to do something that would irrevocably change our lives without discussing it with him. That’s the thing about having a partner; your decisions affect you both.
The runaway stars of the book are Cole’s son Caleb, and Gunner, the former military dog who served with Cole’s late wife. There’s an ongoing storyline about Gunner’s emotional support duck (which is falling apart), and all of the people who try to give him new stuffies. Caleb, on the other hand, is going to be the next Spielberg, because he knows how to get people to talk, and how to frame a shot. The kid is EIGHT.
I really enjoyed this book, along with scoffing at the reality TV stuff; I don’t like reality TV as a general rule. This is the second book set at the Casa Dorado resort, and more to come. These books can work as standalone stories, so don’t let that hold you back. Come for the kid and the dog, stay for the former Marine and the reality show host, and get that happily ever after.
And then he sees the girl he left behind fourteen years ago.
Rowan was setting up her life to become an investigative journalist, but things don’t always work out as planned, so now she’s co-hosting the aforementioned reality show, whose producer is constantly making up phrases that sound impressive but mean nothing. Her co-host, Victor, is also touching her without consent, and he creeped me out the first time he appeared in the book.
Take a hike, Victor. You’re unsettling at best.
It’s sometimes painful watching Cole try to retain emotional control when he can’t stop watching Rowan. Oh, he still does his job, and he does it to perfection, but he’s reading what she’s not saying. The biggest hurdle between these two is that fourteen years ago, they were a couple. Then Cole took Rowan to dinner, and told her that he was leaving to become a Marine. There was no discussion, no input. And that’s a theme that affects more than this couple in the book.
As someone who has been married for almost twenty-nine years, my husband and I have made all our big decisions together. It wouldn’t even cross my mind to do something that would irrevocably change our lives without discussing it with him. That’s the thing about having a partner; your decisions affect you both.
The runaway stars of the book are Cole’s son Caleb, and Gunner, the former military dog who served with Cole’s late wife. There’s an ongoing storyline about Gunner’s emotional support duck (which is falling apart), and all of the people who try to give him new stuffies. Caleb, on the other hand, is going to be the next Spielberg, because he knows how to get people to talk, and how to frame a shot. The kid is EIGHT.
I really enjoyed this book, along with scoffing at the reality TV stuff; I don’t like reality TV as a general rule. This is the second book set at the Casa Dorado resort, and more to come. These books can work as standalone stories, so don’t let that hold you back. Come for the kid and the dog, stay for the former Marine and the reality show host, and get that happily ever after.
May 3, 2026
This part of Casa Dorada Romances
I Signed Up to Host a Dating Show.
Instead, I Got My Ex… and His Eight-Year-Old Truth Detector!
It’s like a dating show
I Signed Up to Host a Dating Show.
Instead, I Got My Ex… and His Eight-Year-Old Truth Detector!
It’s like a dating show
April 24, 2026
*3.25 stars
The Marine Who Came Back is a sweet, dual POV, second-chance romance about two people who loved each other as 20 year olds and are surprisingly reunited 14 years later because of a show aptly titled The Second Chance. At 285 pages, this is on the shorter side and I finished it in about 2 days. It also helped that the chapters were short enough, and there were a lot of paragraph breaks that made it easier to read.
Honestly, it felt like there was a lot happening and yet nothing at all. This is definitely a character-driven vs plot-driven story. Some of the dialogue felt forced and stilted, especially between Rowan and Cole (the main characters), and I didn’t really connect with their love story until the end. It felt as though they were relying on flashbacks from their younger years and their older memories of each other, rather than who they are in the moment. The best characters imo were the dog and the child. I also didn’t like how everyone kept meddling in their relationship… I wished we had seen them reconnect with each other more. Instead, it felt like they were reminiscing about the past, shooting each other longing glances, and deciding to stay away for “professional boundaries”.
Minor spoiler alert:
Back to their romance, . From that conversation, though, I am glad we got more information about Cole’s motivations and why he behaves the way he does. Rowan, on the other hand, felt a little flat to me. Wished we knew more about how she pivoted from journalism to hosting reality TV and how Cole up and leaving impacted the rest of her life.
The book picked up in the last 20% or so, and I appreciated . All in all, this was a palate cleansing fluffy romance with a precocious yet lovable 8 year old, a grumpy ex-Marine learning how to let people back into his life, and a cute and loyal German shepherd who takes the people he cares about very seriously. Served its purpose for a busy weekend!
Thank you to StoryOrigin and the author for an ARC! :)
The Marine Who Came Back is a sweet, dual POV, second-chance romance about two people who loved each other as 20 year olds and are surprisingly reunited 14 years later because of a show aptly titled The Second Chance. At 285 pages, this is on the shorter side and I finished it in about 2 days. It also helped that the chapters were short enough, and there were a lot of paragraph breaks that made it easier to read.
Honestly, it felt like there was a lot happening and yet nothing at all. This is definitely a character-driven vs plot-driven story. Some of the dialogue felt forced and stilted, especially between Rowan and Cole (the main characters), and I didn’t really connect with their love story until the end. It felt as though they were relying on flashbacks from their younger years and their older memories of each other, rather than who they are in the moment. The best characters imo were the dog and the child. I also didn’t like how everyone kept meddling in their relationship… I wished we had seen them reconnect with each other more. Instead, it felt like they were reminiscing about the past, shooting each other longing glances, and deciding to stay away for “professional boundaries”.
Minor spoiler alert:
Back to their romance, . From that conversation, though, I am glad we got more information about Cole’s motivations and why he behaves the way he does. Rowan, on the other hand, felt a little flat to me. Wished we knew more about how she pivoted from journalism to hosting reality TV and how Cole up and leaving impacted the rest of her life.
The book picked up in the last 20% or so, and I appreciated . All in all, this was a palate cleansing fluffy romance with a precocious yet lovable 8 year old, a grumpy ex-Marine learning how to let people back into his life, and a cute and loyal German shepherd who takes the people he cares about very seriously. Served its purpose for a busy weekend!
Thank you to StoryOrigin and the author for an ARC! :)
May 1, 2026
This book was not what I thought I would be getting when I started reading. And it worked out for the story. It’s not your typical second chance romance. Cole and Rowan are great together. Their interactions are something I loved reading. My heart broke for Cole and the struggles he has. And Rowan was the girl who got ghosted by him. The girl who never got over him. Their connection was so genuine and sweet. The way they fit together and their interactions were endearing. But it’s his son Caleb and dog Gunner that really stole the show for me. I just wanted to give belly scratches to Gunner when I heard about his stuffed duck. And the way Rowan and Caleb connected was so heartwarming. The journey all our characters take to what’s such a satisfying ending felt so honest and the ending was well earned. And I just have to say that Victor is a creep and I hate him.
April 28, 2026
I felt like I should review not to affect my booksprout streak, but I probably would have DNF'd this ARC unfortunately. The tropes were very cliche (dating troupe, forced prox, celebrity, Hollywood/movie style trope, grieving dad, etc. which I normally don't mind, but it felt like every cliche was being unnecessarily thrown in) and the book lacked pacing and a unique plot line. Most of it centered around a dog and the MMC's child, which was fine, but wasn't what I was expecting after reading the blurb. It's a shorter, cute romance, but unfortunately, it's so slow and I struggled through it. Nothing really happened until like 76% in. That storyline was interesting, but took wayyyy too long to get to.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 8, 2026
The Marine Who Came Back by Sadie Greene follows the story of Rowan and Cole as they navigate the second-chance at romance that fate has dealt them. I really enjoyed how the brief interactions between the FMC and MMC gradually unfolded to allow a natural and romantic connection to form. It made me feel that their relationship, even with all the setbacks, was earned. One thing I really loved is how Sadie Greene made this book more focused on the characters instead of leaning heavily into the plot. If you are looking for a story with emotional depth that has themes of recovery and belonging, this book is for you!
I received a free advance copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free advance copy of this book via StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 30, 2026
“The Marine Who Came Back” by Sadie Greene
-A gentle second-chance romance with dual POV and a strong focus on character over plot. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
While the emotional payoff lands, the pacing feels slow and the dialogue can come across as stiff at times. Caleb and Gunner steal the spotlight, adding heart and charm to an otherwise uneven but sweet story.
-A gentle second-chance romance with dual POV and a strong focus on character over plot. I received a free copy and am voluntarily sharing my honest thoughts.
While the emotional payoff lands, the pacing feels slow and the dialogue can come across as stiff at times. Caleb and Gunner steal the spotlight, adding heart and charm to an otherwise uneven but sweet story.
May 3, 2026
I really loved this story. Rowan and Cole were so wonderful. Being a second chance romance, this was a really great read. Watching them come together again. I enjoyed their moments and their conversations. Especially since it was Rowan that broke Cole’s heart all those years ago when she ghosted him. So to see them with through that, and realize they truly love one another was so sweet, so special. I had the best time reading this.
May 3, 2026
The Marine Who Came Back by Sadie Greene is a wonderful military second chance romance, the one Cole left behind. I absolutely adore Gunner his military dog who is so smart and decides Rowan needs to be part of the pack, so cute! I also really liked how their relationship unfolded naturally not forced. Really enjoyed this story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 24, 2026
This is a gentler second-chance romance that I liked the outcome. Caleb is a very intelligent and clever 8-year-old, and Gunner, the retired military dog, is very smart. Both were quicker to grasp Rowan and Cole's feelings toward each other. Gunner's stuffed duck gave my heart a tug. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 25, 2026
A sweet second chance romance. A young boy is at the heart of the story. The dog also provides some fun interest. Great location. An interesting variety of characters. Not a fan of reality shows, but this is an engaging look behind the scenes. My first experience with this author. I look forward to reading more of her books. Thanks to BookSirens for providing a copy. My review is voluntary.
April 30, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and refreshing — the perfect romance if you like slow-burn stories that end well. I had already read another book by the same author that I absolutely loved, and this one is kind of a continuation, but with a new story. I highly recommend it.
May 2, 2026
I really enjoyed Cole and Rowan in this 2nd Chance romance story, and I definitely recommend!
May 24, 2026
Clean Standalone Rom-Com
She's there to work not reconnect with an ex.
He was hired for security. With a overly observant son and seeing his ex this got complicated.
Second chances
She's there to work not reconnect with an ex.
He was hired for security. With a overly observant son and seeing his ex this got complicated.
Second chances
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews