What do you think?
Rate this book
By the Sea #10
Returning Home by the Sea
Six years ago, Zoe Clark married a military man for love, certain that Brayden Hamilton was her soul mate. Now he wants a divorce and feisty Zoe is not ready to give it to him, especially since she knows he still cares for her. She’s got the fight of her life to keep him.
Army Captain Brayden Hamilton has spent much of his six years overseas and he’s seen and done things that have changed him from the man Zoe fell in love with. Her smile keeps the desolation of the desert away but he fears his darkness will destroy her.
After an attack on the compound near Mosul, Brayden is injured and almost dies. He does not tell Zoe until he is back in the United States, deciding for her what he feels she needs to know. Zoe is furious—she knew what she was getting into when she married a man in the military. Zoe has managed the family Electric business, keeping them together after her dad passed away and she is capable of running her own life without Brayden’s direction. She wants to be a team but he is used to taking the lead. If they can’t find a way to compromise, love might not be enough to keep them together.
Army Captain Brayden Hamilton has spent much of his six years overseas and he’s seen and done things that have changed him from the man Zoe fell in love with. Her smile keeps the desolation of the desert away but he fears his darkness will destroy her.
After an attack on the compound near Mosul, Brayden is injured and almost dies. He does not tell Zoe until he is back in the United States, deciding for her what he feels she needs to know. Zoe is furious—she knew what she was getting into when she married a man in the military. Zoe has managed the family Electric business, keeping them together after her dad passed away and she is capable of running her own life without Brayden’s direction. She wants to be a team but he is used to taking the lead. If they can’t find a way to compromise, love might not be enough to keep them together.
332 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2017
32 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Traci Hall
107 books398 followersalso writing as Traci Wilton and Ellie Brannigan
From cozy mysteries to seaside romance, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall writes stories that captivate her readers. As a hybrid author with over sixty published works, Ms. Hall has a favorite tale for everyone.
Mystery lovers, check out her Scottish Shire series, set in the seaside town of Nairn, or the Salem B&B Mystery series, co-written as Traci Wilton. Her latest project is an Irish Castle cozy as Ellie Brannigan. Whether it's her ever-popular By the Sea romances, an Appletree Cove sweet romance, or a fun who-done-it, Traci finds her inspiration in sunny South Florida, living right near the ocean.
Traci wants to hear from you!
Traci@TraciHall.com
Facebook.com/BytheSeaSeries
Twitter.com/Tracihallauthor
From cozy mysteries to seaside romance, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall writes stories that captivate her readers. As a hybrid author with over sixty published works, Ms. Hall has a favorite tale for everyone.
Mystery lovers, check out her Scottish Shire series, set in the seaside town of Nairn, or the Salem B&B Mystery series, co-written as Traci Wilton. Her latest project is an Irish Castle cozy as Ellie Brannigan. Whether it's her ever-popular By the Sea romances, an Appletree Cove sweet romance, or a fun who-done-it, Traci finds her inspiration in sunny South Florida, living right near the ocean.
Traci wants to hear from you!
Traci@TraciHall.com
Facebook.com/BytheSeaSeries
Twitter.com/Tracihallauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 20, 2019
Just okay
Soldier thinks he wants a divorce because he's deployed so much and he gets hurt by a bomb. He doesn't tell his wife and he stays away. She finds out, he comes home and they danced around each other for a while. They still loved each other and it was just nonsense honestly. There was a mystery about her deceased Dad and his accountant, missing land, inventions , etc too. Just a little slow moving for me.
Soldier thinks he wants a divorce because he's deployed so much and he gets hurt by a bomb. He doesn't tell his wife and he stays away. She finds out, he comes home and they danced around each other for a while. They still loved each other and it was just nonsense honestly. There was a mystery about her deceased Dad and his accountant, missing land, inventions , etc too. Just a little slow moving for me.
December 24, 2019
2 stars
Boring. I mean, reaaally boring. It felt like something interesting would happen. I kept waiting for it. But instead, the MC's couldn't seem to decide if they wanted a divorce or not. We didn't get to see them hash it out together because the question of to divorce or not was in their internal dialogue. And in one scene it seemed like one or the other wanted it only for the opposite to be true in the next scene. He didn't want to be there on leave and she clearly didn't want him there, but yet she moved in with him and slept with him.
Wtf?
The continuity was pretty shite, honestly. And there was way too much of Zoe's annoying familial drama distracting from the romance part - a romance I never actually felt. The couple had no chemistry, and Zoe was kind of a self-absorbed cow, imo. She married a soldier but didn't want him to BE a soldier. She seemed to think she was entitled to information that wasn't necessarily her business and also that the only one in the marriage that needed to change was him. And Brayden had some issues - injury, PTS and a need to sometimes protect her too much, but he was at heart a good guy and it pissed me off that Zoe treated him like an errant teenager and that he took it. She lacked any personality other than her bitchiness, so why he loved her was beyond me.
The writing was okay, but I didn't care for the writer's portrayal of this couple or their situation. Don't know that I care enough to try her work again.
Boring. I mean, reaaally boring. It felt like something interesting would happen. I kept waiting for it. But instead, the MC's couldn't seem to decide if they wanted a divorce or not. We didn't get to see them hash it out together because the question of to divorce or not was in their internal dialogue. And in one scene it seemed like one or the other wanted it only for the opposite to be true in the next scene. He didn't want to be there on leave and she clearly didn't want him there, but yet she moved in with him and slept with him.
Wtf?
The continuity was pretty shite, honestly. And there was way too much of Zoe's annoying familial drama distracting from the romance part - a romance I never actually felt. The couple had no chemistry, and Zoe was kind of a self-absorbed cow, imo. She married a soldier but didn't want him to BE a soldier. She seemed to think she was entitled to information that wasn't necessarily her business and also that the only one in the marriage that needed to change was him. And Brayden had some issues - injury, PTS and a need to sometimes protect her too much, but he was at heart a good guy and it pissed me off that Zoe treated him like an errant teenager and that he took it. She lacked any personality other than her bitchiness, so why he loved her was beyond me.
The writing was okay, but I didn't care for the writer's portrayal of this couple or their situation. Don't know that I care enough to try her work again.
November 22, 2019
Communication is key
Zoe and Brayden are a couple in love. Communication is not something they are good at. The whole family really has a hard time doing this. I enjoyed reading this story a couple who need to learn about opening up.
Zoe and Brayden are a couple in love. Communication is not something they are good at. The whole family really has a hard time doing this. I enjoyed reading this story a couple who need to learn about opening up.
August 9, 2020
Good story of being married to a military man, sometimes, it proves a hard task when they return. She has a full life with a business, feeling there is still love there. A story can they share the darkness and build again.
August 31, 2020
Can Zoey fight for her marriage when everything around her is falling apart? Brayden is convinced he must set Zoey free from their marriage and return to the military. But they are still in love. Will they find their way through the difficulties and come out stronger together? Great audiobook
January 15, 2018
Easy read. Love story. I liked it. Romance you can get lost in.
September 1, 2022
Lovely story I enjoyed reading tis one, will read more of this series soon.
December 22, 2016
Once again Traci Hall has developed fully fledged, complex characters that will keep you turning the pages from the beginning of the book to the end. That said, I would say that "Returning Home By The Sea" is the BEST By The Sea book so far. This book is much more than a standard 'romance', as such. Zoe and Brayden are characters who are as unsure of themselves and the status of their relationship as they are of their standing in life. They are up in the air due to many of the events that have affected them, their families and the business of being in love.
Having not had a personal romantic relationship with a person in the military, I cannot attest the trueness of dynamic that Zoe and Brayden find themselves enmeshed in, but from talking to friends who have been involved in a military-civilian spousal relationship, the marriage that Ms. Hall has created reads true to life. As one spouse, imagine questioning yourself, your role in war and how you relate to others due to damage you have suffered, both mentally and physically, as the result of your chosen profession. As the other spouse, imagine questioning yourself over the separation issues, need to continue in daily life with an absent spouse and the wanting to reengage with a returning spouse. "Returning Home By The Sea" is a primer on some of the issues that will need work in a relationship such as the one found in Zoe and Brayden.
Keep us the good work, Ms. Hall!
Having not had a personal romantic relationship with a person in the military, I cannot attest the trueness of dynamic that Zoe and Brayden find themselves enmeshed in, but from talking to friends who have been involved in a military-civilian spousal relationship, the marriage that Ms. Hall has created reads true to life. As one spouse, imagine questioning yourself, your role in war and how you relate to others due to damage you have suffered, both mentally and physically, as the result of your chosen profession. As the other spouse, imagine questioning yourself over the separation issues, need to continue in daily life with an absent spouse and the wanting to reengage with a returning spouse. "Returning Home By The Sea" is a primer on some of the issues that will need work in a relationship such as the one found in Zoe and Brayden.
Keep us the good work, Ms. Hall!
November 26, 2016
I really enjoy reading the By the Series by Traci Hall but I have to say that this is probably the best book in that series. I can describe the book with two words. Wow and Awesome.
Zoe married Brayden who was a military man. As Brayden is overseas he stops communicating with Zoe because he doesn't want her knowing how bad things really are there. So by not talking to her at all he thinks she is protecting her. Brayden has been told that it is easier to deal with the situation overseas if you write or speak about what is happening. So he writes her emails telling her about the things he does, the things he sees and they are so sad. But he never sends the emails.
So Zoe is back home and knows nothing. She is left to wonder is he still alive, why is she being ignored and then one day he shows up at the house and she finds he has been wounded. She is hurt, upset and angry.
This book will make you cry and have mixed feelings. Sometimes you like Brayden and sometimes you don't. Sometimes you like Zoe and sometimes you get mad at her. It is a whirlwind of emotions and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has been a long time since I have read a book that I would reread and I have to say I would honestly read this one again and again.
Zoe married Brayden who was a military man. As Brayden is overseas he stops communicating with Zoe because he doesn't want her knowing how bad things really are there. So by not talking to her at all he thinks she is protecting her. Brayden has been told that it is easier to deal with the situation overseas if you write or speak about what is happening. So he writes her emails telling her about the things he does, the things he sees and they are so sad. But he never sends the emails.
So Zoe is back home and knows nothing. She is left to wonder is he still alive, why is she being ignored and then one day he shows up at the house and she finds he has been wounded. She is hurt, upset and angry.
This book will make you cry and have mixed feelings. Sometimes you like Brayden and sometimes you don't. Sometimes you like Zoe and sometimes you get mad at her. It is a whirlwind of emotions and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has been a long time since I have read a book that I would reread and I have to say I would honestly read this one again and again.
November 30, 2016
When the physical and emotional scars of war mess with a soldier's self-worth, can a fragile marriage survive?
This story felt so personal for me. I remember the stress of my husband's long deployments. Spending only 18 months with my Army husband during our first 5 years of marriage. Being married to an active duty Soldier is no cake walk. Zoe and Brayden's story touches on the struggles of a Soldier, damaged by war, who feels like he is no longer worthy of his wife's love. Zoe is a tough girl, fighting to save the family business and her marriage. Military life tends to intensify everything! Your love is bigger, your problems are massive and daily life won't cut you a break. This story highlights how keeping things from the one you love to protect them usually does more harm than good. Deployments are hard but for a military couple, the most important fight might not start until you return home.
I'm a longtime fan of Traci's By the Sea series and Returning Home by the Sea is a great addition to this collection. This story is for readers who love great characters and a love story that doesn't leave you hanging!
This story felt so personal for me. I remember the stress of my husband's long deployments. Spending only 18 months with my Army husband during our first 5 years of marriage. Being married to an active duty Soldier is no cake walk. Zoe and Brayden's story touches on the struggles of a Soldier, damaged by war, who feels like he is no longer worthy of his wife's love. Zoe is a tough girl, fighting to save the family business and her marriage. Military life tends to intensify everything! Your love is bigger, your problems are massive and daily life won't cut you a break. This story highlights how keeping things from the one you love to protect them usually does more harm than good. Deployments are hard but for a military couple, the most important fight might not start until you return home.
I'm a longtime fan of Traci's By the Sea series and Returning Home by the Sea is a great addition to this collection. This story is for readers who love great characters and a love story that doesn't leave you hanging!
April 29, 2018
I won this book in a contest and am voluntarily offering an honest review.
Brayden is a combat soldier. He wants to shield his wife from the horror of war, so he keeps his communications to her to a minimum. When he is injured he returns home and finds that his wife, Zoe, is trying to keep the business, home and family together. She's a woman in a man's world of electricians. One brother is at home in that world, one brother has Asperger's and the oldest brother is the oil on water. The book is beautifully written, showing the effects of war on the decent people who go through it, as well as what the people at home go through. Highly recommended.
Brayden is a combat soldier. He wants to shield his wife from the horror of war, so he keeps his communications to her to a minimum. When he is injured he returns home and finds that his wife, Zoe, is trying to keep the business, home and family together. She's a woman in a man's world of electricians. One brother is at home in that world, one brother has Asperger's and the oldest brother is the oil on water. The book is beautifully written, showing the effects of war on the decent people who go through it, as well as what the people at home go through. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews