Return to Oak Valley

Ballinger Family #1

by Shirlee Busbee

Seventeen years ago Shelley Granger fled her California hometown, devastated and alone. Now her brother's shocking suicide brings her back, filled with doubt that she ever really knew him. Yet even in the midst of uncertainty, some things never change.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Shirlee Elaine was born 9 August 1941 in San Jose, California, USA. She was the first daughter of a career naval officer, later she had two sisters and three brothers, they raised traveling the world. She went to the institute in Kentri, Morocco, after which she returned to California and she went to Burbank Bussines College of Santa Rosa, where she received a certificate in 1962.

Shirlee married with Howard Busbee in June 22, 1963. Now, they live in hills of California, where they raise for pleasure Standard Schnauzers, Standardbred horses, and other many animals.

She has worked as a receptionist for the Marin County Title and Abstract Co., as plant supervisor for Fairfield Title Co., and as secretary and drafting technician for the County Parks Department of Fairfield, California, where she met her life-long friend and mentor Rosemary Rogers. Published since 1977, Shirlee Busbee is the proud author of over 18 novels, including seven New York Times bestsellers. With over nine million copies of her books in print, she is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in writing, including the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award and Affaire de Coeur's Silver and Bronze Pen Awards.

You may write to Shirlee Busbee care of C/O Warner Books, Inc., Time and Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

Reviews

[Marina P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contemporary romance in rural America. The story and the pace were rather boring. For a second chance romance there was little of the following: groveling, heartbrokenness or some ‘reason’ to forgive etc. There were too many virile men defending their male territory or whatever.

I have read more interesting historical romances by this author.

[Vida X · Rating 2 out of 5]

Idiosincrasia de los 80 en una novela publicada en el 2002. Demasiados detalles sin importancia y pocos de los verdaderamente trascendentes en la historia. Y con todo, más sexo que amor. No provoca leer el segundo de la serie.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Review... did not register. Original owner here:

http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/1227109

[Bryndís · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!❤️ I miss the story already. I want to know more about the feature of Shelly and Sloan.

[Camily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everytime Sloan was described as masculine, an angel lost its wings

[Olnega · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance with some mystery, ok but nothing special, a bit slow, no angst or drama.

[Dorothea Müller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelly Granger kehrt zurück in ihre Heimatstadt, obwohl sie geschworen hat nie wieder zurück zu kehren. Doch ihr Bruder ist gestorben. Zu ihrem großen Entsetzten muss Shelly feststellen, dass ihr Bruder die Familiengeschäfte in größter Unordnung zurückgelassen hat. Auch die Familienfehde zwischen Granders und Ballingers brennt wie eh und je. Auch die Leidenschaft zwischen Shelly und Sloan Ballinger lodert noch heiß.

Ein Tal, zwei Familien und eine Leidenschaft die verboten ist. Der Klappentext hat mich etwas an Romeo und Julia erinnert. Eine verbotene Liebe und eine Familienfehde zwischen zwei Familien und das seit Urzeiten. Doch die Geschichte hat so viel mehr. Shelly ist erwachsen geworden und stärker als sie selbst weiß. Sloan will sich rächen, aber auch Shelly zurück gewinnen. Es gibt noch einen unbekannten dritten der mitspielt und die Vergangenheit steht auch noch zwischen ihnen. Ich habe das Buch verschlungen und konnte nicht aufhören zu lesen. Man wird in die irre geführt, Wendungen die einen geschockt zurücklassen und die Leidenschaft zwischen Shelly und Sloan lassen einen nicht los.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. About a fading family feud. After her brother's suicide, the heroine returns to the small town where she grew up and discovers that the brother she adored wasn't as worthy of adoration as she's always thought. Not only did he deliberately break up her romance with a son of the opposing family in the feud, but his gambling problem was bad enough he pilfered from her trust fund and got in too deep with some bad guys. And while all that was going on, the relationship between the reunited lovers -- the heroine and her former enemy-family boyfriend -- is heating up. It's a nice story but I got seriously tired of all the detailed descriptions of furniture and clothes Every Single Time someone walked into a new room or building. I really don't Care what the restaurant where they went on their first date looked like, at least not in that much detail. And I might have cared what she wore on the date, but not after descriptions of Everything Everybody wore at Every event. Okay, it might not have been Quite that bad, but it felt like it. Overall, I liked it.

[Marleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

[S Miller]

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