Book Review: When You're Back by Abbi Glines

When You're Back
Author: Abbi Glines
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Australia
Pages: 255 pages

 

The future is looking bright for Reese Ellis. She has Mase Colt-Manning, the man of her dreams, and a new family following the unexpected arrival of her long-lost father. Everything is finally falling into place.

While Reese is away visiting her new family Mase spends time with Aida, a close childhood friend. Unrelated by blood, Mase and Aida were raised to think of each other as family, and that's how Mase sees her, as family. But Aida has other ideas, and when Reese returns, she can tell something isn't right. Aida clearly resents Reese, and excels at manipulative little games. Is Reese's new-found happiness about to fall apart?

My Review

Thoughts on the book: When You're back is the second book about Mase Colt- Manning (Harlow's half brother) and Reese Ellis. I was quite excited to learn after finishing When I'm Gone that Abbi was writing another story about these two, as it seemed like everything was all wrapped up nicely in the last book. But I suppose with it ending with:

The Corner of the man's mouth lifted as if he was amused. "I'm glad to see Reese has someone to protect her. However, I've waited twenty-three years to meet her." He held out his hand to me. "I'm Benedetto DeCarlo, Reese's father."

you kind of have to have another book. When You're back starts around a month after When I'm Gone finishes. Reese has been spending all this time with her father and her new family, while Mase went back to work on the family farm. When Reese finally arrives at the farm to live with Mase, she meets his 'cousin' Aida who clearly doesn't like Reese immediately and who has her sights set on her man. Reese also gets a job on a neighboring ranch and meets the ever mysterious Captain, who just so happens to be Blaire's half brother. Captain makes no secret that he likes Reese and that he doesn't like the way that Mase is treating her. Reese and Mase thought that they had their happily ever after in When I'm Gone, but they have some serious hurdles to work through in When You're Back before that can happen.

It was great to see Reese really step out of her comfort zone in this book and take on her dyslexia head on. She was able to obtain a job and did really well at it and she was able to basically get through nearly everything that was thrown her way. Her love for Mase never wavers and she is a really strong character. It was also good to get to see where Mase was from. I loved reading about what his home life was like and what how he interacted with his parents and cousin. You could tell that he was more at ease here and that he truly fit in here and nowhere else and that his mother made the right decision to keep him away from Kiro Manning.

Although these two books about Reese and Mase aren't my favourite Abbi Glines books they fit into the series perfectly and it was interesting to learn about more of the Rosemary Beach family.

Favourite quote/part:                                   SPOILER ALERT

'I love you so much I can't breathe. You are my heart Reese. My Life.'
'Reese Ellis, you came into my life and lit it up. Everything that was dull became shiny. You changed me. You made my life complete. So please, give me all I want in this life and say you'll be my wife.'

Rating: 5/5