Review: If I return, captures all the magic of the Holiday Season.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 26, 2013
First, I want to thank Sawyer Bennett for this early Holiday Gift of an ARC of If I Return for my honest opinion, and what a precious heartfelt gift this story was for me. I absolutely loved every word, feeling and emotion that it evolked in me.Hope accompanies her older sister Audrey to a Christmas themed wedding at the picturesque  Montgrove Inn in Asheville, North Carolina; this setting alone conjures up a holiday feeling as Asheville and the famous Biltmore Estate goes all out for the Christmas season, so I knew that this was going to be special. Hope is the  reserved, studious bookworm, and she sees herself as average and plain in comparison to her vivacious, beautiful and confident older sister, whom she admires and loves very much. As she and Ashely arrive at the beautiful Inn, Hope literally stumbles into the arms of a handsome man who leaves her speechless, and though he walks away, he has made quite the impression, and she silently wishes for more. Audrey challengings Hope to do something wild and daring during their stay at the Inn, and to meet someone and throw caution to the wind and have a fling with a gorgeous guy.  Hope said that she will think about it, but highly doubts that she could ever bring herself to be that carefree and adventurous. She attends a dinner reception with her sister for the wedding party, and who does she get the opportunity to meet, none other than Jack, the beautiful guy who rescued her from her near fall earlier. Their connection was immediate, intense and oh so hot!!! Sawyer has a way with words, making the intimacy intriguing without being so in your face that its offensive, which is a true gift.Hope and Jack have an amazing week together, and Hope is sure that she wants more, much more, but Jack has a commitment that will make more time impossible. This is the crux of the story and how a relationship can endure Jacks duty  for the next year. This is a short story, and sometimes a short story has a bigger challenge than a full blown novel, in that it must capture the reader quickly, set up the story in a short amount of time, and describe characters that have heart and soul, that are engaging and real; well Sawyer did that and then some. You know that a short story is successful, when it leaves you satisfied yet wishing for more and this one does just that. This is truly a precious Holiday gift that Sawyer has given her readers, and will leave you with that warm special feeling that we love this time of year and all year round. This one will truly touch your heart and make you feel warm inside, or maybe hot, lol!! Thanks again Sawyer for giving me the honor of previewing this story, and for allowing me to share my honest feelings about this read.