The Day He Came Back is a tour de force of longing and second chances. An adult story about true love and sacrifice. Yet it’s so much more. It doesn’t fit neatly into any little boxes. And everyone should read it. I was overcome by the stark portrait of choosing between selfish and selfless love, between family we’re born into, and the family we choose.
TDHCB is a simple, stellar romance set amid an elegy on sacrifice, greed and the callous indifference of illness. You will fall for Raven, just as Gavin did, and this story will stay with you. Long after you’ve tried to move on, these lovely people won’t let you.
The Day He Came Back is so full of soul. It pulses with need and brutal honesty, and it’s the perfect tonic to a long season of stories of redeemed bullies and immature jerks. Raven and Gavin are honest, devoted star-crossed lovers.
Gavin Masterson is a prince among men. Gavin is the modern hero we need today, and in a sea of caricatures and nasty book boyfriends, he surfaces as the answer. The only man we need. He’s complicated, yet smitten and he knows it, his obligations weigh on him, yet he keeps himself and the readers above water, never pandering or compromising himself or his ideals. He expresses himself and while he’s patient, the story unfolds leaving no doubt that he knows what he wants, even if events beyond his control force his hand. And yet he is no heartbreaker. He’s a deliberate, careful lover and the bittersweet developments in this story make it impossible to stay away.
What I liked most about Gavin? How Ward drew him, with so many dimensions, and yet he was always honest and committed, to everyone. It’s hard to write a man as smitten and not have him sound like a girl, but Ward gave us a real young man who grows into an incredible adult, full of love, and passion, longing and fear and vulnerability, altho he never came across as pitiable. Gavin moved me in every scene. I kept thinking to myself, true love is the family you choose, whelp. I love this story.
Raven is the epitome of self sacrifice, and her journey from curious outsider to head over heels young love was thrilling and she is up there with my favorite young heroines. She had so much thrust upon her. And over and over she put everyone else on her back, choose their battles over her own. No wonder Gavin fell so hard. I can understand what happened, and the heartbreak was agonizing yet felt inevitable. How did Ward do that?
God, my emotions were all over the place. Tears and laughter mixed equally because the narrative was freaking compelling, and it was fantastic. I can't say anymore, you’ll have to read the story, and I don’t want to spoil it, but Ward has a gift. She can weave a complicated world where we care deeply for everyone in the story, and the humanness she conveyed--even in the simplest of phrases--moved me.
About that title. It was in so many ways, a perfect metaphor for Raven’s beats in this story. I feel like Gavin had many days and he came back over and over (I'm not giving anything away, I'm talking about the effect of the story). Gavin wanted Raven from the moment they saw each other. Their first scenes together are the perfect launch for their languid romance. There is great plotting and 'yell at your kindle' arcs that carry us through, even the brother and best friend find peace.
Sigh, I could go on, I enjoyed this story so much. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves true love.
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About the author
On my TOP 2019 MUST READ lists!!
THE GUIDE TO ROMANCE NOVELS REVIEW Not my first read by author, I don’t know a lot of people actually anyone who hasn’t read a Penelope Ward book, I mean HELLOO!! I was preparing because of the Blurb that got me! Right away my heart was hurting, but the back-story of Gavin & Raven…oh be still my heart. To come to an understand of the HOW was beautifully broken. THIS STORY WILL TEAR YOU DOWN & THEN BUILT YOU BACK UP! O.M.G. Part one was a killer, and i mean that in every emotional feelings type of way. The whole back-story of them was very informative and heartbreaking on a lot of way. All the side characters, Raven’s mother and Gavin’s family, all had a backstory and some connection in a way. So to say that I disliked a character is hard, except except except Gavin’s mother, WOW she was a kicker!! It’s hard to say much because I don’t want to ruin it for you, but there was so much I just want to spill it all! Oh, and you will love Marina, HA! I want to be best friends with her and have her on my side of the ring! Gavin: as a young man he was level headed, gorgeous and fun. Raven: as a young woman she was strong, already grown up and eventful. Gavin: As a man he is a knock out drop dead gorgeous and still his old self just more responsibilities as it seem. Raven: As a woman she is broken, marked and still the honest beautiful girl she was. This is a story of a boy and girl that fell in love so much that nothing could tare them apart, until one day something did, or did it in the first place at all? One summer proved that LOVE exists but did it still exist? It’s heartbreaking of the events that occur down to the last %. It’s a book that I couldn’t put down and reading it made me feel as if i was living it. I laughed, cried, got angry and loved with Gavin & Raven. A contrast story! Penelope really is a magician!
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- Lyn, Welsh border.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2025
TOTALLY SCRUMPTIOUS! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
