Julia London continues the saga of Homecoming Ranch with this second book in the series. In this book Libby Tyler (one of the owners)and Sam Winters (local deputy) are two definitely damaged people. Libby had a breakdown after her live in boyfriend tossed her out. She had been raising his kids while he had been fooling around with his ex-wife behind Libby's back. When Libby took a golf club to his truck, she was hospitalized and a restraining order was issued. Sam was the one who kept her out of jail but giving her warnings when she got too close.
Sam is an alcoholic who is managing to stay dry but tries to avoid any drama - Libby is all drama. Still they are drawn together like magnets.
Watching these two struggle with their individual demons makes you want to see them find the happiness they deserve, if they could just get out of their own way. Ms London does a great job a getting to the bottom of their problems and helping them start fresh and find a Happily Ever After. ( )

Return to Homecoming Ranch is the second novel in Julia London's Pine River series. This installment features another one of the Tyler sisters and it is a poignant and very heartwarming story.

Return to Homecoming Ranch opens not long after Libby Tyler's very public breakdown where she attacked her ex-boyfriend's truck with a golf club. A week of intensive, inpatient therapy has helped her regain her equilibrium, but she still has hopes of regaining her lost family. A recovering alcoholic, Deputy Sam Winters knows what it is like to pick up the pieces after a public fall from grace. So when Libby violates the restraining order her ex took out on her, instead of arresting her, Sam takes a softhearted approach and lets her go with a stern lecture. Libby keeps getting into trouble, Sam continues to rescue her and before long, their somewhat uneasy friendship leads to romance.

Libby is a passionate, vivacious and giving young woman but she is also impulsive, reckless and stubborn. The end of her four year relationship blindsided her but it was losing her ex's two young kids that really broke her heart. Libby has irrational and unrealistic expectations of salvaging her relationship with the kids and nothing and no one can convince her otherwise. It is incredibly frustrating watching her self-destruct time and again and while Sam's efforts to help her are well-intentioned, he should have let her deal with the consequences of her actions much, much sooner.

Sam works hard to maintain his sobriety and he now leads a solitary, quiet, peaceful life. He is incredibly patient with Libby and his feelings run much deeper than just friendship. Sam has serious reservations about becoming involved with Libby, and he is very upfront about what he needs from her to make things work between them. But Sam's expectations are impossible to maintain and Libby makes a rash and impetus decision that jeopardizes their relationship.

Adding to Libby's problems is the future of Homecoming Ranch. She and her sister Madeline are struggling to turn it into a hotspot for destination events, but they are running into numerous snags while working on their current project. Libby is also having problems with a fundraiser she is spearheading and in order to make it a success, she needs the expert assistance only her estranged sister Emma can provide and her arrival sets the stage for the next book in the Pine River series.

Return to Homecoming Ranch is a wonderful novel and Julia London deftly handles very difficult subjects with ease. Sam and Libby are well-developed, imperfect protagonists who eventually (if somewhat painfully) triumph over their personal demons. All in all, this heartfelt romance is compelling, entertaining and emotionally satisfying. ( )

Loved this one! Libby is a little crazy. Sam is very stoic. Together they find a great balance but can Libby put her past hurt behind her and realize what she has?? Love Julia London's writing style and the pace of this story. Very enjoyable. I highly recommend it. ( )

A special thank you to Amazon Publishing for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

RETURN TO HOMECOMING RANCH (Pine River #2) by Julia London is a contemporary novel of love, addictions, relationships and family.

The second book in the Pine River Trilogy, we return to the ranch with some favorite characters and some newfound family members.

Libby is one of the sisters we met in Homecoming Ranch and she needs to turn a profit on Homecoming Ranch, or faces losing her home (left by her father to the three step-sisters). Her other two sisters have left to follow their own dreams, leaving the venue for her to market.

Libby has lots of issues as her boyfriend leaves her for his ex-wife. She misses his children more than she does him. She is quite the character and does all sorts of things in order to see them, after all she helped raise them. She is quite passionate and emotions all over the board and gets so mad, takes a golf club to his truck, and lands herself in a mental institution.

Damaged Sam is back on the scene as the handsome deputy who has been sober for two years, as he is a recovering alcoholic. He works very hard to maintain his sobriety and needs no stress, especially women. He lives in the mountains and does not trust himself to be around the temptation.

Libby had been living with Ryan Spangler and taking care of his two children, Alice and Max. Their mother, Gwen, left the children with Ryan when she moved to Colorado Springs to attend dental school. When Gwen shows up to reclaim her family, Ryan boots Libby out and he gets a restraining order against her. This is when she goes a little nuts.

Sam has always liked Libby, his former colleague at the sheriff’s office but she drives him nuts with all the drama with her ex. Meanwhile Libby has issues of her own as she is stressed about making Homecoming Ranch a successful event destination and getting back to business after being in a mental institution for a short while. Sam is falling for Libby, but she brings too much baggage with her and he can’t afford to risk his sobriety.

Of course, Leo is back in book two which we all love! (Suffers from motor neuron disease –MND) and full of laughs for everyone. He still has a sharp mind with a winning personality and the family and town pull together to help him with equipment needed for his disability.

The romance between Libby and Sam is comical and a wild ride, as well as the heartbreaking and funny Leo, which will warm your heart.

RETURN TO HOMECOMING RANCH, can be read as a standalone; however, would recommend reading HOMECOMING RANCH (nice read), to how these three sisters came to meet one another for the first time.

Glad Libby enlists the help of her California half-sister, Emma to return to Homecoming Ranch to help her and Madeline (the main character in book #1), in a new venture for the ranch, in order to help those who need it the most. Look forward to reading Book #3 in the Pine River series where we hear from the third sister!


http://www.judithdcollinsconsulting.com/#!Return-to-Homecoming-Ranch-/cmoa/745ED...
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Having won Julia London’s ‘Return to Homecoming Ranch’ as a Goodreads First Read novel, I was entertained, but never completely drawn into the story. My perception was that, although the author provided a worthy tale, some of the minor characters in the story were never quite developed, and I sometimes momentarily wondered who they actually were. That being said, I did enjoy the characterization of Libby Tyler and Sam Winters, as they sought to overcome their foibles and to find happiness. The romance that ignited between Sam and Libby was captivating, although both were ridden with overwhelming issues that they were striving to overcome. I found myself cheering for them, and hoping that they would manage to take some risks in their relationship. Libby, with her eternally optimistic attitude about putting forth her best effort, was an inspiration to me, as I truly felt that she gave of herself and connected with others from her heart. All in all, ‘Return to Homecoming Ranch’ was an enjoyable novel and worthy as a beach read. ( )