Brant’s Return

Following a prologue that shows the aftermath of a heinous crime, Brant\’s Return opens with Isabelle Farris working on a horse ranch, Graystone Hill, and finding out that her employer of the past few years, Harrison Talbot, has a son. A son who\’s been estranged from his father for some thirteen years. Being familiar with grief, loss, and not having the opportunity to say goodbye, she takes it upon herself to overstep the bounds of her role as secretary, and reach out to Brant, to let him know that his father has cancer, and that the doctors have estimated that he only has months left. Brant, a successful nightclub owner in New York City, thanks in part to the reasons he\’s been quite happy to maintain the divide between his father and himself, promptly makes several unflattering assumptions about Ms. Farris, but for purely mercenary reasons, having to do with the small batch, collectors bourbon distillery sitting abandoned on the fringes of the family property, chooses to return home one last time to see if he can tolerate his father long enough to come to some kind of understanding. Thus begins an unlikely romance that involves ponzi schemes and Amish morals, high society femme fatales and gritty detectives, the glitz and glamour of New York and the rolling hills of Kentucky, and the remnants of childhood dreams of magic portals. One aspect that I found particularly fascinating, was how Brant, who\’d obviously undergone a significant personality change as he reinvented himself after his move to New York, seems to vacillate between the vibrant young man he\’d once been while in Kentucky, and the cold ruthless businessman he\’d become in New York, almost as if, as the story shifts from one locale to the next, his persona is drawn to conform to who he has been in each location. Filled with twist and turns, revelations and long forgotten recollections, Mia Sheridan has crafted a delicate and sensitive love story wrapped up in layers of pretension, misunderstanding, greed, murder, and so, so much heartache. I found myself captivated from start to finish and found myself second guessing time and again which characters were what they seemed to be and which had agendas yet to be revealed. Absolutely marvelous.

As always, Mia Sheridan doesnt disappoint. Brants Return was not light per se it dealt with some pretty weighty issues in the characters pasts but there was a tender quality about the entire story that made it feel lighter than it was. I felt like Brants Return was the reward for all the pain and suffering the characters had gone through. We had to touch on those horrific experiences to understand how the characters had come to that point in their lives, but we got to revel in the afterglow of hope and healing. The prologue of Brants Return gutted me; I was so sure this book was going to destroy me I was almost afraid to continue. My trust in Ms. Sheridan and her powerful, beautiful words made me persevere. Thankfully, I was right to put my faith in her. Brants Return was a wonderful story of surviving, healing, growing into your full potential and realizing those things dont always look the way you assume. Mia Sheridan writing was superb in this book. I often found myself stopping and rereading passages because the prose was so moving. Im continually impressed by the way she takes all the words I know and love and gently coaxes them into art so poignant I feel it move through me and make me reconsider their power. Some authors are uniquely capable of weaving an intricate and exquisite tapestry with their words, and Ms. Sheridan is at the leading edge of that elite group. The only wish I have for Brants Return would be to get the answer to Brants question of why Isabelle looked so familiar to him. He mentions it several times in the opening chapters of the book; then its never touched on again. It seemed so vital when he was asking, so I was on tenterhooks with anticipation for that reveal, then it never happened. Brants Return is part of Mia Sheridans Signs of Love series. These books are all complete standalones and can be read in any order, without reading any of the other novels. Brants Return is written in dual first-person perspective, narrated by Isabelle and Brant.

Brant Talbots life in NYC is the opposite of what he left behind in Kentucky. He goes back to see his dying father after being estranged for over a decade due a phone call from Isabelle Farris, the secretary for Brants father. Assumptions are immediately made and Brant is none too happy that Isabelle could be the one to inherit Graystone Hill. Brant comes off cold, suspicious and all business. He doesnt have room in his life for emotions or love, but hes starting to see that perhaps he still might have something to offer to Isabelle. Belle hasnt had it easy after a devastating tragedy 3 years ago and Brants father gave her a job and place to stay to let her heal and recover. Shes still coming to terms with her losses and doesnt want anyone else to endure the lack of closure that she had. Shes very independent, thoughtful and compassionate. Shes also lonely and looking for someone to offer unconditional love and acceptance. Both Brant and Belle have deep scars from the past that make it hard to move on. Yet they have a palpable connection and share an understanding with one another. I felt like Brant transformed rather quickly out of his NYC persona once he met Belle, and maybe it was the familiarity of his childhood home, but it seemed a little abrupt. Regardless, they have to confront the past to determine if they have a future. There is a slight mystery and touch of suspense, too, and I was really curious to discover the answer behind those questions, knowing it would offer closure. As usual, Mia Sheridan weaves a story with complex characters who bring a lot of tension and emotions to the surface.

Great opening and I thought this was going to be a corker. Sadly it turned into a very predictable love story with some to and froing. I think the emotional connection was missing and the characters needed some life. I liked their back stories and I understood the thought process but I had difficulty finding a connection. The storyline was simple and plodded along at an easy pace. So many avenues this story could have taken, revenge, investigation, suspense,more banter between the two main was etc. It is good if you just want an easy afternoon read but the opening just gripped me and was by far the best thing in the book. It should have carried on from there . the author is obviously talented, that first chapter was really good. Write more like that with a little adventure and romance thrown in.

Isabelle Farris is a woman who has rebuilt her life after suffering a terrible tragedy. She found solace and therapy in horses and now works as secretary to crotchety horse farm owner, Harry Talbot. She adores the old man and is deeply affected by his terminally ill health. She sees through his grumpy facade and hopes to repay the kindness he has shown her by contacting his estranged son in the anticipation that they may reconcile. Brant Talbot left Kentucky thirteen years ago and has not once looked back. Hes made a success of himself in the New York bar scene and enjoys the trappings that come along with it. The call from Isabelle is unexpected to say the least; he wants nothing to do with his father but even so, he has his own reasons for going back. He regards Isabelle with suspicion and the two do not have the best of starts. She thinks him pompous but her aim is to get him to establish a relationship with his father and nothing more. They call an uneasy truce of sorts and its only then that Brant realises his hasty unjustified assessment of her. Brants Return is among my favourites of Mia. Im left with such a wonderful feeling that shows no threat of dissipating. Its a story to be treasured and encompassed such a wide range of emotions, I absolutely loved reading it. The epilogue gave me goosebumps and I can only hope my reading year ahead is filled with gems such as this one.

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