Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940148311096 |
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| Publisher: | World Literary Press |
| Publication date: | 02/12/2013 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Sales rank: | 160,180 |
| File size: | 515 KB |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Come Back To Me
4.3 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
26 reviews.
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Melissa Foster has done it again with her breathtakingly emotional story Come Back To Me. Words cannot express how deeply moved I was by Tess and Beau's heartache and trials they suffered through and it has a heartstopping ending that brought me to tears. I highly recommend this fantastic read, be sure to have a box of tissues handy!
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This story of never-ending love and heartbreak has really made me cry and made me feel moved. When Beau, Tess's husband, goes to Iraq to work as a photographer, and he disappears, Tess's world will change forever. Will she be able to accept her loss? Will she be able to move on?
The story is so well-written, and the plot is so beautifully woven that it keeps you trapped in the words since you start reading till you finish reading it. The story is very beautiful and grips you from the beginning, so when you least expect it, you are so hooked that you cannot put it down. The characters are very well-defined, very well-described, and each of them has personality traits that make you think they are real people, and not only a work of fiction. The plot is quite reliable, and its unexpected twists and events in the story make you gasp, cry, be angry, feel sorry, and experience all kind of emotions while reading it. The style suits perfectly the story, using a different register for each character, in what I think it is a very clever use of the language. I really would like to see this book become a film. It would be very interesting to watch the story that I already watched in my mind, thanks to the evocative language used by Melissa Foster. A real winner, a sure best-seller, I strongly recommend this book to everyone who likes reading about feelings and relationships.
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The very title of the book "Come Back to Me" speaks of the desperate longing for someone to return. Beau takes an assignment in Iraq, the one that will finally catapult him to the top in his field and give him the worldwide recognition as a photographer that he dreams of, but he must leave his wife, Tess, behind with only a promise to return.
Beau's helicopter is shot down over Iraq, but Tess refuses to believe he is gone. She knows in her heart she would feel the loss if he were dead. Friends and family around her go on with their lives even as she steadfastly refuses to believe he is gone. Tess holds on to the promise that he will come back to her, especially as she finds out she is pregnant.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, two Iraqi women on the run, find and nurse Beau back to health. He hangs on a picture of Tess and the promise he made to her, but will he survive the trip out of the Iraq and back home.
Melissa did a wonderful job capturing the Iraqi family's plight to freedom and Tess's struggles back home. You can feel the turmoil within Tess as she refuses to give up on her husband even though everyone around her has put Beau to rest and is moving on with their lives.
Beau finally does make it home, but not to the happy homecoming we are all expecting. Expect to laugh and to cry as the words come to life from the pages of this book. Expect the unexpected. This is a book that begs to be read.
This is the third book of Melissa's that I have read and reviewed. There are so many authors and so many books I want to read, that I normally allow each author one book. Rarely do I read a second. This was one time I am very glad I broke my rule.
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Come Back To Me is a compelling portrayal of what happens when the human heart is subjected to loss and uncertainty. It is a story that proves that the language of the heart is spoken and understood in the same way the world over regardless of the hostility that is generated through our differences when it comes to matters of race, religion or culture. It is also a story that illustrates that hope is always possible.
I love the title of this book: Come Back To Me. It is what we ask, universally, of those we love when they leave us whether they are going to fulfill an obligation to their country or to pursue a dream. It is the truest test of love when we can open our hands to set the one we love free. The story begins with this request, but, ultimately, it becomes a story about courage and coming to terms. It is about being brave in the face of danger and keeping faith right in the teeth of every logical argument from every friend we have who says we’re foolish. It’s about being true to yourself and what you believe in no matter how often those beliefs are tested. Be prepared, though, for an ending that may not be quite what you expected.
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read 1/5/2012
Book Synopsis
Tess Johnson has it all: her handsome photographer husband Beau, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret--only she's never given the chance. Beau's helicopter crashes in the desert.
Tess struggles with the news of Beau's death and tries to put her life back together. Alone and dealing with a pregnancy that only reminds her of what she has lost, Tess is adrift in a world of failed plans and fallen expectations. When a new client appears offering more than just a new project, Tess must confront the circumstances of her life head on.
Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing honor killings find Beau barely alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged by the crash. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.
What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love.
My Thoughts
Have you ever struggled in your life to make sense of why things work out the way they do? Have you ever wished to go back in time and have a do over?
Tess Johnson is a young woman very much in love with her husband Beau, when he is with her the sun shines more brightly and the world just seems like it is their oyster. However when Beau is counted dead when his helicopter is shot down and the only things found are the personal effects and burned bodies of his companions her world crashes down around her ears from one breath to the next.
In taking this journey with Tess and Beau you will find out if she survives the loss of her husband, you will find out if Beau makes his way home to his wife and whether they in turn find their way back to each other in the manner that we have come to expect from a contemporary romance.
I have come to expect an emotionally charged read since getting a chance to read the author's prior works Chasing Amanda and Megan's Way. Melissa Foster is one of those writers whose work can only be described as gut wrenchingly realistic, her characters are people that we could have as neighbors as they are ordinary everyday folks that have good and bad days just like the rest of us, the plots that she comes up with in her stories are drawn from a well of research a bit of real life and most of all the compassion and empathy that she feels for others that allows this author to spin a tale that is realistic in nature without being overly sentimental in any way whatsoever.
Come Back to Me is a gritty read at times, it is full of humor, it is also full of sorrow, it will make you laugh out loud in one instance and make you cry in horror and utter shock in the next. Not only is this a really interesting look into the lives of Tess, Beau, Alice, Kevin, Louie, Suha, Samira and her children it is also a glimpse into human nature that shows us the depth of loyalty and sacrifice one can make in the name of love. It also shows how easily it is to misunderstand and make the mistake of thinking circumstances are different than they are and how hard it is to face the truth when it is easier to believe the lie.
This book will make you appreciate the lifestyle we in America take for granted, the privileges American women have that we take as our due and most of all make you think long and hard about what you would do in the name of love and friendship for those you care about. Not only will the story stay with you for a long while after you put it down but it will make you want to read more by the author as well.
[An ecopy of this book was provided as part of January 2012 blog tour to be read in exchange for an honest review.]
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When I think about this book, I still get overcome with emotion. I read this book in two evenings. The last evening I was clutching my IPad, tears streaming down my face, until past midnight. I couldn’t put it down. I needed to be with Tess until the end.
There’s so much I want to tell readers, but so little I want to give away. From the first page, we are thrown into Tess Johnson’s life, a vibrant woman who has just found out she’s pregnant and soon discovers her husband is presumed dead. She fights desperately to hold onto him, refusing to believe he’s gone. The reader knows he’s alive and trying to get back to her, but it’s her desperation and heartache driving the story. Her husband, Beau, is in a foreign land, facing challenges he can only begin to understand. The family he encounters there deserves freedom, and I felt for them and their struggles, but I wanted him to make it home to Tess. He survived a helicopter crash, but could he survive the escape to freedom?
My heart ached through every phase of Tess’s grieving process. Two friends stuck with her through everything: Kevin, Beau’s best friend, and Alice, her co-worker and best friend. Their mutual affection brings them together, ultimately in a way they weren’t expecting. A new friend, a potential client named Louie, enters the picture and helps Tess move forward.The ending is exhilarating and heartbreaking. We journey through Beau’s trek home and Tess coming to grips with reality only to be thrust into them finding their way back together. The results are not cookie cutter or expected. No simple running into his arms. When they come back together, nothing will ever be the same again.
Melissa Foster crafts such a fine story woven around people we can relate to and care about, that you trust where she takes you. Every reader defines a good book differently. But if you rate yours based on memorable characters who pull you into the pages with them, like I do, this is the book for you.
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This is the third novel by award winning author Melissa Foster, all totally different stories, told with compelling words. All the reviewers have given details of the story, I would like to give my reactions. I laughed, cried, gasped and cried again. Bess refused to believe she had lost Beau, when family and friends tried to convince her otherwise. Beau's total goal, even with devastating injuries, was to get back to Tess. These lovers went through countless hardships to try and make that happen. "Come Back To Me" is a beautiful story of undying love, friendship, and family. I know it is a story that I will read again. Don't miss it! Ms. Foster is on my list, waiting for every new novel she writes.
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"Come Back to Me" was a fantastic story of love and loss, dealing with grief, and accepting the challenges life throws at you. It takes you down the path of two people very much in love dealing with opposite ends of a life-altering situation: one struggling to survive and return home, and one struggling to accept and move on after believing a great loss has occurred. There were many surprises, plenty of life lessons, and some very unexpected events. Grab your tissues, and enjoy this fabulous read.
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My Thoughts and Opinion: This book is poignant, heart wrenching, emotional, a love story, suspenseful, with images of war, real life trauma, betrayals, friendships, family dynamics, lies, secrets, and so much more, that once the first page is opened, it can't be put down. Bravo Ms. Foster!!!! I finished reading this book on December 30th, 2011, and as the saying goes, saved the best for last. This was definitely one of my top 5 books of 2011.
Ms. Foster's writing style allowed the characters to jump from the pages, they were so life like. Her writing style, with detailed descriptions, allowed me to create images as if it were in real time be it if I was in Iraq or standing outside the doors of both the ICU and PICU of the hospital. The emotions and relationship dynamics between the characters were so profound and touching within the story line. However, for the reader, at least for this reader, thought provoking as each character examined their own what ifs and the guilt of their actions that might have changed the course of the outcome (vague--do not want to include spoilers).
This is the 2nd book I have read of Ms. Foster's. The fist being Megan's Way, which I also enjoyed. I highly recommend not only this book but this author. This book is a must read, but, it is a box of tissue read. An Awesome Read!!!!
My Rating: 5
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Come Back to Me is a story of loss, love and loyalties. When Beau leaves for Iraq as part of a photography assignment, he promises Tess he will come back to her, and when Tess hears the news of Beau's death, she holds tight to that promise. She refuses to give up on him and doesn't believe he's dead, especially when she is carrying their child. But when she meets Louie and at the insistence of her family and friends, she doesn't know whether to give up on Beau and move on with her life or still hold him to his promise of returning.
Beau wakes up in the middle of the desert in Iraq with two Iraqi women mending him back to health. He doesn't know how he will get home, nor does he know if he'll survive the trip with the women to get out of Iraq. What he does know is that he isn't giving up on going back home to Tess. She is what keeps him going.
Does Tess give up on Beau? Does Beau make it back home? What happens to these characters? I think these are answers you should find out on your own when you read, Come Back to Me.
I'm not lying when I say that I lost sleep the week I was reading this book. I stayed up way too late trying to find out what happened next. I neglected my own writing in order to read the tale woven by Melissa.
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A novel filled with absence and hope:
When Tess is told that her husband has died in Iraq she refuses to believe it. His parents plan a memorial service. Her friends tell her she needs to move on. But Tess can scarcely even imagine moving his clothes from the closet. Even when she learns she’s pregnant, even when a kind and generous young man enters her life, she’s still convinced that sometime, somehow, Beau will fulfill his promise and come back to her.
Meanwhile Beau, visiting Iraq to take photographs, has landed in the arms of a generous Iraqi family who nurse him back to health. Desperate to come back to Tess, nevertheless he’s drawn to the Iraqi woman and her children who risk their lives for him.
A teenage boy pulls away from his mother. A lonely man longs for his sick wife’s recovery. A woman refuses to move on. The world is filled with the absent beloved who fail to return, and Melissa Foster’s novel, Come back to me, explores the theme of love and loss with depth and feeling through the eyes of Beau and Tess. A beautiful story that describes two lands and two cultures with generous sympathy, closing the gulf between peoples even as it reveals gulfs between characters, I really enjoyed this tale.
Disclosure: I was lucky enough to read an eARC of this book as part of Melissa Foster’s blog tour.
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Very good book but HATED the ending, a real downer. Would have given 5 stars otherwise
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From my blogPowerful, engaging, heartbreaking with an emotional grace. Melissa Foster has captured my heart and attention, definitely an author I will continue to watch and support. If you like Kristin Hannah, you will enjoy her books. Every character is able to capture your heart and make you feel connected to them. When they hurt, you hurt, when they are conflicted, you understand and when someone dies you grieve as if you were family. Melissa has a special way of including a plot with great characters, creating a special story, no need to choose one over the other. I enjoyed the style of the chapters going between Iraq and Maryland, back and fourth with what Beau is going through and Tess back home grieving for him. Dealing with loss and grief when you do not have a body to make it final was the fight Tess had and her family and friends trying to convince her to move on and allow them this process to grieve. Tess was unable to abide or share their belief, she continued to say Beau promised to 'come back to me'. This was used one to many times in my opinion but also effective. There were so many delightful moments in this book. I had a gasp out loud moment at midnight, totally woke me, I got up and emailed Melissa immediately, subject line OMG....... Melissa happened to be online and emailed me right back. Got to love authors that connect with their fans. She made me cry, laugh and totally pissed off with characters at times. I enjoyed the emotional roller coaster. When I first started to read I said oh no a war story, this is not of interest to me. I'm so glad I accepted to review this because I would have lost out on a remarkable story. Iraq and the flight from war felt true and the nationals authentic. I have found Melissa's books to be the perfect book club reads and definitely for those that love adult fiction that pulls at your emotions. Highly recommend. A favourite quote - He battled the dilemma within the confines of is mind, desperately trying to convince himself that the feeling, the pull to protect, was driven by circumstance, not by desire.
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DEPRESSING!
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I have read all of Melissa Foster's romance books, but this is the first non LIB book of hers that I have read. Just like with all her other books I was not disappointed. I'm so glad I gave this book a try. Melissa is a wonderful writer that can draw you into each of her stories. Come Back to Me was a heart wrenching book with twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I loved every minute of reading it. I gobbled up the words on each page like I was starving and couldn't get enough of them. You can't help but hope that Beau will make it back to Tess and that they just might have a HEA. This is the most I have ever cried while reading a book. I was so emotionally involved throughout the book that it has taken me a few days to process everything that happened. This is a wonderful story of love, emotional struggles and loyalties.
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A wonderful love story. Takes the reader into the lives of two opposite cultures: american & iraqi. Tragedy, suffering, tears. But there is also triumph, enduring love, strength, and bravery.
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Suspenseful loving WOW!
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This novel was very good. When I had finished it I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was shocked and my heart.. broken. So glad I read it though and I will recommend it to everyone.
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I pretty much read this book in one sitting, and that doesn't happen very often with me. I was very much caught up in the storyline and there were times when I was actually holding my breath, waiting to see what would happen. Tess, Beau, Alice, Kevin, Louie, Samira and her family - these are all real people, with real lives - not sugar-coated characters in a book. Life is messy. Relationships are messy. Sometimes we are not in control of what happens in our life, but somehow have to work with what is left when the dust settles. Melissa Foster makes her characters dig down deep, through the pain and the reality, and swim through it all back to the surface.
All through out the book, just the way that relationships were forming and situations were evolving, I knew that someone would probably be hurt in the end. I did not know how it could resolve itself so that everyone would be happy. Even coming to that conclusion, I definitely did not see this ending coming. My advice to you? Keep a box of kleenexes handy!
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"Come Back to Me" is an amazing story of the deep love between a husband and wife, even though thousands of miles separate them. I enjoyed the way Melissa Foster tied the two storylines together of Tess grieving her husband yet not believing he was dead and Beau's struggle to survive.
The characters feel real, emotions in this book are real and even the ending, though maybe not what you are expecting, is real. Be sure to have some tissues ready as you will need them.
I look forward to reading more of Melissa's books!
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