Comeback Love

Apr 21, 2012 Joann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really loved this book and the way the narrative was constructed. So many stories that move between past and present have difficulty keeping the reader from feeling this sense of bouncing back and forth. This story unfolds in such a way that the reader is left with a smooth evolving tail of the characters, gaining more and more insight about Gordon, Glenna and their sphere of family and friends as the critical moments of their story come to light.

So many of the stories of romance that are out...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This lovely little book is a love story and the story of finding what is important in life.
The story goes back and forth between the present and the late 1960s, when Gordon and Glenna first met.
In the present, Gordon feels like his life is falling apart. On his way to visit his sister Elaine in Boston, he stops in New York to visit his parents' graves and see his old girlfriend Glenna. But Glenna is more than just any old girlfriend, she is the one he has always longed for and grieved over losin...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Another book picked because I liked the cover! I was drawn in by the photo of a couple walking in the middle of the street on a gray overcast day,it looks like the aftermath of a snowstorm. The girl in a red wool pea coat and pale pink woolly hat, the guy in a black peacoat and red beanie, both in dark pants,arms around each other, walking; buildings towering over them in the city.
The story is about Gordon Meyers and Glenna Rising. A couple who meet in the 60's, having what is a rollercoaster l...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story of Glenna and Gordon is lke any other typical couple. Boy meets girl...boy falls for girl...boy and girl breakup. However, how many people can say that they got a second chance at love. Not as many as some would like or hope for.

Flash back to thirty five years ago.

Gordon Meyers is an aspiring writer. Gordon's first assignment is to interview one of the medical students involved in the organization for New York Medical Students for the Repeal of Abortion Laws. The medical student that...more

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Apr 29, 2012 L_manning rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gordon was immediately drawn to Glenna when they met. Drawn in by her passion, Gordon had a tumultuous and emotional relationship with Glenna. Things gradually begin to go wrong though, and soon something that seemed very right is very wrong. Thirty-plus years after a horrible end, Gordon is once again seeking Glenna. As the grasp to figure out what went wrong in the past, they also work together to figure out their futures. Can you relive the past?

I found this story very interesting. The book b...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Anagha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone!!!

Shelves: posted

Originally posted on my blog: http://book-spark.blogspot.com/

“G: Never fear. 10 yrs from now, when you're looking at this picture, I'm going to be looking at it with you.
I love you,
G.”
4.5 stars!
Wow. Wow wow wow wow wow. I never imagined a romance could ever be so good...so perfect. That is the one word I can use to describe Comeback Love.
The premise of this novel is truly unique: Gordon Meyers is a fifty-something man who lost the love of his life about thirty years go. He has never truly been a...more Originally posted on my blog: http://book-spark.blogspot.com/

“G: Never fear. 10 yrs from now, when you're looking at this picture, I'm going to be looking at it with you.
I love you,
G.”
4.5 stars!
Wow. Wow wow wow wow wow. I never imagined a romance could ever be so good...so perfect. That is the one word I can use to describe Comeback Love.
The premise of this novel is truly unique: Gordon Meyers is a fifty-something man who lost the love of his life about thirty years go. He has never truly been able to let her go so he goes in search of his lost love for a mystery reason. When he visits her office in Manhattan, they are overwhelmed and decide to go for a drink to catch up. With this opening, Mr. Golden unfolds a deep, tender tale about two people who share a soul-crushing love - one that spans decades. Since the book revolves around the two reminiscing about their past, the author did well to alternate between the past and present through the story. After every few chapters about the past, he brings us back with a conversation about the part of the past that was just explained and more prodding oh Glenda's part to find out why Gordon has returned after so many years.

I guess the main reason this book really pops in comparison to some of the YA romances I've endured is that it has very convincing characters. Both Gordon and Glenda are deep, beautiful, virtuous characters, yet not perfect. They are not made out to be some sort of angels or flawless human beings, and it is their faults that makes them both so infuriating and lovable. Gordon is funny and caring, yet he is a man; he gets easily jealous and he is visibly attracted to other women. Glenda is beautiful, intelligent and a to-be-doctor, but she is always late and she is often insensitive. Together, they make the perfect couple whom I was rooting for the entire novel (well, except a certain part where I was furious with Gordon and another certain part where I was furious with Glenda). Their ups and downs are meaningful and heartbreaking, not thrown in without thought. Their names I thought were quite unfortunate, although I suspect that was intentional. Gordon? Glenda? Tell me those names were awful on purpose, Peter!

Without a great narrator, even a superb plot can fall flat and Peter does not hesitate to exhibit his genius storytelling skills. The suspense of the reason for the separation and the reason for Gordon's return is quietly emphasized throughout the novel, building suspense without going overboard. The narration made me want to characterize it as a classic - the book handles love, loss and women's issues all with a lyrical prose and 'stark reality' description. The attention to detail was very engaging. Whether talking about the setting or the multi-faceted personalities, you were shows every single fascinating moment. Beware though: this is no typical rainbows-and-unicorns love story. It handles complex issues about the relationship between men and women, sex and abortion, and even war.

Cover/Title: I adore the simple but meaningful picture of the man and the woman walking in snow on the cover. It simply creates the mood for the love story but demonstrates that there is so much more to it through their appearing tiny in comparison to the tall buildings around them and the cold inhospitable air.(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Donna Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

When I was reading some of the press material about this debut literary fiction novel from Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), I noticed this quotation from Susan Novotny of Staff Picks Press:

“If you are a boomer who fell in love in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, this book is for you.”

Well, I’m not and I didn’t – I wasn’t born until several years later – but I still feel that this book is for me. It opens with the protagonist, Gordon Meyers, looking up his former lover, Glenna. From...more When I was reading some of the press material about this debut literary fiction novel from Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), I noticed this quotation from Susan Novotny of Staff Picks Press:

“If you are a boomer who fell in love in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, this book is for you.”

Well, I’m not and I didn’t – I wasn’t born until several years later – but I still feel that this book is for me. It opens with the protagonist, Gordon Meyers, looking up his former lover, Glenna. From this point on, the book hints at some big event that led the two of them to separate, despite their love for another another. But what could it be?

Peter Golden does a marvellous job of building up suspense throughout the novel, without over-playing his dramatic hand. Gordon and Glenna don’t have a perfect relationship by any means – there are rows and upheavals, misunderstandings and meddling from other parties – but the tension builds slowly and steadily as you wonder what could possibly arise that would cause decades of separation.

One of the clever aspects of Comeback Love is the way Golden keeps injecting progressively more serious events into the novel so you find yourself asking ‘Will this be what does it?’ or ‘Surely this is the one!’. In this way, despite the steady almost melodic pace of the novel, the suspense is always there to keep you turning the pages. Once you do finally realise how these two have been split and kept apart, the story takes on a very different feel – the suspense gives way to frustration, confusion and sadness. As well as the role of the characters in their own fates, an important aspect of the novel is also the role that events in American society play and how Glenna and Gordon’s responses to these events impact their lives forever. As you begin to conceive of the cost to these two people of the decisions that were made by themselves and others, the book becomes much deeper.

Comeback Love is a beautiful debut from an excellent writer. Peter Golden’s attention to detail brings the characters to life – their quirks, foibles and personalities constantly coming across through banal and seemingly unimportant gestures that Golden has taken the time to capture and which add real substance to his portrayals of Gordon and Glenna in particular. This is a moving and compelling read and a great accomplishment for any writer, let alone a first-time novelist. Technically a 4.5 but in the absence of half scores, a thoroughly well earned 4 is the final verdict!

This review was originally published on Book Bags and Cat Naps. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. I did not receive any additional compensation and all opinions are my own.(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

Find this and other reviews at The Nifty Novels Blog. Check it out!

From the book's back cover:

What would you do if you had a second chance with the one that got away?

More than thirty-five years ago, Gordon Meyers, an aspiring writer with a low number in the draft lottery, packed his belongings and reluctantly drove away, leaving behind Glenna Rising, the sexy, sharp-witted med student he couldn't imagine living without.
Now, decades, later, Gordon is a former globe-trotting consultant with a gro...more Find this and other reviews at The Nifty Novels Blog. Check it out!

From the book's back cover:

What would you do if you had a second chance with the one that got away?

More than thirty-five years ago, Gordon Meyers, an aspiring writer with a low number in the draft lottery, packed his belongings and reluctantly drove away, leaving behind Glenna Rising, the sexy, sharp-witted med student he couldn't imagine living without.
Now, decades, later, Gordon is a former globe-trotting consultant with a grown son, an ex-wife, and an overwhelming desire to see Glenna again. Though she's stunned when Gordon walks into her Manhattan office, Glenna agrees to accompany him for a drink. As the two head out into the snow-swept city, they rediscover the passion that once drew them together -- before it tore them apart. And as the evening unfolds, Gordon will finally reveal the true reason for his return ...
Comeback Love is an evocative journey into the hearts of two lovers who came of age in the 1960s, and who never truly let each other go. Plumbing the depths of youth, regret, and desire, Peter Golden deftly illuminates the bonds that mysteriously endure in the face of momentous change.

My thoughts:

I was not sure how I would like this book. It was a bit different from many of the other books that I have read, but the subject seemed intriguing to me, so I was happy to take a chance on this one to see what I thought. I'm glad that I took the chance.Gordon and Glenna have a passionate love story, but it is a messy one. Their love erupts in the midst of the chaos that was the 1960s. Drug and alcohol use is almost routine. The protests against the Vietnam War and the women's equality movement are changing the world around them, and Glenna and Gordon are right in the middle of it. In many ways their love story mirrors that unsteady world in which they find themselves. Like I say ... it's messy. There were many times in the novel where I thought that maybe it might be better for the two of them to go their separate ways. But I couldn't escape the connection the two of them shared, so I rooted for them to find a way to make it work. And yet, I knew from the beginning of the novel that things were not going to go smoothly for this couple.

The novel begins in modern day New York as Gordon comes to reacquaint himself with Glenna after thirty-five years of separation. But quickly the novel flashes back to the beginning of their relationship, and I was able to see just how they fell in love and then fell apart eventually. These transitions were done very well, and I was captivated by the move from present to past to present, needing to know just what had gone wrong and whether they could find a way back together after all of this time. The scenes from New York of the 1960s were very well written. I could feel the energy of that time as I read, the excitement of youth trying to enact social change as well as the recklessness of youth, behaving as if they were invincible. Gordon and Glenna as a couple and individually embodied that excitement and recklessness. Even in the middle of their tumultuous relationship I don't think that either one of them expected it not to last.

Peter Gordon does not shy away from the issues that framed the movements of the sixties. I need to warn you that there are some pretty frank discussions about abortion throughout this book, and he does not sugarcoat it. Living in today's world where the abortion debate is still going strong, it is almost surreal to read about the issue as it was being discussed in the sixties before Roe v. Wade. Having grown up in the generation directly following this one, I found it very interesting to see just how different (and yet at the same time how similar) the issues are that we face in today's social climate.

This is obviously a book written by a polished and professional writer. The dialogue seams together throughout the story in a way that kept me wanting to read to the very end. The story was touching without being sappy. The characters were interesting but nuanced and layered. At times they could be fun and sweet, but they could also be terribly flawed. Even seeing them come back together after all of those years, I saw that they didn't just happily skip into each other's arms and into an eternity of bliss. It was more realistic and choppy, and for me that was a sign of a great storyteller at the helm of this book. It was fascinating to explore the issues within this book as I read, and I sat and questioned whether I would want to ever go back and have a chance with my first love, the one who got away. For me that answer is a big, fat NO. But as a sucker for the happily ever after romances I have to say that as I read Gordon and Glenna's story, I wanted for them to have a second chance at a happily ever after together. And I was happy for the chance that I had to come along for the ride. For a strong contemporary romance that weaves the good and the bad from the past with the hope for the future I do recommend Comeback Love.(less)

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Apr 20, 2012 Laurie Carlson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-couple, a-novel, abortion, abortion-clinic, adult-fiction, women-s-movement, vietnam-war, female-doctor, writer, love-story, love, new-york, contemporary-fiction, couple-in-love, debut-novel, dictionary, dreams, provided-by-publisher, publisher-provided-in-exchange-for, women-s-lib, working-women

Finally, I stumble upon a love story that is riveting with such delight, force, full of romance and so truly becoming that I fell completely and deeply mad in love with this book. I literally fell head over heels in love with these characters/couple, as they did with each other. This 'debut fiction novel' by Peter Golden surpasses a 5-star rating in this reader's opinion! This is a love story that is absolutely radiant, one you will not soon forget, as it will leave an imprint on your own heart....more Finally, I stumble upon a love story that is riveting with such delight, force, full of romance and so truly becoming that I fell completely and deeply mad in love with this book. I literally fell head over heels in love with these characters/couple, as they did with each other. This 'debut fiction novel' by Peter Golden surpasses a 5-star rating in this reader's opinion! This is a love story that is absolutely radiant, one you will not soon forget, as it will leave an imprint on your own heart. This book can truly answer the age old question of 'can love really last forever'? This story is a love story that is beautifully and romantically written, yet very realistic at the same time.
These two people meet in their college years and become a couple, Gordon and Glenna, and fall deeply in love during the 1960's, a trying and turbulent time, when the entire world was in unrest. Not only was the world at unrest, so were these two people which made for a riveting story. Each character needed to grow, one more so than the other. Cautious and trepidacaous with both of their hearts, they both try to guard them from one another, yet no matter how hard they try, their love would not allow them to. Something kept them together, until Gordon could tell something was happening with Glenna and her attitude once she started her Residency and also got involved in something illegal at the time. Shortly after noticing this change in Glenna, they had their first huge break-up in which Glenna would do something so severe to Gordon, that she was so angry at herself for doing it, she blames Gordon and makes him leave. Right then. Right there. NOW. It broke Gordon's heart. He was doubled over in pain.
Gordon is drafted and off he goes to Vietnam, but he still writes to Glenna. That love they have/had is still there. Every now and then, time willing when Gordon was in Glenna's neighborhood, the two of them would get back together. It must be because they were together for so many years that they still had that spark. I know this is what I felt about their visits. Some visits came to fruition, most did not.
Will true love win out in the long run of life?
I truly fell as deeply in love with these characters as they did with each other. This is a love story that is so beautifully and romantically written, it will stay in your heart forever. I was glued to this book and I carried it with me wherever I went in the house, or even outside and while riding in the car. I just could not put this book down.
Peter Golden's style of writing is very captivating and engaging. It is very descriptive and full of emotion. He knows what and how to tell a love story so touching and heartfelt, you simply cannot stop reading it. The length this relationship lasted, until the time they broke up and reunited, until the book ends, was timed to perfection. His writing is absolutely beautiful.
This book flip-flops between the past and the present. For instance, it starts off in the present during the Christmas holidays, with Gordon being stranded in New York city because of a blizzard. The airport is shut down, and there are no hopes of it opening soon. He takes a room at the Hyatt, and while stranded there, thirty-five years after their break-up, he decides to call upon Glenna again, after all this time has passed.
Gordon goes to Glenna's office to see if she might happen to be in, pondering this because of the time of day. She's in! They meet, and walk together arm in arm, to get a drink and reminisce their past relationship. Gordon is still very attracted to her. The snow is still falling, the roads are almost empty, so they decide to walk to the restaurant. It turns out to be a romantic setting, through the streets of New York during the holidays, through the new fallen snow
The past: Gordon is a freelance writer who earns very little money with his writing as the stories he sells to different publications do not pay much money. Glenna was a pre-med student who is now in her first year of internship at a local hospital. This immediately causes a little friction between the two, as Glenna is the bread winner of the two. She shares a large apartment with a friend, whereas Gordon is still living back home with his parents. Not an ideal situation for Gordon. Remember that during the 60's, with the Women's Movement, women were just starting to become very self dependent. Gordon somewhat felt a little 'less than' as compared to Glenna with his income.
This relationship is not without it's struggles and/or difficulties, but along with it's wonderful moments, those do outnumber any negatives. That is, until eventually something huge happens that is so large, circumstances and words make hurts that cannot be mended whatsoever, and the relationship ends completely.
Each go their separate ways, but through the years, do get back in contact with the other, and they meet up every so often. Sometimes when they meet, Gordon finds out Glenna has completely changed more times than not. Growing pains, but I think Glenna had more of them than Gordon did. That is for you to read about and decide.
Back to the present, yet this is where the book begins, and as I began to tell you a little about Gordon and Glenna's relationship. Stranded, Gordon goes to Glenna's office to see if she's there or not. It's a toss-up he thinks. She is or isn't, but worth the chance. Yes! She's there! She is on her way out the door, as it is closing time. Gordon asks Glenna if she would like to go out for a drink, which is where my review has started.
As I said above, again, this book shows that love does still stand the test of time. The great part of it is finding out how and enjoying the ride.
I would LOVE to tell you more, but I cannot. This is the type of book that you will be glued to, and is a very personal experience of love, different for every person who reads this book. When you do start reading it, you are going to want to devour everything and find out just exactly how and where their relationship takes them as you escape into this fabulous love story. I HIGHLY recommended this book! Put it on your TBR lists now! You are going to find a NEW author, Peter Golden, who you are going to love!
My favorite line from the book "Comeback Love" by Peter Golden:
"Not every conviction is impervious to the lessons and corrosion of time, and I could feel the past and present gathering together to become, if I was lucky, the future I desired."
This is one of my FAVORITE books of the year so far! It is going on my "Favorites List of 2012".
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

*I received this book for FREE from Washington Square Books, a Division of Simon and Schuster, AND through Crazy Book Tours through their Book Reviewers Program in exchange to read this book and write a review about it. It is NOT required for the review to be either positive or negative, but, of my own opinion. Free means I was provided with NO MONIES to read this book or write a review, but to enjoy the book. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa...
Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Autumn Review rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, review

Summary:
Thirty-five years ago, aspiring writer Gordon Meyers and med student Glenna Rising fell in love. However, the events that were happening in the country and around the world significantly affected their relationship. Gordon is drafted to Vietnam, while Glenna is an activist for a highly controversial cause. These circumstances impact their relationship and they decide to break-up.

Now, Gordon is a father, divorced, and a government consultant. He's also never gotten over Glenna. While on...more Summary:
Thirty-five years ago, aspiring writer Gordon Meyers and med student Glenna Rising fell in love. However, the events that were happening in the country and around the world significantly affected their relationship. Gordon is drafted to Vietnam, while Glenna is an activist for a highly controversial cause. These circumstances impact their relationship and they decide to break-up.

Now, Gordon is a father, divorced, and a government consultant. He's also never gotten over Glenna. While on his way to visit his sister, he decides to make a stop along the way to see Glenna. Glenna is surprised to see Gordon walk in to her office, but agrees to have a drink. She's curious to see what has brought him back into her life. As the two stroll down memory lane, old wounds are healed and feelings are reignited.

Then, Gordon reveals his true motivation for coming to see her. Glenna shows her support for Gordon and the couple finds that they may be able to have a future together.

My Take:
This book appealed to me because, I like stories about second chances. I also enjoy reading romances from a male perspective from time to time. However, be prepared that this book is not a hearts and flowers kind of book. There are some pretty serious issues that they had to deal with.

I can't really say that I connected with either character personally. I liked Glenna, but have very different view points. I admired her dedication to her career and I appreciate how difficult it would have been as a woman to truly succeed in a male dominated field at that time. I felt that there was more depth to her character than Gordon's. As for Gordon, I liked older Gordon better than younger Gordon. However, I felt his sadness and could completely relate to his undying affection for Glenna. There truly are significant relationships that alter your life permanently.

Overall, I did like the book. Even though the reason that he went to Glenna was troubling, I liked that it was an unexpected twist to the plot. I really didn't see it coming. While I was reading it, I kept thinking this is a story that my parents or the "baby boom" generation would be able to relate to more than me. I'm a product of the seventies, so I wasn't completely lost, but it will have more meaning to an older generation. The story was well written and had a easy flow. (less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Kathleen Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Comeback Love is a debut novel by Peter Golden and is a story of the love affair between Gordon Meyers, a journalist / college student and wannabe novelist and Glenna Rising, med student in the late 60's and present day where Gordon is a consultant and Glenna is a physician.

In the late 60's, in the time of the Vietnam war, peace, love and drugs, Gordon meets Glenna and is immediately taken with her beauty and intelligence. They move in together and because of certain circumstances break up and...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To say I liked this story is an understatement. This novel is for all of us that at one time or another questioned ourselves about our first love, and how come we let it slip through our fingers.

There’s so much to recommend this story that I honestly don’t know where to begin!

This is well written, character driven and very moving story that will grab you from the first page. It will then take you on a journey of love lost and love found, while in the background past and current events will eeril...more To say I liked this story is an understatement. This novel is for all of us that at one time or another questioned ourselves about our first love, and how come we let it slip through our fingers.

There’s so much to recommend this story that I honestly don’t know where to begin!

This is well written, character driven and very moving story that will grab you from the first page. It will then take you on a journey of love lost and love found, while in the background past and current events will eerily remind you of what our country went through in the 60’s and what it is still going through today.

The hero of this tale is Gordon Meyers; a man who at present needs to connect with the past in order to sort out his deep feelings for a woman that he could never forget, even through all the years of his marriage, consequent divorce and many years of loneliness.

The novel opens a few days after Christmas and Gordon is on his way to see his sister, stopping by his hometown cemetery. As tears are freezing in his eyes while talking to the gravestones, he decides to drive to Manhattan,and soon after he’s checked into Grand Hyatt.

As he sits in his hotel room and ponders his lonely existence, he’s looking over a piece of paper with Glenna Rising’s information on it and wonders if he should call or just surprise her at her office, after all, it has been over thirty years since they’ve seen each other. The first time they see each other, after so many years and life lived apart, that scene was so tender and real, it brought tears to my eyes…

*EXCERPT: “Having imagined seeing Glenna again for so long, I viewed myself as ready for anything-anything, that is, except entering the waiting room and actually seeing her with UPS box in her hands, standing amid the tube-framed chairs and low, laminate-topped tables that made me think that all doctors shopped at the same discount-furniture outlet.

‘Can I help-‘ Glenna said, For the rest of this review, please visit us at..

http://bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.co...

Melanie

*This review posted on Romantic Crush Junkies Reviews eZine*(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Jasmine Ko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is hands down the best book I've read all year so far. I fell hard for this book from the moment it grabbed me in the first couple of pages. I've waited all year for a book to do that to me and it was such a pleasant journey. I couldn't put it down and finished it during a couple late nights of not sleeping to keep reading.

What I enjoyed most about this story was that you really understand why Gordon goes searching for Glenna after twenty years and Peter Golden was masterful in writing the...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Jael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After decades apart, can two people find love again? Will everything work out? Is the pain of the breakup still there? Have the both of you grown from the experience? What would you do with a second chance? Peter Golden tackles all that in his novel Comeback Love.

The book alternates between the present and the past. In the present, Gordon Meyers is a successful consultant. He has a son he adores and an ex-wife. But now his life is in turmoil and it leads him back to his first love Dr. Glenna Ris...more After decades apart, can two people find love again? Will everything work out? Is the pain of the breakup still there? Have the both of you grown from the experience? What would you do with a second chance? Peter Golden tackles all that in his novel Comeback Love.

The book alternates between the present and the past. In the present, Gordon Meyers is a successful consultant. He has a son he adores and an ex-wife. But now his life is in turmoil and it leads him back to his first love Dr. Glenna Rising. Wanting to know what went wrong, kept me turning the pages. You meet these two likeable people, and wonder what kept them apart?

Thirty-five years in the past, Gordon and Glenna were coming of age amidst the turmoil of the Vietnam War. Gordon was trying to the dodge the draft by continuing his studies in college. When Gordon met Glenna he was struggling to make it as a writer, and she was a med student heavily involved in abortion rights. The attraction was mutual, but do they really belong together? I wondered if Gordon fit into her world. They seemed to be polar opposites. She's immersed in her studies and social responsibility. Gordon doesn't care a lot about college, he is simply trying to avoid going off to war. Somehow they make their relationship work. He might not like her friends, but Gordon can be witty and funny around them. She can easily get along with his family.

But something is missing from their relationship. It's the elephant in the room. They love each other, but they always seem to be testing each other. When Gordon betrays Glenna in the worst way, he decides against telling her. She was probably just testing him, so why tell the truth? Is he afraid of losing her or of getting caught? Neither one of them is acknowledging something is missing. What was it? In the present, Gordon and Glenna try to discover what went wrong. They discover that the hurt is still there. Gordon fell in love and married someone else, but he always wondered what a life with Glenna would have been like. Glenna became a successful pediatrician, but her marriage wasn't out of love but for convenience.

The book has themes everyone can relate to. Relationships are never easy, and they're filled with ups and downs. I found myself rooting for Gordon and Glenna. If given a second chance at love, would you take it? Most of us would probably say yes.

Rating: Superb

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Simon & Schuster) in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Jun 04, 2013 Eric Klee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

COMEBACK LOVE is a simple but sweet story about lost love. The novel alternates between past and present with the narrator, Gordon, getting back in touch with his first real love, Glenna, decades after they split up. The past tells how they met, fell in love, and eventually split. The present details how and why Gordon looks up Glenna after so many years.

I wouldn't say that I was totally drawn into the characters and the love they shared, but the story was an easy read and did hold my attention...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Cait rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

3.5 Stars

I bought this book before reading it because I was so sure I was going to love it. I loved the idea of lost love being found again, I loved the cover and I was captured by the title.

For me, it was a sweet, simple, love story of a couple, Gordon and Glenna, who meet in the 60's. The story jumps back and forth between when they first met and the present day, when they are reunited.

I think most people can relate to "the-one-that-got-away". That person who, even if you don't think about e...more

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Apr 02, 2012 ALPHAreader rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s present day and Gordon Meyers visits the graves of his dead father, aunt and uncle. With snow falling, he speaks to their ghosts and silently cries for an uncontrollable future that rests on the precipice . . . and then he gets in his car and drives to Manhattan, a city as full of ghosts as his hometown cemetery.

While in the big city, Gordon cannot help but return to old haunts and visit a woman from his past. A woman, who has never been far from his mind; not even when he married, had a s...more

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May 11, 2012 Lydia Presley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, coming-of-age, fiction

I am conflicted about this book. I really, really wanted to love it because I love stories that involve second chances and taking risks. But as much as I love those, I was discouraged because I felt as if Comeback Love flirted with the potential for a really good story and just fell a little bit short.

That's not to say it wasn't good story, because it was. It was just hugely ambitious and all of the back and forth, historic events, life-changing events and roller-coaster emotions made me feel as...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this book through one of the contests, and what a prize it was!

This book is for all of us who found love, and by the hands of fate, it was lost. Lucky for Glenna and Gordon, they got the chance to go back and fix the mistakes that are sometime made during young love.

I loved this story, and I liked the fact how it would be current, and then flashback to the past. It gave the book and the character's depth and it helped us as reader's to see how and why they, as adults had the perspective th...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kritter-reviewed-2012, ebook

Drugs, abortion clinics, Vietnam war and Afghanistan war are the many pressure points that this book highlights within one couple's journey together and apart. Jumping between the past and the present, the reader is taken back into the Vietnam/Woodstock time to find a couple trying to find their way both in their own individuality and within the couple.

Gordon was young man who wasn't quite sure what path he wanted to take, but he did know he wanted Glenna by his side the entire way. Glenna was...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Jaime (Twisting the Lens) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-tours

This review will be posted August 5th, as part of the book tour hosted by JKS.

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Nov 17, 2012 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Writer lives with 2 female and 1 male med student. He doesn't realize that the woman he dates loves him. He thinks she is only with him for sex. He is not smart enough to realize that the other woman is a tattletale. As people of the 60's they do light drugs. His deferment catches up with him and he says goodbye and goes off to war. Years later, after marriage to different people, they reconnect and their love lives on. Many people gave this excellent reviews. I found it boring. Wish it hadn't b...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Alexa Yupangco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Review originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

Comeback Love may primarily feature a romantic angle to the tune of lovers reuniting and re-igniting their passion, but that’s not all that this book has to offer. It also offers a look into the 60s in New York City, what it was like to be growing up and becoming an adult in that era. It also intertwines two stories - one in the past and one in the present - into a beautiful, seamless novel. Peter Golden has a writing style that reminds me a little...more (Review originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

Comeback Love may primarily feature a romantic angle to the tune of lovers reuniting and re-igniting their passion, but that’s not all that this book has to offer. It also offers a look into the 60s in New York City, what it was like to be growing up and becoming an adult in that era. It also intertwines two stories - one in the past and one in the present - into a beautiful, seamless novel. Peter Golden has a writing style that reminds me a little of Nicholas Sparks, although it's definitely a whole lot grittier.

The book certainly spotlights the romance between Gordon and Glenna in the 60s. He’s a college student, aspiring to become a writer; she’s in school to become a doctor. They couldn’t be more different, but somehow it works. Their relationship was believable, and I loved the playfulness and sincerity as both of them expressed their feelings. Watching them fall in love, seeing how things grow and change and morph as years pass - all of this was fascinating to me because I really liked them together. As individuals, they were already interesting; putting them together made them doubly so.

Obviously, invested as I was, I was saddened by their break-up, though I could see how everything led to that moment. Of course, I wasn’t too sad, since I knew that they would be reunited, but I did get a bit melancholy mulling over the years that they weren’t together and thinking about how it was such a waste of time.

Their reunion, of course, made me truly happy. I love it when older folk are able to reunite with the people they love. The fact that they’re older definitely lends a history and a stronger significance to the relationship, and I get very sentimental thinking about relationships like that. It was a pleasure seeing Gordon and Glenna reunited, seeing their relationship unfold like it had never ended in the first place.

This book was not just about romance. There were also a couple of big events and issues covered in this book - the Vietnam War, for instance, drugs and the rock-and-roll lifestyle, and the big debate about abortion. I loved that real history was brought into the writing of this story. The events drew me in completely, until I felt like I was in the 60s, observing all of this happen from the sidelines. I love history, and I think it’s brilliant how it was incorporated into this book.

All in all, Comeback Love was the treat I was expecting it would be. It elicited an immediate emotional response, and there were definitely things going on that I didn’t expect to happen at all. I love that each bit of the book kept me on my toes, fully invested in the characters and their story. Peter Golden has crafted such a great book, and I definitely think it’s a great example of contemporary adult fiction.(less)

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Aug 08, 2012 Shannon White rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: localiez-reviews

As reviewed in Localiez magazine (by me)

Have you been thinking about the one that got away? Perhaps your first love is still near and dear to your heart (thankfully not some creepy loser who has friended you on facebook)? As the years go by it is more and more difficult to reconnect….but what if you got in your car or hopped on a plane and just rang their doorbell? That is precisely what Gordon, the central character of Comeback Love does. Comeback Love is a nostalgic tale of taking action to de...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Marybeth (Manhattan Reader) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

When Gordan met Glenna it was instant attraction. A story of two lovers discovering each other goes wrong in many ways and thirty plus years later Gordan has returned into Glenna's life, after seeking her out. Slowly the ties between the present and the past are drawn together as both of them question 'what if' and if the past could ever be relived.

I honestly don't know what had originally drawn me to this book. When I was first asked to participate in the blog tour, this one instantly jumped ou...more When Gordan met Glenna it was instant attraction. A story of two lovers discovering each other goes wrong in many ways and thirty plus years later Gordan has returned into Glenna's life, after seeking her out. Slowly the ties between the present and the past are drawn together as both of them question 'what if' and if the past could ever be relived.

I honestly don't know what had originally drawn me to this book. When I was first asked to participate in the blog tour, this one instantly jumped out at me. And it had nothing to do with the direct plot line: I have never had a man leave me and thirty years return (I haven't even lived thirty years!) but I did like this correlation between the past and the present.

I think that a lot of us are guilty at one point or another in letting our past actions be the driving force to the present, and in a lot of ways start to overshadow the future. I think that's what happened to Gordan, in my opinion. While he had moved on, he had a son, he didn't really move on. He returned to her, Glenna. But, and this might sound a little weird, I liked that this was told from a male's perspective. For a long time I have always read very heavily emotional books from a female's point of view, and I can connect. I could connect in a lot of ways with Gordan, somewhat, even though he's a guy.

The thing about Gordan is that even when he was a young college student, in someways, he was always looking back. And now thirty-five years later he still is. The parallel's between the past and the present were in a lot of ways surprising, but I wouldn't doubt at all if that was the author's intent. I think that Gordan had a lot of work, and reader's can see that just as well as Glenna.

Glenna, I could never connect with her. She was very out there and in a lot of ways an open book. And the past Glenna, I honestly felt, was too far into the future for me. Or maybe I'm stuck in Hollywood's version of what the 1960-70's look like, but Glenna, to me, was a little ahead. And Gordan's feelings for her were very intense.

This book was very interesting and a little out of what I'm use to, but I'm glad I read this book. Even though I could connect with Gordan, I have to give this a four because like I said before, he had a lot of work as a person to develop and see that he wasn't the only who was hurting. Golden did an excellent job with this book though, and I would recommend this book to just about anyone. (less)

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Mar 24, 2013 Elise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Peter Golden's "Comeback Love" was a page turner about the power of lost and found first love between the characters Gordon Meyers (freelance writer) and Glenna Rising (medical student) whose romantic relationship flourishes against the backdrop of the tumultuous late 1960s. I read it in the space of one weekend because I couldn't put it down. Protagonist, Gordon Meyers, raises the question about whether second chances are possible after his passionate relationship with Glenna ends: "Why would i...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Ellyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i love stories that span time, and particularly coming of age stories of the 50s, 60s and 70s, so i was sucked right in to the premise of this book. i also liked the distinctively male voice. i do think the author was more enchanted with his mercurial heroine and love interest in the book than i was, but the love story was believable and worked, and he did a wonderful job of capturing an era and what it was like to be young then, and how one reflects on that many years later.

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Apr 06, 2012 Liz Gerron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved it! Couldn't put it down. Gordon and Glenna are characters I cared about ... I wanted to know their story. These two characters were so well developed -- particularly Gordon. First love through a man's point of view was very well done and revealing. At times you could feel Gordon burning over on Mars completely flummoxed by his Venus. The other characters -- Robin and "Biff" as well as the families were great foils for the main characters but interesting on their own.

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Sep 01, 2012 Fred Forbes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think everyone gets a case of the "what ifs" now and then and this book explores the question. While one can't exactly "go home again", as the saying goes, some make the attempt. I think the thing that appealed to me about this story is that the coming of age in the late 60's and early '70s still resonates with me all these years later. An exciting time to be alive and it was great to re-live much of it. The book is well written and moves along. A nice bit of mind candy!

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Apr 05, 2013 Nova rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed the story of Glenna and Gordon. This novel shows their backstories and how they both have to come to terms with the past to move toward their futures. They met in the 1960's and 35 years later, they still haven't been able to let go of each other. They have to come to terms with their regret, their desire, their love, and their youth in order to realize their true future. "What would you do if you had a second chance with the one that got away?"

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