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The Soldier's Homecoming
Book by Alward, Donna
283 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Donna Alward
287 books694 followersSince 2006, New York Times bestseller Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings that have won several awards and been translated into over a dozen languages. She’s worked as an administrative assistant, teaching assistant, in retail and as a stay-at-home-mom, but always knew her degree in English Literature would pay off, as she is now happy to be a full-time writer. Her new historical fiction tales blend her love of history with characters who step beyond their biggest fears to claim the lives they desire.
Donna currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and cats. You can often find her near the water, either kayaking on the lake or walking the sandy beaches to refill her creative well.
Find out more at www.donnajonesalward.com
Donna currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and cats. You can often find her near the water, either kayaking on the lake or walking the sandy beaches to refill her creative well.
Find out more at www.donnajonesalward.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 6, 2011
Excellent terrific read,i really liked the way the author brought about the issues related to physical-psychological problems a soldier faces and go through due to certain dangerous missions and a particular tragedy,bombing,war or any mission how it impacts their lives and change them in a big way
Jonas was a sniper and how when he loses his best friend Chris Parker changes him and the guilt,anger,resenment he carries for over a year,he is in a mess when he comes back and he meets Shannyn whom he loved but leaves behind to protect her but he does'nt knows he fathered a child and Shannyn kept it from him
Shannyn is head strong woman and a good mother,she does everything and takes decisions to protect Emma and to save her dotty from the childhood she had,i really liked the way Shannyn never gave up and kept fighting for her love and to make a family for Emma and she never stopped searching for the full of life fun loving and optimistic Jonas
Jonas is a great soldier and good man and great father,though he keeps pushing Shannyn to protect her and also realises he is hurting her but he always takes care that Emma's feelings are not hurt and when he sees Emma is scared of him that is when he also accepts he needs help and takes step in that direction
The story gives the message that sometimes fighting is also necessary to stop the love from shattering and to make a family,the bonding between Emma-Jonas-Shannyn was good and the fact that Jonas never gave false hope to Shannyn he knew that he was angry cause Shannyn kept Emma from him and Shannyn was angry cause he left without a backward glance and starting a new relation or going to bed together was going to complicate things so he kept his distance and made things clear from the start and when finally he is guilt free and decides to live fully and move on life that is when he runs to 2 most important girls in his life and complete his family
Good read
Recommend it
Jonas was a sniper and how when he loses his best friend Chris Parker changes him and the guilt,anger,resenment he carries for over a year,he is in a mess when he comes back and he meets Shannyn whom he loved but leaves behind to protect her but he does'nt knows he fathered a child and Shannyn kept it from him
Shannyn is head strong woman and a good mother,she does everything and takes decisions to protect Emma and to save her dotty from the childhood she had,i really liked the way Shannyn never gave up and kept fighting for her love and to make a family for Emma and she never stopped searching for the full of life fun loving and optimistic Jonas
Jonas is a great soldier and good man and great father,though he keeps pushing Shannyn to protect her and also realises he is hurting her but he always takes care that Emma's feelings are not hurt and when he sees Emma is scared of him that is when he also accepts he needs help and takes step in that direction
The story gives the message that sometimes fighting is also necessary to stop the love from shattering and to make a family,the bonding between Emma-Jonas-Shannyn was good and the fact that Jonas never gave false hope to Shannyn he knew that he was angry cause Shannyn kept Emma from him and Shannyn was angry cause he left without a backward glance and starting a new relation or going to bed together was going to complicate things so he kept his distance and made things clear from the start and when finally he is guilt free and decides to live fully and move on life that is when he runs to 2 most important girls in his life and complete his family
Good read
Recommend it
November 13, 2013
Guy passes his time with girl, goes off to be a sniper without a backward glance in her direction. When she ends up pregnant, she figures he doesn't want to be a dad, he wants to play Special Forces soldier, and since he didn't want a relationship with her, never wrote/called, she just had the baby herself.
Guy gets injured (overworked literary leg wound, natch), gets bitter, ends up back in town, sees the kid, and gets pissed at HER. ((?!)) Of course he demands his rights, they fight/sizzle, and end up together. The End.
I'm getting sick of cranky heroes. Get over yo' bad self, mistas. You ain't got nuthin nobody else got. There are TONS of you out there, and some of them have manners, chivalry, and kindness. A positive outlook goes a LONG way... and I don't see why these women put up with these guys. Forget it. It's not worth it.
I'm just getting irritated with so many cranky fictional men, I guess. At least it was a super-short skim. And there were no verses or obligatory turning-to-Gawd moments, as in the 'Inspirational' fiction I've been inundated in, lately. ((shrugs)) It just wasn't a good read.
Guy gets injured (overworked literary leg wound, natch), gets bitter, ends up back in town, sees the kid, and gets pissed at HER. ((?!)) Of course he demands his rights, they fight/sizzle, and end up together. The End.
I'm getting sick of cranky heroes. Get over yo' bad self, mistas. You ain't got nuthin nobody else got. There are TONS of you out there, and some of them have manners, chivalry, and kindness. A positive outlook goes a LONG way... and I don't see why these women put up with these guys. Forget it. It's not worth it.
I'm just getting irritated with so many cranky fictional men, I guess. At least it was a super-short skim. And there were no verses or obligatory turning-to-Gawd moments, as in the 'Inspirational' fiction I've been inundated in, lately. ((shrugs)) It just wasn't a good read.
August 29, 2011
Sorry, I appreciate that the book is well-written and has a unique twist on a common storyline. And I really liked the way the author covered PTSD, by taking it seriously and not glorifying it. But I just could not get over the heroine's pettiness, selfishness, and general small-mindedness. And it seems like the author supports her choice, by not having her feel any real guilt and justifying her continued nastiness. If I wouldn't want to be friends with her, I cannot imagine putting myself in her shoes: a requirement for really enjoying any book.
Not telling someone they have a child is NOT THE SAME as not telling someone you love them. If he is not a child-rapist and you didn't tell him because you thought it was for the best, you are a child abuser and probably a criminal. You don't deserve a HEA with him. You deserve a kick in the head. Even if he did hurt your wee little feelings. Sorry about that. To conclude: Ladies in romance novels, priorities. Please develop a sense of them.
Not telling someone they have a child is NOT THE SAME as not telling someone you love them. If he is not a child-rapist and you didn't tell him because you thought it was for the best, you are a child abuser and probably a criminal. You don't deserve a HEA with him. You deserve a kick in the head. Even if he did hurt your wee little feelings. Sorry about that. To conclude: Ladies in romance novels, priorities. Please develop a sense of them.
March 18, 2022
The plot sounds good but I didn't like the h. She basically hid her pregnancy from the H because he broke up with her and left. That's the main issue with her and why she doesn't want him to meet his daughter. She repeats the same pattern all over the book, she never learned from her mistakes. Then she didn't care that the H was angry at her for keeping his daughter from him, she even got mad!
I couldn't stand her, she was never logical.
I couldn't stand her, she was never logical.
April 10, 2021
Chocolate
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2012
This is a very sweet story that deals with the subject of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on the life of the soldier and also the people he comes back to.
Jonas came from a long line of soldiers and the army is his life. When
He left town six years ago he was young and idealistic and prepared to
work hard to be the best soldier he could be.
Shannyn is the girl he left behind without a word. Their summer romance
had seen her fall in love with Jonas so when he left and never contacted
her it broke her heart. And justified her in keeping a very big secret
from her absent lover.
Now Jonas is back, a changed man. His scars are visible and life changing, but it is the invisible scars that make it impossible for him to consider a life that involves building a family around his newly discovered daughter.
The story focusses on Jonas's efforts to build a relationship with his daughter and the side effect of having to spend time with Shannyn.
How Shannyn and their daughter Emma help Jonas to come to terms with his guilt and grief makes for a lovely story.
In spite of the darkness of the PTSD sub plot this is not a dark book. Quite a pleasant light weight read that provokes thought and sympathy for the many soldiers in the world facing danger on a daily basis.
Jonas came from a long line of soldiers and the army is his life. When
He left town six years ago he was young and idealistic and prepared to
work hard to be the best soldier he could be.
Shannyn is the girl he left behind without a word. Their summer romance
had seen her fall in love with Jonas so when he left and never contacted
her it broke her heart. And justified her in keeping a very big secret
from her absent lover.
Now Jonas is back, a changed man. His scars are visible and life changing, but it is the invisible scars that make it impossible for him to consider a life that involves building a family around his newly discovered daughter.
The story focusses on Jonas's efforts to build a relationship with his daughter and the side effect of having to spend time with Shannyn.
How Shannyn and their daughter Emma help Jonas to come to terms with his guilt and grief makes for a lovely story.
In spite of the darkness of the PTSD sub plot this is not a dark book. Quite a pleasant light weight read that provokes thought and sympathy for the many soldiers in the world facing danger on a daily basis.
April 7, 2013
I enjoy reading Donna Alward's books. I am slowly catching up with her backlist. This is one of her earliest books and is a good story. Ms. Alward does not make it easy for her characters and this book is no different in that respect. Both of the main characters, Jonas Kirkpatrick and Shannyn Smith, have been hurt by the other and they have a long journey to a satisfying reunion. They are former lovers separated by war and have moved on with their lives, except for one big secret and things withheld from one another.
I like the characters and have found that Ms. Alward's dialog and the characters' emotions always ring true. It is one of the things I have come to count on from her and she never disappoints. And she almost always makes me cry when reading one of her books. I would recommend this book or any of her other ones.
I like the characters and have found that Ms. Alward's dialog and the characters' emotions always ring true. It is one of the things I have come to count on from her and she never disappoints. And she almost always makes me cry when reading one of her books. I would recommend this book or any of her other ones.
December 12, 2012
It was a good read . It is relevant to the current era we are living in. The life of young men who go to war and the effect it has on their personal lives
Jonas is proud to be a soldier and is ready to defend his country. He just leaves to the war zone and his sweetheart Shannyn is bereft alone and pregnant. He is back after six years with war wounds physical and mental. He meets Shannyn again and she has a secret...his daughter Emma who is five years old now. Will he allow himself to be a part of their family again and let Shannyn and Emma love him and heal him.....
Jonas is proud to be a soldier and is ready to defend his country. He just leaves to the war zone and his sweetheart Shannyn is bereft alone and pregnant. He is back after six years with war wounds physical and mental. He meets Shannyn again and she has a secret...his daughter Emma who is five years old now. Will he allow himself to be a part of their family again and let Shannyn and Emma love him and heal him.....
September 6, 2015
The Soldier's Homecoming tugged at my heart-strings knowing a lot of soldiers have left the one girl they cared about & loved without telling them how they felt so they don't have to worry what about leaving them if something happens to them during combat. Donna Alward made me feel so connected to Jonas & Shannyn with their conflict that they both felt 6 years earlier with Jonas leaving Shannyn without a word & Shannyn not telling Jonas about her pregnancy. It was so hard to put this book down just wanted to keep turning the page.
October 2, 2008
This was a really good story with great characters.
July 13, 2013
I found this was an easy read. Donna Alward draws the reader into the story and the characters were real.
October 31, 2013
I never liked the heroine. She was so selfish and complacent. It was also kind of boring.
April 15, 2016
Ok
A little slow startup,but a nice story.Not what I thought it would be.Ill have to try another of her books,maybe it's just me
A little slow startup,but a nice story.Not what I thought it would be.Ill have to try another of her books,maybe it's just me
May 21, 2011
I just love it. Just prefect
August 6, 2011
I loved this book! Very emotional book.
July 27, 2015
Well, that was disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews