Book Review: Come Back to Me by Chris Paynter

Angie Cantinnini and Meryl McClain dated in college. Meryl’s rich and powerful father broke them up by telling Meryl that if she continued to see Angie, he would ensure that Angie would lose her scholarship. Meryl complied with her father’s wishes that also included that she marry the man of his choice. Like a dutiful daughter, she married the man of her father’s choice. Her last sight of Angie was as she exited the church on the arm of her new husband. Angie was standing across the street watching, heartbroken.

Eleven years later, Angie is a successful author writing under a male pseudonym and living in Key West. Meryl is the book critic for a large New York City newspaper. She writes a not-so-flattering review of Angie’s latest book, one that Angie agrees with. Angie recognizes Meryl’s name on the review, but Meryl has no idea that Zach England is Angie. Angie makes no move to contact Meryl. While they haven’t spoken in the ensuing years, neither has forgotten their first love.

When Meryl travels to Key West in search of the evasive Zach England, whom she now thinks is a woman, she runs into Angie. They rekindle their love affair. But Meryl catches Angie in a lie and storms out of Angie’s life again. Angie tries to explain, but Meryl doesn’t want to hear her excuses. Meryl doesn’t return Angie’s many calls.

Paynter’s second book is well written, with an interesting setting, and characters any reader can care for. Her pacing keeps the story flowing. Even though the reader may know what’s coming, there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader in the story until the end of the book.

There are some annoying things in this book. Paynter jumps between the past and the present throughout the first part of the book, which may take the reader out of the story. There are also several instances where the use of pronouns instead of names will have the reader stopping to figure out who is speaking.

Paynter has one previous book in a proposed series. Come Back to Me is, however, a stand alone romance so the reader doesn’t need to read the author’s first book to enjoy this one.