Return to Abundance: The Abundance Series Book 2 by Shanna Swenson
Summary:
Nathan Butler is trapped within his own tragedy. Agonizing over the action he took to save his sister, Nathan has turned to drinking and brawling in an attempt to cope with his grief. With a heart as cold as ice, he believes forgiveness is beyond his reach.
Jordan Tate is no stranger to tragedy either. Hiding her personal demons, Jordan devises a plan to save Nathan Butler – beginning with getting hired at his ranch. With fiery passion as her ally, can Jordan bring Nathan back to the man he once was?
When fire and ice collide, sparks fly in this scorching sequel to Abundance.
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This was such a fun sequel! It explored new characters while providing peeks back into the lives of Natalie and Jack Kinsen. I really liked having the story pick back up with Nathan since he had such a critical role in the conclusion of Abundance. Murder, even in self-defense, can have a profound impact on an individual, and Shanna Swenson did a wonderful job exploring the depths of Nathan’s guilt and emotional pain. He doesn’t face his pain head-on – no, he turns to drinking (to numb the pain) and brawling in bars (to feel pain other than his emotional turmoil). Yet even someone so far gone as Nathan isn’t beyond saving…
Jordan, the female lead, was such a supportive and empathetic character! Despite having her own struggles, she sets out on this difficult journey to show Nathan that he’s still a good man and worthy of forgiveness. It definitely isn’t an easy task as the two characters clash several times over their reputations, expectations for one another, and battles that they fight separately. But like everyone knows, fire eventually melts ice, and Nathan and Jordan fall for one another.
A huge element of this book (and something that I respect immensely) is how Shanna Swenson wrote Jordan’s struggle. She could’ve come up with any personal trial that Jordan could overcome, but instead, Shanna wrote her own experiences into this character (please read the afterward for her full story). To open yourself up to readers that much takes a great amount of courage, and it adds a whole new layer of relatability to Jordan’s character.
I can’t wait for book 3!
To learn more about Shanna Swenson and her Abundance series, check out her website: www.shannaswenson.com.
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