The Prodigal's Return
by Anna DeStefano
Published by Harlequin Superromance #1358
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Reviewed by Amanda Collins
Eight years ago, when Rivermist, Georgia teenager Neal Cain began serving his sentence for the manslaughter death of his best friend, Bobby Compton, he left behind a bewildered girlfriend and two devastated parents. Now, Atlanta's most successful advocate for those too poor for legal representation, Neal has a new life, away from Rivermist and the ghosts of his past. But the news of his estranged father's mysterious illness forces Neal to return to his hometown and to the people he left behind.
Jennifer Gardner's perfect teenage life ended the night that Bobby Compton died. Cut out of Neal's life and left to the derision of a disapproving community, Jennifer's out of control escapades eight years ago left her with a bad reputation and a baby on the way. Now, eight years later, the former teenaged runaway is back, and through hard work and discipline she's made a life for herself and daughter Mandy. Working hard to repair a strained relationship with her ailing father, she's even taken a hand in running the youth group in her father's church.
When a chance encounter leads to an emotional meeting between these two returned prodigals, they find themselves just as drawn to one another as they were all those years ago. And as they work together to help Neal's dying father, Jenn must make the hard choice between giving in to her heart's desire and protecting herself from further heartbreak.
With this spotlight on life in a small southern town, Anna DeStefano manages the difficult task of juggling angst, humor and everything in between with graceful aplomb. A romance through and through, this is as much a book about parent/child relationships as it is about Jenn and Neal. There are a few places where politics get in the way of plot, but these are fleeting and do serve to reinforce the complexity of the issues DeStefano wrestles with. Add memorable secondary characters and an interesting sub-plot, and The Prodigal's Return becomes, at its core, a heartening story of the love that binds sweethearts, families and small towns together.
Armchair Interviews says: A sweet story placed in small Southern town.