A Lover's Reunion • Comeback Love

Comeback Love by Peter Golden

Publisher: Washington Square Press
Publication Date: April 3, 2012

Source: Publisher || ARC

[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the opinions expressed in my review.]

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 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.