Opposites attract in this heartwarming debut romance about grief, sisterhood, and finding love when—and where—you least expect it.
‘This book will be your shoulder to lean on, your friend to laugh with, the man you can’t help but fall in love with. I was completely swept away by Return to Sender. I read it in one joyous, tear-filled day.’—Cara Bastone, author of Ready or Not
Violet is usually an optimist. But between her father’s sudden death and the overnight responsibility of caring for her rebellious teenage sister, Phoebe, she’s barely holding it together. Then Phoebe discovers a love letter, never delivered and returned to the sisters’ address, begging its recipient to give him another chance. Phoebe seems excited for the first time since their dad died, and Violet will do anything to keep that smile on her face. Together, they set out to find the letter’s author, hoping to rectify a derailed happily-ever-after.
Despite Dex being rather abrasive (valid) and more than a little enigmatic (intriguing?), Phoebe talks him into a cross-country road trip to put the letter in the right hands. Violet is thrilled to see Phoebe thriving again. With every pit stop, they chip away at Dex’s moody exterior, and Violet realizes she might like what lies beneath . . . a lot. But what happens when they finally reach their destination—and Dex’s ex-girlfriend? Is what they’ve discovered on the road strong enough to make it back home?
Genre: Gay Romance
‘This book will be your shoulder to lean on, your friend to laugh with, the man you can’t help but fall in love with. I was completely swept away by Return to Sender. I read it in one joyous, tear-filled day.’—Cara Bastone, author of Ready or Not
Violet is usually an optimist. But between her father’s sudden death and the overnight responsibility of caring for her rebellious teenage sister, Phoebe, she’s barely holding it together. Then Phoebe discovers a love letter, never delivered and returned to the sisters’ address, begging its recipient to give him another chance. Phoebe seems excited for the first time since their dad died, and Violet will do anything to keep that smile on her face. Together, they set out to find the letter’s author, hoping to rectify a derailed happily-ever-after.
Despite Dex being rather abrasive (valid) and more than a little enigmatic (intriguing?), Phoebe talks him into a cross-country road trip to put the letter in the right hands. Violet is thrilled to see Phoebe thriving again. With every pit stop, they chip away at Dex’s moody exterior, and Violet realizes she might like what lies beneath . . . a lot. But what happens when they finally reach their destination—and Dex’s ex-girlfriend? Is what they’ve discovered on the road strong enough to make it back home?
Genre: Gay Romance
Praise for this book
"I read it in one joyous, tear-filled day. Savor it, devour it, come to this book with open arms and it will love you back." - Cara Bastone
"Three things: The banter, the originality, and the miles of hope. Stephanie Parente's Return to Sender illuminates the power of love and loss with a deft hand, sharp eye, and sharper tongue. I lost count of how many times I laughed and teared up on the same page as Parente celebrates the brutal live wire of loyalty between sisters. Like the perfect road trip, Return to Sender is a call to adventure filled with hilarious detours, heavy confessions, a budding romance, and all the promise of what lies ahead. It's gorgeous." - Beck Dorey-Stein
"I adored Return to Sender. A straight-to-the-heart kind of book that I cannot stop thinking about. Compelling, honest and true, as all romance seeks to be, but Parente's debut knocks it out of the park. This one's for the Emily Henry and Nora Ephron lovers, for the yearners despite it all. Parente is an author to watch, and Return to Sender is an incredible addition to any romance shelf." - Lizzie Huxley-Jones
"Some books are hard to talk about without just saying: Read this. Stephanie Parente's Return to Sender is everything I love about romance - it's tender, vulnerable, and hot, and it makes me see the world in the best possible light. A road trip always hits, but a road trip with one taciturn man who slowly opens up, one grieving woman who rearranges his brain just by wearing a red dress, and one teenager they'd both do anything to make smile? Stephanie Parente's debut hits every emotional note in such a special, reaffirming way." - Alicia Thompson
"I laughed. I cried. I blushed hard on a park bench, but most importantly, I fell hard and fast." - Catherine Walsh
"Three things: The banter, the originality, and the miles of hope. Stephanie Parente's Return to Sender illuminates the power of love and loss with a deft hand, sharp eye, and sharper tongue. I lost count of how many times I laughed and teared up on the same page as Parente celebrates the brutal live wire of loyalty between sisters. Like the perfect road trip, Return to Sender is a call to adventure filled with hilarious detours, heavy confessions, a budding romance, and all the promise of what lies ahead. It's gorgeous." - Beck Dorey-Stein
"I adored Return to Sender. A straight-to-the-heart kind of book that I cannot stop thinking about. Compelling, honest and true, as all romance seeks to be, but Parente's debut knocks it out of the park. This one's for the Emily Henry and Nora Ephron lovers, for the yearners despite it all. Parente is an author to watch, and Return to Sender is an incredible addition to any romance shelf." - Lizzie Huxley-Jones
"Some books are hard to talk about without just saying: Read this. Stephanie Parente's Return to Sender is everything I love about romance - it's tender, vulnerable, and hot, and it makes me see the world in the best possible light. A road trip always hits, but a road trip with one taciturn man who slowly opens up, one grieving woman who rearranges his brain just by wearing a red dress, and one teenager they'd both do anything to make smile? Stephanie Parente's debut hits every emotional note in such a special, reaffirming way." - Alicia Thompson
"I laughed. I cried. I blushed hard on a park bench, but most importantly, I fell hard and fast." - Catherine Walsh
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