> it is the norm that return of consideration is the limit to damages for breach of contract What contract law are you reading? The standard damages for breach

> it is the norm that return of consideration is the limit to damages for breach of contract What contract law are you reading? The standard damages for breach of contract are called compensatory damages... meaning they put you in the same place you were in had the contract not been breached. Suppose you sign a contract to buy $1000 of widgets, but the seller never sends the widgets, and instead you have to go out and buy the widgets from someone else for $2000. You have a pretty clear breach of contract claim for the extra $1000 you needed to pay someone else.