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lurker_stalker's review
3.0
When I saw the blurb for Home, I thought I would immediately fall in love with the book. Second chance romance and a stray dog! And an adorable kid! Unfortunately, none of what I had hoped for was actually there.
I mean, yeah, the two women shared a kiss when they were seventeen but they had no relationship or history together beyond that kiss. Yet they each never forgot it and one of them measured each first kiss since by that standard and thought about the other for that long? I wanted to buy it but couldn't.
The sweet dog story arc was nice until, for me, it went too far.
I think I expected too much and set myself up for disappointment. I will say that the tension-building part that was used to solidify the family was different and interesting. But beyond that, I was mostly left wanting more.
2.5 with a round up to 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and BSB for the ARC!
I mean, yeah, the two women shared a kiss when they were seventeen but they had no relationship or history together beyond that kiss. Yet they each never forgot it and one of them measured each first kiss since by that standard and thought about the other for that long? I wanted to buy it but couldn't.
The sweet dog story arc was nice until, for me, it went too far.
I think I expected too much and set myself up for disappointment. I will say that the tension-building part that was used to solidify the family was different and interesting. But beyond that, I was mostly left wanting more.
2.5 with a round up to 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and BSB for the ARC!
gingerbread_void's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book so much I really really did. I love indie lesbian reads and this one sounded right up my ally especially with the golden retriever on the cover but sadly it fell flat for me.
I liked the characters okay but they just felt a little flat for me. The only character I really loved was the daughter. I loved her personality and how adorable she was. I just wished all the other characters had as much personality as her.
I also felt like the romance happened way to fast. I get they knew each other before and lesbians are sort of known for moving quickly but it just felt rushed. That was how I felt over all that it was rushed. I wish Bryant had maybe drawn the book out a bit longer to make things flow just a bit better.
Like I said over all this was a decent indie lesbian romance it is by no means the worst but its not my favorite either. I would read some other books by the author and I deffinatly want a physical copy of this one I just didn't think it was the best or really stood out like it could have.
I liked the characters okay but they just felt a little flat for me. The only character I really loved was the daughter. I loved her personality and how adorable she was. I just wished all the other characters had as much personality as her.
I also felt like the romance happened way to fast. I get they knew each other before and lesbians are sort of known for moving quickly but it just felt rushed. That was how I felt over all that it was rushed. I wish Bryant had maybe drawn the book out a bit longer to make things flow just a bit better.
Like I said over all this was a decent indie lesbian romance it is by no means the worst but its not my favorite either. I would read some other books by the author and I deffinatly want a physical copy of this one I just didn't think it was the best or really stood out like it could have.
pale_atlantis's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Home is about a small town sheriff named Natalie who's reunited with the one that got away, Sarah, when she moves back to the town she grew up in after her divorce. The town, Spruce Mountain, is the kind of close knit community you would find in a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. The chemistry between the two main characters was sweet, if a little insta-lovey, but I liked seeing how Natalie was so ready to accept Sarah and her young daughter. My biggest problem with this book was the dialogue in the first half. It read stilted and robotic, so it was hard for me to grow attached to the characters. After the climax of the story, it felt more natural, but the issues I had with the first half made it so I wasn't able to enjoy the rest of the story the way I would have wanted to.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review!
Home is about a small town sheriff named Natalie who's reunited with the one that got away, Sarah, when she moves back to the town she grew up in after her divorce. The town, Spruce Mountain, is the kind of close knit community you would find in a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. The chemistry between the two main characters was sweet, if a little insta-lovey, but I liked seeing how Natalie was so ready to accept Sarah and her young daughter. My biggest problem with this book was the dialogue in the first half. It read stilted and robotic, so it was hard for me to grow attached to the characters. After the climax of the story, it felt more natural, but the issues I had with the first half made it so I wasn't able to enjoy the rest of the story the way I would have wanted to.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review!
hsinjulit's review against another edition
3.0
Content warnings: gun, off-page animal abuse, loss of father to cancer (prior to story), missing person
Home is a very sweet second-chance romance that will make you smile. It is an angst-less joy, perfect for a bad day.
Sheriff Natalie Strand (~35, lesbian) isn’t looking for love, and she tries to pretend she didn’t spend half her life thinking about the girl who kissed her and disappeared. Recently divorced Sarah Eastman (~35, lesbian) moves back to small town Spruce Mountain with her six-year-old daughter Harley to regroup. When the pair runs into each other, they are instantly thrown back to that night seventeen years ago.
The story starts with Natalie “[stopping] to pet a beautiful golden retriever waiting outside the craft store.” This simple action tells us so much about her. And shortly afterward, we are introduced to Sarah, who thinks that “[h]igh school really had been the best time of her life.” I love how these seemingly unimportant sentences give us a clear image of the characters. Bryant captures them really well and does a great job of setting up a scene and knowing where to insert summaries.
Most of the story was told in alternating third-person limited points of view, but there were also a few occasions of slipping into omniscient, which were slightly jarring. I am unsure if those were conscious decisions or not. There was also one really abrupt instance of going back in time in the middle of the book, which was a little confusing as was the insertion of a flashback in the epilogue.
The connection between Natalie and Sarah is predetermined like second-chance romances all are. I love all the time they spend together, and they are so cute I tear up every time they get intimate. The secondary characters are amazing as well, including Natalie’s mother Linda, Sarah’s aunt Judy, daughter Harley, and the lovely Ghost Dog on the cover.
Though the middle part of the book is a bit darker than the rest and the major event happens without much reason other than to bring Sarah closer to the people in town, the story is guaranteed to end on a light note. There is also much mysteriousness surrounding Ghost Dog, leaving me with many unanswered questions in addition to my confusion over the central event. And oddly enough, I didn’t think the epilogue enforced the relationship between Natalie and Sarah. It made me wonder if they were on the same page, but the cute thing after the epilogue made the ending a little bit better. Nothing so heartbreaking yet adorable should be allowed.
I need to point out one serious issue in the book. Though romance is an escapist genre, there are certain things I cannot overlook. I enjoyed most of the story a lot, but there are a few scenes with strong good cop narrative and kudos for teaching kids about police force. Being something published in October 2020 without addressing police brutality while cheering the cops on instantly made it a very uncomfortable and disturbing read. To my knowledge, Bryant has never addressed the choice of including these scenes when the story benefited little from them, and I am sure Home was in the process of editing in June 2020. This affected my overall enjoyment, and after careful decision, I felt the need to knock off half a star. I cannot in all good conscious recommend this book without putting this information out there.
Home is my third book by Bryant, and though she writes one of the hottest sex scenes, this one aims for sweetness. If you are looking for a cute romance with strong autumn vibes, look no farther.
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Home is a very sweet second-chance romance that will make you smile. It is an angst-less joy, perfect for a bad day.
Sheriff Natalie Strand (~35, lesbian) isn’t looking for love, and she tries to pretend she didn’t spend half her life thinking about the girl who kissed her and disappeared. Recently divorced Sarah Eastman (~35, lesbian) moves back to small town Spruce Mountain with her six-year-old daughter Harley to regroup. When the pair runs into each other, they are instantly thrown back to that night seventeen years ago.
The story starts with Natalie “[stopping] to pet a beautiful golden retriever waiting outside the craft store.” This simple action tells us so much about her. And shortly afterward, we are introduced to Sarah, who thinks that “[h]igh school really had been the best time of her life.” I love how these seemingly unimportant sentences give us a clear image of the characters. Bryant captures them really well and does a great job of setting up a scene and knowing where to insert summaries.
Most of the story was told in alternating third-person limited points of view, but there were also a few occasions of slipping into omniscient, which were slightly jarring. I am unsure if those were conscious decisions or not. There was also one really abrupt instance of going back in time in the middle of the book, which was a little confusing as was the insertion of a flashback in the epilogue.
The connection between Natalie and Sarah is predetermined like second-chance romances all are. I love all the time they spend together, and they are so cute I tear up every time they get intimate. The secondary characters are amazing as well, including Natalie’s mother Linda, Sarah’s aunt Judy, daughter Harley, and the lovely Ghost Dog on the cover.
Though the middle part of the book is a bit darker than the rest and the major event happens without much reason other than to bring Sarah closer to the people in town, the story is guaranteed to end on a light note. There is also much mysteriousness surrounding Ghost Dog, leaving me with many unanswered questions in addition to my confusion over the central event. And oddly enough, I didn’t think the epilogue enforced the relationship between Natalie and Sarah. It made me wonder if they were on the same page, but the cute thing after the epilogue made the ending a little bit better. Nothing so heartbreaking yet adorable should be allowed.
I need to point out one serious issue in the book. Though romance is an escapist genre, there are certain things I cannot overlook. I enjoyed most of the story a lot, but there are a few scenes with strong good cop narrative and kudos for teaching kids about police force. Being something published in October 2020 without addressing police brutality while cheering the cops on instantly made it a very uncomfortable and disturbing read. To my knowledge, Bryant has never addressed the choice of including these scenes when the story benefited little from them, and I am sure Home was in the process of editing in June 2020. This affected my overall enjoyment, and after careful decision, I felt the need to knock off half a star. I cannot in all good conscious recommend this book without putting this information out there.
Home is my third book by Bryant, and though she writes one of the hottest sex scenes, this one aims for sweetness. If you are looking for a cute romance with strong autumn vibes, look no farther.
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
jennabeebs79's review against another edition
4.0
Kris Bryant never disappoints. This was an easy light read without a ton of unnecessary drama. This would be a great book to curl up on read and in front on the fire on a cool fall evening! Thanks Kris for another awesome read!
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
lizwine's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC, all opinions are my own.
This was a quick, feel good read with LGBT characters. Both characters were already out and any discrimination was in the past. Focus was on a storyline that included a dog, who in my opinion was the main character of the book. Fairly fluffy, but read it at a time I needed something lighter.
This was a quick, feel good read with LGBT characters. Both characters were already out and any discrimination was in the past. Focus was on a storyline that included a dog, who in my opinion was the main character of the book. Fairly fluffy, but read it at a time I needed something lighter.
gayanyway's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars. So sweet and I am a fan of Bryant’s writing style but this wasn’t one of my favorites by her. I think I just needed more background on Sarah and Natalie because they felt very flat as characters. I did however think their romance was adorable and I liked that they had history with one another. They had great chemistry. Also, Sarah’s daughter Harley was super cute. And Henry the dog. Cannot forget about him. Overall, this was a light read and a nice way to pass some time.
kburns2004's review against another edition
3.0
Basically a hallmark movie of a book. Was expecting something to break them up, as is the norm in this genre, but was pleased to not have that trope. Normally not a fan of kids in romance novels, but in this case it didn't bother me. Overall not my favorite story but didn't offend me either.