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New Release Review and Giveaway! WHEN YOU MAKE IT HOME by Claire Ashby

A sweet read from a debut author!

When You Make It Home
by Claire Ashby
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 12, 2014

Meg Michaels, a bookstore owner, has already walked away from two cheating exes. She’s learned her lesson and has her mind set on success—until she gets knocked up. Embarrassed and unwilling to discuss her situation with friends and family, she wears layers to hide the pregnancy.

When Meg gets sick at a party, she’s mortified. Even worse, Theo Taylor, the guest of honor, discovers her secret. Theo, an Army medic wounded in the war, agrees not to reveal her condition, and the two forge a bond of friendship that blossoms into love.

Theo is soon filling all of Meg’s late-night cravings—and not just the pregnancy-induced ones. But can their love overcome all the obstacles that stand between them and creating a happy family?

 

 

When You Make it Home was a quick read. It pulled me into Meg’s world almost from the very first page, and I was slow to put it down. I felt a certain kinship with Meg, especially in the first half of the book. Not only does she share my deep appreciation for books, but I think she may have temporarily wrested my Queen of Denial crown from my head for a bit there. 😉

I really liked the romance between Meg and Theo. He wasn’t always the easiest hero to love, but Meg wasn’t exactly a prize 24/7 either. And oh boy, did he make it all worth it in the end. What he did with that e.e. cummings book? Fantastic! One of my favorite parts of the whole story.

Along the way Meg made some questionable choices, but since the reason she ended up in her predicament in the first place was the result of a mega-questionable choice, for the most part they fit with her MO. Nothing that she did was too totally wacky (well, except for the engagement ring episode. That was a completely WTH moment) that it detracted from the story.

The resolution and HEA came about a bit quickly–Theo’s “fix” came off as seeming much faster and easier than it could have possibly been. Since we only saw Meg’s POV for the book (and though I really enjoy dual POVs, the single worked well here), it would have been hard to show us what he went through. I’m still not convinced he could have accomplished what he did in that time frame. Since I really liked the way the book ended, though, I’m not going to spend much time complaining about it 😉

When You Make it Home was an enjoyable debut–I’m definitely looking forward to more from this author. I liked her writing style and the slightly (and sometimes not-so-slightly) snarky voice she gave Meg…plus, she’s a bookstore-owning heroine who loves books almost as much as I do. Win-win!

The majority of my boxes were filled with books. I needed to find a place to put them, because parting with them was out of the question. From Kurt Vonnegut to Nora Roberts, I had many traveling companions. Their stories had taken me away when I’d needed an out. They filled me with hope when I needed to know love could last. For me, a book held the potential to change my life, at least for the moments lost between the pages.

Spoiler alert: Theo helps build her a wall of bookshelves. Could there be a more perfect hero? 😉

Rating: 4 stars/ B+

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

 

Claire Ashby was born and raised in the heart of Atlanta. At a young age, she began keeping journals and over time embellished the details of her quiet days. Eventually, she let go of writing reality altogether and delved completely into the world of fiction.

When she’s not reading or writing, she spends her time watching extreme survival shows and taking long walks after nightfall. She has an unnatural love of high places, but still regrets the time she skydived solo. She believes some things are better left to the imagination. She resides in Austin with her family and a pack of wild dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5 Comments

  1. Book Partners In Crime Promotions Book Partners In Crime Promotions

    thanks for hosting and reviewing

  2. Angie D Angie D

    Love the cover and sounds like a great read! Can’t wait to read!

  3. Claire Ashby Claire Ashby

    Becky, thank you so much for taking the time to read When You Make It Home! 🙂

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