Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Nice to Come Home To by Liz Flaherty

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

GENRE: Clean, Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Heartwarming
RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2018
PAGES: 384

Will an apple a day…

Keep love at bay?

For Cass Gentry, coming home to Lake Miniagua, teenage half sister in tow, is bittersweet. But her half of the orchard she inherited awaits, and so does a fresh face—Luke Rossiter, her new business partner. Even though they butt heads in business, they share one key piece of common ground: refusing to ever fall in love again.

But as their lives get bigger, that stance doesn’t feel like enough…

Other Books Set in the Lake Miniagua universe

In my review of The Happiness Pact, I expressed a desire to find out more about the mysterious Cass who had left town after the tragic prom night accident and has stayed out of touch with her friends in Lake Miniagua ever since. I was therefore delighted to discover that Nice to Come Home To is Cass’ story.

What a tough life Cass has had, too. My heart broke for her more than once as layers of her story were revealed. And yet on the other hand she has taken life’s blows and survived, coming out stronger for them even if she doesn’t readily see it. Luke, too, has experienced grief and loss, so he’s especially guarded around Cass. Well, he says he is, anyway. Although his lips (and heart) seem not to agree with him and tend to do their own thing – like kissing her in the moonlight. And the daylight. And oh be still my heart he’s a lot swoony. A guitar-player who runs an orchard (and has the muscles to prove it) – blissful sigh.

In addition to Cass and Luke, there’s a host of lovely supporting characters who made me smile. Seth’s goofy teenage brotherly banter with Luke and Royce’s snarky teenage sisterly banter with Cass is spot on. The friendships that Cass has been scared to re-initiate – with the other survivors of the prom night tragedy & with the aunt she mistakenly thought didn’t want her – prove to be more resilient than she gives them credit for. Something which is beautifully proven when life comes a bit full circle for them all.

Bottom Line: Another great contemporary (clean!) romance from Liz Flaherty, set in the quaint Indiana town of Lake Miniagua. I loved watching Cass and Luke’s relationship move from business colleagues to a sweet friendship to something even sweeter. Great characters, a beautiful setting, and humor as well as heart abound – not to mention the gentle message of accepting yourself, flaws and all, and accepting the painful parts of your story with grace and self-forgiveness.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / love it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / May forget to breathe on occasion

Liz Flaherty was a little nervous about retiring from her day job, but making quilts, more family time, traveling at the mere mention of “why don’t we go…” and becoming a Harlequin Heartwarming author have made the past years more fun and exciting than she could ever have imagined.

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5 PRIZE PACK WINNERS WILL RECEIVE: a backlist book, dish towel, magnet, and notepad (picture includes an example – not a complete prize)

US only

Ends August 15th

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What about you? Since Cass and Luke run an orchard, what’s your favorite kind of apple?