Review: Home Is Where the Heart Is

Home Is Where the Heart Is by Jenny Frame
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on June 20, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: Chapter 21 (Just everything about this chapter)

I have been excited for this book from the second I heard about it. I may or may not have set an alarm on my phone so that I knew when it was being released. I did receive an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
    
Archie is a Townie who commutes to work for the Rosebrook Village Trust. She is disillusioned about the idea of true love (or any sort of it really) and she never wants to return to living in a small-town. Ashling has lived in a sheltered life in Rosebrook and started coming out of her shelf more when she began working for the Trust. Ashling and Archie got off on the wrong foot, but now they have to work together while their bosses are out. Things get complicated when Archie realizes that she might have feelings for Ash and she has to decide whether she plans to pursue a relationship.

This book left me feeling giddy and happy. I spent the last few chapters grinning like a fool. I love this book and these characters so much. I even like it better than its predecessor. There is initial conflict between the two characters, but around the halfway point (even a bit earlier) things start changing and it leaves me feeling gushy and glowy and happy.

Archie is not a romantic. She had a toxic childhood that left her disillusioned about the idea of love. She hasn’t had a relationship that lasted longer than three months. Ashling hasn’t had much experience in long-term dating either. She’s been very isolated and sheltered in the town of Rosebrook, but she dreams of having a love like her parents did. She’s an absolute romantic and she loves romance books because they show her that sort of love. I love both these characters so much. I love grumpy Archie slowly allowing her shell to break. I love Ash believing the best about love and wanting it so truly. It’s amazing.

I will freely admit that I am a sucker for the idea of a love-averse character having to learn how to “woo” a hopeless romantic. It was great watching Archie figure out what she wanted to do, even seeking help from some other people. My only issue with this book is that I wish that that part had been dragged out a bit longer. I would have loved to see Archie learn more and it would have led to even better relationship development. The relationship in this book does take a bit to get started and, when it does, it hits the ground running. That might be off-putting to some people, but I don’t mind it.

I thought that this book was excellent, one of my favorites by Jenny Frame. I won’t say that this book is for everyone but give it a chance. It left me feeling so happy after that I wanted to read it again almost immediately after finishing it.

Bonus Favorite Quote: "She's a very brave woman."

  "And you reward her bravery by forcing her to keep bees?"