The problem with this story is me. It's not the kind of read I like.

When I read the blurb I thought it was original and interesting, but once I began to read I found the story a bit weak, predictable and repetitive. I'm not a fan of MC´s who are unable to sit down and have a good conversation that would end all their problems.

I know there are a lot of people who will love this story. It's a pity I´m not one of them.
My loss...

***

El problema de esta historia soy yo. No es el tipo de lectura que me gusta.
Cuando leí la descripción me pareció original e interesante, pero una vez metidos en faena me parece una historia un poco floja, predecible y repetitiva. No soy fan de protagonistas que son incapaces de sentarse y tener una buena conversación que acabaría con todos sus problemas.

Sé que hay un montón de gente a la que le gustará esta historia. Es una pena que no e encuentre entre ellas.
Yo me lo pierdo…

Although at times the main players seem too good to be real, they remain true to their character throughout the book. There are a few story lines going on (which lead into a sequel book) but this book has a definitive ending with the primary characters, and I appreciate that. Some twists and turns will keep you guessing throughout.

I was asked to read this book via the publisher. I had never heard of the author prior to the two books I received but I am totally a fan now.
At first I was so mad at Tessa, the lead female character. Who leaves their husband while he is away protecting others? But as the story-line built and I started to understand but still had a soft spot for her husband Johnny. The supporting characters on Sanctuary Island were witty, compassionate, and steady, just what Tessa and Johnny needed.

Johnny's life has always been about protecting someone. It is the one thing he feels that he failed at in the past but will never do again. When Johnny and Tessa married it was a marriage of convenience but his feelings went deeper as their relationship went on. But never acting on his feelings made Tessa feel as if she didn't matter. While on assignment all he could think about was Tessa. Now that he is finally free he needs to prove to her that she means the world to him. But is it too late?

Well written story with an HEA, but there is also suspense, passion, angst, laughter, and tears. I look forward to reading more from Lily Everett.

Sanctuary Island is a refuge of beauty for me, and for the flawed and wounded characters in Lily Everett's latest offering 'Close to Home'. Tessa and Johnny's story is one of growth and redemption, of forgiveness and love. Added to this is a healthy dose of suspense, which only sharpens the satisfaction with the story. I can't recommend a trip to Sanctuary Island highly enough!

He was always her hero and she loved him with all her heart, but the marriage between Johnny and Tessa wasn’t based on their mutual love. Johnny needed to protect her from her past. Tessa had dreams of being Johnny’s wife in every sense of the word, but that was never to be. After he had been undercover and gone for almost two years, Tessa knew it was time to set both of them free. No longer a scared and timid little mouse, Tessa has blossomed, grown into her self-confidence and taken life by the horns on her own terms. Far from where they made their home and as much as she missed him, she knew she had done the right thing.

Johnny wasn’t expecting a Dear John letter after two years undercover with the scum of the earth all that kept him going was the thought of coming home to Tessa. The only thing he could do was hunt her down, talk to her face to face and stand tall as her verdict is announced. Had he realized he truly loved her a little too late? Should he have told her? Can he win back her heart? Should he even try? What if she no longer needs him to protect her?

Lily Everett’s CLOSE TO HOME is a wonderful romantic tale complete with the meddling old lady who knows far more than she even lets on. Tessa has remade herself, become a person capable of standing on their own two feet and she feels the pride of accomplishment deep in her soul. She would gladly take Johnny back on HER terms, but she is terrified that spelling them out would send him packing. Johnny has a hero complex, but his feelings for Tessa go far beyond being her caped crusader, he would do anything to get her back, but will she believe him?

Sweet love, growing pains and a chance to fix the wrongs of the past, all bundled up neatly in Lily Everett’s own words that almost sing about love on each page! A second chance romance that proves that marriage takes love, commitment and nurturing to survive life’s little flies in the ointment.

I received an ARC edition from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

Series: Sanctuary Island - Book 5
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 7, 2017)
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Print Length: 304 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

What started as a way out of a lifestyle & a way to get medical care for Tessa became a lot more complicated & intense. Tessa fell in love with her "in name only" husband. Thinking that he would never care for her in the same way, Tessa takes off when Johnny is undercover & leaves him divorce papers. On Sanctuary Island, Tessa finds a new passion in baking & a new life. Can she live without him?

Johnny never expected what was waiting for him when he came off his undercover op. His wife has left him & filed for divorce. All Johnny could think of while he was gone was getting home to Tessa. He didn't think she felt the same way he did so he hadn't made a move. He didn't want her to give in because she felt gratitude. What's he going to do without her?

Lily Everett has developed a wonderful series about a small island, a simpler way of life & the couples helped by the environment. Each book can be read as a stand alone but you will want to read them all. The characters are well developed & realistic. The storyline brings home the adage that communication is the key to a successful marriage. Both Tessa & Johnny felt they were the only one of them in love but neither talked about it. They were each sure of their viewpoint. The plot line detailed the journey of a couple married for convenience that found their way into a marriage of love.

I liked the journey that Johnny and Tessa took to find their way back to each other. It took them both facing different things in their life to realize what they both wanted. Johnny, while deep undercover, uses his wife's memory to help him cling to his sanctity and to help him return home. But what happens we he comes home and things are a lot different than he anticipated? Tessa, his wife, isn't the same woman he left.

Having read and enjoyed many of the books from the Sanctuary Island series, I was eager to read a new installment. And like the others, this book was filled with characters that you couldn't help but get involved with. In this case we meet Johnny who has just ended a 2 year undercover mission who wants nothing more than to see his wife. However, in the 2 years that he has been gone, Tessa has left him to start a new life. While you might think that what Tessa did was wrong, her reasons for leaving actually made sense. Tessa agrees to give Johnny four weeks to change her mind about the divorce while she continues her new life on Sanctuary Island. This was an usual but endearing second chance romance. There was also an intriguing secondary story line that is setting the foundation for the next book in the series. Can't wait to see what else Lily Everett has in store for readers.

Another winner by Everett but for two thirds of the story it was his inability to be different and then bam he was happy and different. It was a good read but I feel we missed a section. Looking forward to the next story.

Close to Home by Lily Everett is a stunning piece. This contemporary romance appeals to the physical and emotional side of readers. The story instantly sweeps readers off their feet. A sexy undercover FBI agent comes back home. Only to find that his wife moved a year ago, created a new life, and sent divorce papers. Talk about a blow to man's heart and ego. Johnny won't accept it. So, he does what any man who loves his wife does. Goes chasing after her. Make her love him again. But his wife has greatly changed. Tessa has redefined herself. She won't let others dictate her lifestyle. She has worked on being independent. She doesn't want her husband to love her because she needs his help. Little does she know how much he loves her...and it has nothing to do with just protecting her from the world...

Close to Home shows the reality of life. Marriage isn't always a fairy tale. Communication issues were apparent in this fictional piece as they really are in real life. Husbands not understanding women's ways...their bafflement makes me laugh. Especially Johnny admitting he had no idea what his wife wanted back then and even now...I enjoyed reading this tale from both characters' point of view. It wasn't told by their view, yet Lily Everett mastered it in a way that I got to see, hear, and understand from both Johnny's and Tessa's sides. Overall, this romance was engaging, exciting, and super sweet. The romance is beautiful. I highly recommend it to all.