Four stars: A moving story about family ties, forgiveness and new beginnings.

Rave at twenty two is scraping by, trying to make ends meet after he was abandoned by his drug addicted mother. When he loses his job, Rave decides to accept an invitation from his grandfather, a man whom he thought was dead. Tuck, Rave’s grandfather, is sweet, kind, trusting and loyal. Rave soon feels at home with the old man. Just when he starts to put down roots, Rave receives some devastating news, and then a ghost from his past resurfaces. Will Rave be able to cling to the fragile bonds of family and learn how to love and forgive?
What I Liked:
Something Like Family is an emotionally charged book that explores the ties that bind us, forgiveness, new beginnings and loyalty. I loved the themes the author the explored, the characters and the touching story.
I loved the importance of family in the story. Rave quickly learns about family ties when he meets his grandfather. I loved his devotion to Tuck and Daniel, a boy whom he raised as his own son. This was also a story that explored how familial bonds are stressed and reformed. I am always a fan of stories that spotlight families, and I thought Ms. Burch did an excellent job with the family ties in this one.
Forgiveness is another important theme in this book. I liked how Rave and Tuck worked through their feelings and learned to forgive.
I loved that this book also spotlighted veterans, and it showed the guilt and grief that many of them carry when they returned home while some of their friends didn’t. I liked seeing Rave help Tuck with is survivor’s guilt. The story was another reminder for all of us just how much our military personnel sacrifice on our behalf.
There is a bit of romance, and I thought it was lovely. It starts as a hesitant friendship before blossoming into something more. I loved the maturity and the trust between the couple. No drama or angst.
The ending was sweet and poignant. I enjoyed the Epilogue down the road as I got to see how things progressed for the characters. No loose ends.
And The Not So Much:
I wished that we had gotten more of Sharon’s story. I especially wanted to know more about her recovery and how she learned to forgive herself.
Trini was a fun character, and I wished that there had been more of her character, especially when it came to her feelings for Tuck.
The book is told in third person, and I struggled a bit with the the narration. I wish that it had been written in first person, it would have been more impactful.

Something Like Family is an emotional and powerful story that explores family ties, forgiveness, loyalty and remembrance. I loved the characters and the themes in this one. Pick this up if you want an poignant story about family.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.

Having never read a book by Heather Burch before, I was not really sure what to expect with this one. It was recommended to me by another author, so I thought I'd give it a try. Wow, am I glad that I did. This book had a lot going on, but it was very easy to follow along. It held a lot of emotion, a powerful message of forgiveness and second chances, and even a little romance!

First, I want to disclose that typically I read Christian fiction. While this book doesn't appear to be classified as Christian fiction, I certainly think it could be. It was a clean read, I felt the characters were respectable, and did have (if you read between the lines) what I thought was a great Godly message. Now, if you are not into Christian fiction, please do not let that dissuade you from reading this. It is not preachy at all. I am probably just digging a little deep into this, but want readers to know how much I enjoyed that aspect of the story.

Second, I just love the character names. I know that may seem silly, but sometimes character names do not at all fit, but the characters here were perfect. Rave. I mean that is such a cool name, and it totally fit his spirit. But more importantly, I liked his character. I like it when people are dealt with a bad deck of cards, but turn it around into the best scenario possible. That seemed like Rave to me. He may of had his problems, but at the end of the day he wanted to do the right thing. I especially loved his relationship with Tuck. It must have been hard, but Rave had a heart of gold and easily became defensive about his grandfather. The other things I liked about Rave? He had realistic reactions. When his mom shows up on the scene, he wasn't automatically all loving and glad. He was made and hurt, just like any of us would be. When his ex-girlfriend shows up in town, I kind of thought that the author would just pick right back up with her. Now, I won't spoil this at all. I will just say that I felt he handled himself wonderfully, and I was glad the author did it exactly in that way.

Overall, this is just a powerful story. Make sure you have a box of tissues nearby. There were many scenes that I got pretty choked up over. And a few times I reread parts of them, just to get every ounce out of this book that I could. To be honest, I didn't want it to end. I do hope the author writes more books like this because I would jump at the chance to read them. Looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for Heather Burch!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Something Like Family is a book about love in all its forms. Rave is a young man finding his way in life after a difficult start, Tuck is his grandfather who wants to reconnect with him. Their story intertwines with others as they navigate through their feelings to reach each other emotionally. The authors writing captures the guilt, nervousness and fear of rejection from both men, as they learn how to be a family. The descriptions of the survivor guilt and love Tuck had for his friends from the Vietnam war made me cry. The love story that blossoms with the women around them, and the way this encompasses the relationship between Rave and his mother was woven so well into the book. A perfect Sunday afternoon read.

I found myself pausing often to highlight sections of this book. I rarely do that. And yet I couldn't help myself. There was wisdom here and a lot of truth for me. Something about this book just resonated with my own life experience and at times it was painful but I came away feeling healed and lighter than I have in a long time. Isn't it interesting how a story, a piece of fiction, can put you back together in a way that nothing else can?

Rave just stole my heart from the very first pages. He is a victim of the drug epidemic in one of the very worst ways and yet he is a survivor. He is a nurturer, a deeply caring soul who only wants to connect and belong. When he's abandoned yet again and his Grandfather Tuck reaches out to him he is off to Tennessee and to one of the best family reunions I've yet to read about.

I was so touched by this book, with its themes of forgiveness, letting go, connecting, and never forgetting. The characters were as alive to me as if they were real people. The setting was beautiful as was the writing. There was a magic in these pages, a goodness and a reminder of how this life is beautiful and something like perfect.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of beautifully written characters who capture your heart, and that remind you how lovely this life can truly be when you let go and let yourself heal. I will not soon forget this one.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

Oh, what a great ending does to an already good book. SOMETHING LIKE FAMILY by Heather Burch follows a young twenty-something Rave as he reconnects with his grandfather after years of thinking he was dead. The story is all about second chances, forgiveness and forgetting, the bonds of family, the devastation that comes from being abandoned by those that are supposed to love you unconditionally and learning how to love unconditionally when it's not familiar to you. Sometimes the dialog was a little overly poetic but the novel still flowed beautifully and really captured Tuck as a character we all want to know. I love the Memorial Park in this book, the relationships in this book between everyone, the tension that builds naturally through the story, and really appreciated the ending.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

Tuck hires a private investigator to find his grandson, Rave. When he’s found in a small town working as a waiter, Rave agrees to meet Tuck, the grandfather he didn’t know he had. Abandoned by his drug addict mother, Rave has never really known what it’s like to have family. He ends up creating a life with Tuck and learns a lot from his grandfather. This is the first Netgalley book that I’ve read for review. While I enjoy a good family drama, it felt at times like I was reading a Christian fiction book. This was another so-so read for me.

Something Like 'Wonderful" is my description of this novel. This book has all the elements to pull at your heart, become passionate over injustice, and to cause you to take a step back and look at the big picture to forgive.
When twenty-two year old Rave visits a grandfather he's never known, he does so reluctantly. He expects the visit to be just that, a visit and nothing more, then he will move on and continue to take care of himself like he's always done. But there's so much about Rave's life that he doesn't know about, mainly because of a mother that lied and abandoned him.
Surprisingly, while staying in Tennessee with his grandfather he finds things he's never had or seen before-unconditional love, selflessness, and acceptance. All of these things combined gives him the sense of home that he so desperately needed.
But not everything is perfect because, well, life is just life, and things happen. People hurt you and disappoint you but when you have faith and see faith you can overcome anything.

This is a great read. I highly recommend it.
Thank you Heather Burch and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.https://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-Family-Heather-Burch/product-reviews/1542045789/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_ttl?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&sortBy=recent#R2LBDA299AAKJU

Grandson (Rave) was shocked to discover his grandfather (Tuck) was alive. Why did his mother (Sharon) tell him his grandparents were dead? Will Rave be able to forgive his drug-addicted mother for lying to him ... and for abandoning him when he was a teenager? Why didn't she at least deliver him to his grandfather before disappearing?

Find out in this sweet story about love, overcoming life's challenges, second chances, hope, and forgiveness. The parts about honoring our fallen soldiers was especially beautiful and heartwarming, especially since my father is also a Vietnam veteran.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Something Like Family - Heather Burch

This was my first book by Heather Burch and I really enjoyed it. I grew to care for Tuck and grandson Rave, and became invested in their decisions and choices. Set in Tennessee, Rave is understandably cautious of Tuck's motives and he hasn't heard from his mother, Sharon in over 5 years. Tuck is struggling with his own mortality and grief over his failures. Rave has his own abandonment issues and must decide what's really important. Family. Second Chances. Forgiveness. I received an advance review copy from the Great Thoughts Ninja Review team and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

(4.5) This is such a beautiful and touching story about family, love, and the power of forgiveness. I loved the characters in the book, mostly Rave and Tuck, grandson and grandfather. The relationship that developed between these two really was so very moving. This is a book you will not be able to put down once you begin reading. Very well written and so emotional that I had to grab a tissue a few times. Something Life Family is one not to be missed.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Heather Burch’s last book, In the Light of the Garden, was a joy to read, and I was very excited to read her new novel. Something Like Family did not disappoint. The book is about second chances, learning to forgive others, and creating your own “family”. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Rave and Tuck and watching them learn from each other. Something Like Family will pull at your heart strings and stay with you long after you finish it. I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thoughts’ Ninja Review team. All opinions are my own.

Lovely thoughtful book about family and forgiveness. Rave is a young man who has been abandoned by so many people in his life, but most especially his mother. His grandfather Tuck finally reaches out to him and things are just starting to come together when Tuck becomes ill. There's some drama with his girlfriend Becca and an ex as well. Burch has placed a lot on Rave in this character driven novel but that's how real life goes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this touching novel with a huge heart. You'll find yourself rooting for these people as they move through their troubles to find one another and peace. A good read.

Heather Burch is one of my favorite contemporary authors because she writes truly beautiful stories about love, forgiveness, and grace. In Something Like Family we’re introduced to one of the most loveable characters I’ve come across in a book – Rave Wayne. Rave is a twenty-two year old man who really has had the worst possible things happen to him and yet he has the best heart. At one point in the book he describes himself as a person who “had always seen the worth in a human being, no matter how ugly his soul might be.” And time and time again, Rave proves this in the way he lives. There are so many touching scenes in this book, especially near the end so keep your Kleenex handy. As with every Heather Burch book I’ve read, there is nothing graphic or vulgar. There’s romance with some sizzle, but tastefully written. It’s simply a great book that deserves more than five stars.

What a beautiful, moving story this was! I fell head over heels in love with the characters and the gorgeous setting of small town Tennessee and was quite emotional when I was finished reading and it was time to say goodbye, Rave and Tuck stole a little piece of my heart.

While this book had a really great storyline what made it special for me was the characterization. Rave and Tuck were very well crafted and Burch really made them come to life. Rave is a young man who’s entire life has been a struggle. When he is at one of the lowest points of his life he gets word that his grandpa, Tuck is alive and wants to meet him. Rave was told that he was long dead so the opportunity to meet him seems unreal. Rave’s mom has been gone for years and he thought she was the only family he had in the world. Tuck is a lonely old man with a heart of gold and watching these two begin to build a relationship was inspiring and so lovely. There was an authenticity to their relationship as well as to their personality traits and characteristics that rang so true to real life.

At it’s core this is a story about forgiveness and second chances and the power and meaning of family. It was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming and brought out so many emotions in me, I laughed, I cried, I reflected and I loved every minute. There is also a sprinkling of light romance as Rave meets and falls in love with Becca that was so sweet and tender. This was my first Burch book and I can’t wait to read more of her highly evocative, gorgeous books!

I loved this book as soon as I started it. It was almost like the further you read, the more layers of emotions were felt. I could not put it down. It is truly a wonderful family story that encompasses all the ups and downs of what it means to be family.

This is such a great book! Family is the star. Newly met family, family with drama, anger and tears. Family full of love, support, and laughter. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, but overall this is a fantastic book that will leave you smiling.

I wiped away the tears this morning as I finished my first book by Ms. Burch. Why was she not on my radar before now? She has such a wonderful way of writing characters that are just so normal with all their flaws and everything. I saw so many people I knew in her writing of these characters. Grandfather Tuck, Vietnam vet and widower, Rave, Tuck's wounded yet resilient grandson, Becca a down-to-earth local girl with a big heart, and Sharon, Tuck's daughter and Rave's mother, a recovering addict. I just loved all the facts of the story and the expert way they were all tied together with a bittersweet ending. Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautifully written!!!!
Though the storyline didnt have much to offer, author's writing style infused life into the story.Story is all about how strong family roots can be and the thought was nicely conveyed.Initially I found the plot moving too slow waiting for something to happen; but after mid of the book when things started moving it was an emotional ride.It makes you believe in second chances,forgiveness and most important opening your heart to someone you love no matter how scary it may seem - you can always give love a second chance.
Overall story was slow moving at the beginning and not that gripping but surely worth a read for authors writing.Emotions are expressed very well and essence of family is captured beautifully.

If you're looking for a powerful, emotional story, this is the book for you. The words Author Heather Burch has strung together here in this story, Something Like Family will warm your heart, make you smile and yes, make you cry. This is the story of Rave Wayne and his love for Becca Johnson. This is the story of Rave Wayne and how he was reunited with the grandfather he didn't remember living with for the first couple years of his life and who he came to love unconditionally. This is also the story of Rave Wayne and how he came to forgive his formerly addicted mother who abandoned him when he was seventeen but came back into his life in the hope of gaining his forgiveness. This book is about a journey of love, faith and forgiveness. Join me in discovering the beauty in this skillfully worded story by Heather Burch.

This is a beautifully written story that tugs at your heart throughout the whole book! Rave and his Grandfather, Tuck come together at a time when they are both in desperate need for family. I loved both characters and couldn't get enough of their time together. I highly recommend this heartwarming story!