Kris Bryant never disappoints. This was an easy light read without a ton of unnecessary drama. This would be a great book to curl up on read and in front on the fire on a cool fall evening! Thanks Kris for another awesome read!

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fairly sweet romance from Bryant that falls somewhere between a novella and a novel. It features Natalie, a Sheriff in her small home town, and Sarah, who is returning to said small town with her six year old daughter. Natalie and Sarah shared a kiss in high school, and haven’t talked since. Both remember the kiss though (and think about it a lot since seeing each other again).

To be honest, not much happens in this book these two reunite, have a lot of ‘meet cutes’ and then get together, in between that is a subplot about a lost dog, that even though I love dogs, I thought took up too much of the story given it’s length. The side characters aren’t terribly fleshed out, but are very supportive and there’s some cute moments with Sarah’s daughter Harper, who also features in the dramatic portion of the book.

Thankfully there’s no miscommunication or contrived breakup, and the MCs are very sweet together. I did think the ending from the dog’s POV was weird though. 3.5 stars.

To say Sheriff Natalie Strand is shocked that Sarah Eastman, the girl who kissed her at a high school party, is back in town would be a huge understatement. Between Sarah’s return and a stray dog that gets the best of her, Natalie’s world is suddenly turned upside down.

They say you can’t go home again, but that’s exactly what Sarah does when she returns to Spruce Mountain, Oregon, to live with her aunt and uncle after her divorce. All she wants is peace and to ensure her daughter, Harley, has stability. Seeing Natalie again after seventeen years ignites a passion that she hasn’t felt in a long time. Never mind that her heart tumbles in her chest or that she forgets words when Natalie’s around, she needs to focus on her family and getting her life back together.

Natalie and Sarah are about to discover that anything is possible when love takes the long way home.

This was only my fourth Kris Bryant story, but I think I'm starting to see how much she likes her dogs.
As promised, this was a feel-good holiday romance. There wasn't much drama, but it wasn't boring. The characters are good together, and despite their history, there wasn't even that much tension at the beginning. I do wish that the characters spent a little more time getting to know each other, and the Harley ordeal could have come later than it did, but otherwise the pacing was fine.
I have only two specific criticisms (and they should come with a spoiler warning):
1. The "fight" in the epilogue. Sorry, but that's really not a fight. A slightly heated clashing of opinions, but not a fight. It's kind of annoying when Natalie claims that this was their only fight. I get the whole "too good to be true" idea, but come on, they live together now. I'd rather hear Natalie mention the everyday disputes that are respectful and bring them closer together.
2. The weird part at the ending. What. Why? I get that Henry has his own backstory, and maybe it would have worked if it had been interwoven with the romance. The end is when everything is winding down, when you leave the reader with the blissful HEA. Instead, we get this somewhat unsettling story about an old lady whose dying act is to save Henry from her abusive son. It may be nice that he has his own HEA, but we really shouldn't end with Henry, and not in such an abrupt fashion.
I'm stuck between 3.5 stars and 4. Since I don't think I'm specific or consistent enough to start giving 0.25, I'll round to 4.

I’ve always been a fan of Kris Bryant’s books. She’s one of my favorite authors, and this book is no exception.

The story was set in a Hallmark-movies type of small town in Spruce mountain. Sheriff Natalie had her first kiss with the most popular girl, Sarah Eastman, in high school. Sarah, who freaked out suddenly, left the town and hurt Natalie. Fast forward 20 years later, Sarah came back with a cute daughter, just divorced from her ex-wife, looking to start a new life. Her return sparks the longing from Natalie, and the feeling was reciprocated. The couple navigates their feelings through the twist and turns along with the presence of a cute golden retriever.

The story ticked all the elements of a Hallmark movie: a sheriff, a popular girl, a cute little girl, and a golden retriever. I can imagine this (when the time comes and the world ready for gay hallmark movies) can be produced as one of the autumn edition line-ups. It follows the typical plot but still gives me a warm feeling when the two characters got together. My favorite character is Sheriff Natalie, who is the quiet type but has charisma and caring. Of course, as a dog lover, I think the golden retriever is the star of this story :) However, I think this book lacks a bit of depth in exploring the characters’ emotions, which I found and love in the other author’s book, ‘Listen’ and ‘Tinsel.’ Probably, I think it was because of the two books were using the first-person point of view. Aside from that, this book is wonderful; I read this in one seating with a cup of coffee while drizzling outside.

Basically a hallmark movie of a book. Was expecting something to break them up, as is the norm in this genre, but was pleased to not have that trope. Normally not a fan of kids in romance novels, but in this case it didn't bother me. Overall not my favorite story but didn't offend me either.

This book was everything I needed at this moment. Two women, destined to fall in love, meet again in their home town after several years apart. Sometimes you just want an uncomplicated and simple love story, and this hits all the pleasure points. It is unpretentious and a calm, quick read. I would definitely recommend.

Kris Bryant is one of my favorite lesfic authors.
Each novel is loving, emotional and full of family values.

This story is about Sheriff Natalie Strand and Sarah Eastman. They know each other since school and had their first kiss as an 11 year old at a party.

Now 17 years later, Sarah returns to Spruce Mountain, with her daughter Harley to live with her aunt and uncle, after her divorce.

A lot happens a dog comes into town, a large search and rescue.

When I read the book I was moved, loved, cried and laughed.
It is a great read, especially for the fall, you're also able to read is trough the year.

I hope Kris, keeps on writing and the love flowing.

Thank you Bold Strokes books and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read the ARC

This was a superb read, Very heart warming. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one day.
Natalie is the sheriff of Spruce Mountain, a small Town in Oregon. Sarah Eastman is recently divorced and returns home with her seven year old daughter Harley to start life over. Nat and Sarah haven't seen each other in seventeen years. They started a friendship but realized that the attraction between them was strong. I love the relationship between these two characters because they communicated well with each other. However, my favorite character was Ghost Dog aka Henry. He's so adorable. My only issue was that the epilogue was not necessary but could have been included in the story.. I recommend this book. You will not be disappointed!


Thank you NetGalley(ARC), Bold Stroke Books and Kris Bryant, Home.

[Content warnings: gun, off-page animal abuse, loss of father to cancer (prior to story), missing person]

Home is a very sweet second-chance romance that will make you smile. It is an angst-less joy, perfect for a bad day.

Sheriff Natalie Strand (~35, lesbian) isn’t looking for love, and she tries to pretend she didn’t spend half her life thinking about the girl who kissed her and disappeared. Recently divorced Sarah Eastman (~35, lesbian) moves back to small town Spruce Mountain with her six-year-old daughter Harley to regroup. When the pair runs into each other, they are instantly thrown back to that night seventeen years ago.

The story starts with Natalie “[stopping] to pet a beautiful golden retriever waiting outside the craft store.” This simple action tells us so much about her. And shortly afterward, we are introduced to Sarah, who thinks that “[h]igh school really had been the best time of her life.” I love how these seemingly unimportant sentences give us a clear image of the characters. Bryant captures them really well and does a great job of setting up a scene and knowing where to insert summaries.

Most of the story was told in alternating third-person limited points of view, but there were also a few occasions of slipping into omniscient, which were slightly jarring. I am unsure if those were conscious decisions or not. There was also one really abrupt instance of going back in time in the middle of the book, which was a little confusing as was the insertion of a flashback in the epilogue.

The connection between Natalie and Sarah is predetermined like second-chance romances all are. I love all the time they spend together, and they are so cute I tear up every time they get intimate. The secondary characters are amazing as well, including Natalie’s mother Linda, Sarah’s aunt Judy, daughter Harley, and the lovely Ghost Dog on the cover.

Though the middle part of the book is a bit darker than the rest and the major event happens without much reason other than to bring Sarah closer to the people in town, the story is guaranteed to end on a light note. There is also much mysteriousness surrounding Ghost Dog, leaving me with many unanswered questions in addition to my confusion over the central event. And oddly enough, I didn’t think the epilogue enforced the relationship between Natalie and Sarah. It made me wonder if they were on the same page, but the cute thing after the epilogue made the ending a little bit better. Nothing so heartbreaking yet adorable should be allowed.

I need to point out one serious issue in the book. Though romance is an escapist genre, there are certain things I cannot overlook. I enjoyed most of the story a lot, but there are a few scenes with strong good cop narrative and kudos for teaching kids about police force. Being something published in October 2020 without addressing police brutality while cheering the cops on instantly made it a very uncomfortable and disturbing read. To my knowledge, Bryant has never addressed the choice of including these scenes when the story benefited little from them, and I am sure Home was in the process of editing in June 2020. This affected my overall enjoyment, and after careful decision, I felt the need to knock off half a star. I cannot in all good conscious recommend this book without putting this information out there.

Home is my third book by Bryant, and though she writes one of the hottest sex scenes, this one aims for sweetness. If you are looking for a cute romance with strong autumn vibes, look no farther.

To be honest, I haven’t read a bad book by Kris Bryant, because her story lines and writing is just superb! I have found myself reading a ton of books in this genre where one MC returns home so I’m kind of burnt out. But this story was cute. The secondary characters were great, including the dog, the chemistry is alway fab in her books. It’s a great read!

A sleepy small town story where the biggest happening for Sherrif Natalie, is stopping the trigger happy garage owner from shooting a difficult to catch stray dog.

Sheriff Natalie returned to her small home town after her father got sick and decided to stay to be close to her mother. One day she notices a stray dog who keeps disappearing, She does her best to find the dog before it gets killed.

At the same time Natalie's high school crush, Sarah returns to their hometown. Divorced and with a small daughter. Starting a new after 17 years.

Natalie has never forgotten Sarah after that one highschool party where Sarah kissed her and leaving Natalie infatuated with her. Both Nat and Sarah take this chance to get to know each other and hope for a chance that never was back in high school.

A nice feel-good holiday romance in a small town. With a dusting of angst to keep you turning the pages.

Delightful
Natalie returned to her home town where she became the Sheriff. Her life is good, if not a little lonely. When reports of a stray dog start to come in she has a lot to do to find it and if that’s not enough to distract her, Sarah, the woman she loved in high school is back in town and the pull is even stronger now… Sarah never expected to go back to her roots in Spruce Mountain but after a divorce she decides that the support and love of her Aunt and Uncle is just what she and her daughter need. She never expected to see Natalie again and as much as her heart wants to get to know her again, her head is telling her to focus on her daughter and rebuilding her life…

Oh my, oh my! This is another WONDERFUL book full of feels by the talented Ms Bryant. I cannot say enough good things about this story. I loved the small town setting where the sense of community is so strong. The characters are loveable and real to life. I loved the hunt and chase of the ghost dog and the events with him after. He sounds so sweet that I just wanted to cuddle up with him. I loved watching Sarah and Natalie get to know each other and how Sarah’s daughter helped to bring them all together. They are a captivating couple, practically perfect in every way and the sexy bits... mmm. Home is a precious, tender, feel good story that will make your heart happy and make you smile and I know you will love it as much as I did!

This is a lesbian holiday romance novella set in a small fictional town in Oregon around Thanksgiving. If you are looking for a feel-good, low-angst read with an adorable couple, a cute dog, and lovely secondary characters, then you are gonna love this.

kindle
After seventeen years of absence, Sarah Eastman goes back to her hometown of Spruce Mountain, Oregon with her young daughter to live with her aunt and uncle after her divorce. There she meets Natalie Strand again, now the town Sheriff. Natalie has never forgotten Sarah and their shared kiss during a high school party and seeing her again reignite dormant feelings. Both women reconnect but Sarah wants to stay away from relationships and Natalie is still hang up with their past. To make Natalie’s life more confusing, a stray dog seems to be playing hide and seek with her…

Kris Bryant is one of my automatic go-to lesfic authors for the quality of her writing. I love that she can produce a heart-wrenching, angst-filled story about anxiety like ‘Listen’ (one of my favorite books of 2019), that she can also deliver a light and entertaining romance as ‘Breakthrough’ or a hot erotic story such as ‘Shameless’ (under the pen name of Brit Ryder). She’s a talented and versatile author.

‘Home’ follows the “return to hometown” trope and features all the typical elements of small-town life where everyone knows everyone and all about their lives. The author built a sweet cast of town residents, along with an elusive but adorable dog. As it’s usual in Ms. Bryant’s books, the main characters have strong chemistry that makes it easy for the reader to imagine them together and the build-up in their connection is exquisite. If you are looking for a light and hot romance, you won’t be disappointed with ‘Home’.

Having said that, I wasn’t that fussed about this book’s epilogue. I’m not against epilogues as such but, in my opinion, this one wasn’t organic to the story, especially the last part that tells the story from the dog’s point of view. I appreciate that the author might have wanted to explain the back story surrounding the dog, but for me, it felt like an unnecessary addition. Some time ago I listened to an interview where Ms. Bryant said that her publisher asked her to add a few thousand words to her original draft and it made me wonder if the epilogue was added for that reason. It reads more as ‘bonus content’ than as an integral part of the story. Despite that this made me drop half a star in my rating, it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment or my recommendation. 4 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com

In the acknowledgments, the author writes that this book would have been a novella but the characters had more to tell than just the short story. I think it sadly shows throughout the book that it was never to be a full book and that just sort of happened.

Natalie came back to her small home town years ago when her dad was sick, now she is the sheriff. When on an errand for her mother she runs into her high school crush Sarah who just returned to town after almost 2 decades. Sarah is recently divorced and now a single mother trying to regroup while living with her aunt and uncle. Sarah's aunt and Natalie's mother are hellbent on getting them together, as they are aware of their history and their crush. Their history is soon forgotten as they try and work things out between them.

With hardly any character development or description, it is obvious this book started out as a novella. I did end up liking both main characters, but with how little the author gave us it is surprising to me as well. This story is sort of instalove, but 17 years in the making, I don't know how I feel about that part of the book. I think the author glosses over details that could have made the book a more interesting read. The angst/ conflict moment in this book happens at around 70%, which I do appreciate, this means the HEA doesn't just smack you in the face. It's an ok read, but I believe it would have worked better as a novella, I'd be more accepting of the flaws that I now see.

This story seemed good to me, but nothing more. I think it had more potential and in the end it was halfway though. Even the post-epilogue could have been included in the story, because the way the author did it seems a bit silly. Certainly some clarification was needed, but in this way it seemed weird to me.

The story itself is quite typical, high school couple who split up at the start of college and reconnect after several years, but in this case there is not much information about the past that the two women have in common. And the personality of the two women is not very defined either.

The development of the relationship once the two met again is quite brief and Natalie's reluctance fades fairly quickly. Sarah has also not been very well defined, neither by what happened in her youth nor on her return to her hometown. Everything has been briefly exposed, as if it were a sketch.

I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this book, it's good enough. But I wanted more.

Natalie is the Sheriff in a small Oregon town that she grew up in. She is surprised when she runs into her first kiss crush, Sarah, who has returned to town after the dissolution of her marriage.

Bryant mentions that this started as a novella but ended up having more to write about these characters. I'm glad she did because this was a super sweet and enjoyable read.

There is not a lot of crime in the small town, but Natalie finds herself trying to solve the mystery of the garbage meddling dog that continues to evade her.

Meanwhile, Natalie and Sarah's family are doing what they can to push the two together.

As I mentioned before, this was super sweet. I thought that their coming together and developing feelings were cute and realistic. I'm always amused when characters try to fight what is clearly happening in the romance department.

I only have two critiques. One, why oh why do people have to immediately call each other pet names like baby? It is even worse when it happens during the first intimate encounter. Two, I like angst. This didn't have enough of it. The back end of this story was super fluffly and cheesy.

Despite those two things, I really liked this one.

I recommend this to people who love to read about romance, small towns, second chances, women in uniform, well intentioned families, cute children, loyal pets, and ROUS.

“This story is adorable!” This is the sentence I kept repeating to myself and everyone around me as I read Home by Kris Bryant. In fact, I said it so often to my wife, that she began to answer with, “Yes, Dear, I know,” in that distracted tone that says she’s heard this many times already.

Home is a heartwarming second-chance-at-love romance. It is the type of novel that you want to read when you are having a bad day (or year). The writing is excellent, of course. Ms. Bryant is the author after all. I fell in love with Natalie and Sarah, the main characters almost immediately, and when Harley, (Sarah’s six-year-old daughter) and Henry, (the golden retriever) appeared in the story, I was hooked. This is a pure romance with only a little angst in the tale. The setting is a small town in Oregon, and sort of fits into the universe of a couple of Ms. Bryant’s other novels.

The author tells us in the acknowledgements that this was originally supposed to be a holiday novella, but like many novellas, it wouldn’t let her stop until it became a short novel. I’m quite happy with that since it gave me more time with these delightful characters and story. It is an easy and quick read though; the perfect length to brighten your day. I also liked the little surprise she gave us at the end of the book. I will let you find out what that is when you read it.

I do want to mention the wonderful cover to this book. I would have gotten this novel for the cover alone. It is absolutely gorgeous. Toni Whitaker of Deb B. ebook Designs created this cover and deserves a huge pat on the back for such a great job.
This book certainly brightened my day when I read it, so I can recommend it to anyone who needs a little boost.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

You can never go wrong with a Kris Bryant book and Home is not an exception. In this story, Natalie is the Sheriff of a small town in Oregon (where everything is literally only 5 minutes away!) and lives a quiet life. When Sarah moves back to Oregon in order to regroup after her divorce, they decide to spend time as friends but soon realize that the attraction between them is strong. Even more compelling is the fact that both Sarah and Nat remember the kiss they shared over 17 years ago and the lasting impression left by that encounter. Will Sarah being back in town present an opportunity for both Nat and Sarah to pursue a relationship they never had the chance to pursue?
This was a good story with very little angst. I enjoyed the inclusion of Henry, aka "ghost dog" and Harley (Sarah's daughter) in the story line. I also appreciated the shout-out to her previous books; Lucky & Falling.

Home is the perfect feel-good novel. There’s very little angst but it doesn’t mean nothing happens.

The story is simple: seventeen years ago, young Sarah, the most popular girl in the whole high school, kissed Natalie, sweet, shy, freakishly tall Natalie. The kiss changed both girls but Sarah left town without acknowledging its meaning and impact. Natalie grew up to become the town sheriff and has accepted the idea that she’s not made for relationships. Until Sarah comes back, divorced, and looking for a new life for herself and her daughter.

The story feels a bit rushed at first, maybe because it began as a novella that grew to be a short novel, but it doesn’t really matter. All the characters are very lovable, including the dog that ends up saving the day.

This is not the kind of book for which I write long, thoughtful reviews. This is hot chocolate on a rainy autumn afternoon. It won’t push you to reflect deeply on the meaning of life but it will warm you. And that, in itself, is perfect.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.