No Place Like Home tells the story of a young woman who defied the traditions of her large family in Pueblo, leaving school as the teenage daughter of a traditional Italian Catholic family for life and adventure with her rock-star quasi-husband, Billy, whom she met with Michael, a man who becomes her best friend after meeting them both at the state fair. Jewel leaves Pueblo for New York with Billy and Michael at age 17 longing for adventure and life outside the confines of Pueblo and the staunch traditions of her large family. Along the way, the three of them leave the small-town claustrophobia of Pueblo for the semi-successful rock star lifestyle of Micheal and Billie in New York, a man she truly loves but never marries, despite the birth of their son, Shane. After twenty years, Jewel feels the familiar pull of her first family, the one she left behind to spread her wings. After a series of life-altering challenges and an inheritance of land from a great aunt, Jewel decides to head home to Pueblo with her son, Shane, and her dearest friend, Michael, to try to make amends with the life she left behind as a young girl. Estranged from her father, whom she hasn’t spoken to since she left Pueblo twenty years ago, Jewel longs for a reconciliation as much as that scares her. With her strong Sicilian roots and a huge family whom she believes judges her for her past free-spirited adventures, she learns as much from this family reunion as her parents, sisters, aunt, cousins, and grandparents do. As Michael meanders one of the biggest struggles of his life, Jewel finds redemption in forgiveness via a new and unexpected love as she rebuilds a life for herself and Shane inside her large Sicilian family.

The tale is a journey of personal growth and romance, reconciliation and the never-ending lure of family ties that bind. I had never read a Barbara O’Neal book before, and I must say I am now a new fan of her work. The tale is delivered via characters that become part of your family as you read; the characters and their foibles so real you feel like you lived through them with the MC, Jewel. Her characters jump off the page and into your heart. With both believable characters and believable backstories, and rich immersive settings, you will feel as if you stepped off the same train and bus that Jewel, Shane, and Michael did when they arrived in Pueblo. You can smell the family dishes, taste the mouth-watering deserts, and smell the high desert weather in all its glory and seasons. O’Neil weaves a tale of longing, lost souls and the true nature of family and forgiveness and the need we all seem to have at times in our lives to return to our roots for comfort when times get tough. This book will transport you through some of your own youthful imperfections alongside Jewel as she comes to understand the one life she is destined to have as she rebuilds her life and finds new love after loss. Spoiler Alert: Have tissues handy. And there are a few drug/alcohol scenes, bad boy innuendos, and sex scenes which Barbara O'Neal writes into the story beautifully and unoffensively. As my first book review for Net Galley which I stayed up most of the night to finish, I am thrilled to say Barbara O’Neal's poignant tale of love and loss, personal growth, and family forgiveness should be a must read for all.