A great holiday read - was unclear if it would be a straight happy ever after book but the story took some twists and turns along the way and you were rooting for her to get the thing she had wished for as an 18 year old.

Will read more from the author.,

Abigail has taken a leave from her job as lead prosecutor after years of working seventy-hour weeks. She has also taken a break from her fiancé, Joe Batista. As she tries to restart her life, Tessa Snow arrives at her home and tells her that her Aunt Carolyn has died…and that Tessa is the baby that Abby was forced to give up eighteen years ago. Abby’s mother had told her that her baby was placed with an agency, not that she had given her baby to her sister. Tessa is determined to meet her father and assumes that Ryan Jameson, Abby’s high school boyfriend, is her father. Abby agrees to go to Texas, to sell Carolyn’s house…and contact Ryan! How will Abby handle her reunion with Ryan? There are so many secrets between Abby, Joe, Ryan, her parents and now Tessa that she begins to panic not knowing how to handle everything without making the situation worse. As she remembers the love she felt for Ryan, can she return home and marry Joe? How can she tell Ryan about Tessa? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This was the first book I have read by Julieann Dove. I wanted to read this because the synopsis sounded good and I liked the simple and pretty book cover. This book grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn’t stop reading it. I had to know what happened as soon as possible . I thought Abby's character was well written. The Story flowed really well and I can't wait for the next book in this series. I would definitely recommend this book!


Thank you NetGalley and ARC provided by Caffeinated PR for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

This is an interesting book. I hesitate to say it is a “cute” book because of the subject matter. I almost gave it four stars but, to me, it almost seems like the author tries to cover as many dilemmas/conundrums/situations as possible. The main situation is very interesting and very relevant in today’s society. The main character is Abby and she is well written. I cannot get much more into the story without ruining it. I do recommend that you should read it and see if it doesn’t make you stop and think how you would handle the situation. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Well if I start with the positives I have to say “who hasn’t dreamed of leaving their high power attorney job to make pies?”
I felt like the premise of this was a tad off. The story focuses so much on current events it really doesn’t give us time to ruminate on the ties that will eventually bring the story together at the end. Overall I just didn’t connect well with any of the characters.
This one was just an okay read for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Abigail did not think her life could become more confusing. She has resigned from her job as a prosecutor and taken one at a bakery with a teenage boss who fires her. She is engaged to what appears to be Prince Charming but has asked to take a break. He does not understand she means no contact, nor does he tell his parents that she wants a break. She arrives home after leaving the bakery to find a stranger on her front porch. The stranger turns out to be the baby she put up for adoption when she was in high school.
Julieann Dove hits a broad area of mid-life crisis then takes it one more step. The feelings of reuniting with a child as well as returning to a place that you have had no contact with in almost 20 years. Her emotions are heartfelt, and the anxiety is passed on the reader. Dove develops Abigail’s character in a way that even if you have not felt the same anxiety, you understand the feelings she is displaying. I look forward to the next installment of the series.
Thank you NetGalley, Julieann Dove and Caffeinated PR for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Abigail’s midlife crisis is she quits her job as a prosecutor and goes to work in a bakery. She's fired from the bakery and goes home to find a stranger on her doorstep. She is currently on a break from her rich fiancé and he doesn't seem to be giving her any space
Tessa Snow has tracked down Abigail as her birth mother since her adopted mother has passed away. She thinks the Ryan Jameson is her father, Abigail's former high school boyfriend. As Tessa talks to her, she finds out that her aunt actually adopted the baby, and her mother made the arrangements secretly.
When Abigail was pregnant her family moved from Texas to Maine to hide the pregnancy since her father is a minister.
Abigail has a lot of things to work through about the daughter she has now meet and Ryan since she ghosted him years ago.
Great story about coming to terms with trauma in her teen years and learning to live her life as an adult.

Coming Home by Julieann Dove is a sweet book that people looking for non-steamy romances should enjoy.

Lawyer Abby has quit her job, dumped her fiance', and finds the daughter she gave up for adoption at her doorstep. When confronted with her daughter/cousin (read the book) she agrees to go tell her teenage boyfriend that this girl is going to contact him and to help her sell her Aunt's house.

Upon going back to TX, Abby reconnects with old friends and when she see's Ryan, the boyfriend, her feelings for him that she really never let go of.

The book had a few things that bother me - when Abby and Ryan are gardening, he warns her not to touch the "poison", instead of poison ivy or poison oak. Is this a regional thing? I've never heard it called just poison before and it's repeated a lot and just sounded off.

The story wraps up nicely and maybe a little too conveniently - she uses the same plot point almost down to the word for what happened to Abby and a client of hers and that was too convenient and an easy way to wrap things up for me.

All in all, it was an okay book with a gorgeous cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Oh my heart! This was such a precious story. I just fell in love with Tessa and how comfortable she was in her own skin. She was the anchor that Abigail needed when her life was spinning out of control. Ryan was such a great man throughout the whole story but in the end he was a truly wonderful human being. I can’t wait for what’s next in the series and how the other mother’s stories unfold. The dedication for this book will stick with me always.Thank you NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.