Love’s Home Run is a Lilac Lake story by Judith Keim. Many of the characters were first introduced in Ms. Keim’s Lilac Lake Inn series, including one of the main characters, retired baseball player Ross Roberts. However, chef Melissa Hendrickson, neighbor to Ross, is the primary character of the story.

Melissa has never felt comfortable in her own skin as she was more the athletic type with more male friends than female. Lately Melissa has become a valued member of the young adult group that meets regularly at Jake’s for an evening drink and visiting. As such, Melissa and Ross become better acquainted, often sharing rides. In fact, as their friendship grows, Melissa even asks Ross to put in a good word for her with the new town dentist, which he does.

When Ross asks for volunteers for a fundraising softball game, many of the group, including Melissa, volunteer. Although the game is quite successful in fundraising, as Melissa and Ross both go for ball they collide reinjuring a knee injury that puts Ross in the hospital awaiting knee replacement surgery. Feeling responsible, Melissa vows to help with recovery, including driving Ross to physical therapy. This leads to her also accompanying Ross to visit his dying father, which leads to an unexpected journey, leading down new paths for them both.

This, like all of Ms. Keim’s novels, brings together a fine cast of characters in an idyllic setting. But more than that, she explores her characters, their backstories, and the things each is dealing with. This story has many different threads entwined to tell a heart warming tale. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Talented chef, Melissa, feels her life could be more exciting- a different job which gave her more time to socialise with friends, its now time for romance, marriage and children, maybe with the new Dentist in town? . A sporting accident means best friend and neighbour, Ross needs her help in his rehabilitation. Perfect reading for a cold winter day.

Love's Home Tun by Judith Keim offers readers the opportunity to continue the fun saga of Lilac Lake. I enjoyed the dynamics of Ross and Melissa's relationship.

Love's Home Run by Judith Keim

"Love's Home Run" is another great read set in the small town of Lilac Lake, New Hampshire, part of the A Lilac Lake Book series. This book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone or as part of the series. If you've read some of the other books, you may already be familiar with the engaging characters and friends of Lilac Lake.

The story follows Ross Roberts, a former professional baseball player who had to retire due to an injury. He has since become a successful businessman with a passion for helping young kids enjoy the game of baseball.

His next-door neighbour, Melissa Hendrickson, is a chef who works at her family's restaurant. While she loves her job, she yearns for more in her life, especially as her friends are finding love and happiness in their relationships.

As Ross suffers another injury, he and Melissa end up spending a significant amount of time together. She supports him through the loss of his father, while he helps her cope with her father's heart attack.

Judith Keim delivers another winner with this book, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I adored this book! The romance was so sweet and delightful and I loved the small town and the characters. This is a later book in the series, but you can read it as a standalone.

As usual, it was nice to catch up with the gang at Lilac Lake. The formula of these novels continue to be the same. Boy meets girl, girl falls in love, boy finally catches up emotionally and they get their “happily ever after “. This one had a little bit different spin with the girl thinking another boy would be perfect for her. Sometimes, all you need to do is look in your backyard. Not a deep novel but a nice little beach or apre ski read.

Melissa is a talented chef in her parent's restaurant. She loves her work, but she's starting to think about what she's missing from her life - a family of her own. She lives in a small town where people get along well. And even better, many of the friends she knew from earlier in her life are returning. She's become focused on a new person in town, but he really hasn't seemed to get the message that she's interested. She asks her next door neighbor, a former baseball player for the Yankees to put in a good word about her to stoke interest in her "intended."

Russ is happy in his life in this small New England town. He's gotten involved in several projects and he enjoys his friendship with Melissa. He had to leave baseball when he suffered an injury. When he reinjures his leg, he needs a knee replacement and he goes to Boston for the surgery. Melissa accompanies him and visits with two chef friends who live there.

Russ' father has been seriously ill so after Russ is recovered, the two friends go to visit his father and his family in New Jersey and then head south for a well needed vacation. Russ and Melissa both suffer big upheavals in the book and they lean on each other and their friendship.

I'm enjoying this series. New England was my home for many years so I love the setting of the town and the closeness to Boston. People get along really well in this town and they enjoy their lives and each other. Intimacy takes place behind closed doors. If you enjoy easy going romances and great characters, this is a series you'll enjoy reading.

3⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Wild Quail Publishing for an advanced copy of Love’s Home Run.

Melissa is a chef at her family’s restaurant and she loves it but she wants more. She wants to find her soulmate and she wants it to be Dirk but he does not seem as interested. She goes to her neighbor and friend Ross for advice. She ends up injuring his leg and she helps him through his recovery and begins to see him in a different light but does he feel the same about her?

I like that this book was about mature characters. But I did not like the miscommunication the main characters had with one another. Overall it was an okay read for me.

I adore this author. I know that no matter what happens I am going to feel food at the end. This book did not disappoint. You cannot help, but to adore the two main characters and want them to find their happy place. Melissa wants it all. And as she is having those thoughts, she loses the one thing that she thought was a given. When the family restaurant burns down she is She is mentally floundering and feels untethered. Ross, her friend and neighbor start spending time together after a mishap leaves him in need of help. A small town, friends to maybe more story about good friends, family, love and paying attention to what is right in front of you. I needed a sweet heartwarming story and this hit the spot. A lovely read from cover to cover.

In Love’s Home Run by Judith Keim, chef Melissa Hendrickson reevaluates her life after years of dedication to her family’s seafood restaurant in Lilac Lake. Hoping for romance, she sets her sights on the new town dentist but turns to her longtime neighbor and friend, Ross Roberts, for advice. A former pro baseball player recovering from an injury, Ross and Melissa grow closer after she accidentally worsens his knee condition during a charity game. As they support each other through personal and family hardships—including a devastating fire at Melissa’s restaurant—their friendship deepens into something more. Faced with major life changes, Melissa must decide between chasing an old dream or embracing a new future with Ross.

This was a fun romance story although I knew fairly early in the book how it was going unfold. Melissa and Ross live next door to each other but she considers them just friends. She enlists his help when she’s interested in a member of their friends group. If you like a romance book this is for you. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Great short love story. I love the neighbors to lovers storyline and they are the perfect couple together! This story really shows that love can make any situation better and easier to handle.

Love's Home Run by Judith Keim. As always this was another wonderful read. Melissa is a chef in her family restaurant, but her love life hasn't always been all that great. Melissa carries around some self esteem issues, yet believes she is ready for a relationship with the new dentist in town. Her neighbor Ross, has become a good friend but that is all she expects from that relationship. Little does she know that life will toss some unexpected obstacles into her path. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I received and ARC from NetGalley and Wild Quail Publishing, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

While I enjoyed the premise of Melissa and Ross's relationship, I felt like the book was very two dimensional. The conversations felt stilted and the situations lacked emotion. There were a lot of major events in the book and each one was skimmed over when it initially happened. I was not totally invested in this novel.

This is a wonderful series. Melissa is a chef at her family restaurant. She is ready to settle down and has hopes that Dirk, the new dentist will be her perfect match. Ross is her next-door neighbor and good friend. Dirk turns out not to be for her, but everyone thinks that she and Ross are perfect together. Family troubles come up with Ross's dad being ill, the family restaurant having a fire and Melissa's dad having a heart attack. Ross and Melissa deal with it all together. Their feelings grow, but does Ross feel the same way? I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This book took me a little bit of time to get into. Once I did I thoroughly enjoyed the neighborly "friendship" between Ross and Melissa.
They are great support for each other as they create a wonderful friendship. Once they go on a road trip you know sparks will fly and magic will probably happen.

I always enjoy Judith Keim's book and while this one was slow to start, I enjoyed this book as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Melissa loves her job as a chef at her family’s restaurant, but she yearns for more. When she literally runs into her neighbor and former professional baseball player, Ross Roberts, during a charity softball game, she feels guilty for causing the latest injury to his knee. She agrees to take him to rehab appointments and help him in any way she can. He even gives her some dating advice. They help each other through some trying times and as they spend more time together, feelings start to grow.

A heartwarming story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Melissa Hendrickson lives next door to Ross Roberts, and they have a great next-door friendship. Melissa works as a chef in her parents' restaurant and feels life is passing her by. She spends too much time working and doesn't get to socialize with her friends as much as she would like.
When a fire destroys the family restaurant, she can now decide what to do with her life. In a softball game Ross injures his knee and Melissa takes care of him.

I love Judith Keim books, Melissa wants to find a date and realizes that her real person was in front of her all along.

Love's Home Run by Judith Keim was wonderful from the first word to the last! I am a huge fan of Judith Keim. She does a beautiful job of making the characters in her books feel like someone I would want in my life.
Lilac Lake is the location of this story. Melisa has come to a point in life where she finds herself where all she is doing is working. She is a chef in the family restaurant but wants to find more time in her life to do things she has not had time to do for quite some time.
When a new dentist moves to Lilac Lake, she sets her focus on seeing if there could be anything between them. Life has other plans for her.
Thank you NetGalley, Judith Keim and Wild Quail Publishing for the ARC Love’s Home Run. This is my personal review.