Take Me Home is a fun and festive Christmas romance with a whole lot of heart.

I loved following Hazel and Ash as they navigated difficult relationships, first with their family and then themselves. They had great chemistry and banter, and I loved their respect for each other. The pacing was a little slow in the middle of the book, but I really enjoyed the last few chapters, and Hazel and Ash’s changing relationship with their parents had me in tears - it was expressed in such a relatable way. I loved the cast of side characters and can really see the potential for a few spinoffs.

A wonderful read for anyone looking for a thoughtful and warm holiday romance.

Thank you HarperCollins UK for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Ash Campbell has been in love with Hazel Elliot since high school, but manages to hide it well. Now post-graduate students at the same college, their only contact is arguing over who gets to sit in the green velvet wingback chair in the Living Room Café. Hazel does her best work sitting cross-legged in this chair, the only one where she can plug in her ancient laptop. This argument occurs on a daily basis as Ash also works shifts in the café and lives in the flat upstairs. She has no idea how he feels.
Forced by circumstances to share the drive back to their hometown in Texas for Christmas, they start to open up to each other and learn who they are now, not who they used to be when Hazel dated Ash’s best friend and it all ended badly. Road trips are one of my favourite tropes in romance novels, but here it is only a small part of the story. Take Me Home explores various themes including letting go of the past, the importance of family, and going after the future that you really want and not just doing what is expected of you.
The characters are well written and fully fleshed out, with great chemistry and witty banter between Hazel and Ash. The story is told from both their points of view so we get a rounded picture of what’s going on. One slight criticism is the overuse of miscommunication, but otherwise I really enjoyed Take Me Home and will definitely look out for the next book by this author. Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

This was a cute read. I enjoyed Ash’s character a lot more than Hazel’s. she came across quite whiny and petulant at times, but that could be because of her age and lack of maturity. I just found it a little grating and it detracted from their relationship as I kept wondering what he saw in her. But overall I did enjoy this. Lots of fun tropes all thrown together. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher.

I loved this book so much I ended up buying four paperback copies to share with my friends! I wasn't originally sold on the Christmas themes of the book but it was peppered in so beautifully and I felt genuinely added to the story. The banter made me laugh and fall in love with our characters as they fell in love themselves. My only small complaint was that I wish we could have had more side character development as I was so interested in them too!

Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney is a heartfelt enemies-to-lovers story. It has cute banter, one bed trope, and he falls first energy all over.

It’s the story about Hazel and Ash. Ash is a patient and sweet guy. He tries very hard to take care of everyone he loves, even if it’s in the smallest of details. And Hazel, who’s independent, driven, responsible, but also has a lot of walls around her. They are “high school friends” turned “frenemies”, that are stuck on a road trip across Texas together when Ash’s car breaks and he is left with no one other than Hazel to help him go home for the holidays.

Once they reach their destination, in the middle of family events, obligations and personal baggage, they end up touching the subject of their past, and are forced to confront unresolved emotions and miscommunications. They try to pretend there’s no spark but fail miserably at it.

I loved how both characters go through significant growth here. And not only them, but their families as well! I loved to see them having to go through the deep and hard conversations and it’s emotional how such sensitive topics are treated with such delicacy.

The overall story highlights themes of self-discovery, emotional healing, acceptance, learning how to communicate, and the strength found in opening up and trusting people, making this a deep, meaningful and fulfilling story to read. It’s funny, sweet, and just brimming with those heart-fluttering moments. I loved this read!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This wasn't the story i was expecting at all but funnily enough it was so much more and the banter and chemistry between Ash and Hazel is top notch and one thing this book had that i thoroughly enjoy.....the one bed trope!

Highly recommend!

This enemies to lovers (where he falls first, and hard) was an absolutely delightful read. While not exactly what I expected (which is a good thing!) it left me warm and fuzzy at the end of the story. This Christmas is complicated for Hazel and Ash, who have been opponents ever since Hazel dated Ash's best friend through high school. Now in college, they battle over the same table in their favourite coffee shop, until they are thrust together on a road trip back to their home town.
A both heartbreaking and heartwarming book about family, letting go of the past, and finding the future you're worth.

I absolutely adored this book. Hazel and Ash end up on a road-trip together and their banter makes it so much fun. Add in the only-one-bed for frenemies trope and it's a hit! Such a fun read!

I absolutely loved the characters in this book, they were really well written and fleshed out. I was drawn in right away and I was hooked into this romance, it had me felling all the holiday vibes.

I love a good roadtrip-romance and this book was so cute! It made me smile, laugh and cry. I loved how everything worked out especially for Hazel, and how she reconnected with her dad and also connected with her new step-family. The Christmas setting was just another bonus <3

Take Me Home delivers a fun and festive Christmas romance with a perfect mix of tropes like frenemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a road trip adventure. Hazel and Ash are well-developed characters, and their playful rivalry adds a lot of charm to the story. The backdrop of a road trip and small-town Texas during the holidays makes for a cozy and engaging read.

While I enjoyed the romance and the character dynamics, I wasn't a fan of the miscommunication trope that popped up frequently. It felt like it slowed down their connection at times. However, the chemistry between Hazel and Ash is undeniable, and their moments together are sweet and heartwarming.

The spice level is fairly low, making it a cute and cozy read. I do wish the book had been written in the first-person point of view instead of third, as I feel it would have helped me connect more deeply with the characters. Despite that, it's still a fun read for anyone looking for a lighthearted holiday romance!

Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney beautifully weaves together an array of engaging tropes!
It features a road trip with frenemies, unrequited love, and a small town where nothing stays hidden. Plus, the "one bed" trope adds an extra layer of charm-definitely one of my favorites! This book is perfect for curling up with on a cozy evening.
If you enjoy these themes and are looking for a delightful romance, I highly recommend this read. I'm excited to discover more from this author in the future!

Loved this! Such a sensitive portrayal of what it's like to leave your home town to find your way in the world and leave your past behind you, to realise wherever you go, your earlier years and all their pain and joy goes with you. Yes it's an enemies to lovers sort of small town romance, but it's got so much more depth than such tropes suggest. I'll be eagerly awaiting Melanie Sweeney's next read!

I wrote a whole, in depth review for this but then my computer crashed so here we are again - Take Me Home was the perfect, Christmas time romcom and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, consuming it on a single day.

Before I start, THIS IS NOT A ROADTRIP ROMANCE. There is a road trip that lasts about 30 pages, give and take, but it's more of a small town/college romance. The blurb is an incredibly misleading, so temper your expectations going in if that's what you're looking for.

Otherwise, Ash and Hazel's relationship is really heartfelt. They grow together and separately throughout the novel, overcoming the obstacles between them in a way that is uniquely human and honest. The cast of characters were full of life, and I especially loved the focus on Hazel's relationships with her female friends.

I found myself skipping through a lot of the smutty scenes and not 100% being convinced of the tension between them. The way that Ash was in love with her from their high school days should have been gut wrenching and angsty but I felt like there was something missing.

Overall, I had a nice time reading this but the lack of emotional punch has caused me to move on quite quickly. Thanks so much to HarperCollins and Netgalley for this arc!

This story hits some of the most popular tropes: forced proximity, one bed, road trip romance, with some academia mixed in.
I loved Hazel's and Ash's journey together. Their story is tender, and kinda representative of taking that step into adulthood, while they are both dealing with family stuff. I enjoyed the first half of the story more, when we get to know them. At one point, it does get repetitive until it picks up again at the last part of the story.
3.5 stars for my enjoyment of the book, +0.25 star for making me feel seen at a particular moment, and making me cry on a day that I am already feeling vulnerable.
This story will resonate with a lot of people, I'm sure.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley UK. All opinions are my own.

I can't believe this is a debut novel as it reads so well!

This was a cute read (and I'm always a sucker for a romance set at Christmas). Having dual perspectives was lovely, and Ash's family were a delight to read. I sort of wish the rivalry had been maintained for a bit longer, but enjoyed reading the development of Ash and Hazel's relationship. There was perhaps a bit too much miscommunication for me, but overall it was cheesy and sweet and a perfect light read. I'm secretly hoping we get to follow the other siblings (particularly June!) in future novels.