GREAT READ!

Eli has tried her best to stay away from home due to all of the emotions home stirs up. When her grandmother passes away she is forced to go home and deal with the few reasons that keep her running. Her mother that has been a constant swinging door in her life, her brother that she has lost that closeness with and her Ex who she thought was her one and only soulmate. The characters were well developed and the storyline had me in my feelings.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

A solid second chance romance that veers away from the third act break up.

Eli Thomas has been avoiding her home town for years, but with the death of her grandma she finds herself returning for more than just her usual one day. This forces her to confront the ghost of her past including her alcoholic mother and Aracely, the highschool girlfriend who broke her heart.

I appreciated that despite being a second chance romance the main characters didn’t spend a lot of the novel hating each other. Instead, they quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm which emphasized how well they knew each other. This also meant that the traditional third-act break up was missing which will come as a relief to many readers.

While this is a holiday romance it leans more to the family drama than the Hallmark movie type of story. However, there were some cute holiday traditions that felt original like the memorial tree lighting and parts of Santa Day.

Structurally, the combination of the flashbacks and the excerpts from Eli’s book was too much for me. I found it distracting and it slowed down the story. If I had to give one up it would be the excerpts since the flashbacks revealed more about Eli while the excerpts were just focused on reinforcing what we already know. Of the subplots, I found the school drama to be the most interesting and would have liked a little more resolution.

I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone looking for some holiday spirit mixed with family drama.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this holiday book ! I read it in one sitting and could not put it down until I finished it.

I loved that we got to see extracts from Eli’s books and seen how similar her book characters are to Eli and Aracely’s relationship. I also loved the flashbacks aswell I feel they really made the whole story enjoyable and realistic.

This was simply a perfect holiday read. Although I did read this after Christmas I still loved every aspect of it.

*Thank you NetGalley and Bold strokes books for providing me this Arc in return for an honest review*

I read this whole book on Christmas Day and it was a lovely light read for the holiday! There was little conflict, and when there was conflict, it tended to be wrapped up so nicely and quickly that you could blink and miss it. The cozy setting and near complete lack of real drama made it a delightful and quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the earc.

„Close to Home“ follows Eli Thomas, an author who comes back to her hometown after her grandmother died. As her and her brother find out about a mistake in the will, Eli ends up staying longer than expected. Throughout this stay she has to figure out how to reincorporate herself into the small town that also houses Aracely, the woman she once loved.

I ended up dnfing this book, as I recently decided to not force myself to finish books if I am not enjoying them. However I really did try with this one (still couldn’t make it past 20%). Now that doesn’t mean that the book was necessarily bad, it just wasn’t for me and I wasn’t in the mood for it. The main reason I have for dnfing it is the fact that I just found it incredibly boring (the chapters are also really long, so that didn’t help)

I can still appreciate some aspects of Allisa Bahneys writing style. She made characters feel very alive which I really enjoyed. As a younger sibling I found the sibling relationship to be quite realistic (from what I read).

I knew this would be an instant favorite of mine this holiday season. Close to Home is a debut novel by Allisa Bahney, that touches on the theme of loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of parents (in differing ways), loss of a sibling relationship, and finally the loss of a first love.

This novel is only 240 pages or so, but is packed with a ton of emotions between 3-4 supporting characters and was a very sweet second chance romance! What makes this story line even better is that it takes place at Christmas time! Aside from the love story --- which is yes predictable, but we still love it, I enjoyed the MC’s growth throughout the story and how she was able to come to terms with things that happened in the past and be more mature for future relationships. This story isn’t just a love story in the romantic sense, but it’s also about family and forgiveness.

The only negative thing I would say (which isn't completely bad) is that Bahney includes pieces of Eli's past for chapters throughout this book as well as a novel by MC is working on (she is a successful writer). It's really almost like 3 books in one and this could be very confusing to readers, but the chapter titles and the way it's written makes sense and for advanced readers should be easy to follow.

Overall, Close to Home is a very heartfelt and a wonderful Christmas read. For me it felt very organically constructed the way a Christmas-set romance should be. With this book, I have become an instant fan of Allisa Bahney! Many thanks to the Publisher Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

This book was a bit heavier than I expected. The messiness of the main characters family reminded me of the drama that my own family back in my hometown bring with them when I visit. There were many positives about this book, however, I just couldnt get sucked in. I’m not sure what was missing from it, but something just didn’t hook me in with the story.

This was a very sweet second chance romance! What makes it even better is that it takes place at Christmas time! Aside from the love story, I really enjoyed the MC’s growth throughout the story and how she was able to come to terms with things that happened in the past. This story isn’t just a love story in the romantic sense, but it’s also about family and forgiveness.

Eli Thomas returns to her home town to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother who raised her. Eli, who is a successful writer, usually only visits for Christmas. Because of circumstances with the will and her brother she decides to stay on through the holidays a few weeks away.

This cute cover doesn’t quite capture the tone of the book, but it is still accurate. For a heartwarming Christmas, second chance, romance there is a good deal of drama. Eli and her brother Tommy are both in their 40s and a bit broken. Tommy still lived with grandma and I never saw mention of him having a job. Although he does date. Eli still has a lot of anger directed towards her mother who doesn’t live far away. And she wasn’t expecting the girl who broke her heart, Aracely Hernandez, to show up at the funeral, or learn that she has lived in town for the last six years.

The writing is top notch and doesn’t and a good reminder that holidays can be melancholy for many people. The small town traditions fit and it was nice to have flashback scenes between Eli and her grandmother and Eli and Aracely. For me the story leans towards women’s fiction as this is Eli’s journey of grief, anger and forgiveness. But the romance is there and Aracely adds to every scene she is a part of.

If you want a Christmas romance with a little more heft this is easy to recommend.

Close to Home will have you sitting with your feelings all night long. It's tenderly emotive; the layout of the plot gorgeously engaging.

A second chance romance built on a rich history, provides the perfect fuel by which to feed a slow burn relationship between the main characters.

Eli Thomas goes home once a year for Christmas. A twenty four hour round trip that she hates, because it fills her every sense with the love she lost, and the broken family that's never been the same. But when Eli's Grandma suddenly dies, and the reading of her will gets complicated, Eli looks set to be staying for much more than her usual 24 hour stint.

Twenty years of avoidance is a lot to deal with, and as Eli makes a start there is one person she didn't bargain on seeing again.
Aracely Hernandez was the teenage love of Eli's life, but when Aracely made a devastating choice for the both of them, the abandonment ripped Eli apart, leaving a hole she's never been able to fill. As Aracely tries to make amends, it's down to Eli to decide whether she can risk her heart and the place she calls home for a second time.

So many aspects of this story deeply resonated with me, particularly the loss of a parent at a young age and exactly how that continues to impact Eli even as an adult. Alongside the devastating aftermath, the kind that wreaks havoc with your idea of happily ever after, when the person you had unwavering belief in abandons you for the "greater good".

The story really is an exploration in second chances, not just when it comes to romantic love, but also that of the family unit. It's equally difficult and fulfilling to watch Eli's journey with both her mum and her brother Tommy. To see each of them begin to understand how the past continues to impact their present and their relationships with each other. I loved how Eli and Tommy's Grandma's death and will, is used as the catalyst for change. An opportunity for their Grandma to remind them of what's important, even from the grave!

As Close to Home is a December release, you won't be surprised to find plenty of festive spirit sprinkled throughout the book. The description of Santa Day, complete with parade, memorial tree, snowman building, and sugary snacks is exactly how I'd imagine small town holiday celebrations to be.

As far as I'm aware this is Bahney's first solo story, having previously co-authored the Badlands series, and I genuinely hope it won't be the last. The author clearly has a knack for painting a picture that weaves an abundance of depth and feeling, where each colour palette is a different snippet of the story, and when taken as a whole the result is breathtakingly in its beautiful.

An excellent slow burn romance that exposes the many vulnerabilties required of giving, and receiving, second chances. I can't wait to see what Allisa Bahney writes next.

Very sweet romance

Eli’s was only supposed to be going home for Christmas, but following the death of her grandmother and a term in her will that means Eli has to stay a bit longer, has her facing her family and her past. When she bumps into Aracely, she realises her attraction to the girl who got away has never left her but worries about getting her heart broken again when fate keeps pushing her and Aracely together.

Such an emotional story with a lot of heart and soul-searching to be done. It was no surprise when we learn about Eli’s past as to why she is so closed and keeping to herself when she gets home. What I loved was the range of perspectives covered in the story to provide everything we need to understand the emotional journey she is now on. And the way it was cleverly interwoven with Eli’s carer as an author was a really lovely surprise. Even though this is quite a sad story in terms of what has just happened for Eli, it’s also one that made me smile and brought warmth because it is packed with loving moments and memories that then really help Eli to grow into the person I think she always wanted to be.

Aracely surprised me. She wasn’t what I thought she might be from the first meeting and the more I learned about her and Eli’s past, the more I grew to love her and could understand why Eli had never been able to let that attraction go. She was kind and caring, and had made decisions only because she’d wanted Eli to succeed and achieve her dreams. The more I learned the more I fell in love with the idea of them being together, and Eli sticking around because in the end, even her family weren’t that bad and she had a real chance at happiness by trying something different.

A great story with a little bit of holiday cheer to remind of the importance of family, no matter who is a part of your family, and that taking risks and chances comes with rewards. Sad but uplifting and an enjoyable read.

This second chance romance is a wonderful debut for Allisa. The family dynamics in the story is very complicated. I loved the characters growth throughout the story. Overall, very heartfelt and a wonderful Christmas read.

Thanks to the Publisher Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

Very kind of 'okay' book.

Eli Thomas is reluctantly returning to her small Iowa small town for Christmas. And staying much longer than she planned because of her Grandmother's death.

(Also her fool brother has knocked up two women, babies due NOW.)

Aracely Hernandez was Eli's first love, but they broke up before Eli left town. Now that complications with her Granny's will are keeping Eli in town, she might have to deal with her too.

I did feel the flashbacks and the bits with Eli's novel didn't help the book, and felt like I'd rather have the page count be put to the main plot.
3 out of 5 stars.

SUBLIME from page one all the way to the ending, Close to Home is a wonderful solo debut by Allisa Bahney, resting and building on the theme of loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of parents (in differing ways), loss of a sibling relationship, and finally—and centrally—that oh-so-painful loss of first love.

Can Eli somehow find a way to come to terms with all the things she has lost in her life while grieving the recent death of her beloved grandmother? Matters are complicated when Eli unexpectedly bumps into her first love, Aracely. And, oops, there is an unexpected forced proximity. One girl is closed off, one is open; both are in pain after a decision made nearly 20 years before.

This novel is only 240 pages or so, and Ms. Bahney has set herself the lofty target of fitting in a lot of events and consequences to deal with, not to mention the story being packed with a ton of emotions! And even setting aside all the difficult emotions of loss and anger and regret, for example, this book is actually an uplifting novel full of joy, populated with 3 or 4 strong supporting characters. The sense of a small-town Christmas community and how Eli can find a way to fit within that, whether temporarily or permanently, is brought wonderfully to life on the page.

With just the right amount of angst, organically constructed, this is as good a solo debut as you could hope for. It sucks you in very early on and begs you not to leave it alone. Quite frankly, THIS is how a Christmas-set romance should be done.

I have become an instant fan of Allisa Bahney, and I’ll follow her to the ends of the earth for more stories from her!

Thank you to the author and the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to revel in the joy of this ARC.

Close to Home is not a typical "person returns to hometown and reunites with a past love" story. The main character of Eli grew up to become a successful writer, and Allisa Bahney wrote excerpts from Eli's books to parallel her life. It was quite fascinating! 

Bahney almost seamlessly wove in pieces of Eli's past for chapters throughout this book. This could have been confusing, but the chapter titles and the way it related to the present time made sense. I felt that the Eli/Aracely relationship was slightly idealized...but that is a reason I like to read fiction.

I would suggest this book if you are a fan of:
* second-chance romance
* one chili pepper of spice
* complicated family dynamics
* a wise grandparent
* Christmas
* character growth
* a happily ever after

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the arc!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

its like a hallmark movie.... coming home after years of being away and realising that maybe you didnt need to stay away for so long....

have to say i was hooked from the first page with this one.... and had to finish it... and boy i wasnt disappointed at all.... and it has a lovely christmassy feel to it....

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Close to Home was an enjoyable Christmas-themed WLW romance. One unique piece to this novel that I enjoyed was the minimal angst between the two main characters as they have a second chance at romance. They were young lovers when they were teens, but when they met again after the death of Eli's grandmother, they can't resist being together. The real angst of the story is in regards to Eli's past, her relationship with her brother and her mother, her regret of shutting out the small town she grew up in and not visiting her grandmother that raised her. This made for a more enjoyable story. The author did a good job of revealing the couple's past through flashbacks and excerpts from the novel that Eli was writing. This will give you the warm fuzzies leading into the holiday season.

Close to home reflected how much eli missed her home , town, friends and the love of her life from which she ran. Her Grandma's heavenly abode pulls her back home and makes her realise how precious things are around. She becomes a successful writer wherein the glimpse of her past and her relationships sparkle a lot and even as a reader I could relate to it. It was a heartfelt, sweet yet perfect holiday read.

Great Christmas romance. This was a really good book, the main characters were made for each other. I liked all the family drama that comes along with going home for Christmas. The romance was well written and this had all the angst and drama that I like. I would recommend this book and I look forward to what's next from this author.

I want to thank Bold Stroke Books and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read Close to Home by Allisa Bahney. This review is solely my own opinion. This book was an interesting read, not necessarily in a bad way. First, the story follows Eli, an author who made it big after leaving home and Aracely, the woman who broke Eli's heart in high school. After the breakup with Aracely, Eli never wanted to go home, but that changed this year because Eli's grandmother, who raised her, died. Eli goes home and has to deal with her childhood trauma, her estranged family, the death of her grandmother, and running into Aracely repeatedly while home. The story is pretty solid, and there are exerpts from Eli's books that parallel her life. The subject matter is just a little heavy, especially for a holiday read. I gave it 3 stars and will recommend it, with the caveat that it's not all rainbows and sunshine.