Monday, January 20, 2014

REVIEW: COMING HOME by PRISCILLA GLENN

Coming HomeGenre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Pub
Publication Date: 1/21/14
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Rating:  4 stars

Leah Marino hasn’t been on a date in two years. After discovering the man she loved had manipulated and deceived her, she refuses to even entertain the idea of a relationship. Instead, she focuses her attention on taking care of her family, a role she’s assumed since the death of her mother and the one place she knows her kindness won't be taken advantage of again.

When a nostalgic trip back to her childhood home results in a chance encounter with Danny DeLuca, a smart-mouthed mechanic who’s as attractive as he is mysterious, Leah's carefully cultivated walls begin to crumble. She finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Danny, despite his unreliable behavior and mixed signals.

But Danny has a secret...

One that could shake Leah's already precarious foundation and bring her world crashing down around her. Suddenly, she's faced with an incredibly difficult decision--is she willing to risk everything for the chance at finding the love she's always wanted? Or are some obstacles just too big for the heart to overcome?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18759474-coming-home?from_search=true


First Impression... What a nice cover. I've loved both of Glenn's books, and hope the streak continues with Coming Home.

The Story... When Leah Marino revisits her childhood home, the kind owner befriends her, and introduces her to her grandson Danny DeLuca. Danny and Leah part ways, but don't want to let the connection go. A friendship forms, but Leah soon wants more. Danny runs hot and cold, and seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Danny promises to tell Leah his secret, but knows he'll lose her.

The Characters... Coming Home is very much a character-driven story. Because of that, the story does have a slow pace. The downside to that is I was slow to get into Coming Home. The upside is, I did have a strong sense for the characters, their feelings and motivations.

Danny and Leah were both strong, likable characters. Looking back, it seems neither had an apparent flaw. It's nice to not feel annoyed by the MCs, for sure. Of course, this means that I didn't find either particularly dynamic, but I liked them both. Their story is more about making choices against outside circumstances.

Leah did have a bit of a sad background, losing her mother young and becoming the caretaker of the family. There was also a backstory with a jerk ex-boyfriend.

As for Danny, the big question with Danny is: What's his secret? What's the big deal? I'm not going to even hint at the secret, but I will say that I was surprised, and that I felt it was handled very well by the author. Very realistic, without taking the easy way out.

The Writing... Priscilla Glenn is a very talented author. As I've stated, I really enjoyed her previous books. Coming Home was an interesting story, and well-written. The style is very subdued, and I always find the powerful moments sneaking up on me. I never feel like Glenn is going for a shock-and-awe type of story, but more like quiet and profound.

The Heat...Perfectly complemented the story. Danny and Leah had a great, slow-building chemistry, one that held strong throughout the story.

In the End...  Coming Home is a slow burn type of story.  If you're looking for a well-written, introspective, and quietly powerful story, give it a try.



Favorite Quote:

  He stared up at her, and the vice-like pain in his chest began to soften for the first time since he had entered her apartment. There was nothing she could have said in that moment more perfect than the words she'd just spoken.
  Because no matter what she decided after this, even if she chose to walk away and never look back, in a way, she had just absolved him.
  She had looked straight through all the horror and the ugliness, and she still saw him.
  And when she laid her head back down on his chest, he rested his cheek against her hair and closed his eyes, wondering if there would ever be a man on this planet who was worthy of her.
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About the author
Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching English Language Arts for the past twelve years while moonlighting as a writer, mom, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer.
If you catch her when she's feeling sophisticated, she'll tell you her favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in between, she'll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry's, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson.
Glenn is the author of the contemporary romance novels Back to You, Emancipating Andie, and Coming Home.
Email  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads



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17 comments:

  1. I haven't read anything by Priscilla Glenn, but this sounds like a sweet character driven story.
    I need to check this one out. Lovely review, Andrea.

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  2. I love a well done character driven story! This sounds like a sweet read. Great review!

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  3. I love a slow burn as well as well done character driven story!

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  4. I just finished this one last night and I loved it. It is character driven and I so fell for Danny. That slow burn was perfect for me. Glad you enjoyed it too.

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  5. Curious. Thought I never read the others. I do enjoy books that are character driven and I don't mind slow pace as long as the story is worth it. This sounds like it does.

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  6. Wonderful review! This sounds like a really good story. I'm already curious about Danny's secret. Even though it was slow building, Im glad that the characters were well established, and the story was powerful! What a sweet quote too :)

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  7. Megan always raves to me about this author. I think I might even have one of her books. I love slow burn type of books, the anticipation is the best!

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  8. I've yet to read Ms. Glenn, Andrea, but I've been meaning to. Coming Home does sound good - for when you're in the mood for a slow-burn type story. I do like character-driven stories with a slow-building romance, but I have to be in the mood. Excellent review, as always!

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  9. Even though this moved at a slower pace I am glad that both the characters and romance were well developed. I think I would enjoy Coming Home. Fantastic review :)

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  10. Ok, I'm glad you were surprised, I hope I'll be as well. GIRL! I didn't even know Priscilla had another book coming out, heh ;) I think if it weren't for her name, I wouldn't pick this up because it sounds like every other NA book, but I loved Back to You and Emanticipating Andie was a great read as well, so I will definitely be reading this character driven story :) Me loves those!

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  11. I like character focused books. It does mean a slower read sometimes, but that can be okay, depending on the novel. I do like that the secret was handled nicely and came as a surprise!

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  12. Now this sounds like something I'd enjoy for a change. I love slow burning stories with great writing. Great review, Andrea :)

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  13. This one sounds pretty interesting. While I'm not in the mood for a slow read, my attention span is ZIP at the moment, I should bookmark this for future reference. I'm already curious to know the secret! Lol. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Great review Andrea!

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  14. I like the sound of a low angst romance. Not going to complain there! Wonderful review, Andrea! I'll have to check this out. :)

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  15. Yay! I am glad you enjoyed this one. I do love a slow burn relationship, but like Vi, I don't know if I could do a slow read at this point either, just for the sheer fact that I have so many other books I need to get through, LOL. Priscilla is definitely on my radar though and I will remember this one since I also really love character driven books!

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  16. I haven't read a lot by Priscilla Glenn, but what I have read, I really enjoyed. This is one I'm adding to by TBR list now. Great review.

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  17. I really liked this book. I think it's my favorite of hers so far. You can really see how's she's developed as a writer, I think.

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