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When You Make It Home
Meg Michaels, a bookstore owner, has already walked away from two cheating exes. She’s learned her lesson and has her mind set on success—until she gets knocked up. Embarrassed and unwilling to discuss her situation with friends and family, she wears layers to hide the pregnancy.
When Meg gets sick at a party, she’s mortified. Even worse, Theo Taylor, the guest of honor, discovers her secret. Theo, an Army medic wounded in the war, agrees not to reveal her condition, and the two forge a bond of friendship that blossoms into love.
Theo is soon filling all of Meg’s late-night cravings—and not just the pregnancy-induced ones. But can their love overcome all the obstacles that stand between them and creating a happy family?
When Meg gets sick at a party, she’s mortified. Even worse, Theo Taylor, the guest of honor, discovers her secret. Theo, an Army medic wounded in the war, agrees not to reveal her condition, and the two forge a bond of friendship that blossoms into love.
Theo is soon filling all of Meg’s late-night cravings—and not just the pregnancy-induced ones. But can their love overcome all the obstacles that stand between them and creating a happy family?
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2014
528 people are currently reading
3860 people want to read
About the author
Claire Ashby
3 books177 followersClaire Ashby was born and raised in the heart of Atlanta. When she’s not reading or writing, she spends her time watching extreme survival shows and taking long walks after nightfall. She has an unnatural love of high places, but still regrets the time she skydived solo. She believes some things are better left to the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
March 20, 2015
3.5 stars!
Sweet story. I really enjoyed it.
Sweet story. I really enjoyed it.
September 12, 2014
What an absolute gem of a book.
This is her debut novel? wow. I am so looking forward to book stalking her!
Now and again I come across an author that really 'does it' for me. I am talking on a personal basis, we all have them right? Well this is another author in the making. Remember her name Claire Ashby.
I was contacted by Red Adept Publishing to ask if I would like to read and review this book with my honest opinion. I have to always repeat myself....its no different whether I am reviewing a book I purchased to if I received it as a gift or asked. I say it how it is 'for me' when I have read it.
This is about Meg. We learn pretty early on that she is pregnant, but she is trying to hide it for all sorts of reasons and one of them being her twin brother.
Her friend is also pregnant but in a solid relationship, so at least she has someone to talk to about it all.
She decided to end her relationship with her fella because of the distance between them getting longer and longer until she realized it just isn't going to work.
When the news comes out about her pregnancy everyone assumes its her ex fella's baby.
We move onto Megs friend, who has a brother Theo who has come home badly scared. Meg and Theo's relationship at the start made me laugh and made me cry. Both parties hurting for very different reason.
That's it! Not saying anymore. You need to read it.
Claire Ashby has woven a real life drama fiction novel which could be true of you, me, your neighbor a friend or relative, that is what makes it so great to read.
Her rounding out the characters was flawless. The dialogue between everyone was fantastic to read and I followed it all the way through with eagerness.
Its a heart rending story that touches you, not tissue wise as such, but hits a soft spot in your [if you know what I mean]
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this today.
This is her debut novel? wow. I am so looking forward to book stalking her!
Now and again I come across an author that really 'does it' for me. I am talking on a personal basis, we all have them right? Well this is another author in the making. Remember her name Claire Ashby.
I was contacted by Red Adept Publishing to ask if I would like to read and review this book with my honest opinion. I have to always repeat myself....its no different whether I am reviewing a book I purchased to if I received it as a gift or asked. I say it how it is 'for me' when I have read it.
This is about Meg. We learn pretty early on that she is pregnant, but she is trying to hide it for all sorts of reasons and one of them being her twin brother.
Her friend is also pregnant but in a solid relationship, so at least she has someone to talk to about it all.
She decided to end her relationship with her fella because of the distance between them getting longer and longer until she realized it just isn't going to work.
When the news comes out about her pregnancy everyone assumes its her ex fella's baby.
We move onto Megs friend, who has a brother Theo who has come home badly scared. Meg and Theo's relationship at the start made me laugh and made me cry. Both parties hurting for very different reason.
That's it! Not saying anymore. You need to read it.
Claire Ashby has woven a real life drama fiction novel which could be true of you, me, your neighbor a friend or relative, that is what makes it so great to read.
Her rounding out the characters was flawless. The dialogue between everyone was fantastic to read and I followed it all the way through with eagerness.
Its a heart rending story that touches you, not tissue wise as such, but hits a soft spot in your [if you know what I mean]
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this today.
September 2, 2017
meg Micheals, owner of a book store has recently walked away from her cheating fiancee, followed by a hook up to a old boyfriend and she now finds herself alone and pregnant. Until she meets ex-military medic and amputee Theo Taylor at a hero event and he guesses her secret that she's trying hard to hide, What follows is a slow growing romance between the unlikely couple amongst a train wreck of history and emotional baggage for both of them. This was a hard one for me to get into, both main characters were pretty dull with no spark whatsoever. Meg's family were just weird and she seemed to make mountains out of mole hills. The sex was mediocre and the story line just dragged along for me unfortunately. With a long build up ending in a really fast conclusion, although I did enjoy the small insight into the thoughts of an amputee dealing with emotional conflict,
July 2, 2014
Claire Ashby must not want me to sleep if she’s going to write books like this. Ha! Seriously, I adored this book!! I know a book is a keeper if I think about it while doing other things – this book fit the bill! This debut author has done everything right! Loved both Meg and Theo. It took Meg a little while to grow on me, but in the end I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I can only hope there will be that there might be a story for Steve and Chelsea. Would also like to know Ellie and Jake’s story. Can’t wait for more from this author.
August 30, 2014
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. *
This debut author has done an amazing job with this story. She has taken two real life issues and melded them together in a way that grabs the readers attention from the first page. The characters are well developed, have a depth to them that draws you in and keeps you reading well past your bedtime. Author Claire Ashby takes the real-life struggles involved in making a relationship work and shows not just the ups, but the downs as well. It is refreshing to see characters who are not rich, spoiled or un-relatable and the way that the author takes them on a journey that most people can envision themselves on. It is a love that is like so many couples out there and gives the reader a breath of fresh air as we go on the journey with them. The plot is one continuous flow with little to no chance for the reader to stop and catch their breath and the storyline is solid. There is no "filler" and never a time when the reader feels like the author is filling space with "fluff". I enjoyed the dialog and banter between all of the characters and the way in which the author portrayed each character and their quirks (both good and bad).
Theo and Meg are the main characters and the author tells their story as they stumbled through the process of falling in love after all of the emotional upheaval and pain of dealing with abandonment issues, trust issues, a devastating and life altering injury, as well as an unplanned pregnancy and the drama of living their lives in a small town where everyone really knows your name and all of your personal business. I loved Meg and Theo as well as Steve and Chelsea and would love to know more about Ellie and Jake’s baby (can we hope for another book about these characters?). The author makes the characters feel like they are friends and family and you really get to know them all throughout the book. I feel like I could call any of the characters in the book my friends once the story ends, because the reader feels like they know them on a personal level.
The one dull spot in this book is the ending. I feel like the author forgot to tie up a few of the loose ends with some of the characters and perhaps this was done on purpose so that the reader is ready for another book...but it wasn't a cliffhanger, just some unanswered questions that I wish the author would have finished out. Add this book to your TBR list and make sure you give yourself plenty of time to read it as you won't want to put it down once you start. It is an amazing journey and one that you don't want to miss out on!! Enjoy~
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
This debut author has done an amazing job with this story. She has taken two real life issues and melded them together in a way that grabs the readers attention from the first page. The characters are well developed, have a depth to them that draws you in and keeps you reading well past your bedtime. Author Claire Ashby takes the real-life struggles involved in making a relationship work and shows not just the ups, but the downs as well. It is refreshing to see characters who are not rich, spoiled or un-relatable and the way that the author takes them on a journey that most people can envision themselves on. It is a love that is like so many couples out there and gives the reader a breath of fresh air as we go on the journey with them. The plot is one continuous flow with little to no chance for the reader to stop and catch their breath and the storyline is solid. There is no "filler" and never a time when the reader feels like the author is filling space with "fluff". I enjoyed the dialog and banter between all of the characters and the way in which the author portrayed each character and their quirks (both good and bad).
Theo and Meg are the main characters and the author tells their story as they stumbled through the process of falling in love after all of the emotional upheaval and pain of dealing with abandonment issues, trust issues, a devastating and life altering injury, as well as an unplanned pregnancy and the drama of living their lives in a small town where everyone really knows your name and all of your personal business. I loved Meg and Theo as well as Steve and Chelsea and would love to know more about Ellie and Jake’s baby (can we hope for another book about these characters?). The author makes the characters feel like they are friends and family and you really get to know them all throughout the book. I feel like I could call any of the characters in the book my friends once the story ends, because the reader feels like they know them on a personal level.
The one dull spot in this book is the ending. I feel like the author forgot to tie up a few of the loose ends with some of the characters and perhaps this was done on purpose so that the reader is ready for another book...but it wasn't a cliffhanger, just some unanswered questions that I wish the author would have finished out. Add this book to your TBR list and make sure you give yourself plenty of time to read it as you won't want to put it down once you start. It is an amazing journey and one that you don't want to miss out on!! Enjoy~
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
August 15, 2017
4.5 stars...
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. I purchased it several months ago but it wasn't necessarily one that I was racing to read. I don't know why because obviously I was drawn to the premise, I guess there was always something I wanted to read more. But I've finally read it and it did not disappoint! I really liked the characters, however there were moments when A LOT of judgement was going on and I didn't understand that much or like it, but hey we've all got flaws and I always appreciate when authors give there characters some.
Another high point were the numerous quotes I fell in love with. I'm a bit of a quote whore... I'm a reader and writer, what do you expect? ;) But seriously this had some great ones, a few of which I'll mention below. Overall it was a quick, easy read that still held a lot of emotion and was very realistic in the slight drama it provided. If you're looking for crazy drama or a super swoon worthy hero right now, then this might not be the one for you. But if you want a true to life story about choices, past demons, and second chances, you'll love this :)
Favorite quotes...
"Don't miss this while you're waiting for a moment more perfect than right now."
"Life's greatest moments were only made better by sharing them with a true friend."
"That's how you know it's love. You feel the way you feel despite the circumstances."
"My love was louder than anything else in my life. I loved him when I brushed my teeth, I loved him when I was sitting in traffic, I loved him while I paid my bills, ate lunch, and went grocery shopping. Before every breath I took, my mind pulsated with the thought: I love Jake. And when he told me he loved me, my whole life fell in place."
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. I purchased it several months ago but it wasn't necessarily one that I was racing to read. I don't know why because obviously I was drawn to the premise, I guess there was always something I wanted to read more. But I've finally read it and it did not disappoint! I really liked the characters, however there were moments when A LOT of judgement was going on and I didn't understand that much or like it, but hey we've all got flaws and I always appreciate when authors give there characters some.
Another high point were the numerous quotes I fell in love with. I'm a bit of a quote whore... I'm a reader and writer, what do you expect? ;) But seriously this had some great ones, a few of which I'll mention below. Overall it was a quick, easy read that still held a lot of emotion and was very realistic in the slight drama it provided. If you're looking for crazy drama or a super swoon worthy hero right now, then this might not be the one for you. But if you want a true to life story about choices, past demons, and second chances, you'll love this :)
Favorite quotes...
"Don't miss this while you're waiting for a moment more perfect than right now."
"Life's greatest moments were only made better by sharing them with a true friend."
"That's how you know it's love. You feel the way you feel despite the circumstances."
"My love was louder than anything else in my life. I loved him when I brushed my teeth, I loved him when I was sitting in traffic, I loved him while I paid my bills, ate lunch, and went grocery shopping. Before every breath I took, my mind pulsated with the thought: I love Jake. And when he told me he loved me, my whole life fell in place."
did-not-finish
March 1, 2016DNF @ 66%. No rating.
I'm just not feeling it. There is too much going on and I'm unable to connect with the characters.
I'm just not feeling it. There is too much going on and I'm unable to connect with the characters.
September 11, 2014
Megan Micheals has been through alot lately. She owns a book store with her twin brother, Steve. Steve and her are immensely close and always have been. She was engaged to be married but called it off because she has suspicions about her fiance who was always away because of his job. When he started the job he said he wouldn't be gone much but it turned out more to be he wasn't home much. When she would call a girl would always answer. She became suspicious and figured if you were always wondering it wouldn't make a good marriage. Then after she called it off she reconnected through facebook to her first love. He was separated from his wife and they started talking and then eventually went away for a fun spontaneous weekend were they spelt together and realized it was a mistake. Only from that one mistake she got pregnant. Now she has been hiding it from everyone except her best friend, Ellie who is also pregnant. One night she goes to Ellie's for a party to celebrate Ellie's husbands brother Theo coming home from Afghanistan. She can't seem to take her eyes off Theo and not for the same reason as everyone else. Theo was badly injured. He has burns and if missing one of his legs. She is drawn to Theo and wants to know all about him. They start a friendship that turns into something more for both of them. Theo doesn't care that the baby isn't his. He loves it and Megan just the same. But, when things don't go so smoothly in Theo recovery he starts to pull away. Will Megan be able to help Theo in his recovery or will his troubles pull them both down? Megan has enough problems on her own does she really need adding Theo and his to hers? Will love be enough or will it tear them both down?
I loved this book as soon as I started reading it. Theo and Megan has interesting stories all on their own, but their story together is fantastic. They have this connected right away and are drawn to each other. They both want to comfort each other and in turn are helping themselves. Theo really helps Megan with the pregnancy and to stop hiding it. Megan has lots of issues thinking that she isn't good enough for anyone and this plagues her in her relationship with Theo as well. Theo hates that he isn't the same person anymore. He has changed from all the physical injuries he has sustained. He is trying to learn who he is again. Meeting Megan has helped him to really try and be who he wants to be. I would love to read more about Megan and Theo. I will be looking for more books by this author to read in the future. This book was well written with engaging characters.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.
I loved this book as soon as I started reading it. Theo and Megan has interesting stories all on their own, but their story together is fantastic. They have this connected right away and are drawn to each other. They both want to comfort each other and in turn are helping themselves. Theo really helps Megan with the pregnancy and to stop hiding it. Megan has lots of issues thinking that she isn't good enough for anyone and this plagues her in her relationship with Theo as well. Theo hates that he isn't the same person anymore. He has changed from all the physical injuries he has sustained. He is trying to learn who he is again. Meeting Megan has helped him to really try and be who he wants to be. I would love to read more about Megan and Theo. I will be looking for more books by this author to read in the future. This book was well written with engaging characters.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.
September 7, 2016
Call me a quitter but I'm throwing in the towel at 44%. I seriously JUST CANT! Up the duff or not, I want to run over you with my car. Then reverse and do it again. Then I want to send your face at a high rate of speed into a cement curb. You flighty wishy washy tart! *No fetuses were harmed in my rant*
I believe there is ZERO character development but every crumb we were given makes me hate her more. Waving the white flag here. #sodone #iamintheminority #everyoneelselovedit #fivestarsfromeveryone #iamtheexceptionforsure
I believe there is ZERO character development but every crumb we were given makes me hate her more. Waving the white flag here. #sodone #iamintheminority #everyoneelselovedit #fivestarsfromeveryone #iamtheexceptionforsure
September 6, 2014
5stars
I completely enjoyed this story! It is the first I have read by this author, but I will be reading her other works! A delightful story about a woman who is fighting to regain her identity after her breakup with Bradley, her long time fiancee. It didn't help that after their breakup she made a terrible voice, sleeping with a ex boyfriend for whim she had no real feelings. That would have been bad enough, but getting pregnant by him was something she was struggling to accept.
Theo had returned from the war and was desperately trying to find his place in his old home town with his new scars and one leg. Befriending a pregnant woman who was struggling with her own set of problems seemed like the distraction he needed. Their friendship is light hearted and fun. Very refreshing to read about a fun uncomplicated romance! It does become complicated when the friendship turns to love, but it is also exciting to go through it with new friends!
You really don't want to miss this one!
I completely enjoyed this story! It is the first I have read by this author, but I will be reading her other works! A delightful story about a woman who is fighting to regain her identity after her breakup with Bradley, her long time fiancee. It didn't help that after their breakup she made a terrible voice, sleeping with a ex boyfriend for whim she had no real feelings. That would have been bad enough, but getting pregnant by him was something she was struggling to accept.
Theo had returned from the war and was desperately trying to find his place in his old home town with his new scars and one leg. Befriending a pregnant woman who was struggling with her own set of problems seemed like the distraction he needed. Their friendship is light hearted and fun. Very refreshing to read about a fun uncomplicated romance! It does become complicated when the friendship turns to love, but it is also exciting to go through it with new friends!
You really don't want to miss this one!
July 24, 2014
Awesome!
Awesome!
Great storytelling, drawing pictures with words. couldn't put it down, one of the best romances I have read in a long time
Awesome!
Great storytelling, drawing pictures with words. couldn't put it down, one of the best romances I have read in a long time
September 20, 2014
You read sweet, romantic novels fir the same reason you watch sweet, romantic movies: they have all the same elements and a feel-good vibe, even when they make you cry.
When You Make It Home by Claire Ashby (published by Red Adept Publishing) all of those things and a whole lot more!
Meg Michaels is twenty-four, single and pregnant. She doesn't mind handing pregnancy on her own, because the father is uninterested in her or the baby. She just isn't ready to tell her close loved ones she's with child and without husband.
She attends her best friend Ellie's brother-in-law's welcome home party (Ellie is also pregnant), and her world changes almost instantly.
Theo is sexy, even while severely wounded from his time in Afghanistan. He finds out her secret and keeps it for her...after he steals her heart.
She knows Theo won't be around for long. He has a lot of baggage of his own, least of all "phantom pain" from his missing leg.
But after being abandoned by her mother and two exes, can Meg really handle yet more heartbreak?
It might seem like I gave a lot away up there, but, truth be told, I just scratched the surface!
Mrs. Ashby wrote a beautiful novel about many things: love, trust, family, betrayal and secrets. The secrets, especially, are shocking. At one point, I literally gasped out loud!
Meg is a strong woman, and a wonderful lead character. Her devotion to her baby is so sweet! Theo is dark, sexy AND dedicated, making him as close to the perfect man as possible! All of the supporting characters, from her brother Steve, to her stepmother Nina abd even the nosy elderly employee Hazel, are fantastic and so vivid I felt as if I knew them as I read When You Make It Home.
This book is as twisting as a soap opera, and as moving as a Nicholas Sparks novel. Wonderful read!
5/5--beautiful!
When You Make It Home by Claire Ashby (published by Red Adept Publishing) all of those things and a whole lot more!
Meg Michaels is twenty-four, single and pregnant. She doesn't mind handing pregnancy on her own, because the father is uninterested in her or the baby. She just isn't ready to tell her close loved ones she's with child and without husband.
She attends her best friend Ellie's brother-in-law's welcome home party (Ellie is also pregnant), and her world changes almost instantly.
Theo is sexy, even while severely wounded from his time in Afghanistan. He finds out her secret and keeps it for her...after he steals her heart.
She knows Theo won't be around for long. He has a lot of baggage of his own, least of all "phantom pain" from his missing leg.
But after being abandoned by her mother and two exes, can Meg really handle yet more heartbreak?
It might seem like I gave a lot away up there, but, truth be told, I just scratched the surface!
Mrs. Ashby wrote a beautiful novel about many things: love, trust, family, betrayal and secrets. The secrets, especially, are shocking. At one point, I literally gasped out loud!
Meg is a strong woman, and a wonderful lead character. Her devotion to her baby is so sweet! Theo is dark, sexy AND dedicated, making him as close to the perfect man as possible! All of the supporting characters, from her brother Steve, to her stepmother Nina abd even the nosy elderly employee Hazel, are fantastic and so vivid I felt as if I knew them as I read When You Make It Home.
This book is as twisting as a soap opera, and as moving as a Nicholas Sparks novel. Wonderful read!
5/5--beautiful!
September 11, 2014
When You Make It Home is an eye opening story that tugs are your heart strings. I cried, sighed, shook my head, and said prayers for Meg and Theo. The emotions were unlimited and changed many times throughout the story.
Theo is my hero. Not only is he a wounded veteran coming home injured and fighting his own demons, but he steps up to the plate to be friends with a pregnant woman. He scared me when he kept having to take pills to fight the phantom pain and refused to share his pain with Meg, I was worried for the path that he could be heading down and what it would mean for his relationships. But when he starts referring to Meg’s baby as his own and taking care of both mother and baby without batting an eye I knew that he would come out on top and be the true man he was meant to be.
Meg was interesting to me. A single mom, without a real mother figure in her life, who falls for a wounded veteran. There were times that I wanted to shake her and say wake up, don’t let Theo leave you. There were other times that I was hoping that she would take a step back and let someone else take care of her. She was so incredibly independent, due to her circumstances, that she did not know how to let someone else into her life. I didn’t always like her, but I did always want her to find her happy ever after.
I enjoyed reading Claire Ashby’s story. I will definitely recommend this to my fellow romance readers.
Theo is my hero. Not only is he a wounded veteran coming home injured and fighting his own demons, but he steps up to the plate to be friends with a pregnant woman. He scared me when he kept having to take pills to fight the phantom pain and refused to share his pain with Meg, I was worried for the path that he could be heading down and what it would mean for his relationships. But when he starts referring to Meg’s baby as his own and taking care of both mother and baby without batting an eye I knew that he would come out on top and be the true man he was meant to be.
Meg was interesting to me. A single mom, without a real mother figure in her life, who falls for a wounded veteran. There were times that I wanted to shake her and say wake up, don’t let Theo leave you. There were other times that I was hoping that she would take a step back and let someone else take care of her. She was so incredibly independent, due to her circumstances, that she did not know how to let someone else into her life. I didn’t always like her, but I did always want her to find her happy ever after.
I enjoyed reading Claire Ashby’s story. I will definitely recommend this to my fellow romance readers.
March 26, 2017
WOW. Uno dei libri migliori che ho letto da inizio anno.
Per quanto non mi aspettassi chissà cosa, la lettura si è rivelata essere molto tenera e dolce e anche profonda, un libro stupendo che non ho potuto che divorare nell’arco di poche ore, dimenticandomi anche di pranzare perché troppo presa nella lettura.
Inoltre ho perso il conto molto presto del numero di volte in cui mi sono trovata ad asciugarmi gli occhi da quanto il libro mi faceva commuovere…
Ho adorato i due protagonisti, Meg e Theo, due personaggi forti ed indipendenti, che però scoprono che è meglio poter contare l’uno sull’altro per affrontare le avversità che la vita ha messo loro davanti.
Theo mi ha completamente conquistato con la sua dolcezza e la sua forza di volontà.
L’unico piccolo difetto del libro sono le tante, troppe, storie di personaggi secondari che vengono trattate: queste si accavallano l’una sull’altra, venendo risolte in poche pagine o non venendo nemmeno terminate. E poi si assomigliano abbastanza tutte, come il numero di donne che si conoscono che sono rimaste incinta più o meno ad una settimana di distanza l’una dall’altra…
Comunque nel complesso una lettura tenera, commuovente e decisamente coinvolgente. Un libro consigliato a tutti.
Per quanto non mi aspettassi chissà cosa, la lettura si è rivelata essere molto tenera e dolce e anche profonda, un libro stupendo che non ho potuto che divorare nell’arco di poche ore, dimenticandomi anche di pranzare perché troppo presa nella lettura.
Inoltre ho perso il conto molto presto del numero di volte in cui mi sono trovata ad asciugarmi gli occhi da quanto il libro mi faceva commuovere…
Ho adorato i due protagonisti, Meg e Theo, due personaggi forti ed indipendenti, che però scoprono che è meglio poter contare l’uno sull’altro per affrontare le avversità che la vita ha messo loro davanti.
Theo mi ha completamente conquistato con la sua dolcezza e la sua forza di volontà.
L’unico piccolo difetto del libro sono le tante, troppe, storie di personaggi secondari che vengono trattate: queste si accavallano l’una sull’altra, venendo risolte in poche pagine o non venendo nemmeno terminate. E poi si assomigliano abbastanza tutte, come il numero di donne che si conoscono che sono rimaste incinta più o meno ad una settimana di distanza l’una dall’altra…
Comunque nel complesso una lettura tenera, commuovente e decisamente coinvolgente. Un libro consigliato a tutti.
July 23, 2014
What a great book!! This story had me up all night reading and wanting more. I can't wait for her next book.
The characters are well developed and have a great depth that draws you in and keeps you reading.
Meg and Theo are great together although they have some rough patches their chemistry and love are a wonderful story that will keep you swiping the pages and falling in love right along with them.
The characters are well developed and have a great depth that draws you in and keeps you reading.
Meg and Theo are great together although they have some rough patches their chemistry and love are a wonderful story that will keep you swiping the pages and falling in love right along with them.
September 12, 2014
I really enjoyed this story. Once I started reading I had a hard time putting this book down.
This is Meg and Theo's story, they are both very determined, strong characters with painful pasts on a journey of love, forgiveness, and healing. This story was easy to relate to, the characters are deep and likable.
Claire Ashby is now on my must read list of authors!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book to read!
This is Meg and Theo's story, they are both very determined, strong characters with painful pasts on a journey of love, forgiveness, and healing. This story was easy to relate to, the characters are deep and likable.
Claire Ashby is now on my must read list of authors!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book to read!
September 8, 2014
This is Claire Ashby's debut novel and I think it is absolutely amazing!! I loved Meg and Theo. Once I started this book I was hooked and devoured it. I could not turn those pages fast enough. I am crossing my fingers that we get more on Steve, Chelsea, Ellie and Jake. I have a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to them so I would love for them to have their own story. Do yourself a favor and go one click this book now!!
February 23, 2016
Recensito per il blog di LEGGEREROMANTICAMENTE:
http://www.leggereromanticamente.com/...
4 STELLINE E MEZZO.
Questo libro è stato un puro concentrato di DOLCEZZA.
Un libro di quelli che ti fanno provare una marea di emozioni, tutte ugualmente intense.
Ho sorriso, mi sono eccitata, arrabbiata e anche commossa. Con due protagonisti che lasciano davvero il segno.
THEO è un medico dell’esercito in congedo dopo aver riportato ferite gravissime a seguito dell’esplosione di una bomba.
MEG è una giovane libraia con dolorose esperienze sentimentali alle spalle. Ed è una futura mamma single, decisa a nascondere a tutti la sua triste e solitaria gravidanza.
I due si incontrano per caso alla “festa di bentornato” di Theo, dando inizio ad un’amicizia molto particolare, a cui fa seguito una convivenza ancora più strana e pericolosa, perché quando ci sono di mezzo attrazione e complicità, non è facile bloccare i sentimenti che nascono e chiuderli sotto chiave.
Soprattutto per due persone come loro, costrette a portare sulle spalle un bagaglio pesante e pieno zeppo di problemi.
Ho adorato questo romanzo per tanti motivi, ma soprattutto perché rappresenta, per entrambi i protagonisti, un percorso travagliato che li conduce a combattere le loro BATTAGLIE PERSONALI e ad uscirne vincitori.
Un sentiero ostacolato da incomprensioni, giorni bui, testardaggine, e gelosia.
Theo dovrà imparare ad accettare la nuova realtà, smettendo di provare rabbia e impotenza nei confronti di quella tremenda MUTILAZIONE che gli ha strappato la dignità e l’indipendenza (perché obiettivamente, per un soldato fiero come lui, è stata una mazzata tra capo e collo).
Meg dovrà iniziare a credere in se stessa e apprezzare le gioie di una gravidanza solitaria, ignorando il giudizio di estranei sempre pronti a sputare sentenze o di familiari apparentemente insensibili, ma capaci di rivelarsi alleati preziosi all’occorrenza.
E il tenero sentimento che sboccerà tra i due ragazzi diventerà un’ancora di salvezza per entrambi.
Meg gli insegnerà ad amare e gli donerà un motivo più che valido per rendersi di nuovo utile, dando finalmente UN SENSO a una vita che il suo senso sembrava averlo perso.
Theo, da parte sua, si prenderà cura di lei e della creatura che porta in grembo, con una DELICATEZZA e una sensibilità che mi hanno davvero commosso.
Perché dietro la corazza dell’uomo irascibile e scorbutico, si nasconde un eroe tenero, galante e premuroso. Nonostante questo lato tenda a soccombere spesso sotto il peso dei demoni che si porta dentro e che minacciano di trascinarlo a fondo, rischiando di sottoporre Meg all’ennesimo ABBANDONO.
E tutto questo mi ha scatenato un senso di lacerante frustrazione.
Ma per fortuna Theo e Meg ci regalano anche attimi di grande sensualità e momenti di infinita tenerezza. Di quelli che ti coccolano l’anima come pochi riescono a fare, trascinandoti nei piccoli drammi dei due protagonisti e di tutti i parenti e amici che gli gravitano attorno.
Ho amato questa storia d’amore, così viva e intensa nonostante il dolore, la sofferenza e l’abbandono.
O forse proprio grazie ad essi.
Una storia che commuove e fa sognare.
Ma soprattutto ci fa riflettere e capire che le battaglie della vita sembrano insormontabili se le combattiamo da soli, ma diventano meno spaventose se impariamo a fidarci di chi ci ama e permettiamo loro di combatterle assieme a noi.
http://www.leggereromanticamente.com/...
4 STELLINE E MEZZO.
Questo libro è stato un puro concentrato di DOLCEZZA.
Un libro di quelli che ti fanno provare una marea di emozioni, tutte ugualmente intense.
Ho sorriso, mi sono eccitata, arrabbiata e anche commossa. Con due protagonisti che lasciano davvero il segno.
THEO è un medico dell’esercito in congedo dopo aver riportato ferite gravissime a seguito dell’esplosione di una bomba.
MEG è una giovane libraia con dolorose esperienze sentimentali alle spalle. Ed è una futura mamma single, decisa a nascondere a tutti la sua triste e solitaria gravidanza.
I due si incontrano per caso alla “festa di bentornato” di Theo, dando inizio ad un’amicizia molto particolare, a cui fa seguito una convivenza ancora più strana e pericolosa, perché quando ci sono di mezzo attrazione e complicità, non è facile bloccare i sentimenti che nascono e chiuderli sotto chiave.
Soprattutto per due persone come loro, costrette a portare sulle spalle un bagaglio pesante e pieno zeppo di problemi.
Ho adorato questo romanzo per tanti motivi, ma soprattutto perché rappresenta, per entrambi i protagonisti, un percorso travagliato che li conduce a combattere le loro BATTAGLIE PERSONALI e ad uscirne vincitori.
Un sentiero ostacolato da incomprensioni, giorni bui, testardaggine, e gelosia.
Theo dovrà imparare ad accettare la nuova realtà, smettendo di provare rabbia e impotenza nei confronti di quella tremenda MUTILAZIONE che gli ha strappato la dignità e l’indipendenza (perché obiettivamente, per un soldato fiero come lui, è stata una mazzata tra capo e collo).
Meg dovrà iniziare a credere in se stessa e apprezzare le gioie di una gravidanza solitaria, ignorando il giudizio di estranei sempre pronti a sputare sentenze o di familiari apparentemente insensibili, ma capaci di rivelarsi alleati preziosi all’occorrenza.
E il tenero sentimento che sboccerà tra i due ragazzi diventerà un’ancora di salvezza per entrambi.
Meg gli insegnerà ad amare e gli donerà un motivo più che valido per rendersi di nuovo utile, dando finalmente UN SENSO a una vita che il suo senso sembrava averlo perso.
Theo, da parte sua, si prenderà cura di lei e della creatura che porta in grembo, con una DELICATEZZA e una sensibilità che mi hanno davvero commosso.
Perché dietro la corazza dell’uomo irascibile e scorbutico, si nasconde un eroe tenero, galante e premuroso. Nonostante questo lato tenda a soccombere spesso sotto il peso dei demoni che si porta dentro e che minacciano di trascinarlo a fondo, rischiando di sottoporre Meg all’ennesimo ABBANDONO.
E tutto questo mi ha scatenato un senso di lacerante frustrazione.
Ma per fortuna Theo e Meg ci regalano anche attimi di grande sensualità e momenti di infinita tenerezza. Di quelli che ti coccolano l’anima come pochi riescono a fare, trascinandoti nei piccoli drammi dei due protagonisti e di tutti i parenti e amici che gli gravitano attorno.
Ho amato questa storia d’amore, così viva e intensa nonostante il dolore, la sofferenza e l’abbandono.
O forse proprio grazie ad essi.
Una storia che commuove e fa sognare.
Ma soprattutto ci fa riflettere e capire che le battaglie della vita sembrano insormontabili se le combattiamo da soli, ma diventano meno spaventose se impariamo a fidarci di chi ci ama e permettiamo loro di combatterle assieme a noi.
August 28, 2015
#loved #mustread http://amzn.to/1SsalPA
This is one of those books that took me by surprise, I took a chance with a new author when the blurb caught me and I am so glad I did. This is not your typical boy meets girl and I was so thankful for that!
After a few weeks of highly anticipated books disappointing me, this one took me by surprise. And I started to write a review after spending days not being able to get this one out of my head, I am rating it 4.5 stars!
From the moment Meg and Theo meet I was engaged in this book and I was thankful I started this book during a long car trip as it allowed me to spend hours lost in this touching story.
Theo Taylor is an Army medic wounded in war while Meg Michaels, a bookstore owner is trying to hide her unplanned pregnancy due to the circumstance around it and the fact that she walked away from a cheating ex.
I want to pause and say that Meg’s pregnancy and how this plays out in the story was so well done. How it affected each character and how it was woven throughout the story kept me glued to my kindle.
Theo quickly figures out Meg’s secret, her trying to hide her pregnancy, these two form an unlikely friendship one that was so heart warming to read. Bearing witness to friendship turn into love well that was what truly made this book so wonderful to get lost in!
I loved the relationship between Ellie and Meg, two best friends pregnant at the same time; though under very different circumstances.
As a Mom I loved some of the conversations around this:
“By becoming pregnant, I’d unsuspectingly signed up for a club that I couldn’t cancel the membership to. The rules of the club were that one must smile and nod politely while being force-fed graphic information about a billion little nasty things that would most definitely happen in the near future.”
As I mentioned Theo is a wounded Vet and although there were times this made for some very cute banter there were some memorable scenes as he struggles to re-adjust to civilian life.
Lines like this:
“The pills were taking his pain, and they were taking him with it.”
The end of this book was so well done, it tied Theo’s past to his future and truly made me believe this couple is on a path to true happy.
I adored how in the end the secret Theo was waiting to reveal to Meg as kept and the reveal of it capture my heart!
Thank you, Ms Ashby the road to happy is not always easy but when the struggles fit the characters so perfectly it means the author nailed!
I am so excited to have learned that Steve, Meg’s twin brother is getting a story.
It may be important to note that the one thing I felt like I truly wanted was to hear from Theo and since this was single female POV book that has nothing to do with the author’s writing ability simply a desire in my heart to know more about this man who the author masterfully transformed into a man I want to know more about.
So yes finger crossed that in Steve’s book we see more Theo! .. more Theo in his NEW role in life!
This is one of those books that took me by surprise, I took a chance with a new author when the blurb caught me and I am so glad I did. This is not your typical boy meets girl and I was so thankful for that!
After a few weeks of highly anticipated books disappointing me, this one took me by surprise. And I started to write a review after spending days not being able to get this one out of my head, I am rating it 4.5 stars!
From the moment Meg and Theo meet I was engaged in this book and I was thankful I started this book during a long car trip as it allowed me to spend hours lost in this touching story.
Theo Taylor is an Army medic wounded in war while Meg Michaels, a bookstore owner is trying to hide her unplanned pregnancy due to the circumstance around it and the fact that she walked away from a cheating ex.
I want to pause and say that Meg’s pregnancy and how this plays out in the story was so well done. How it affected each character and how it was woven throughout the story kept me glued to my kindle.
Theo quickly figures out Meg’s secret, her trying to hide her pregnancy, these two form an unlikely friendship one that was so heart warming to read. Bearing witness to friendship turn into love well that was what truly made this book so wonderful to get lost in!
I loved the relationship between Ellie and Meg, two best friends pregnant at the same time; though under very different circumstances.
As a Mom I loved some of the conversations around this:
“By becoming pregnant, I’d unsuspectingly signed up for a club that I couldn’t cancel the membership to. The rules of the club were that one must smile and nod politely while being force-fed graphic information about a billion little nasty things that would most definitely happen in the near future.”
As I mentioned Theo is a wounded Vet and although there were times this made for some very cute banter there were some memorable scenes as he struggles to re-adjust to civilian life.
Lines like this:
“The pills were taking his pain, and they were taking him with it.”
The end of this book was so well done, it tied Theo’s past to his future and truly made me believe this couple is on a path to true happy.
I adored how in the end the secret Theo was waiting to reveal to Meg as kept and the reveal of it capture my heart!
Thank you, Ms Ashby the road to happy is not always easy but when the struggles fit the characters so perfectly it means the author nailed!
I am so excited to have learned that Steve, Meg’s twin brother is getting a story.
It may be important to note that the one thing I felt like I truly wanted was to hear from Theo and since this was single female POV book that has nothing to do with the author’s writing ability simply a desire in my heart to know more about this man who the author masterfully transformed into a man I want to know more about.
So yes finger crossed that in Steve’s book we see more Theo! .. more Theo in his NEW role in life!
October 28, 2014
TARA'S REVIEW
There is a line in the book that really resonated with me. I found myself going back to my highlight several times during reading and soaking it in.
Meg Michaels has a secret! After she breaks off her engagement and gets back out on her own, she finds herself in the arms of an ex which leads to her getting knocked up. When her ex goes back to his wife and family, Meg is left on her own to go through her pregnancy until she decides to finally open up to her family.
When Theo Taylor, a disabled military amputee enters Meg's life, he seeks an escape from his own problems and jumps right in to try and rescue Meg.
"Our relationship, although undefined, was the most passionate connection I'd ever had with anyone."
Their chemistry is explosive and they find it hard to keep their hands off each other.
"Steady, strong flicks, slippery strokes, rhythmically licking me, his skillful mouth devoured me."
Theo is damaged though, struggling with where has life has come and dealing with his demons. His instability plays a big part in interrupting their rhythm and eventually leads to a realization on both Meg and Theo's part. With strength and determination bring these two together?
Meg wants more from Theo, more then he is willing to give, which make it hard to commit to a relationship.
~~~~~~~~~~
I just loved this book, I found the storyline to be very unique and jammed pack full of twists and turns. There are so many different layers to the story and each individual life of the main characters. I found it endearing how they came together at first, and the things that happened along the way. There was a brief period of heartbreak for me, when I really felt for Meg and all she was going through.
These two characters have a really steamy connection and it shows it how the story is told, while there are some sex scenes they are very brief and not overly descriptive, which works great for this story.
I would have easily given a higher rating if only there was an epilogue. I was left wanting more and wanting to know where things would end up, not only for Meg and Theo, but also for Ellie. I was left with several unanswered questions about where things went and how things turned out for a few people. So an epilogue would have been a great addition to this book.
Overall, this was a great read, and for a debut novel, I think Claire did a great job with the story. I would highly recommend picking up this little slice of heaven.
**A gifted copy was received by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**
There is a line in the book that really resonated with me. I found myself going back to my highlight several times during reading and soaking it in.
Meg Michaels has a secret! After she breaks off her engagement and gets back out on her own, she finds herself in the arms of an ex which leads to her getting knocked up. When her ex goes back to his wife and family, Meg is left on her own to go through her pregnancy until she decides to finally open up to her family.
When Theo Taylor, a disabled military amputee enters Meg's life, he seeks an escape from his own problems and jumps right in to try and rescue Meg.
"Our relationship, although undefined, was the most passionate connection I'd ever had with anyone."
Their chemistry is explosive and they find it hard to keep their hands off each other.
"Steady, strong flicks, slippery strokes, rhythmically licking me, his skillful mouth devoured me."
Theo is damaged though, struggling with where has life has come and dealing with his demons. His instability plays a big part in interrupting their rhythm and eventually leads to a realization on both Meg and Theo's part. With strength and determination bring these two together?
Meg wants more from Theo, more then he is willing to give, which make it hard to commit to a relationship.
~~~~~~~~~~
I just loved this book, I found the storyline to be very unique and jammed pack full of twists and turns. There are so many different layers to the story and each individual life of the main characters. I found it endearing how they came together at first, and the things that happened along the way. There was a brief period of heartbreak for me, when I really felt for Meg and all she was going through.
These two characters have a really steamy connection and it shows it how the story is told, while there are some sex scenes they are very brief and not overly descriptive, which works great for this story.
I would have easily given a higher rating if only there was an epilogue. I was left wanting more and wanting to know where things would end up, not only for Meg and Theo, but also for Ellie. I was left with several unanswered questions about where things went and how things turned out for a few people. So an epilogue would have been a great addition to this book.
Overall, this was a great read, and for a debut novel, I think Claire did a great job with the story. I would highly recommend picking up this little slice of heaven.
**A gifted copy was received by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**
July 11, 2014
I wept, I laughed, I sighed,I ranted, I wept again. WHEN YOU MAKE IT HOME by Claire Ashby let me share all the emotions Theo and Meg felt as they stumbled through the minefield of falling in love after the emotional upheaval and pain of dealing with lifelong abandonment issues and a devastating injury...not to mention, an unplanned pregnancy. One that Theo wasn't around to help with.
Ms. Ashby has written a gem,addressing a wounded warrior's activities of daily life as part of any normal routine, albeit one that Meg becomes adjusted to surprisingly quickly. Except Theo hides how he is dealing with his injury and it keeps them apart as much as Meg's reluctance to let herself love completely. Watching these two dance around the giant elephant in the room makes for a great page turner. I wanted to reach into the book and knock their heads together to get their attention!
Eventually, Meg gets help from the step-mother that she's always secretly hated to seek closure with the mother that abandoned her as a child and Theo realizes he needs to get some professional help to heal. They have to do this apart and the question is...can they make it back to each other? And will they want to when they finally heal?
Ms. Ashby gets you to the happily ever after..and it's a thoroughly enjoyable read getting there!
I was furnished a galley copy by the author.
Ms. Ashby has written a gem,addressing a wounded warrior's activities of daily life as part of any normal routine, albeit one that Meg becomes adjusted to surprisingly quickly. Except Theo hides how he is dealing with his injury and it keeps them apart as much as Meg's reluctance to let herself love completely. Watching these two dance around the giant elephant in the room makes for a great page turner. I wanted to reach into the book and knock their heads together to get their attention!
Eventually, Meg gets help from the step-mother that she's always secretly hated to seek closure with the mother that abandoned her as a child and Theo realizes he needs to get some professional help to heal. They have to do this apart and the question is...can they make it back to each other? And will they want to when they finally heal?
Ms. Ashby gets you to the happily ever after..and it's a thoroughly enjoyable read getting there!
I was furnished a galley copy by the author.
March 16, 2015
the story was good ... the execution not so much
The bones of the story was great. I was sucked in from the sample. But the execution just didn't quite cut it. The dialogue for a little confusing and the thought process and actions of the characters was all over the place. There's potential there though.
The bones of the story was great. I was sucked in from the sample. But the execution just didn't quite cut it. The dialogue for a little confusing and the thought process and actions of the characters was all over the place. There's potential there though.
January 18, 2019
5 awesome audio stars
5 didn't want it to end stars.
5 didn't want it to end stars.
March 4, 2017
This was one of the most emotional read I have ever listened to from an unexpected pregnant women to her many different men. One man is from her past, another is one she saw no future with and broke it off, the last is a soldier of war. One has no time for her, one never said good-bye just never came back, the other has so many issues your heart just breaks for him and all he goes through. One of these men is the father of her baby, one hopes he is, one wants no part of it and the last wishes he was but will gladly take her and the baby any way he can get them.
For me this started out very slow and at times picked up and slowed down again as you close in on the middle of the book you are very hooked and need to know just how this plays out. Meg is just an emotional mess in more ways than one. She doesn’t want anyone to know she is expecting just yet with one wicked step mother who sees no good in her, a father she adores and doesn’t want to let down to her brother who has always been her anchor what will he think, let’s not forget the women who gave birth to her and left them at a very young age. She knows she is expecting but as long as a doctor doesn’t say so than she can almost make herself believe she is not. Her secret won’t be a secret for long as fast as she is growing she won’t have to tell anyone they will know for their selves real soon. She will do this, she can do this alone, she just needs more time and to be able to work out all the issues over the baby’s father, her birth mother who never wanted her, what if she can’t be a mother and turns out like her mother. So many issues and question that needs to be worked out before she can be the person and mother she wants to be.
Theo he is an emotional mess his self he just got home and is badly wounded with his emotions all over the place. He doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him he is doing a wonderful job of that his self. When he and Meg cross swords as they have a self pity party they meet head on as words fly they soon find together they make a great team and a relationship is born. That is until ex’s walk back into their lives along with issues they each have that may tear them apart.
I really loved Ms. Brown’s narration with only a few things that makes this a 4 star and not a 5 star listen. There is one place where she over talks herself, I even went back to make sure I heard what I did. The story is going well and then there is a place where she is speaking twice in one place. It is almost like it was rewind and talked over but it has two different sentences spoken at once. There is also a few chapters where her volume changes when she said each chapter, such as Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Chapter 10. (I do not remember which one they were but there were a few where the volume changed.) Not a major big deal just enough that you notice. Beside the above the volume never changes and is even throughout. Her character voices were outstanding, her characters tones were filled with emotion hitting everyone right on the money. You always knew who was talking and just what they were feeling. Her male voices were just as great as her female ones, I really thought each voice fit the character making me really understand each one better. There is no background noise just a smooth clean listen but for the one issue I already stated. I have not listened to any of her work but really look forward to listening to more of it. For me she really pulled me in making me believe all she was staying. I had no trouble picturing in vivid detail of each scene as it unfolds. I believe I would not have gotten the same effect had I read and not listened. She really brought this story alive for me.
The characters of this story are normal people with normal issues, there is a lot of drama so most of our lives are filled with it. Just when you think you know where the author is going she changes it and throws a twist in it. Some of them I saw coming and others I was very shocked but it didn’t turn out as I thought they would. The author takes the bad and turns it into good as she twists your emotions all over the place. There is a little mystery between these pages as well as lots of secret that could tear a family apart as well as some that will draw people closer together. Theo just about had me in tears at the emotional psychical and mental issues he went through. I doubt you can read this and not be touched by his story. Meg there were times I really liked her and others where I would loved to have slapped her. I do have to admit when it came to the part about her mother it really tore me up there is one place maybe two when I really just wanted to cry with her. Her father has his own issues with his marriage and life. Her brother has a secret he is hiding as well as dealing with Meg issues trying so much to help her but at times can be a pain. Her step mother wow what can one say about her, she is something else but does learn what is important. Jason now he is someone who really needs to grow up. Her ex I never really got a handle on him he is in and out but seems to be controlling. There are the friends who you will just love and some others that will surprise you along the way.
All in all this was a great story that I really liked. The author brings characters in a way that she might be thinking of giving them their own story. There are a few I would love to learn more about and I feel deserve to have their story told. If you are looking for an emotional audio or even book that really grabs you leaving you in an emotional mess but also makes you smile and laugh I recommend you pick this up it is well worth your time.
For me this started out very slow and at times picked up and slowed down again as you close in on the middle of the book you are very hooked and need to know just how this plays out. Meg is just an emotional mess in more ways than one. She doesn’t want anyone to know she is expecting just yet with one wicked step mother who sees no good in her, a father she adores and doesn’t want to let down to her brother who has always been her anchor what will he think, let’s not forget the women who gave birth to her and left them at a very young age. She knows she is expecting but as long as a doctor doesn’t say so than she can almost make herself believe she is not. Her secret won’t be a secret for long as fast as she is growing she won’t have to tell anyone they will know for their selves real soon. She will do this, she can do this alone, she just needs more time and to be able to work out all the issues over the baby’s father, her birth mother who never wanted her, what if she can’t be a mother and turns out like her mother. So many issues and question that needs to be worked out before she can be the person and mother she wants to be.
Theo he is an emotional mess his self he just got home and is badly wounded with his emotions all over the place. He doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him he is doing a wonderful job of that his self. When he and Meg cross swords as they have a self pity party they meet head on as words fly they soon find together they make a great team and a relationship is born. That is until ex’s walk back into their lives along with issues they each have that may tear them apart.
I really loved Ms. Brown’s narration with only a few things that makes this a 4 star and not a 5 star listen. There is one place where she over talks herself, I even went back to make sure I heard what I did. The story is going well and then there is a place where she is speaking twice in one place. It is almost like it was rewind and talked over but it has two different sentences spoken at once. There is also a few chapters where her volume changes when she said each chapter, such as Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Chapter 10. (I do not remember which one they were but there were a few where the volume changed.) Not a major big deal just enough that you notice. Beside the above the volume never changes and is even throughout. Her character voices were outstanding, her characters tones were filled with emotion hitting everyone right on the money. You always knew who was talking and just what they were feeling. Her male voices were just as great as her female ones, I really thought each voice fit the character making me really understand each one better. There is no background noise just a smooth clean listen but for the one issue I already stated. I have not listened to any of her work but really look forward to listening to more of it. For me she really pulled me in making me believe all she was staying. I had no trouble picturing in vivid detail of each scene as it unfolds. I believe I would not have gotten the same effect had I read and not listened. She really brought this story alive for me.
The characters of this story are normal people with normal issues, there is a lot of drama so most of our lives are filled with it. Just when you think you know where the author is going she changes it and throws a twist in it. Some of them I saw coming and others I was very shocked but it didn’t turn out as I thought they would. The author takes the bad and turns it into good as she twists your emotions all over the place. There is a little mystery between these pages as well as lots of secret that could tear a family apart as well as some that will draw people closer together. Theo just about had me in tears at the emotional psychical and mental issues he went through. I doubt you can read this and not be touched by his story. Meg there were times I really liked her and others where I would loved to have slapped her. I do have to admit when it came to the part about her mother it really tore me up there is one place maybe two when I really just wanted to cry with her. Her father has his own issues with his marriage and life. Her brother has a secret he is hiding as well as dealing with Meg issues trying so much to help her but at times can be a pain. Her step mother wow what can one say about her, she is something else but does learn what is important. Jason now he is someone who really needs to grow up. Her ex I never really got a handle on him he is in and out but seems to be controlling. There are the friends who you will just love and some others that will surprise you along the way.
All in all this was a great story that I really liked. The author brings characters in a way that she might be thinking of giving them their own story. There are a few I would love to learn more about and I feel deserve to have their story told. If you are looking for an emotional audio or even book that really grabs you leaving you in an emotional mess but also makes you smile and laugh I recommend you pick this up it is well worth your time.
October 5, 2016
This has been on my to read forever and it has such a pretty cover...but it was such a disappointment. What I expected from the blurb was a lovely story about two lost souls-an h who's pregnant by some rat bastard who cheated/left her and an H who comes back to heal from war wounds and finds a new way to be a hero in helping h. Sounds like a nice read right? Too bad thats not what this was at all. Fair warning from here on out there are gonna be some spoilers...but trust me you aren't missing much.
We open with a h who's hiding a pregnancy. Why? reasons. How far along is she? who knows...you dont find out til like 15% in...all you know is she's showing but can hide it with clothes. H has lost his leg. How? well we really only get bare bones of that story and not til like 75% of the way through. H has some pretty serious attitude issues. Now I can't exactly blame him pain and being on crutches makes me a grump too but it's not exactly the stuff romantic heroes are made of. He had some sweet moments but the whole coming in drunk/high on painkillers and having sex with h, leaving for days on end with no word, and just generally being a douche whenever he felt like it. Well he wasn't terribly appealing. But then again neither was the heroine. She was so whiny and needy, even beyond the whole being pregnant thing. "Oh I'm gonna hide my baby. Oh I'm gonna tell but you can't judge me even though I conceived it 2 minutes after breaking off my engagement with a man who was technically still married oh hey and my baby daddy cheated on me when we were together" Yeah folks thats right baby daddy was not her ex fiance (who btw she broke up with because maybe he was cheating on her...she never once bothered to actually ask. and she broke their engagement on the phone and just moved out of their house) but instead her ex high school boyfriend (who totally did cheat on her) during a drunken night in cancun while he was on the outs with his wife (whom he ran right back to after the sex). So i'm already disliking her because that's just a whole lot of nastiness I don't like in a female. Then we get around 15% and we finally find out how pregnant she is. Exciting right? She's 15 weeks AND THIS IS HER FIRST DR'S APPT! Why? because when she went to the dr the baby would feel real....what kind of selfish fucking heifer would possibly put her child at risk by not seeing a dr so she could stay in denial?! I don't even like kids and that pissed me off. So at this point I actively dislike hero and the heroine disgusts me. So why continue? Well because it was too late for me to start a new book and still finish at a reasonable hour and i really didnt want to watch tv so I trucked on. Let me sum up the rest. H moves in to help h and avoid his s-mother. h: no I won't love him i always make bad love choice. h very next day: totally love him. H: drugs, drink, sex GRUMP GRUMP GRUMP, disappear, return like nothing ever happened, lather rinse repeat. He never actively abused the heroine but he treated her like shit. Worse she was a doormat and let him. Baby daddy appears! Then there's what should be the big drama moment, the catalyst except it really wasn't all that catalystic...catalytic? And then H just leaves despite mutual declarations of love (and really no clue why either loved the other the words just kinda appeared) and no one will say word one to h about him despite the fact that theyve been playing house for several months. Drama llama. h once again totally disregards her childs health by flying super close to term because she has to resolve her mommy issues (and calling was impossible i guess). Oh and by the way H is back and wants to pick up right where they left offbecause you know he didn't spoil things by leaving without a word. Then boom theres a baby AND a happy ending. Because you know that solves everything...magically.
Even all the secondary characters were obnoxious. And this woman could not write a villianish character to save her life. Every time she'd make someone dislikable (intentionally) she had to soften it and fix it. i also think maybe she totally forgot what she was writing while she was writing. Twin brother: Oh h I won't ever judge you (even though thats exactly what I did 5 pages ago). Dad of h: oh this is your grandmother on your absentee mother's side of the family...when a few chapters ago she was only 10 years older than the dad...is that even possible without some really gross math? There were other similar instances but I don't recall them exactly and really isn't that enough? Also i feel like even though its never mentioned her baby mustve been premature because her friend was like 5 weeks further along than her and i never remember the friends baby being born
Bottom line: This book was a train wreck in basically all ways. Every single character was unlikable and never really redeemed themselves to me. The plot was a pathetic shadow of what I expected it to be. The writing was grammatically fine but jesus everything else....it was bad just bad...skip this one
We open with a h who's hiding a pregnancy. Why? reasons. How far along is she? who knows...you dont find out til like 15% in...all you know is she's showing but can hide it with clothes. H has lost his leg. How? well we really only get bare bones of that story and not til like 75% of the way through. H has some pretty serious attitude issues. Now I can't exactly blame him pain and being on crutches makes me a grump too but it's not exactly the stuff romantic heroes are made of. He had some sweet moments but the whole coming in drunk/high on painkillers and having sex with h, leaving for days on end with no word, and just generally being a douche whenever he felt like it. Well he wasn't terribly appealing. But then again neither was the heroine. She was so whiny and needy, even beyond the whole being pregnant thing. "Oh I'm gonna hide my baby. Oh I'm gonna tell but you can't judge me even though I conceived it 2 minutes after breaking off my engagement with a man who was technically still married oh hey and my baby daddy cheated on me when we were together" Yeah folks thats right baby daddy was not her ex fiance (who btw she broke up with because maybe he was cheating on her...she never once bothered to actually ask. and she broke their engagement on the phone and just moved out of their house) but instead her ex high school boyfriend (who totally did cheat on her) during a drunken night in cancun while he was on the outs with his wife (whom he ran right back to after the sex). So i'm already disliking her because that's just a whole lot of nastiness I don't like in a female. Then we get around 15% and we finally find out how pregnant she is. Exciting right? She's 15 weeks AND THIS IS HER FIRST DR'S APPT! Why? because when she went to the dr the baby would feel real....what kind of selfish fucking heifer would possibly put her child at risk by not seeing a dr so she could stay in denial?! I don't even like kids and that pissed me off. So at this point I actively dislike hero and the heroine disgusts me. So why continue? Well because it was too late for me to start a new book and still finish at a reasonable hour and i really didnt want to watch tv so I trucked on. Let me sum up the rest. H moves in to help h and avoid his s-mother. h: no I won't love him i always make bad love choice. h very next day: totally love him. H: drugs, drink, sex GRUMP GRUMP GRUMP, disappear, return like nothing ever happened, lather rinse repeat. He never actively abused the heroine but he treated her like shit. Worse she was a doormat and let him. Baby daddy appears! Then there's what should be the big drama moment, the catalyst except it really wasn't all that catalystic...catalytic? And then H just leaves despite mutual declarations of love (and really no clue why either loved the other the words just kinda appeared) and no one will say word one to h about him despite the fact that theyve been playing house for several months. Drama llama. h once again totally disregards her childs health by flying super close to term because she has to resolve her mommy issues (and calling was impossible i guess). Oh and by the way H is back and wants to pick up right where they left offbecause you know he didn't spoil things by leaving without a word. Then boom theres a baby AND a happy ending. Because you know that solves everything...magically.
Even all the secondary characters were obnoxious. And this woman could not write a villianish character to save her life. Every time she'd make someone dislikable (intentionally) she had to soften it and fix it. i also think maybe she totally forgot what she was writing while she was writing. Twin brother: Oh h I won't ever judge you (even though thats exactly what I did 5 pages ago). Dad of h: oh this is your grandmother on your absentee mother's side of the family...when a few chapters ago she was only 10 years older than the dad...is that even possible without some really gross math? There were other similar instances but I don't recall them exactly and really isn't that enough? Also i feel like even though its never mentioned her baby mustve been premature because her friend was like 5 weeks further along than her and i never remember the friends baby being born
Bottom line: This book was a train wreck in basically all ways. Every single character was unlikable and never really redeemed themselves to me. The plot was a pathetic shadow of what I expected it to be. The writing was grammatically fine but jesus everything else....it was bad just bad...skip this one
April 27, 2015
I loved this book! It was a bit different, about a single mom to be. Theo was the best he loved Meg even though they were both going through hard times. Him with the baby were adorable :') at times I was mad at him though. The ending was cute I just wish we would've gotten to know more about Theo's recovery & Ellies baby!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2014
When You Make it Home by Claire Ashby
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:
Meg Michaels never, in a million years saw herself knocked up and unmarried at just 24 years old. Even more humiliating is the fact that Meg’s baby is not the result of a happy, romantic and, solid relationship but the result of a sweaty, mistake filled weekend with her ex whose BS she fell for, yet again. The cherry on top of the crap sundae is the fact that the baby doesn’t even belong to her ex-fiancé but to her still-married ex-boyfriend. Can it really get any more complicated? Oh yes, it can. Humiliated by her situation and terrified of what her family and friends will think, Meg is trying her hardest to hide the pregnancy and deal with the fact that she is going to be a single mother.
Between hiding her burgeoning bump, fighting morning sickness and, helping her twin brother run their highly successful bookstore, Meg is stretched to the limit. Her charade is as exhausting and her pregnancy and though she knows she can only keep the secret for so long, she is determined to hide until the very moment that she can’t. That moment was meant to be weeks away until returned from war Army medic Theo Taylor accidentally discovers her secret. Though it is probably very bad form to ask an injured veteran to take on yet another burden, Meg asks Theo to keep her secret.
Theo Taylor has been through hell and come out the other side. He saw many, many atrocities in combat and patched up those that he could and said goodbye to those that he couldn’t. When Theo loses his leg and is sent back home, he comes home in very bad shape. Though he makes it through each day and mostly appears to be fine, Theo is falling apart on the inside. When Theo meets Meg, a little bit of hope comes back into his life. Meg is smart, frustrating, funny, stubborn and, in desperate need of a little help. Once Meg’s secret finally comes out, things get even more fun and the two set the tongues a wagging when Theo moves in with Meg. Theo needs to get out of his mother’s house if he is ever going to learn how to live again and with his considerable skills, he can help Meg get her home set up and ready for the arrival of her baby. The plan seems crazy on so many levels but Theo and Meg get along well and are able to help one another at a time when they both desperately need it.
As the weeks go by, Meg and Theo grow closer and a relationship begins to develop. Meg feels more stable than she has in months with Theo by her side and though Theo tends to run hot and cold, he is there for Meg when he can be. When Theo is hot, he is smoking and he is desperately attracted to Meg. Against her better judgment (really, she has two exes that suck!) Meg begins to fall for Theo and the more she around him, the more she wants to save him, to protect him and, help him overcome the demons he is plagued by. But demons are hard to overcome and just when Meg needs Theo the most, he bails on her.
The Bottom Line: When You Make It Home is a sweet romantic read that brings together two moderately to highly broken souls who are looking for their mate. Meg has a terrible track record with men and an inability to let go of the past; until she resolve her issues moving forward is going to be very, very hard to do. Theo’s issues are much more dramatic and just as damaging as Meg’s. Theo’s demons haunt him relentlessly and if he is ever going to be who Meg needs him to be and who he wants to be, he has to get right with himself. The struggle between the two is sweet and sad with moments of steaminess and pure joy. In the end, I very much enjoyed Meg and Theo but had some issues with some of the minor characters. Even with the couple of minor characters who rubbed me the wrong way, When You Make It Home is still a solid read that will certainly appeal to lovers of difficult romances with an HEA.
Source: Purchase
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:
Meg Michaels never, in a million years saw herself knocked up and unmarried at just 24 years old. Even more humiliating is the fact that Meg’s baby is not the result of a happy, romantic and, solid relationship but the result of a sweaty, mistake filled weekend with her ex whose BS she fell for, yet again. The cherry on top of the crap sundae is the fact that the baby doesn’t even belong to her ex-fiancé but to her still-married ex-boyfriend. Can it really get any more complicated? Oh yes, it can. Humiliated by her situation and terrified of what her family and friends will think, Meg is trying her hardest to hide the pregnancy and deal with the fact that she is going to be a single mother.
Between hiding her burgeoning bump, fighting morning sickness and, helping her twin brother run their highly successful bookstore, Meg is stretched to the limit. Her charade is as exhausting and her pregnancy and though she knows she can only keep the secret for so long, she is determined to hide until the very moment that she can’t. That moment was meant to be weeks away until returned from war Army medic Theo Taylor accidentally discovers her secret. Though it is probably very bad form to ask an injured veteran to take on yet another burden, Meg asks Theo to keep her secret.
Theo Taylor has been through hell and come out the other side. He saw many, many atrocities in combat and patched up those that he could and said goodbye to those that he couldn’t. When Theo loses his leg and is sent back home, he comes home in very bad shape. Though he makes it through each day and mostly appears to be fine, Theo is falling apart on the inside. When Theo meets Meg, a little bit of hope comes back into his life. Meg is smart, frustrating, funny, stubborn and, in desperate need of a little help. Once Meg’s secret finally comes out, things get even more fun and the two set the tongues a wagging when Theo moves in with Meg. Theo needs to get out of his mother’s house if he is ever going to learn how to live again and with his considerable skills, he can help Meg get her home set up and ready for the arrival of her baby. The plan seems crazy on so many levels but Theo and Meg get along well and are able to help one another at a time when they both desperately need it.
As the weeks go by, Meg and Theo grow closer and a relationship begins to develop. Meg feels more stable than she has in months with Theo by her side and though Theo tends to run hot and cold, he is there for Meg when he can be. When Theo is hot, he is smoking and he is desperately attracted to Meg. Against her better judgment (really, she has two exes that suck!) Meg begins to fall for Theo and the more she around him, the more she wants to save him, to protect him and, help him overcome the demons he is plagued by. But demons are hard to overcome and just when Meg needs Theo the most, he bails on her.
The Bottom Line: When You Make It Home is a sweet romantic read that brings together two moderately to highly broken souls who are looking for their mate. Meg has a terrible track record with men and an inability to let go of the past; until she resolve her issues moving forward is going to be very, very hard to do. Theo’s issues are much more dramatic and just as damaging as Meg’s. Theo’s demons haunt him relentlessly and if he is ever going to be who Meg needs him to be and who he wants to be, he has to get right with himself. The struggle between the two is sweet and sad with moments of steaminess and pure joy. In the end, I very much enjoyed Meg and Theo but had some issues with some of the minor characters. Even with the couple of minor characters who rubbed me the wrong way, When You Make It Home is still a solid read that will certainly appeal to lovers of difficult romances with an HEA.
September 20, 2014
I didn't just like this book, I absolutely LOVED When You Make it Home, and anything written by Claire Ashby in the future will be on my virtual bookshelf to be devoured greedily in one sitting, because I simply couldn't put this book down. I admit I had a ton of previous obligations, and knowing I had committed today to the author, I started reading the book last night at 10:00pm. I'd decided the day before I'd be keeping the same sleep schedule with an hour variance max, because supposedly keeping a consistent sleep schedule helps prevent obesity.
Once I got into the first couple of pages and Theo and Meg really meeting for the first time coincidentally, the book had me enthralled and sleep schedule be damned. I read it on my iphone, and while listening to my husband snore peacefully, I read far into the night--even getting out of the bed to sit on the floor twice to continue reading when my phone needed charging. I finally wrapped up When You Make it Home at 4:00am.
Anyhoo, onto the logistics of the book. Meg, pregnant and conflicted with family issues and former boyfriend baggage, and Theo, the veteran wounded in Afghanistan, made for an unlikely but wildly appropriate couple. The author's portrayal of the emotions of a wounded vet coming home in pain and feeling as though his life no longer had purpose resonated with me. I spend at least once a month with my uncle at the Atlanta Va, and seeing the maimed and wounded while going down the corridors of that depressing place and is utterly heartbreaking. Theo's battle with his personal demons and injuries were equally heartbreaking, and Meg's conviction to hide her pregnancy as long as possible initially seemed ludicrous but made complete sense as her character is fully revealed throughout the course of the novel.
Every character, from the sweet Ellie, the uptight Nina, Meg's twin brother, the naughty Chelsea and everyone else in the novel are three-dimensional and either likable or understandable. For readers who love cookie cutter romances, you won't find that in When You Make it Home. You will, however, find a masterfully written, poignant, and beautiful love story intermingled with a plot full of humor, heartbreak, love, intrigue, and steamy but classy sex scenes. The character conflict will keep you furiously turning the pages seeking resolution, and the ending is nothing short of beautiful.
My only regret is there are only five star ratings possible, because When You Make it Home is worthy of many more.
Once I got into the first couple of pages and Theo and Meg really meeting for the first time coincidentally, the book had me enthralled and sleep schedule be damned. I read it on my iphone, and while listening to my husband snore peacefully, I read far into the night--even getting out of the bed to sit on the floor twice to continue reading when my phone needed charging. I finally wrapped up When You Make it Home at 4:00am.
Anyhoo, onto the logistics of the book. Meg, pregnant and conflicted with family issues and former boyfriend baggage, and Theo, the veteran wounded in Afghanistan, made for an unlikely but wildly appropriate couple. The author's portrayal of the emotions of a wounded vet coming home in pain and feeling as though his life no longer had purpose resonated with me. I spend at least once a month with my uncle at the Atlanta Va, and seeing the maimed and wounded while going down the corridors of that depressing place and is utterly heartbreaking. Theo's battle with his personal demons and injuries were equally heartbreaking, and Meg's conviction to hide her pregnancy as long as possible initially seemed ludicrous but made complete sense as her character is fully revealed throughout the course of the novel.
Every character, from the sweet Ellie, the uptight Nina, Meg's twin brother, the naughty Chelsea and everyone else in the novel are three-dimensional and either likable or understandable. For readers who love cookie cutter romances, you won't find that in When You Make it Home. You will, however, find a masterfully written, poignant, and beautiful love story intermingled with a plot full of humor, heartbreak, love, intrigue, and steamy but classy sex scenes. The character conflict will keep you furiously turning the pages seeking resolution, and the ending is nothing short of beautiful.
My only regret is there are only five star ratings possible, because When You Make it Home is worthy of many more.
May 19, 2016
My biggest complaint about this book was the quick ending. It just kinda ended. Not that the ending wasn't good, it was, but I needed just a little bit more, one more chapter, paragraph, epilogue.....something!!
But with that said, I still really loved the storyline of this book.
Meg has broken up with her long time boyfriend after his traveling and their long distance relationship becomes too much for Meg.
Enter Theo....returning from the war with some serious injuries and emotional scarring. He's actually my perfect hero!! When Theo and Meg meet under unusual circumstances, he finds out her secret and promises to keep quiet until she can reveal it to her family and friends. I just loved Theo and I felt the chemistry between these two.
Many things happen throughout the book.....and there was some definite angst mixed in there. At one point I was so mad at Meg and her treatment of Theo (even though I understood where she was coming from), I just wanted her to be a little bit more understanding and forgiving. But, it was okay. I got over it! There was a lot more family drama on Meg's side which I was not expecting, and some secrets revealed there at the end. Wow, really was not expecting that!
Like I said great storyline and it was nice change to read a standalone and not have to worry about continuing a series or any cliffhangers. BUT, what about Meg's twin brother, Steve????????? I THINK I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HIS STORY!!!! Ms. Claire Ashby???? Pretty please with a cherry on top???
But with that said, I still really loved the storyline of this book.
Meg has broken up with her long time boyfriend after his traveling and their long distance relationship becomes too much for Meg.
Enter Theo....returning from the war with some serious injuries and emotional scarring. He's actually my perfect hero!! When Theo and Meg meet under unusual circumstances, he finds out her secret and promises to keep quiet until she can reveal it to her family and friends. I just loved Theo and I felt the chemistry between these two.
Many things happen throughout the book.....and there was some definite angst mixed in there. At one point I was so mad at Meg and her treatment of Theo (even though I understood where she was coming from), I just wanted her to be a little bit more understanding and forgiving. But, it was okay. I got over it! There was a lot more family drama on Meg's side which I was not expecting, and some secrets revealed there at the end. Wow, really was not expecting that!
Like I said great storyline and it was nice change to read a standalone and not have to worry about continuing a series or any cliffhangers. BUT, what about Meg's twin brother, Steve????????? I THINK I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HIS STORY!!!! Ms. Claire Ashby???? Pretty please with a cherry on top???
December 19, 2016
When you love someone, your plans can change...
That was a really sweet and nice story. I really loved both Meg and Theo, they were special. I wanted more scenes between them but nonetheless I enjoyed it.
That was a really sweet and nice story. I really loved both Meg and Theo, they were special. I wanted more scenes between them but nonetheless I enjoyed it.
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