This was a quick, feel good read with LGBT characters. Both characters were already out and any discrimination was in the past. Focus was on a storyline that included a dog, who in my opinion was the main character of the book. Fairly fluffy, but read it at a time I needed something lighter.

Sheriff Natalie Strand has never forgotten the kiss she and the popular girl at school, Sarah Eastman shared many years ago. Now Sarah has returned home, divorced and with a daughter but their attraction to each other still hasn't waned.
Kris Bryant always delivers great stories although this story is not one of my favourites,  it was still enjoyable.  This book falls somewhere in between a short story and a long story.  It allows you to get to know and love the characters but it doesn't wane. I loved the character of Natalie and Ghost Dog aka Henry plays a big part, clearly Kris Bryant is a big dog lover with Henry's own little story at the end. A good read. 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In this crazy world we find ourselves in, this was a welcome comforter. A feel good story with happy people, happy times in a happy place, and a ghost dog who comes into his own. The story is well-written, the characters likeable and the storyline enjoyable. I found the added commentary narrative during sex scenes superfluous, but that is my only gripe. More angst could have been made of Francine's reappearance but then it's not an angsty read and I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't. It was a welcome distraction from the madness of 2020.

Ghost dog has his own storyline and I enjoyed reading this. It answered lots of Qs and was a credible part of the storyline. Lots more feel-goodness with his own story. 4*

Ah, what a story. The story of Natalie and Sarah, not to mention Harley, and the coolest dog ever.

Natalie is the Sheriff in her hometown. When she was in high school one of her classmates, Sarah, kissed her at a party and then just left town. Well, Sarah is back and she and Natalie run into each other again and sudenly those old feelings resurface.

They've both changed. Sarah has a (cute) kid, Harley. And Natalie is trying to find a ghost dog that she just can't seem to keep hold of for more than twenty seconds of sseing him. They get closer (because of the dog and the kid) and I have to say that while there is some relationship drama, it seemed like significantly less than in most lesfic romances. It was delightful.

It was such a fun read. A relaxing read, and then the end. I mean, there was the end of Natalie and Sarah (and Harley's) story, but, then there... was more, and it was perfect. And I may or may not have added a half a star just for that extra ending. It was perfect.

Mmm... I did have one small problem with it though. When Mary tells Sarah during her library interview that, as a librarian she can read all she wants as long as it doesn't get in the way of her work. No. Yeah... no. Think of it this way. Teachers get so many kudos for 'grading papers at home'. Reading actual books, books that librarians need to read to keep up with the profession, do book groups, be able to do Reader's Advisory, etc. That's the equivalent. Not a close equivalent, but, the exact equivalent. We read at home because when we are at the library there is either a patron in front of us who needs us, (or two, or four, or six), or we are setting up a program, planning a program, fixing something that's gone wrong with the tech (or the programs), dealing with patrons who aren't in front of us, dealing with politicians who believe that all we do is read all day (so why do we need money then). Etc. Etc.

Once I got through that little hiccup in the book though, it was a fun read.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books

Kris Bryant never disappoints. This was an easy light read without a ton of unnecessary drama. This would be a great book to curl up on read and in front on the fire on a cool fall evening! Thanks Kris for another awesome read!

Henry, or Ghost Dog, was the best part of this book for me. I was invested in his story from the start, even more so than Natalie and Sarah. And he turned out to be a real hero. I especially liked how his story was told from his point of view after the epilogue.

Overall, Home is a cute, feel good story. Yes, there is some angst, but it is minor and moves the plot along. The romance is sweet between two women who did not get to explore their feelings when they were younger. Maybe a little rushed in the romantic progression, but it was a short book.

Oh, and there were Princess Bride references. So that definitely gets bonus points.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for this review.

This book is the escape we are all looking for at the moment, and when I was finished, I felt like I had just been released from a warm hug.

What was the book about?
Sheriff, Natalie is shocked when the first woman she ever kissed is standing in front of her. She never expected to see Sarah ever again after she left town right after their kiss. Turns out Natalie’s heart never really forgot Sarah or how she made her feel. Natalie doesn’t want to fall for Sarah again, especially if she’s only going to leave again.

Sarah is back in her small hometown with her young daughter, Harley in tow. Her failed marriage and her wife’s infidelities are enough of a kick for her to start looking for a new beginning for her and Harley. Just so happens that Sarah needs money, and so she’s come home to stay with her aunt and uncle while she recalibrates. Running into Natalie was never on her radar until Natalie is standing in front of her, and Sarah can’t think of anything else.

Between ghost dogs, old flames and new beginnings, Natalie and Sarah find out that some things are just meant to be.

I could sum this review up in one sentence—below. You can then decide to read the whole review or scroll to the bottom and automatically grab your ebook.

Short Version
Home is a fast-paced, low angst novel with fun and witty dialogue and excellent narrative and characters you are going to fall in love with.

Long version
When I finished Home, I felt like I had been on holiday from the craziness that is our new normal and into a world full of hope and love.

Natalie and Sarah’s connection was something romance movies are made of. I could imagine kicking back with a glass of wine on the sofa and watching it again and again. The idea of “Home is where the heart is” is baked into the whole story. When Sarah and Natalie bump into each other in town after years of not seeing each other, you can feel the sizzle between them still.

As their romance progresses, it’s clear they have found their soulmate in each other and have the making of a beautiful family. Kris Bryant writes children in her books really well. As a mother, it makes me all kinds of happy.

There is a subplot in this book which just adds to the swoon factor, especially for a major dog lover like me. ‘Ghost Dog’, later named Henry, is causing a stir in the town. Sheriff Natalie is trying to find the mystery dog that seems to disappear every time she is on the scene. Henry’s presence in the book just makes everything better and the love more grand.

Home would be a great start to a holiday/season themed series. I keep seeing all these possibilities of what could come next. Even as a stand-alone, it’s just perfect. But a girl can’t help but want more Bryant… Am I right?

This book is all about love and chemistry. Sarah and Natalie have chemistry in spades. It’s all the other life stuff that gets in the way (but no too much, don’t worry). I loved all the moments of alone time for Natalie and Sarah because the reader is very aware of the attraction and possibility of what could be in the future. Spoiler: the ‘what could be’ is a beautiful happy ever after.

This book is the warm hug we all need amid the current global pandemic. Go grab it and escape the world for a few hours. Honestly, this is the book 2020 was waiting for.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fairly sweet romance from Bryant that falls somewhere between a novella and a novel. It features Natalie, a Sheriff in her small home town, and Sarah, who is returning to said small town with her six year old daughter. Natalie and Sarah shared a kiss in high school, and haven’t talked since. Both remember the kiss though (and think about it a lot since seeing each other again).

To be honest, not much happens in this book these two reunite, have a lot of ‘meet cutes’ and then get together, in between that is a subplot about a lost dog, that even though I love dogs, I thought took up too much of the story given it’s length. The side characters aren’t terribly fleshed out, but are very supportive and there’s some cute moments with Sarah’s daughter Harper, who also features in the dramatic portion of the book.

Thankfully there’s no miscommunication or contrived breakup, and the MCs are very sweet together. I did think the ending from the dog’s POV was weird though. 3.5 stars.

To say Sheriff Natalie Strand is shocked that Sarah Eastman, the girl who kissed her at a high school party, is back in town would be a huge understatement. Between Sarah’s return and a stray dog that gets the best of her, Natalie’s world is suddenly turned upside down.

They say you can’t go home again, but that’s exactly what Sarah does when she returns to Spruce Mountain, Oregon, to live with her aunt and uncle after her divorce. All she wants is peace and to ensure her daughter, Harley, has stability. Seeing Natalie again after seventeen years ignites a passion that she hasn’t felt in a long time. Never mind that her heart tumbles in her chest or that she forgets words when Natalie’s around, she needs to focus on her family and getting her life back together.

Natalie and Sarah are about to discover that anything is possible when love takes the long way home.

This was only my fourth Kris Bryant story, but I think I'm starting to see how much she likes her dogs.
As promised, this was a feel-good holiday romance. There wasn't much drama, but it wasn't boring. The characters are good together, and despite their history, there wasn't even that much tension at the beginning. I do wish that the characters spent a little more time getting to know each other, and the Harley ordeal could have come later than it did, but otherwise the pacing was fine.
I have only two specific criticisms (and they should come with a spoiler warning):
1. The "fight" in the epilogue. Sorry, but that's really not a fight. A slightly heated clashing of opinions, but not a fight. It's kind of annoying when Natalie claims that this was their only fight. I get the whole "too good to be true" idea, but come on, they live together now. I'd rather hear Natalie mention the everyday disputes that are respectful and bring them closer together.
2. The weird part at the ending. What. Why? I get that Henry has his own backstory, and maybe it would have worked if it had been interwoven with the romance. The end is when everything is winding down, when you leave the reader with the blissful HEA. Instead, we get this somewhat unsettling story about an old lady whose dying act is to save Henry from her abusive son. It may be nice that he has his own HEA, but we really shouldn't end with Henry, and not in such an abrupt fashion.
I'm stuck between 3.5 stars and 4. Since I don't think I'm specific or consistent enough to start giving 0.25, I'll round to 4.

I’ve always been a fan of Kris Bryant’s books. She’s one of my favorite authors, and this book is no exception.

The story was set in a Hallmark-movies type of small town in Spruce mountain. Sheriff Natalie had her first kiss with the most popular girl, Sarah Eastman, in high school. Sarah, who freaked out suddenly, left the town and hurt Natalie. Fast forward 20 years later, Sarah came back with a cute daughter, just divorced from her ex-wife, looking to start a new life. Her return sparks the longing from Natalie, and the feeling was reciprocated. The couple navigates their feelings through the twist and turns along with the presence of a cute golden retriever.

The story ticked all the elements of a Hallmark movie: a sheriff, a popular girl, a cute little girl, and a golden retriever. I can imagine this (when the time comes and the world ready for gay hallmark movies) can be produced as one of the autumn edition line-ups. It follows the typical plot but still gives me a warm feeling when the two characters got together. My favorite character is Sheriff Natalie, who is the quiet type but has charisma and caring. Of course, as a dog lover, I think the golden retriever is the star of this story :) However, I think this book lacks a bit of depth in exploring the characters’ emotions, which I found and love in the other author’s book, ‘Listen’ and ‘Tinsel.’ Probably, I think it was because of the two books were using the first-person point of view. Aside from that, this book is wonderful; I read this in one seating with a cup of coffee while drizzling outside.

Basically a hallmark movie of a book. Was expecting something to break them up, as is the norm in this genre, but was pleased to not have that trope. Normally not a fan of kids in romance novels, but in this case it didn't bother me. Overall not my favorite story but didn't offend me either.

This book was everything I needed at this moment. Two women, destined to fall in love, meet again in their home town after several years apart. Sometimes you just want an uncomplicated and simple love story, and this hits all the pleasure points. It is unpretentious and a calm, quick read. I would definitely recommend.

Kris Bryant is one of my favorite lesfic authors.
Each novel is loving, emotional and full of family values.

This story is about Sheriff Natalie Strand and Sarah Eastman. They know each other since school and had their first kiss as an 11 year old at a party.

Now 17 years later, Sarah returns to Spruce Mountain, with her daughter Harley to live with her aunt and uncle, after her divorce.

A lot happens a dog comes into town, a large search and rescue.

When I read the book I was moved, loved, cried and laughed.
It is a great read, especially for the fall, you're also able to read is trough the year.

I hope Kris, keeps on writing and the love flowing.

Thank you Bold Strokes books and Netgalley, for the opportunity to read the ARC

This was a superb read, Very heart warming. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one day.
Natalie is the sheriff of Spruce Mountain, a small Town in Oregon. Sarah Eastman is recently divorced and returns home with her seven year old daughter Harley to start life over. Nat and Sarah haven't seen each other in seventeen years. They started a friendship but realized that the attraction between them was strong. I love the relationship between these two characters because they communicated well with each other. However, my favorite character was Ghost Dog aka Henry. He's so adorable. My only issue was that the epilogue was not necessary but could have been included in the story.. I recommend this book. You will not be disappointed!


Thank you NetGalley(ARC), Bold Stroke Books and Kris Bryant, Home.

[Content warnings: gun, off-page animal abuse, loss of father to cancer (prior to story), missing person]

Home is a very sweet second-chance romance that will make you smile. It is an angst-less joy, perfect for a bad day.

Sheriff Natalie Strand (~35, lesbian) isn’t looking for love, and she tries to pretend she didn’t spend half her life thinking about the girl who kissed her and disappeared. Recently divorced Sarah Eastman (~35, lesbian) moves back to small town Spruce Mountain with her six-year-old daughter Harley to regroup. When the pair runs into each other, they are instantly thrown back to that night seventeen years ago.

The story starts with Natalie “[stopping] to pet a beautiful golden retriever waiting outside the craft store.” This simple action tells us so much about her. And shortly afterward, we are introduced to Sarah, who thinks that “[h]igh school really had been the best time of her life.” I love how these seemingly unimportant sentences give us a clear image of the characters. Bryant captures them really well and does a great job of setting up a scene and knowing where to insert summaries.

Most of the story was told in alternating third-person limited points of view, but there were also a few occasions of slipping into omniscient, which were slightly jarring. I am unsure if those were conscious decisions or not. There was also one really abrupt instance of going back in time in the middle of the book, which was a little confusing as was the insertion of a flashback in the epilogue.

The connection between Natalie and Sarah is predetermined like second-chance romances all are. I love all the time they spend together, and they are so cute I tear up every time they get intimate. The secondary characters are amazing as well, including Natalie’s mother Linda, Sarah’s aunt Judy, daughter Harley, and the lovely Ghost Dog on the cover.

Though the middle part of the book is a bit darker than the rest and the major event happens without much reason other than to bring Sarah closer to the people in town, the story is guaranteed to end on a light note. There is also much mysteriousness surrounding Ghost Dog, leaving me with many unanswered questions in addition to my confusion over the central event. And oddly enough, I didn’t think the epilogue enforced the relationship between Natalie and Sarah. It made me wonder if they were on the same page, but the cute thing after the epilogue made the ending a little bit better. Nothing so heartbreaking yet adorable should be allowed.

I need to point out one serious issue in the book. Though romance is an escapist genre, there are certain things I cannot overlook. I enjoyed most of the story a lot, but there are a few scenes with strong good cop narrative and kudos for teaching kids about police force. Being something published in October 2020 without addressing police brutality while cheering the cops on instantly made it a very uncomfortable and disturbing read. To my knowledge, Bryant has never addressed the choice of including these scenes when the story benefited little from them, and I am sure Home was in the process of editing in June 2020. This affected my overall enjoyment, and after careful decision, I felt the need to knock off half a star. I cannot in all good conscious recommend this book without putting this information out there.

Home is my third book by Bryant, and though she writes one of the hottest sex scenes, this one aims for sweetness. If you are looking for a cute romance with strong autumn vibes, look no farther.

To be honest, I haven’t read a bad book by Kris Bryant, because her story lines and writing is just superb! I have found myself reading a ton of books in this genre where one MC returns home so I’m kind of burnt out. But this story was cute. The secondary characters were great, including the dog, the chemistry is alway fab in her books. It’s a great read!

Home is where the heart is, and Kris Bryant shows us what this means in her new book. Natalie, sheriff of a small town, still thinks about the girl in high school who gave her her first (and best) kiss, who then ran off to college without a goodbye. Lo and behold, said girl (Sarah) is back in town 17 years later, newly divorced and with a small child.

You can probably imagine what happens next... Natalie and Sarah discover that their feelings are still as strong as they were in high school, and start dating. There's a little bit of drama past the halfway mark which really helped keep my interest, but then everything's back on track pretty quickly. Of course, I've simplified the story here, but it's short! And I wish it were longer to flesh out the time both characters took to get to know each other again and fall in love.

Second chances is one of my favorite story lines... throw in a dog, and I'm sold. But seriously, can I just rave about how much I loved Henry, the dog, in this story? Everyone deserves a happy ending, and I'm so glad he found his.

A sleepy small town story where the biggest happening for Sherrif Natalie, is stopping the trigger happy garage owner from shooting a difficult to catch stray dog.

Sheriff Natalie returned to her small home town after her father got sick and decided to stay to be close to her mother. One day she notices a stray dog who keeps disappearing, She does her best to find the dog before it gets killed.

At the same time Natalie's high school crush, Sarah returns to their hometown. Divorced and with a small daughter. Starting a new after 17 years.

Natalie has never forgotten Sarah after that one highschool party where Sarah kissed her and leaving Natalie infatuated with her. Both Nat and Sarah take this chance to get to know each other and hope for a chance that never was back in high school.

A nice feel-good holiday romance in a small town. With a dusting of angst to keep you turning the pages.

Delightful
Natalie returned to her home town where she became the Sheriff. Her life is good, if not a little lonely. When reports of a stray dog start to come in she has a lot to do to find it and if that’s not enough to distract her, Sarah, the woman she loved in high school is back in town and the pull is even stronger now… Sarah never expected to go back to her roots in Spruce Mountain but after a divorce she decides that the support and love of her Aunt and Uncle is just what she and her daughter need. She never expected to see Natalie again and as much as her heart wants to get to know her again, her head is telling her to focus on her daughter and rebuilding her life…

Oh my, oh my! This is another WONDERFUL book full of feels by the talented Ms Bryant. I cannot say enough good things about this story. I loved the small town setting where the sense of community is so strong. The characters are loveable and real to life. I loved the hunt and chase of the ghost dog and the events with him after. He sounds so sweet that I just wanted to cuddle up with him. I loved watching Sarah and Natalie get to know each other and how Sarah’s daughter helped to bring them all together. They are a captivating couple, practically perfect in every way and the sexy bits... mmm. Home is a precious, tender, feel good story that will make your heart happy and make you smile and I know you will love it as much as I did!