Once again Dena Blake did not disappoint this story had a realness to it that pulled me right into the pages. Dena is the best at writing angst and this book is loaded with it. Her writing style flows from page to page as she takes us in the journey of going home again and all try obstacles that go along with it. The MC’s made me nuts at time but in the end it was a great slow burn romance that pushed and pulled you in many different ways.
I received an advance readers copy from the publisher via NetGalley

After reading some early reviews of this book I was a bit hesitant to get into it. My overall conclusion? They are a bit harsh, but I do understand it.

Harper is a veterinarian with a practice in Denver. When her father needs to take a leave of absence from his clinic in Harper's hometown Blueridge she returns to help out. Harper has no plans to stay long-term and she tells everyone who wants to hear it, or not hear it. Addison is a vet tech at the clinic and is keeping the clinic running. She is also working towards a vet assistant degree(?) and her ultimate dream is to become a licensed vet. They both have teenage daughters Addison has Brook and Harper has Eden. When they arrive in town Brook takes Eden under her wings. Harper and Addison had feelings for each other in high school and shared a magical kiss in high school, but nothing else. They weren't even really friends. When Harpers comes back into town all their feelings resurface but some 20 years later they still aren't over high school and high school antics.

I liked this sort of second chance story, but it annoyed me as well. Both mains are well into their thirties, have teenage daughters, but still arent over their high school crush? As in really not over it? This story would have been a lot more believable if both characters were just coming back to their hometown after being away at college or something. In my opinion, they are too old for this storyline to really work, especially with teenage daughters of their own. I think I enjoyed the first half of the book better than the second, it gets too long-winded with the repetition of "yes/ no, but high school"... Harper is also a character I am not too sure of, at times she is sweet and caring and others, not communicating, demanding and weird. My main annoyance with her is how she treats her farter's new partner (also Addison's mother...), Harper's mother passed away and she has never accepted her dad finding someone else. She acts like a 10-year-old in this situation, come on woman, grow up! And her parenting skills are certainly lacking, I am not a parent but even I can tell this isn't the best parenting storyline. Addison is a bit better in all ways, but also too hung up on high school antics. For women approaching forty, they are just too immature for me, I guess that's my main point. If you were to ignore the unnecessary high school references at all times it would be a sweet second chance romance, with some challenges that almost seem like real life.
It's like 3.25 stars or something...

What I liked about this book is that it seems like real life!
It is a start over kind of book in which two now single moms meet again, after being secretly smitten with each other when young and have never talked or acted overtly about it.
Harper is a successful Veterinarian and Addison is working hard towards acquiring her degree to be one, despite all the adversities of life.
It is a very down to earth romance and I think some people might not appreciate it, but Dena Blake writes well and if you don't start the reading with false hopes of a fancy and glamorous romance the "Next Exit Home" is certainly a good way to go.

I think that some of the reviews are a little harsh. The book wasn’t boring, rather I think that it was a look at a real life scenario. Here, we had 2 single moms, muddling through life while working and dealing with things like failed relationships. I kinda liked the fact that it wasn’t your typical crap these days, where the “butch” is a million dollar play girl who doesn’t want to settle down. I mean, how many more of those should we be subjected to? The writing in this book is good, the dialogue was very well written, and I thought that it was a good book.

I love the author books in general, however for this one. I feel like the book could be shorter giving the fact how everything unfolded. its good story but at the end I had to leave it for few days since there was nothing really going on anymore.. Harper was not hiding the fact the she wanted to go back. Addison was not out ( but out ! ) she's kissing her all the time all over the place, then saying I can't, that felt so odd to me !. the kids were okish.

Overall I enjoyed it specially the first half,

thank you for the author and her team

I started off really enjoying this book and then it started feeling long and drawn out. Harper is a veterinarian with a practice in Denver. Her father's medical problems cause her to return to her small hometown to run his Vet clinic. Harper has no plans to stay long term. Addison is a vet tech and is keeping the clinic running. She is also working on her degree and hopes to go to vet school. They both have teenage daughters Brooke (18) and Eden (16) too. Brooke takes Eden under her wing and become friends.

The chemistry between the two MC's is all over the place. They evidently had crushes on each other in HS and shared one kiss on Harpers 16th birthday. At one point Harper says she wouldn't have left town if she'd known Addi's feelings but that doesn't fit with her character at all. Harper is very stubborn and has to be continually told by others why Addi may view things differently. Before a major moment, Harper is told by a mentor to consider Addi's plans and then she does the opposite and is angry it all blows up. There are already obstacles enough, because of vet practice, previous partners, kids, localities and colleges. Adding more obstacles in lack of communicating and compromising is frustrating.

And the parenting skills of these two made me crazy. The girls were decent but when teen stuff happens there is no conversations and Harper particularly is content to have the grandparents be in charge. When Eden is drunk and almost looses her virginity, instead of a conversation between mom and Eden, it becomes a bonding moment for the moms. I'm not even sure that Eden is going to school while they are there or if she is on leave from her school in Denver.

This is a slow burn romance and the ending works. But along the way the author creates so many obstacles I was worn out instead of swooning. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Harper left her hometown and never look back, She has a very successful vet clinic that she running with her ex V also raising her daughter Eden and it hasn’t been easy. When her father Jimmy’s has a heart attack she goes home to help out in her father clinic he also a veterinarian.

Addison is study to be a vet and she working at the clinic as a veterinary assistant. She has great relationship with her daughter Brook and her mother Patty who happens to be married to Harper father.

Harper and Addison had feelings for each other in high school and share an amazing kiss that they never forgotten. Harper left because she didn’t want to be in a town where she couldn’t be herself. Addison who couldn’t be honest about who she is. When they see each other again the feelings are still there but Harper isn’t playing on staying especially when she doesn’t want to leave her clinic in the hand of her ex. Addison has to choose to live her life she wanted or lose the one woman she always had feelings for.

This was a good. It was slow burn with some drama.

This book had so much potential to be great. Very underwhelming and at times... boring.

I had to force my self to finish this book. Harper was a very indecisive annoying character who maybe with the help of more descriptive writing could’ve been more bearable and interesting. The writing is definitely my problem with this book, not the plot. The writing at times was hard to read as you’ll find yourself asking “which she? Is the author referring to her or her” and not only that but I couldn’t connect with the characters.

None of them really had a personality of their own. They were really just different versions of each other and I’m pretty sure that had to do with the dialogue being all the same. Harper is still a bit sour that her dad has moved on from her mom but even that story line was only confronted for a hot second where they pick it up and it just falls flat with the resolution. Eden was probably the most realistic character despite her being minor.

Addison was a boring character, but so was everyone else since again there’s no personalization of them. I didn’t like the pairing of Addison and Harper, the only bit of chemistry is from an early added flash back from when they were teens. There was no build up or passion in their kisses everything just felt forced. Not to mention the slight weirdness of them being step siblings, hear me out; they’re grown consenting adults, didn’t grow up together and who’ve never even thought of each other in that way but it’s still a little weird. Then there’s this really random part coming towards the end where Harper decided their whole life with out even consulting Addison and then despite the expected fall out from that It still happens spoiling Harper in the process. Harper didn’t make any sacrifices in this book except putting her pride aside for one second to apologize to Patty per Addison’s request which was definitely my favorite Addison moment.

I just didn’t connect with this book. If you’re looking for a hot fiery passionate love story then this isn’t for you. If you are how ever looking for a slow burn with little drama then this is definitely for you.