Home to Me

LaVerne
Clark
Genre: 
Contemporary

After returning home from years of living overseas, Lucy Caldwell believes she isn't cut out for love. A drunken declaration in a bar to her best friend that Lucy could live without sex for the rest of her life and never miss it, sets events into motion that lead her straight to the path of love. 

Sam Merrick was Lucy’s brother’s best friend — and Lucy has always had feelings for him.  He is also in the bar that night, and overhears her comment. While renewing their friendship back at Sam's place he is taken aback by the emotional confessions he hears from Lucy – that she was assaulted while living away, and the trauma and heartbreak this has caused her. 

Sam has secretly loved Lucy from afar for many years, and her story is devastating for him. Desperate to be the man she needs and the man she deserves, he decides to step up to the plate to help her heal the scars of the past. 

"Home to Me" is solidly written with an engaging plot that will draw readers in.  Lucy and Sam are a likeable couple, and readers will cheer for their happily ever after, even if at times their connection is a bit off. The sexual assault background story seems more like a plot device used to jump-start the romance, and the extent of the trauma Lucy suffered because of this could have been explored in more detail. Despite this, fans of the "teach me" and "friends to lovers" trope will love this one — it is certainly entertaining, and the writing is quite good. 

 Majanka Verstraete