Reviewed by Roberta

TITLE: Home is a Fire

SERIES: Home is a Fire #1

AUTHOR: Jordan Nasser

PUBLISHER: XXVII Media

LENGTH: 193 Pages

Release Date: May 21, 2015

BLURB:

Most people would look at Derek and say he’d made it in life. A fun job, a handsome boyfriend, and an exciting life in New York City. But one night, staring at his reflection in the window of the subway as it barrels down Lexington Avenue, Derek realizes he’s fooling himself—and everyone else, too.

Derek gets off the train and goes home. Only not home to his tiny Manhattan apartment, but home to Tennessee—which is definitely not NYC.

Home to his family—and to all the other people he knows, or thinks he knows, and who think they know him.

Home to football games, and dive bars, and high school buddies who have known him forever.

Home to old situations…and to new possibilities.

At turns lighthearted, poignant, and surprising, Home Is a Fire is a delightful read for anyone who believes that whoever said “You can’t go home again” was mistaken. It’s just not exactly how you pictured it.

REVIEW:

So, this book was a bit of a challenge for me to get into and I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it’s because I’m a HUGE action junkie and most of my books have lots of action/mystery/suspense in them and this wasn’t that. This was plain and simply a story of growth and love.

Derek is this Southern guy who has lived in New York for 12 years and has lived the last 5 years with his lover/fiancé, David. The story starts with Derek and David on the train heading to City Hall to get married and Derek feels trapped and steps off the train and tells David that he’s breaking up with him. Now…you’re thinking…WTH…but it was actually kinda wow…this story is going to be interesting and it was. I just had to pull my head away from the whole…something BIG is going to happen and I need to figure it out…to…just be on the journey with Derek.

Derek goes home to Tennessee and falls right back into being around his friends and family. Derek gets a job at the same high school that he went to. He also see the guy who was his biggest tormenter while he was at school, Luke. Derek and Luke don’t seem to have the best of “first” meetings when they are introduced again.

I find this story seems to have so many things that I didn’t really expect. The love and acceptance of our family and friends. The secrets that we hold back from even our family and friends. The truth of who we are. Being honest not only with yourself, but to those you know and love. These were ongoing themes throughout the entire book.

I have to say that the story really brought out the sweet, romantic nature that I feel that I’ve missed in stories for so long. I typically love to have all the action, adventure, mystery, suspense, paranormal, etc. in my books. To find a story that didn’t have any of that…well…I was taken aback that I could actually fall for a book like that.

I have to say that this story gave a wonderful insight into small, southern towns and the way they seem to operate. How things just aren’t spoken about.

Overall, this book was really a sweet, low angst story that tugged a bit at the heartstrings. Worth the read if you feel you want to read something that you can enjoy on a lazy Sunday Afternoon.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

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