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Close to Home: A Sanctuary Island Novel (2017)

by Lily Everett

Series: Sanctuary Island (5)

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1791,237,506 (3.86)None
"When Tessa Alexander came to Sanctuary Island, she left behind a marriage to a man who didn't love her the way she loved him. When she finally found the strength to set them both free, she discovered friendship and self-acceptance in her adopted hometown. Now she's settled into a quiet life on her own--never expecting to see her husband again"--Back cover.… (more)
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Johnny Alexander is an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and his 18 month assignment has finally ended, only to find out his wife Theresa has left him, which sounds awful! BUT Johnny didn't have a regular marriage, but then not many people would have understood Johnny finding a 17 year old girl, hiding in his parents barn, nor would people have understood Johnny's need to protect Theresa. But 8 years later Johnny still wanted to protect his shy and sweet wife, as she was the only pure and sweet part of his world, and he wanted her back, he wanted a real life with her.

When Johnny arrived on Sanctuary Island he didn't expect to see such a change in Theresa; she was truly happy and he wanted to be apart of that. But just when they were starting to discover a more intimate husband and wife relationship, rather than two strangers passing in the night, that past catches up with them and it leaves one of them in danger!

I have never read any of the Sanctuary Island series and boy, did I not know what I was missing out of! The story was heartwarming and thrilling and I really wanted it to last forever! The characters were excellent and I absolutely loved Miss Patty! But I will say Johnny and Theresa's story stole my heart! The only thing that got a little confusing at first was Theresa two other nicknames, but by the end of the book I had it all straight.

Close to Home is a beautiful love story, that warms your soul, which is why I gave it 5 stars! ( )
  Cara_Ross | Dec 2, 2018 |
Link to full review below! Not my favorite trope (miscommunication) but it worked for this story. Enjoyable and mature! See full review on The Book Disciple ( )
  thebookdisciple | Oct 9, 2018 |
After over a year away on an undercover assignment for the ATF, Johnny cannot wait to get home to his wife, Terri. He is blown away when his ATF boss and friend presents him with a letter Terri wrote - along with divorce papers. Johnny learns from his boss that Terri is on Sanctuary Island, and Johnny's work-mandated therapy is located there as well. When Johnny arrives at Sanctuary Island, he cannot believe his eyes when he sees his wife. She is different. She calls herself Tessa now. She is confident and happy, no longer meek and timid. She has cut and colored her hair and is working at Patty Cakes, a local bakery. Johnny is attracted to her more than ever. He manages to get his therapy changed to couples' therapy at Windy Corner Therapeutic Riding Center, a horse-based therapy treatment program. He gets Tessa to agree that she will give him four weeks to try to save their marriage.

Tessa was rescued and married by Johnny when she was just 17. Even though she and Johnny have been married for eight years, it is a marriage in name only. Johnny has never once slept with her or made any advances towards her. Tessa loves Johnny, but she is afraid all he sees when he looks at her is the teenaged girl in dire need of help. Tessa is determined to give him the divorce and set him free. He married her to help her, not because he loved her. The best thing she can do for him is to let him go. On Sanctuary Island, she has found a job that she loves, and she has become a happy, vibrant woman.

I enjoyed this book. Romance novels can feel forced if they are not written well, but Johnny and Tessa's story flowed smoothly. However, the back story of the romance between Marcus Beckett and Quinn Harper did feel stilted and forced at times, especially near the end of the book. I liked the Sanctuary Island setting and the horse-based therapy program. However, I did find it hard to believe that Tessa, who grew up on a commune that used limited technology, did not know how to harness or work with a horse. Surely, she would have been around horses growing up? I liked Miss Patty's sassy character and for the most part, reading about Marcus and Quinn.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )
  cln1812 | Feb 19, 2017 |
A captivating read about a woman trying to take control of her life and the man who is fighting to remain part of it. I’m a big fan of second chance romances and enjoyed the twist of these two already being married – albeit a marriage of convenience – and finding their way to each other’s hearts.

Both Johnny and Tessa are trying to escape the patterns of their past. Tessa has spent her life shying away from everything and when she finally decides to take control of things that also means letting go of everything from her past – including her husband, a man who married her to protect and care for her, but has never treated her like a real wife. Even though she has very deep and real feelings for Johnny, she knows she needs to let him go so they both can move on with their lives. What Tessa doesn’t know is that she has always been Johnny’s anchor, and when he finds she has set him free he is set adrift and he knows he’s not ready to give up on Tessa or their marriage so easily.

I really enjoyed watching Johnny take a step back and acknowledge that his take control personality is not what is needed to save his marriage. And even though he’s never acted on his very deep and real feelings for Tessa, he needs to now figure out how to show Tessa just what she means to him without steamrolling over her – a tough job for someone who is always used to being in total control of everything. I did like Tessa, but at times she could be a bit annoying to me – she is trying to keep control of her new found life, which I get, but sometimes I felt she was a bit quick in assuming someone was trying to take control and I do wish she was a bit more upfront to Johnny about her feelings and her fears. I did like the fact that she broke out and was able to create a new life for herself and created a home for herself on the island, and I loved watching her find her sexy side when it came to Johnny.

There were a few mysteries that were intertwined within Johnny and Tessa’s story, and I really enjoyed meeting Marcus and Quinn and look forward to learning more about them in the next book. The couple of twists at the end were only slightly predictable and didn’t disappoint at all.

All in all, I think I’ve decided that I need to find this island and take up residence! This was a cute and quirky small town “in your face” kind of place that allows for some great fun (small town gossip and characters just can’t be beat!) and also some heartwarming moments between friends who are more like family. This was my first book in the series and I don’t think I lost anything starting here although I would like to go back and read the previous books. Definitely a book worth checking out.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley which I voluntarily reviewed. ( )
  mjhughes12 | Feb 9, 2017 |
The town of Sanctuary Island is a place that you would want to visit or make your home. The people are great. I enjoyed reading Tessa and Johnny's story. I am glad that Johnny fought for Tessa. As I got to know them both better and their relationship, I could tell that Tessa was not quite ready to give up on Johnny. Although, I understood why she left as their relationship did start out as Johnny looking at Tessa as more of someone he had to protect versus his wife. By the end of the story however, Johnny did see Tessa in a new light. Yet, as much as I did enjoy reading this book, I did feel like it moved slowly. Not that I needed Tessa and Johnny to jump right into each other's arms as if nothing happened. However, I just felt like I did not experience lots of passion between them.

There was another couple that was featured in this book. They were Marcus and Quinn. They were fun with their witty banter and the connection they shared. In fact, I thought that they took a little away from Tessa and Johnn'y story as I found them more interesting. I can't wait to read more about them in the future. ( )
  Cherylk | Feb 7, 2017 |
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"When Tessa Alexander came to Sanctuary Island, she left behind a marriage to a man who didn't love her the way she loved him. When she finally found the strength to set them both free, she discovered friendship and self-acceptance in her adopted hometown. Now she's settled into a quiet life on her own--never expecting to see her husband again"--Back cover.

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