FINDING HOME ~ MELISSA WHITNEY

BOOK REVIEW

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This was so romantic. I’ve never read all of Jane Austen’s books, but I fell in love with her thanks to Melissa’s quotes from her books.

Finding Home will connect with anyone who has felt the fears of reliving the past. I connected with Eleanor “Elle” Davidson so much. I know what it’s like to face a not so pleasant past, and from the minute I started reading, my heart was all Elle’s.

Melissa has such a beautiful gift of imagery when she writes. When she talks about the town of Perry, she has the ability to transport her readers to that place; where they can see every bit of the place the characters are. When Elle steps foot back in Perry, you can feel her nervousness and hesitation of being back home. The ability be see what’s going on vividly through Melissa’s descriptions kept me fully engaged.

Elle had such a great group of people in her life. Uncle Pete and Aunt Janet filled a huge void in Elle’s life. Although they don’t know all that happened as she was growing up, they do know that she and her mother aren’t on speaking terms and that she’s avoided coming home to Perry for so long. They love her unconditionally and are completely there for her.

Viet and Willa bring the saccharine wit with Elle. They may be blunt and have minimal filter but these two are the puzzle pieces that fit in Elle’s life. I definitely want to see more of them in upcoming books.

Clayton. OMG. I fell in love with this man. Any man who becomes interested in the things a woman is interested in is a bonafide keeper. Clayton liked Elle from the very minute he saw her in school. When everyone seemed to snub or bully her, Clayton stood up for her and liked her no matter her size. His attraction to her picked up the minute he saw her again. He proved that he was there for her, no matter what and seeing that attraction blossoming into mutual feelings was beautiful .

This book was so full of emotional chapters. I felt happiness whenever Clayton and Elle were together and I felt sadness and anger at how Elle was treated as a young child up until her teens. Seeing how her heart broke at feeling that she wasn’t good enough or made to feel ashamed of how she looked broke my heart.

Melissa masterfully written a story that any young woman can see herself in. You can connect with these characters and that’s what makes this book a stellar read.