3.7 Stars

Peighton is a famous author of children’s books and the creator of Harley, the Fairy Hedgehog. She writes under a pen name and is happy to stay away from the limelight. However, she has to attend a book signing tour, and one stop is close to Winter Valley, the small town she grew up in and has no fond memories of. Also, it’s where Morgan Bradford lives, the last man she wants to see again after he broke her heart. 

Morgan Bradford runs a successful automobile business in Winter Valley. He takes care of his family and ensures everyone is happy and safe. He has everything he wants, or so he thinks until he sees Peighton again. This time, he doesn’t want to let her go. But the decision has to be hers. 

The story comes in Peighton and Morgan’s first-person POVs. 

Soo… this is my year’s Christmas read. A few years ago, I signed up for some authors’ newsletters. I skim through the emails but read only a couple of them since I find those cool. Claudia was one of them. Her newsletters are delightful and personal. Some months ago, I decided to read at least one book of hers. At last, I could make it happen close to the deadline. 

This is the second standalone book in the series. Books one and three also deal with the Bradford children. No need to read book one to read this (though you might get a few spoilers). 

I like that it’s a short book with a dual POV. Keeping their voices separate was easy enough most of the time. I did get confused in a couple of chapters and had to double-check. 

It’s a second chance romance in a Hallmarky setting. Even the story is pretty much in the same vibe but with a touch of spice (nothing too graphic). 

I love the illustration of the Harley, the hedgehog. It’s the main reason I chose the book. Wish there were more but I’m glad there’s at least one image to see how it looks. 

The characters are pretty decent. Morgan’s decision to break up doesn’t make much sense but then we cannot expect too much, I guess. Peigh is nice, and I like that she didn’t give in easily. 

The side characters are cute, so I’ll probably read the other books someday. The pacing is moderate to fast, so that’s decent too. You can clock the book in a single sitting if you have a couple of hours. 

All nice and sweet but please… it is not chai tea! Call it either chai or tea. Since the book was published in 2021, I hope the author now knows this usage is wrong. 

To summarize, Home With You is a cozy second-chance romance set during Christmas. It’ll work great as a palate cleanser and a breather between heavy reads.