One of Best Life’s Best Debut Novels of 2024
One of Fangirlish’s Best Romance Books of July
“Sweeney’s debut is the kind of romance I love — with road-trip hijinks, small-town kitsch, family chaos, plenty of laughs, and some seriously steamy scenes. Even though it’s set during the winter holidays, Take Me Home turned out to be just what I needed in these dog days of summer.” —Washington Independent Review of Books
“Ash and Hazel’s main love language is bickering, but there’s a real vulnerability to their relationship. We see them slowly unpack each other’s emotional baggage while doing their best not to stamp out the nascent flame burning between them. This book is like a cup of hot chocolate — it’s sweet and will infuse you with warmth from the inside out.” —Washington Post
“[A] phenomenal achievement, with a perfect blend of humor and angst. While most of the book is devoted to growing its main couple’s dynamic, Sweeney gives equal weight to the familial relationships that define them and explores the meaning of truly growing up emotionally. . . Hazel and Ash’s journey to choosing each other makes for a lovely ride. A heartwarming contemporary romance that will keep readers hooked until the last page.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Debut author Sweeney sparkles in this emotionally nuanced contemporary. . . Sweeney skillfully portrays the psyche of a heroine who grew up feeling that no one wanted her and a hero trying to bear all his family’s burdens in the face of his father’s multiple sclerosis. Add in a fun road trip and some deliciously dirty love scenes, and Sweeney’s stirring romance impresses.” —Publishers Weekly
“[A] refreshing first novel . . . Readers will be held rapt by these two fully drawn characters who struggle with distinct familial dynamics. . . . Sensitively probe[s] the meaning of love and the many facets of ‘home.’ A feel-good rom-com about 20-somethings with a contentious past who share a ride back to their families in a Texas hometown, sparks flying along the way.” —Shelf Awareness
“Sweeney’s strikingly realistic tangle of family dynamics and forced proximity between two believable characters overcoming past presumptions about each other, along with sexy love scenes, make this a must-read.” —Library Journal
“Smart, layered and emotionally resonant, Take Me Home is an absolutely perfect love story.” —Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script
“With razor sharp sexual tension and crackling banter, this is the frenemies to lovers book of my dreams.” —Christina Lauren, author of The Soulmate Equation
“Funny, angsty, heartwarming—and so satisfying.” —Abby Jimenez, author of Just For the Summer
“A delightful enemies-to-lovers chock full of zippy banter, sexual tension, and holiday charm. If you love sassy, prickly girls and hot, patient boys, this small town romance is for you!” —Georgia Clark, author of It Had To Be You
“An absolute stunner of a debut! Melanie Sweeney has crafted a novel that is part tension-riddled romance, part family drama, and part self-discovery. . . . This is the kind of book that reaches into your chest and grabs onto your heart.” —Falon Ballard, author of Right on Cue
“Both youthful and mature, both tender and bold, both melancholy and hopeful, Melanie Sweeney’s Take Me Home is a gem of a romance. . . . Sweeney is brilliant at infusing her plot and her characters with thoughtful, unique specificity. . . . A book that transported me, moved me . . . and one I won’t soon forget.” —Kate Clayborn, author of Georgie, All Along
“Take Me Home is like the book version of that Taylor Swift song you play on repeat. Sweet. Sexy. And full of heart.” —Trish Doller, author of Float Plan
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