What started as a way out of a lifestyle & a way to get medical care for Tessa became a lot more complicated & intense. Tessa fell in love with her "in name only" husband. Thinking that he would never care for her in the same way, Tessa takes off when Johnny is undercover & leaves him divorce papers. On Sanctuary Island, Tessa finds a new passion in baking & a new life. Can she live without him?

Johnny never expected what was waiting for him when he came off his undercover op. His wife has left him & filed for divorce. All Johnny could think of while he was gone was getting home to Tessa. He didn't think she felt the same way he did so he hadn't made a move. He didn't want her to give in because she felt gratitude. What's he going to do without her?

Lily Everett has developed a wonderful series about a small island, a simpler way of life & the couples helped by the environment. Each book can be read as a stand alone but you will want to read them all. The characters are well developed & realistic. The storyline brings home the adage that communication is the key to a successful marriage. Both Tessa & Johnny felt they were the only one of them in love but neither talked about it. They were each sure of their viewpoint. The plot line detailed the journey of a couple married for convenience that found their way into a marriage of love.

I liked the journey that Johnny and Tessa took to find their way back to each other. It took them both facing different things in their life to realize what they both wanted. Johnny, while deep undercover, uses his wife's memory to help him cling to his sanctity and to help him return home. But what happens we he comes home and things are a lot different than he anticipated? Tessa, his wife, isn't the same woman he left.

Having read and enjoyed many of the books from the Sanctuary Island series, I was eager to read a new installment. And like the others, this book was filled with characters that you couldn't help but get involved with. In this case we meet Johnny who has just ended a 2 year undercover mission who wants nothing more than to see his wife. However, in the 2 years that he has been gone, Tessa has left him to start a new life. While you might think that what Tessa did was wrong, her reasons for leaving actually made sense. Tessa agrees to give Johnny four weeks to change her mind about the divorce while she continues her new life on Sanctuary Island. This was an usual but endearing second chance romance. There was also an intriguing secondary story line that is setting the foundation for the next book in the series. Can't wait to see what else Lily Everett has in store for readers.

Another winner by Everett but for two thirds of the story it was his inability to be different and then bam he was happy and different. It was a good read but I feel we missed a section. Looking forward to the next story.

Close to Home by Lily Everett is a stunning piece. This contemporary romance appeals to the physical and emotional side of readers. The story instantly sweeps readers off their feet. A sexy undercover FBI agent comes back home. Only to find that his wife moved a year ago, created a new life, and sent divorce papers. Talk about a blow to man's heart and ego. Johnny won't accept it. So, he does what any man who loves his wife does. Goes chasing after her. Make her love him again. But his wife has greatly changed. Tessa has redefined herself. She won't let others dictate her lifestyle. She has worked on being independent. She doesn't want her husband to love her because she needs his help. Little does she know how much he loves her...and it has nothing to do with just protecting her from the world...

Close to Home shows the reality of life. Marriage isn't always a fairy tale. Communication issues were apparent in this fictional piece as they really are in real life. Husbands not understanding women's ways...their bafflement makes me laugh. Especially Johnny admitting he had no idea what his wife wanted back then and even now...I enjoyed reading this tale from both characters' point of view. It wasn't told by their view, yet Lily Everett mastered it in a way that I got to see, hear, and understand from both Johnny's and Tessa's sides. Overall, this romance was engaging, exciting, and super sweet. The romance is beautiful. I highly recommend it to all.