This book is real and raw and beautiful. It went where I never would have expected it to go. There's no predictability in this book which is fantastic! Love how the story within the story helps better understand the character writing it. The character development is great. Such depth. The characters are believable and feel things that everyone would feel. I loved how they all dealt with their emotions and many went through the stages of grief in their own way. The beginning of the book was a little bit of a struggle but stick with it and you'll be happy you did. The timeline was confusing when switching between character's point of view. At first this was really obvious but as the book progressed the chapter separations by character overlapped (in terms of parallel concurrent timing) a little less so the flow was better. Overall the book was great. I could see myself in the characters and the topics covered were ones I deal with myself. This book led to a lot of self exploration in ways similar to the characters in the book. I love when a fictional book has this sort of effect on me as a reader. It makes fiction seem more like nonfiction!
I received a hard copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways and a digital copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a story of your soul being lost and finding its way back home. It talks about the process of grieving and how it is as heartbreaking as it is healing. It was amazing watching the lost relationship of Craig and Melanie find its way back. I wasn't sure where this book was headed in the beginning, but by the time it was over it had me feeling a peace I didn't know I needed.

I cannot say enough good things about Home. It is a book that allows you to completely understand the characters and see their individual development. The book is so easy to relate to regardless of what age you are.

Home takes you into the life of two married couples. Craig and Melanie are in their late forties and they have grown apart in their marriage. They are unable to have children and since learning that, Melanie has closed off her emotions. Craig is dealing with a failing economy and the realization they are in over their heads in their house and they are going to have to sell their home to make it. Both Craig and Melanie have taken on the guilt of the situations they are in. Craig also finds himself tempted by a beautiful woman. Melanie, an author, escapes into her book and finds herself fascinated with a male character. In the midst of this, Melanie takes the advice of a friend and goes to a cabin so that she can finish her book. That separation wakes Craig up and begins to go to God for help. God leads him to pray for Melanie. As both Craig and Melanie begin to realize they have to confront their situation and grieve what they have never been able to have before they can make their way back to each other.

Jill and Marcos are another couple who are dealing with issues. Jill suffers from OCD and she has memories that plague her. Marcos has gently supported his wife but has urged her to seek help. When Jill's OCD behaviors become out of control and begin to impact her children, she seeks help. She also learns from her parents that her memories are not in vain and that there are secrets within her family.

The best part of this book really are the characters. Craig and Marcos really stood out to me. Marcos for his patience and his commitment to his marriage and family. Craig because he was able to recognize his weakness and reach out to his foundation for help. His secret place was inspiring. I recommend everyone read this book, it is that good. So well written. Bravo to Ginny L. Yttrup, this book is a winner.

This is one of the (very) few present tense books that I’ve read and I fully enjoyed. With multiple points of view, a fascinating and unique plot, and nicely researched subplots, Home is a deeply emotional and enriching read.

Although Home is the first novel I’ve read by Ginny L. Yttrup, I consider myself a fan. I love her smooth writing style, fully developed characters and the spirituality she weaves throughout her storytelling. Most of all, I love the emotions she imprints on her readers’ hearts.

The relationship between Melanie and Craig is strained. Craig’s work and financial responsibilities keep him occupied, and Melanie is more invested in the ideal world within the novel she is writing than in reality. They both long for something…for the fullness, attentiveness, and closeness of their youthful years. I became fully invested in them and yearned for a good outcome.

I became enveloped in their neighbors’ story as well. Jill and Marcos deal with completely different concerns. Though this couple’s love is stable, a serious thorn in their lives must be addressed.

Dealing with loneliness, grief, deception, mental illness, and spiritual restoration, this story expertly addresses a variety of women’s issues and illuminates the path to healing…and home.


5 Stars

Cover: Love
Title: Love
Pages: 320
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
ISBN: 978-1634099554
First Lines: I run away. From conflict. From pain. From reality.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing (and NetGalley) and was under no obligation to post a review.

This book moved me. I read it while on vacation and kept going back to read it during any down time. I was sad when it ended, and I found myself thinking about the characters for days after I finished reading it.

It was a book about being present in your life. It dealt with two women who were living each day with fear and anxiety over the past or the future. The book addressed the realities if letting go, grieving an unfilled expectation, and accepting the reality of your life, and finding joy in your present life. There were many profound statements in the book that rang true. The whole book felt true to form, character, and real life. The author nailed her portrayal of stress and troubles in relationships, especially a marriage and among family members. In the end, the solutions and abilities move forward came from the grace of God. Again, an important, eternal truth.

While I loved this book, there are a few things that I didn't enjoy. The book itself started really slow! If I hadn't been reading it for Net Galley, I might not have finished. It was difficult to get into. It was about half way through that the pace picked up.

It was written in first-person, present tense. Upon reflection, I understand why she did it. It connected the reader with the emotional struggles of the characters and helped the reader experience them "real-time." However, it is difficult to read this type of narrative, especially in a slower-paced book. That is one of the reasons, I think, the book seemed to drag at the beginning. (That and the fact that the book was not a book of action or external movement. It was a book about internal struggles.) Another problem with this type of narrative is that sometimes it was difficult for me to discern who's point of view I was reading. Though, for the most part, the author did an excellent job of changing just enough that I knew which character was narrating the story.

Home by Ginny L Yttrup is the story of Melanie and her husband, Craig. Melanie is a writer who is struggling with her next book with looming deadline fast approaching. Craig is a custom home builder who is struggling with their marriage and their lives. He has a beautiful client who makes him feel exciting and important in ways that have been lost with Melanie. Meanwhile, their best friend and next door neighbor, Jill, is in a deep struggle with memories which her mother claims never happened and the feeling as if she is losing her mind. With the help of a fellow writer, Valerie who is also a psychiatrist, Melanie and Jill face their demons and confront the truth they both have been running from. Will Craig give in to his desires? Will he walk away from his marriage? Will Melanie discover what is causing her writer’s block? Will she be able to finish this book on time? Will Jill figure out what is wrong? Will she truly lose her mind?
Home was a interesting book as there were three perspectives shown in the story. While Melanie and Craig were the main plotline, I enjoyed Jill’s story far better. It was much more interesting and gut wrenching as she learns the truth behind her “memories” and mental issues. I loved the insight into a writer’s writing methods. As a writer myself, I enjoyed seeing the rituals and patterns Melanie follows in order to write her story. I highly recommend Home for its drama and realistic portrayal of life’s struggles and the road back to a place of peace and contentment.

Home
is available on Amazon
in paperback and for the Kindle

This is a powerful story. It's the kind of story that stays with me for quite awhile. Very well written.

I was super-impressed by Words, the first Ginny Yttrup book I read. The second, Invisible, was a little harder to get into. And Home was a little harder again. I know Words was partly based on Ginny’s own story, and I suspect part of Home is as well (a novel about a novelist? Who ends up writing a novel titled Home? It’s easy to see why I might think that).

I know authors are told, ‘write what you know’. And obviously, authors know writing novels. But I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of novels featuring novelists as main characters. I don’t mind novels about journalists or bloggers. But something about a novelist as a main character makes it harder for me to suspend disbelief—some novels have done it (Denise Hunter and Kaye Dacus are two, but their novels are fun romance. Home isn’t).

No, Home is a story about a novelist who’s having problems writing her novel, and who has a husband who is having problems with work—he’s a building contractor, and the work isn’t coming in the way it used to. Which means the money isn’t coming in either (I must admit, this was the part of the novel that didn’t work for me. He was a successful contractor until the Great Recession hit a couple of years earlier, they’d been living in the same house for twenty years—the house he built—and it wasn’t paid off?)

Home is told in first person point of view. This isn’t something that usually bothers me, but it bothered me with Home because it’s told from the viewpoint of several different characters, and I kept having to go back to the beginnings of chapters to work out who the viewpoint character was. I find it easier if first person is one character.

The result was it took me longer than normal to get into Home, and when I did, I found myself engaging less with Melanie’s story (the novelist), and more with the story of her neighbour and editor, Jill. I did get into Melanie’s story, and even into Craig’s (her husband), but it took a while.

And that makes it a hard novel to review. The ending was good, but it took a long time to get there. The writing was excellent, particularly in the second half, and there was a lot about Melanie I could relate to.

I liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. And I liked the way the characters, especially Craig, had a solid Christian faith. Overall, Home is a novel about loss and grief, and learning to cope with both. It’s uplifting and encouraging, but not a book to pick up if you’re looking for a light read.

Thanks to Shiloh Run Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Melanie Vander stepped out of her life a long time ago. Sure, she is still physically present in her home. Her husband Craig would say that she spends too much time in the world of the books she writes. Melanie doesn't see it that way. Her characters need her to bring them to life and that's all there is to it. When an opportunity to have a personal writing retreat arises, Melanie jumps at the chance. Her husband can just manage on his own for a while. Melanie is hoping to escape, but this writing retreat may end up being the voice that calls her home.

In the mean time Craig struggles to keep his construction business afloat. His wife may not realize how serious their situation is but he certainly does. When his beautiful new client not only shows interest but also offers a possible solution to his difficulties, Craig is suddenly at a cross-roads. His response may save or destroy his marriage.

Jill, Melanie's next door neighbour and friend, has her own troubles. Her obsessions and nightmares are growing steadily worse. Jill's husband Marcos is supportive, but will his support last once the truth behind Jill's behaviours comes out?

This book was compelling, saddening and encouraging by turns. It deals with mental illness, depression, grief and marriage difficulties- but it does it in such a way that the topics are not overwhelming. Each problem is addressed with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Faith plays a prominent role in the story and is the crucial element that brings the conclusion about. I very much enjoyed this Home and would rate it a five out of five stars. I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing, Inc. in order to give an unbiased review.

Finding Your Way Home

Melanie, a novelist, is suffering from writer’s block. She has a novel to finish. The deadline is approaching, and she can’t seem to make the story work. The economy is bad and Craig, her husband and a well-respected builder, is having trouble making ends met when no one is buying houses.

Craig does have one construction project, but it adds to the stress in their marriage. He’s building a house for Serena, a beautiful woman. He’s not interested, but Melanie can’t help fantasizing about it. The fantasizing is part of the problem in their marriage. It makes her a good novelist, but when she lives more in the world of her story than with Craig, he feels abandoned. When a friend offers Melanie a cottage to get away and finish her novel, the problems escalate.

There is an interesting sub-plot involving Melanie and Craig’s neighbors, Jill and Marcus. Jill’s behavior is becoming increasingly erratic with nightmares and OCD. It’s a beautiful story of how Marcus stands by her to get her issues resolved.

The story is told from the first person perspective of each character. The presentation gives a picture of each character’s struggles with his or her own issues and how they view the other person. It makes for a very rich story.

In the end, home is where your heart is and both couples in the book struggle with what that means for them. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it for the insights into troubled marriages and how having faith helps in difficult times.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Home is a very well written and thought provoking book. It has a great plot and characters that faced real life issues. I highly recommend this book.

I didn't know what I'd be in for when I met Melanie, a forty-nine-year-old, midlist author who emotionally checks out of life and her marriage, getting wrapped up in her fictional stories in Home, a novel by author Ginny L. Yttrup.

That is, I suspected I'd be in for something normal-but-fantastical like Stranger Than Fiction. So when I got into the novel and found it was pretty somber and wasn't fantastical, I didn't think I'd love it. I thought, "Oh, dear, so is this one of those melancholy stories where everybody's giving each other sad smiles while they're inwardly rehearsing all the ways their lives are unraveling or burning to ashes?"

Nothing against folks who do like melancholy novels, but I usually need comedy, thrilling twists, or something else more in contrast to balance it all out. Otherwise I feel like a book full of dry gloom is killing me softly.

But this novel, as it dug through dark, tough issues, softly gave me life, after while. Yes, I, a writer, tend to be partial to books and movies that get real about writers. But this novel gets real, period, in a way that isn't sparkling but is still engaging. Well, I can't say that I personally found the pages of Melanie's manuscript the most interesting, since I wasn't invested in her characters, but the manuscript's effect on Melanie is so key.

This is a beautifully written story that gave me a "God is here" experience that I don't get with all books. And, yes, I loved it.
_________________
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Home by Ginny Yttrup tells the story of a tenuous marriage and the struggles they face individually and together. The author explores themes of sorrow and joy and living in a way that is fully present. At times, I found it really hard to read this book because the author wrote scenes so vividly, including some heated arguments that I felt too intensely. That being said, I loved this book overall and really appreciated how real the characters and their situations felt. I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is told from three major characters points of view. When we meet Melanie, she is on a deadline to complete her sixteenth book and it’s not going so well. Let’s just say she is blocked and blocked in a major way but she can’t afford to pay back her advance and wants the next payment upon completion of her manuscript to her publisher. Married for 20 something years, she is 49, menopausal, a mid-listed author and wife to Craig. Craig works independently in the building industry in the Sacramento area, and has taken quite the beating since the 2008 recession financially. They live in a huge home that was meant to be filled with children but sadly infertility took that dream away from them. They live next door to Jill, conveniently a freelance editor and Marco, and they have three young children who Craig and Mel are God parents to. Mel and Jill are part of a writing group in their neighbourhood and take great solace in the friendships they have there.

The first time we get to see Craig’s point of view, we learn that more than just taking a hit financially, Craig and Mel are going into the red each month and have been for a while. Even working every hour of the day he isn’t making enough to support them and has emotionally hidden away from telling Mel the truth. And there is a reason he hasn’t tried his hardest to tell Mel what’s really happening to them financially. Mel is an emotional Houdini, able to check out from anything that she doesn’t want to confront or know the truth about and has been doing so for probably twenty years or more. Craig describes being married to Mel as something he still wants, but its feeling like its more duty than joy; like they have lost sight of a shared dream and have simply drifted along in life.

Jill and Marco are happily married and appear to have it all. She is terrifically successful as an editor, working from home with the children with her at all times, making her the perfect woman. Except that Jill has a few quirks. Like her desire to clean the house from top to bottom every day, several times a day. Not to mention her need to check on the children numerous times a day and during the night too. And especially her need to check that items are working properly by turning things on and off a certain number of times to be sure, to still the quiet voice in her head telling her that her family are going to die and she’s going to lose it all. And there are the pesky nightmares that she suffers terribly from that her own mother simply waves off as unimportant. Marco has some minor worries concerning his father who seems to be losing short term memory but Marco worries more about his wife and the unseen battle she appears to be waging day and night.

Craig man’s up and tells Mel the truth of their financial reality, and predictably Mel pulls away emotionally. It doesn’t help that Craig has been tempted by Serena, a successful, gorgeous woman who he is building a house for. When he confesses that he made the mistake of having a picnic dinner with Serena rather than going to a networking event, Mel assumes the worst. She takes advantage of her friend, recent widow Valerie’s offer to go to Valerie’s lake house, which is three hours away, to concentrate on writing her manuscript for possibly a month, which is when the deadline looms.

Scattered through the story we as readers are engaged in are large portions of text for the manuscript that Mel is writing. We get to see her work through her personal issues via the written page, hinting that writing is possibly the cheapest and best form of therapy. We have the privilege of becoming involved in the story that Mel is writing and the emotional break throughs that she has as the characters weave their way through her words.

Through these varied friendships and activities Mel, Craig and Jill all face their inner and outer demons and grow gradually into a deeper understanding of God and their own faith. Wisdom is found through well timed phone conversations and time set apart in prayer at a Roman Catholic meditation pathway with the twelve stations of the cross. Good advice is sought and followed through from caring medical practitioners. Financial decisions are made and put into action despite the feelings of shame and failure attached to them. A manuscript that isn’t conforming to the standard formula starts to take shape, leading to a book with deeper meaning and a possible nightmare for the publicity department!

This story is one that tackles the issue of faith and trust. It is unabashedly Christian in outlook, but doesn’t suffer from the good two shoes characters or the twee “golly-gee’s” that so many earlier works of Christian fiction suffered under. Times of suffering are portrayed realistically and sympathetically. There are times when characters ask questions of God and a few portions where prayers are uttered by characters but there is no quoting Bible chapter and verse in a holier than thou manner. Very real words of doubt are expressed. The simple faith of a child is conveyed beautifully. The talk of faith, the struggle for trust in the One unseen is sensitively written.

At the end of every chapter is a quote relating to what is coming next from quotable people, not all necessarily Christian, but with some great words of wisdom. Yttrup writes about issues that people can relate to but it never feels as if she is preaching at you. The characters develop through the course of the story, moving forward emotionally in a positive manner. This is a skilfully written work of fiction that is as inspiring as it is entertaining.

Avoidance, escape, temptation, coping, resolution - these all describe issues in this book. Ginny Yttrup brings a heartfelt book of showing how we try to avoid or escape from those hard, painful times in our lives. Learning to cope and resolve the issues in our life can sometimes be a very complex road to that resolution.

Melanie takes a break away from her husband and everyday life to work on a novel for which she has a deadline coming up and can’t seem to break her writer’s block. She finds through her writing that she has been suppressing grief in her life, and that when her characters resolve the issues she has created for them, that unconsciously, she has brought to the forefront of her mind, those issues of loss and grief that she has repressed for years, not only affecting her, but her husband and their marriage as well. Will she be able to acknowledge these, cope with them and bring a resolution that will take her back home?

Her friend and neighbor, Jill, also is facing a real challenge of PTSD and OCD in her life due to life experiences early in her childhood. Once she acknowledges that she needs to be able to talk to someone to help her through this time, she learns some surprising unknown things that have occurred in her life and that there really are ways she can overcome this illness. How will these affect her life at home?

This is an excellent book that was hard to read at times as it really made you think about issues in your own life and how they have affected your own life. This is the first book by this author that I have read and would highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Home by Ginny L. Yttrup is a thought provoking and compelling book. A book that is not a light read, yet there are some light moments in it. A book about characters who have very real and troubling problems to deal with, yet find the strength and faith in family and God to work through those problems. A book about home, a place we all long for and yet not necessarily in the sense of an actual place but something more. Yttrup masterfully touches on the multifaceted issue of grief and the oft misunderstood issue of mental illness weaving faith throughout the story. And the faith is in a God who is there, who is present to bring the struggling one home. Home is an amazing book that will resonate in the hearts of many a reader.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

Melanie Vander has an approaching deadline for her sixteenth book, but she can't seem to find the same sort of escape in her characters this time. Rather, her characters seem to be pulling her in a direction she doesn't want to go, forcing her to examine not only their lives and backstory, but her own. Meanwhile, her husband, Craig, is trying to keep his business and family financials above water, while watching his wife run away yet again, and Melanie's friend and neighbor, Jill, is facing her own rising issues. Where can these folks find safety? What does it take to find one's way home?

I have read a lot of books where the main character is writing a story, and the "story" turns out to be the book the main character is a part of. This book sort of did that, but with the twist of the main character (and author?) using her main character to work through emotions and grief that she'd been unable to process in real life in real time. The other characters in the book, however, who surround Melanie in her real-life are suffering their own emotional crises, and as she works through her character's problems, she is able to begin coming out of her hole to help them. As she says in a phone call to her friend, Jill, "New is good, I think. Let's do new." There was a good balance of Melanie understanding her own problems through Chloe, but then working them out in her real-life relationships.

I loved how this book worked its characters through their problems; even though the easy thing was to run away, to ignore the things that kept coming to the surface, each character was eventually able to confront the hard things in their lives. Nothing was glossed over, sometimes the only solution to the problem was not a fun one, and I appreciated that. Usually, there's a conveniently timed rich uncle, or promotion, or romance waiting in the wings, but these characters faced everything in their own way, eventually together, and together, they made real-life choices with real-feel consequences. My only complaint might be that I want to see where they all go from here!

I give this book 3.5 stars. It's never easy to be vulnerable in fiction, and a lot of readers probably want their fiction to turn out like a fairy tale, but there's not a lot of truth or growth in that. Sometimes, we need to see that faith holds true even when the world around us does not.

You can find Home HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Love, love love this book! Fabulous book that is a real page turner. My first from this author and won't be the last. This book is about Melanie (an author) and her husband Craig. Also, their best friends who is also their neighbors, Jill and Marcos. Melanie has a deadline to meet on her current novel. She is struggling with something from her past. She goes to a cabin for a month in an attempt to finish her book and run from her problems. But, she is surprised with what is accomplished in her life there.
Jill is dealing with something traumatic from her past. Both women have supportive husbands, although Melanie is having marital difficulties. In the end, it is realized that you truly cannot run from your problems and that there really is no place like home.

Home” is told from multiple viewpoints. I appreciate how the author clearly states which viewpoint we are reading. It made for easier, more enjoyable reading.
I liked following Melanie's distractions in getting her book finished before the deadline when the words just would not come. The peek into her author life was fun for me.
I liked how Marcos was such a supportive friend to Craig and husband to Jill.
I found the lack of real communication between the long-married couple, Melanie and Craig to be very frustrating. There are numerous supporting characters in this book and all are very helpful on the journey to healing. Though, I wasn't so sure about Jill's parents at first. I won't give any spoilers.
I enjoyed this story and how it ended. I would recommend it to anyone that reads Christian fiction.

Home tells the story of a married couple who, like many pf us, hit a rough patch. However, it is the story of their OCD neighbor that steals the book.
Melanie, a writer and wife, has found herself uninspired in her professional life while her husband, a local builder, must deal with economic down fall While both must deal with different ideas of temptation, the two must turn to God to find fulfillment.
But as the story progresses, Melanie and Craig's story becomes as uninspired as the books Melanie churns out. Instead, Jill fighting OCD and her own mind finds sensational news about her mother and her identity. The reader is more drawn to her distress than focusing on the religious moral that the main story is trying to portray.