Member Reviews

Cara is 29. As child, her and her sister were passed around various foster homes after their mother died. Most of the homes weren’t great and Hana once spoke out for them which improved things. They were offered a “forever home” but by this time they had decided that they had had enough of the system and just wanted to be themselves. Cara is getting away. From what or whom we do not know until late on in the book. Early in her journey she is followed by a dog. As she has decided that her destination will be Keywest due to her love and knowledge of Ernest Hemingway, that becomes the dog’s name and together they travel.
This is an uplifting, heart -warming book. You can’t help but love Cara and Hemi and some of the characters they meet on their travels. It will make you smile and maybe even shed a tear but what it will do is make you evaluate what you have in life and take for granted. The love of a dog can never be underestimated. This is about so much more but at the heart is a bond that some of us are lucky enough to have experienced. What happens to us in our formative years and how that can affect us in so many different ways that we don’t realise. A powerful story if you want it to be.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

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I liked this story and I loved the dog, Hemi. I think animals do help humans heal and become better people. Cara has set off on a journey to find herself and heal from her years in the foster care system and her sister Hana's bi-polar personality. As Cara heads to Florida to visit Hemingway's estate she relies on the kindness of strangers which to me is a little convenient. The story line is wonderful and Cara grows with each day's travel and interaction with people. This genre of two sisters finding their way is one of my favorite of mine. Finding Hemi is an added bonus.

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I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review. A touching story that I didn't want to end. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a story about Cara and Hana who are twins and their mom has died and they are put into foster care. Their life has not been easy. A tragic event happens and Cara starts to run. Along the way she meets some amazing people. Okay I don't think in real life she would be meeting these amazing people who help her on her way to the Keys but sometimes you just have to let the story take you away from real life. But when she first runs there is this dog that follows her and he becomes a big part of her life even though she really doesn't want him to be at first. I won't tell the whole story but it really does have a happy ending after all the tragic things that have happened. Great book!

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‘Wish Me Home’ by Kay Bratt is a gentle and absorbing love story about Cara’s journey from Georgia to Key West to visit the Hemmingway house. Along the wayside a dog accosts her, following her without encouragement and with eyes full of hope and trust. They become more than travellers keeping pace with one another; they become firm and loving partners, she feeding and caring for him and he protecting and bestowing friendship on her. Cara is on the run, but with a mission: first stop Key West. Along the seemingly endless roads she is befriended by strangers who show her kindness and empathy and this gives Cara hope for the future and goes a long way to restoring her trust in humankind.
In honour of her literary idol, she names the neglected and limping golden dog Hemi. He keeps her company and shows her true devotion. She doesn’t need a collar and leash for Hemi; wherever she goes he will be her constant companion. With only a few dollars left in her rucksack she should feel the constant ache of worry, but she meets extraordinarily kind saviours who give her shelter and take care of her and her dog as she continues on her mission. This is her first solo excursion. Left behind in Georgia is her twin sister, almost never out of her mind. They have always been there for each other, complementing each other with their different traits, their personalities and strengths. After the death of their mother when they were just seven-years-old they were taken into care, a system that grossly failed them despite the fact that they should have been safe and secure. They survived foster care together, but scarcely so. They have been marked for life by their early experiences.
The literal and figurative journeys undertaken by Cara are both heartrending and heart warming. Cara is on a journey of self discovery and her bravery and selflessness are remarkable. She needs to learn how to trust herself and believe in her own self worth, build up her confidence and shake off the disillusionment that has shaded her life. In this beautiful story this is what Cara has set out to do. She is fearful for her future at the start of her journey into the heart of Florida, but her metamorphosis is truly breathtaking. I loved this story, the warm characters, the feeling of hope and revival, but more than anything I loved the fluid, lyrical storytelling that filled my heart with pure joy. As Cara finds her identity she learns what she is capable of, her beautiful personality and self confidence bloom and flourish. Kay Bratt, a twin herself, uses her own life experiences and twin hood as inspiration for this poignant story to excellent effect. It is her debut novel in the genre of contemporary women’s fiction and what a triumph it is.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of this novel sent out to me in return for an honest review. This novel is masterly, absorbing and really beautiful in every way. It’s an all round 5* review from me.

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A heartfelt, emotional and quite beautifully warm written novel about family, unexpected friendships and love! Weaving a story about how the past can help to heal and move forward, this book invokes laughter, sadness, happiness and tears. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and the read and most of all appreciated the opportunity to read this title prior to publication! Many many thanks!

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I put off writing my review of Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt for a few days because I’m feeling a bit conflicted over how exactly to present it. I loved the writing but sometimes the storyline was just so convenient that it turned me off. Cara (our lead) kept finding herself in these situations with strangers and it was just always oh-so-lucky that they were good people who took her in and let this complete stranger (who just happened to also be a broke, homeless, vagabond with a stray dog) take over their guest room. Uh-huh…what?! I’m sorry but I just don’t find that believable at all.

I mean, if I was walking down the sidewalk with two small children and some aimless wanderer wasn’t paying attention and almost ran us over with her bike and tow trailer the last thing on my mind after she swerves and wrecks is, “Oh! That poor thing! Let me take her home, put her up in my guest bedroom, and ask my brother to fix her bike for free.” No. I would think, “Wow, she looks hurt. I’ll call her an ambulance and hopefully she’s ok. She should have been paying attention! Thank God my kids weren’t seriously hurt.” I’m giving the mom and two kids a pass on paying attention because in the story one of the kids has autism and she’s distracted because of his behavior.

Sure, there is one scene where Cara meets some ruffians but of course, nothing major happens and everything is coming up roses again in less than 2 pages so, you know, eye roll.

Although…

I feel like I have to give the book a pass for being too convenient and rosy and full of hope because of the author’s background. Her bio says,

Kay Bratt is the author of eleven full-length novels and two children’s books. Her writing became her solace and support while she navigated a tumultuous childhood, followed by a decade of abuse as an adult. After working her way through the hard years, Kay came out a survivor and a pursuer of peace—and finally found the courage to share her stories

and based on that it seems pretty clear that her mission with her stories is to give hope to people that are struggling with their own personal circumstances. In that case, Wish Me Home accomplishes her goal. It’s sweet, uplifting, and encourages people to believe in the goodness of strangers, but I prefer more drama and tension in the books I read.

If you want books that are about overcoming obstacles and finding hop in a fresh start, you’ll probably love it. If you’re looking for something with a bit of conflict and obstacles to overcome, I’d skip this one. If you’ve already read it then let me say yeah, I read the whole thing and I know why Cara was “on the run.” It’s just that it seemed kind of lame to me too. There’s no way that I believe that she would go on the run for that reason without actual proof that it had actually happened. I mean…PLEASE.

I thought the ending was well done but I could never commit to the book. There were moments that were great and moments that left me feeling disconnected from the whole thing. It was just, meh.

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Five stars!!! More please!!!

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When Cara and her twin sister Hana were 7 they got sent to foster care. Their parents had died. They're from Sandy Springs, GA. They felt unwanted. Reno was their golden retriever they loved him a lot. Their foster mom was jealous of this dog so she refused to let them spend time with him. Right now Cara is homeless and there was a dog who was white and resembled a lab with a limp that was following her. She hated being away from her sister Hana. She decided to hitchhike to Key West, FL. She had left her cell phone in her backpack back in her car on purpose. She didn't want to be traced by her phone.

Cara enjoyed sharing her tuna and crackers with the dog. She named the dog Hemi after Ernest Hemingway. Cara was walking along the interstate and she walked past a cop that had a car pulled over. He asked her to stop. HE then asked her where she's going to. She said she didn't' know. He offered her a ride to an overnight shelter where she could spend the night indoors. On the way there the officer took her to a chicken and biscuits restaurant. His mom worked there. She let Cara and Hemi take a bath. Then they had a long sit down dinner where she ate heartily. Cara also got to stay overnight in their guest room. It was so heavenly to have a shower and a bed to sleep in. Cara spent the next day working at the diner making biscuits. She was happy when Miss Maisie prayed for her and Hemi. Miss Kim and her husband gave her a bike with a trailer behind it for Hemi to ride in. Miss Kim gave her some extra food.

One of Cara's goals was to see the ocean. She went to Amelia Island where there's a lot of Victorian houses and bed and breakfasts. On their bike ride out of Amelia Island, she went over a hill and crashed on her bike. A stranger named Lauren took her to her apartment overnight. Meanwhile, her brother made repairs to the bike and trailer.

Find out why Cara is separated from her twin sister Hana. Why is she so afraid to meet new people and to make attachments to them. An interesting book.

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I enjoyed this book. My only issue was that is felt like it dragged on a little longer than it needed to. I liked reading about Cara and her travels with Hemi and the flashbacks were interesting, but I felt like it would have been just as good had it been about 50 pages shorter.
I would definitely read more from Kay Bratt because she is a great writer who really sucked me in.

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Wish Me Home is a heartfelt book about a variety of things: creating our own family, trusting people, finding our self-worth, and being strong enough to stand up for ourselves. I think we all struggle with feeling worthy of love and the fear of abandonment, which is why I think that Wish Me Home will touch many people and perhaps help them to hope again.

What is the most fascinating part of this book to me, is Cara’s characterization and relationship to her sister. It was easy for me to identify with Cara’s feelings of abandonment and the questions she has about her mother, but I’ll elaborate further in this book review. Wish Me Home is about Cara’s emotional journey and while I could see the ending coming, it was satisfying and also a little bittersweet.

Onto why I enjoyed Wish Me Home so much: my identification with Cara’s foster status. Cara and Hana experience a few bad foster home placements and because of this (coupled with the reason they entered the system), they are wary of people and family. On the one hand, they wish they could be truly embraced in a placement, yet on the other hand, they expect people to disappoint them and ultimately abandon them. I could identify to these feelings and the conflict between them well as I was adopted. I cried with Cara and Hana as they reflect on feeling unloved and unwanted, but, more importantly, with little explanation and many questions (especially regarding their mother).

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In her first work of contemporary women’s fiction, bestselling author Kay Bratt draws on her own life experiences to create a raw, yet inescapably warm, novel about friendship and a wary heart’s unexpected capacity to love.

A hungry, stray dog is the last thing Cara Butter needs. Stranded in Georgia with only her backpack and a few dwindling dollars, she already has too much baggage. Like her twin sister, Hana, who has broken Cara’s heart one too many times. After a lifetime of family troubles, and bouncing from one foster home to another, Cara decides to leave it all behind and strike out alone—on foot.

Cara sets off to Florida to see the home of her literary hero, Ernest Hemingway, accompanied only by Hemi, the stray dog who proves to be the perfect travel companion. But the harrowing trip takes unexpected turns as strangers become friends who make her question everything, and Cara finds that as the journey unfolds, so does her life—in ways she could never imagine.

This books was heart-wrenching in so many ways. It’s about twins Cara and Hana that have been in the foster system since they were 7 year’s old and their mother died. Even though this is a heart-breaking story, it’s so worth the time and effort to read it!! It’s mostly about Cara and a stray dog, that won’t stop following her around. The thing is, Cara is on the run for some reason and I won’t spoil it for you because you need to read it!!

Cara loves reading books by Ernest Hemingway (don’t we all?) so she decides to go to Key West, Florida and have an adventure. She even names her dog Hemi – How cute is that? I might do that the next time around. I seriously love that name, y’all! Along the way she meets some of the sweetest people who help her on her journey, but then there are those few that we ALL meet that can just turn a trip to s*it, if you get my drift. I don’t cuss so I have to substitute, LOL. So, these drunk guys who are as cold-hearted as a freezer truck of ice cream and everyone knows how much I love my ice cream – attack her. I wanted to reach through the book beat the ever-living snot out of them, beat them some more and then do it all over again…That’s just how I felt about the whole thing. They needed to be snuffed out. Anyway, Cora and Hemi finally make it to Key West and there she meets Luke…Oh Luke. How we love you Luke and be still our beating heart! Cara thinks he’s the owner of the mission there and he’s only the caretaker of the mission place for DOGS y’all!! Not people but dogs! OMG! I’m such a sucker for men who love dogs it’s not even funny. So, he’s a caretaker for strays, mistreated dogs, unwanted dogs and until they can find them a “forever home” he takes care of them. Swooning over here ladies…swooning over here. Long story short, they hire Cara to help him out.

My absolute fave in the story is Luke’s daughter, Ava Marie she may be 8 years-old but she acts like she’s 40! She is just adorable. I’ve said it before that some authors just can’t write children. They throw them in there and in this book, you can tell that the author knew how to write children into a book!! She writes her smart too. Like the part where she had to write a report for school and she chose the importance of spaying and neutering your dog! Now that’s some smart girl there!! I loved her. You just come to love these people that you meet in the town.

Through it, Cara remembers past hurts and she remembers her sister Hana. I wanted to shake Hana so hard her head fell off. You really need to read the book to find out why because I’m not telling you.

I was so not expecting the end and it was a doozy. I didn’t see that coming…like at ALL and I want to tell you so bad but I don’t do spoilers…

You’ll just have to buy the book and read it like I did. You won’t be disappointed and it’s well worth the money because it’s HEA and it’s filled with laughter, crying and some ruff patches, get it “RUFF” patches? LOL! Loved it!! Five stars easily!

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

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Wish Me Home is a beautiful story of one woman's journey, not only from Georgia to Key West, but to finding her inner strength and self-worth. It touches on the complicated relationship between twins, the pitfalls of the foster care system and how hard it is to regain trust in your fellow humans when you've been hurt and let down more times than you care to remember.

I must admit, I chose this novel based on the cover. I'd never done that before. But there's a dog! I love dogs! It was that simple. Luckily, the dog actually plays a huge part in the story. Meeting him is what really sets the pace for Cara's journey and it's such a lovely tale of the bond between a human and an animal. I kept petting my own dog, happy that I have her in my life.

For me though, the book was just nice. I couldn't connect to Cara and disliked Hana tremendously. I also found that once Cara made it to Key West, the story started to drag a bit too much. It couldn't keep me captivated although the last two chapters made up for that.

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This was the first book by Kay Bratt that I have read and I enjoyed every page....from the beginning to the end!! The story kept your interest throughout! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, it would go in a different direction. It truly kept my interest through the whole story. My favorite part of the this book was the bond she formed with Hemi. I have already recommended this book to several friends!

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After the death of their mother when they were seven, twin sisters Cara and Hana Butter became wards of the state and faced more than their share of challenges while growing up. They found themselves placed in one bad foster care home after another with only each other to truly rely on. Hana, the twin with the strongest personality, was rebellious and always getting the girls into trouble, while Cara did her best to appease her sister and keep the peace in difficult situations. Those roles continued well into adulthood until the day Cara was compelled to leave Hana and her past behind. She set out on a solo journey with little money and no specific destination in mind. Early on she acquired a stray dog as a traveling companion and decided to head for Key West, Florida. Although she encountered adversity along the way, Cara also experienced unexpected kindness from many different strangers. After years of steeling herself to always expect the worst from people, her heart begins to soften. In Key West, she finds fulfilling work and develops meaningful relationships. Cara begins to realize that she is both capable and worthy of giving and receiving love. However, Hana is never far from her mind. As events unfold, Cara’s past starts to catch up to her and threatens to jeopardize her new life. Is long-term happiness even possible, or is it always going to elude both her and Hana?

“Wish Me Home” is a poignant glimpse into dysfunction in families, pitfalls of the foster care system, and the long-term effects of neglectful and abusive relationships. I didn’t expect to be so caught up in the storyline, but I quickly developed an emotional connection to the characters and couldn’t put the book down. This is the first time I’ve read anything by author Kay Bratt, but I’m sure it won’t the last. I highly recommend this book to fans of women’s fiction, particularly for individuals with an interest in the difficult subject matter it covers.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I so loved this book.
A beautiful, heart wrenching journey about a young, untrusting girl who is running away from something awful.
Cara decides to flee to Key West, Florida. Along the way she picks up a dedicated companion, who she names Hemi. He becomes her best friend and teaches her to love and trust.
Through difficult experiences along her travels, she finds that she needs people to help her get to her goal of Key West, and finds many wonderful assistants.
Be aware: you will need tissues. A must read for anyone who loves dogs, life and challenges.

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The main character is a young woman who has a twin sister .. she has left the town she lives in because of legal troubles and is on the road going to Florida. She meets a lot of nice people that help her get to Key West where she wants to go and meets and keeps a lonely dog named Hemi. Some times I felt the dialogue was a little stilted or that Cara asked some dumb questions in the dialogue but I liked all the characters she meet along the way and her relationship with her dog. The ending was satisfactory also.

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Cara is fleeing, leaving her twin behind, a difficult journey made more difficult by a lack of money, transportation, and trust. Throughout their years in the foster care system the twins had learned to rely only on one another; now they were each on their own. Along Cara’s way she meets a series of very special people, people who demonstrate a love and selflessness that nurture her. Although Bratt’s writing does not stress the root of these characters’ love, the reader might just see the love of Christ demonstrated. Cara is also blessed with the love and devotion of a dog she names Hemi after her favorite author, Ernest Hemingway. The reader journeys right alongside Cara, celebrating her triumphs and anguishing in her setbacks.
Kay Bratt carefully paces her release of information related to the twins’ past and to the reason behind Cara’s flight, information vital to their future. Bratt is a master at placing questions in her readers’ mind, and engaging them in the search for the answers. I knew Bratt as a master of non-fiction; this book introduced me to her as a master of fiction as well. This book will please readers who simply love a good book with memorable characters as well as readers who desire a memorable reading experience with meaningful themes and important life lessons.
I thank Kay Bratt for providing me with a copy of Wish Me Home in exchange for my honest review.

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Cara Butler has had it with her family, particularly with her sister and she wants nothing more than to shake the dust of Georgia off her shoes and head to Florida to see the home of her literary hero, Earnest Hemingway. So what’s she supposed to do with a starving, mangy stray dog? Take it with her, that’s what, and so Cara and Hemi hit the road, and along the way, something strange happens. Call it the alchemy of the open road if you like, but Cara and Hemi begin turning total strangers into friends. A sweet, warm read that’s a welcome escape from the world

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This was a great book. I could not put it down! I would recommend anyone to read "Wish me Home".

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