If you're looking for a powerful, emotional story, this is the book for you. The words Author Heather Burch has strung together here in this story, Something Like Family will warm your heart, make you smile and yes, make you cry. This is the story of Rave Wayne and his love for Becca Johnson. This is the story of Rave Wayne and how he was reunited with the grandfather he didn't remember living with for the first couple years of his life and who he came to love unconditionally. This is also the story of Rave Wayne and how he came to forgive his formerly addicted mother who abandoned him when he was seventeen but came back into his life in the hope of gaining his forgiveness. This book is about a journey of love, faith and forgiveness. Join me in discovering the beauty in this skillfully worded story by Heather Burch.

This is a beautifully written story that tugs at your heart throughout the whole book! Rave and his Grandfather, Tuck come together at a time when they are both in desperate need for family. I loved both characters and couldn't get enough of their time together. I highly recommend this heartwarming story!

This is a beautiful book. So well written it involves every emotion you can think of!

None of these characters are perfect. They are all flawed in some way exactly like most families. A story of love, hope, courage and forgiveness. It shows us that what we believe isn't always the truth. The truth is always more complicated.

Doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing to do. But it usually turns out to be the best thing. 

Heather Burch is a storyteller of the best kind. From the first page to the last you cry, laugh, mourn and feel every emotion her characters feel. I don't know how she does it but I'm awfully glad she does!

This book will be released on September 12, 2017 by Lake Union Publishing.  Netgalley

This was a great book speaking towards forgiveness and redemption! I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling with being able to look at others without being judgmental.
Loved this book!

What a great read. The book follows Rave, who is having a bit of rough luck at the start, and continues following the twists and turns of his life. The relationships in the book are very intense and well translated to the reader. Be warned you may need tissues at several points! A great read, with beautiful characterisation.

A real page turner,second chances and the power of live,family and belief.
Coping with life when it gives you lemons,comitment and family.

This book was a pleasant diversion and a nice place to "live" for awhile. That said...it quickly became almost unbearably cheesy and sickeningly sweet. Ultimately, those qualities destroyed its relevance for me.

I read this book at exactly the right time. I love that this book was about two male characters reconnecting into a family unit after so many years (basically all of Rave's life) apart. I found Tuck to be very lovable and could easily picture my grandfather when I was reading. I loved the past perspective of Tuck and Millie, learning how their relationship grew. It was heartbreaking the way Tuck still mourned over her. This book made me appreciate what I have--both a family and a marriage. The turmoil that slowly builds throughout the story with new characters coming in, and characters making unforgivable decisions had me on edge, but the ending was worth it!

This is a beautiful story about abandonment, rejection and how love and forgiveness can bring healing and unite family. Filled with hope and faith!

I was pleasantly taken with this book. The way Tuck talks about Millie reminds me of the first 10 minutes of the movie UP. Oh, to have that kind of love. And Rave, Tuck's long lost grandson..you know he has so much pain inside, but is a good person. A really GOOD person with a huge heart. Heather Burch spins a wonderful tale of finding lost family, and all of the hurt and love and confusion that you could imagine goes along with it. I haven't read many novels that are written from a male's point of view, by a woman, and done so in such a seamless, lyrical way. I absolutely loved this book. You're missing out on a wonderful family story if you don't pick this one up. Burch captured me from page one.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

My heart was overfilled with emotion reading Something Like Family, a book written so beautifully about love, loss, memories and redemption. The story is of a hurting young man, Rave abandoned by his mother who was a drug addict, who learns he is not alone, but has a Grandpa, Tuck that he never knew he had. Tuck hires a detective to find Rave, for he has many amends he needs to make before he dies. Rave is drawn to Tuck yet unable to fully trust him and tentatively agrees to stay with him but with the idea of moving on after a few weeks. He learns a surprising thing about his Grandpa that he learns he must witness before he can leave, a hauntingly emotional ceremony involving the memory of Tuck's fallen soldiers he left behind in Vietnam. The story deepens and had me crying many tears, and laughing at the joy of a young boy Daniel, whose history with Rave is so painful and yet heartwarming. There is Ashley, Becca, Sharon, and their relationships with Rave and Tuck are the heart of this lovely story. It reveals depth of character, the goodness of Rave despite his choices of behaviors, I loved the truth in his soul. The author has woven the themes of love, forgiveness, memories, secrets, and acceptance through many painful but hope filled second chances and events in a way that is so compelling. I hope to read more of Heather Burch's work, she is a new author to me and I recommend her highly . Thanks to Net Galley, and Lake Union for this Kindle ARC.

"Something Like Family" by Heather Burch

"Because life's true value lies in souls, not in things. And the best memorial a man can leave behind is one of flesh and blood."

What a moving and heartwarming novel of a young man coming of age, of an older man moving past his grief, and the individuals that intertwine and intersect between these two men: grandson and grandfather.

They both have traveled a road filled with tough times they have had to overcome and adversity many never face, but came out the other side stronger and better men. When Rave learns he has a grandfather he is beyond surprised. He was told by his heroin addicted mother that her parents were dead. Wondering why an old man, his grandfather or not, would be seeking him out now as versus years ago, only increased the barriers Rave had put up along his arduous road of survival. When he reaches a dead end on his journey, he decides to go and meet his grandfather. Why not? Stay a week or two and then take off once he has a new plan. Well that was the plan...

As each man builds a relationship with the other and learns to honor and respect the other, they both learn many life lessons along the way.

Forgiveness, grace, love, loss, remembrance, hope, community and family are some of the major topics the author hits in this novel. She does so with eloquence, humor, strength, and honesty. The plot is moving, strong, and multi-faceted. Her characters are extremely well written, relatable, and truthful.

A wonderful and marvelous novel and an amazing read. One you won't want to put down. Enjoy the story of Rave and Tuck and the other men and women in their lives in the town of Barton, Tennessee. You will feel like part of the family in no time.

Rating: 4.7
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2sQlxC6

**I read and reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel. All content is my own

(Any links found in the review may be affiliate links leading to a small compensation to me at no cost to you)

This is the first book I have read by Heather Burch and it definitely will not be my last.
Something Like Family is a story of love, trust, second chances, forgiveness, mistakes made in the past that will pull at your heart strings. I could not put it down as was pulled into the story from the start. Laughter and tears (keep a tissue near by) along with the characters as their lives unfolded on the pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Burch, and NetGalley provided me a free ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a well written story. I enjoyed it, although I did find it hard to relate to most of the characters. So I just ran with it. I liked old Tuck, his sad memories of his dead wife Millie, his longing to have his family back together. His grandson Rave was annoying at times, but I suppose most young men his age are :) Rave had his share of problems in life, and ended up living with Tuck. I liked the dynamic between the 2, how they brought out the best in each other. The story was inspiring, educational, and very sweet. I thought the ending was a bit "wrap it all up in a pretty bow" perfect, and Ashley, Sharon and Trini weren't as well developed as they could have been. But all in all it was a compelling and interesting story about loss, mistakes, redemption and love.

Something Like Family is a stirring book about second chances and forgiveness...a book that will tug on your heartstrings and involve all of your emotions. The story is filled with joys and sorrows, families drifting apart and finding their way back home. At the center of the story is Rave, a young man down on his luck, having been abandoned by his mother when he was a teenager. When Rave discovers that he has a grandfather, a man he thought was dead, he's reluctant to open his heart to disappointment again. I loved Rave; instead of being bitter and beaten down, Rave has a goodness in him that we see in his relationships with Tuck, his grandfather, his girlfriend Becca, and the boy he loves like a son, Daniel. The characters in this book are so warm, so human...filled with doubts and worries, but most of all a capacity to love and forgive. This story and its characters filled up a huge chunk of my heart.

This book was a new one for me. But, once I read the first chapter I was hooked. The story line was awesome. It had so much depth and the characters were hard not to fall in love with. You will definitely love this book. I found it really hard to put down and would highly recommend this book. I am really impressed with Heather's writing and look forward to reading her other titles.

I am honored to have been given the privilege of reading Something Like Family. This novel by Helen Burch is one of the best I have read in a very long time. Burch pulls no punches in describing the life of a young man raised, then abandoned, by a mother addicted to drugs, of finding a grandfather he long thought dead, and discovering his own worth while struggling to build a life for himself. Raven, his grandfather Turk, mother Sharon and the other characters spring to life as the pages turn. As he grapples to forge new relationships while letting go of past hurt, Raven demonstrates a vulnerability that many face at some point and he does so with honesty and maturity. These are the type of characters that become real to the reader, yet leave you not needing to go further with their story because you know they will all be just fine.

Just finished this book, I still have a lump in my throat. I loved this book, the writing, characters and story line. I've never read Ms. Burch before, but I will again. This book makes you deal with so many emotions, but never in a preachy, judgmental way. It dealt with the issue of veterans in a respectful and thoughtful way. Thoroughly enjoyable.

https://www.goodreads.com/LKBoyd

A book with heart, truth and sadness mixed in.
My favorite quote- "Love is always enough. It is the mortar that holds life together."
This is a beautiful novel about a family finding each other.
They must trust each other again, to love and help one another.
I adored this touching book.

A beautiful story that touches the heart. Tears flowed while reading this one. Forgiveness and love are found as the characters deal with their own unique circumstances. They are brought together through family bonds, friendship bonds, health issues and more. Family is found in many different ways. The reference to rocking chairs will always stay with me. I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my personal honest opinion of the story.