Mackenzie cannot believe she is back in her home town. Growing up, she was determined to leave and never come back, except to visit. Now, here she is, helping out in her dad’s liquor store. Since her failed marriage, she is licking her wounds. Mackenzie decides she is no longer going to be a goody-two-shoes. She is going to step out of her comfort zone. Sherriff deputy Dan may have a thing or two to say about this.

Mackenzie has had a crush on Dan since high school. It does not take much to ignite the old flame. I reveled in these two together. They matched so well! Dan became a great comfort for Mackenzie and as a reader, you just felt his strength and compassion.

This is a good palate cleanser, pleasure read…whatever you want to call it. It is a good, easy and quick romance to get lost in. It is part of a series. I have not read the others books and did not feel lost at all. This can be a stand alone read. But, don’t worry! I will go back and read the others! I enjoyed this one and I don’t want to miss anything!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I had recently received an email from Harlequin asking to review some of their books for a blog tour. I have already read and reviewed one of the books and loved it and couldn’t wait to read the second book I signed up for.

Mack (Mackenzie) Wallace has recently moved back home to her hometown when A: her marriage imploded and B: her father fell off a ladder and needed someone to run the family liquor store. Dan Adams has lived here his whole life. He raised cane as a teen and now is the local law enforcement. A misunderstanding drew them together again as adults. Can they realize they are perfect for each other? This book was so good. It has an underlying plotline that kept me guessing the whole time as to who the drug dealer was that was wreaking havoc across the town and county. I had zero guess the whole time and when it was revealed it was something that I never even suspected.

The characters are not the normal ones that I see in romances. They are both divorced, one has a child from the marriage and one is in their late 30’s the other one is 40. Not saying older people can’t find love and have romances, but the general age in most books that I have read is 20’s- early 30’s. The characters had lived a life and had seen and done things. They knew what they wanted out of life and that was refreshing. I see that there is another book coming out in this series and hope that we get more Mack and Dan. I fell in love with their characters and want to see where their relationship goes from here.

I found Jo McNally's "Her Homecoming Wish" to be an enjoyable read featuring likeable characters and just a touch of mystery. The book stands alone despite being the third in a series, although there were a few times when characters alluded to past events that weren't fully explained here. I did not feel lost at any point, but I suspect that those readers who have been following along with the series since the beginning will enjoy this story a bit more than those (like me) who are new to it since they will have a better understanding of Gallant Lake and its inhabitants.

The main characters of this story, Mackenzie and Dan, were both very likeable and seemed to be well-matched. Dan came across as a bit stodgy at first, but it was obvious that he genuinely cared about protecting his community and those he loved, especially his daughter Chloe. He was a great dad, and Chloe was an adorable and fun addition to the story. As for Mack, I enjoyed her efforts to reinvent herself following her divorce, even if they didn't always work out quite the way she expected.

Overall, I would recommend "Her Homecoming Wish" and will plan to check out the other books in this series.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars

This book was like a warm (kinda shmexy) hug and exactly what I needed at the time. There's something about a swoon-worthy romance that is so light and invigorating that you can't help but fly right through the pages.

I loved the characters, and this definitely read like it was a standalone but also part of a wider series with these characters in the town all coming together, which I adore. I look forward to reading more of Gallant Lake's inhabitants in the future! Mack was fun and I thought it was awesome she was throwing caution to the wind and living life for herself, trying new things and not worrying what everyone else thought about it. Deputy Dan totally sounded like a cartoon character cutout at first but I loved that he had a kinda sketchy past but grew up and became a family man and hometown hero. It was interesting to see his struggles with that too. They made a really sweet pair.

Honestly the only thing I didn't quite love was when Dan dismissed what Mack told him about someone who was acting shady. It makes sense in a way being that it was someone he knew for so long and it was easier to dismiss it I guess than look critically at that person. I just couldn't help but to feel a little let down about how dismissive he instantly was about it though and wonder if it had came from another cop buddy or one of his homeboys if he would have not dismissed it all so quickly? It was truly a little detail but it just rubbed me the wrong way. I liked the drama at the end and I really liked that it wasn't over the top. It felt more realistic to me that way.

Dan's daughter was too freaking cute and totally deserves a shout out. I also thought it was awesome how Dan and the his ex had a close relationship and went extra lengths to keep a smooth thing going for their kid as a team, even with new spouses entering the picture. As a parent in a situation like that, it is something that's always been important to me and something I've strived for as well. I'd love to see that represented more! All in all a fun, light read that any romance lover would enjoy.

Mackenzie Wallace was the perfect good girl growing up and had become the perfect wife until she caught her husband cheating on her. Now she is coming back home to lick her wounds and help her father out after his surgery. Mackenzie is tired of being a good girl and is looking to change her ways. Maybe bad boy Danny Adams is still in town looking to get into some trouble.

Bad boy Danny Adams has given up his bad boy ways and is now a local police officer and a single dad. When he sees Mackenzie in her fathers store, he can’t help but notice how grown up she is and how she has filled out in all the right places.

The sparks start flying between Mack and Danny and before long they can’t keep their hands off each other. Officer Dan has his reputation and his daughter to protect, but he just can’t stop being with Mackenzie. Is their love enough to keep them together or will Dan’s job tear them apart?

This story was so beautifully written by Jo McNally. I absolutely loved all the characters in the story and though it was part of a series, it definitely can be read as a stand-a-lone book. The author fills you in just enough with existing characters that you want to go back and read their stories as well. Something I know I will be doing. Thank you so much to Harlequin, Jo McNally and NetGalley for an advanced copy to read and review.

Her Homecoming Wish gives us a bit of a role reversal. Mack doesn't want to be the good girl anymore, and as Sheriff, Dan has put his bad boy side behind him. It's interesting that these two are still complete opposites while trying to be the opposite of what they were. Needless to say, they're going to have to find some middle ground. They do have great chemistry right from the start, and I enjoyed their journey. From what I understand, this is part of a series, and even though I haven't read the earlier books, I had no problem figuring out who's who in this town. The story is well written and engaging, and the characters are likable and easy to relate to. As I mentioned, this series is new to me, as is the author, but I will be watching for whatever she does next.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this cook. All opinions are my own.

After her divorce, Mackenzie Wallace returns home to take care of her injured father and determined to shred her good girl image. Who better to help her with that than her brother's high school best friend, Daniel Adams, who she also had a major crush on back in the day? Her brother and Dan used to be wild boys in high school but after an incident, he turned his life around and is now the town's Sheriff. Can he go back to his old ways to help Mac out?

I DNF'd this at 35%. The synopsis sounded very interesting and I was really excited to read it! But the delivery was lacking. The story moves very slow, kind of all over the place and very repetitive. Literally nothing happens in the first 33% of the book and then all of a sudden, Mac and Dan start to think of each other as more than friends? There was no build up whatsoever. And the whole "oh I don't do that anymore bc this is the new me" line got very old very fast.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I’m reading this book in connection with Harlequin’s February blog tour series to highlight releases of their category romances. I used to read these category series romances a lot and I was glad to be able to read some more recent releases. Category romances are a great place to find a quick read and are true to the category they’re published in. This category is a little too cliched for me – the Special Edition category is very touchy feely and reminds me a lot of those Hallmark movies that they have on leading up to Christmas. Mackenzie and Danny’s love story was very nice. But overall the story line wasn’t too thrilling or anything. The characters and the plot line were sweet, Mack was a likeable character and Danny was charming too. It just got to be a little overly cheesy for me but it was still a good read.

Her Homecoming Wish by Jo McNally

Gallant Lake is a small community with warm friendships in need of more of a police presence though Deputy Sheriff Dan Adams and another man do their best to maintain control. Dan grew up in town and once was a troublemaker instead of a peacekeeper. With more and more drug overdoses and the fear that drugs are funneling into and through town he is on high alert most of the time.

Mackenzie “Mack” Wallace is back in town to pick up the pieces of a marriage that blew apart and to help her father run his liquor store as he heals from injuries sustained in a fall. Mack knows Dan well as he was a friend of her bad-boy brother and part of the group that used to act out in the past. She has always been considered “good” and perhaps that is due to the fact she was trying to be the opposite of her brother. She says she is ready to change her life and is ready for adventure.

This was an easy-to-read romance without much drama between the male and female lead characters. They fell into their relationship and it grew steadily. Dan had a few hangups lingering from his past and a need to be perfect on the job but he did care deeply when he chose to. Mack was easy to like and made friends easily though in high school she was a bit standoffish and didn’t have many friends at all. She had a dream for her life that fell through and was making a new one after moving back to town. There is the additional side story of the narcotics, drug running and putting a stop to it and that is all tied up in a bow at the end as is the HEA for Dan and Mackie.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in the series? Perhaps

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Special Edition for the ARC – This is my honest review

3-4 Stars

Good girl turned bad. Bad boy turned good. This trope was awesome. I loved the fact that they had a role reversal thing going on after Mackenzie, or Mack, returned home after having a really nasty divorce. Coming home to find out that the bad boy growing up was now a Sheriff of their small town? Priceless.

The slow burn was one of my favorite parts about this book. I think that Jo McNally did a phenomenal job creating that curiosity of what was going to happen and when. The romance was extremely realistic and I appreciated that. It could've gone the other route where I was rolling my eyes over the way Mack comes back to town, etc. I really didn't find any flaws with that writing.

As someone who lives in an area where drugs are potent, this book hit too close to home. The small town vibes really showed me that maybe Jo McNally really understands what it's currently like in today's society when it comes to drugs and overdoses. On the other hand, the small town vibe did include the closeness and love within it as well. That was definitely something I could appreciate.

Overall, I think that the biggest takeaway that I got from this book was the fact that you can plan your life all you want, but it might not ever come out that way. Jo McNally really wrote an amazing book and if you are a homecoming romance lover, this is definitely a book you should read.

As her divorce is complete, Mackenzie Wallace's aging father falls off a ladder and calls her back to her hometown to help out. She is officially done being a 'good girl' and fulfilling everyone else's expectations of her. Imagine her surprise to find her childhood crush (and her older brother's best friend from childhood) is now the local sheriff. I don't want to spoil it, but there's a love connection to be made - just sayin.

I love feeling like characters are people I could be friends with. Mack coming home and running the liquor store that her dad has owned for ever sounds so quaint and cozy. The little apartment above the store reminds me of childhood dreams of living in the 'city' (yes, I grew up in a small town) and being able to walk everywhere. Mack and Sheriff Dan's biggest struggle isn't falling back into the roles they've always lived, but proving to the community that they aren't who everyone thinks they are, and forging their own lives they way they want them to be. Yes, I am a sucker for a good HEA (happily-ever-after).

I'd give this book 3 out of 5 stars. Nothing brilliant about it, but a fun way to spend a couple days reading.

Jo McNally, Author of "Her Homecoming Wish" has written an entertaining and heartwarming story.  The Genres for this story are Contemporary Fiction and Romance. There is some suspense in this story. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events. The author describes her characters as complicated and complex.

Mackenzie Wallace, "Mack" returns to her hometown after a nasty divorce, to help run her father's liquor store, after her father is recovering from surgery after a fall. Mackenzie has always seen herself as the "good girl" and "sweet girl" and has vowed that she is going to experience new things, and become a "bad girl".

Danny Adams was one of the town's trouble makers, with Mack's brother causing some trouble in the town. Now, years later , Dan is working as a detective, following the law, and is quite responsible. Dan is divorced and now shares his 8-year-old daughter with his ex-wife. Hi daughter and work have become his life, and he is intent on finding certain criminals. Dan is regarded by the town as a "good guy". 

When Dan and Mack see each other after many years, they are really quite surprised! Somehow they are drawn to each other, but would this make a good match?  I would recommend this easy to read and heartwarming story for readers who enjoy Romance and Contemporary Fiction.

Her Homecoming Wish by Jo McNally is a second chance romance set in the quaint but beautiful community of Gallant Lake. Mackenzie, better known as “Mack” has relocated to this hometown after a nasty divorce with a fresh attitude. No more country club living and turned-nose attitude for this one, she’s here to live life a little more on the real side, and maybe get a little more wild. While helping out at her father’s liquor store, Mack looks for some late night refreshment via a top shelf bottle of scotch. While arranging her nightcap, Mack is suddenly grabbed and thrown up against a wall by an intruder, with a weapon drawn to her throat. Is this a madman on the loose? She could only be so lucky, as it’s actually town sheriff and former town bad boy “Danger” Dan Adams thinking he just nabbed a midnight burglar. This is one hell of a misunderstanding, but after a brief exchange it’s easy to see there’s something milling around in the background all these years later. Something tells me it’s going to work out for these two, but what what kind of journey will we take to get there?

The romance presented here is of the slow burn variety, with a more traditional novelization in both pace and perspective. The main theme beyond the romance would have to be the culture of small town America. There’s a lot of painfully real similarities to small towns across the United States, and most of them are unpleasant. I’ve never viewed the “everyone knows everyone” concept as a positive characteristic of a community, and in most cases neither does the novel. Everyone in this town is a self interested cock, and that includes the main characters themselves (save for Dan’s friggin’ adorable daughter who carries this book as the best character). Mackenzie was a stuffy bitch who looked down on small town life when she was younger, and now that she’s experienced heartache from a nasty upper crust divorce, she seems to expect the town to fully embrace her new found quaintness. In fact, if you didn’t know her (which of course the whole town does already, mind you) the only positive quality anyone shares about her is that she’s hot. When not whining about her father’s life choices, she’s fretting about what’s going on in Dan’s head as they find more and more excuses to share each other’s company. Sheriff Dan makes no bones about being a distant-minded work obsessed ball-bag of a cop, but Mack won’t let that character flaw stand in the way of her meddlin’. There’s a significant drug problem plaguing Gallant Lake that’s eating away at Dan’s soul. Sure, people overdosing on this potent contraband is tragic, but Dan’s seems more concerned with how this makes him look as the self appointed savior and protector of his hometown. While it’d be shit to know any of these people in real life, the author does a great job of presenting reasons why these people suck so hard. If you treat each character as a deeply flawed antihero, everything makes sense and you can identify with the love that slowly blooms out of the garbage heap that is the interpersonal characteristic of this little corner of Americana.

Verdict: Her Homecoming Wish by Jo McNally is a hauntingly realistic look at small town America and the love that can emanate from its background. The love presented here is as slow as the culture from which it’s derived, and the author makes character exploration the chief component of the story telling. There are many uncomfortable moments as you learn about who these people really are, but it’s presented in such a realistic fashion, that it must be praised for the reactions it’s generated from this reviewer alone. It’s not a town I ever want to visit myself, but I’m interested in learning more about this community and the people who reside there…just from a good safe distance through my trusty e-reader. Happy reading!

Special thanks to Harlequin and Harper Collins Publishing for providing a review copy of Her Homecoming Wish to TehBen.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Mack and Dan’s love story in Her Homecoming Wish by Jo McNally, book 3 in the Gallant Lake Stories. Mackenzie Wallace has always been the good girl and now all she has to show for it is a divorce from her cheating ex and a return home to help her father after he broke his leg. Now she’s ready to find some excitement, especially with her high school crush. So what if he was her brother’s best friend and represented bad-boy all the way. What she didn’t expect was Danny Addams being a Sheriff Deputy, role model, and a single father. Dan knows they have a connection, magnetism that kept pulling them together, and off the charts electricity that flowed around them. Mackenzie might have a chance at being bad with a former bad-boy, if she can convince Dan to lighten up, let some fun into his life, and come to terms with his secrets.

Ms. McNally wrote a wonderful, emotional, and sexy story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, humor, and endearing characters giving Mack and Dan a chance at having a forever love and a future together. I highly recommend Her Homecoming Wish to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Going home again isn't always what you expected! With the third book in her Gallant Lake Stories series, Jo McNally brings a happily ever after Sheriff Dan's way in HER HOMECOMING WISH. The characters are fun to get to know and there was an added addition of some intrigue in the plot.

Dan is a dream of a guy. He's a loving father, he's all about doing good for his community, and he's sexy as all get out.

Mack is tired of being the people pleaser and wants to live it up for once in her life. What better way than taking a ride on the wild side with her former crush ... only Danger Dan is now straight and narrow Dan and she's not so sure she wants that side of him.

I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a fast paced small town romance with a touch of intrigue.

This is a sweet read mixed with some humor and a bit of spice. Mac and Danny were good I enjoyed there story. I can way it was my fav or anything like that but i enjoyed it for what it was. I ike that it was not fairly long too, it was a great in between bok for me to cleanse my pallet.

This book had many elements that I enjoyed. It is no secret that I love small town romances and this one has a very fleshed out town with a huge array of characters. Since this was my first time reading a book of McNally’s I didn’t appreciate all the time spent on the side characters that I’m sure someone who loves this series would. I did love the connection Mack and Dan had and their chemistry was very evident.

I also enjoyed the conflict of Dan not knowing how to balance his need to protect the people of his city as a police officer and his need to just be able to be himself. Dan and Mack also have the element of knowing each other from when they were growing up and that plays into how they interact as adults. I will say that I am confused by the synopsis because I don’t know what secret Dan had that threatened their relationship. In fact the whole synopsis should be reworked because I don’t think it really reflects what this book is about. This book is ultimately about two people who used to know each other as kids coming back together 20 years later and having to relearn who they are.

I do want to mention that this book does get repetitive which was frustrating for me and at times it came off as judgmental. I don’t appreciate when labels are put on people because no one is that singular. Also liking beer and showing off your body are not the qualities I would give a bad girl. If you don’t mind those qualities in your books then I do think you would enjoy this book more than I did.

Talk about a role reversal… in their high school days, Mackenzie Wallace was the goody two-shoes who never put a foot wrong, and ‘Danger Dan’ Adams was trouble with a capital T. Now Mackenzie is back in Gallant Lake after her perfect life came crashing down around her ears… and ‘Danger Dan’ is a deputy sheriff?

Both Dan and Mack are dragging around an awful lot of emotional baggage, and Dan has a daughter from a failed marriage to consider, but the sparks flying between the two of them are undeniable. Thing is that Mack’s tired of being the good girl; she wants to kick up her heels and live a little, and Dan’s very much the opposite. He’s seen what’s at the end of that road and it means nothing good. Somehow, they have to figure out a way to meet in the middle, as Mackenzie tries to settle into her new life at Gallant Lake, having taken over the liquor store from her retiring father.

This is part of a series about the residents of Gallant Lake and I have to admit I haven’t read any of the others, but I don’t think it mattered too much in figuring out who the various players were. On the other hand, if you are a fan of the series, you’ll probably be pleased by several cameo appearances throughout this story.

Mack and Dan are a lovely couple, and I particularly liked the way Mack never let Dan get away with anything, quite willing to call him on things when it would have been an easy way out to just let it slide and avoid the conflict. Instead the two of them step up and discuss their feelings, and it really made me buy into the two of them as a couple who could weather life’s inevitable storms together. This is a well written and engaging story about two likeable characters who find that their differences mean they have more in common than they’d ever realised, and I’m happy to give it five stars.

Okay, so now let's talk about the actual book.

The story begins with MacKenzie returning to her hometown. Soon after returning, she runs into Danny. Danny was a friend of her brother's, and they were known for being the "bad boys" (I hate that term y'all, but in the context, it's just going to have to work) around town. MacKenzie, on the other hand, was known for being the straight-laced rule follower. Returning back, times have changed. Danny is now Sheriff Dan, divorced with shared custody of his young daughter. MacKenzie is back wanting to "live a little" after a failed marriage. MacKenzie and Danny have to navigate who they once were and who they are now. This means coming to terms with some "stuff" that went down in the past. What I appreciated about this book was that the romance wasn't an all of the sudden thing that happened. Given they're in their late thirties, that makes sense, and it was far more realistic in that regard. As a rookie reader (and a late thirtysomething myself), I didn't expect that, and I appreciated it.

The other piece of this book involved Sheriff Dan's actual job. There is some suspicious activity around opioids occurring in the town. He's determined to figure out what is, so he can protect his community. I liked how this subplot was woven throughout. It added some depth to the story, so it wasn't just all about the romance. This especially added depth to Dan's character as he felt obligated to protect his small community, and it was something that kept me turning the pages, in addition to the budding love between MacKenzie and Dan.

Overall, this was different than what I expected - in a good way. It wasn't entirely unrealistic or cheesy, instead it depicted how a love like this might actually go down. As I owned, this genre isn't generally my jam. However, I found I enjoyed this read, and I'd be interested in venturing in again. I found the characters likable, the dilemmas real, and I became vested in what went down which is all you can ask for in a read!

So, there you have it - my first ride into romance (#seewhatididthere), and I quite enjoyed it!

McNally returns to Gallant Lake in this third Gallant Lake series installment (after It Started at Christmas). Mackenzie “Mack” Wallace has returned home to Gallant Lake, New York, nursing the wounds of her failed marriage and helping to care for her father and the liquor store he runs. Mistaking her for a burglar, Deputy Sheriff Dan Adams almost arrests her when he finds her in the liquor store after hours. But when he recognizes her as the younger sister of one of his best friends in high school, all bets are off.

Dan no longer sees Mack as his friend’s little sister-he is attracted to her beauty, tenacity, and desire to keep moving forward despite having endured a painful divorce. Dan and Mack get closer physically and emotionally the more time they spend together. But he fears that his job will take precedence over their relationship, and his efforts to rid his community of the presence of illegal drugs seems to get in the way of his budding romance with Mack.

Fast-paced and alluring, McNally’s latest is the perfect weekend read for fans of sizzling hot romance complete with a healthy dose of mystery