A story of family, finding a place to belong, greed and power, Come Home to Deep River is a good start to Alaska Homecoming. I enjoyed the premise of the story and the characters and look forward to reading more of this series.

The blurb got me with talk of second chance romance and it is described as bold and sexy. The hero returns to his hometown after he has inherited it from his bestie. He is also returning to the woman he left behind. There is a huge subplot about oil being discovered in the town and how that was going to impact the residents. It took up so much page time. Too much page time. I got bored and skipped to the last chapter. I didn’t feel like I missed anything, so I labeled the book as read and moved on.

Heartwarming, fun and action packed journey filled with exciting and engaging charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists and emotional turns. Was a great read from beginning to end. Highly entertaining.

Jackie Ashenden hits it out of the park with her poignant, charming and oh so sexy small town contemporary romance, Come Home to Deep River.

There is nowhere in the world quite like Deep River, Alaska. A place where misfits, rebels and eccentrics
congregate and make a new life for themselves, Deep River, Alaska is a place that gets under your skin and into your soul. Some of its inhabitants cannot imagine living anywhere else; others thought that they would never set foot there ever again and that is certainly the case for ex-army veteran Silas Quinn. Still recovering from the shock that best friend Caleb is dead, the shocks just kept on coming for Silas when alongside his two other best buds he discovered that he had been left a share in the privately owned town of Deep River. Silas never thought that he would be going back – and he certainly never thought that he would be going back with Caleb – especially as Hope Dawson, the woman he has never quite managed to forget, still lives there and still runs the local bar…

Hope never imagined that she would still be living in Deep River after all these years. As a young girl, she dreamt of leaving the small town behind and seeing the world and having her fair share of wild adventures – until reality intervened. Family commitments and responsibilities had precluded Hope from making her dreams of escaping to the big city a reality and she had had no other choice but to settle down in the only place she has ever known. Although she isn’t living the life she had planned for herself, Hope is reasonably content with her lot in life – until a face from the past returns who brings with him a whole host of emotions and feelings which she thought long buried and forgotten…

Fate has brought the two of them together after all this time and neither Hope nor Silas can deny the fact that they are drawn to one another. Succumbing to temptation proves inevitable and the more time Hope and Silas spend together, the more they realise that their feelings for one another are giving way to something far deeper than they ever imagined. Silas’ return back to Deep River has reawakened Hope’s dreams of seeking a better future elsewhere and although Silas holds the key to starting a new chapter away from the small town she was born in, Hope cannot help but wonder whether choosing to leave Deep River behind might end up meaning also leaving behind the one man who has come to mean the world to her.

Will Hope and Silas find a way to be happy together? Or is their love simply not meant to be?

A dramatic and emotional contemporary romance about love lost and found, healing from the past and second chances, Come Home to Deep River is a heart-warming page-turner written with plenty of humor and heart. Jackie Ashenden is a talented writer who has written an enjoyable and poignant tale that has me eagerly anticipating the next instalment in her Deep River series.

I enjoyed this small town romance with an unrequited love theme. It's an interesting setting - an isolated Alaskan town where the residents all moved there to find a new place to belong. That idea gets thrown for a loop when it's discovered that there is oil under the town that could forever change the way of life for the people there. Silas and Hope were friends with a third member of their teenaged circle, Caleb, who has recently passed away, and left control of the town and the knowledge about the oil to Silas. Hope had stayed in the small town while Caleb and Silas went off to the see the world and resents that Silas feels he can just waltz back in as if nothing had changed. Silas and Hope have a lot of unresolved feelings to work through before they can get their happy ending. Parts of the story were a bit slow and it took me a while to warm up to the characters, so I don't think it's Jackie's best work but I'll be interested to see what happens in the next in the series. 3.5 stars.

Review has been uploaded to Amazon.

‘Come Home to Deep River‘ begins the ‘Alaskan Homecoming‘ series by introducing a tiny, bitty town in Alaska that has traditionally been populated by misfits, those who don’t fit anywhere else and are quite content in this town that is actually owned. But things are about to change in Deep River as Silas returns home after more than a decade with news that will change some lives, perhaps pit neighbor against a best friend – and revisit a friendship that has the chance to turn into so much more if he and Hope allow it to.

In many ways ‘Come Home to Deep River‘ is a second chance to get it right romance between Hope and Silas – trouble is, that pesky past and decisions that were made are going to give them a rocky start to their romance. There is oil under the town. Good news. Bad news. For not everyone wants the same thing for themselves or the town at large. But there is freedom as well in that underground liquid gold, something that Hope had given up ever experiencing. Feeling trapped by her inheritance of the local hangout and the care of her mother, Hope gave up her dreams once. Now she may have to make a choice between a dream and the future she really wants.

I enjoyed Hope and Silas’ story. There is world building, I expected that yet the story moved slowly for me. There were so many times that I wanted just a bit more… and that held me back from loving this one. Yet, the parts that I missed finding in this first story, I may find in the next as the series grows. So, yes, I enjoyed this one and I’ll wait to see what comes next.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I've been to Alaska once on a cruise but have always been intrigued by the environment and wildlife. This book will give you a little peek into the possibilities of a small town in Alaska.

The town is different from any I have heard about, one person actually owns all of the land, and everyone leases from the owner.  However, the leaseholders have more rights than normal tenants including mineral rights to that oil that was discovered.  Silas, as the new owner, has to figure out what he is going to do.  Will he stay in his hometown, or find someone to take over and let him leave?

I enjoyed the story and the banter between Hope and Silas.  She never left Deep River because of her mother and while she has been content, she did give up some dreams like attending college and obtaining a literature degree.  Plus she has looked out for her mother for the last thirteen years after her grandfather passed away since her mother has some mental health issues.  Silas left to enter the military but never came back.  Was it his love for Hope or something else?  The answer is probably a little bit of several things.

There was a minor character that I just found intriguing, Filthy Phil.  He wasn't dirty, as in unclean, it has to do with something that he said and the nickname stuck. However, he is a reader and he made a comment about he let the librarian pick out his books but he wanted the potential sex scenes to not behind closed doors. He said he was 75, not dead.  I think he would be a hoot to know.  The Mayor, Astrid, is also an undeveloped character, but I can see her becoming the focus in a future book and actually wonder if she might be the main character along with Silas' buddy, Damon.  I'm also curious about Mal who owns the store where everyone does the shopping and has the best internet connection in town.

The story between Hope and Silas is familiar, but I enjoyed watching them come into their own and move past what happened 13 years ago. It takes time and nothing is forgiven overnight, but it happens.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and we give it 4 paws up.

Come Home to Deep River is a small town, friends to lovers romance set in Deep River, Alaska.
I was drawn to the cover and the synopsis sounded quite intriguing. Whilst I liked the hero and heroine, and they had undeniable chemistry, I felt they both lacked depth.
Hope lives a very isolated life, running her family’s bar. She’s loyal, hardworking and feels trapped by her life.
Silas grew up in Deep River, but left to join the military and hasn’t returned for thirteen years. He’s a brooding, hero with his fair share of demons.
I honestly didn’t love this story, but I did enjoy the quirky side characters, but also found elements of the plot to be quite repetitive.

My thoughts
Rating: 4
Would I recommend it? Yes
Would I read more of this series? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
First off I want to thank Sourcebooks Casablanca as well as NetGalley for inviting me to read and review it. Because with out them I wouldn't haven found a other romance series I can't wait to read more of . And one of the things I loved about it was how the author created a great setting in the town and the characters who lived there.And how she showed their love for the town. Other than I loved was how the characters was and are hesitant, troubled, and reliable. And the plot is a hopeful tale of life, love, loss, drama, family, friendship, community, forgiveness, acceptance, trust, self-reflection, taking chances, and finding happiness.

I loved the cover of this book and that's about where it stopped. I thought it was a cute idea, it was just a little boring for me.

Come Home to Deep River was an excellent read featuring a childhood friends to lovers romance set in a charming small town.

After the death of his best friend, Silas Quinn finds himself co-owner of his home town Deep River, Alaska. And as one of the new owners, it's up to Silas to inform the townspeople that an oil reserve has been found beneath the town. With that much money on the line, people quickly turn on each other with some people wanting the payout and others wanting to save the town they call home. For Hope Dawson, it's the chance at the life she could never have. But with Silas's return to town, leaving means she misses out on the one person she's always wanted.

Silas left Deep River years ago thinking he would never come back. It was interesting watching Silas struggle with readjusting to life in Deep River and watching his opinion on leaving again slowly shift. A large part of the reason for the shift is his becoming reconnected to Hope, but I liked that she wasn't the entire reason. Hopes circumstances in life meant she was unlikely to ever leave Deep River. With her grandfather dying and leaving her to run his bar to her mother being unable to care for herself, Hope has deep ties keeping her at home. With the possibility of finally being able to leave though, Hope has a hard time dealing with what it would mean for her to be able to start over. Watching Hope wrestle with her entire world turning upside down was hard to watch as she genuinely doesn't know how to take something for herself for the first time in her life.

When Silas and Hope reconnect, their relationship gets off to a rocky start. Hope harbors resentment for the fact Silas never once contacted her after he left town despite the fact they were best friends. But for Silas, believing Hope would never feel for him the way he did her, he stayed away trying to put Hope out of his mind. Both Silas and Hope are wary to trust one another again, so I liked the way they slowly resumed their friendship, rebuilding that trust. The attraction between the two builds quickly and I loved when the dynamics in their relationship changed. Their chemistry is wonderful and once they finally give into their attraction, the scenes are quite steamy. Ultimately I liked the way the author dealt with their opposing views on staying/leaving and it was nice the way they worked everything out.

The plot of what will happen to the town after the oil news is made public was an interesting one. The potential for a great deal of money is a tempting offer for a lot of the residents and I was curious how the main characters would try to convince people to stick with the town instead. Overall I liked the way the storyline was handled and I thought the solution was a creative one. I'm definitely curious to see how the decision plays out throughout the rest of the series.

Overall Come Home to Deep River was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the release of book two in the series, Deep River Promise, next year. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a great small town romance.

A sweet Alaskan romance set in a weird but wonderful town with weird and wonderful backup characters. Unfortunately, I didn't actually feel the same about the leads - they were a little lukewarm and the pace of the novel was a bit too slow for my taste. It was an "okay" read, but not my favourite.

I was not prepared to read so different side of Jackie Ashenden, after always reading about strong alphas heroes- although Silas is not weak, but he is a paler version of the others. Silas is going to make a ruckus in his hometown which will change lives from everyone, especially Hopes. Hope was not prepared for the news or feelings which explodes when her former best friend comes back in town. Silas comeback real changes everything.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

I have been a fan of Jackie Ashenden's books ever since I read her 9 Circles series. She is a very talented writer and Come Home to Deep River is a good example why. Her books very in heat and intensity and this Alaska Homecoming series is definitely one of her lighter stories. Yes there is depth to the story but much less angst then some of her other books. Silas hasn't been back to Deep River since he joined the military with his friend Caleb. Now its been a dozen years and Caleb has passed away and handed over ownership of the town to Silas and their other two friends much to their surprise. So Silas returns to settle the matter with the town and in doing so he needs to reconnect with the girl that he and Caleb left behind. Hope always wanted to leave Deep River and explore the world but life had other plans for her. To say that she isn't pleased to see Silas after not hearing from him in a dozen years is apparent to everyone including Silas. They have to work together though because Silas doesn't plan on staying and Hope is an integral part of his plans for the town. They also have more issues and that involves that Caleb discovered that there is oil reserves under Deep River. Oil means money and money usually brings good and bad to people. Add to all of this the deep attraction between Silas and Hope that has been simmering for years and neither one is sure what to do about it! I really enjoyed this small quirky town and I love a good second chance as well! Come Home to Deep River was told from dual POV and I am looking forward to reading more about its residents and their future!

5 STARS for Come Home to Deep River by Jackie Ashenden ( Alaska Homecoming #1 ) ARC received from Netgalley & publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own & have not been influenced in any way. I think the best part of being totally immersed in a book is wanting to be part of it ! I could see myself living in the fictional small town of Deep River, Alaska !! Ms. Ashenden does an amazing job writing this small town , second chance romance ( mixed with fren-emies to lovers storyline ) I just want to take a minute to comment on the beautiful book cover ! For me it’s like a scene right out of Deep River ! It’s peaceful , soothing and beautiful to look at - just like I imagine Alaska to be - my bucket list trip someday as well !! Silas Quinn comes back to Deep RIver after years in the military , 13 yrs away from his hometown and also years away from the women he could never forget Hope Dawson. Hope stayed behind when her two best friends Silas & Caleb left - she manages The Happy Moose the local bar that has been in her family for generations. Caleb West’s death leaves the town in Silas’s hands the fact that there is oil beneath the town could change everything ! It’s still a small town where everyone knows and is into each other’s business. So when Hope & Silas cross paths and the sparks ⚡️ 🔥 start flying everyone is going to know !! This book is everything I look for in a romance - checking all my boxes & more : Awesome main characters , secondary characters & I’ll even say quirky one of a kind characters ( Filthy Phil lol 😂) A strong heroine who speaks her mind & is not afraid to use her voice to speak up Great small town setting .... Is it best to stay or go when things get slightly difficult ... This is a great lesson for all of us - don’t let fear or being afraid of a situation hold you back from what you want whether that’s pursuing an education , owning a small town , career change or even a chance at true love ! This is going to be a terrific series ! Come Home to Deep River is a complete standalone ! I highly recommend this book and author ! Phenomenal read !!!

Come Home to Deep River by Jackie Ashenden is the First book in the Alaska Homecoming Series. This is the story of Hope Dawson and Silas Quinn. Hope, Cal and Silas at one time were young friends in their small town of Deep River, Alaska, but Cal joined the military and Silas was right behind him in joining. This left Hope in that small town, although she had dreams of getting away too but she ended up staying to help her family. Now in their present day, Silas is back with news that the town has a oil reserve around it and that he has inherited from Cal. Hope really just wanted Silas for her forever happiness...will this be their second chance at love? Enjoyed this book and this author's writing.

Come Home to Deep River cute, sweet and heartwarming. It was also a struggle to read because of how slow paced it was. I am however intrigued by Damon so I'll probably read the next book in the series.

COME HOME TO DEEP RIVER is the first instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult ALASKA HOMECOMING erotic, romance series focusing on the men and women of Deep River, Alaska. This is former US soldier and pilot Silas Quinn, and bar owner Hope Dawson’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Hope and Silas) COME HOME TO DEEP RIVER follows the rebuilding friendship and relationship between former US soldier and pilot Silas Quinn, and bar owner Hope Dawson. Thirteen years earlier Silas Quinn, along with his best friend Caleb West, swore never to return to Deep River but with Caleb’s death came the ownership of the town of Deep River, owned by the West family for close to one hundred years, now passed on to our hero, and his friends Damon and Zeke. Silas’ return to Deep River brought with it too many memories of a time long ago including the rejection of the woman that stole his heart. Enter bar owner Hope Dawson and the woman with whom Silas is still in love. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Hope and Silas, and the potential fall-out as the town of Deep River sits on a field of oil, a field that the Big Oil companies are hoping to own.

Silas Quinn left Deep River, Alaska a broken man-with the death of his mother, his father fell deep into a years long drunken stupor, and his eventual demise forced Silas to face the an awful truth. With only one reason to remain in Deep River, Hope’s rejection of our hero pushed Silas over the edge, swearing never to return to the land he once loved. With Damon and Zeke, Silas owned and operated a business in Juneau, business from which Damon is currently trying to let go. Hope Dawson once believed she was in love with Silas’ best friend but his rejection was heart breaking and pained. Having remained in Deep River to keep an eye on her mother, Hope had always wondered about moving on and out of the town she continues to call home.

The relationship between Hope and Silas is one of second chances, of a sorts, between former friends whose unrequited love for one another has never been acknowledged. Thirteen years hardened Hope’s heart to the man with whom she would fall in love but thirteen years also brought memories from a time long ago The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to many of the townies of Deep River Alaska including Hope’s mother Angela, bartender Axel ; ferry operator Kevin Anderson; general store owner Malcolm Cooper; tourism operator Sandy; mayor Astrid James; and wannabe luxury motel owner Mike Flint. We are also introduced to Silas’ partner Damon.

COME HOME TO DEEP RIVER is a story of family, friendships, relationships and love; power, money and greed and control. The fast paced premise is engaging and entertaining; the romance is captivating; the characters are energetic, colorful and charismatic.


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Come Home to Deep River was a great escape for me this summer! Hope and Silas were likable characters and I enjoyed their relationship. The town of Deep River is the kind of small town I like to read about. This was a great start to a new series and I am looking forward to more of Alaska Homecoming.

Come Home to Deep River starts a new Alaskan contemporary series from Jackie Ashenden. It is an okay book, but not a page turner by any means and I seriously doubt I’ll continue the series. I’m not sure if it is because this is the first book in the series and she’s trying to set up the whole series, but this book seemed drawn out and at times boring. I didn’t connect with any of the characters including Silas and Hope.
The idea of a town that was settled for people who felt they didn’t fit in anywhere was intriguing, but it honestly seemed to me that wasn’t truly the case especially with some of the “newcomers” and I couldn’t reconcile that with how things played out. I felt like the story wasn’t cohesive and felt myself laying it aside multiple times because it wasn’t keeping my attention.
The animosity between Silas and Hope at the beginning was expected, but given their childhood friendship I figured they’d get past it quickly but it kind of dragged on until boom, they were going at each other. I didn’t really feel the heat between them and the relationship felt forced.
I’ve enjoyed Ms. Ashenden’s work in the past and while I loved her description of the town and the wilderness that sounds it, the foundation of the town, the quirky way they chose their mayor, but for me the story didn’t work.