I have never read a story by this author before but this was delightful story that pulled me from the beginning and I could not stop reading it once I started. Lovely story.

This book just really didn't do it for me. I didn't feel the chemistry between the main characters and quite honestly, I found the book a little depressing.

This is the story of Deep River, Alaska - a town that was founded for everyone who didn't have any other place to go (which was honestly depressing in its own way). Hope, the proprietor of the only bar in town, is a lonely 31 year old with a mentally unstable and resentful mother. Her mother is resentful because she was kept in this town after she became pregnant out of wedlock and the entire town judged her for it. And Hope is so lonely and isolated living in this town - she has no one for companionship after her two best friends moved away when they were all 18. Both of the guy friends moved away and joined the military and then decided to start a piloting business in Juneau. After one of them died, the other friend (who had always been in love with Hope) returned to Deep River to inform the town of their friend's will.

Seeing Silos again made Hope realize that she is so very lonely and she hasn't fulfilled any of her dreams (see the world, go to college, etc.). She is completely stuck in this little town (as this is mentioned over and over again). Will Silos decide to stay in Hope River (even though he vowed at age 18 never to return)? Will Hope finally be happy in Deep River or will she leave and try college?

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

This is a new author to me and I was intrigued by the setting and the synopsis of the book. I found it to be a slow read that just seemed to be all about conflict from the first page. Took me awhile to get into it and then it was just not that interesting of a book.

I have mixed feelings about this book but I think part of that is that I have had so much going on in my life, I couldn’t take the time to get immersed in this story. So for me, it dragged a bit in the beginning. It had a hard time keeping my interest....my problem, not the books. I really enjoy Ms. Ashenden’s writing and have enjoyed her other books. Hope and Silas have an interesting but complicated relationship. I actually thought the last third of this book was very good. I really enjoyed meeting the characters of the small town, and I’m glad we will get more books about it so they can develop further. A small town romance that ended up being really fun to read.

Small town romance meets Ashenden alpha males… a real treat!

I’ve been in a reading slump. I mean it. Tropes and authors that normally appeal to me aren’t doing the job and I find myself struggling to read books that I signed up to review. Not that the books are bad, but I’m starting and stopping (a not normal for me).

So, cracking open Ashenden’s new book in a small-town romance series I expected much of the same. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. This one I couldn’t put down. It features an alpha male, because that’s what Ashenden does best, coming back home to his small town and the best friend he left behind thirteen years prior. Lots of potential for conflict here and Ashenden makes the most of it, like she always does. But, I won’t spend a bunch of time waxing poetic on the author, let’s get to the meat.

Silas Quinn is ex-military, rough and rugged male specimen of the deep-seated emotions and piercing green eye variety. In a word – HAWT! Silas is not the typical alpha male because when he feels things, he feels them deeply. He’s had a rough life, left his small town after both parents died (some big issues there) and followed his best friend into the military. That best friend is gone and Silas has inherited the small town he grew up in from said friend (it’s a lot to unpack, but worth the travel luggage). But wait… I mentioned a best friend to lovers’ trope. This was a trio of friends. Silas, buddy Cal, and Hope Dawson (the one who stayed behind).

Hope Dawson always wanted to have a life beyond Deep River, Alaska, but when her grandfather passed on she took over caring for her mother and her grandfather’s bar. She’s all banked fire and sass without any dreams left since they’ve been smothered by responsibilities and doing what she thought she had to for others. Hope resonated with me because I know what a little bit about setting aside dreams and plans for responsibilities.

So what else grabbed me? From the moment Silas and Hope share the page the tension is overwhelming enough I needed to turn on the fan. The buildup is at first slow, but quickly heats amid Silas and Hope navigating a precarious situation that centers around Deep River and the possibility of oil beneath the town. I quickly became invested in seeing if Silas, who’s trying to ditch the town and go back to his life, and Hope, who is wrestling with her own inner wants and demons, can find a way to save the town and be together.

The town itself is an added plus. There is a whole extra cast of characters that liven up the page, from the reluctant mayor-slash-librarian, to Mal the owner of the town store that sells anything a person could ever want. I fell in love with Deep River and started wondering if the temperatures are comfortable enough for shorts, based on the book cover. There was only one hiccup for me… there’s a few unresolved issues between Silas and his other town owners. See, Cal gave the town to Silas and two other friends. One of the friends, Damon, appears in the story, and there seems to be extra set up there for more books. I did not enjoy how Silas seems to ignore his entire life, and Damon once he gets to Deep River and at the very end we get one little scene that’s supposed to make up for it.

Overall, if you like small town romance and alpha males with hearts then Come Home To Deep River is definitely worth a read. I’m looking forward to seeing how this series plays out. Ashenden is making Alaska look mighty appealing.

~ Landra

Jackie Ashenden is a new author to me. I've never read her before. I always love trying new authors and small-town romances are some of my favorites. So finding someone new is always a thrill for me.

What really drew me to the book was the fact that it's set in Alaska. The idea of small-town Alaska is something I'm into right now. It might be because of the heatwave we've been dealing with so thinking of cooler weather is a draw but I also think it's because you don't have a ton of romance there. More so now but it's still not a state we hit often.

There are many things I really liked about this new series by Ashenden. The characters you meet are intriguing enough that you'll want some of their stories and the town seems nice if not a little small even for a small-town romance. I also wish that a few more people were introduced so that you got a better picture of the town too.

I liked both Hope and Silas. I understood why both of them couldn't wait to leave the town they grew up in and I also understood why Hope couldn't.

You'll enjoy how they come together and figure out how they feel about each other. It's slow going but a good build-up. One that leaves you feels complete.

I did like this story and would like to try more of this author and see if by the second book I can get into this town more.

Come Home to Deep River by Jackie Ashenden is the first book in a series about the Alaskan town of Deep River. While she is not a new author, this is the first of her books I have read and look to be a newer direction for her. Deep River is difficult to get to and does not offer many opportunities to young people. Interestingly the town is owned by one person and the people who live there, rent or lease the land with mineral rights. The people who live there are independent and very individualistic in their views.

We meet Silas Quinn (one of the new owners and a prior resident) who came into town to share the news about how he is now one of the owners AND there seems to be oil under the town. The information he offers gives as many opinions as there are people. Silas spends time with people looking for a solution for consensus.

Meanwhile Hope Dawson could never leave Deep River. She wanted to get an English degree and travel to different places. Instead she has ended up taking care of her mother and running her grandfather’s bar. Silas always had a crush on her and she found his presence unsettling.

The storyline is somewhat predictable when it comes to Hope and Silas, but it is one you want to happen. The people of the town and the growth that Hope and Silas need is interesting and helps the story become more interesting. The book moved right along and I liked the ending of the novel with all the interesting characters. Come Home to Deep River by Jackie Ashenden was a good read.

Come Home to Deep River is without a doubt my favorite book written by Jackie Ashenden. I was thrilled to find that it is the first in the new Alaskan Series. It is a coming home, second chance story that has likable characters. Neither Hope Dawson nor Silas Quinn are touchy, feely, bubbly kind of characters but they fit the Alaskan landscape perfectly. Years ago I was able to go to Alaska, heard many stories of the people, visit several small towns there, some even smaller than Deep River. The people of Deep River, including Hope and Silas are just those kind of people.

Come Home to Deep River is a love story but one that is also of regrets, recovery, and realizations. Shattered dreams, unfulfilled longs and ghosts that refuse to stay buried haunt many people. Hope and Silas face theirs in this story which is wonderful to read. The plot is interesting with a real town problem and the romance simmers then suddenly it boils over. Well done from beginning when Silas flies in to Deep River to the end when one of his partners make an appearance.

4.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Silas is going back after 13 years to his hometown in the tiny tiny Alaska town- Deep River. He left Hope is best friend all this time there- as she took over running the bar and helping her mom. You get the fact that the chemistry is flowing out of both of them before they seem to understand it all. This is a great old friends to lovers and second chance romance. Had some good steam with it. You will root for the both of them to get to their HEA. .
I really wanted a bit more about this town and more side characters that went a little deeper, I'm sure they will come back into play in the series but I would have like a couple of them to be more into the book. Phil is a good example or the Mayor. Also, how Silas was dealing with the business and friends was a bit odd- so will be interesting to see how that all plays out.

Overall, 3.5 stars and 4 steam

The first in a new series this book takes us deep in Alaska to a small town called Deep River.

Silas is the first if three friends to come to Deep River after inheriting all the land it stands on.... and in doing that runs into the love of his life (who he never told) running the only pub in town.

Obviously it doesn't run smoothly but eventually they both get on the same page and with one of Si's business partners turning up at the end of the book it's a reasonable guess he is up next... and I can't wait to see how he finds Deep River

Hope Dawson is more than content in the small town of Deep River, Alaska. Her grandfather has died and she now runs the local hangout. While it is true that her once craved dream of leaving Deep River and going to college is now put on the back burner, she intends to make the best of things. There is another reason Hope feels that she must stay, and that it to be there for her emotionally unstable mother. What will she do when Silas Quinn returns to town with news that might be that key to her college dream and freedom?

Silas Quinn arrives to tell the members of the struggling town that oil has been found below. If they sell, they can make a ton of money. Some want to sell, some don't want the town changed in any way, so the money means absolutely nothing to them.

Si and Hope share a past. Actually, yeas ago Hope liked Si's brother, so the pair were only friends, best friends. Will Si's presence now give them a chance at exploring things? Hope has a lot to consider, especially since Si might upset the peace of the small town. Will they be able to bury the wounds of the past in order to find a future together? Meanwhile, Si has his life to consider, including that of the business he is involved in with his best friend Caleb. How can he even think of acting on their shared attraction when he has no intention of staying?

Come Home to Deep River is the enjoyable first book in the promising Alaska Homecoming
series. I look forward to the next book. I imagine that Caleb will get his story. I love stories with an Alaskan setting and this book by Jackie Ashenden does not disappoint.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

An engrossing and entertaining story that made me root for the characters and smile.
I liked the descriptions of the small town life even if some details seemed a bit weird to me. The characters are fleshed out and the romance is sweet.
It's a good summer read and I recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Come Home to Deep River by Jackie Ashenden.
Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Jackie Ashenden for the ARC e book to review.
This book revolves round Silas and Hope. Silas left Deep River when he was 18 and didn’t return but now, he has to due to circumstances that not only affect him but the town of Deep River in general.
The first person he wants to and does see when he returns is Hope, his childhood friend. To say that he doesn’t get the welcome he wants is true. However, he manages to get her to give her 5 minutes of her time and explains why he has come back. She is shocked and agrees to help him do what has to be done and help the town make the right decision for the town as a whole. As can be expected there are those in the town who want to progress (or what they see as progression) and others who want the town to stay as is. As Silas and Hope work together they both learn more about each other and how they feel about the town they grew up in. The book has been left wide enough open for there may be to be a sequel – I hope so as I want to know what happens next.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

This story set the small Alaskan town of Deep River, centers around Hope Dawson and Silas Quinn. At one time Hope and Silas were an item, but he left to join the military while she stayed.
Now he’s back thirteen years later with two buddies, as they have inherited the town. But his return has the town taking sides. Will what he proposes finally give Hope a chance to leave the town? But in the end, is that what she wants, when it means she’ll be the one leaving Silas and the town behind?
I have to confess that I found the story slow moving and drawn out, not allowing me to be totally engaged in the story. In addition to that , I never warmed up to Hope .
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

I read this book in 24 hours. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! I loved the connection Silas and Hope had at every interaction and the small town politics of Deep River. There were some deep rooted issues within both characters that takes them majority of the book too work through but once they do it is so worth the wait. This is my first book by Jackie Ashenden and I look forward too following her writing from here

Will appear at Romance Reviews Today soon: http://romrevtoday.com/

COME HOME TO DEEP RIVER – Jackie Ashenden
Alaska Homecoming, Book 1
Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1728216867
July 28, 2020
Contemporary Romance

Deep River, Alaska – Present Day

Silas Quinn had been raised in Deep River, but he left as soon as he became an adult, vowing to never return. However, when his close friend, Caleb West, who owned the town, died unexpectedly, it’s left to Silas, as well as breaking the news to the town’s inhabitants about a previously unknown oil reserve that sits beneath the town. He doesn’t want to “own” a town and comes up with an idea on how to help him divest without uprooting the people who live there. Silas arrives in Deep River and goes in search of the one person who can help him with his plans: Hope Dawson.

Hope and Silas were once friends, but after he left town, she felt abandoned, especially since she was secretly attracted to him. Hope is managing the bar that was left to her mother, Angela, by her grandfather. Hope would have left town years ago, but felt compelled to remain to assist her mother, who has mental problems. When Silas walks into the bar, she is stunned to see him and also resentful. Why is he back? After he explains about the will and the oil, Hope is told by Silas that he wants her to run the town. She isn’t sure she can, especially if selling the lease on the bar would give her and her mother enough money to finally leave town.

The long-ago friendship between Silas and Hope soon turns into a mutual attraction. He only plans to be in town a week at most, so a quick fling is all that he can offer her. Hope is not only conflicted about her feelings for Silas, namely why he left town all those years ago, but also whether she wants to help him now. Meanwhile, Silas and Hope must let the townspeople know what is going on, which soon turns into a sudden need when a mystery man starts calling folks in town about selling their businesses to him. Silas has kept the news about the oil reserves secret, but does someone know and is trying to gain an upper hand? If the oil is tapped, then it affects the town’s future to survive.

Hope is reluctant at first to have sex with Silas. She isn’t the jump into bed type, plus she is aware that he will be leaving soon. His arrival and news about the town has left her shocked and unsure of what to do. But it is her that he has turned to, so she feels she has to listen to him and help however she can. Deep River’s remoteness along Alaska’s southern coast has left the economy stagnant. Silas has some ideas to help them draw in the tourists, but it is dependent on them not touching the oil beneath the town. Meanwhile, the attraction between Silas and Hope grows hotter, until they can no longer keep their hands off each other. At the end of the week, will he walk away and leave her—a second time?

COME HOME TO DEEP RIVER is Jackie Ashenden’s first book in her Alaska Homecoming series. The sensual and emotional tale will pull readers into the drama between Hope and Silas, as well as wondering what will happen with the town. If you love a sexy and poignant romance about friends reuniting and becoming lovers, then don’t miss COME HOME TO DEEP RIVER.

Patti Fischer

I've been eagerly awaiting a chance to read Come Home to Deep River, the first book in Jackie Ashenden's Alaska Homecoming series because she hasn't disappointed me yet, nor did she in this contemporary, friends to lovers, second chance romance novel with a deep sense of place, well-drawn characters with real history, real depth, and deeply conflicted emotions, and it gets 4.5 stars from this reader.

Silas Quinn, who was born and raised in Deep River, a tiny, remote town in the Alaskan wilderness, left it for a military career 13 years ago and hasn't been back since. Now, he and a couple of his former military buddies own a private airplane charter company based in Juneau, but an accident ended the life of Caleb West, his best friend, whose family founded and owned the town of Deep River, which eventually was passed down to Caleb. Surprisingly, when Caleb's will was read, instead of leaving Deep River to his sister, the current town police chief, Caleb left it to Silas and the remaining two friends and partners in the charter company. The friends wanted no part of it, and Silas doesn't either, and his plans for what to do with the town, and the rich oil reserves Caleb discovered there and told no one about, form the background and plot of this story, but there's more.

Silas and Caleb had a third friend who was born and raised in Deep River, Hope Dawson, who had a serious crush on Caleb and who was devastated when he and Caleb planned to leave her and Deep River behind. Silas was as deeply in love with Hope as a young man can be, but never let on because it was clear that Hope preferred Caleb, and when Caleb didn't seem to care, Silas offered to stay in town, but young Hope told him to go and was devastated when she never, in the ensuing 13 years, heard from him, although Caleb had been back a few times before his untimely death.

Since neither Caleb' sister, Silas nor his buddies want to stay in Deep River, a proviso of town ownership, he's decided to sign over the town to the person there he trusts the most, Hope, who is now running the only watering hole in town, The Happy Moose, which was passed down to her fragile mother upon her grandfather's untimely death, which occurred when he tried to rescue Silas' drunken father who'd fallen in the river. As I said at the outset, not only do these characters have history, they have deeply felt guilt, angst, and deep emotions about the town, its future, and about each other. Hope has had both bitterness and regret at being left behind by her two best friends. Her mother's fragile psyche was her reason for giving up her own dreams of leaving for college, a career and travel, and to say she isn't really happy to see Silas after all these years and to learn what he plans to dump on her shoulders and return to Juneau ASAP is putting it mildly. She also cannot ignore her attraction to her gorgeous former best friend, who has kept his feelings for her a secret all along, but do these two characters ever generate a lot of heat when they aren't sniping at each other, as they decide on a no-commitment, short-term, sex-only relationship. for the duration of Silas' visit

When Silas and Hope aren't otherwise occupied with each other, they need to find a way to let everyone in town, which is and has been operated on a leasehold basis, that they are sitting on a fortune in oil, and to find a way to come to terms with the promise of wealth and what it will mean for this small town and its inhabitants, how it will change the town's hundred plus year history, the environmental impact of drilling for oil, and the changes that will come if some decide to take the money the oil company is offering and run, are the thread that runs through this complicated story, and there are plenty of decisions and deeper emotions to come, for both main characters and for everyone else in town.

How will it all turn out? Having found each other again after 13 years, will Silas fly off and leave Hope behind again? Will Hope see the oil money and her chance at wealth as the opportunity to finally leave town and pursue her dreams? What will the townspeople decide to do? To find the answers to these questions, you'll need to read this well-written, deeply emotional, steamy and intriguing novel yourself, since I don't do spoilers. I will, however, tell you that there is indeed an HEA ending to this story, which was my only issue with the book, since I felt it came far too abruptly at the very end of this novel, which I thought was otherwise an excellent, and moving read, and which I highly recommend. Frankly, I am looking forward to seeing more of Deep River and it's characters in the future.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

There were a lot of ups and downs for me in this story, but overall I enjoyed the read. I found the world building to be intriguing. The way and reason this small Alaska town is founded lends itself to some interesting characters and scenarios. One of my favorites being the townspeople electing residents as mayor as a kind of punk. It’s an actual running gag to elect people as mayor who don’t want to be mayor. I don’t know what it says about me that I found that delightful.

For the most part, I liked the hero Silas. He was hurt years ago by Hope, even if she didn’t realize how deeply her rejection affected him. For his part, he also hurt Hope by leaving their small town and, in her mind, never looking back. Of course, the rejection and along with other bad memories kept him away. But from where she was standing, her two best friends abandoned her for greener pastures. What bothered me is that she seemed to have so much animosity toward Silas where she was still friendly with Cal. And he was the one who rejected her all those years ago. While I understood the root of her reasons, it bothered me that she didn’t realize for a very long time that she was even doing it. So it took me quite a bit longer to warm up to Hope.

Hope’s mom is a catalyst for many realizations that Hope has, but that woman is horrible. I think, on some level, the reader is meant to have some sort of sympathy for her by the end of the book. I can’t, though. This woman is NOT a good mother. I get mental health issues, I’ve had depression issues myself. If this woman had truly gotten help and was on the other end of things she would not allow her daughter to continue blaming herself for everything. It left me feeling sad for Hope and an all-around icky feeling that everyone seemed to make excuses for the woman.

When it came to the actual love story part of this book, I liked the progression. Best friends, secret feelings, years apart, instant sparks after years apart, the inevitable giving in to their feelings. Hope and Silas do have good chemistry and I enjoyed most of their interactions. My issues with this story had nothing to do with the core romance of the book.

Silas did not act as I would expect an adult man to act toward his business partners. We only really meet one of them, and he was not very understanding to Silas so it was extremely hard for me to imagine them as being best friends and buddies who went through some much together over the last 13 years. I already mentioned my issues with Hope’s mom. And where the heck is Cal’s sister. The only law enforcement in the whole town, during this very uncertain time. So, like I said in the beginning, ups and downs. It’s worth a read if you’re a fan of small-town romance, though. It also made me curious enough about why Cal did what he did and what’s going on with Damon to want to read the next story.

Hope inherited the Happy Moose saloon in Deep River, Alaska from her grandfather. Silas aka SI just inherited the town (well, all the land underneath of the businesses etc) from his friend Cal and he's come back to figure out what to do now that he knows there's oil there. Si and Hope loved one another once (when they were kids) but he left and she stayed behind to care for her family, giving up a lot of dreams along the way. Now he's back and the two of them- well- what will they do? Ah. This is less about the issue of the oil - although it's what propels the story and offers options for the various people in town (including Hope) than it is about the second chance romance. There's a bit of steam too. This is a nice set up novel for what I hope will be a series of interconnected romances- it's got a great setting and some fun characters. Ashenden has a nice storytelling style that pulls you in. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. A good read on a hot pandemic day inside.

This book was suggested to me because I’m a long time fan and reader of Sharon Sala. This book is similar to Sala’s Blessings series, but set in the wilds of Alaska— a place I’ve always wanted to go— even more now that I’ve read this book. This is my first time reading this author, and I was very pleased. I liked the story and characters, and will definitely read the next book when it comes. Highly recommended!