I would like to thank Netgalley, SourceBooks Casablanca and Jackie Ashenden for the E ARC of this book. Publication date 26th April 2022.
Isabella is a last-minute substitute for a lady on the party of 3 who are going to the small outback town of Brightwater in New Zealand to spend a minimum of 3 months to try and help save the town.
She has come totally unprepared and it shows. It annoys the man Chase Kelly, who is running the plan to save his town and the two do not get off to the best start. As Isabella gets involved with Beth and Indigo – the two other ladies, who are planning to start businesses in Brightwater, she realises that although she is not going to start a business, she can use her business skills to help get the businesses up and running and developed by using the building set aside for them as an art gallery. Chase is not sold on the idea but as the three ladies explain their plan to him, he agrees to the plan.
Isabella slows opens up to Beth and Indigo and the three become friends, she also makes friends with others in the village and Chase’s daughter Gus. The attraction between Chase and Isabella builds and they have to decide is it worth exploring.
This was a good start to this series and I look forward to reading the next book.

An unusual setting and a sweet story that made me root for the characters. I enjoyed this story and loved the small town atmosphere.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Izzy impulsively joins Bethany and Indigo on a move to Brightwater, New Zealand after she loses her job and his fiance confesses he's in love with someone else. It seems like a good idea- open a gift shop in a small town but none of them knew how small the town really is. Chase , who runs an adventure business is skeptical about the women, especially Izzy, but after a bit, well, sparks fly. It's trope-y to be sure but it's also fun, in part due to the setting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Here's hoping we see follow ups with Bethany and Indigo.

FIND YOUR WAY HOME – Jackie Ashenden

Smalltown Dreams, Book 2

Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 1-978-7282-4731-1

April 26, 2022

Contemporary Romance



Brightwater Valley, New Zealand – Present Day



Isabella “Izzy” Montgomery plans to start over again in New Zealand after seeing her life come apart in Houston, Texas after she lost her job and her fiancé dumped her. Traveling with two women she just met, Beth and Indigo, they plan to help the town bring more tourism to the small, isolated town of Brightwater Valley. The first person they meet when they arrive is Chase Kelly, and he and Izzy immediately rub each other the wrong way. She is determined to be independent and refuses his assistance. Yet, as a stranger in a strange country, Izzy soon realizes that she needs any help that she can get. The tension between Izzy and Chase is off the charts, but are the battles between them because they are attracted to each other?



Chase, like the rest of the town, appreciates the help to bring tourists to the town, but the women, especially Izzy, appear to be out of their element. Izzy refuses to listen to him, yet he can’t help but be pulled toward her. As a single father of a teenage daughter, he doesn’t have time to get involved with a woman, especially one who will probably be leaving. Even as Izzy grows more stubborn, the more Chase finds himself being involved with her. Then, a particularly heated exchange turns into hot kisses…and much more. A fling sounds like the best way to scratch the itch but will it only make the hunger for each other grow?



Jackie Ashenden introduces readers to her latest series, Smalltown Dreams, which is an offshoot of her Deep River, Alaska, series. FIND YOUR WAY HOME is set in the remote mountains of New Zealand, and we are quickly introduced to Izzy, Beth, and Indigo. Each woman is different from the other, but they support one another. It’s the adventure of a lifetime, but one that Izzy never thought would happen to her. She was an oil company executive who got pushed out of her job, and at the same time, her fiancé decided an unemployed woman with no job prospects didn’t make great marriage material. A fresh new start in New Zealand is an offer she couldn’t refuse. Izzy is as pigheaded as they come, which means a few clashes with the equally hardheaded Chase. Yet, beneath the enmity is an attraction. Their sexual chemistry is off the charts.



FIND YOUR WAY HOME is about a woman finding a new life far away from her hometown. Izzy is strong, yet she feels uncertain about her future after having her safe life thrown out the window. Chase has never had the people he cared about stick around, so readers can understand why he is reluctant to get involved with Izzy, a woman who might get tired of the remoteness and return to where she came from. Yet, their romance slowly builds—and flourishes. Readers will enjoy rooting for Izzy and Chase and hope that they get their happily-ever-after. We also get a peek into the future couples as Beth and Indigo’s stories are coming next.



Neither Izzy nor Chase had a good impression of the other, but in FIND YOUR WAY HOME, they discover love and build a future together. Don’t miss this enjoyable tale.



Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

This book was very good. I don't think I have read any of her books before, but I've already downloaded a couple more. The writing is crisp and clear and you can visualize the scenery. This story was about 3 women (Izzy, Beth and Indigo). They came to Brightwater Valley to start a new business. Izzy was a last minute add so she did not know the ladies, but they got along great. This town was dying and badly needed a boost. They had agreed to start a business and stay at least 3 months. I can't see any of them leaving though. There aren't many people in the town but Chase Kelly had gotten some tour busses to come so they needed more things for the people to do if they didn't want to hike, boat, or ride horses. I loved the characters in the story. Chase was so grumpy with most people (except his 12 year old daughter, Gus). Chase and Izzy got on each other's nerves right from the beginning. A perfect way for a romance to start, right?

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Beautiful 😍

What a new start for Izzy!!! Loved Izzy and Chase and all the other secondary characters... A beautiful small town with all interesting people and a well written book.

Looking forward to the next in series!!

On the worst day of Izzy’s life she makes a snap decision. That snap decision has her flying halfway around the world to New Zealand along with Bethany and Indigo. They answered the call from their sister city to help revitalize businesses. Upon arrival in Brightwater Valley they meet Chase Kelly, one hot alpha, who according to Izzy is set out to boss her around. Great cast of secondary characters.

This is my first book by Jackie Ashenden, but it certainly won’t be my last. I am obsessed with her writing and her storytelling, it’s so immersive and beautiful. I am totally captivated by the visual picture she painted of this small New Zealand town and all I wanted to do was visit this place and never leave. Plus, the way she crafts the story between all the characters was so interesting. And knowing that there’s a series set in Alaska definitely means I need to read those books too, right?

Find Your Way Home has a bunch of tropes that I absolutely adore—single dad, small town, enemies to lovers—and all tied together with a healthy splash of ‘it’s just sex’. So obviously I’m all about this book. And then there’s the gorgeous and misplaced city girl, Isabella facing off with the grumpy alpha big man in small town, Chase and this book just injected itself into my soul. Let’s be honest, if you know me well enough you know that enemies to lovers is never my first choice for a romance trope, but I liked this one. It was so gritty. Izzy and Chase spend a good amount of time in the book sniping at each other and they’re complete strangers, so it’s a combination of sexual tension and frustrations over Chase being a bossy man and Izzy being a stubborn woman. It was so fun!

“Maybe I could…be persuaded.”
“I thought you didn’t do casual.”
“I don’t.” She took a breath. “But I could make an exception for you.”

I realised that I haven’t read a lot of ‘it’s just sex’ romances so far this year and I really want more of them. Izzy and Chase have very explosive chemistry that culminates in paying for a hotel room to scratch the itch in a town far away from the small town they’re living in. And that just changes everything about their relationship. I liked the push and pull, Izzy’s constant need to defy Chase and his obvious inability to let Izzy just do her own thing. I don’t always love controlling or bossy alphas, but there was something so charming about Chase that I loved it so much.

However, I wish we had more bonding and friendship building between Izzy, Beth and Indigo. I’m sure in the next few books we’ll see that, but I wanted to see the three women becoming friends and connecting more. I also feel like the ending was a little rushed, but by the time I finished, I was feeling all kinds of happy. Now I need to know what happens with Beth and Finn!

Izzy had to work way too hard to get Chase to figure out that he needed and loved her. She had a lot of the same abandonment issues and she still thinks of him first. What a lady, Chase is very lucky.

Find Your Way Home by Jackie Ashenden was truly magical. Taking place in the small town of Bridgewater, New Zealand, Izzy and Chase lived. They were beautifully written characters both working through past betrayals. They are brought together but never forgot who they were and what their past taught them. This is a perfect small town romance which the author did a fantastic job of bringing to life.

A heartfelt love story. Izzy knew that she made a hasty decision by coming to New Zealand but she needed to get away from the US. She is trying to figure out what her role is going to be in the new business that she is in with Beth & Indigo.
Chase needs the new business to work he has to save his town. He needs to leave somewhere special for his daughter Gus to live in the future.
Izzy didn’t see herself falling for Chase he is everything that she wants in a Jan but he only wants casual. She has fallen hard & fast for him and she isn’t going to run when things don’t work out.
Things are all confused now Chase doesn’t know if he can give Izzy more than casual but he knows that he could lose her. Where to from here for them?
A great read. Love reading about our beautiful country there are places like this all over New Zealand. Worth a trip down this way.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC copy. This is my voluntary honest review.

I enjoyed Find Your way Home. Both Izzy and Chase were layered, engaging characters, each of whom were working through passed betrayals. I thought the author did a great job of bringing them together while staying true to who they were and their goals. I also enjoyed the setting. Bridgewater is a very small town in New Zealand. It was rustic, charming and interesting. Overall a great read!

If there's a way to bring Deep River, Alaska to New Zealand, Jackie Ashenden has found it in this first book in her new Small Town Dreams series, Find Your Way Home, which is another excellent read from this talented author, which gets 4.5 stars from this reader.

All in one day, Isabella (Izzy) Montgomery lost her job in a family owned business, as well as losing her fiance, whom she was planning to marry in a few short weeks. He breaks their engagement when he admits to falling in love with someone else. Best behavior is de rigeur in her family, so she's learned to go with the flow and never make waves. Her brother, Zeke, couldn't deal with it and we've already met him in Deep River, Alaska, the author's previous series. Deep River, it seems, has a sister town, in Brightwater Valley, New Zealand, and 3 Deep River entrepreneurs are heading there shortly to open a business and help bring this dying town back to life. When one member of the party couldn't leave, Zeke mentioned it to heartbroken Izzy, and she couldn't get out of Houston fast enough. Beth and Indigo are the creative ones, Izzy the business person, and although these women barely know one another, they somehow manage to make the trip and slowly get to know one another.

Izzy is used to the city, and when the women finally get to Brightwater Valley, which was quite an ordeal by car, they meet the Kelly brothers, Finn, Levi and the drop dead gorgeous Chase, who is angry that they are late, that he was unable to let then know he was sending a helicopter to bring them to town from the airport, and is way too controlling for Izzy's taste. From the beginning, these two strikes sparks off one another, but both Chase, the father of a 12-year-old daughter, Gus, and Izzy seem at odds from the outset. He doesn't believe Izzy is there for the agreed-upon 3-month trial. Chase's ex-wife, Olivia, left him and their daughter for the city, so why would another city gal stay in this tiny town with no cell phone coverage, no internet and few amenities? Izzy intends to prove him wrong, but that's as bumpy a road to an HEA ending as the road that Izzy drove to get there.

I found both the main and secondary characters well-drawn, and I loved the descriptive passages about the area and its varied scenery and wildlife both informative and fascinating. I also liked how the two main characters challenged one another, and thoroughly enjoyed the sizzling heat between them. While I would have liked a more fully fleshed-out ending, Find Your Way Home was nevertheless an interesting and well-written start to a series I look forward to following.

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

I just really enjoyed this book. It was just really easy to get lost in this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca!

Isabella Montgomery flees Texas after her broken engagement and ends up in the small town of Bridgewater Valley, New Zealand. Along with two friends she plans to open an art gallery/craft shop. Chase Kelly is the closest thing Bridgewater Valley has to a mayor. His dream is to revitalize the dying town. Now there are three Americans cutting in on his plans, including one pretty Texan.

Find Your Way Home is a sweet and spicy “grumpy/sunshine” romance. The chemistry between Izzy and Chase is so strong from the very beginning. The storyline is well thought out and it leaves room for other books in this series. I appreciate the way the author addresses Chase’s concerns for his daughter and how any of his relationships would affect her.

Find Your Way Home is the first book in a new series from author Jackie Ashenden and I can't wait for the next one. This is the first book that I have read by this author but I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book but all I knew was that it took place in New Zealand and I was obsessed! This book has everything. From the soulful story to laugh out loud moments to the steamy scenes! Can’t rave enough about this book!
I liked Izzy from the beginning. She was looking to get away and have a fresh start. I really enjoyed reading how she tries to be a friend to everyone in Brightwater Valley. I loved her interactions with Gus. She was so sweet with her and I loved how she stepped into the mother figure form. How she stands by Chase and shows him that she isn’t like his past was beautiful. She understood him.
As soon as you meet Chase Kelly you know he’s gonna be you’re new book boyfriend! He’s got the grumpy attitude down to perfect! I love though that he doesn’t try to be grumpy but that Izzy just pisses him off and keeps him always on his toes! You feel for his story and root for him to overcome it.
I was not expecting this to be an open door romance but was so happy when I got to those scenes! Chase can barely keep his hands off of Izzy and it was funny reading how he slowly loses his self control!
The side characters were fun to read about and you definitely want to know more of their story! I can’t wait to hopefully read the second book featuring Beth and Finn!
Cannot recommend this book enough! It comes out April 26 so make sure to add to your TBRs!!!


Read if you like:
3rd person dual POVs
Grumpy hero
Small town romance
New Zealand setting
Fun supportive friends
Single dad
Open door romance

Really heartwarming love story about fear of loving again. I loved the story Both Chase and Isabella make with the other character a lovely beautiful enjoyable story.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (very descriptive sex scenes)
Trigger Warning: divorce, broken engagement, neglect

After losing her job and being dumped by her fiance, Isabella Montgomery is hoping for a fresh start in the small New Zealand town of Brightwater Valley. As part of an initiative to revitalize the area, she and her travel companions Beth and Indigo will be setting up a small business featuring local art and handmade goods. When she meets the town's handsome single dad Chase Kelly, she finds herself drawn to him physically and must prove that she's willing to stick around to help the town he loves. Will her attraction to Chase be just a passing fling or will Isabella find where she was meant to be all along?

This is the first book in a new spin-off series by Jackie Ashenden. I think it would have been helpful to read her Alaska Homecoming series first to get some background information on the Deep River group that Isabella is working with in this book. The first two chapters mentioned several characters and events from the other series, and it took me awhile to make sense of some of the things going on in the beginning of this book. Once I got past that, this book did have an interesting storyline about revitalizing a small town, and it laid the groundwork for future romances between side characters. Isabella and Chase had a lot of physical chemistry and had some really sweet moments where they took care of each other. I also really enjoyed seeing Isabella interact with Chase's daughter, Gus. I got a little frustrated with Chase in the end because he kept trying to avoid having more than just a sexual relationship with Isabella, and he had a very abrupt change of heart in order to wrap the book up quickly. I do think the next two books would be worth reading, though, now that I have been introduced to the characters and the beautiful New Zealand setting.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Beth Grant, Indigo Jameson and Isabella (Izzy) Montgomery arrive in Brightwater Valley in New Zealand’s South Island ready to start on an adventure of a lifetime. Wide–eyed and awestruck, they’re committed to a 3-month long opportunity to start a new business in this isolated town on the verge of becoming a ghost town.

They are all leaving baggage behind, hoping for a fresh start. What they hadn’t counted on was the incredibly rustic and backcountry town; no wifi, no Starbucks and no department stores. They hadn’t counted on the grouchy welcome, either. Ex-SAS paratrooper, local wilderness expert and owner of Pure Adventure NZ, Chase Kelly, didn’t have time for these girls. Not only were they not dressed appropriately for the weather, they hadn’t followed his instructions for arrival. Suddenly, the girls don’t know if they’ve made the right decision. Is it worth it to stay here, unwelcome, for three months? Even for a guy who owns his own espresso machine and does latte art? One thing’s for sure. The grumpy dude will be getting more than he bargained for if Issy decides to stay.

Ashenden explores the definition of family and second chances in this sexy, small-town contemporary and open door romance. You will experience a wide range of emotions as everyone tries a do-over at first impressions and fitting in. Ashenden is a seasoned romance writer and her plotting and pacing reflect it. I loved this heartwarming read. It will appeal to fans of Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias and is the first book in a brand new series.

I was gifted this advance copy by Jackie Ashenden, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Author Jackie Ashenden is new to me but since I've seen her books around on Instagram I wanted to give her a try! Oh boy am I so glad I did! I adored this book. From the animosity that both characters hold for each other to the town in trouble this was a winning read for me! I can't wait to read more from the author in the future!