Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney


"I always have been jealous, Hazel. Not just now. Always."

Hazel. Ash Campbell. Coffee shops, mochas and marshmallows. The Scarlet Scarf Strangel. This novel is already proving to be charming and witty.

A hell custom-designed by Lisa Frank, this book was very well written for me. The dialogue is pure gold.

Human windshields. Pug boy. Asher. A pity tree. Blue spruce. An ex showing up, going as far to flirt with her.

The drama, the comedy, all of it so charming. Visceral longings, even jealousy. Emerging feelings. A Hazel Getaway.

Haze. Ten thousand steps back. Bad parents, bad first loves. The struggle of human emotions is rough. Music and books.

Sad girl acoustic. Casablanca. Her heart a hummingbird. Confessions. House keys. Found Family, second Chance Romance. 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars!

"Take Me Home" was a romantic masterpiece! I found so much joy in Hazel and Ash that at multiple points throughout the book, I felt like I was there with them in Texas, feeling their emotions and actually seeing their chemistry. Melanie Sweeney perfectly writes her characters with a mix between the honesty one expects from a real human being, and the idealized perfection one looks for out of a romance character. Not only were Ash and Hazel fleshed out in the most beautiful ways, but the secondary characters also felt like they housed depth and purpose, further enhancing the book in a way that I never expected.
This book was the perfect mix between heartbreaking reality and adorable romance (with just the right amount of spice thrown in to balance everything out!), and I am so in love with it because of this. I already hope that Melanie Sweeney is writing another novel, because if this is just her debut, I cannot wait to see what she turns out next.
"Take Me Home" is for all fans of romance, but especially those that want to be able to experience a real and detailed plot, at the same time as they watch two precious characters fall in love (and oh boy do they fall fast).
Tropes to look out for with "Take Me Home": one-bed, boy falls first, enemies to lovers/friends to lovers
Highly, highly recommend!!

Okay, I loved this! This is totally my ideal book. I'm a sucker for books with a road trip in them.

Hazel and Ash are post grads in their college town. Ash is super close with his family, while Hazel is not. He needs a ride home for the holidays, and she has a car but doesn't wanna go home. They grew up in the same town, but weren't close. So, she of course drives him home. Chaos ensues. An ice storm, only-one-bed trope, and a funny diner. This is only a short portion of the book, but it's great.

Once they're home, we see more of their relationship develop. Ash's father has MS, Hazel's father is getting remarried. There's a lot of depth throughout this story.

Lord, I loved this book. The angst and pining was all chef's kiss. I can't wait to read this with my Romance Book Club and buy my own copy <3

I just didn’t vibe with this book. I wasn’t able to get into it. I can’t accurately say if it’s a good/bad book in my opinion because I didn’t give it a chance.

First of all, I love the cover. The green chair and book title hold significance to the entire story and I love that. I loved this story so much. Hazel and Ash felt so real and I loved them and the tension from the very first chapter. It has road trips, one bed, and Christmas vibes! I really sympathized with Hazels parental struggles, needing a buffer around her family, and feeling uncomfortable, especially with her father, who is getting remarried and is way more involved with his new stepchildren than he has ever been with her. She has very surface level relationships with both of her parents, who are divorced, and that is something I resonate with. Her tendency to “run” away from discomfort in relationships and situations and avoid the “afters”. Hi, it’s me! Whew, the feelings. I definitely shed a few tears. Ash is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a man who just wants to care for and help everyone around him, even when they don’t want the help. I loved him so much. The scarf. The knitting. 😭I loved Ash’s family too, and their dynamic and love for each other. Overall, this story was so sweet and beautiful and REAL, and is up there with my top romances of all time. And since we speak in tropes here, yes, there is miscommunication but that’s real life my friends. We are flawed, scared cowards who are afraid to tell the truth in real life and afraid of lots of things. I love when a book has struggles that feel real. I’ve never seen a human in real life have perfect communication. And if book characters never had conflict and miscommunication and were never scared to let themselves fall, would we even have books? They’d just be together from the beginning of the book and that’s boring. We love the tension! ❤️

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the arc!
Pub date: 7/9/24

'Take Me Home' is Melanie Sweeney's debut novel and wow- what a debut! Easily one of my favorite books of the year.

This book was so easy to get lost in. The main characters, Hazel and Ash, were complex and exhibited character development and growth - individually and together. While this is a romance novel, there's a big focus on familial relationships. Sweeney does an excellent job delving into the characters' backstories and differing perspectives.

None of the interactions felt forced. Every choice Hazel and Ash made made sense based on their backgrounds rather than just to move the plot forward. Even the third act break up, which can often feel frustrating, felt like the natural progression of their relationship. They're one of the most complimentary couples I've ever read (Hazel struggles to let others into her life while Ash just wants to take care of others, even if it's to his own detriment).

I absolutely recommend buying this book or requesting your local library acquire their own copy. It's such a charming story and I can't wait to see what Sweeney publishes next!

Good if you love:
-enemies to lovers
-second chances
-forced proximity
-he falls first
-slow burn
-small town

[Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy of this novel!]

Hazel and Ash, one of my new favorite young couples.

Back in high school, Hazel dated Ash’s best friend but the two of them never really connected. Fast forward to grad school, Ash works at Hazel’s favorite coffee shop and their relationship has morphed into a teasing competitive battle for the best chair. Winter break is approaching and Ash needs a ride home. The next week is full of forced proximity, single bed, and family trauma bonding situations. Hazel and Ash are far from perfect but are both ready to do the work.

Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney was an absolute joy to read! The angst was there but not overwhelming and the relationship between the two characters was so heartfelt. Ash is the sweetest most patient man and I never faltered in my love for him! This was such a fun read that had just the right pacing and heartache. Will read anything by Melanie in the future and can’t wait to pick back up Take Me Home!

Adorable debut! Take Me Home was a fun frolic that mixed my favorite road trip features with the nostalgia of coming home. As a Texan, I loved the winding journey this couple took both geographically and through their past. Both characters had so much to work through with their families, and you find yourself cheering them on as they work through it. Hazel was very well-developed and relatable, a fave heroine for sure. Excited to read more from this author!


Special thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book took me a while to really get into but once I did, I was all in.

It's refreshing to read about characters, Hazel & Ash, who are both so honest and scared of their feelings. They definitely handled those feelings in opposite ways but it was endearing, to say the least.

I think Hazel realizing all she'd missed in her life by not allowing "afters" was heartbreaking and invigorating, all at once. It's hard to admit your failures and/or your faults yet when she realizes what she's done it's like you can hear the angels singing to her.

Ash, the achingly sweetest guy ever. It feels like he could do no wrong and I love him for that.

I would recommend this book for sure and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much! A true enemies to lovers, second chance, one bed read! I felt like Ash and Hazel could be real people - they didn’t feel too perfect or forced, and that’s what kept me engaged for the whole book!

Hazel and Ash are stuck together road-tripping home for christmas, and alooooot happens. On top of their work personal downfall and family drama, they also have to acknowledge the building chemistry and past between them..
Side note: this is a perfect christmas read, I wish i knew that before!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh my god 😭😭😭 Hazel and Ash 😭😭😭 what an incredible read. I was locked in from the first chapter. Frenemies to lovers is my new catnip.

Ash was the best friend of Hazel’s shitty high school boyfriend, which means that Hazel didn’t pay Ash any attention. Ash, on the other hand, has been in love with Hazel since their teenage years.

Years later, they have a *sizzling* feud over the most comfortable chair in the coffee shop near the grad school they both attend. When Ash needs a ride home for the holidays, Hazel agrees on the condition that she gets to claim the coffee shop as her territory if anything about their relationship changes. Turns out a cozy road trip, a snowstorm, and a small town with lots of family drama can bring two people together. Spoiler: Hazel gets the coffee shop.

What a freaking incredible debut by Melanie Sweeney. Ash and Hazel’s chemistry was sweet and fun and charming, and their characters felt incredibly real. It was such a privilege to watch their love story unfold.

In order of increasing niche-ness, you can expect:
😡 frenemies to lovers
🚙 road tripping
❄️ snowed in
🎄 christmas tree drama
🎯 dart playing
🌦️ weather reporting
🏠 dollhouse construction

Hazel has this inability to let herself be loved and deep down, she knows they are other ways to deal with her feelings of neglect other than avoidance and burying the past. But, her insecurities tell her that it's easier to be the one to leave than to endure someone leaving her. What she didn't know is that Ash wants to protect her. From everyone trying to hurt her and even from herself.

He has loved her all along, from afar. The question is, can Hazel take a chance and let him in? Or will he be yet another person she runs away from?

This book is such a fun, quick read. I binged it in one day because I couldn't get enough of the characters and the story! I also can't believe this is a debut book from this author. Thanks to @melaniesweeneywrites @netgalley and @penguinbooks for an advanced copy of this book. Mark your calendars - it comes out on 7/8/24!

Where to start with this one! It's hard to put into words exactly what moved me so much about this story, but I'll try.

From the jump, I was invested in our two main characters, how they interacted with each other, and how they were dealing with their own personal issues. Both our MCs felt so very real to me, everything they were feeling felt like I was feeling it with them. I am a big friends/acquaintances and second-chance romance lover, and this was such a fresh and interesting take on both of those tropes. I couldn't wait to see how Hazel and Ash's story unfolded.

I think my favorite thing that happens in this story is that both MCs experience growth in their relationship together but also in their own separate ways outside of the relationship that develps. Every decision the MCs made (whether it was reactive to a situation or as part of their overall character growth journey) made sense for who these people were portrayed to be as characters and it never felt forced for the sake of moving the plot along. Everything that happens to Hazel and Ash feels, how they react, how they resolve things, feels so realistic and relatable to me as a reader and because of that I think this story and these characters will stick with me for a long time.

Can't wait to read more from Melanie Sweeney in the future!

Thank you, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Melanie Sweeney and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I typically like this trope (childhood "enemies" to romantic interests) but something about these characters fell a little bit flat to me-- along with a little bit of boredom in the middle of the novel. However, the trusty trope is a good one for a reason, and if you're in the mood for something light, this is a good one to pick up.

Such a a sweet and inspiring book! Loved the characters and the story! Definitely recommend to a friend. I will be reading more from the author.

Love!! I couldn’t put it down! We all need an Ash! Sylvia is my favorite best friend. I love so much about this book. I smiled the entire way through even while I cried. Love!!

NetGalley Arc:
5/5 stars absolutely obsessed with this book! I finished the book in a day because once I started reading during a car ride home from a trip I couldn’t put it down. I loved how the author had both the characters experience growth in their own ways separate from their story together. Can’t wait for more rom coms from Melanie Sweeney!!

If you like books where the MMC falls first—and harder—Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney is for you.

This is an impressive debut. Hazel Elliott and Ash Campbell are fully developed characters, flaws, insecurities and all.

You empathize with Hazel for some challenges she’s faced, and you see why she doesn’t believe in “after.” Ash is able to help her rebuild trust and relationships with family; it’s as if he heals her.

The Campbell family is also a delight.

While there are some pacing issues in the middle of the book, I enjoyed Take Me Home a lot.

Read if you like:
🩵 Childhood acquaintances to lovers
🩵 Just one bed
🩵 Found family
🩵 Angst

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam & Sons for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Be sure to read Take Me Home by Melanie Sweeney this summer!