Oh goodness, I loved this one. I had troubles putting it down! I loved the slow breaking down of Hazel’s walls, how steady Ash was as he waited for her to come out from behind that wreckage. They were so sweet together, despite all the feigned annoyance Hazel had for him.

There was so much pain behind everything Hazel did, and I really connected with her. While the constant pushing of people away from her and the running away from people and her past was hard to read, it felt so real. The people pleasing and fear of conflict that was so strong in her felt very authentic, as did Ash’s need to put his life on hold to fix everything for everyone.

I definitely teared up a few times while reading this, but I laughed a lot more. I loved everything from that big green chair at the cafe to the crazy bird suite they got stuck in to the way they fell in love. This book was an absolute dream.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a sweet read with family drama, 2 endearing yet damaged MC’s, & several effective tropes- road trip, forced proximity, ex’s best friend, grumpy+sunshine, etc. I liked how issues weren’t sugarcoated; it made for a some bumps in the road, but also made the story more engaging.

It's hard to put into words what a wonderfully transformative experience it was to read this story!

This is a character-driven plot that made perfect sense. There are no loose ends, but just enough of a glimpse into interesting side characters that it left me hoping this is the beginning of a series (Please please please!)

From the very beginning, the writing was engaging and immersive. The situations felt real, while the characters were complex and relatable, not mere caricatures. I quickly fell in love with both Hazel and Ash, and their challenges/decisions were congruent with their personalities and background stories, no matter how painful they were. The spice was top-notch as well!

Now for the cons... This book is coming in July 2024, and having to wait until then to buy the physical copy so I can stare at it all day long physically pains me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Brilliant work, Melanie!

Absolutely loved this. Enemies to lovers, he falls first, one bed trope… and so on. Plus the emotional wringer that this book put me through with the familial relationships was perfection. Love, love, love.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This was a super cute debut novel from Sweeney. Always a sucker for enemies to lovers with a slow burn. The FMC and MMC felt authentic with their struggles dealing with messy families and finances. The book is a little slow and focuses heavily on Ash and Hazel's families rather than their love story, but in all, it's a nice read!

4 ⭐️ 2 🌶️ 5 😭 #cansomeonehugme?!

Take Me Home is a heartwarming, angsty, and reads like a cup of chicken noodle soup for the soul.

Melanie Sweeney hits it out the park and the witty banter is top-notch. Such a great read and honestly I want to go back in time to re-read this again for the first time.

Huge thank you to Putnam Books for an ARC via Netgalley, my thoughts and opinion are my own.

cute and sweet childhood frenemies romance with some of the sweetest moments ever put into writing. thanks for the arc.

Enemies to Lovers is a favorite troupe of mine, and this one did not disappoint. It was a quick read, and one I didn’t want to put down.

The development of the characters and story line kept me interested and never was so slow or dull that I felt bored.

Definitely a great read!

Thank you NetGalley and Melanie Sweeney for the ARC of Take Me Home.

This was a cute debut novel that included many of the usual tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small town, one bed while stranded at an inn, home for the holidays etc. It all worked for me along with witty and funny dialogue between the characters.

The flow of the story slowed a lot for me with flashbacks and also the family dynamics. I enjoyed the (present) scenes between Ash and Hazel (they had great chemistry) but my interest waned with some of the other scenes. Otherwise, it was a pleasure to read.

This one brought me through a range of emotions! I absolutely loved it! The angst… was absolutely perfect!

Ash was probably the winner of this book. He is an absolute gem! So understanding, funny, lovable and you can just tell that he grew up with only sisters. He’s so in tune with other people’s emotions and you can’t help but love him for it!

I really enjoyed Hazel’s growth throughout this book and felt Sweeney did a great job of bringing the reader on Hazel’s emotional roller coaster. I cried when she did and was so happy with the outcome of her struggles.

This book was just really well done and I loved how adorable the characters were and the ending was so sweet! Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read this book! Definitely 4.5 stars!

This was a great debut novel by Melanie Sweeney! The plot did rely on common tropes, but I didn’t think they felt forced at all. Some tropes: forced proximity, small town setting & SLOW BURN. These characters were all adorable in their own ways.
I will most definitely be reading whatever Melanie puts out next!
4/5 ⭐️

How could a road trip with your frenemy go wrong?

With her debut novel, Melanie Sweeney hits it out of the park. Following Hazel and Ash's story was a delight and hit all of the feelings and emotions. I look forward to more books by Melanie Sweeney!

LOVED! I knew by page 1 I was gonna love this one. The writing was so strong, the banter was excellent, and the tension had me QUAKING. Melanie took classic-for-a-reason romcom scenes (a broken dress zipper, playing darts, only one bed) and made them so fresh. I stayed up LATE reading, one-eye-open, and then stayed in bed until noon the next day to finish it. Melanie knows exactly what romance readers want and I think this book is gonna HIT with fans of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and You, With a View. Ash was so swoony, Hazel was snarky and relatable, and the plot was fast-paced without sacrificing lots of character development.

Great steam, pretty prose, and layered, complicated emotions made this a fun but sophisticated read, which is *exactly* what I’m looking for in my romances. A great debut and I’ll read everything else Melanie Sweeney ever writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Road trip enemies to lovers might be a favorite trope of mine that this book helped me learn I love so much. I thought this was truly just a delight. I loved our two main characters and really loved the journey we took going back home and finding eachother.

What a debut novel! Honestly - debut novels, even by some of my favorite authors, can sometimes be rough reads. Not so in this case. This book is a solid 4.5 stars for me. Might even turn around it and read it a second time. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Melanie Sweeney’s work.

Hazel & Ash, both grad students at the same university, knew each other in high school but haven’t seen each other in several years. For Hazel, there is very little love lost. For Ash… well, that’s a different story. When Hazel is summoned home for her father’s Christmas Eve wedding, she agrees to give Ash a ride after his car breaks down. Hazel realizes maybe she never really knew the real Ash at all and, more importantly, that it might be time to stop running from her past.

Hazel and Ash have great chemistry, the relationship has a believable build, and even the usual tropes - forced proximity, one bed, he falls first, etc. - all feel completely natural in the context of the story. (I hate when things feel forced.) They both have issues they are working through, and you can see how their personalities (and ways of dealing with conflict) complement one another.

Bonus: I am from Texas, and love all of the Texas references. As someone who made many road trips from Dallas to West Texas as a kid, I loved this part of the story.

My one big complaint has nothing to do with the book, and more to do with how it’s been marketed - nothing about this book’s marketing indicates that it’s a holiday romance. I love a good holiday romance, and I feel like leaving such a large part of the premise out of the book’s description is not only slightly misleading but also a huge missed opportunity. Definitely adding it to my list of favorite Christmas novels.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. Another great book/author discovered courtesy of NetGalley.

What a debut novel! Honestly - debut novels, even by some of my favorite authors, can sometimes be rough reads. Not so in this case. This book is a solid 4.5 stars for me. Might even turn around it and read it a second time. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Melanie Sweeney’s work.

Hazel & Ash, both grad students at the same university, knew each other in high school but haven’t seen each other in several years. For Hazel, there is very little love lost. For Ash… well, that’s a different story. When Hazel is summoned home for her father’s Christmas Eve wedding, she agrees to give Ash a ride after his car breaks down. Hazel realizes maybe she never really knew the real Ash at all and, more importantly, that it might be time to stop running from her past.

Hazel and Ash have great chemistry, the relationship has a believable build, and even the usual tropes - forced proximity, one bed, he falls first, etc. - all feel completely natural in the context of the story. (I hate when things feel forced.) They both have issues they are working through, and you can see how their personalities (and ways of dealing with conflict) complement one another.

Bonus: I am from Texas, and love all of the Texas references. As someone who made many road trips from Dallas to West Texas as a kid, I loved this part of the story.

My one big complaint has nothing to do with the book, and more to do with how it’s been marketed - nothing about this book’s marketing indicates that it’s a holiday romance. I love a good holiday romance, and I feel like leaving such a large part of the premise out of the book’s description is not only slightly misleading but also a huge missed opportunity. Definitely adding it to my list of favorite Christmas novels.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. Another great book/author discovered courtesy of NetGalley.

Take Me Home is a cute Christmas adjacent story of growing up, going home again and finding what was right in front of you the whole time. I appreciated the chance to read an ARC and share my opinion voluntarily.

I enjoyed the story and character development as the book progressed. Both MCs are imperfect and just right for each other. The family and personal development was well done and while there wasn’t a ton of immediate resolution on that front, it felt true. The dialogue is so fun.

I can’t wait for others to read this!

He’s waited for the perfect opportunity to take his shot. She has no idea he’s been waiting for her.

A must read! Thoroughly enjoyable story that’s both heartwarming, heart wrenching and will have you rooting for love.

I laughed, I cried, I was blissfully happy.

A love that’s meant to be and waits for the perfect time.
4.5⭐️

Unfortunately this is another book that I just couldn’t connect to and because of this, I couldn’t finish it. For me, I wasn’t able to become invested in the couple. I appreciate the ARC though!

I chose this book because I was interested in the description write up on NetGalley. Both Hazel and Ash - not Asher, but Ash - seemed to have a lot of unresolved feeling about their families and each other. And, while I was satisfied with the book's outcome, getting into the story and through to the end was a struggle.

There was a lot going on - almost too much, and it was hard for me to really feel connected to either character, or their families or become invested. Perhaps focusing on Hazel's family issues as opposed to the continual switching between families would have been enough.

I really enjoyed author Melanie Sweeney's debut novel, Take Me Home. This book had me hooked from the first few chapters through the very end. It was such a sweet romance read and I can't wait to recommend it for my book club later this year.

This book begins with main characters Hazel and Ash bickering in a cafe. We learn Hazel and Ash knew each other in the past and Hazel likes to keep the past in the past. The two end up traveling to their shared hometown for the holidays and their friendship/flirtation blossoms from there. I would not consider this a holiday romance, but it did fit in nicely with reading it this holiday season. This book had some laugh out loud moments and even made me tear up a few times.

This book was heavily character based. I really loved the character development for Hazel and Ash and adored their families. I enjoyed this fresh story that melted my heart. It definitely has a Hallmarky vibe to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Check out this book in July 2024! You won't be disappointed.