Long Walk Home

i really enjoyed this book

4.5 Stars LONG WALK HOME by Lilian Darcy is NOT a light romantic read. There is a painful story to be told here – but a beautiful story of the redemptive power of love and truth.

Gemma Clayton is a single mother who has devoted her life to raising her daughter, Bree. This is her story. It is not a pretty one. It has impacted her life and her ability to love. She does not have relationships. She cannot trust. What happened to her on the night of her prom eighteen years ago has impacted her life, and strangled her future.

Dylan Sadler is a divorced father of nine-year old, Tyler. Dylan just wants to connect to his son and be a good father. His ex-wife and her new husband are making this an up-hill battle. He and Gemma share a common fence between their property, and they have talked many times. There are more feelings here than just neighborly, but just as they seem to be getting closer, Gemma pulls back. There is past hurts in both of their lives that need to be dealt with before there can be a future for either of them. Gemma has no problem dealing with Dylan’s baggage, but coming to grips with her own is a totally different issue. What happened that night in 1996 that had such an impact on her life? Will she continue to let it rule the rest of her life?

The emotional intensity and true-to-life characters that jump off the page made this book completely satisfying. Lilian Darcy is simply a great storyteller. LONG WALK HOME is well-written, nicely paced with appealing characters that you want to get to know better. It was intense and full of emotional torment. The array of transgressions and small-town secrets make for a riveting read.

*An advance reading copy was generously provided by Tule Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Long Walk Home is a romance that tells the story of Gemma from the Copper Mountain series. It is well written and well edited.

Gemma has a seventeen year old daughter that she has raised as a single parent after finding herself pregnant and alone at seventeen. She has been keeping several secrets: who is the father of her daughter and what happened on the night of her prom that ended with three people dying. Now she is dating her handsome neighbor, Dylan, a single father, and her greatest fear is having her secrets revealed.

Long Walk Home is a warm, feel good read with nicely developed characters that are easy to identify with. I have enjoyed this series, but each book can be read as a standalone. A HEA caps off this sweet romance.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

The final book in Lilian Darcy’s “Montana Riverbend” series, finds the readers back in the fictional town of Marietta with town-native-turn-school-teacher Gemma Clayton front and center.

A single mom to now 18-year old daughter Bree, Gemma Clayton finds herself attracted to her new neighbor Dylan Saddler who is newly divorced and in a custody battle with his ex.

With children around and needing attention, it is hard for Gemma and Dylan to even accept to themselves that they are attracted to each other. But once they did, they figure out that it is hard to sustain a budding romance with a tween and a teen around.

Alas, that is not their only problem. Their emotional baggage from the past is more than just a bump on the road. It’s actually a big hurdle especially Gemma’s. Now, the question is, will their love for each other and their extended family be able to move on once all the cards are laid on the table.

A beautifully written story about love, forgiveness and being able to recover and move on from mistakes done in the past, the “Long Walk Home” is a fitting final novella to the Riverbend series. All the books in the series tug at your heartstrings, but the “Long Walk Home” makes you ask “what if”.

A great read! The book is Rated M for Mature due to the theme of the story. There are mild sex scenes which are implied and not graphic.

Lilian Darcy has written a wonderful, tender and moving book in Long Walk Home. Gemma and Dylan are both single parents. Both had babies in their teens and Gemma has a terrible secret locked away inside her, one she's terrified to share with anyone for fear of losing her precious daughter Bree. Bree has a secret too, and Gemma is terrified that she might be pregnant. Dylan, meanwhile, suddenly finds himself with both the daughter of his teenage love affair and the son of his failed marriage living under his roof for a time. Jasmine is a spoiled brat, used to getting her own way and filled with resentment over the fact that she was conceived when her father was only fourteen. Tyler has been dumped on Dylan by his mother and stepfather so they can have some time together before their new baby is born.
Gemma and Dylan become friends at first, talking to each other over the garden fence, and slowly learning to love each other. For Gemma, who hasn't let anyone get close to her since Bree's birth, the burgeoning love she feels creeps in subtly, "You grew in my heart before I knew and I couldn't get you out", she tells Dylan. His feelings for her are just as strong, "I believe in what's meant to be. And we are," he informs her.
I loved this book. I loved the dialogue and the way Gemma's feelings of safety with Dylan grew from the beginning. I loved the way Lilian Darcy depicted Gemma's fears, hopes and dreams, amid the way she walked Dylan through the process of turning his dysfunctional family into a solid unit. The book filled me with hope and left me feeling very comfortable with the world. This is just a wonderful story!

Long Walk Home is a wonderful love story that demonstrates the power of true love.
Great Read!

Once again, Lilian Darcy has taken us on a visit to the Montana area in Long Walk Home. Even though, I am not familiar with the River Bend series that did not hinder my enjoyment of this novel. Lilian Darcy has written an impressive story line with wonderful romance, along with realistic feelings and emotions of the characters.

Gemma Clayton is a very likable character a as well as her daughter, Bree. As a single parent, I thought her concern about getting involved with anyone came from her desire to focus on her daughter, so her past came as an unexpected surprise. I must say that I found Gemma to be quite the deeper character, much more than I had thought at first. This makes for a much more interesting read with the surprises and secrets that keep being exposed.

Dylan would be too good to be true if it wasn’t for all the complicated baggage in his own life. However, Dylan’s past which controls his actions now are exposed soon in the story. I had predicted that this would be the main conflict in the story. Not so, those problems of his do not drive Gemma away. It is her own past at work that is doing that.

What looks to be a predictable story is not, which raises this small town life novel up a level. So that I found it to be a more interesting and pleasurable read than I first expected. Well done.

Strong 4.5 stars

Loved this story. This is Gemma Clayton's story. She's a single mom of a teenage girl and always lives her life safely. This book really tells her story and explains a lot about why she is as cautious as she is. But when bachelor Dylan Saddler moves into the house behind hers it seems that maybe now is the time to take a risk. Adore this couple and their story is beautiful. I highly recommend this book.

I can easily give this book 4 stars it keep you on the edge of your seat the storyline is amazing and written well It keeps you hanging at the right times only to through a twist you didn't see coming in. I love each one of the characters which is rare for me. I loved Bree most she is one tough cookie and she has an amazing attitude. I don't read the back of books or the descriptions I am one of those who judges a book by the cover, so I didn't know what to expect with this book, when I started reading I thought it was just another romance story. It is don't get me wrong but its so much more then that. There are some "sex" parts but done in a very tasteful way that it doesn't seem like the whole book is done. I love who you can meet new people from Marietta and check in with a few others. This book will not disappoint and is well worth the read.

The discovery of self imprisonment & living a limited life for 18 years come to light with love. The baggage of life & how it is dealt with in this love story is heartwarming.

Single Mum, Gemma Clayton, has brought up her seventeen year old daughter, Bree, helped by her Mum. Her Mum and daughter, however, have no idea of the traumatic events which ensued after Gemma informed Bree's father that she was pregnant, the secrets of her long walk home. She has kept these secrets locked in her heart for so long now that it feels like they are locked behind a door with rusty hinges - a door she really doesn't want to open.

Dylan Saddler is the man now living next door to Gemma and Bree. He's inherited the property from his aunt and he, too, has secrets from his past.

The two are attracted to each other, but taking things very slowly. Will the past push them apart or help bring them together? Can Gemma let Dylan unlock the door to her secrets - and will he still be around when he learns about the dramatic, traumatic events in her past?

This is a great story, very well written, with strong charismatic characters. The events are portrayed in an empathetic manner, making it easy for the reader to relate to how the characters felt at the time. It is a lovely read and, although it is the fifth in the series, it works well as a standalone, too.

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book shows how even the most tangled relationships can bound you as a family. It has heart wrenching characters who grow, falter and finally bind as a blended family. Lillian Darcy writes a fasinating tale of love, acceptance and forgiveness.

ARC provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

Long Walk Home is really an incredible story. It was impossible to put this book down. I actually want to read it again and again for its warmth and goodness. Gemma is a single mom who LIVES for her daughter. She holds a really deep dark secret from a long time ago that could possibly break her if it was revealed. She's imprisoned by this secret. It has consumed her and ruled her life. Dylan, also a single dad, has just moved to Marietta to start fresh. His next door neighbor .... yup, Gemma :) cue .... our story! :)
Their story starts as neighborly friendship over their connecting backyards, but soon, the attraction they have for one another wins and they give in to desire. They both have soiled pasts that give them reason to be weary of relationships. Not the same dirt, but soil just the same. Will the past push them apart or help bring them together? Can Gemma allow Dylan inside to her deep dark secret? And will Dylan even be ABLE to handle Gemma's past?
I was stunned by the warmth of not only the story, but the characters themselves. Once again, Lillian Darcy writes a phenomenally heartwarming story that will leave you puffy eyed and smiling all in the same moment!

A very well written story with believable characters. Everyone has baggage, usually not as much as Gemma. For 18 years Gemma has kept a secret, one that could change her life as well as her daughters. Along comes Dylan, a neighbor, they start a relationship by getting to know each other by talking over the fence. Can Gemma take a chance and trust herself enough to truly put the past behind her and live a fulfilling, rewarding life? Pick up a copy today.

This was a beautiful story of Gemma and Dylan. I loved the relationship that developed and the depth of the characters. Lilian Darcy did a fantastic job drawing you into the characters lives that I felt like I was living it too. This was my first book by Darcy and most certainly won't be my last. I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

The final book in the River Bend series focuses on Gemma Clayton, Neve's best friend from high school. Gemma was also there at the park after prom night, but she missed Neve's drowning. Her secrets, her fears, her mistakes make Neve's story sound downright normal. Gemma's high school love, Judd and his brother - and unfortunately for Gemma - Gemma, were involved in the other big disaster on prom night. But before we get to that, Gemma is young and in love with a young man whose parents are druggies and just basically awful people. Judd isn't who Gemma thinks he is and she finds that out the hard way on prom night. Now her secret eats her up inside and keeps her locked in a prison of silence and isolation.

Dylan Saddler, Gemma's new across-the-fence neighbor, has his own baggage including a daughter 15 years his junior. Talk about an oops! He also has a son from his now-failed marriage. And they are both living with him this summer. Dylan wants Gemma; Gemma wants Dylan. But let's be real, with all that baggage, how's that supposed to work? One step at a time, one day at a time, and a whole lot of trust.

A far more emotional story than the previous book in this series, both Gemma and Dylan's obvious love for their children is a tie that wraps around this whole story. Watching both of them struggle with difficult decisions and how to deal with difficult relationships, both with their children and with their pasts. As the story builds to it's crisis, Dylan and Gemma struggles are very real and very painful.

I enjoyed this book, especially for the sensitive way it deals with incredibly difficult traumas. It comes out in the end a little Pollyanna-ish, but I enjoyed that after all the adversity. With the final mystery solved, Marietta is once again a safe and loving place.

Drama...drama...drama.. yep enough baggage to make you wander just went on... Well written enjoyable book right here!!!

*Received for an honest review*