Someplace Like Home by Bobi Conn is the story of generational trauma. It is the story of how each choice we make can affect the lives of those who come after us. Jenny is just a normal girl growing up in Appalachia; she is a bit shy and a bit awkward, but she just wants to be like everyone else. When she meets an older guy named Rob, they spend some time together. Then, against her mother's warnings, she marries him. What she finds is that life with Rob is so much worse than anything she could have imagined. Now, her daughter Charlie is an adult and she is trying to interpret what life means and how her mom's choices have affected her. A very moving story. Very realistic, sadly. A very good book and the narrator was excellent.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC.

WOW what a great book! This was heartbreaking! It pulled me in from page one. This story is great and the writing style is amazing

I picked up 'Someplace Like Home' by Bobi Conn because of its stunning cover, and I'm so glad I did. The author opens with a note that the story is loosely based on her mother’s life, adding an extra layer of depth to the narrative.
The book follows Jenny Caudill, growing up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It starts with her childhood and takes us through her tumultuous adult years, marked by poverty and an abusive relationship (trigger warning). Most of the story is seen through Jenny’s eyes, but the last part shifts to her grown daughter’s perspective, reflecting on her own childhood.
This book is raw and full of emotion. It can get graphic at times, which might not be for everyone, but it’s a powerful tale of heartache, hard times, and overcoming the impossible. 'Someplace Like Home' is not just a beautiful cover; it's a beautiful story that I would recommend to anyone. It’s a moving read that stays with you long after you’ve finished it

Someplace Like Home by Bobi Conn and narrated by Shannon McManus is a novel about living in a remote location in Kentucky, and being trapped in a cycle of abuse. The story is based on the real events of Bobi Conn's mother (Charlie) and grandmother (Jenny Caudill) and is a dramatised version which includes detailed descriptions of DA

A beautifully told story of love and loss, pain and desparation, there is a genuine, authentic feel in Bobi Conn's narrative. The narration by Shannon McManus matches to personalities and location and is consistent and steady which makes the moments of tension even more effective

A heartbreaker of an audiobook, but a testament to the endurance and fortitude of the love between a mother and her daughter

Thank you to Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, the author Bobi Conn and narrator Shannon McManus. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This is a fictionalized retelling of the author's mother's life. Jenny was the fourth of five children and grew up in a small Kentucky town. She often felt invisible- her younger brother received a lot of attention being the only boy, but she was also the youngest girl. She had the least amount of time before her parents doted on the boy. It wasn't a terrible childhood- her mother was very strict and somewhat of an alcoholic. Her father was kind, but ran a business and was always busy. She didn't get a lot of attention or affection, but she was safe and fed. Then, as a young teenager, she attracts the attention of Rob, an older high school drop out. For years Rob strings her along and Jenny is just so happy that someone gives her attention- even if it is pretty rare and she has to tiptoe around his moods. They eventually marry and then the real struggles begin. Rob is abusive and controlling. Like most battered women, escaping seems impossible.

I am going to start with the audio, as it did impact my overall feelings about the book. Shannon McManus and does a great job. However, I wish a different narrator had been used for part three, when we switch to Charlie's POV. I had a hard time with the transition in POVs, as we had only Jenny's until that point. Having the same voice narrating it to me caused me to have to remind myself that Charlie was narrating. I will say- some of this may have been my own frame of mind. I stayed up late to finish as today is publication day. I also had been suffering from a headache all day. I just think it would have been better had a different narrator been used. I always prefer each POV has their own narrator.

As for the story, it is heartbreaking. Part one because you have this sense of foreboding. You know what is coming and you want Jenny to make different choices. Part two is so hard to read. But the author did a great job of being inside of Jenny's mind. Part three was my least favorite. As previously mentioned, I had a hard time staying focused. I didn't connect with it as well.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I was emotionally prepared for the beating my heart would take while reading this book. This is a fictionalized account of the author's mother's and grandmother's lives. Set in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, we get a glimpse of the hardships, strength and resilience of people, specifically women. I loved the fact that despite, or because of, their circumstances these women tackle generation trauma head on and are brave enough to end the cycles of abuse and neglect. The audiobook narration was so well done! Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! This was a well written book. As someone who has never been in an abusive relationship, this was definitely eye opening. The descriptive way this was written made you connect with the main character and feel her pain. This books shows that the need to feel loved sometimes puts you in dangerous situations. This book tugged at my heartstrings.