The Hollister Brothers' Homecoming

by Anna J. Stewart, Kayla Perrin, Melinda Curtis

For the four Hollister brothers, Sea Glass Bay means home, family, and, most recently, heartbreak. Taken in as foster kids by Clay and Leda Hollister, their rocky starts in life were turned around thanks to stability and unconditional love. Despite their successes as adults, Leda's death two years ago shook the brothers to their core, but not nearly as hard as Clay's recent announcement he's getting married again--to his late wife's best friend! It's not something the brothers want to hear, nor easily accept, but family is family no matter what. It's time for the Hollister brothers to unite in Sea Glass Bay and heal those family wounds once and for all. What none of brothers expect is to find love themselves along the picturesque beaches known for their ocean-tumbled glass pebbles.

200 pages, Paperback

Published July 23, 2024

About the author

Anna J Stewart is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty sweet to spicy romances. She primarily writes for Harlequin's Heartwarming (sweet romance) and Romantic Suspense (spicy romance). In addition to being a Holt Medallion winner (Bride on the Run), she’s finaled in the Daphne duMaurier Award for Excellence, the National Readers’ Choice and had one of her books optioned as a TV movie. No matter the story, Anna’s books are always about family—the ones we’re born to and the ones we create. Anna lives in Northern California where she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually cooking, baking, binge-watching her newest TV addiction, or re-watching her all-time favorite shows, Supernatural and all things Star Trek and Star Wars She also spends a frustrating amount of time wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock. You can read more about Anna, her books, and her workshops for authors at www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.

Reviews

[Gloria Catharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly heartwarming. Full of heartbreak, some tears, self doubts, finding love, family and a HEA. As a foster kid who was adopted these stories really resonate and hit home. Truly a wonderful series of stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great anthology of stories by four different authors involving the Hollister Brothers and how they deal with their widowed father, Clay marrying his wife's best friend. I loved reading each book and how they bring it all to a happy ending for all. They are well written and are enjoyable reads.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are freely given.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
Four foster brothers coming to terms with the remarriage of their father to their mother’s best friend and finding a love of their own.

The Sheriff Trap 4* by Anna J. Stewart - Seth has not moved away from Sea Glass Bay and because he can see how happy Gail makes his father, is onboard with his remarriage. His son however is worried about his father now his grandmother has died and comes up with a plan, with the help of his best friend, to counteract the loneliness his father will feel when he leaves for college.

Where The Heart Is 5* by Kayla Perrin - Jared returns, rather reluctantly, to Sea Glass Bay for his father’s re-marriage. Whilst he likes Gail he finds it difficult to see her replacing Leda in his father’s life, plus his career in the NFL is looking like it is on the rocks and he feels a failure. However a couple of days into his fleeting visit, his family, an old friend and the community at large, lighten his heart and turn his life in a new direction.

A Place To Belong 5* by Melinda Curtis - Axel is the only one of Clay and Leda’s boys not to be officially adopted. The distinction has always rankled and made him insecure. A troubled childhood followed by a decade of hard work but he still feels that people see him as ‘less than’. Will reconnecting with Penny change his outlook and life for the better?

Claiming a Soldier’s Heart 4* by Cari Lynn Webb - Van hasn’t been home for two years and whilst he has returned for his father’s sake he is not in favour of his remarriage. Will Elise whose memory has stayed with him the past couple of years, and her friend Stella give him clarity?

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

[Patty Duplechin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the loss of his wife, Leda Clay Hollister found love again. It’s almost like Leda brought Clay and Gail together. Gail was her best friend and took care of Leda until the end. As they plan their wedding, Clay wants all his sons home. Leda and Clay couldn’t have children so they adopted the boy as they were all in foster care. They loved them as their own. Each struggles with the loss of Leda. Will they show up for the wedding? Will they realize that their father is happy again? Clay will never stop loving Leda. Gail isn’t taking her place.
Seth is the sheriff. He’s trying to get everyone home. The first book is about Seth. He is a single dad and sheriff in their town. Next is Jared, a NFL player who returns home while trying to heal after he has an injury on the field. What will happen if he doesn’t get a deal to a team? What will he do? Axel is next. He’s a mechanic and wants to opens his own shop. Will he succeed? He wants his family to be proud of him. Last but least is Van. He’s in the military and does secret missions. Will he make it back for the wedding? As they try to move forward, it seems that God has a plan for each of them. Will they find themselves good women? Will being back home feel right? The characters are wonderful. The loss, the love of good women and town who gets behind them. Family and love. That’s what matters the most. Awesome read. I received this book for my honest review. I give it voluntarily.

[Michelle Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. We have four foster brothers who are all over the country/world in their respective careers but are ‘expected’ back in Sea Glass Bay since their dad is getting re-married. Easy right, not really. Especially when not all of them are on board with the remarriage and knowing that it’s only been 2 years since their mom died and that she was friends with their deceased mom. I liked that each story flowed into the next and each of our heroes ended up with in some cases the one who got away or the one whose always been there, but they needed to take that chance. Sea Glass Bay sounds like an amazing place to live and visit. My only comment, if any was, I wanted more of each story and I wanted a story where we get to see where everyone is a few years down the road. I’ll have to check it out and see if there is another book set in Sea Glass Bay and definitely pick it up. One of my favorite lines in this story is, ‘That sometimes life doesn’t give you the path you want, but it gives you another path that’s just as rewarding.’ Wonderful collection of stories.

[Valri Western · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clay Hollister is set to marry once more, and this time, it's to his late wife's best friend. After his first wife, Leda, passed away, he didn't anticipate falling in love again, especially not with Gail, Leda's best friend. Yet, the heart has its own logic. His greatest wish is for his four sons to attend the wedding. These sons, whom he and Leda fostered and later adopted, hold a special place in his heart. He understands the difficulty they may face in seeing Gail take Leda's place, but he yearns for their support on his big day.
The anthology detailing the lives of the four brothers - Seth, Van, Jared, and Axel - is both heartwarming and poignant. The individual stories of how each brother grapples with their father's remarriage, while also stumbling upon love themselves, are captivating. The tales of their struggles, discovery, and the love they find are delightful. The book was so engaging, I couldn't put it down! The setting of Sea Glass Bay, a quaint Californian town known for its amiable and supportive community, adds so much to the book.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anthology of 4 shorter stories about adopted brothers reuniting for this father's wedding. 4 authors who worked together to unite these stories. For the four Hollister brothers, Sea Glass Bay means home, family, and, most recently, heartbreak. Taken in as foster kids by Clay and Leda Hollister, their rocky starts in life were turned around thanks to stability and unconditional love. Despite their successes as adults, Leda's death two years ago shook the brothers to their core, but not nearly as hard as Clay's recent announcement he's getting married again--to his late wife's best friend! It's not something the brothers want to hear, nor easily accept, but family is family no matter what. It's time for the Hollister brothers to unite in Sea Glass Bay and heal those family wounds once and for all. What none of brothers expect is to find love themselves along the picturesque beaches known for their ocean-tumbled glass pebbles.

[Yvonne Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection tells the stories of the four boys, now men, whom Sheriff Clay and Leda Hollister fostered as kids.
Two years ago, Leda passed away and they all still miss her love and support. Little by little they are coming back together as Clay is about to remarry a wonderful woman.
Each story is well developed as are the characters and blend smoothly from one to the other. As we see Seth, Jared, Axel and Van show their love for each other and Clay and Leda, we also get a chance to watch them find strong women that are perfect for them.
I have to confess that there were moments when I wanted to hug each of the guys and tell them it would all work out .
Kudos to each author for seamlessly blending the stories all the way to the final words.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Sunnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't read any of the previous Hollister Brothers books so I can say that despite that fact, it was easy to follow the story and there was enough of an introduction to their pasts that I could easily catch up, so to speak. I enjoy each of the four stories that are included in this anthology. The stories of each of the brothers transitioned easily into the following stories of the book and so the storylines of each flowed well together. It was very entertaining and a very enjoyable book. I would love to go back and read about each of the brothers' pasts as I am sure these books would have been good reading as well! It is a story of family and their love for one another as their widowed father, Clay marries the best friend of his late wife.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hollister Brothers' Homecoming is the second anthology in the Seaglass Bay series. I have said in several reviews that shorts aren't really my thing, but both anthologies have captured my interest, and I've made it through both quite happy with the outcome. This anthology focuses on the Hollister Brothers. They were all foster children, and Leda and Clay Hollister adopted them and gave them a home. Years later, Leda has passed away, and Clay has fallen for her best friend, Gail. For some of the brothers, this doesn't set well... they'll all return to Seasglass Bay for the wedding. These shorts made me laugh and cry, sometimes in the same paragraph. I loved the family dynamics and the hijinks that some of the teens on this book got up to.

[Ineta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a fan of short stories and anthologies, but this was brilliant, it took me for 200%.
4 connected romances of 4 Authors, stories so perfectly blended together both - contentwise and timewise. Stories of 4 foster "kids" of Leda and Clay Hollister, who first were shocked by death of Leda and not willingly accept marriage of their father "so soon" to her best friend.
4 stories reveal emotions of their sons to their mother, father, his new marriage and their own love stories.
It was awesome reading - each story is so different and brings different emotions to the table. Loved all of them. Loved Sea Glass Bay. And yes - Pineapple has no place on a pizza!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julia David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hollister brothers loved their mom. All four brothers were in the foster system and came to live with the Hollisters who gave them a stable and loving home. Their mom has died and now, two years later, their dad is marrying their mom's best friend. Each of the men are having a hard time accepting that their dad has moved on. As they are coming to grips with this, they are also falling in love. Each man is realizing that home is where they want to be, and they want to share it with someone special. That they want to have the kind of love that their parents had. Four heart-warming stories that tug at the heart strings.

[Donise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This set of stories is set around four adopted boys who are tasked with attending their widowed father's wedding. Two of the guys still live in the small town and two are asked to return home. As each of them deals with their dad finding a new love and getting remarried, they each also deal with finding their own new futures. Four beautiful stories that deal with coming to terms with the loss of their adopted mom and welcoming a new but familiar woman into their dad's life and a new future for themselves.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second story in the Sea Glass Bay, is a great collection dealing with four adopted brothers. The stories are The Sheriff Trap by Anna J. Stewart = Seth, Where The Heart Is by Kayla Perrin = Jared, A Place To Belong by Melinda Curtis = Axel and Claiming a Soldier’s Heart by Cari Lynn Webb = Van. All the stories are well written with very good storylines and happy ending. I found the stories to be well worth reading. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lia Lorimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite its length, this anthology of light-hearted novellas is relatively quick and easy to read. Each of the Hollister brothers have reservations about their adoptive father’s marriage to their much-loved late mother’s best friend. The stories take place in the weeks prior to the wedding.
Each author has contributed a well-written novella, inter-connected seamlessly with one another so that the book reads virtually as one story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories featuring the Hollister brothers. Clay Hollister lost his wife Leda. He never expected to find love again but he did. This time with his wife's best friend. Now he is getting married. All four of the Hollister brothers are expected to come home to Sea Glass Bay for the wedding. All four were foster boys who are not happy about the marriage. They must come to grips with loss and new found love. I enjoyed all of the stories in the collection. They are sweet, touching and heartwarming.

[MaryEllen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great set of stories.
The Hollister men are a sensitive bunch. Each protecting their hearts from further pain from the loss of a loved one, not realizing that it would hurt as much to walk away.

The various authors were good at keeping a steady rhythm in the plots and at having the characters we'd already met stay "in character."

This is my voluntary review of a copy I received from Booksprout.

[Bernadette Cinkoske · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hollisters' Brothers Homecoming contains four heartwarming romances.that celebrate family and love! The brothers are home to celebrated their dad remarrying even if they are having a hard time accepting that. Meanwhile each of them falls in love. The four authors have done an amazing job making seemingly effortless transitions from one romance to the next. I love the small town, the supportive community and that each brother finds his special person and his place in Sea Glass Bay.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was both moving. It had me laughing, and it had me tearing up. In each story the men were fostered by Clay Hollister, and his wife Leda. But when Leda is taken away from them, and now Clay is getting married again they aren’t happy. Well not all of them. They all dealt with the loss in different ways. One left them thinking he didn’t coming to the funeral, but he did.
I never wanted any of the stories to end.
All these authors are amazing.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hollister Brothers' Homecoming by Melinda Curtis is a good, and enjoyable clean sweet small beach town romance read. The story has a great entertaining world building story line. The characters are great, and they have great chemistry. This collection of stories are very entertaining sweet page turning romance read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a heartwarming book full of charm, sweetness and romance all in a small town way. I love Sea Glass Bay! These short stories are perfect little escapes when you have a busy life but love to read. Love doesn't come without struggles which makes for interesting and relatable reads. All full of emotion and authentic characters, these stories are a joy to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good set of books by some very good authors. Each story has interesting characters and situations that keep you turning the page. There may be a few bumps in the road and there may also be some romance thrown in there. There is plenty of drama and wit in each of the stories. Good set of books to read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marichus Real · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only read A Place to Belong by Melinda Curtis 5 stars
The story is very nice and intriguing. I liked the book so much that I wanted to read the rest of the brother’s stories.
I rated this book based on the story I read. I will update my review when I read the rest of the stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth, Alex, Jared and Van are all the sons of Clay Hollister who is getting remarried. Each story in the book concentrates on one son and their journey to love. I really enjoyed the small town love stories in this book.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a good read. All the stories were wonderful and different with a good epilogue bringing it together at the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Suze82 · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful collection
I just loved this collection that reminds us that home is where the heart is plus I got to get to know authors I haven´t read before, a wonderful opportunity to add to my favourites list.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a set of 4 romance novellas by 4 different authors.
I really enjoyed these stories and liked that they were inter-related.
The characters & stories were realistic and relateable.
Too bad they weren't longer! I would've liked to have seen where everyone was a couple of years later, too.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth, Jared, Axel and Van were all raised in foster care by Clay and Leda. But now that Leda has passed away they are all coming home for the marriage of Clay to Gail who was Leda's best friend. In each of these stories written by different authors we follow the lives of each man as they also find love unexpectedly.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Raylene Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of stories about a father and his four foster sons. How love can come when you less expect it to. The characters take on a journey of love and grief and how it changes each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foster brothers…

The Hollisters took in foster kids and this is the collection of their grown up stories.

I enjoyed these novellas and really liked Penny and Axel’s story by Melinda Curtis.
Recommend.