Close to Home

by Allisa Bahney

Eli Thomas is going home for Christmas just like she does every year—only this time it’s different. Her grandmother has died, and she’s forced to reckon with her past, her broken relationships with her remaining family, and Aracely Hernandez, the girl who got away.

A seemingly purposeful error in Grandma’s will keeps Eli in town for longer than she planned and brings all the conversations she’s been avoiding for twenty years to a culmination. While her attraction to Aracely has never faded, Eli remains apprehensive to follow her heart and risk having it broken again.

Now she has to decide if avoiding her hometown forever is worth losing the people who used to mean the most to her.

Genres: Lesbian Fiction, LGBT, Second Chance, Lesbian

240 pages, Paperback

Published December 10, 2024

About the author

Allisa grew up in a small town in northern Iowa. She works in education and has a Master of Science degree in teaching with minors in creative writing and film studies. She lives with her wife, kids, and dog near Des Moines.

Reviews

[JulesGP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Close to Home captures the joy of the holiday but also the melancholy feelings of loss that the season brings to many people. For Eli Thomas, it’s the void of a disconnect from family and a broken heart that’s never healed. Now instead of coming home for Christmas to the only person who seemingly loved her unconditionally, her grandmother, Eli has to bury her and deal with the aftermath.

I’ve heard other reviewers mention the movie, Home for the Holidays, and although the storylines are different, they both deal with families that are fractured. Eli and her brother Tommy are 40ish and yet those old wounds from childhood are still painful. When their beloved father died years ago, their mother fell apart so that’s why they grew up with their grandmother. Meanwhile, Eli’s first love, Aracely, is also back home and her presence is a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.

The book deals with the complexities of family relationships and the oftentimes long term damage on people’s lives. But it’s also a story about reconciliation and forgiveness. The holidays tend to exacerbate tensions and the story meets them head on. Eli, Tommy, and their mother confront the past together in a way that makes sense. They keep repeating their grandmother’s saying, “The only way out is through.”

I want to add that the book is also full of warmth and humor. It’s not just tough drama. Tommy is a good brother, Aracely and Eli have plenty of chemistry, and Santa Day in Small Town USA is a hoot. There are many great scenes of love and affection amongst the family and their friends as well. A few surprises too. Solid 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tierney Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime from page one all the way to the ending, Close to Home is a wonderful solo debut by Allisa Bahney, resting and building on the theme of loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of parents (in differing ways), loss of a sibling relationship, and finally—and centrally—that oh-so-painful loss of first love.

Can Eli somehow find a way to come to terms with all the things she has lost in her life while grieving the recent death of her beloved grandmother? Matters are complicated when Eli unexpectedly bumps into her first love, Aracely. And, oops, there is an unexpected forced proximity. One girl is closed off, one is open; both are in pain after a decision made nearly 20 years before.

This novel is only 240 pages or so, and Ms. Bahney has set herself the lofty target of fitting in a lot of events and consequences to deal with, not to mention the story being packed with a ton of emotions! And even setting aside all the difficult emotions of loss and anger and regret, for example, this book is actually an uplifting novel full of joy, populated with 3 or 4 strong supporting characters. The sense of a small-town Christmas community and how Eli can find a way to fit within that, whether temporarily or permanently, is brought wonderfully to life on the page.

With just the right amount of angst, organically constructed, this is as good a solo debut as you could hope for. It sucks you in very early on and begs you not to leave it alone. Quite frankly, this is how a Christmas-set romance should be done.

I have become an instant fan of Allisa Bahney, and I’ll follow her to the ends of the earth for more stories from her!

Thank you to the author and the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to revel in the joy of this ARC.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is truly the perfect holiday book! Thank you so much for the ARC copy, I am so grateful! I loved every moment of this book, it was so cozy and perfect!
I loved the extracts from Eli’s book, I really liked them and I liked how there was clear similarities in Eli’s book characters and the people in her life, even though Eli struggled to admit it at first.
I also loved the situation with Tommy, Angie and Tara, I definitely need a book about Angie and Tara next year!
Aracely was such a beautiful character too, I loved her so much, I love her and Eli and I love their story and they were made for each other and they are forever falling in love. The purple ribbon on the mistletoe was such a cute feature too, that was so sweet!
This truly is such an amazing and perfect holiday read, I loved it so much, thank you for my copy!

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

its like a hallmark movie.... coming home after years of being away and realising that maybe you didnt need to stay away for so long....

have to say i was hooked from the first page with this one.... and had to finish it... and boy i wasnt disappointed at all.... and it has a lovely christmassy feel to it....

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet romance

Eli’s was only supposed to be going home for Christmas, but following the death of her grandmother and a term in her will that means Eli has to stay a bit longer, has her facing her family and her past. When she bumps into Aracely, she realises her attraction to the girl who got away has never left her but worries about getting her heart broken again when fate keeps pushing her and Aracely together.

Such an emotional story with a lot of heart and soul-searching to be done. It was no surprise when we learn about Eli’s past as to why she is so closed and keeping to herself when she gets home. What I loved was the range of perspectives covered in the story to provide everything we need to understand the emotional journey she is now on. And the way it was cleverly interwoven with Eli’s carer as an author was a really lovely surprise. Even though this is quite a sad story in terms of what has just happened for Eli, it’s also one that made me smile and brought warmth because it is packed with loving moments and memories that then really help Eli to grow into the person I think she always wanted to be.

Aracely surprised me. She wasn’t what I thought she might be from the first meeting and the more I learned about her and Eli’s past, the more I grew to love her and could understand why Eli had never been able to let that attraction go. She was kind and caring, and had made decisions only because she’d wanted Eli to succeed and achieve her dreams. The more I learned the more I fell in love with the idea of them being together, and Eli sticking around because in the end, even her family weren’t that bad and she had a real chance at happiness by trying something different.

A great story with a little bit of holiday cheer to remind of the importance of family, no matter who is a part of your family, and that taking risks and chances comes with rewards. Sad but uplifting and an enjoyable read.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent novel. It had a lot of elements to it, and it did all of them surprisingly well (“surprisingly" maybe because I have read several underwhelming Christmas novels this year). It did an excellent job of capturing the emotional range; it was heartwarming and adorable at times, but also expertly tapped into the heartache of loss and the disappointing feeling of missed opportunities. All of the characters were well written and distinct, and even the ones that barely had any screen time were well developed enough that I believed they were real people.

This novel included nonlinear-flashbacks, and excerpts from a novel (it makes sense) which in some cases might seem like a lot but it was all woven together so well that it truly worked. The author impressed me several times throughout the novel.

This story is also a perfect example of a second-chance romance done right. It hit all the right points to make that objectively complicated trope work. I also appreciated protagonists that were pushing 40, as most novels seem to be about younger people and its nice to see some representation in a different age bracket (and see how there isn’t honestly much difference between people in their late 20s or 30s).

My Rating: “A”
Converted Rating: 5-Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the chance to read this gorgeous book by @netgalley and @boldstrokesbooks release date is December 10th. This was such a cute story about, coming home for Christmas, dealing with grief, forgiveness and truly embracing who you are. I loved Eli and Aracelys love story and the character growth on both of them, sometimes to grow and become who we’re meant to be we have to let the person we love the most go. I loved how the story brought forth familial problems and how to navigate them in a healthy and positive way. I loved how slowly Eli was able to really be there for her brother Tommy. I loved how the relationship with her mom was also brought about and there’s so many people that will relate to these hard relationships and feelings sometimes.Forgiveness and acceptance of our loved ones can be a long and bumpy road but if like Eli you realise that acceptance is an important first step to forgiveness you can truly understand the other person. Maybe coming home isn’t the worse thing we can do,or is it? Trust me this story has it all and will have you swooning and saying aww in so many ways whilst also embracing Christmas and the Christmas spirit. It’s a swoon worthy story for all those who wish to come home. I rated this lovley read a 4.6 as I absolutely loved it. I shed a tear or 2. It has no spice per se but was romantically so brilliant that I didn’t feel it needed the spice. Congrats to Alissa Bahaney on such a great story, and good luck on release day. Remember guys available from the 10th of December. Add to your TBR as it is not to be missed.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Close to Home will have you sitting with your feelings all night long. It's tenderly emotive; the layout of the plot gorgeously engaging.

A second chance romance built on a rich history, provides the perfect fuel by which to feed a slow burn relationship between the main characters.

Eli Thomas goes home once a year for Christmas. A twenty four hour round trip that she hates, because it fills her every sense with the love she lost, and the broken family that's never been the same. But when Eli's Grandma suddenly dies, and the reading of her will gets complicated, Eli looks set to be staying for much more than her usual 24 hour stint. 

Twenty years of avoidance is a lot to deal with, and as Eli makes a start there is one person she didn't bargain on seeing again. 
Aracely Hernandez was the teenage love of Eli's life, but when Aracely made a devastating choice for the both of them, the abandonment ripped Eli apart, leaving a hole she's never been able to fill. As Aracely tries to make amends, it's down to Eli to decide whether she can risk her heart and the place she calls home for a second time.

So many aspects of this story deeply resonated with me, particularly the loss of a parent at a young age and exactly how that continues to impact Eli even as an adult. Alongside the devastating aftermath, the kind that wreaks havoc with your idea of happily ever after, when the person you had unwavering belief in abandons you for the "greater good".

The story really is an exploration in second chances, not just when it comes to romantic love, but also that of the family unit. It's equally difficult and fulfilling to watch Eli's journey with both her mum and her brother Tommy. To see each of them begin to understand how the past continues to impact their present and their relationships with each other. I loved how Eli and Tommy's Grandma's death and will, is used as the catalyst for change. An opportunity for their Grandma to remind them of what's important, even from the grave!

As Close to Home is a December release, you won't be surprised to find plenty of festive spirit sprinkled throughout the book. The description of Santa Day, complete with parade, memorial tree, snowman building, and sugary snacks is exactly how I'd imagine small town holiday celebrations to be.

As far as I'm aware this is Bahney's first solo story, having previously co-authored the Badlands series, and I genuinely hope it won't be the last. The author clearly has a knack for painting a picture that weaves an abundance of depth and feeling, where each colour palette is a different snippet of the story, and when taken as a whole the result is breathtakingly in its beautiful.

An excellent slow burn romance that exposes the many vulnerabilties required of giving, and receiving, second chances. I can't wait to see what Allisa Bahney writes next.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to Home is a poignant yet heartwarming tale that explores the tangled emotions of loss, love, and family reconciliation during the holiday season. When Eli Thomas returns to her hometown for Christmas, she’s faced with the painful reality of her grandmother’s death and the unresolved tensions that have kept her distant from her family for years. A twist in her grandmother’s will forces Eli to stay longer than planned, bringing long-avoided conversations to the surface and reigniting feelings for Aracely Hernandez, her first love and the one who got away. Balancing raw emotions with moments of humor and warmth, the story delves into Eli’s fractured relationship with her brother Tommy and their mother, confronting old wounds while embracing the possibility of healing. Against the backdrop of festive small-town traditions, Eli must decide whether mending these ties - and her heart - is worth the risk. Told from alternating chapters set in the past and present, this book captures the complexities of family and the enduring hope for forgiveness and love.

I really enjoyed Close to Home and would definitely recommend it! This book will pull on your heartstrings with its emotional depth and relatable themes. Eli’s journey is raw and honest. Coming home for Christmas after her grandmother’s death forces her to confront everything she’s been running from for years: fractured family relationships, unhealed childhood wounds, and the lingering feelings for Aracely, the love she never quite let go of. While I understand the complexities of certain relationships, I did sometimes struggle with Eli’s treatment of those around her, which made it hard for me to like her at times. (This is minor but) I also really struggled with the decision to adopt a puppy that she clearly was not focused on taking care of. I recognize that is a very minor grievance against the book, but I just felt like it was unnecessary to the plot and unfair to to the fictional puppy. But, I did appreciate her personal growth by the end of the novel. She starts out guarded and weighed down by her past yet gradually opens herself up to forgiveness, reconnection, and the possibility of love. What I really appreciated was how the book balanced the heavy emotional moments with warmth and humor. Eli’s brother Tommy adds a lot of heart, and the festive small-town traditions like Santa Day made me smile. While the resolution with her mom seemed a bit abrupt and lacked meaningful dialogue in my opinion, it’s the underlying message that stuck with me: that healing takes effort, and sometimes the hardest things to face are exactly what you need to move forward. Lastly, while this book is set around Christmastime, it also centers around heavy themes that may be triggering to some. Trigger warnings include: death of a family member (grandmother and father), alcoholism/addiction, abandonment, and childhood trauma. If you’re looking for a holiday read that’s full of depth, heart, and a touch of romance, Close to Home is a great choice!

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Close to Home in return for my honest review.

[diana ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book. It’s not my usual genre but the description encouraged me to request it on NetGalley and I’m so glad I did. The way the author moves us through the grief and confusion of Eli is so wonderful. Does it fall into some of the classic romance tropes? Sure, but goddam let the lesbians have their cringy cute times, god knows they deserve it.

It’s more of a mind map, if you will, of Eli’s mental state. Bear with me. Love’s at the centre of the book, for sure. But it explodes in all different directions: familial love, forgiveness, coming to terms with past love, falling back in love, mourning love, anger, choosing to love instead of resent, grief, accepting your own flaws and loving others despite theirs.

Briefly? I’d recommend it to a friend. Definitely.

—

Thanks, of course, to NetGalley and the publisher and author for giving me the e-copy of this wonderful story of love and second chances and learning and growing and understanding past mistakes

[Abbrosy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an emotional Christmas romance. I was surprised by how much it got into the nitty gritty of grief. Losing a grandma is hard!!
I liked the characters - Eli and Aracely. Loved Tommy as well and his gay baby mamas.
I liked how, in a second chance romance, it talked about how people change. How teenagers need understanding. That was really great. On the flip side, I wish the mom, who was mean as f*ck, didn’t get so much grace. That was unfortunate. She was nasty to Eli!
Different from most holiday romances I read this season.
I received this as an A R C

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this more quickly than usual because I skimmed or skipped a lot of it. This is a book about a woman named Eli (eee-lye or el-eee? I couldn’t figure out which pronunciation it was supposed to be since the name is short for Elizabeth). She is a published author with what I imagine would now be called a lesbian romantasy series that everyone knows about and is into, coming home to her small town after the grandmother who raised her dies. Eli is a real asshole. Her grandma begs her to come home every Christmas but Eli is so emotionally scarred and stunted by all her childhood trauma that she can’t BEAR to be in that small town. I mean… fuuuccckkk you, Eli. Some of us had childhoods that were equally shitty and we still managed to go home and visit our parent(s). If my grandma begged me to stay with her I would do it because I loved her. But no. Eli can’t be bothered to stay more than one day because she might run into her HS gf who broke up with her so that they could each go to separate colleges and start their lives without worrying about a long distance relationship. The book posits that they broke up over “money” but I think the end of HS is a pretty standard time for couples to break up either tragically or hopefully bc it’s the start of the next phase of your life. And being hung up on the demise of that relationship is really a VERY flimsy excuse not to spend time with the one adult in all the world who loves you. I mean, Give. Me. A. Break. But Eli spends the next 15 yrs sneaking in and out of town until she is forced to return when her “beloved” grandmother dies. I hated Eli for most of the book. But somewhere toward the 2/3 mark I kind of got over it. She was learning and growing. Mostly because of her sainted ex, who was somehow still in the small town, still in love with her, and willing to wait. 🙄 The Christmas stuff is cute, Potato is adorable, and I learned what kringla is, so there’s that. But this town is the midwestern version of the shitty small town where I’m from and it didn’t change my mind. Small towns are terrible. Sure they may have cutesy parades or festivals but they’re also Petri dishes for racism, class problems, homophobia, and general stupidity. And if you don’t think so, I’m glad you have that privilege. Anyway, I am glad that Eli ended up figuring out her shit. Some of the characters who were not her were written with real love and humor. In the end the book was ok. But feel free to skip over the book-within-the-book (those parts don’t make any sense, aren’t written well, and don’t add anything) and also skip the back-in-the-past parts unless you feel like rolling your eyes real hard. None of that was necessary. The editor of this book should’ve excised all of it.

[Fiona Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to Home is a lovely home-for-the-holidays story of second chances that still manages to take on serious issues including grief, addiction and family drama. I absolutely loved the two main characters, Eli and Aracely and enjoyed the interactions between them and the other characters in the story.

Eli is an author who has been forced to return to her hometown ahead of the Christmas period following the death of her grandmother who had raised Eli and her brother following the death of their father and subsequent addiction struggles of their mother. What is intended to be a short visit to town ends up being extended due to an apparent error in her grandmother's will. Aracely is Eli's ex-girlfriend from when they were at school who pushed Eli away when they were due to head off to college as she didn't want to hold Eli back from her potential including her college scholarships.

Both women have never overcome the pain of the separation. Eli is still angry with Aracely and would rather have nothing to do with her. However, the more time they end up spending together while Eli is in town, the more Aracely's sweet and caring personality helps to win Eli over to the idea of giving her a second chance.

Meanwhile there is all the family drama including Eli's brother expecting a babies with two different women and the increasing appearance of Eli's mother on the scene with all the angst that brings between Eli and her mother, as well as between Eli and her brother.

Thank you to Allisa Bahney, Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

[Becca Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid second chance romance that veers away from the third act break up.

Eli Thomas has been avoiding her home town for years, but with the death of her grandma she finds herself returning for more than just her usual one day. This forces her to confront the ghost of her past including her alcoholic mother and Aracely, the highschool girlfriend who broke her heart.

I appreciated that despite being a second chance romance the main characters didn’t spend a lot of the novel hating each other. Instead, they quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm which emphasized how well they knew each other. This also meant that the traditional third-act break up was missing which will come as a relief to many readers.

While this is a holiday romance it leans more to the family drama than the Hallmark movie type of story. However, there were some cute holiday traditions that felt original like the memorial tree lighting and parts of Santa Day.

Structurally, the combination of the flashbacks and the excerpts from Eli’s book was too much for me. I found it distracting and it slowed down the story. If I had to give one up it would be the excerpts since the flashbacks revealed more about Eli while the excerpts were just focused on reinforcing what we already know. Of the subplots, I found the school drama to be the most interesting and would have liked a little more resolution.

I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone looking for some holiday spirit mixed with family drama.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eli Thomas returns to her home town to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother who raised her. Eli, who is a successful writer, usually only visits for Christmas. Because of circumstances with the will and her brother she decides to stay on through the holidays a few weeks away.

This cute cover doesn’t quite capture the tone of the book, but it is still accurate. For a heartwarming Christmas, second chance, romance there is a good deal of drama. Eli and her brother Tommy are both in their 40s and a bit broken. Tommy still lived with grandma and I never saw mention of him having a job. Although he does date. Eli still has a lot of anger directed towards her mother who doesn’t live far away. And she wasn’t expecting the girl who broke her heart, Aracely Hernandez, to show up at the funeral, or learn that she has lived in town for the last six years.

The writing is top notch and doesn’t and a good reminder that holidays can be melancholy for many people. The small town traditions fit and it was nice to have flashback scenes between Eli and her grandmother and Eli and Aracely. For me the story leans towards women’s fiction as this is Eli’s journey of grief, anger and forgiveness. But the romance is there and Aracely adds to every scene she is a part of.

If you want a Christmas romance with a little more heft this is easy to recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review.

[bewitching endings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this would be an instant favorite of mine this holiday season. Close to Home is a debut novel by Allisa Bahney, that touches on the theme of loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of parents (in differing ways), loss of a sibling relationship, and finally the loss of a first love.

This novel is only 240 pages or so but is packed with a ton of emotions between 3-4 supporting characters and was a very sweet second chance romance! What makes this story line even better is that it takes place at Christmas time! Aside from the love story --- which is yes predictable, but we still love it, I enjoyed the MC’s growth throughout the story and how she was able to come to terms with things that happened in the past and be more mature for future relationships. This story isn’t just a love story in the romantic sense, but it’s also about family and forgiveness.

The only negative thing I would say (which isn't completely bad) is that Bahney includes pieces of Eli's past for chapters throughout this book as well as a novel by MC is working on (she is a successful writer). It's really almost like 3 books in one and this could be very confusing to readers, but the chapter titles and the way it's written makes sense and for advanced readers should be easy to follow.

Overall, Close to Home is a very heartfelt and a wonderful Christmas read. For me it felt very organically constructed, the way a Christmas-set romance should be. With this book, I have become an instant fan of Allisa Bahney! Many thanks to the Publisher Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this ARC copy.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to Home is a great home-for-the-holidays story of second chances which is a weakness. I adore second chance romances. It does involve some serious topics like grief, addiction and family drama. I absolutely loved the two main characters, Eli and Aracely and enjoyed the interactions between them and the other characters in the story.

Eli is an author who has been forced to return to her hometown ahead of Christmas following the death of her grandmother who had raised Eli and her brother following the death of their father and subsequent addiction struggles of their mother. She ends up staying longer due to her grandmother's will that involves her ex. The broke up senior year in college due to Aracely not wanting to hold her back.

Meanwhile there is all the family drama that causes multiple issues between everyone and Eli and Aracely have to find a way to let go of the past and make a better future together.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A not so ordinary Christmas story.
Eli is an author.
Her past promised something different, but when her heart was broken twenty years ago, she gave up that path and became successful with her stories, which are very much about her home, her great love, her broken heart and her somewhat damaged family.
But of course that is only remotely according to Eli.
This Christmas will be a very difficult, sad one and one full of unexpected twists and turns.
Her beloved grandmother has died and her inheritance has thrown her life and that of her brother into enormous disarray.
Suddenly everything is not as it always was.
She cannot leave Maple Park after just one day, as she has done so often in recent years.
She has to face her pain, her loss and the woman who caused everything that has made her run away for so long.
Flashbacks and insights into Eli's books have made it something special. Everything comes together beautifully. It's touching, but nerve-wracking. A typical family, and yet not typical at all.
Thanks to the Author, Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for this Arc!

[Kasley.K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to Home was a discovery to me. Not only because it’s my first Allisa Bahney’s book but also because it was the first time I struggled with liking the main character.

I love complex and flawed characters, don’t get me wrong, but Eli was hard to like for me. And while I understand her difficult backstory, at times, she was arrogant with a I’m-better-than-everyone attitude that was borderline annoying to me. And while I understand her difficult backstory, at times, she was arrogant with a I’m-better-than-everyone-else attitude that was borderline annoying to me.  

I loved the grandmother scheming from beyond the grave, and how the author navigated the complicated family relationship, grief and Eli and Aracely’s past (Aracely is a beautiful name by the way). The school subplot added some depth to the story which is also appreciated.  

Despite my issues with Eli, Close to Home was a very nice story.

[Kristine Booksandstuff123 · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Close to Home' by Allisa Bahney.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - beautifully written book. Eli is such a lovely character and so easy to get behind too. You're just rooting for her from the start. Love her brother and his effect on the opposite sex, haha.
It's a beautiful heart warming story.

Eli Thomas is going home for Christmas just like she does every year—only this time it’s different. Her grandmother has died, and she’s forced to reckon with her past, her broken relationships with her remaining family, and Aracely Hernandez, the girl who got away.

A seemingly purposeful error in Grandma’s will keeps Eli in town for longer than she planned and brings all the conversations she’s been avoiding for twenty years to a culmination. While her attraction to Aracely has never faded, Eli remains apprehensive to follow her heart and risk having it broken again.

Now she has to decide if avoiding her hometown forever is worth losing the people who used to mean the most to her.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three books in one, Eli is an author of Romantasy books, returning home following the death of her grandmother, where she bumps into her childhood girlfriend Aracely. One book is section of the latest Romantasy that Eli is working on, second is the story of Eli and Aracely's past and third is the current day story. Each chapter is from a different book, which can be slightly distracting but is an effective way of keeping you engaged. There are some difficult family dynamics, an irresponsible puppy adoption, amusing running gag with Eli's brother and a grumpy reunion that is resolved in the lightening fast ending. This is not a cosy Christmas read but a more realistic Christmas book(s) dealing with grief and complex family dynamics.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to Home starts on a somber note. Eli Thomas is back in her hometown for her grandmother's funeral just a few before Christmas. That fact is hard enough on its own, but when it also means Eli has to stay in this small town for more than her usual 48 or so hours every year, it's even worse. Especially now that she knows her first love--the girl who broke her heart--is living in the town again.

This book deals with some hard things, but I like it for that reason. The holidays are a hard time of year for a lot of people and Close to Home deals with some of those things. But it's not all sad. This is a story about coming home and finding family and love. And it centers around Christmas, so it's the perfect book to read this time of year.

It was my first Allisa Bahney novel and I hope it's not my last.

3.5 stars

[Katie Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Allisa Bahney, Net Galley and Bold Strokes Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Close to Home was a beautiful story about love, loss, grief and forgiveness. I think most people will be able to relate to everything from life, death, relationships, challenges and changes.

I had a love/hate relationship with Eli and Aracely’s story line, but in the end, I thought it played out well. I loved the back and forth story lines that painted the full picture of Eli’s life.

One of my favorite quotes from the book was “The only way out is through.” Having lost my mom not so long ago, that quote resonates with me and is 100% accurate.

Mark this book as “Want to Read”!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet holiday-themed romance that goes beyond the classic ‘girl returns home and falls in love’ plot, emphasizing topics of grief, family, introspection and emotional healing, friendship and community. This is a second chance story in more ways than one. It follows Eli, who left her small hometown with a broken heart as she returns to said small hometown and becomes reacquainted with the girl who broke her heart. But it is also the story of giving your town and community a second chance and realizing that your original perspective is not the only one and can change with time.

I would recommend this book to someone looking for a holiday, second chance romance filled with emotion, friends, and a touch of sibling drama.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley.

[Shannon bagnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreakingly beautiful. I laughed and cried but following this story as heartbreaking as it was it was so wholesome. I love how it spoke about grief and how it affects people differently.

I did struggle a little with the back and forwards between the past, the book series and the present so if your someone who really can’t handle that this isn’t the book for you

Overall a great book, it flowed nicely and has so many aspects that you didn’t get bored, sometimes a book can feel dragged out but I didn’t feel that with this book.

*full disclosure I was given this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley*

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Eli is reluctant to go home but is force to when her beloved grandmother dies who has raise her and brother Tommy after death of their father and their mother falling apart. Eli is planning on settle her grandmother affairs and leaving hits a snag when her grandmother will has her staying longer and involving her ex Aracely. They reunite after breaking up in their senior year of college as they get to know who they are now will they be able to let go of the past and be in the present and to have a better future. This enjoyable read about letting go and forgiveness.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Close to Home is not a typical "person returns to hometown and reunites with a past love" story. The main character of Eli grew up to become a successful writer, and Allisa Bahney wrote excerpts from Eli's books to parallel her life. It was quite fascinating! 

Bahney almost seamlessly wove in pieces of Eli's past for chapters throughout this book. This could have been confusing, but the chapter titles and the way it related to the present time made sense. I felt that the Eli/Aracely relationship was slightly idealized...but that is a reason I like to read fiction.

I would suggest this book if you are a fan of:
* second-chance romance
* one chili pepper of spice
* complicated family dynamics
* a wise grandparent
* Christmas
* character growth
* a happily ever after

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the arc!

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very kind of 'okay' book.

Eli Thomas is reluctantly returning to her small Iowa small town for Christmas. And staying much longer than she planned because of her Grandmother's death.

(Also her fool brother has knocked up two women, babies due NOW.)

Aracely Hernandez was Eli's first love, but they broke up before Eli left town. Now that complications with her Granny's will are keeping Eli in town, she might have to deal with her too.

I did feel the flashbacks and the bits with Eli's novel didn't help the book, and felt like I'd rather have the page count be put to the main plot.
3 out of 5 stars.

[amys_books0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this holiday book ! I read it in one sitting and could not put it down until I finished it.

I loved that we got to see extracts from Eli’s books and see how similar her book characters are to Eli and Aracely’s relationship. I also loved the flashbacks aswell I feel they really made the whole story enjoyable and realistic.

This was simply a perfect holiday read. Although I did read this after Christmas I still loved every aspect of it.

*Thank you NetGalley and Bold strokes books for providing me this Arc in return for an honest review*

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC!

Wow! All I can say is this is so much more than a Christmas story. Yes it takes place during Christmas but Alissa Bahney wrote a masterpiece that tackles grief, loss, addiction, family drama, etc. It was a beautiful story and the character development was phenomenal. I usually am not a big fan of Christmas books because I feel like they can be limiting. But I would read Close to Home any time of the year!!