Homecoming for Beginners

by Ashlyn Kane

When Ollie Kent arrives on the front steps of the Morris mansion, he’s six months out of the military and the brand-new single parent of an eight-year-old cancer survivor. Now they’re starting over back in Ollie’s hometown, where he’s lined up a job as a live-in caregiver for old man Morris.

So it’s kind of a downer when a very hungover, mostly naked man about Ollie’s age answers the door and tells him old man Morris kicked the bucket.

Tyler Morris left town at sixteen as a pariah. Since then, he’s built a good life for himself as an EMT. But even in death, his father has to get in one final Ty can either return to his hometown and act as executor of the family fortune, or let it all go to a hate group.

Between an unexpected job offer and unexpected roommates, coming home doesn’t go the way Ty expects. But Ollie and Theo bring the cold, lonely mansion to life, and golden-boy Ollie provides good cover for the town’s scorn. The only problem is, Ty’s falling head over heels for the world’s sweetest and most stubbornly independent single dad, and if he wants to keep Ollie around, he’ll have to convince him to let Ty help.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Friends To Lovers, Queer, Adult

298 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2025

About the author

Ashlyn Kane is a thirtysomething writer, editor, procrastinator, and dog mom. She likes cheese, puns, and hockey.

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

i enjoyed this so much! I feel like I'm beginning my 'Single Dad / Small Town' era now that the sun has been shining every day (it's a rarity in England) because I just want all the happy and wholesome feelings to match my mood.

Ty and Ollie were pretty much married as soon as they met and it weirdly felt so natural for them to just become this family with Theo almost instantly. The way their relationship grows was just so wholesome and I loved how they were just there for each other and for Theo with no questions asked.

I loved how Ty took to being a parental figure for Theo - the way they bond was just so stinking cute, I couldn't get enough of it! Ollie definitely embodied that parental guilt you feel when you think you aren't doing enough for your child - but spoiler alert, that's how you know you're a good parent, because you actually give a shit!

The wider animosity in the town added that external conflict and I loved how Ollie really got into his stride and figured out his purpose whilst he was helping Ty clear his name. These two are just couple goals - even their fights felt realistic!

I kinda hope there's more stories to come from this town honestly because I loved the feel of it and the wider cast of character's were so interesting.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a lovely and cozy book. Both Ty and Ollie were adorable, walking green flags. Ty, always trying to care for everyone and be good and loving, even if the small-minded twosnpeople treated him like garbage. And Ollie, worried he wasn't being a good dad for Theo and dealing with his PTSD while at the same time trying to figure out what to do next in life.

These two were thrown together due to random circumstances, that being that Ty's dad died, and Ollie was supposed to start working for him. Because Ty is amazing and Ollie and Theo needed a place to live, they decided to move in together, both thinking the other one was doing them a favour. As things go, they form a strong friendship, and even Theo, who's been hesitant to form attachments with grown-ups, has a really great relationship with Ty.

There is some small-town politics-related drama that I think got solved pretty nicely. It also has great humour and loving moments.

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 stars.
Overall enjoyable.
Ollie and Ty getting closer and figuring out they were falling in love was heart warming, they were sweet together.
I wasn't a big fan of all the drama surrounding them, caused by family and townspeople, or the very convenient way every medical crisis happened. Ollie's parents behaviour was giving me whiplash.
The story wasn't very memorable but not bad either, especially the little moments between Ollie and Ty were lovely.

[Monikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous story. I'm smiling. A slow burn without pining. It just takes them half the book to get in tune with each other. But that's ok because life just throws things at them before that. And the rest of the book is a beautiful hug.

A huge hug for all three of them.

*Ty's spiraling ADHD concerned talking/overthinking is adorable.

[Marthea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+
Całkiem uroczy slow-burnek 😁
Ty był kochany, Ollie całkiem niezły, zaś 8-letni dzieciak Theo - super.
Może zbyt dużo było pociągniętych wątków, które miały potencjał, ale nie zostały rozwinięte.
Nie wszystko mi do końca grało, ale generalnie było oki.
Za to dodaję naprawdę dużego plusa za to, że seks jakiś tam był, ale po prostu się ze dwa razy przewinął w większych scenach i tyle. Autorka zwyczajnie skupiła się na tym, na czym powinna, czyli historii. To rzadkość dzisiaj - niestety 🫤

[Crisana]

DNF. Just can't get into the writing style and the story is so messy I keep getting lost. Plus, no chemistry between the MCs so far, which makes it boring.

[Papie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute and sweet. Ty and Ollie were adorable and perfect (a little too perfect?).

But the main problem was the side plot. I was often left wondering if I accidentally skipped a chapter or fell asleep reading because something was missing.

And the whole evil character with the hero saving the day finale had me yawning and skimming.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was a feel good gem! I wasn’t expecting to like it so much.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I thought it was a bit concerning for Ty to ask Ollie and Theo to move in with him when the the two were still strangers, but I couldn't deny that Ty and Ollie had connection of grief.

I loved seeing Ty rise to the occasion, showing what a wonderful man he turned out to be, to the townsfolk who may not like him when he was younger. I loved Ollie for standing his ground (especially with his parents) and he was an AWESOME Dad.

And of course, Theo was such a darling boy.

This one was a good comfort read

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one! IDK if it's just because I've been on such a meh streak with MM romances, or that I went into this with quite low expectations, but this just really worked for me, even being kid!fic. I really enjoyed the characters, the kid was incorporated in a believable way with being exhausting, and the build between the two MCs was lovely. Some realistic conflict that isn't the result of miscommunication, and just generally this was great.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a heartwarming read, I enjoyed it. The characters are easily lovable and I love the dynamic and development of their relationship. This is a fun small town romance with all the feels.

[Alexis]

dnf

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished it- but only just.
Boring, bland and just not my cup of tea at all x

[notachance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t really understand why so many people had it out for Ty, but I loved this - super cute.

[Ladycms · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a complete and utter mess. I honestly don’t even know how to review it. It was like so much was happening and nothing happening at the same time. It was 50% into the book before the two MC’s kissed and it came out of nowhere. Up until that moment, there hadn’t even been any signs of affection. It honestly felt like the relationship was an afterthought, and it didn’t even fit into the book. As for the story itself, it was basically a mess of events that happened throughout each day, and I kept getting confused because I didn’t know whose POV was whose. They were just switched up with no lead in. The eight-year-old kid sometimes behaved like a toddler and other times behaved like an adult. The premise itself was odd, I mean what single parent would move into a mansion with a complete stranger and let said stranger be their coparent?? All I know is I need to jump into another book quick, just for a complete cleanse.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No, that would be ridiculous,” Henry agreed mildly. “Why do that when you could move in a DILF you just met and his eight-year-old kid?”

Plot: 4/5
Spice: 2/5
Characters: 4/5
-ˏˋ⋆⋆ˊˎ-
Overall reco:
This book was surprisingly dense. I'm not sure how to explain it without going into the fact that I time my readings and this one was slower. I also found that when while I was reading the book, I wanted to keep going and not put it down but when I wasn't reading I did not fell the pull to come back to this book. I also didn't highlight anything, which is something I tend to do a lot when I'm enjoying a book. (Oh, also it's only really like 260 pages, There is the first chapter of another book at the end that isn't related to this one and its like 30 pages of that +acknowledgements)

All of that said, it was enjoyable. Ty and Ollie were fun characters. The spice was there, like a cat in the room. The slow burn of this book was slow enough that it didn't really mater that the spice was rather lackluster. I was invested in the characters by the time the spice came.

To be honest? This was a nice but ultimately forgettable read I think. The mystery of the story was what kind of kept me going. That and maybe how "adult" the adults felt. They made rationale decisions and when they weren't rational it was easy to see they were because of trauma of other things.

I do want to say that the portrayal of ADHD and RSD based anxiety felt fucking spot on. As someone that has ADHD and experiencing RSD quite often, his spirals and issue throughout the book felt pretty valid. Especially with how he thought that the town all hated him. Childhood trauma and RSD can be such a bitch and my heart hurt for Ty often in this. It was very low angst but still was angst.

[Theodore · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 54%

Honestly found the book a little boring. The pacing was glacial and the romance was barely developed before the first kiss happened at around 50%, but even then we don't get a proper conversation about it because other things kept on happening (Theo's hospitalization and the investigation into the woman's death)

I like that the author decided to give both Ty and Ollie separate problems, but they felt too distant from one another and almost made them feel like two ships in the night.

They also had a bit too much going on imo. Ty had his job back in Chicago, teaching, coaching, dealing with the town's negative perception of him. Ollie had dealing with his parents, his PTSD, Theo, his job. Every single one (except for Ollie dealing with Theo) felt like it was only addressed on the surface because there wasn't enough time to dedicate to fully fleshing them out. Of the story focused on one or two problems (that maybe could've been shared between Ty and Ollie) we could've had a cleaner pace. As it is, things are slow and feel inconsequential.

I also felt like their problems needed to be explained better?

Ollie kept on saying that his parents were bad/not good influences, but they seemed fine? I was so very confused on Ollie literally choosing to live at a motel instead of at home when his parents didn't seem awful. If they truly were someone he didn't want around Theo, then why did he come back to town in the first place? Why even keep contact with them?

Then he decides to take a stand when his parents insult Ty... but like where the hell did their homophobia line come from? I thought he didn't like his parents because they were pushy about their opinions, not because they were intolerant of other views.

Similarly, Ty's beef with his dad + the town was awkward. Supposedly the people in town hate him, but the people in school don't? What was the point of coaching the baseball team? Or teaching for that matter? If the story needed a way to have Ty be close to Theo, having Ty do one or the other could've sufficed. Having them both just added even more useless padding to an already slow story.

TL;DR Boring. Slow. Not very romantic.

[Reading Rommance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was wonderful! I love Ty. He's so sweet and caring. He genuinely wants to help others and he's good at it. He isn't afraid to try something and when he sees something he wants, he just goes for it. I love Ollie, too. He's such a great dad. He's selfless and kind and hardworking. I love how these two meet and have an instant connection, even if it's just as friends at first.

Not only is it wonderful to see Ollie's relationship with Theo, his son, grow, but it's delightful to see Theo befriend Ty and build that relationship as well. Oh and Theo is a wonderful character in his own right as well. I love seeing Ty befriend past teachers, learn more about his father, and try to work through his feelings of abandonment. I also love seeing Ollie work through his PTSD and feelings of insecurity.

On top of everything, we also get Ty's legal struggles with his father's estate and business partner, who hates him. There's never a dull moment, but it also never feels like too much is happening. Overall, this book was a delight. It started a little slow, but eventually I couldn't put it down!

Notes: 2/5 spice levels, single dad, friends to lovers. roommates to lovers, small town, baseball, PTSD, paramedic/ex military

[Leelah🍁♋️ Orion · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was such a heart warming feel good book. Two broken men trying to find their place in the world amongst folks who think they know what’s best for them. Not only finding themselves but finding love and family in each other. I loved these two. They were so understanding of each others pasts and struggles. They cheered each other on. Both very supportive in the others dreams.

And Theo.,. Reminds me of my 8 year old.
Writing was good smexy was ok. Not much spice believe it or not.

For future me:
Dual pov
Needs diversity
No cheating or sharing
There is only one smexy scene so can’t give roles
No om/ow
Relationship before smexy

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[laureneliza]

Took two tries to get into this but once I did, I quite enjoyed it.

[Manfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Laura Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful and tasty

This is a really good, not glib, all-the-tropes- are-done-carefully, first-rate romance. There are minor characters with character. The protagonists are complex enough without being fraught. I’m looking forward to rereading it someday.

[Yuni L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just adorably sweet and warm. Loved the chemistry.

[Pjm12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, devoured it. Even with the kid being front and centre. Loved loved loved.

[Luc · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 22%

For me it was just boring. The character's didn't interact much in 22% I read, and I wasn't invested in side stories.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I was already a big fan of this author's hockey series so I was expecting good things. But it was even better than I imagined. The characters are vivid and the story just grabbed me from the get go. Meeting someone for the first time when you are drunk and half naked while they are expecting your father lets you know that this is going to be a great book. The book is very well written and easy to read. I loved Ty and his big heart. Even when he has been hurt too many times to count, he still leads with his heart. Ollie, whose life is also in turmoil, unhappily arrives back in his home town with his new 8 year old son. Recently released from the military, Ollie is still trying to get his feet underneath him. Ty deserves to have some happiness in his life. I was happy when Ollie and Theo move in with Ty. And Ollie needs some help but doesn't want any from anyone. Together, all three of them finally find happiness. This is their story. The small town feel in the book feels authentic. It is a low angst and fun read. I finished the book with a smile on my face. My only complaint was that the book was finished. I will definitely look for another book by this author.

I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Misc]

I’ve read a few Ashlyn Kane books and I gotta say this one surprised me with how sub par it is, and not just for her standard. The pacing is torturously glacial and it feels really aimless at times with so many meandering details. The writing didn’t impress me either and I certainly didn’t get sucked into the story by any means. Everything was just really meh. What a shame because the premise could’ve worked, much better. I tried to soldier on multiple times but ultimately found it impossible to finish this book.

[Nick Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ty and Ollie were cute together, but honestly the standout character had to be Theo!

The start was pretty strong, with a funny meeting between Ty and Ollie, and Ty inviting Ollie and Theo to stay. I would have liked a little more slowburn romance, because Ty and Ollie were pretty head over heels within a few weeks.

The end felt a bit rushed, with some manufactured jeopardy of Ty facing a weird pseudo-trial for trying to save someone. Lots of loose ends were then tied up without much explanation, like Ty giving up his home in Chicago or Ollie’s parents going to strong homophobia to being totally fine in a month or two.

Theo was the star though! He was funny, intuitive and kind. He held the plot together and held both Ty and Ollie together, and I loved his snarky comments.

Overall, I enjoyed it but it was a little forgettable.

🚑⚾️🦉

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ngl, this kinda read like 9-1-1 (tv show on ABC) fan fiction. As a huge fan of that show, I really enjoyed that 😂
I loved the romantic development between Ollie and Ty. They started out friends and developed very naturally into romantic partners.
I also loved that both Ollie and Ty had their own personal mental battles they had to overcome and endure. It felt realistic, but in a lighter way. Idk if a grittier tone would’ve ruined the book for me or made it better, but I’m ultimately glad of how this one turned out.
And my favorite part of this book- Theo. Kids have got to be hard to write (and there were several times Theo said things that I don’t think any 8 year old would ever say), but for the most part it was done excelllently. Theo was a good character and I loved literally every scene he was in.