Bittersweet Homecoming

by Eliza Lentzski

Bittersweet the new romance novel from Eliza Lentzski, author of the Winter Jacket series.They say you can never go home again, but sometimes you have no choice. A phone call in the middle of the night and news of a death in the family has Abigail Henry catching the next flight out of Los Angeles and traveling back to the small hometown she hasn’t visited in a decade. Nearly everything and everyone looks untouched by time, but it's Abigail herself who has changed.A love story by genre, Bittersweet Homecoming grapples with the basic Can you really ever go home again? You might never be able to go home again, but it’s Charlotte, the beautiful bartender at the local pub, who can tempt Abigail into staying.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian, Fiction, Contemporary, Queer, Adult

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 18, 2015

About the author

Eliza Lentzski is the best-selling author of sapphic fiction, romance, and erotica including the Winter Jacket and Don’t Call Me Hero series. A historian by day, Eliza is passionate about telling the stories of marginalized communities.

Born and raised in the upper Midwest—a landscape that often shapes her novels—Eliza now lives in Boston with her wife and their cat, Charley.


Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful read! Honestly this was one of those stories where i did not want it to end -- that's how good the storytelling was. Readers should be excited with this storyline because its from E.L and she has done wonders with this plotline. Recommend to everyone!

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third by Ms.Lentzski and I will definitely be checking more of her work and since most of them them are available on KU, what a treat, yea.

The small town setting lure me in first, I'm a sucker for such. Throw in a handyman as the h's father, an independent, smart and hottie bartender as a potential love interest and I'm a happy camper.

My only issue is with Abby, I don't know what's troubling her, she has a great dad.

" You know she's more than welcome to come and stay at the house, my dad says.
I can't resist toying with him, " Would you let her sleep in my bed? "
" Of course," he says without hesitation. " And you'd sleep on the pullout couch in the den. Call me old-fashioned, but if you're not married, you sleep in separate rooms "
⬆️ Cool right? Did I mention that he's a handyman?

Okay back to Abby - great family support, a career that she loves, living in LA, good friends, a steady 6 months relationship with her gf. Despite all those positivities, Abby isn't exactly happy but returning home has the perfect solution to her problems through... Drumrolls... Charlotte Johansson.

I can't gush enough about Charlotte, it's better for you to experience her yourself. There's one element in this book that will make you hate Abby a lot but kudos to Ms.Lentzski for not solving the issue quickly between Abby and Charlotte. It takes a manuscript, loads of apologizing and a time apart to heal all wounds

Charlotte's daughter, Amelia is a great addition to Abby and Charlotte's journey to togetherness.

A good read, plenty of bookmarked worthy pages , rereads worthy and it's free.

[Luce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - it was well written and I liked it but didn't love it enough to round up to 4 stars. Told in the first person of Abigail, a successful Los Angeles playwright who returns to her small hometown in Minnesota to attend the funeral of her sister's husband. Abby is likable, but you just want to throttle her for the choices she makes because you know what is going to happen and it does. My main problem I have with this book is that I wanted to know more about Charlotte. How she deals with the small town gossips, the disapproval from her mother and how she got her life back together after having her daughter and more. I did like the ending and I would recommend this book.

[Heinerway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story from Eliza Lentzski about going back home to a small town and finding love and an adorable little girl with a passion for fireflies.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

High 3s 🙂

[hubsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An older read by an author I enjoy, this one did not disappoint! While I did not take to MC Abby very well, the writing was strong and the secondary characters were enjoyable. Abby, quite frankly, was an ass. She reminded me of Elena in Ms. Lentzski's "Winter Jacket" series, but the plus side of that is that because that was a series, I was able to follow Elena's character development and warmed to her. This, not so much.

Abby made poor decision after poor decision, including cheating (barfy), and I'm still not fully sure what kept here away from seeing her family for such extended periods. I kept waiting for a huge traumatic memory to pop up, which didn't happen. We find out a little more later about possible reasons why she is how she is, and that added more meat to the story, but I still wanted more. Maybe I'm greedy? I very much liked Charlotte, and like other reviewers, wish this was a dual-POV book. She had THINGS HAPPENING. That would have pushed it solidly into 5 star territory.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth book by this author that I've read and I have mixed emotions regarding it. Although the book is technically well written, it deals with a certain subject infidelity that makes my blood boil. Because of this I simply could not bring myself to like Abby regardless of the reasoning behind her actions.

Charlotte however I did really like from the very beginning but I do wish the author had spent a little more time on her character development. Other than her having a jerk for an ex and a disapproving mother, we don't really know a lot about her background.

As for the story itself, it's quite entertaining and the secondary characters really help make this book a page turner but there are certain actions that I find unforgivable and this book just so happens to include that painful subject so my reading experience wasn't all to pleasant. Overall this books ends with a 3,5* rating.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather predictable novel from EL and I still loved it. What is it about these flawed characters that is so appealing? Abby starts out as a complete screw up and while the reader is thinking "no, no!" she goes ahead and makes terrible decisions anyway with the expected repercussions. Somehow the author makes things work out in the end and there's a HEA. I think stories like this remind us to be grateful that we don't always get what we deserve.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up all night

It is 6am and I have not been to bed yet. I had no intention of putting this book down. Not because it was an exciting page turner. But because it felt like reading the diary of Abigail's life. Like I was getting a secret glimpse into her soul as she travelled back home to be reminded of her past.

When she meets Charlotte, I was done in. I think I developed my own crush on the single mom bartender. I knew I was all in for this ride.

The road was slightly hilly with the thrill of weightlessness at times. There was a bit of confusion as we were unsure of the destination. We felt helpless when the air was let out of our tires. But ultimately, we made it back on the road, finally sure of where we were headed.

The writing was excellent. The characters well developed. Believable dialogue.

There was one scene in this book where the tension was so high, I literally felt so many emotions I didn't know what to do with them.

This review has been so over the top and extra. Clearly, I kind of liked this one.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so much better written than most others in its genre, and I really appreciated that. But I felt that one of main characters, Charlotte, was woefully underdeveloped, to the point where the romance fell short for me. I couldn't believe the connection when I had only a few surface facts about one of the people involved. I also felt that whole "I found the mother that abandoned me" was very out of place and seemed thrown in at the last minute. Poorly executed in places, but overall better than most.

[Musa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my most favorite among the author's work, but nonetheless I've thoroughly enjoyed the book. Charming small town setting, very likable and realistic characters and slow simmering of the chemistry between Abe and Charlotte. Charlotte's daughter Amelia is super adorable as well. All in all I'd say 3.5 stars but I've decided to round it up to a 4.

[Coldwonderland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cry again, this is what great writers are like, they can write popular stories and also write such emotional stories

[M. Ullrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Can Never Go Wrong With This Author.

The pacing was perfect and just about all of the characters were likable as well as relatable. This was an easy, quick, amusing read that had me laughing out loud, fanning myself, and cursing the character's choices- The perfect combination for a great lesbian romance, in my opinion.

[Megzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Great first half. Sweet and exciting. Realistic. Hot.
Very boring second half. Disappointing, anticlimactic and underwhelming ending.

Not Lentzski's best work, but definitely better than the average lesbian romance.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet romance, good characters. No real surprises, but didn't expect any.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on odd story. Its a mixed up love story revolving around a play writer, Abby, searching for the mother that abandoned her when she was a child. This abandonment seems to have affected any relationship she is involved in. So she hangs onto girlfriends mostly because she doesn't want to be alone.
She finally finds a straight, single mother, bartender to fall for, while she still has a girl friend.
I really like the bartender and her daughter, and can see the attraction but all the angst that goes on in Abby's head is the part I feel is strange. She's just mixed up.
It ends abruptly but the epilogue finishes the story.
I really like this author and have read many of her books. But I cant recommend this one.

[AnnaK · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. It was sweet but let’s be real the butch fucked up biggggg

[Nessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: The book starts with Abby getting a call that her sister’s husband has died. Abby rushes back to her home town after nearly a decade absence. While there she meets Charlotte, the local bar owner. They have a pretty instant attraction and spend a few days spending time together before Charlotte makes a move.

Abby currently has a girlfriend back in LA but knew that she intended to break up with her. Unfortunately her girlfriend doesn’t answer the phone for a week. Abby sleeps with Charlotte and later breaks up with her girlfriend via voicemail. Abby and Charlotte start spending more time together until Abby’s girlfriend shows up out of the blue. Her girlfriend had lost her phone and didn’t know that Abby had tried to dump her.

Charlotte is heartbroken and refuses to talk to Abby. Abby officially dumps her now ex girlfriend and eventually returns to LA. Charlotte and Abby correspond a couple times but never make any concrete moves toward reconciling. Abby’s sister sets them up so that they can finally talk it out. Abby and Charlotte officially start dating and heading towards their HEA.

This was a cute fun read. I wish there had been more of them reconciling and learning to move forward though.

Characterization: Abby is a wall flower. Probably due to her mom’s early exit in her life, she has had trouble believing in permanence and HEA. She is a decent person, but like everyone, has her faults.

Charlotte has hit her stride as a person. She struggled early on in her life but now owns a successful business, and has a well adjusted, happy daughter.

Writing: This was written in first person perspective from Abby’s POV. I noticed a miss conjugated verb as well as a misused word. The passage of time was not well kept. Abby would comment on an extended period of time passing (which sounds like months) when the whole book takes place within one month. I find it strange that Abby is already asking her sister if she is ready to start dating again when her husband is barely in the ground. Overall this book was fun but could have used a more definitive and extended reunion between the main characters.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 - could’ve been 4. I was really enjoying the book, and then it ended during the best part. I feel like I was strung along this story and loving Charlotte and after all that angsty middle, we get a rushed conclusion. I wish lesfic writers weren’t so afraid of writing longer books. The epilogue did a poor job at a resolution. I wanted to see Abby winning Charlotte back and Charlotte making it a little hard for her for once in this book, and eventually realizing she could trust Abby and all that. Instead I have to read a short epilogue saying everything is fine and dandy only a couple of months after the reopening event? It didn’t do these characters any justice. It wasn’t wrapped up in a neat little bow, it was just lazy. I also wish we would’ve seen more about the small town life, or Abby meeting up with her old best friend more. And Emily sulks for a while and then just gets back on her feet and takes over the family store and doesn’t even pause when Abby torments her with questions about putting herself out there? It was a little disturbing. Maybe there was a lot of bad editing that happened here that made every character besides Charlotte and Abby seem shallow. I don’t know. I actually thought Amelia wasn’t as badly written as most kids in these books are, and I would’ve liked to see more interactions between her and Abby besides firefly talk. It’s like the author forgot the whole “Charlotte is a single mom and needs to be careful introducing people to their lives” part. I’d liked to see how Charlotte handled that.
I realize sometimes it’s best not to draw out a story beyond need, but i really think this story needed - and deserved - better.

[Gina L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love This Book!

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The chemistry between Charlotte and Abby was exciting and sexy. Even though Charlotte has a daughter, that only enhances the story. When they finally get together, Charlotte being the one to make the first move, the chemistry ramps up to high. But of course, since we have a couple of important secrets that reveal themselves, everything explodes. The story weaves in and out finding its way to the satisfying conclusion. Even though there were times that I was getting frustrated with the secrets being kept, or the meddlesome bestie, or the failed attempts at honesty, the story was good and worth the five stars given. Eliza Lentszki has done it again.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This was such a great read. I devoured it and could not put my kindle down until I finished it. I was engrossed and I loved the story here.

The characters felt real and honest. I really liked the main character Abby even though she was infuriating in that she was so deeply flawed and made dumb choices. I still found myself rooting for her and her HEA with Charlotte. Speaking of, I think the main down fall of this novel is that Charlotte felt so underdeveloped. Her entire personality seemed to be that she was a single mother. That’s it. We got no real insight or depth from her which was unfortunate because I liked her with Abby. They had good chemistry. Overall, this was a really good read and I’m for sure going to be picking up more from this author.

[Zingari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This incudes cheating.

3.5 Stars

It took me a bit to read this, and only because I'm not personally a fan of first-person.

Characters were pretty human, they made mistakes, and took stock of their actions. In a weird way it felt like a real story. Consequences were predictable, but not the resolutions.

I personally wished there was more finality to it all. Maybe a longer conversation before the epilogue. Some time between the two leading to the epilogue? More time getting to know each other before the conflict, perhaps.

HEA

[Robin Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going home again, yes it’s difficult but it can be so very good.

Eliza Lentzski writes emotions like I breath air! So smooth and precise. The emotions in this story, from death of a spouse, abandonment by a parent and cheating on a lover; a bundle of anxiety! Each storyline is felt deeply and interwoven beautifully. Even the feelings of new love for a mother and young child are handled with care and respect. This was difficult to read in spots, but so tenderly done I could not put it down.

[Glenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fell into the "just liked it" category for me, there seemed to be a lot of wasted potential in the story, I especially wanted to know more about Charlotte and the life experiences she had passed through before finding her real home. Abby was irritatingly immature at times, given to uttering half-baked lies instead of sucking it up and being a truthful grownup. Well written, overall, as are all this author's books.

[Carolyn G. Manuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart Trauma

In the middle of the night, Abigail Henry answers the phone call that takes her back home to Minnesota after ten years. Her brother-in-law has died in a drunken driver accident and Abigail needs to help.
They say you can’t go home again but Abigail found I especially true when she realised she is gay on college. Catching up with old friends, especially a bar tender named Charlotte who mans the bar at the local pub. A finding one’s place story. Loved it.

[CassTrusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit torturous

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and my stomach was in knots for most of this story. It had parts that were sweet, and parts where I wanted to slap Abbey in the face for being an idiot.

If you can be patient, and are willing to pull through some of Abbey’s not so good choices, then I would recommend this to you.

[Nika Boley · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cute

i loved this book!! i'll be honest, i didn't even read the description so i had no idea what it would be about coming into it. but having read eliza lentzski's books previously, i knew i'd love it. very cute story. i love how confident charlotte is. her whole personality is just chefs kiss!

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying the book, but the end is too quickly and it feels like the author got bored and decided to not to finish.
The story is really interesting, it could be so much better, I don't know, i feel like the book was abandoned and I never got to see a closure

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one

I really enjoyed this story. The things we find ourselves doing sometimes surprises us. I liked that about this book. It is another great book by the author. I highly recommend it and anything else she writes.

[DeStijlx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one featuring a character with questionable morals - cheating so if you're not a fan. Please turn away. I personally didn't like one of the MCs, they needed to get a spine and make the tough decisions, not run away from it but maybe that's where Lentzski excelled - writing a flawed character really well.

I also realise, I'm a sucker for a single parent with an adorable child. Would be grateful for more recs on this pls folks - TIA