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Life in Icicle Falls #9

Home on Apple Blossom Road

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Home is where the love is…

Colin Wright and Mia Blair grew up in Icicle Falls, but they left years ago—and not on good terms. Now Colin's grandmother, Justine, has died, and they've come home to honor this woman they both loved. That's when they get some unexpected news. They're about to inherit something. Jointly. They just have no idea what. It turns out that Justine's designed a treasure hunt for them, like the ones they enjoyed when they were kids and best friends.

But they're not kids anymore, and they sure aren't best friends. As for that young love they once shared? Well…it's complicated.

On the trail of Justine's treasure, they follow a series of clues that take them down memory lane—ending up at the orchard on Apple Blossom Road. What will they find there? And what did Justine know that they didn't?

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 22, 2016

349 people are currently reading
1487 people want to read

About the author

Sheila Roberts

109 books1,982 followers
With fifty books to her credit, both fiction and non-fiction, Sheila Roberts is a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller - and a fan favorite. Her books have sold over three million copies and have been turned into movies for the Hallmark, Lifetime and Great American Family channels. Before settling into her writing career, Sheila owned a singing telegram company and played in band. When she's not traveling, Sheila can be found hanging out with friends, playing tennis, and, of course, writing and reading. Sometimes she even remembers to post books she's read!

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5 stars
536 (46%)
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392 (33%)
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187 (16%)
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35 (3%)
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13 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
Profile Image for Susan.
1,502 reviews206 followers
March 26, 2016
Home On Apple Blossom Road

Sheila Roberts


Colin and Mia are on a treasure hunt. Grandma Justine has passed away and when her will is read Colin and Mia are shocked. They must go on this treasure hunt together and with no help from anyone else. Colin and Mia are reliving their past as the hunt for their inheritance and this is both good and bad. You see, Colin and Mia used to be a couple. A couple that everyone thought would be together forever. But life has a few bumps in it along the way and they broke up. Neither one of them has been happy since that day.


The treasure hunt was a lot of fun and I felt as if I were there with them when they were finding their clues. Both of them are still heartbroken and as they discover clues, they learn some things that they were wrong about. You will not be able to stop yourself from cheering for them and hoping that they find their happiness. Keep your tissues handy because HOME ON APPLE BLOSSOM ROAD gets very emotional and tugs at your heart. Even after her death, Grandma Justine isn't finished teaching them and you will find yourself reading many many pages trying to get to the next clue with Colin and Mia.


I always fall in love with all of Sheila's characters and HOME ON APPLE BLOSSOM ROAD does not disappoint. Reading a Life in Icicle Falls book is like visiting with old friends. It's a small town and everyone is in everyone else's business just enough to drive them all crazy. You don't have to read the books before this one, but I bet as soon as you finish this one, you will be running to find the rest of the series. I thought I knew where the story was going and who was going to end up with who, but once again, Sheila throws in a curve ball and I had it all wrong! I can't wait to continue with this series. As an added bonus, there are recipes at the end of the story and who doesn't love new recipes?



ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.
Profile Image for Danielle.
1,339 reviews51 followers
January 11, 2016
This is the first book I have read in this series by Roberts and while I enjoyed it I did feel like something was missing from the story.

Colin has returned home for his grandmothers funeral but he isn't sure why his ex Mia has come. After the funeral he and Mia are asked to stay for the reading of the will. The will takes them on a treasure hunt that will have them both revising the past and setting them up for the future they always wanted.

This story was more emotional then I normally like in my romance books but Roberts did break that with the fun of the treasure hunt that these two were sent on. While I never read the previous stories it sounds like the people and this town is something I could definitely see myself reading more of.

The treasure hunt idea was fun and it kept me wondering and waiting on what they both would find and share. Of course I had an idea but I liked the mystery that went with it. The grandmother took her time and planned things out perfectly for this couple.

While on the hunt I liked how they began talking and getting to know each other again. Sure they had a young love but reading about them trying to get past the heartache they both felt was nice. I love second chance at first love stories and this was one of them.

I don't know if I didn't connect with it because I missed the first 8 books or not but I want to read more from the descriptions of the town to the characters that have known each other for years.

This is a series I'll be starting from the beginning of one day. If you love second chance at first love stories I suggest adding this to your TBR pile.
Profile Image for Dawn ♥ romance.
1,830 reviews29 followers
July 7, 2017
The treasure hunt plot was interesting but its ploy was so obvious. As their history unfolded, except for a couple incidents, so much was predictable, especially the whole girlfriend thing. I started skimming and had even guessed the ending. Colin's grandmother dies and leaves an inheritance to him and his old girlfriend Mia that they have to find through a treasure hunt.
Profile Image for Jenn O'Brien.
970 reviews21 followers
April 26, 2016
An overall good addition to the Icicle Falls series, but not really my favorite in the series. I enjoyed the idea of the treasure hunt and wandering all over the town to solve the clues was a lot of fun. It was great to see locations introduced in previous books and see favorite characters again. Readers can figure out the ending and the "buried treasure" fairly early on - there are no surprises there.

I have to admit, I felt a little sympathy for the unfriendly girlfriend. The main character does not bring her to his grandmother's funeral that opens the book. Then when she does show up, she is brushed aside with no more of an explanation than "don't bother us, we are solving a mystery." She is never given a chance, and "the rules" were never explained to her, so no wonder she comes off as intrusive and nagging.

This would be a good book for a car ride or a plane trip - easy to tuck into a bag and pick up whenever.
504 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2016
This is a book you won't want to miss. I have not read any of the other Icicle Falls books, but it does not matter. You feel right at home. I would recommend reading this book when you can read it from cover to cover because you won't want to put it down.
Profile Image for Janelle.
100 reviews6 followers
March 8, 2016
This was by far my favorite book yet from this wonderful series! I was sad to come to the last page. As always, I'm looking forward to the next book in Icicle Falls!
Profile Image for K.
50 reviews
March 8, 2016
I recently finished reading Home on Apple Blossom Road by Sheila Roberts, which is the latest installment in the Life in Icicle Falls series. I have been a HUGE fan of Ms. Roberts’ books for more than five years now.

This book is a true page turner; I had it read in little more than a day. Would that Ms. Roberts could write as fast as I can read! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the main characters and I also love catching up with characters from past books in this series. As always, Ms. Roberts had me laughing, crying and wanting to move to Icicle Falls. Right. Now. Ms. Roberts writes fun, light reads about relationships. If you haven’t read any of her books, you may want to look for them now.

A little about the book:
Mia Blair and Colin Wright grew up in the same family. She as an orphan, whose mother died and her father deserted them when she was small. She has been adopted by his aunt and uncle. He is also, in a sense, an orphan, as his mother had abandoned his father (Dylan) and him when he was young. The two were first friends and later high school sweethearts. But all that changes when they go off to college and eventually break up. Along the way, Colin and Mia must both face the ghosts from their past. Mia became engaged to a college friend only to break the engagement immediately after a trip home, where she realizes she’s never gotten over Colin. Colin has a girlfriend and must decide how serious he is about her. His mother flits in and out of his life and her father does as well. One quote from this book has stuck with me after reading it. At one point, Dylan says to Colin, “I’ll take you to Seattle if you’d like to visit her. I know you’re curious. But remember, she’s not the woman who raised you. She doesn’t get to wear the Mommy badge. That belongs to your grandma and Aunt Beth. Got it?” Now it’s nearly a decade later and they are both back in Icicle Falls for Grandma Justine’s funeral. They find they are both in Grandma’s will and she has enlisted the assistance of the whole family and the entire town sending the two on a treasure hunt to find their inheritance. Interspersed throughout the book are letters from Grandma to her mom and later, her sister. These letters are loaded with family news throughout the years.

http://www.sheilasplace.com/home-on-a...

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm part of Ms. Roberts's street team and got this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for  Gigi Ann.
632 reviews39 followers
April 1, 2016

My Thoughts....

As always I like a good clean romantic story, and Ms. Roberts never disappoints. However, this story started off a bit slow for my taste, (however, that was no fault of the authors, I was not feeling my best for a few days) but the pace picked up as they followed the clues, as their treasure hunt continues....

The story line at times focuses on what happened as they were growing up. And then returns to the present, in that way we get to be up close and personal with Colin and Mia throughout their growing up years. Eventually, we learn what the misunderstanding was that destroyed their love for one another.

Sheila Roberts writes emotional, clean story lines in her novels, which I always fine refreshing. Many of her novels are filled with human qualities like regret, forgiveness and love. So if you are looking for a hot and steamy romance, you need to look elsewhere!

HOME ON APPLE BLOSSOM ROAD is a sweet romance about two people who drifted apart from one another, because of a misunderstanding. As all sweet as cotton candy stories go... the romance progressed to a happily ever after ending. My favorite "Mind Candy" kind of stories.

I enjoyed the story to the point of awarding it 5 "Apple Blossom" stars. This book is a part of my Nook library.
Profile Image for Stephanie A..
2,937 reviews95 followers
November 12, 2017
Like a warm slice of apple pie, this cozy little book is the perfect representation of what I mean when I say I love living in the U.S. Such a heartwarming depiction of a small community that grew into a thriving town based on the hard work of its residents, as well as a focus on generations of a tightly-knit family. By the end of the book, I was seriously missing Grandma Justine myself.

I loved watching the family's history unfold through her letters to her mother, from 1960 to present day. Sometimes at estate sales, I'll see scrapbooks and mailed postcards and other family history ephemera and feel both profound sadness that there is no family left to curate it, as well as a wish that I could take it all and put the story together myself. This book gave me the feeling of family history being preserved the way I wish it would be.

Of course, the real reason I checked it out was the promise of an Easter basket style "treasure hunt," following clues over town to find their inheritance, and I was not disappointed. On top of that, the requisite girlfriend was such an Obvious Obstacle that she was no more annoying than a fruit fly buzzing about until it was her time to be swatted out of the picture; the real story was about how Colin and Mia are soulmates (as shown through flashbacks) on their way to being reunited by Grandma Cupid's Master Plan. I also loved the fact that they're almost exactly my age, so I could really place the flashbacks in context of the time period.

I definitely cried a couple of times: over the orchard being sold, the death of the grandfather, and the STUPID amount of time Colin and Mia lost out on for absolutely stupid communication-fail reasons...but honestly, I couldn't fault that either because I would have reacted exactly like Mia, but without enough sense of self preservation to later take the Nice Guy's ring off. Well played.

I haven't read any other books in this series and I'm not sure I plan to, because I think this one will be pretty hard to top...but it was well worth the time I spent with it.
Profile Image for Clare O'Beara.
Author 25 books372 followers
July 18, 2016
I enjoyed the earlier tale in this series Better Than Chocolate and the Icicle Falls location seems to be a low-stress romance town. If you've followed all the tales you might give this book a higher rating but there wasn't enough to hold the interest of someone new to the series.

Colin Wright, town native, has been living in Seattle. Now his big-hearted grandmother Justine has passed away and left him some treasure at her home and orchard. This tale also follows the efforts by Justine to build up her family and the town in her early years. She helped all who came to her and saw the town grow.

The mischievous Justine left the treasure equally to Colin and a foster cousin Mia Blair, stipulating that they are to search for it together following a trail of clues. Mia once thought she could have a relationship with Colin but they split up when they went to college and met other people. The treasure hunt is a gently amusing walk around various scenic locations during which the two get to know each other again as adults. Sounds romantic, but Colin's girlfriend is on her way to join him.

This is a sweet romance particularly for fans of the series. I enjoyed the location detail and the lack of strife was refreshing in the midst of all today's bad news.
I received an ARC from Net Galley for unbiased review.
Profile Image for Debbie Bothwell-palmer.
35 reviews6 followers
March 13, 2016
Once again Sheila Roberts hasn't let us down! I love being back in Icicle Falls and getting to know Mia and Colin. There love for each other is still there they just don't know it. It took Grandma Justine to pass away and leave them this treasure hunt to find the true meaning of what they shared all those years ago and learn what today holds. Mia learns the truth of some things she was wrong about. It's great to run into all the folks I have come to love in this series. Get your tissues handy because you will laugh,cry and enjoy each moment that these wonderful characters take you through. I really hated to see this book end. I hope everyone that reads it enjoys it as much as I have. Thanks again Sheila Roberts for giving us another wonderful read. I can't wait till the next one is out.
Profile Image for Virginia Lloyd.
177 reviews25 followers
March 14, 2016
Home on Apple Blossom Road
By Sheila Roberts

Journey through the pages of Sheila Roberts' new book, Home on Apple Blossom Road and be taken home---home to family and friends, to dreams and hopes of yesteryear and to memories of the loved one who started it all.

Colin and Mia were led on such a journey when their beloved Justine passed away. Childhood friends now enemies, they are tossed together in a treasure hunt reminiscence of those of their childhood. Will this forced togetherness spiral out of control or will will it accomplish what Justine hoped?

From Justine's letters to pink envelope clues, follow Colin and Mia as they journey to home.
Home to where it all began on Apple Blossom Road.
Profile Image for Gail.
1,544 reviews
March 11, 2016
What an AWESOME Book! This is the latest book in the icicle Falls series but it can be read alone. I love Sheila Robert's books she puts so much feeling into her books. This book will make you laugh and cry and makes you stop and think about what is really important in life.
Colin and his ex sweetheart Mia return to Icicle Falls for Colin's Grandma Justine's funeral and the reading of the will. Grandma has a stipulation in the will that they both need to not be engaged and have to work together with no outside help on one last Treasure Hunt to find their inheritance. Will they do it? Read the book to find out. A very well written book with a great cast of characters!
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
March 19, 2016
Loved this latest installment of the Life in Icicle Falls series. Ms. Roberts has brought us a fun tale of second chances, family love, and adventure. Mia and Colin are back in Icicle Falls after the beloved Grandma Justine passes away. Lifetime friends and high school sweethearts, these two lost their connection when they went away to college. Now as they are reunited it would seem that Grandma Justine is finished teaching them a few things. As they head off on a scavenger hunt designed by Justine, they may just find that the greatest treasure in life is the love they have for one another.

Definitely a book and series I recommend to everyone.
Profile Image for Ann.
6,025 reviews83 followers
March 5, 2016
Sheila Roberts has a winner series in Life in Icicle Falls. The town seems idealistic and the folks all add the perfect touch to each and every story. Colin is returning home for Grandmother Justine's funeral. Mia, his childhood best friend is also there to mourn along with everyone in town. Her final plans include a treasure hunt for Colin and Mia just like when they were children. She hopes they will re-discover their love for each other as well as the treasure in the apple orchard. As usual, there are a few tears, some giggles and a satisfying ending, and an introduction to the next story.
428 reviews2 followers
March 22, 2016
This book spoke to me on so many levels!! Sheila did a different writing style in this book, but only because of the subject. I believe it is her best to date. Every book gets better and better and she has expanded her horizon for this book!! Sheila, keep jumping out of your comfort zone!! It amazes me what you are accomplishing as a writer. You've swelled my heart with this book. Can't wait to see what you give of yourself in the next book!!
Profile Image for Linda.
163 reviews15 followers
March 11, 2016
Colin and his ex Mia go home to Icicle Falls for the reading of his grandmother's will. She leaves them a treasure map to find their inheritance. They stop many places along the way and relive old times. Will these two fall in love again as grandma planned?? Read this wonderful book and find out. Sheila Roberts at her best! Great book from beginning to end ... Don't miss it!!
Profile Image for Diana Leneker.
315 reviews25 followers
April 3, 2016
I have been a huge fan of this series and Ms Roberts once again hits this out of the ballpark. I loved reading about the grandparents history, of their decision to leave their home after the Korean War and move to the splendor of Eastern Washington, buying an apple orchard and raising their family. This story has such a heart.......❤️
Profile Image for Patricia.
524 reviews126 followers
June 16, 2016
Home on Apple Blossom Road was quite an enjoyable break for me, though it's not something I would normally read. This is a feel good book with a lot of family, community, and two long parted high school sweethearts who meet, once again, at a funeral. It's obvious how the book will end end; but the story was a comfortable ride.
62 reviews5 followers
February 2, 2016
*received for free from NetGalley*

Another great Icicle Falls novel. As with the others you don't need to read the other books in the series first. This had some flashbacks in it which were great. A little predictable like other Icicle Falls books, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable.
Profile Image for Marilyn Cheney duval.
13 reviews
March 19, 2016
The story line of this book was one of the most unique and fascinating ones I've ever read. Like Colin and Mia, I couldn't wait for them to find the next clue!! Bravo Sheila!!! It's the most clever way of writing a story I have ever read!!
Profile Image for Shelly Hammond.
1,933 reviews
May 27, 2019
This book was great! It's always so much fun getting to dive into the lives of the residents of Icicle Falls.
In this installment, you get to go on a treasure hunt! Well, you Colin and Mia get to anyway. When a loved one passes away she leaves instructions that the two much complete the hunt and then they would get their inheritance. The treasure hunt is one that is rather elaborate and so many of the characters we've come to know and love in the town are taking part. The hunt leads them all over Icicle Falls! It's great getting to go around the town touching base with the residents.
Now, you know it can't be all that simple. Colin and Mia used to be super close. They grew up together. Mia was raised within Colin's family when her mother died when she was very young. They also used to date and were very serious. Then something happened and they stopped talking all together. Now they are thrown into this together and the tensions are high. Mia is single now living in Chicago and Colin is not single, has a girlfriend, and lives in Seattle. Things get complicated from the start and well, you'll have to read the book to see what happens.
Though it wasn't super hard to figure out the treasure in the end, it was an absolutely enjoyable journey hanging out with the folks from the town and the treasure hunters for the length of this book. I enjoyed this book so much and can't wait to move on to the next one.
Profile Image for Ace.
12 reviews
March 29, 2024
Granted I'm not the biggest fan of this genre in general, but there have been plenty of romances I've liked and this is not one of them. Dual POVs but neither character had a strong voice or much personality. The mystery at the center of the plot is ridiculously easy to predict (even for me, someone known to be terrible at piecing together mysteries). Clearly it's meant to be more about the journey than the destination, but the journey is about as interesting as a 2 hour commute through corn country.
Profile Image for Jen.
138 reviews9 followers
September 23, 2017
This was my first read from Sheila Roberts n won't be my last. I'm so glad I discovered her books. This was 1 of The best books. It made you feel bless for what you have. Reminds you of what family is n what "home" means. I love the letters. That was a fantAstic touch. There was sad moments but such a beautiful ending. The whole hunt to find the clues was great. I strongly suggest to read this book. I look forward to my next adventure to Icicle Falls
1,278 reviews
January 29, 2018
Overall liked the main characters so enjoyed the story. Although I did find Mia quite judgmental and had very poor character evaluation skills (Adrian, Arthur just wants to be my friend, BFFs w Bailey the cheating whiny brat). Thank goodness there were only a few episodes I had to skip through that involved Bailey since I truly hate that character. I liked the story but wished Colin hadn't apologized so much and Mia had done so a bit more.
Profile Image for Kate.
117 reviews
November 17, 2016
Both this and the previous book in the series got kinda churchy. I guess that appeals to some but I found it really distracting from the story and just kind of annoying. Having said that I am not a Christian so my levels of tolerance for holier-than-thou, "god let's things happen for a reason" attitudes is lower than may be for other readers.

Also Colin was a bit of a dick.

It was okay.
144 reviews
June 12, 2017
I had never read this author before but I will read other book by her. This was very interesting, I was as shocked as Mia and Colin at the end. I laughed and cried while reading it. Thank you Sheila for the wonderful story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews

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