Closer Home

by Kerry Anne King

When Lise Redding’s estranged sister, country-pop star Callie Redfern, is killed during a publicity stunt, the small-town music teacher is dragged from her quiet life into the spotlight. Lise hadn’t spoken with Callie in ten years, ever since Callie’s betrayal split them apart, so she’s shocked to discover that she’s inherited her sister’s massive estate. Not only that, but Lise is now the guardian of her sixteen-year-old niece, Ariel, to whom she’s practically a stranger. Overwhelmed by grief and her new responsibilities, Lise thinks things couldn’t get worse. But overnight she becomes the paparazzi’s latest obsession. Suddenly she and her longtime friend Dale are plastered over the front pages of the tabloids. Desperate to escape both the media and her memories, Lise sets off with Ariel on a search for the girl’s father. Yet instead of granting Lise a reprieve, the quest brings her face-to-face with long-buried secrets. Only by learning to forgive will she be able to find her way back home.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Contemporary Romance

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2016

About the author

Kerry Anne King (aka Kerry Schafer) is the Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of thirteen novels. An incorrigible genre hopper, Kerry has written fantasy, paranormal mystery and book club fiction. Known for her lyrical writing and memorable characters, Kerry weaves deep emotional insights, humor, and often a touch of magic into all of her tales. Her most recent writing venture is an amateur sleuth novel, Party Planning Can Be Murder, releasing in March of 2025.

In addition to writing, Kerry co-hosts the One Happy Thing podcast with bestselling authors Jennifer Moorman and Maddie Dawson and runs Author Genie, where she provides virtual assistant services to fellow authors.

Kerry lives in a small town in northeastern Washington with her real-life Viking and a crew of neurotic rescue animals—two dogs and four cats—whose favorite pastime is interrupting her writing.

Reviews

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a mistake

I should never have read this it was free and it sounded good but it just wasn't for me. Nothing to do with writing but the storyline was depressing and the ending was just disappointing. Sorry I read it.

[Susan Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was completely swept away by this story, an emotional read that brought tears to my eyes, but so much love in my heart. The story and its characters were so captivating, that I stayed up way past my bedtime finishing it...I couldn't put it down. A real emotional roller coaster with characters that were loving, frustrating, and genuine; all of them on a journey to find their true home; a path full of obstacles, heartache, betrayals, secrets, and a whole lot of love!

[Marleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

In all honesty, I didn't feel this book. I had the impression the author wanted to sell us an idea of what stardom turned someone into, and the whole thing came across as quite unauthentic. I think that most country stars are more down to earth and don't ruin the lives of so many people. For me there was just too much animosity and unresolved issues, and not enough lightness to balance out the drama.
I felt sorry for Annalise, the lead character, who vacillated between having a backbone and then lacking one. There's not much more I can say that except that I liked Dale, but he too should have spoken out instead of keeping it all in.
This story confirms one thing: if there's ruthlessness in entertainment business, it's the publicists, the entourage, and the media that are the ones mostly to blame, making the lives of the "artists" so much more difficult, and all that for more money, which is such a shame.

[Jonann loves book talk❤♥️❤ · Rating 1 out of 5]

☹️ I had very strong feelings against the actions the author chose as "acceptable" in the book. For example, letting a 16 year old see and get inside of her (potential) dad's suicide car after he has blown his brains out??? Also, describing an elderly lady at nursing home in a wheelchair as fat?? It's just a huge NO for me. 😡

😤 While reading this I constantly questioned why the author thinks this is acceptable to put this in print for the reader. I will not recommend this book.🚫👎🙅

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell this book was excellent!
It's 5.28am and I've just finished reading it. I couldn't put it down it had me from the very beginning. It was very well written and had me on an emotional roller coaster.

It reminded me of a cross between the movies raising Helen and love, Rosie. The story was original and perfect, maybe a little predictable but that's just like any romance book. Right?

Only one book has ever made me cry and that was the hunger games but this one came close but not because I felt sad.
This book was courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I have to thank them for introducing me to this Author.

I'll start by saying I don't really do sad/depressing books and starting with a funeral is a bold move but this book wasn't depressing.

Lise sister has just passed away leaving her with a whole new chapter in life. Callie her sister was a country/pop singer. Lise is given the responsibility of taking on her daughter, fame, money and public.

Her daughter doesn't know who her father is but when looking through Callie's personal belongings she comes across her diary and thinks she can figure it out. They set on a journey of discovery with the media closely shadowing behind. They have to trust the ones closest to them to keep them safe and revisit Callie's high school years. It takes us through her old sweethearts showing what they were like then compared to now but life is never that straight forward so this book has a few bumps in the road.

This is a story of love and friendship.

I loved this book! 5 plus stars out of 5.

Plus it is free for Kindle Unlimited readers!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

[Lisa Scheppmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Closer Home" by Kerry Anne King

"Finding ones way to be closer (to) home isn't always easy." ~ a.k Avid reader and reviewer

After the death of her sister, Callie, a country star, Lise has to work through long buried secrets, the journey her niece decides to embark on, and finding friendship and love where she least (or most) expects it...in order to come out the other side.

A vivid tale of one sister who has a lot of issues to work through while trying to avoid a lot of the negative consequences and people who are suddenly a part of her life because of her sister's death. Lise is not prepared, for, nor comfortable with, the onslaught of media and others who are suddenly a part of her life. She becomes the guardian of her niece that she hasn't seen in years. She isn't prepared for changes with her friends and family due to her guardianship of her niece and other items her sister has left to her in her will.

A woven tale of past and present where secrets, childhood, jealousy, and adult relationships with friends and family are all out to the test and need to be worked through, so one is closer (to) home in the end...the safest and warmest place to be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/2ep7IUH

[Kaitie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I have two books by this author, and they’re both rated so well, so I had really high hopes going into this! I was glad to finally pull this one out of the jar because the cover was just so pretty.

That being said… this took me a LONG time to get through. It took me an entire month + some days. I don’t know why I had no motivation to pick it up once I started reading it! It wasn’t a difficult read by any means, but I just wasn’t a huge fan of the whole present-then-hit-with-a-flashback style of writing, and it just felt like a whole lot of nothing happened for the majority of the book. Both Ariel and Lise were frustrating at times, and while I did enjoy some of the character development, I just felt that the scenes dragged on and on and moved along so slowly.

I did really enjoy the ending though, which is rare for me. I’m usually not a huge fan of the way books end, but I smiled from this one, and it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside! I’m excited to pick up the other Kerry Anne King book on my shelves!

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked it yet I didn't. The premise is a bit of a stretch that a grown woman would be led around the country—and by the nose—by a sixteen yr-old girl but we'll go with it. The ending was very predictable. Dale turned out to be a huge disappointment. I didn't get the feels for him. He kept his secret hidden fearing that Lise would never forgive him. Well... if Lise wouldn't have forgiven him when she was an 18 yr old girl, try getting that golden nugget past a 35-yr old woman who has some wear on the treads. Dale and Lise both came across as weak and indecisive. In the end, I didn't root for them to be together. The resolution came too fast and too clean. It was very rushed with a lack of emotion.

[Camille Maio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful vacation read! From its cheery cover to its engaging story, this one is one to pack along with you. My favorite part was that it is a premise that I had not seen in a book before - a difficult feat among a sea of similar offerings, and a breath of fresh air. The characters were well-developed and the resolution was ideal. I look forward to reading more by this author!

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and complex and funny in parts - the wide range of emotions that come through Lise’s grief will be instantly recognizable by anyone who has lost someone they deeply loved.

[Tequila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love! Love! Love!

I had to force myself too put this book down and go to sleep last night. This is an absolutely beautiful story about family and love.

[Amy Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bittersweet

Well-written story explored the troubled relationship between sisters. Gave it 4/5 stars because while the flashbacks developed the plot, the transitions seemed trite at times. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I want to read more of this author 's work.

[Barbara Lemieux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading

A Great book. A little predictable but the author still keeps the reader engaged to the end. Not much else to add

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

This is a sweet story with a reminder that there are real people with real emotions behind all of the paparazzi.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lise hasn't seen her sister, Callie, for years and now she's sitting at her funeral. But this was no ordinary funeral... Callie was a star in the country world so there's paparazzi and reporters everywhere. The reporters continue to hound Lise when it's revealed that she's getting the bulk of Callie's money -- and guardianship of her teenage daughter, Ariel (who Lise has little to no relationship with).

The book goes back and forth between present and past, reflecting on Callie and Lise's upbringing in a small town with an alcoholic father and depressed mother who rarely got out of bed. The girls just had each other. But while Lise was more of a goody goody, Callie was the rebel. In fact, she was with so many guys, Ariel has no clue who her father is. Enter Callie's diary, which details some of the guys and sets Lise and Ariel on a quest to find the father. They travel around the west coast with their DNA sample kit (and Ariel's boyfriend, Shadow) and are constantly tracked by reporters.

Ariel and Lise know they have to retreat somewhere so make their way back to Lise's hometown of Colville -- and to her friend Dale's house. Dale and Lise have this 'will they, won't they' relationship -- they're best friends but Lise knows he wants more. And Lise is obviously an idiot because although she has no boyfriend/husband, she rejects Dale (who seems like an amazing man).

As for the title, it references Callie's most famous song -- the one she 'stole' from Lise without her permission. We hear Closer Home a lot in the book (way too many times!)

This book was totally unbelievable between the millions Callie made and the estranged relationship given how tight they were when they were growing up. We never found out much about Callie other than she slept around, which didn't make her come to life. And of course, she must have been incredibly jealous of her sister since she took Dale to prom when Lise went with some jerk instead.

I also thought the storyline with the fathers kind of got out of hand. Timothy was gay and oh so nice (cliche) -- like a knight in shining armor. Brent was the bad boy -- and the whole thing with the car was so disturbing. And along the way, the reporters were just constantly chasing them. I don't know much about paparazzi, but when they made their way to Colville, I would think those reporters would just give up. I mean... Callie was the famous one, not Lise. It was way too much.

It was also annoying just how nice Dale was and how he kept doing things for Lise despite the fact that she was kind of a you-know-what. She didn't seem to have much of a life... in fact, I didn't hear about any of her friends or even a job... so I didn't get a clear sense of her. Oh yeah... she taught lessons... which must not have been a big deal since I didn't remember until just now.

It was also annoying how the ending was rushed and everything was tied into such a neat little bow. I love happy endings, but really?

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I was drawn to this book. Maybe the cover? Maybe a need to step away from the action/intrigue books to which I am typically drawn? If you are seeking a nice, light read where you can just turn your brain off and enjoy, this is a decent selection.

Lise is dealing with the death of her estranged super famous country music star sister. Suddenly she is thrust into the limelight which is a huge departure from her safe, small town life. As she struggles with her new situation she spends a lot of time reflecting on her past. Typical chick lit fare that I suspect most readers will enjoy.

Alas, I am not most readers. I found mild entertainment value, but I have trouble turning off my brain. While reading, I mostly just went with the story. However, when I stop and reflect upon the story, I realize that most of the characters were total jerks. I can give the actions in their youth a pass. Let's face it, young people do stupid things and over react. However, their behavior since their youth was rife with drama, immaturity, and lack of consideration toward those for whom they profess affection. I have to say, this casts a little bit of a pall over the story.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. I did enjoy it and served the purpose of giving me some easy time without thought.

[Barbara Sissel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absorbing and emotionally observant, CLOSER HOME, is a novel that is intricately plotted and intriguing from the very first page that examines matters of love and loss, and loyalty and regret. What sets it apart is the uniqueness of its situation: a recent noteworthy death, millions of dollars up for grabs, a journey undertaken to resolve a mystery … and all of it conducted under the glaring and merciless eye of the media. Beautifully told through a cast of truly relatable characters as deeply human as their flaws, this story is compelling to the very satisfying end. Not one you will soon forget.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

As interesting as this story is, the writing often feels tired, falling into overused phrasing, familiar actions (so much attention to having no appetite!), and mawkish, overblown emotion. The solution to the central mystery of the novel is utterly predictable. While the premise of recovering from broken relationships in the context of celebrity is valuable and rich, Closer Home, in the end, felt artless.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story about love, loss, regrets & finally finding peace.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

16 yeat old Ariel is as willful as her now-deceased mother used to be. She vaguely remembered times visiting her maternak grandparents ans her Aunt Annalise, but the visits suddenly stop at one point. Now, she discovers she has one grandmother who will never know her because of dementia, her maternal grandfather is dead, ans she really does have an Aunt Annalise, and one who, alonf with lifeling best friend Dale and his family, will be the ones to protect her from the paparazzi and, at times, from herself.
Having found a potential ally among the paparazzi, Annalise grants her an exclusive interview. Meanwhile, since Ariel's mom has given Annalise guardianship over Areil plus the bulk of her estate, the publicist, minus the one decent member of the crew, sics CPS on them the day of the interview, using several incidences during Ariel's hunt for her father and blowing them out of proportion, qa the basis for reporting Annalise as an unfit guardian and putting himself down as a suitable guardian.
The good interview exclusive helps somewhat, but although Annalise hasn't written a song since her sister Callie, Ariel's mom, stole her last song and turned it into a hit, claiming authorship as well, suddenly, as the interview progresses, a song comes to her andd she stands there until she has the main notes, lyrics, & some of the harmonies memorized.
Annalise's lawyer friend Ashley gets her a high powered Hollywood law firm to help with the finances, custody battle, and claims of parenthood, but resolves it for herself when she sees Ariel's father side by side with Ariel, becaus Ariel looks nothing like her mother's side of the family.
The book gives a look into what happens when the quiet, reliable child gets tasked with her sibling's car in her tween years, with a mother with mental health issues and a father who drank too much alcohol, both of whom side with the younger (who has also been protected from the worst of her oartent' excesses by the same big sister). The older one grows up feeling the burden of adulthood way too young, and everyone else is either an uncaring parent or overrules the only true adult in the house (the older sister). It also shows how paparazzi make life a living hell for celebrities and their families.
The s9ng that comes t9 Annalise is one she toils over until nearly dawn. She has a studio but she has always been shy about performing, so she keeos recording until she gets it right, slices in some photos, and dedicates it to Callie at the end...and gets into trouble for that with the new staff who wanted to make sure everything hwas copyrighted first so Annalise could earn more money.
After a series of unpleasant surprises, is rhere any relief in sight for Annalise, Ariel, and the real father Annalise has discovered?

[Linda Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book made me think on so many levels. It was hard to put down as I read and thoughts would pop into my head, wondering what I would do under similar situations. To have your estranged sister die, who just happened to be a very successful country singer, and to find that she has left you many millions of dollars and as guardian of her sixteen year old daughter, who desperately wants to find out who her father is, what would you do? On top of all this, there is the constant invasion of the paparazzi who wherever you are, their is as camera focused on you. I think I would do what Lise does and go with her niece to try and find her birth father from a list of men, that her sister had been with during the period of time that she could have gotten pregnant. Since you know these men from going to school with them, you are somewhat shocked b the list, but off you go anyway. When you are finally ready to get help in escaping the paparazzi, you call the one man not on the list, that you have been in love with for years. He not only helps you, but come to find out, he is really the father. Because of a one time encounter with your then sixteen year old sister, because he is mad at you for going to prom with someone else, after you said you would go with him, he has always felt he was the father, so he sent money every month, which your sister put into a trust for her daughter, because he wanted to do the right thing. One night at dinner with his family, you see that the girl has many of that families traits, and all hell breaks loose. At some point you talk and realize that you are in love and a year later you are married and all ends well. A great thriller to read and enjoy, but be aware that it will make you think!

[Shari Ring Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters

I really got into the characters in this book. The author has very keen insight into human behavior and develops characters well. I read a LOT, and as I age, I've noticed that sometimes the stuff main characters are in such angst over escapes me, and I just don't get it. I've lived long enough to know things of the ego, fears from my younger years, tend to work out. I did not understand the main character of this story having such fear and aversion to the paparazzi. They were annoying liars but I missed the point with some of the extremes she went to and her emotionality over them. I also eye roll a lot over the love/ego thing where 2 people in love hold back honesty over pride or fear of being wrong. It's in all love stories...drives me bonkers. This story had a little bit of validity for holding back, but not much in my opinion. Younger less jaded readers probably liked it. I give it 5 stars for holding interest and growing well developed characters. I like the way the author depicts teens/preteens in her stories, and gives them adult caregivers who treat them like people. I also find he e stories seem well researched, or that she writes about what she knows.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author, Kerry Ann King, starts this book were Annalise (Lise), the main character, is staring at her dead sister's body. I was a little put off by the beginning and unsure about if i was going to like the book, but I am glad i continued. Callie Redfern, Lise's sister, is a country pop star, and the paparazzi is going nuts about her death. Callie had stated that her sister and mother died in a car crash, surprise Lise shows up at funeral. Lise doesn't attend the funeral alone she is with her and Callie' s friend growing up, Dale. Callie has a daughter, Ariel. During the reading the reading of the will, Lise finds out she inherit 110 million dollars and Ariel. Lise doesn't want the money and she doesn't know how to bond with or raise a teenager. Ariel finds a journal of her mothers and it list the guys that could possibly be Ariel's father. Ariel emotionally blackmails Lise to helping her to find her father. During this journey the two face a past full obstacles: heartache, secrets, betrayals, and finally love. The author had me totally feeling for Ariel and Lise. She had me cheering for Lise and Dale getting out of the friend zone. I have to say i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I've read by this author and it was better than I thought it would be. It was hard to put down. Two sisters Lise and Callie live in a small town. Lise is older and is more cautious about life while Callie is the total opposite. Lose has a close friend Dale who is always there for her and Callie is a multi man girl. Having a father who is an alcoholic doesn't make life easy for either girl. Time passes and Callie moves out at a young age after becoming pregnant at 16. After doing so, she becomes famous by doing the music scene. Lise stays in their small town and teaches music. Their father died and their mother goes to a home due to dementia. Years go by and the sisters become estranged from one another and then Callie dies. Lise attends the funeral and discovers there's an entire new life waiting for her in more ways than one. As Lise steps into this new life, she goes on a trip with her niece Ariel to find out who her dad is (Callie never told her family or daughter who it was). The trip turns into something neither Lise or Ariel dreams of. It's a good book and I definitely recommend it.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lise finds out that her baby sister dies in a horrible publicity stunt gone wrong and she inherits the bulk of Callie's estate as well as her teenage daughter, her world goes haywire. In the midst of trying to deal with her grief, she is led on a wild trip that takes her to multiple cities in search of Ariel's possible "father". With the paparazzi hounding every step they take it's hard to get to know one another and grieve in peace, much less deal with all the things that come up with inheriting a mansion, etc. There's betrayal from multiple places that seem to blindside them, but thankfully it works out in the end.
"Closer Home" was a good read at times, and at others it had me questioning why I was reading it in the first place. I like a good gut-wrenching book, and I have my own dysfunctional family history that I can recognize in this book, but the carelessness of Callie as a character, and how Lise just accepted the burden of her family on her shoulders, was just too much.

[JenBsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, didn't love it. It was a free borrow (text and audio) as part of Kindle Unlimited. A quick listen. It did grab me at the first page, but then it flipped around a bit to flashbacks to the past. I don't care for present tense narration, but it's even more awkward in the 3rd person than in first person ... and this had both! Almost all of it was from Lise's perspective (1st person), then for a chapter here and there, it would switch to Dale (3rd person).

SOME SPOILERS: I just was never really sold on the idea that the paparazzi would be so interested in the sister of a famous person. That Lise took of with Ariel without her purse/phone ... and ID? Did she have her driver's license on her. She has a "credit card wallet" so I'm guessing she did (how many women keep a small wallet in their jeans pocket instead of their purse?) but she would have needed ID to get on a plane. Callie SURE got around, didn't she? But of course it had to wrap up the way it did, which was both good and bad.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this one because I read one of the author's latest books "Improbably Yours" and loved it. This one? Not so much. The main character doesn't make much sense. She's held her family together since she was a kid herself and yet when she discovers she's inherited her sister's fortune she falls completely to pieces, gets so browbeaten by her niece that she takes off without her phone (or clothes, toiletries, her purse) yet conveniently has credit cards in her pants. I'm pretty sure she goes for weeks without eating because every time she gets food some new revelation makes her incapable of eating even a bite. You could make a drinking game out of the number of ways not being able to eat is presented. Interestingly enough her character reminds me the main character in the novel I liked which leads me to believe in real life the author loves grilled cheese and tomato soup, hates men, has communication issues, and potentially an eating disorder. I'm sorry to be mean. I think she has improved tremendously in the years in between books.

[Laurel Garver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful story of sibling rivalry, the dark side of fame, and the beauty that can flower out of forgiveness.

I found myself in a cold sweat many times from King's masterful telling of how it feels to gain instant celebrity by proxy because of a sibling. As much as it might be cool to inherit a nine-figure estate, I agree with Annelise that the responsibility--and the lack of privacy that comes with it--would be about my worst nightmare. Becoming guardian to her teenage niece Ariel in the midst of this gargantuan change of financial status made Lise's plight all the more poignant.

I loved that the story went many places I didn't expect, and that King doesn't skirt the myriad legal complications she thew at her protagonist. Yet the story doesn't bog down showing how taking on such an inheritance would surely be quite complex.

The peek inside a musician's creative process, and nuanced look at American religious life were icing on the cake.