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Finding Home
Sarah Buchanan would never in a million years have used those words to describe herself. Never. But it's been almost a year since her longtime girlfriend left her for a man, and she's suddenly realized that those words now describe her with frightening accuracy, along with one more: boring. Deciding it's time to escape her disaster of a life, at least long enough to turn it around, she takes a temporary position with her company overseas. The hardest part is leaving her blue-eyed dog, Bentley, behind. But at least he's in the capable hands of her family. She thinks.
Natalie Fox is the exact opposite of Sarah. She's flighty, spontaneous, and lives in The Now. It's how she's always been, and for better or for worse, Natalie loves her carefree life. When she finds a stray, skinny, terrified dog with blue eyes outside the coffee shop where she works and decides to adopt him as her own, things seem just about perfect to her.
Take two stubborn, polar opposites with an attraction for one another they're trying desperately to ignore; throw in a couple of wise Italians, a handful of quirky friends, some homemade cannoli, and a far-too-observant dog; stir vigorously, then sit back, relax, and enjoy ...
Listening Length: 7 hours and 38 minutes
Natalie Fox is the exact opposite of Sarah. She's flighty, spontaneous, and lives in The Now. It's how she's always been, and for better or for worse, Natalie loves her carefree life. When she finds a stray, skinny, terrified dog with blue eyes outside the coffee shop where she works and decides to adopt him as her own, things seem just about perfect to her.
Take two stubborn, polar opposites with an attraction for one another they're trying desperately to ignore; throw in a couple of wise Italians, a handful of quirky friends, some homemade cannoli, and a far-too-observant dog; stir vigorously, then sit back, relax, and enjoy ...
Listening Length: 7 hours and 38 minutes
7 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 21, 2008
34 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Georgia Beers
61 books1,507 followersLambda and Golden Crown Literary Award-winning author Georgia Beers lives in Rochester, New York. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and published her first lesbian novel in 2000.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 26, 2018
A predictable ending but I enjoyed it nonetheless - sweet simple love story. Story of 2 women, Sarah and Natalie, who fell in love but didn’t quite realise it till towards the last quarter of the book. The one thing that they have in common initially is their love for a dog, which both believed belonged to them - lost by one of the MC and found by the other.
My takeaway on this story: if you want something bad enough, you have to be brave enough to voice out your thoughts/minds - something we all lacked at some point.
My takeaway on this story: if you want something bad enough, you have to be brave enough to voice out your thoughts/minds - something we all lacked at some point.
May 21, 2017
What to say, what to say. This story didn't take long to read, largely because Georgia Beers is an awesome writer whose clever, no-frills style keeps me engaged.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't fully click into the passion between Sarah and Natalie's characters. I mean, 'Finding Home' has all the proper tools to for me to fall in love. Yet, it didn't hit the mark for me this time, resulting in a 3.5 rating. No character crushes, no swooning. And it didn't help that Andrea, Natalie's best friend, couldn't win me over. Her presence felt more frustrating than wise.
Ah, well. I still enjoyed the progress and Beers remains one of my all-time favorites. Maybe I'll revisit her Puppy Love Series as a pick-me-up!
Unfortunately, I just couldn't fully click into the passion between Sarah and Natalie's characters. I mean, 'Finding Home' has all the proper tools to for me to fall in love. Yet, it didn't hit the mark for me this time, resulting in a 3.5 rating. No character crushes, no swooning. And it didn't help that Andrea, Natalie's best friend, couldn't win me over. Her presence felt more frustrating than wise.
Ah, well. I still enjoyed the progress and Beers remains one of my all-time favorites. Maybe I'll revisit her Puppy Love Series as a pick-me-up!
February 15, 2023
Okay, so here's how my reading experience went with this novel. I picked it up weeks ago and couldn't connect to Sarah, one of the two main characters. I was out of the country on vacation, so I figured I just wasn't in the headspace for this novel with everything else going on, so I put it down and picked it up after I got home. And then things really went off the rails. But I bought this novel a while ago because I thought the premise was interesting, so I felt I had to read it. But it mostly pissed me off and bored me at the same time.
So here's where the book really lost me and it was early on:
Sarah is recovering from a devastating breakup, and it's not going well. So when her company offers the chance to work in New Zealand for 3 months, she jumps at the opportunity. The only drawback is it means leaving her dog, Bentley, who we're led to believe is her life, behind with her parents and brother to care for in her absence. The dog disappears one day and, though the family looks for him relentlessly, Bentley is just gone.
He's found in a dumpster behind Natalie's work. He looks underfed and he has a shallow gash on his leg and Natalie takes him in. She makes no real effort to find his owner, making a point that she hasn't called any local shelters to see if anyone is looking for him. She doesn't visit the vet to see if he's chipped (we find out later he's not for some reason, but still...) nor does she see the vet to look at his leg or to make sure he doesn't have any parasites or anything else a person who's found a dog in distress should do because "vets are expensive." And that's true--vets are very expensive. But that also means that maybe Natalie isn't the right person to take ownership over a purebred dog. But, also, she made no real effort to find the owner, opting only to print a handful of vague DOG FOUND signs around the neighbourhood.
When Sarah comes home to find that her dog is gone, she's rightfully upset but doesn't seem to make any real steps of her own to find him. It's only by chance that she stumbles upon Natalie's flyer. She calls and leaves a message and Natalie's BFF erases the message on the belief that Natalie, who rescued him from the dumpster, is now his rightful owner. Sarah calls 4-5 more times and Natalie just ignores her.
And this is the beginning of a great romance? I won't even go into the ridiculousness if the rest of the resolution around the dog or the fact that these characters had zero chemistry or the fact that Natalie's BFF is the literal worst. Sprinkle in the complete biphobia from the novel and this was an utter disaster.
I know this is one of Beers' early novels--it's painfully obvious. And I know she has improved as a writer, but, honestly, I think I may need to take a long hiatus from anything she writes. There's really only one of her books I've read that I find re-read worthy. The rest have been forgettable. But this was just bad, bad, bad.
So here's where the book really lost me and it was early on:
Sarah is recovering from a devastating breakup, and it's not going well. So when her company offers the chance to work in New Zealand for 3 months, she jumps at the opportunity. The only drawback is it means leaving her dog, Bentley, who we're led to believe is her life, behind with her parents and brother to care for in her absence. The dog disappears one day and, though the family looks for him relentlessly, Bentley is just gone.
He's found in a dumpster behind Natalie's work. He looks underfed and he has a shallow gash on his leg and Natalie takes him in. She makes no real effort to find his owner, making a point that she hasn't called any local shelters to see if anyone is looking for him. She doesn't visit the vet to see if he's chipped (we find out later he's not for some reason, but still...) nor does she see the vet to look at his leg or to make sure he doesn't have any parasites or anything else a person who's found a dog in distress should do because "vets are expensive." And that's true--vets are very expensive. But that also means that maybe Natalie isn't the right person to take ownership over a purebred dog. But, also, she made no real effort to find the owner, opting only to print a handful of vague DOG FOUND signs around the neighbourhood.
When Sarah comes home to find that her dog is gone, she's rightfully upset but doesn't seem to make any real steps of her own to find him. It's only by chance that she stumbles upon Natalie's flyer. She calls and leaves a message and Natalie's BFF erases the message on the belief that Natalie, who rescued him from the dumpster, is now his rightful owner. Sarah calls 4-5 more times and Natalie just ignores her.
And this is the beginning of a great romance? I won't even go into the ridiculousness if the rest of the resolution around the dog or the fact that these characters had zero chemistry or the fact that Natalie's BFF is the literal worst. Sprinkle in the complete biphobia from the novel and this was an utter disaster.
I know this is one of Beers' early novels--it's painfully obvious. And I know she has improved as a writer, but, honestly, I think I may need to take a long hiatus from anything she writes. There's really only one of her books I've read that I find re-read worthy. The rest have been forgettable. But this was just bad, bad, bad.
October 24, 2025
*** 3.75 ***
Was the plot plausible? Nope, not really. Was it a cute romance around an adorable dog? Yes, yes it was and it was a good way to spend a day on a book date 😊👍
Was the plot plausible? Nope, not really. Was it a cute romance around an adorable dog? Yes, yes it was and it was a good way to spend a day on a book date 😊👍
January 13, 2018
I was a bit slow imo, but other than that it was a nice and quick read.
May 17, 2017
Every now and then you find a book where a part of the premise irks you so much it taints the rest of the plot. In my case, this happened to be one of them. From the moment Andrea delivered her impassioned and myopically judgmental speech on how Bentley was Nat's dog, I found the book progressively more difficult to read. The circumstances in which Sarah lost Bentley hardly described her as an irresponsible monster who deserved to 'part-lose' her dog, nor did the way in which Nat (briefly) cared for said dog merit her gaining 50% custody of him.
But fine, so different people will probably feel differently about things like that (until circumstances gang up on them in the same way as they did on Sarah, anyhow). I finished the book anyway.
Now to be fair, the writing was generally clear. There was often little confusion about what was happening or who was in the action.
However, I did think the relationship between the two main characters lacked a little something. There are characters of whom one says, "These are polar opposites who attract", but for some reason, I am uncertain one may say that of S and N here. They never really feel as though they work together, shared fondness for one dog notwithstanding. Was it my irritation for the plot device that forced them closer together? Perhaps. But it would not surprise me if a few other reviewers - including ones willing to accept the aforementioned plot device - felt the same. The particular friction that makes such Opposites-Attract relationships so delicious seemed muted to an occasional bump here.
This is my first Beers book. Bit of a shame it had to be one I flat out failed to enjoy, but I am going to try some of her others shortly in spite of that.
But fine, so different people will probably feel differently about things like that (until circumstances gang up on them in the same way as they did on Sarah, anyhow). I finished the book anyway.
Now to be fair, the writing was generally clear. There was often little confusion about what was happening or who was in the action.
However, I did think the relationship between the two main characters lacked a little something. There are characters of whom one says, "These are polar opposites who attract", but for some reason, I am uncertain one may say that of S and N here. They never really feel as though they work together, shared fondness for one dog notwithstanding. Was it my irritation for the plot device that forced them closer together? Perhaps. But it would not surprise me if a few other reviewers - including ones willing to accept the aforementioned plot device - felt the same. The particular friction that makes such Opposites-Attract relationships so delicious seemed muted to an occasional bump here.
This is my first Beers book. Bit of a shame it had to be one I flat out failed to enjoy, but I am going to try some of her others shortly in spite of that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2015
Loved it. It's a sweet, simple story of two lovely women falling in love. Read it in one afternoon. Georgia Beers never disappoints, her books are always very realistic, very touching, and very well and humbly written. She doesn't need complicated words to make the reader interested and invested in her stories. I've come to really appreciate this kind of writing (easy, clear, straight to the point).
I also like the attractive characters of Finding home and their relatable emotions, the perfect pace of the romance that just lures you in, and the fact that Beers doesn't bother with too many supporting characters and subplots. Her books are for the romance lovers and the romance lovers only.
I'm not an animal lover, I rarely understand the emotional tie people have with their dogs (I know, don't hate me), and so I was reluctant to read Finding Home at first. I thought it would annoy me. But I was craving a good old easy feel good romance today and so I dived into this one despite my reservations. And I was so surprised at how touched I was by the story, by the dog, by the women's love for him and the impact he has on both of their lives.
Great read.
I also like the attractive characters of Finding home and their relatable emotions, the perfect pace of the romance that just lures you in, and the fact that Beers doesn't bother with too many supporting characters and subplots. Her books are for the romance lovers and the romance lovers only.
I'm not an animal lover, I rarely understand the emotional tie people have with their dogs (I know, don't hate me), and so I was reluctant to read Finding Home at first. I thought it would annoy me. But I was craving a good old easy feel good romance today and so I dived into this one despite my reservations. And I was so surprised at how touched I was by the story, by the dog, by the women's love for him and the impact he has on both of their lives.
Great read.
November 19, 2017
Quite good, the first half of the book was slow but it gets better.
July 27, 2016
I love the build up of their relationship. There were also those tingly and happy feelings this gave me while reading. My only quibble is that it left me kind of hanging with the ending. But this is definitely one of those vanilla romances that I really love to reread.
November 16, 2021
Aawww! This was a really cute quick read! I'm so glad about the ending.
Read
September 22, 20193.5 stars
For me this book was a little above average. I do like Georgia Beers, but this didn't really spark any emotion in me, which isn't good for a romance novel.
Although I know it's completely unreasonable, I felt an extreme amount of anger that Beers kept referring to a family of dogs as a "herd". It's pack Beers. PACK! They're pack animals and the fact that the dog plays a significant role in the story makes it that much worse.
This story is a slow burn...very slow. Usually this does not bother me at all, however the lack of chemistry between the main characters seemed to drag things out even further. I was not rooting for them to end up together and when they did there was not the typical "Finally" moment that comes with slow burn novels. I would have felt fine if they remained friends.
Overall the books gets a "meh". There were some sweet moments that made it enjoyable and the writing though was quite good so I'll have to try a different Beers book, but this one left a lot to be desired.
For me this book was a little above average. I do like Georgia Beers, but this didn't really spark any emotion in me, which isn't good for a romance novel.
Although I know it's completely unreasonable, I felt an extreme amount of anger that Beers kept referring to a family of dogs as a "herd". It's pack Beers. PACK! They're pack animals and the fact that the dog plays a significant role in the story makes it that much worse.
This story is a slow burn...very slow. Usually this does not bother me at all, however the lack of chemistry between the main characters seemed to drag things out even further. I was not rooting for them to end up together and when they did there was not the typical "Finally" moment that comes with slow burn novels. I would have felt fine if they remained friends.
Overall the books gets a "meh". There were some sweet moments that made it enjoyable and the writing though was quite good so I'll have to try a different Beers book, but this one left a lot to be desired.
April 28, 2019
I started this book as a bit of fluff to read before bed, forgetting how well Georgia writes her characters. The two main characters were quite believable, with legitimate motivations, quirks and well thought out personalities. But the star of this book was Bentley. Yes, he is a dog, but he had, and expressed, his own personality just as much as the humans in this book.
(Between you and me, I wanted to throttle Sarah's brother for losing Bentley!)
This is only my second book by Ms. Beers, but I enjoyed this one the best. It was easy to sink into, like a warm bath, and just as easy to enjoy. I was very happy with the ending, I think the book and the characters really came full circle.
Sweet, satisfying and a cute dog...what's not to like?
(Between you and me, I wanted to throttle Sarah's brother for losing Bentley!)
This is only my second book by Ms. Beers, but I enjoyed this one the best. It was easy to sink into, like a warm bath, and just as easy to enjoy. I was very happy with the ending, I think the book and the characters really came full circle.
Sweet, satisfying and a cute dog...what's not to like?
July 2, 2010
This book was sweet, inoffensive, and a pleasant way to spend a couple of evenings. It was a little tough to get into initially, because we jump right into the rather depressed (and ill-advised) actions of Sarah, who struggles with alcohol-induced issues throughout. But the author kept events and decisions moving along at a rapid pace, which was a relief, because some of the set-up was bland and I didn't want to dwell on it.
August 9, 2023
Just finished listening to this little gem. It was a nice low-angst romance. The narration was quite good too. The story included a sweet protagonist, a bakery and a dog. All favorites of mine.
March 13, 2019
Ok love story if a bit far fetched.
May 23, 2020
Can't finish it
First I love dogs, I have a beautiful dog that sleep in my bed with me. I can't believe that there's no reaction from Bentley when he meet Sarah again.
And that fucking Andrea is so annoying I want to throttle her, really can't stand her. I will whack her with a bicycle if she get in the way between me and my lost dog
And that useless brother, I want to disown him. Really I can't believe that the brother and parent looking for Bentley and didn't read those flyer
Sorry but this book is just not for me
First I love dogs, I have a beautiful dog that sleep in my bed with me. I can't believe that there's no reaction from Bentley when he meet Sarah again.
And that fucking Andrea is so annoying I want to throttle her, really can't stand her. I will whack her with a bicycle if she get in the way between me and my lost dog
And that useless brother, I want to disown him. Really I can't believe that the brother and parent looking for Bentley and didn't read those flyer
Sorry but this book is just not for me
August 11, 2017
This is the 3rd consecutive book by Georgia Beers I have read and I think my getting to be familiar with her writing style didn't allow me appreciate this book as much as if I had read it randomly. Regardless it was an appreciated read.
October 8, 2018
Love wins
I love this author! Her stories always have an interesting twist and turns, this book was no exception. Light hearted with characters that are so real. All I can say is more, please.
I love this author! Her stories always have an interesting twist and turns, this book was no exception. Light hearted with characters that are so real. All I can say is more, please.
October 2, 2011
Just okay. The characters didn't quite gel and the plot (such as it is--this is a romance novel first and foremost) didn't make much sense. Not a keeper.
January 20, 2014
This book is quick read. Simple plot not too much drama and all!
December 29, 2025
oh, this didn't really do it for me at all, i must admit. the premise is cute, the dog is adorable but i can't help but feel like there are a little too many issues with this one in my opinion.
sarah isn't likeable. andrea sucks, period. the subtle biphobic remarks in the beginning are not it. the slow burn was so long that it felt insanely rushed at the end. so many plot holes that make the book feel unfinished. what happened to everyone?
i was really excited for this book and i wanted to like it so bad because those who know me know that i love georgia beers novels. i don't know why this fell so flat for me, maybe because it was released close to 20 years ago and is simply not contemporary anymore, i have no clue.
what i do know is that, despite my opinion on this book, i still find georgia beers to be an insanely skilled writer. unfortunately though, this particular book will not stay on my shelf.
sarah isn't likeable. andrea sucks, period. the subtle biphobic remarks in the beginning are not it. the slow burn was so long that it felt insanely rushed at the end. so many plot holes that make the book feel unfinished. what happened to everyone?
i was really excited for this book and i wanted to like it so bad because those who know me know that i love georgia beers novels. i don't know why this fell so flat for me, maybe because it was released close to 20 years ago and is simply not contemporary anymore, i have no clue.
what i do know is that, despite my opinion on this book, i still find georgia beers to be an insanely skilled writer. unfortunately though, this particular book will not stay on my shelf.
July 6, 2020
This is an early work of Georgia Beers and you can see how her stories are progressing. She begins to assert herself and this story is a nice gentle romance. The two main characters (Natalie and Sarah) meet though a lost dog and while they are seemingly not the kind of woman each would be attracted to normally they develop a friendship that slowly brings them together. While this is a gentle story it isn’t compelling enough to rise above average, even with the potential that the premise promises. Still the writing is enjoyable and as I go through the Beers library, I become more and more impressed
June 27, 2017
It was okay, I enjoy Georgia Beers' books so I held on. It was cute and overall I liked it. However it's not one of my top picks.
It was a tad slow, but I enjoyed the relationship and dynamic between the two characters.
It was a tad slow, but I enjoyed the relationship and dynamic between the two characters.
June 3, 2019
I first started reading this book several years ago. I stopped because I got tired of the “poor, pitiful me” attitude of the main character. I read those parts quickly this time and am glad I finished it. I really liked Natalie and was glad to see that things worked out well for her.
June 10, 2018
Another great Georgia Beers read. Her characters are realistic. I love the discovery of finding out more about the complexity of each character alongside a well developed storyline.
June 9, 2020
Another easy read from Georgia Beers. Characters are good and story keeps you interested and of course it involves a canine.
August 19, 2020
Once Again
Once again, Georgia Beers has given us a wonderful story, full of love and laughter.... and an adorable puppy! Doesn't get any better than that!
Once again, Georgia Beers has given us a wonderful story, full of love and laughter.... and an adorable puppy! Doesn't get any better than that!
September 28, 2020
Weirdly biphobic.
June 17, 2021
It's a good story although it started slow and I did enjoy it somehow even if I didn't connect very well with the MCs.
May 16, 2022
a very enjoyable read, a very slow burn romance
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews