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New City #2
The Way Home
Em Riley left her London life behind a year ago, to care for her dad, she left everything that she loved behind, but can't go back, she's stuck in her grief, shaken and uncertain.
She needed to get on with her life, and 'Mr Tall Dark and Scowls' who moves into her street, might be what she needs to do that. But they both have secrets, and sometimes you can't get beyond them.
Ryan, ex-army, and now a rehab specialist, can't shake the feeling that he's met the pin up girl before, but learning the truth is hard to take, especially considering he can barely talk to women.
How can they reconcile the past, and who they are to the visceral attraction between them? Neither of them are ready for what's in store, and what they find in each other.
New City Series are stand alone novels and can be read in any order, written in UK English.
WARNING: contains frequent explicit material, language, and adult content throughout.
She needed to get on with her life, and 'Mr Tall Dark and Scowls' who moves into her street, might be what she needs to do that. But they both have secrets, and sometimes you can't get beyond them.
Ryan, ex-army, and now a rehab specialist, can't shake the feeling that he's met the pin up girl before, but learning the truth is hard to take, especially considering he can barely talk to women.
How can they reconcile the past, and who they are to the visceral attraction between them? Neither of them are ready for what's in store, and what they find in each other.
New City Series are stand alone novels and can be read in any order, written in UK English.
WARNING: contains frequent explicit material, language, and adult content throughout.
- GenresRomance
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2017
10 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Stefanie Simpson
24 books76 followersCoffee addled, twitter addicted, A disabled romance author based in the UK, Stefanie Simpson has written multiple contemporary romances as well as fantasy romance.
Most of her work contains angst, healing and conflict. Expect strong adult content and themes, language, explicit material, love and a HEA.
Most of her work contains angst, healing and conflict. Expect strong adult content and themes, language, explicit material, love and a HEA.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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September 19, 2023💝FREE on Amazon today (5/7/2018)!💝
June 29, 2017
(3.5 Stars)
Let’s just get this out of the way: I don’t think I’ve picked up a romance novel since I was a teenager. I love Rom-Coms, but I usually prefer the “com” to the “rom”. Romance novels are often so sensationalized and dramatic, I end up rolling my eyes throughout them. (Come on, 300+ pages and no one rolls over onto someone’s hair even once? No one’s ever feeling a little bloated and just wants to binge Breaking Bad? Am I doing romance wrong? Probably.)
But the moment Em and Ryan’s backstories were revealed, I was HOOKED. First of all, how awesome is it that not only does the main love interest fully earn his “dark and brooding” nature, he’s a double amputee? Simpson took a character that would normally be regulated to sidekick status (or even worse, used to show how, underneath it all, the hero is a caring, compassionate guy) and put him front and center, as a fully fleshed out character. Ryan isn’t solely defined by his status as an amputee, but the author also doesn’t shy away from the effect it has on him.
The issues like depression and PTSD are handled with deft and sincere ease. I loved the importance the author placed on rehabilitation and counselling. Too often in romance novels, the romance/relationship being depicted as a “cure”. Simpson does the opposite, using the character’s intense bond as a driving force for Em seeking out these resources. Em and Ryan want to be better for each other, but also for themselves. And once the plot moves past the sniping and bickering, Em and Ryan’s dynamic is very engaging. While it sometimes veered a little too close to Insta-love for my liking, I understood it. These are two very lonely people who have felt disconnected from others for a long time. My heart broke for these characters.
It is a romance novel and yes, you should heed the author’s disclaimer about explicit material. There are frequent sex scenes, but nothing I would call offensive. (Unless you’re a prude. If you’re a prude, don’t read this. Stick to Nancy Drew books.) (I can say that because I own the series.) In fact, I was impressed with how sex-positive the novel is. Em is fully in control of her body and desires. Neither character is ever placed in a position where there’s an imbalance of power. More importantly, boundaries are established and respected.
My only criticisms (and they are based solely on personal preference) was I had difficulty with the prose and sometimes struggled with the slang or phrasing. The shift from Em’s internal perspective to Ryan’s sometimes felt jarring and I wished it had been split into alternating characters. I also didn’t like how hard Em was on herself concerning her past because I didn’t think she did anything bad enough to warrant her internal scolding. There were so many great moments of confidence and empowerment, I wished she had more of them. But the scenes where she did stand up for herself were great and I just really wanted more of that. But again, the character work was strong enough that I could see where she was coming from. I didn’t like it, but I could understand it. (Although, more than once I wanted to shout, “Just own it, Em! Let yourself be happy!”)
Simpson has crafted a very moving (and steamy!) love story with realistically flawed characters, a strong combination.
Let’s just get this out of the way: I don’t think I’ve picked up a romance novel since I was a teenager. I love Rom-Coms, but I usually prefer the “com” to the “rom”. Romance novels are often so sensationalized and dramatic, I end up rolling my eyes throughout them. (Come on, 300+ pages and no one rolls over onto someone’s hair even once? No one’s ever feeling a little bloated and just wants to binge Breaking Bad? Am I doing romance wrong? Probably.)
But the moment Em and Ryan’s backstories were revealed, I was HOOKED. First of all, how awesome is it that not only does the main love interest fully earn his “dark and brooding” nature, he’s a double amputee? Simpson took a character that would normally be regulated to sidekick status (or even worse, used to show how, underneath it all, the hero is a caring, compassionate guy) and put him front and center, as a fully fleshed out character. Ryan isn’t solely defined by his status as an amputee, but the author also doesn’t shy away from the effect it has on him.
The issues like depression and PTSD are handled with deft and sincere ease. I loved the importance the author placed on rehabilitation and counselling. Too often in romance novels, the romance/relationship being depicted as a “cure”. Simpson does the opposite, using the character’s intense bond as a driving force for Em seeking out these resources. Em and Ryan want to be better for each other, but also for themselves. And once the plot moves past the sniping and bickering, Em and Ryan’s dynamic is very engaging. While it sometimes veered a little too close to Insta-love for my liking, I understood it. These are two very lonely people who have felt disconnected from others for a long time. My heart broke for these characters.
It is a romance novel and yes, you should heed the author’s disclaimer about explicit material. There are frequent sex scenes, but nothing I would call offensive. (Unless you’re a prude. If you’re a prude, don’t read this. Stick to Nancy Drew books.) (I can say that because I own the series.) In fact, I was impressed with how sex-positive the novel is. Em is fully in control of her body and desires. Neither character is ever placed in a position where there’s an imbalance of power. More importantly, boundaries are established and respected.
My only criticisms (and they are based solely on personal preference) was I had difficulty with the prose and sometimes struggled with the slang or phrasing. The shift from Em’s internal perspective to Ryan’s sometimes felt jarring and I wished it had been split into alternating characters. I also didn’t like how hard Em was on herself concerning her past because I didn’t think she did anything bad enough to warrant her internal scolding. There were so many great moments of confidence and empowerment, I wished she had more of them. But the scenes where she did stand up for herself were great and I just really wanted more of that. But again, the character work was strong enough that I could see where she was coming from. I didn’t like it, but I could understand it. (Although, more than once I wanted to shout, “Just own it, Em! Let yourself be happy!”)
Simpson has crafted a very moving (and steamy!) love story with realistically flawed characters, a strong combination.
October 21, 2020
I know I say this (or something similar to it) every time I review a Stefanie Simpson novel, but this has to be my favorite novel by this author. And that's saying something, because I've loved pretty much
all of them
. Something about The Way Home just spoke to me on a level that reached straight in and held my heart. It didn't grab it, or squeeze. Just a gentle, loving, reassuring presence to tell me that, yes, love is messy and hard and sometimes more work than it seems like it's worth, but it is so much bigger than any struggle, any doubt, or any challenge.
We first meet Em Riley, who seems, for all intents and purposes, happy with her life. Not jumping for joy, not overly content, but happy enough with what she has constructed for herself. Then a new neighbor moves into her part of town, and said new neighbor's tall, dark, and broody friend Ryan makes Em realize that maybe she has space in her life for him. Once he, you knows, stops scowling at her and being rude.
Without going into spoilers, my favorite part of this book is that it doesn't stop at "the kiss." My biggest complaint about romance, in general, is that so much mainstream romance stops when the Protag & LI finally kiss, and sigh, and we're left to think that they rode off into the sunset of happiness as the credits roll and some catchy tune shrills through the speakers.
Reality isn't like that. Reality is messy. It's people trying to figure out how to live with one another, how to square their perceptions with other people's, and how to grow in both self and in love with their significant others. This is often difficult, and sometimes painful, and Simpson perfectly captures this raw, emotional, beautiful process in brilliant ups and downs that keep the reader going. The merits and flaws in Em and Ryan's lives influence their actions and decisions, for good or ill, and that influence gives us a very real story of two people making the room required to have someone else in their life.
So, yes, The Way Home is currently my favorite. It is kind and irreverent, it's heartbreakingly sweet and viscerally painful, it's steamy (which is always a plus), it's romantic, there's an HEA, but above all else, it just feels real. I highly recommend it.
We first meet Em Riley, who seems, for all intents and purposes, happy with her life. Not jumping for joy, not overly content, but happy enough with what she has constructed for herself. Then a new neighbor moves into her part of town, and said new neighbor's tall, dark, and broody friend Ryan makes Em realize that maybe she has space in her life for him. Once he, you knows, stops scowling at her and being rude.
Without going into spoilers, my favorite part of this book is that it doesn't stop at "the kiss." My biggest complaint about romance, in general, is that so much mainstream romance stops when the Protag & LI finally kiss, and sigh, and we're left to think that they rode off into the sunset of happiness as the credits roll and some catchy tune shrills through the speakers.
Reality isn't like that. Reality is messy. It's people trying to figure out how to live with one another, how to square their perceptions with other people's, and how to grow in both self and in love with their significant others. This is often difficult, and sometimes painful, and Simpson perfectly captures this raw, emotional, beautiful process in brilliant ups and downs that keep the reader going. The merits and flaws in Em and Ryan's lives influence their actions and decisions, for good or ill, and that influence gives us a very real story of two people making the room required to have someone else in their life.
So, yes, The Way Home is currently my favorite. It is kind and irreverent, it's heartbreakingly sweet and viscerally painful, it's steamy (which is always a plus), it's romantic, there's an HEA, but above all else, it just feels real. I highly recommend it.
May 10, 2018
This one is even better than the first story and for Stefanie Simpson's writing, her characters are well-defined and well-written which it didn't feel like a long read to me since it went by pretty fast! I'm really enjoying this series more each time!
December 18, 2017
Cute, cheeky, and steamy! This is the first time I’ve read something in his genre. I may have been blushing the whole time I read this novel... 😅🙈
April 27, 2020
Stefanie's stories will always be an insta buy for me. Every book of hers I read is my favourite, until I read the next one...then that one becomes my favourite, and this is no exception. Em is a badass writer of smut. She's beautiful, smart and strong. Ryan is a brooding physical masterpiece, who, upon meeting Em, does not like her one bit. At least that's what I was led to believe. When both their troublesome and heartbreaking backstories were revealed, I fell deeper in love with both characters. This is such a beautiful story, with THE HOTTEST, STEAMIEST sex and a wonderfully perfect and romantic HEA. Stefanie is a mistress of her craft, and it shows in every beautiful, healing piece of writing she creates.
August 9, 2018
Em and Ryan struggle with their own issues, both relatable even if you’ve never walked in their shoes. Ryan being disabled and Em facing her mental illness is written so well, and I love that Em calls Ryan “Mr. Tall Dark and Scowls.” Lol. I chuckled every time. The distance the two put between each other (including literal distance) killed me, and I was cheering by the end of the story.
I saw a lot of myself in Em, which was fun, and it’s probably why I loved this book so much… Well, let’s be honest, I love all of Simpsons’ books! She has a way with building multi-dimensional characters; you can’t pick just one favorite!
I saw a lot of myself in Em, which was fun, and it’s probably why I loved this book so much… Well, let’s be honest, I love all of Simpsons’ books! She has a way with building multi-dimensional characters; you can’t pick just one favorite!
April 13, 2020
This book made me giggle, made me cry (a good cry), made me smile. I wasn’t sure what to expect from reading the blurb, but knew exactly what kind of honest pain, good vibes and sweet wholesome filthy sex I’d get in a Stefanie Simpson romance. Em and Ryan are very likeable, share an intense chemistry, and both have lives I was hungry to hear about. This book’s a yes from me. I’d recommend it to just about everyone up for a solid thinky, hearty romance.
February 15, 2018
This was the second book in the new city series, and like its predecessor, it was a cute and fun read. The prose is light and inviting, the characters are highly likable with interesting backstories, and if you like your books steamy, this is a book for you.
June 4, 2018
Such a perfect love story!
"The Way Home" is a definite 5 star story! You're hooked from the start, and it's perfect until the very end!
"The Way Home" is a definite 5 star story! You're hooked from the start, and it's perfect until the very end!
October 12, 2018
I love Simpson's characters. They are flawed, damaged and believable. There's excellent chemistry going on. Excellent reading material for fans of quality (and yes quite steamy) romance.
March 7, 2019
Awwwwwww
Em and Ryan took me for a ride. Whew! I loved this book. I loved seeing them go through so many trials. Wonderful ending!
Em and Ryan took me for a ride. Whew! I loved this book. I loved seeing them go through so many trials. Wonderful ending!
February 24, 2020
Such a fun read! It deals with heavy topics (the main characters Em and Ryan have been through a lot of emotional and physical trauma), but it's also an endearing love story. I read this not long after I finished "The Way Home" (Also amazing! Go read it. Now.)
Em is a fiesty young woman who has a bit of a mysterious past, but now makes her living as a writer. She meets Ryan, a friend of her new neighbor in a not-so-pleasant way. He's a war veteran who has been through serious physical trauma due to his military experience, as well as personal hardship (foster kid who bounced around from unstable home to unstable home until he aged out of the system).
Things start off rocky between them, but after a few rough starts to get to know each other, they discover that they actually have a lot of chemistry between them. As the story progresses, you find out a lot about Em and her anxiety, and also about Ryan. It's frustrating to see them start and stop and quarrel and separate, but the times they reconcile are quite sweet...and very hot ;) It feels like a maddening rollercoaster as you read the choices they make and how they choose to deal with each other during tough times. However, it makes sense when you take into account their troubled pasts. It was nice to read this story about two flawed characters who weren't damaged because of their past, but instead grew stronger and closer to one another.
If you're a romance fan, definitely read this! You won't regret it!
Em is a fiesty young woman who has a bit of a mysterious past, but now makes her living as a writer. She meets Ryan, a friend of her new neighbor in a not-so-pleasant way. He's a war veteran who has been through serious physical trauma due to his military experience, as well as personal hardship (foster kid who bounced around from unstable home to unstable home until he aged out of the system).
Things start off rocky between them, but after a few rough starts to get to know each other, they discover that they actually have a lot of chemistry between them. As the story progresses, you find out a lot about Em and her anxiety, and also about Ryan. It's frustrating to see them start and stop and quarrel and separate, but the times they reconcile are quite sweet...and very hot ;) It feels like a maddening rollercoaster as you read the choices they make and how they choose to deal with each other during tough times. However, it makes sense when you take into account their troubled pasts. It was nice to read this story about two flawed characters who weren't damaged because of their past, but instead grew stronger and closer to one another.
If you're a romance fan, definitely read this! You won't regret it!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews