Homebird

by Amy Lane

Crispin Henry isn’t an adventurer. He learned early on that the world is a frightening place and that home is rare and precious. If his friends didn’t drag him to sports games and ill-advised trips to Vegas, he wouldn’t get out at all—and his trip to Munich for Oktoberfest is no exception. But it’s there that he meets Luka Gabriel, and he learns to take a chance.

Luka is a free-spirited world traveler, working at Oktoberfest to feed his enchantment with new places and new people. His only possessions fit in his backpack, and he depends on the kindness of strangers for a place to sleep. Crispin should know better—but he takes Luka’s hand anyway, and together they turn three nights in Munich into the relationship neither of them has been brave enough to risk—and neither can let go of.

When Luka turns up on Crispin’s doorstep before the holiday season, Crispin takes him in on hope alone. Yes, he knows the odds are good Luka will flutter out of his life again and leave him bereft, but isn’t it worth it to see if Luka is a homebird after all?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Holiday, Fiction, Christmas

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2018

About the author

Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.

Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

YAY, a holiday story that was NOT quite a holiday story. Not really. : )

Having a ton of Christmas ARC's queued up, I was beyond thrilled to read this one and be able to hold off on the whole Holiday Cheer thing for just one more book.

Let's face it, for lots of readers, it's super easy to go from "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!" to "Bah Humbug, eat a bag of dicks!" , if you read too many of them in a row.



Instead of there being eggnog, mistletoe, twinkling lights and other "It's the holidays, so you absolutely *must* get in the mood" stuff, this was a story about two broken MC's learning the importance of home. But not just four walls and a roof. No, their true home.

After losing his adoptive parents a decade prior, shy and quiet accountant Crispin had worked hard to piece himself back together. Thankfully, he'd gotten the right group of friends and family, but there was still something missing. Something 'more' that his soul needed, but feared.



So when Crispin and his boys visited Oktoberfest in Munich and Crispin met globetrotting, outgoing, broken boy Luca, he decided to allow himself to take a chance. Just a small one, but it turned into so much more.



I loved both Crispin and Luca right from the start. Their stories of past losses were extremely similar; however, Luca didn't have the support system that Crispin did, so Luca, while appearing happy on the outside, was even more shattered than Crispin had thought.

Their three-day whirlwind romance in Germany affected them both more than they'd ever imagined, though, so Luca eventually visited Crispin in Sacramento, but he wasn't exactly sure what he was hoping to find there. Well, at least that's what he told himself.



This book had some classic Amy Lane feels, along with the tiniest amount of angst, and a good bit of steam, of which I was a huge fan.

There was thankfully no Big Misunderstanding in sight here, but there was a short-lived (second) separation that I felt was necessary for Luca to get into the mind-space he needed to be in for a realistic, believable HEA to be possible.

I liked how the book ended and how all of the side-characters came into their own plot-wise. They all added to the richness of the story and I was thrilled to get to know each of them.

I am hoping that Cam and Jamie get their own story soon, though.

A few parallels in this story made me think of Lily Morton's "Risk Taker" (Henry's story), mostly because Ivo was another MC with a penchant to wander. Spoiler: I enjoyed this book a bit more.

There wasn't much that I would've changed in this story, so I'd rate it at around 4.25 stars and recommend it to any fans of Lane's "Goldilocks zone" books, by which I mean not too fluffy, not too steeped in angst.

-----------------------------------------------

My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)

-----------------------------------------------

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5






This is my first solo read by this Author and a lot worked but some things didn't.It has a holiday vibe but that's not the main focus here which I was more than happy with.

The two main characters,


Crispin is 31 and really is a homebird and there's a reason for that.Home is his sanctuary,it's where he feels safe.Safe from a world where he's been left...


Luka
is just the opposite.A free spirit,he goes where life takes him going from one adventure to the next.(And,hello....long hair and a man bun...I might have squealed a bit)


The two men meet in Munich at Oktoberfest. Luka is waiting tables and Crispin is there on a short trip with work colleagues. If it wasn't for his friends dragging him to place Crispin would be quite happy to stay at home. But this adventure is about to change his life in a way he never would have dreamed of. They are both drawn to each other and spend an intense few days together.But is that enough and when Luka turns up at Crispin's door for the Holidays will he finally be able to put down roots and stay?

I struggled a bit with the first half and this was mainly down to Crispin and his friends.Crispin is 31 so I'm assuming they were around the same age but they came across as quite immature and the friends,especially,started to irritate me.

BUT,

I enjoyed the second half much more and the four guys seemed to work their magic on me and I ended up loving them individually and as a group.( There's one guy in particular whose story I would love to read).

Crispin and Luka are super cute together and although the feelings started early on I believed in them as a couple.And this Author can certainly write smoking hot sexy times!!

Overall an enjoyable story and I would recommend it.





An Arc of Homebird was kindly provided to DirtyBooksObsession in exchange for an honest review.

This review is post
ed on DirtyBooksObsession

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.5~

homebird (ˈhəʊmˌbɜːd)
noun
1. a person who is reluctant to leave their hometown or their childhood home, or who returns after a period of living away
2. Another name for homebody

Crispin doesn't like to leave because he's been left—by two sets of parents and a college boyfriend. He feels safe in his little home, with his cat and shared-custody dog, and his sister and her husband nearby. He likes his friends, initially just colleagues until he fed them chicken soup and vitamin C, who drag him on vacation every once in a while, but he wants to return to what he knows.

If Crispin is a homebird, Luka is a common swift, always flying, always in motion, his feet never touching the ground.

Luka sees something in Crispin, something warm and comforting. They are drawn together at Oktoberfest where Luka is a waiter and Crispin a tourist sipping the sole glass of wine at his table.



Crispin is careful. He doesn't take risks. Luka is adaptable. He goes where the wind takes him.

In bed, they're great together. Luka shows Crispin how good it can be with a lover you trust. But how do you build a relationship with someone who won't stay?

Crispin was going to pretend there was no deadline. Pretend Luka would stay indefinitely. Pretend that the tender charms of his rampant domesticity could tie down a wandering star.

Homebird is not a fluffy, Santa-driven holiday story. It begin in September and ends in June. Luka and Crispin spend Christmas together, but the focus isn't the holidays but this: friendship, family, connections, trust, loss, love.



At first, I was a little irritated by Crispin's group of friends. They were constantly THERE: Link, Ray, Nick, Cam. I don't have to reference the book, because I remember their names. I know their stories. I know all about Millie and Todd (Crispin's sister and brother-in-law) too. These secondary characters are so well sketched, the story feels entirely three dimensional.

Crispin and Luka aren't just characters on a page. They are living human beings, who worry and laugh and take care of each other. The camaraderie between the boys is pretty amazing. I ended up loving Crispin's friends almost as much as Crispin and Luka.

It's worth mentioning that this is a sexy story. The MCs love each other often and freely. Luka teaches Crispin how to let go, and Crispin responds beautifully. Amy Lane writes true-to-life sex, with l normal bodies, smells, grunts, and moans. Something about is so raw, so real.

The ending is exactly what I craved. Crispin gives Luka roots, while Luka gives Crispin wings. I wasn't ready to let these men go, but their story will stay with me.

[BWT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in Crispin's single POV, Homebird is a sweet, low-angst, high-heat, romance with some humor and a happy ending.

Crispin Henry is shy and unassuming. He doesn't make waves and doesn't generally move outside of his comfort-zone, for good reason. He prefers his home best, but goes at least once a year on an adventure with his best friends. This year they've come to Oktoberfest where they meet a handsome server name Luka.

Lukas Gabriel is the Yang to Crispin's Yin. He's outgoing and vibrant; a beautiful, sweet, charismatic man who sees Crispin and is immediately taken with him. They agree to meet up and their chemistry together is more than either has ever experienced. When Crispin's vacation ends he flies home to his nest and Luka moves on to his next adventure.

However, they keep in touch and eventually Luka makes his way to Crispin. There's very little angst in Homebird. Most of the tension comes from waiting to see if Luka will take a chance at actually building a home with Crispin.

I loved Crispin's friends, the humor threaded throughout, much of the set-up between Crispin and Luka, and I liked that there is the potential for these great characters to be revisited with perhaps a book for Cameron and Jamie?

All in all, while it didn't knock my socks off like some of Amy Lane's other novels, I found it to be a sweet holiday romance.

3.5 Stars rounded up.

Advanced Review Galley copy of Homebird provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

[annob [on hiatus] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad writing style, but a bland story and characters. It started out good but I soon found myself frustrated by Crispin's frequent self-deprecating comments. The many friends, family and pets side characters take up as much space as the romance in this book, which was another thing that's just not my cup of tea when it comes to romance novels.

I was also thrown out of the story whenever Luka spoke, as he did so with a German accent and syntax. Usually I enjoy language accents in books but I didn't find it plausible that someone born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand would speak broken English with a German accent.

Trigger warning for any readers on the Ace spectrum: There's one instance of a derogatory remark about asexual persons in this story.

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was simply a delightful read, that wasn't over the top fluffy or anything - as some Christmas stories tend to be, and that isn't a bad thing, fluffy stories are fun and a nice reprieve from the usual books, but it's nice to have a Christmas story that is a little more grounded as well. Like, give me both this holiday seasons please :D To balance each other out - but it wasn't super angsty either, which lead to a very well done holiday book, in my opinion.

Crispin is a 31 year old accountant from Sacramento who isn't much one for adventure. He's mostly content going to his nine-to-five, hanging out with his four friends on occasion, and living as domestically as possible on his own in his foster parents house, with his cat and his sister and her husband's dog for most of the week.

Luka is a - I think - 26 year old drifter, really. He mostly seems to bartend at whatever city he lands in, enough to make money to live, but not so much of a commitment that he can't move on after a time. Because ever since his parents died when he was 16, he's been on his own and traveling the world, never settling down.

So these two are, in a way, complete opposites. But also remarkably similar. See, by the time Crispin was 5, he lost both his parents, but then he got his foster parents and was happy for a long time until they died in a car crash when he was in college - Luka's also died in a car crash - and all Crispin had was his sister and his brother-in-law. And later, his friends.

But Crispin was so scared of people leaving him that his home was a comfort to him, a security blanket almost, because it was his foster parents house, it's like he still has a part of his childhood and a part of them. The home will never leave him, and so he's content to stay there.

Luka deals with his own fear of being hurt and people leaving him by moving on before he can be hurt. He deals with his own pain of loss differently than Crispin, but they're both hiding, running, in a way.

When Crispin goes on a trip to Germany with his four buddies (one of the few trips Crispin has been on) for Oktoberfest (in September lol), he literally bumps into the waiter on his way to their table, and it just so happens to be Luka.

There's an instant connection between them. You could say their feelings happen really fast, but not only did Lane write their interactions well enough for the feelings to be believable, but they had to have enough feelings for them to want to talk to each other and see each other past Crispin's trip. It was only a six day trip and he only got to be with Luka for three of them, so they had to get to that believable place.

Luka has plans to study the Buddhist religion in India after Crispin leaves, but Luka promises to come to Sacramento to see Crispin's "little corner of the world" around the holidays. Almost two months later, around Thanksgiving, Luka does just that. Crispin is so excited he can barely contain himself. It's clear that these two have pretty much already fallen for each other.

Luka never promises to stay permanently though, and Crispin accepts that, as long as some day Luka comes back to visit him again. (Crispin is obviously lying to himself, but he can't chain Luka down, he has to let Luka make the choice on his own to stay.)

I really loved these two together. Crispin gave Luka a real home - not only with just him, but Crispin's friends (which is added to with Jamie, a bartender who Crispin is set up with before Luka comes home, but who Crispin lets down gently. He becomes a part of their friend group, though.) and his sister and brother-in-law as well. Luka finds a support network in Crispin. Not only with his love, but his friends and family's love as well.

Luka, who had been so alone for so long, take a while to accept that, that he isn't alone anymore, but eventually he does.

And Crispin, our homebody, gets a little more adventurous with Luka. Crispin hadn't been with someone in about 10 years before he met Luka, who sparked that desire in him. Crispin actually goes off with Luka at nights to hook up with him - although it quickly becomes more than that, of course - which we're lead to believe Crispin never would have done before. And Crispin is much more open to traveling the world as well. Luka gets Crispin out of his shell, essentially.

They balance each other out, and it's wonderful. They agree to travel the world whenever, as long as they come home to their home in Sacramento - to that house that becomes Crispin and Luka's house, really. So they both find a home, and an adventurous side with each other. Perfect balance, which is why they're perfect for each other.

Just...two big thumbs up from me. This was a lovely book and I adored it. Definitely recommend!

***ARC generously provided by the Alpha Book Club in exchange for an honest review***

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes home can be a person and not just a place...

As is usually the case with an Amy Lane story. I was all in from the beginning. I totally related to Crispin because like him, I'm a homebird. I also loved his band of friends they were the kind of friends that I think anyone would love to have.

And like Crispin, I was charmed by Luka from the moment we met him. I found the relationship between these two men to be both interesting and unique. While I'm sure some would consider it to be love at first sight and I can see where that's coming from, for me it felt more like a really strong attraction that we got to see grow and become something stronger and more than that initial strong attraction. Something based on friendship, trust and respect.

Crispin and Luka have not only both suffered loss in their past. It's a loss that resulted from similar experiences. I really loved how this part of the story was handled...two men, similar experiences but each man choosing a different solution...

Crispin chooses to set down roots...he has his home, his sister Millie, his cat and the dog he shares custody of with Mille and most importantly he has his friends..friends who keep him moving, who force him to not just exist but to live...friends who are the reason that he's in Germany at Octoberfest where he meets the enchanting Luka.

Luka, deals with his loss by spreading his wings and flying from place to place...never staying in one spot for too long, never allowing himself to get to attached. Avoiding attachments...avoiding the possibility of loss, until Crispin and his friends sit down at one of his tables in the beer tent where Luka's waiting tables.

In the end both men come to learn that life is about balance as Crispin helps Luka to plant some roots and Luka helps Crispin to spread his wings. It's compromise, balance and love that allows them to begin to find a life that gives both men what they need to be happy...the chance to spread their wings and fly, to have a home to keep them sheltered and secure and to have a life together.

'Homebird' is such a wonderfully fleshed out story with characters that could so easily be real and not just Crispin and Luka...for me they all came to life...Millie and her husband Todd, Luka's friends LInk, Cam, Ray and Nick and Jamie who joined their group part way through this adventure and that's another story all it's own. The upside of this is that I got to read a story with very realistic and believable characters that I really liked...the down side of this is that I got to read a story with very realistic and believable characters that I really want to read more about.

'Homebird' is one of those stories that offers so much potential for more while feeling complete just as it is. I don't think I would call this a Christmas story, but more like a story that happens to take place at Christmas time. This was an absolutely delightful story worth reading no matter what time of the year it is.

************************

An ARC of 'Homebird' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Liya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feb 2024 Re-read: one of my all-time favorite comfort reads. Still great.
There is no OTT angst, just life that is not always fair. Boys that are broken but keep going regardless and love that heals.

Crispin and Luka story is one of love, friendship, found family, loss and hope. Not as angsty as other Amy Lane books. Real, heartwarming and sexy. One of my favorites

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

Homebird by Amy Lane is most assuredly a character-driven story—with Crispin’s buddies heavily involved in the entire novel, one can’t help but think that more stories about them loom on the horizon and, in my opinion, that would be a lovely idea. I think, at times, I liked the group of friends, in particularly Cameron, a bit more than Crispin and Luca. It’s not that I thought their story was off putting but, more so, I felt it was incomplete. I say this because there was a lot of sex between them, but not much conversation Now, I get why Lane may have chosen to do that—in order to send home the idea that the lack of communication was indeed Luca’s way of not committing to remaining with Crispin despite loving him. However, for me, this made the novel a bit shallow and we got only Crispin’s view of the massive changes he was going through in opening up his heart for potential pain and loss again. All the while, Luca was undergoing similar emotional changes, but because he rarely spoke of his feelings—denying them and making it easier to pick up and go, we never got to really know him.

Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.

[JenMcJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story but I liked it because of Crispin and his group of family and friends. I just loved Link and Cam and Ray. I think the poignant parts of the book where Crispin discovered just how much of a family his friends really were was the part the author seemed to have really put all the most heartfelt emotion. If this had been a story of just how Crispin came to understand himself I would have been fine with that without any real romance. Luka seemed more like a side character to me and I was usually impatient to get to more group friendship bonding. And, Oh, how much I would have loved to watch that mudball game.

Take that for what it is, I guess.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for Amy Lane’s books and this is a prime example of why. Homebird is not your typical holiday story. It could easily slip into many other categories. The most important box it fits into for me is the ‘makes me happy‘ tag. Lane has a master’s degree in acute angst, wielding her razor-sharp pen with precision but on the flip side, she can weave pure joy into the pages as few can. Love at first sight isn’t something everyone believes in. I do. And quite frankly, I fell into Luka and Crispin’s adventure with deep contentment after only a few chapters as well.

What's to like: We discover early on where the inspiration behind this book came from…and I loved it! It gave an extra edge to the illusion and I’m so glad this encounter planted the seed that became this lovely story. I’ve always wanted to visit Germany and had a great time tagging along on their journey. Crispin meets Luka at Oktoberfest and it’s lightning strike attraction. The pages nearly vibrate with the intensity of their chemistry. Crispin ventures away from his norm and accepts the come hither eyes invitation Luka offers. A quick night of passion. That’s all it’s supposed to be. They are worlds apart. They could never…be. Or could they?


What's to love: Lane always wins me over with her first-rate characters. I adored both Luka and Crispin from the start. However, the rest of Crispin’s circle contributed a great deal to this story as well. A close group of co-workers become friends and then turn into family. I know what it’s like having close-knit friends evolve into a family. Chosen family are true gifts and Crispin hit the jackpot with his. Crispin allows himself to fly, free from his self-made restraints and he soars. He’s never felt so liberated. He has the time of his life. Knowing he has his safety net, or nest, gives him great comfort. Being with Luka changes him. Or maybe releases the real Crispin. Both want more than the three days and ignore the sand slipping through the hourglass. But reality comes knocking and Crispin must go back to California. He leaves his heart and an invitation for Luka to come to him. Which Luka accepts with a short-term clause. He’s a free bird. He can’t settle. Unless he just hasn’t found the right reason to…plant some roots. Maybe he can sail through the heavens and return to a sanctuary. It’s doesn’t have to be a place. Luckily he realizes, a person can be his home too. *sniff* I loved the ending most. I’m hoping I picked up the clues correctly about the possibility of another trek with this gang. I would love to see them again.


Beware of: A quick fall. Crispin is on vacation and his holiday fling turns into something worth forever and a day. Crispin is also not completely comfortable in his true skin until he realizes his friends care for him all the way through. Luka is young, dazzling and full of life but shields his core to most. Together, they are the perfect counterbalance.

This book is for: If you are looking for a quick adventure that ends with heartfelt satisfaction, this is what you need.

Book UNfunk

[Ay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an unpleasant reading experience. It’s one of the Amy lane’s where she kind of talks down to her MC.

The MC trails along after his extrovert friends with whom he has nothing in common, including going to Oktoberfest in Bavaria even though he doesn’t like beer, (and lots of talk about watching sports he doesn’t care about them, doing other things he doesn’t like to stay friends with them etc etc)

And then lots of them all drinking beer together in a noisy beer drinking environment, which is my idea of absolute hell, and being dragged off to do boring things too early in the day when you are meant to be on holiday,and having to do stuff in a group...

So then the MC meets Luka, who comes across as some sort of weird pan European, even though he’s a New Zealander? He talks like English isn’t his native language - which it certainly is if he’s from NZ or Fiji....

I skimmed a head a bit, and then towards the end, and it kept on being unpleasant and I couldn’t stand it so I gave up.

Much of my distaste, I think, was about the MC being a misfit with this group of extrovert beer drinking sports watchers and being down on himself for not liking what the group is doing...I don’t know, the dynamic was all just yuck. I spent too much of my youth being a non drinker in a drinking culture where there was massive constant pressure to drink. Maybe that’s part of it.

But the book is very Amy lane, if you like her stuff. I like some. Not this one obviously.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This about broke me. I guess I relate to it so much. These characters are so beautiful. Their stories are heartbreaking but there's always hope. Nothing in them is so broken it can't be fixed. It just takes a lot of time and love. And a place to call....home.

[Elsbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but the instalove story was a little too fast for me to really buy into it. Crispin was very sweet in his nerdy self. He's so unsure about the world around him and why his friends are so committed to him. I did really like his group of friends. They truly care about Crispin and want him to be a part of their friendship group. They adopted him and they aren't going to let him go.

Luka was a fun bundle of energy. I enjoyed him, but felt the connection between him and Crispin was fast for how deep it was. It wasn't that I didn't like the two together it just was really quick for how devoted Crispin was especially. Still it was a sweet holiday story. And actually I kinda want a sequel for a couple of the friends here that was hinted at. ;)

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely read from beginning to end. The many characters were believable and engaging, and I ended up rooting for pretty much every one of them. Stories about broken people finding ways to heal themselves and one another make my heart sing, and this did that in spades. I hope for a sequel featuring two of the secondary characters who deserve to find happiness together as well. 4.5 stars to a very worthy holiday story. (My thanks to the author for the advance copy.)

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Review soon😉

[Hadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic, feel good story...sigh.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Amy Lane’s Holiday stories. Homebird is no exception and in fact, is a new favorite. This book has a cast of fantastic characters all holding to a uniquely strong friendship that supports each of them in life. The best part? They were funny. Even when things were serious, when they had heavy disappointments, they were there for each other and there was always laughter. Luka and Crispin hit it off immediately, but both expected a quick fling. I enjoyed watching them refuse to let go even after Crispin returned home and Luka moved on to his next adventure. Crispin’s hope for Luka was endearing as he held fast to his faith in Luka to be brave in love. The only disappointment is that I really want Crispin’s best friend, Cam to get a book and I suspect we will be waiting at least a year. I highly recommend Homebird. I know it will be one I reread through the years.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If my eyes were closed while someone read this book to me, I would still know it was by Amy Lane. It's chock full of emotions, of all shapes and sizes. It's also got Friends (with a capital F) because no one does support as well as Amy Lane. And Crispin, our story's hero, was deeply in need of friends.

I really enjoyed this story and I think the main reason was the family of the heart who surrounded Crispin, more so than the romance between he and Luka. I enjoyed that and appreciated the difference in Luka's life and perspective. But Crispin stole my heart and his buddies, including Link and Cam, ran away with my heart. (As a side note here -- please let us have Cam's story!)

A lovely way to spend Christmas day, I was surrounded by family as I immersed myself in this book. I highly recommend it to all who appreciate an emotion-packed, warm and loving tale.

[Elithanathile · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just okay; this is NOT a negative rating! DO read up on my updates if you're interested! I might jot a few notes down here in the future!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homebird is an awesome story. It grabbed me by the face and screamed, "READ ME!" Naturally I complied. I was immediately sucked into this story-- Duh, it's an Amy Lane book!

So, one thing that really has stuck with me in the days since I have finished this book is the imagery that the author has created. Ms. Lane is very good at harnessing words and bending them to her will. One moment, I was in my living room staring at my cell phone, reading about Crispin and his band of goofy best friends. The next moment I was standing in Munich, Germany. I could hear the talking and laughter from the people enjoying the festivities. I could smell the food and drinks, I could hear the music, I was THERE. Her ability to world-build is one of the main reasons I fell in love with her other books, and that was no different in Homebird.

The other thing that has stood out to me is the absence of meaningless drama. Sometimes, conflict in romance novels can come off a bit contrived. Sometimes, romance novels (m/m, m/f, m/m/m, m/f/m, etc. etc.) can make use of a canned plot line: person meets person, witty banter, eventual incredibly hot sex, more sex, sex again, beginning of relationship, random contrived problem that is often just people not communicating/listening, resolution. Don't get me wrong, those can be fun too! But Amy Lane does not use the 'formula.' And for me, that makes her books more enjoyable. I genuinely did not know what was going to happen from the get-go.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Go! GO! Go read it!!

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas story that isn’t just a Christmas story. This is a book about two men, both broken as young men by loss, traveling through life dealing in completely different ways but eventually finding their way ‘home’. Crispin and Luka are both amazing MC’s with a group of secondary characters second to none. This is full of laughs, love, loss and has two men learning that no matter what, home is where and what you make it. Amy Lane has such a way with words - you feel like you are right there in the middle living every moment. Luka and Crispin’s story is one you don’t want to miss.

[namericanwordcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to really like Amy Lane's Christmas romances because they are full bodied and explore the complexity of the season.

We get two really intersting heros in opposites attract in Crispin and Luka. I would loved a dual point of view so we could know Luka much more exactly (like is he Fijian or Kiwi?) but Crispin is a wonderful hero to spend time with.

The whole cast delights me and I love watching the romance unfold.

[Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I hope we get Cam’s book.

[Purplegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Amy Lane, has written a beautiful story that just make me feel the characters and the story. I loved this book.

[drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Lane is always reliable when it comes to these sweet yet sad lil stories, and this was no exception.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~]

3.5 stars

[A.E. Wasp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything Amy Lane writes

This book made me cry in every good way. I loved the v two main characters and their friends and families.

[Alleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crispin was a LITTLE quick in turning his life around once his friends outed him, but it was cute and sweet and I enjoyed it a lot.