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Neither of them believe they’re worth loving. But they’re about to prove each other wrong.

Everleigh Cooper wants her happily ever after, but she’s not one to kiss a million frogs, go on countless dates or indulge in one night stands. She needs more. After leaving home with her best friend at 14, she’s worked hard to find a place she belongs. With her friends finding love around her, Everleigh hopes ‘the one’ is waiting for her, too.

After a childhood of shuttling around foster homes, Lachlan James struggles to see his worth. Relationships are hard when you battle depression and can’t trust people to stick around. Outside of his best friends, finding someone who makes him feel loved—and who stays—has always been the hard part.

When she’s displaced because of a fire in her building, and thanks to the help of their mutual friends, Everleigh moves in with Lachlan. For a while, their opposing schedules keep them apart until one failed cooking experiment and an accidental kiss bring them crashing together.

They bond over tattoos and romance novels, fall in love through scribbled notes and doodles, and find safety in each other’s arms. But when Lachlan’s depression spirals, everything they’ve been building teeters on the edge.

Can Everleigh and Lachlan work through their struggles and find a home in each other?

CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNINGS: Characters with depression and anxiety, scenes of panic attacks, recreational use of weed, mentions of growing up in the foster system and group homes, mentions of a toxic family, and scenes with a therapist. The characters in this book are over the age of 25 with scenes of alcohol consumption and coarse language. It is also an open door romance with multiple explicit sex scenes.

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2023

3 people are currently reading
347 people want to read

About the author

Anna P.

15 books128 followers
Since she was a child, Anna has lived in a world of imagination—teaching in a classroom to being an astronaut, she’s done it all.


Anna has a Masters in Creative Writing, and a love for music and writing got her jobs with Rolling Stone India and Sony Music. After a couple of years of selling her soul to advertising, she’s finally following her dream of writing books.


Currently living in South India, she rocks out to Foo Fighters and reads 300 romance novels a year. She works as a copy consultant and book editor, while sipping on copious amounts of black tea.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Marianne | Petite.BumbleBeeBooks .
421 reviews41 followers
June 12, 2023
Review Almost Home by Anna P.

Everleigh wants her happily ever after, but after indulging a thousand frogs that refused to turn into princes she wants more than failed dates and one night stands. When her appartement burns down, she moves in with the mysterious Lachlan. With his original sleep schedules, their main sources of communication are home-made meals and post-its.

TW: Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, weed, foster system, toxic family, therapy.

Anna really surpassed herself in this novel. Lachlan and Everleigh were more than relatable and beautiful to read fall in love, they were mesmerizing. They had the type of magic you feel when two deserving soul crash together and give each other peace, and love and kindness. I loved the post-it communication at the start of their relationship, it reminded me of The Flatshare, but in a new and fresh way that endeared me to the characters right away. During the last two books, Lachlan was this mysterious figure, we didn't really get to know him at all, just glances here and there, and that in itself was a hell of a sow burn, but when we finally get to be in his mind, our brain simply explodes in a million fireworks. And Everleigh, god she was such a beautiful human. I loved to see her demisexuality in a way I haven't seen before: from strangers to lovers. It usually is between people the person already knows, but Anna goes all in and faces the challenges and gives us great and genuine representation that was a balm to my little demi heart, who definitely hasn't met her match yet.

Happy release day my love, thank you for trusting me with your manuscript, it fills my heart, more than you know.
471 reviews35 followers
October 11, 2023
Lachlan and and Everleigh have a piece of my heart. They are both tender hearted souls who think they don’t deserve to be loved. They have both had a tough go at life (he was in foster care, and she was basically ignored by her entire family including her parents). Lachlan turned to reading and eventually writing books to escape, becoming a bestselling author for his ya fantasy series. Everleigh turned to reading- her fav series? Lachlan’s books (he wrote under a pen name so the connection was not evident at first). 🥰🥰🥰

Roommates too lovers is so fun, and I loved how Anna wrote it into this story. The post it notes to keep in contact! When they finally cross paths, it introduces the cooking lessons. Lachlan loves to cook and I just loved everything about each cooking scene🥰

Anna may be my new favourite author of writing slow burn 🔥. Lachlan and Everleigh were like learning how to ride a bike. Almost painstakingly slow to get accustomed to and learn how to do it, but once you figure it out, you just take off! And when the steam takes off, it takes off. 🔥🔥🥵🥵 I love Anna’s books because she isn’t afraid to bring the spice, while also delivering in such important topics (anxiety, depression, panic attacks), and also writing lots of laughable moments and sweet moments with their group of friends.

I am completely obsessed with these two. Lachlan fell first, and he falls hard. The first time he sees e her in the kitchen cooking, he is basically rendered speechless. I absolutely adore how he took the one thing Everleigh dislikes about her body (her freckles) and turns it into his own personal nickname for her 🥰🥰 by the end of the book, she loves her freckles too.

I loved how accepting Everleigh was of Lachlan and his mental struggles and how has was always there for him, and only wanted him to get better for himself. ♥️

I highly recommend this book, and Anna’s first two books! I will run out of space to share all my love for this book 🫶🏻
Profile Image for Mai | mai.readingnook .
536 reviews8 followers
June 11, 2023
This wasn't just a slow burn. This was like making a fire Survivor style with no flint. Just a natural, gradual progression. Patiently putting in the work, creating sparks. Carefully tending to it, helping it grow steady. And then boom, fire. It's warm and cozy, but at the same time, cackling with so much (sexual) tension. So good. 🔥

That was pretty much how I felt, watching Everleigh and Lachlan's relationship evolve–basically strangers, to roommates, to friends, to lovers, partners.

The mental health rep, the queer rep, the post-it notes, the doodles, the tattoos, the cooking lessons, he's an author (of YA fantasy books!! What!!!) and she's a graphic artist (who makes fan art! Whaaat!), found family, amazing friend groups, and therapy positive. There's just so much to love. But most of all, I love the tender and big way these two show up for, and love, each other.

This book is definitely a winner, as are the others in this series ✨️

*ARC provided by author*
Profile Image for Porsche.
82 reviews5 followers
June 21, 2023
Anna P, never does any wrong in my eyes. With that being said. This couple is my favorite of the series. These two, Wow. I have no words.

The representation!!

-Depression
-Queer Rec/Race
-Demisexuality Rec
-Therapy.


I’m in awe of this story and the characters. Lachlan my friend, you are the first character I can FULLY relate too and for that I thank you!!

Everleigh, you and me are also a lot alike. I adore you and everything you stand for.

The dino doodles, the post it notes. I’m just crazy in love with The Wildes series. ❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for Tiffany Billingsly.
19 reviews
May 28, 2023
If you have read any of Anna P.’s books, you know she does spicy so well. But this book was the most beautiful slow burn turned into a bonfire I have ever had the privilege of experiencing. The pop culture/nerdy references are to live for and don’t worry the milkshakes make an appearance.

But the part of this book that I appreciated so much is how it dealt with and explained depression and mental illness. I’ve never felt so seen in characters before.
Profile Image for Alesia Galati.
25 reviews
June 12, 2023
This book feels like home

"Everleigh is… she’s like all of my best days wrapped into one person."

I still dont have the words to fully articulate how this book makes me FEEL, but here we go...

I was immediately drawn to Everleigh's beautiful soul in this book. I can see why Lachlan falls (fast and hard) in love with her because everything about her screams quirky and adorable.

Lachlan's struggle with mental health was so beautifully discussed, and as someone who has loved someone with such deep depression and anxiety, it gave me a deeper understanding of what goes on in their head.

This couple are quite frankly one of my favorite so far this year, and I won't be forgetting them anytime soon.

Tropes:
🎧 Forced Proximity
🍳 Strangers to Roommates to Friends to Lovers
😔 Mental Health Rep
🤤 He falls first
🥰 Our friends are dating
📚 MC's who read romance
✍️🏾 MC Author

Favorite moments:
🦕 Dino doodles
🦖 Clever Girl
📖 Quietly reading together
🍛 Cooking as a love language

I was giving an ARC and these opinions are mine.
Profile Image for Susan ;༊ (slump).
75 reviews9 followers
December 31, 2024
REVIEW
Rating: ★★★★★
Spice: ♡♡

Maaaan this book owns me. This was one of the most adorable and heartwarming stories I've ever read. Everleigh & Lachlan were such a soft yet strong couple. They had my heart from the very beginning. They are my fav couple written by Anna. I have so many favorite scenes I can go on and on about them. I will never shut up about their slow-burn feelings and their little notes to each other. Every moment pulled at my heartstrings.
The writing was, as always, amazing. Both characters' pasts and struggles, as well as their healing journeys, were well portrayed. It's no surprise that Anna writes realistic and relatable characters with raw stories. But this time, they felt a bit too close to my heart. True to its title, this book felt like home. I really want to reread it, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it!
Shoutout to the flower crown scene. My heart was too soft for that.

His heart raced and skipped beats whenever she stepped into a room, the sound of her voice made him smile, and when he got a whiff of cinnamon, the only thought in his head was Everleigh.

But that night, with Lachlan’s arms wrapped around her, Everleigh knew what the feelings were telling her—he was her person. He was her home.

TROPES:
Strangers to Roommates to Friends to Lovers
Forced proximity
Age gap
He falls first
LGBTQ+ rep
Slow burn
Lot of comfort moments
Profile Image for Amanda-Jean.
48 reviews2 followers
June 22, 2024
This is in my top 10 books I've ever read! 😍 I absolutely fell in love with these two and their sweet (and spicy) story.

Lachlan and Everleigh are thrown together when Everleigh's apartment catches fire and she needs a safe place to land. Working on completely different schedules, they start interacting by notes. Eventually, though, they meet and spend some quality time together, cooking and falling in love.

This roommates to friends to lovers story is so sweet and I truly loved every minute! Even when the story hit its serious moments, I was enthralled by the realistic portrayals of mental health (particularly depression and anxiety) and queer realizations (particularly demisexual). As someone who fits all three of those categories I felt so SEEN. I have to thank the amazing Anna P for writing the most relatable characters I've ever read - you know how much I love these two, but I can't thank you enough for this beautiful book. ❤️

So, go read this! But start with Almost Maybes, book 1 of the interconnected stand alones, for the full experience of these wonderful characters. You won't regret it! Promise! 🥰

Some tropes:
💐 Roommates to lovers
💐 Age gap (he's older)
💐 Slooow burn
💐 Opposites attract
💐 Found Family

Please check out the trigger warnings if you need to at https://www.annawriteshere.com/trigge...
Profile Image for Nadine.
176 reviews5 followers
June 23, 2023
*Review contains content guidance*
Anna P.'s Almost Home - a slow burn romance between a queer author and a demisexual artist who couldn't be more different and more perfect for each other at the same time. 

What's it about?
"Neither of them believe they’re worth loving. But they’re about to prove each other wrong.

Everleigh Cooper wants her happily ever after, but she’s not one to kiss a million frogs, go on countless dates or indulge in one night stands. After leaving home with her best friend at 14, she’s worked hard to find a place she belongs. She needs more. With her friends finding love around her, Everleigh hopes ‘the one’ is waiting for her, too.

After a childhood of shuttling around foster homes, Lachlan James struggles to see his worth. Relationships are hard when you battle depression and can’t trust people to stick around. Outside of his best friends, finding someone who makes him feel loved—and who stays—has always been the hard part.

When she’s displaced because of a fire in her building, and thanks to the help of their mutual friends, Everleigh moves in with Lachlan. For a while, their opposing schedules keep them apart until one failed cooking experiment and an accidental kiss bring them crashing together.

They bond over tattoos and romance novels, fall in love through scribbled notes and doodles, and find safety in each other’s arms. But when Lachlan’s depression spirals, everything they’ve been building teeters on the edge. Can Everleigh and Lachlan work through their struggles and find a home in each other?"

Read this for: 
- Slow burn,
- Strangers to roommates to friends to lovers
- Opposites attract
- Mental health, queer, and diversity rep
- An author hero who falls first
- A heroine who finds her confidence and worth
- Age gap (9 years)
- Found family

There's so much to explore and I adored Lachlan's behind the scenes author story and his absolute dedication to make Everleigh feel seen, loved, and safe. 
Everleigh was adorable, quirky (hello mismatched socks), and I felt like we could be best friends.  

My only wish would have been to focus more on showing the story of Everleigh and Lachlan in a slightly condensed way with less focus on their friends, even though I do understand that 'found family' is vital for both of them, given what they have been through. 
This was my first book by Anna and I thank her for a copy of the book in advance of the publication date. 

Content Guidance: Both main characters deal with depression and anxiety. There are scenes of panic attacks and conversations with a therapist. Weed and alcohol are shown to be used recreationally. There are mentions of growing up in the foster system and group homes, as well as mentions of a toxic family. There are explicit sex scenes between consenting adults who use, at times, coarse language.  
Profile Image for Readwithtaz.
127 reviews
July 13, 2023
Anna, excuse me, what did you put in this? Crack!
My favorite hands down. All the billions of stars for this one.

Remember that time when I said I loved Milo & Frankie a bit more than the OGs, well at this moment, I know I lied. I love Everleigh & Lachlan the most. NO SHAME! CHEATER! I KNOW!! 

My heart is full. Satiated. Content.

This was raw, honest, lustful, & simply perfect. The storyline was a seamless blend of fun, warmness, love, joy, and yet addressed some tough, delicate, meaningful topics. A hard heart-hurting but joyous magical read. Impeccable & unerring writing style. Engrossing storytelling. Palpable tension. Man, Anna seriously knows how to write. She killed it!

The character development was flawless. It took us on a journey to get to know the characters over the passing months. We got to know them as their own person & how they came together. Knowing what made Lachlan the person he is today & what shaped Everleigh to be this person she grew into. I loved their heart, how they understood what the other needed, took care of one another, the honest communication, & their imperfections. With combustible chemistry & scorching spicy scenes, the intense connection between this couple was apparent & resonate.

You can't not fall in love & root for them. They are truly something special & deserve all the good things this world has to offer them. Life wasn’t easy for them. You got to see the bad before reaching to the good. They separately had their daily struggles to go through which each faced bravely. Needed to find their own strength to come together as a couple to start tearing those self-built walls. They have not necessarily come out of those battles complete defeaters, but they definitely were not defeated.

So many favorites I hold close to my heart. The way they cared for & loved each other, the banter, post-its, quirks, the friendship, cooking together, mental health representation, being vulnerable in front of the other, & the acceptance of each other as is, urgh my heart!

The way he held & helped to ground her during her panic attack episode; extremely precious. I think I literally felt my heart crack. How can something so heartbreaking be this beautiful. The “I love you” scene, everything just stopped for those mere seconds. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest. Swooned right there!

Congrats Anna on another masterpiece release. Everyone, you need to get this one. And get book 2. And book 1. Just get them all!
Profile Image for S. Michelle.
13 reviews
April 5, 2024
If you’re looking for a book with heart and depth, look no further. Anna P’s novel “Almost Home” was exactly what I needed. I just came out of a reading slump and wasn’t sure which of her books to start with, but I saw her post on IG that this story had some Jurassic Park references and I knew where I had to start, and I picked right.

Without wanting to give any spoilers, I’ll try to convey how amazing this book was. It’s an amazing slow burn romance, but it offers so much more. From found family, to accurate mental health rep, to the importance of courting, and depicting how every relationship can look different. This was one of my favorite parts of the story. As someone who took a while to come into her own, and really figure out my sexuality, seeing characters in books that I can relate to is huge.

Overall, this is something Anna brings to the table in more ways than one. Because her series is an interconnected standalone series, you can jump in and then meet the other main characters, and all of them bring something unique and diverse to the book as a whole. You fall in love with these characters. Not quite as much as I fell in love with Lachlan and Everleigh though, who are the stars of this story. You want to hug them, befriend them, and root for them. From the first few chapters I was already so caught up in each of them. From the cute and quirky things about Everleigh, to the deep and multifaceted layers of Lachlan, I really couldn’t put it down.

Which reminds me of all the cute references to pop culture that Anna throws in, which is one of my weaknesses. Books, movies, and music, it is seriously the best and just one of those extra touches that makes the book special. When I read a book, I don’t want to just connect to the characters and the story, I want to feel like I know the author, and I definitely felt that after reading this. I am looking forward to reading more of her stories and really exploring the world of Wildes that she has created.

I highly recommend taking a look at this book, especially as someone who is a creative that struggles with her mental health. I felt seen, and I connected to it in a way I didn’t expect, and that to me is what always makes a great book. When it grips me in such a way that I can’t stop reading, and this book delivered!
Profile Image for Zoe.
396 reviews10 followers
June 19, 2023
I don't know how to put my feelings about this book into words, it is such a heartfelt and emotional book, it deals with a lot of issues and insecurities, but I feel like that's what makes it such an amazing book, the mental health aspect of it so realistic and relatable, as someone who has ADHD, anxiety and is an overthinker who goes through bouts of depression, I related to both of the MCs so effing much and I loved that, I loved seeing my self in them, it made everything feel more real. Moving on, I LOVED the characters, all of them, especially the friend group and I have never laughed as much as I did when reading the monster cock argument, it was hilarious af, but apart from that I seriously love how weird and mismatched this friend group is, they have my heart.

As someone who deals with ADHD, and panic attacks, Everleigh is one of THE most relatable characters I have read, I immediately related to her and felt for her, she's so effing sweet and kind and such a strong person, I admire her strength and the fact that she felt like she can trust Lachlan says a lot, their intimacy is such a beautiful thing, I'm happy for her.

Lachlan is such a deep and complicated character, the insight into his mind is eye-opening, and seeing things from his point of view was nice, this is why I love dual pov books, it gives you insight and I loved it with Lachlan, it just makes it so much better and we get to see in his mind in his best times and his worst times and it's heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.

Usually, friends-to-lovers is not my favorite trope, and tbh it's nowhere near my fav's but wow, this book is so beautifully written and the intimacy between the MCs is so effing deep, it's possibly my fav friends to-lovers, I just loved everything about this book, including the fact that it's a slow burn.
264 reviews7 followers
June 5, 2023
This book starts with Everleigh, the FMC, losing everything in an apartment fire and finding herself dropped on the doorstep of friend-of-a-friend, Lachlan, who is elusive for weeks after Everleigh starts sharing the apartment with him. But somehow they still bond over home-cooked meals he leaves to save her from the subpar option of takeout and back-and-forth post-it conversations riddled with banter and doodles of dinosaurs.

Once they finally meet, they get even closer. And I know it’s billed as a friends-to-lovers, but it’s clear from early on that it’s a whole lot more than friendship for both of them. Alas, it takes struggling through anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other issues before they find their way to the “more” part. But that struggle makes their budding romance that much deeper and more meaningful once it begins … and it also makes the stakes higher. They each have their own respective mountains to climb and walls to tear down.

Due to the slooooow burn, this felt a bit more like contemporary fiction at times than contemporary romance, but *ahem* the last quarter of the book definitely changed that tune (read: there’s open-door sex … lots and lots of open-door sex ;p). Both Everleigh and Lachlan go on individual journies where they find their strength, as well as grow together as a couple – or not, at times, lending the conflict that leads to the climax of the story. While most of it didn’t go down per romance formula, that in no way detracted from the satisfying ending and culmination of their growth ARCs; in fact, it underscored it.

If you’re looking for a non-traditional romance with an interracial couple, mental health issues representation, and realistic characters you can identify with, I definitely recommend giving this book a read!
Profile Image for Jessi.
76 reviews
June 3, 2023
Thank you Anna for an ARC bc I am so in love with this book!

Can I just drop the DM thread with my live reactions here? No? Darn! 😂 This book was... EVERYTHING! It was a warm embrace that I never wanted to end bc the love we saw was one that never quit and the magic of it was simply beautiful.

I absolutely loved the quiet yet big ways they loved each other. Lachlan making sure Everleigh *did not* have to rely on takeout and Everleigh checking in on him with dino doodles was the best! There is a ton of mental health rep (yay!) and the way they accepted and took care of each other made my heart squeeze bc it was obvious early on that they *cared*, really truly cared. ❤ Their relationship started as a friendship before it grew into a romantic partnership and there was just something special about seeing that progression.

Minor spoiler alert! There is *no third-act breakup*. That isn't to say there wasn't any conflict. What it does mean is that every choice they made and every action they took was motivated by their love for each other and genuine desire to do what's best for the other. And seeing them make the hard choices made me so appreciative of their journeys as both individuals *and* a couple.

By the time I finished this book, my heart was full. Filled-to-the-brim-and-overflowing full! These two have the softest souls and I NEED them to be protected from the world bc *some* people (*cough cough* Everleigh's fam) didn't deserve them! And LACHLAN AND EVERLEIGH DESERVE NOTHING BUT THE BEST. ❤

CN: open-door romance, mental health (depression, anxiety, panic attack, ADHD), mention of foster system, toxic family
Profile Image for Hayley 〰 Hayley's Next Page.
1,447 reviews107 followers
June 12, 2023
"I can't wait to see what else you're capable of."
"I'm going to fvcking rock your world, Freckles. And I, for one, cannot wait."

Rating: 4.5/5

- Unexpected housemates to friends to lovers
- Graphic designer x author
- Diverse characters: biracial bi MMC & demisexual FMC
- Mental health rep: anxiety, depression & ADHD
- He falls first and hard
- Slow burn
- No breakup
- Dual POV
- The best found family vibes
- Nicknames a.k.a Freckles
- Post-It notes a la The Flatshare
- Cooking & tattoos as love languages
- Cute dinosaur drawings

I feel like the best words to describe Lachlan and Everleigh’s relationship are tender and soft. Their love grew slowly and naturally from friendship into something more, through cooking lessons and Post-Its and cute dates. They never hid themselves and their feelings from the other and I loved that authenticity. There was a beautiful openness to their sexual exploration too, which I found to be really unique.

They were exactly what the other person needed and the way Lachlan loved Everleigh was inspirational: "One day, I'll cover the rest of my bare skin in everything that reminds me of you. Because you're already so deep in my soul, Freckles, I want the rest of the world to see it." 🥹

I also thought the mental health rep was so refreshing and handled with such care. I liked that they didn’t break up but Everleigh selflessly stepped away so they could both heal and be the best versions of themselves for the other. The part that made me tear up? "You'll come back to me?" "Absolutely." 🥺

If you’re looking for a diverse and beautiful love story, I highly recommend Almost Home.

Thank you so much to Anna for the early copy 🫶🏻.
Profile Image for Alicia (theromanticbibliotheca).
414 reviews27 followers
September 28, 2023
When Everleigh is left with a handful of items from her burnt down apartment, mutual friends push her to move in with Lachlan. What begins as scenes that are reminiscent to “The Flatshare”, the story shows how Everleigh and Lachlan become more familiar with each other despite their opposite schedules. With the help of post-it notes and then text messages, bad cooking, and some close proximity, their familiarity soon grows to something more.

While both Everleigh and Lachlan face personal challenges, they each seek therapy and also lean on each other for support. I enjoyed seeing Everleigh learn how to deal with Lachlan when he was depressed; she learns how to give him space but is also supportive in her own special way. “She’s like all of my best days wrapped into one person. She injects joy into my days, she makes me smile without doing much.” At the same time, Lachlan becomes her wall of comfort and safety as well. He makes her feel—like really feel—truly loved (and daaaang does Lachlan make her feel loved in so many ways…and in so many places too. *ahem*)

This is quite the slow burn but the reader is greatly rewarded with so many fun and romantic scenes between these two. Throughout the more serious scenes with Lachlan and Everleigh, I rooted for them on every page. While I empathized with their mental health issues, I resonated with the insecurities and the importance of therapy. All these elements were done in such a respectful way.

If you see yourself enjoying a friends-to-lovers romance with such a loving found family, check this one out. Thanks again to the author for a copy of “Almost Home”.
Profile Image for bagelpapi.
276 reviews1 follower
June 14, 2023
When I tell you I devoured this book, I mean I devoured it. I could not put it down, I was making tacos with my kindle in one hand and a spatula in the other😂
This book is book 3 in the interconnected stand-alone series Love in Wildes by Anna P, and I gotta be totally honest, this is by far my favourite of Anna’s books. Lachlan and Everleigh were soft and gentle and kind and I loved to see their friendship bloom so naturally and beautifully. I guess I have a thing for soft romances now? Somehow Anna masterfully weaved a story of two hurt people healing each other with kindness while also maintaining the witty banter we’ve come to get to expect in her previous two books. Almost Home pulls no punches and is a very real portrayal of anxiety and depression with both characters managing their symptoms and conditions differently. This book reiterated the adage that love means showing up. And by god, did Lachlan and Everleigh show up for each other💗
✨available on KU - also 2.99 this week on Amazon!
Book: Almost Home
Author: Anna P
Spice: 3/5🌶️ (this bad boy is a slow burn but when it heats up OH BOY DOES IT EVER🔥)
Rating: 5/5⭐️
Tropes: found family, friends to lovers, forced proximity, healing through love, mental health rep, queer rep, small town romance

I am still trying to collect my thoughts after inhaling this book so I may come back and edit this review and gush some more😘
Profile Image for Laura.
210 reviews10 followers
June 11, 2023
📖 Almost Home by Anna P.

What I loved about this book:
🏳️‍🌈 Queer rep
🏠 Roommates to lovers
♥️ Found family
🔥 Slow burn
👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏾 Forced proximity
😍 He falls first
☯️ Opposites attract
🧠 Mental health rep
🍳 Cooking lessons
🌶️ Spicy!

Just like the previous books in Anna P.’s Wildes series, Almost Home was incredibly sweet and honest. The story begins with Everleigh’s apartment burning down, and so she moves in with a friend of a friend, Lachlan. They have an instant attraction, and take the time to really get to know each other. Lachlan suffers from severe depression and this sometimes results in him withdrawing for days at a time. Everleigh has ADHD and anxiety, which was beautifully represented. Both characters are dealing with their own mental health struggles, and I think the way they support each other, especially the way that Everleigh is able to comfort Lachlan during his harder moments was very touching.

One of my favourite parts about this story is the revelation (SPOILER) that Lachlan is the author of Everleigh’s favourite fantasy book series, but he’s been hiding his identity from the world through a pen name. I loved this connection between them, even before they met. I thought it was lovely that Lachlan’s books were a comfort to Everleigh during the times in her life where she felt alone, and I think this is something lots of us bookish people can relate to.

My favourite part of the story was that there was no third act breakup (I love these, by the way, it just wasn’t appropriate for this story), but instead, it was a moment in their relationship where they needed to give each other physical space and rely on their friends and their trusted health care providers for support. I thought that was very realistic, and I appreciated the fact that Everleigh recognised that Lachlan was relying on her too heavily and gave him that space to heal, rather than be the answer to his problems.

I highly recommend you read this book! Thanks to Anna for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
398 reviews55 followers
September 23, 2024
This was everything I wanted in a romance! I think might even be my favourite of the three so far! I loved the slow burn and the fact there was a long wait for the smut because I feel like it made it so much more special. And like Everleigh, I read romance books for all the in between and don't really mind either way whether there's a bit of smut thrown in so this one had the perfect amount for me.
I also think I might be starting to agree with Everleigh about friends-to-lovers being the best trope. I always thought I preferred enemies-to-lovers but friends-to-lovers is just so cute and Everleigh's right about them working so well together. Plus my own relationship is literally a friends-to-lovers so...
I adored the rep shown throughout this and there was such a range. I thought Lachlan's depression was shown really well and I'm glad it was such an important and prominent feature. I do think sometimes mental health rep is added just for the sake of it but then is just mentioned in brief passing once whereas this was definitely a strong feature in the book and I thought it was perfect.
I will say though, if these characters were all real and murder was legal (I'm sure Lachlan would beat me to it but) I'd seriously go kill Everleigh's family they made me SO angry!! I knew going in that they were bad and she talked about how awful they were but when she actually visited them they were so much worse than I was expecting and omg I hate them all! (Excluded her nieces and nephews of course, the kids were all fine, just her parents and siblings.)
Anyway I really loved this and I'm getting so invested in the Wildes gang!
Profile Image for Kendra (NurseKendraReads).
354 reviews23 followers
July 1, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 (5 stars)
Steam: 🌶🌶🌶/5 (slow burn but multiple scenes with description towards the end of the book)

No spoiler review 👇🏻

Out now!

This is book three in the “Love in Wilde’s” series.

Ahh I enjoyed this book so much. Anna has quickly become one of my favourite romance authors. I don’t know how she does it but each book is even more amazing than the last. I love all three books, but this one has a special place in my heart.

This book follows Everleigh, when her apartment burns down, she is offered to stay with Lachlan in the spare room. They do not know each other, and start communicating through post it notes. Soon they become friends and slowly develop into something much more.

One of my favourite things about Anna’s books, are the characters. They feel so real. They are flawed but so relatable and beautiful. I can’t wait to read more from her.

Some of the amazing things I loved about this book:
the slow burn! The tension!
The playlist at the beginning
Post it’s!
Found family
Bi and Demi Rep
Mental health rep
All the feels

This series is on kindle unlimited and I highly highly recommend reading it!

I received a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

CW: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, toxic/emotionally abusive family, foster system.
78 reviews8 followers
June 11, 2023
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! It made me cry and that’s saying something because I’m not usually a crier, only four books have made me cry and now this is fifth. I love how emotional the first 69% was. It really allowed for their relationship to build up emotionally! The character development was brilliant and I love how Lachlan was an author and Everleigh was a cover designer - perfect! I also love how this was a forced proximation romance! The thing that stood out in this book was that real emotional development it added so much more to the whole story and so many layers. Those layers are really important to keep someone intrigued and I loved those layers! The description, characterisation - it was all perfect! I kept getting that butterfly feeling when there was a really emotional part in the book! It was all so sweet! It’s really hard to add extra elements to the development of a relationship and Anna let us see all those elements- from the bigger things to the tiny things like the tattoos or post-its!!!
I love Everleigh and Lachlan and they are definitely perfect for each other! Phenomenal book - I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!
Profile Image for Jillian Meadows.
Author 4 books877 followers
June 12, 2023
This book follows Lachlan and Everleigh, who become roommates after a fire in Everleigh's building. Their relationship is a slow burn, full of friendship and cute cooking lessons and adorable notes. It has EVERY tender little friendship moment there could ever be.

Anna's writing feels like you're sitting on the couch with your best friend while she tells you a story. It's cozy and warm and feels like you're getting an intimate look into two friends falling in love. All the sweet little details of the story just make me want to squeal with cuteness overload.

The representation in this book is unmatched. There are heavy topics discussed, but they are handled with the utmost care, and you can really tell that Anna values portraying those things realistically.

This book has banter, nicknames, bookworm adorableness, this-book-might-burn-your-fingers spiciness 🥵, nine year age gap, with a delightful dose of dinosaur doodles. 😉
Profile Image for Meisha Gladney.
Author 3 books14 followers
June 20, 2023
Anna has done it again! And as you can see this is book is her third installment of her debut series. Do you need to read the other two books to understand this book? No...BUT once you read Almost Home, you're gonna want to back track and read them all!

I really loved this book because it was a change in pace, as it was a slow burn with the "action" not happening until 69% reading mark(very well fitting 😏).

The representation in this book was well handled and I appreciated it truly.

Here are a few of my favorite things:

🔥Slow Burn (but when it gets hot it's through the roof)
🛏️ Roommates to Lovers
👨🏾 He Falls First
🧠 Mental Health Rep
🍳 Cooking as a Love Language
🌈 Bisexuality & Demisexuality Rep (very genuine and not pandering at all)

If my favorite things interest you, give this sexy, slow burn read a try.

Thank you Anna for the the ARC. I definitely going to still purchase, because I'm a sucker for paperbacks and it was THAT good!
Profile Image for Kat.
87 reviews1 follower
June 5, 2023
In Anna P.’s Love in Wildes series, “Almost Home” has become my favourite of all three. How can it not be my favourite when it’s filled with all the tropes I love??? This was friends to lovers excellence and the slow-burn of it all was just perfect. I love Lachlan and Everleigh both as a couple and as individuals. The beginning of their relationship was already so cute with all the post-its, that’s literally one of my favourite tropes too, I don’t even know if there’s a name for it. Don’t get me started with Everleigh’s cute drawings on the post-it notes, I have the biggest smile every time I see it. So did Lachlan lol. Anyways, the depression/mental health rep in this via Lachlan was so real. At least for me it was. I appreciated that a lot. Lachlan is also the definition of “he falls first and he continues to fall harder.”
Profile Image for Meenal.
1,028 reviews27 followers
June 10, 2023
Lachlan is an author, and Everleigh is a book cover designer. He writes under a pen name, and she loves his books. They don't know each other but are roommates. Prepare for an explosion!

There are mentions of men wearing lingerie, they/them pronouns, depressive spirals, and talk of various sexualities.

It's a comfort book without tough topics that you can read to just enjoy the magic of words and chill. It's cheesy and cute. Fans of Sally Rooney will like this realistic, and thus aptly classified, contemporary romance.

I received an e-ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
324 reviews2 followers
June 15, 2023
Thank you Author Anna P. for the ARC! I am voluntarily leaving a review. Everleigh and Lachlan are thrown together as roommates due to an unfortunate incident. Both have been hurt but will they help each other heal? I love the post it messages with the doodles and how they so willing to be their for each other. It's also extremely sexy that Lachlan cooks meals for Everleigh so that she doesn't have to rely on take out I mean come on! He also accompanies his bestie on her dates to let her know if they're losers or not.(swoon)The mental health representation is always appreciated as well as therapy being an important part of that.
Profile Image for Michelle.
785 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I appreciated the look at mental health and sexuality from these perspectives. There is an author's note at the end of the book that says in the original draft Lachlan was a total jerk. With the revisions, he was still very selfish and Everleigh was a pushover. I do believe that these personality traits are important for the plot and their unique struggles. I appreciate the arc that they took as a couple. My favorite part of the book was the adorable dino doodles. They were precious.
Profile Image for Lila Dawes.
Author 8 books170 followers
July 20, 2023
Gah, Anna was killing me slowly with this slow burn but oh how I loved it!!!!
#lachleigh may be my new favourite couple, these love birds were just adorable, from their post its, to cooking, flowers and romance they were just the bees knees dammit.
This book contains representation galore, and along with the romance, spice, forced proximity, friends to lovers and emotion, there's something for everyone here to love as much as I did! Cannot wait for my next trip to Wildes!
Profile Image for Lily.
141 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2023
I’d say 2.5 is probably more how I’m feeling. I wanted to like this book more because I do love the characters, the mental health rep, and this friend group from reading the earlier books. I think it was just too long and there were parts that were hard to get through because of that. I usually want more slice of life in my romance books but there was almost too much somehow? The ending was good once you get there though.
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