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Finding Home
Her family, her friends and her conscience all say it’s wrong to fall for the hustler she rescued from the streets. How come it feels so right?
When Megan first meets Mouth, a homeless teenage hustler, on the streets of L.A., he’s the perfect subject for the street life expose she hopes will help her break into journalism. She doesn’t expect to be drawn into his life and become his friend—or to take him in after he’s been beaten and robbed by thugs.
As they learn to live together, a powerful attraction flourishes between Megan and the young man. Although he’s street smart, tough and mature, he’s also a youth in transition. When they finally give in to the sexual heat between them, Megan fears she’s taking advantage of her position as his mentor.
Their relationship challenges every aspect of her life. Megan must make difficult choices between the conflicting demands of her friends and family, her career and love.
Explicit sex, reference to underage sex, graphic language, violence
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2006
141 people are currently reading
7586 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Baker
13 books131 followersLondon-based journalist with a sideline as romance writer. Prolific reader, and keen on all things fiction - on the page, the stage, the big screen and the small. Dreamer at heart.
My new novel, Between the Pages, is out and available at Amazon as a purchase or on Kindle Unlimited!
My new novel, Between the Pages, is out and available at Amazon as a purchase or on Kindle Unlimited!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 469 reviews
April 14, 2014
"I know. But he's... He's not a kid. He really isn't. And he's not as fucked up as you'd expect, either. He's just a young--man trying to get his life together and we kind of, you know, click together."
"He's a boy and it's statutory rape," Sasha said flatly.
Yes, Sasha, I agree.
This book sparked a little debate in my house. My husband seemed to think it isn't a big deal if a 17 year old homeless prostitute hooks up with a 23 year old woman. I completely disagreed. I actually had a strong reaction to the relationship in this book. I found it to be borderline offensive and I struggled to read a lot of the book because of it.
One of my central problems in this book is that I didn't see Sean as a man. He acted like a teenager. Granted, he was a sexually confident teenager but what teenage boys don't think about sex? In fact, the authors outright portrayed him as a teen.
Over the following few days, Sean continued to sulk. He still did his share of the housework and the food preparation, but gone was the easy camaraderie they'd painstakingly developed over the first couple weeks of his stay. Instead, she felt she'd been saddled with her very own grumpy teenager, sulking in the living room, communicating little, and looking to break the rules whenever possible.
That is because he is a teenager, Megan. A 17 year old boy.
I also thought that Megan was almost predatory in her reactions to Sean. After Sean is beaten and robbed (in the blurb, not a spoiler), Megan takes him into her home.
She noticed his hands when he took them, how the skin of the knuckles was abraded from fighting and the fingernails were bitten short. For the glimmer of a second, she thought about how those hands would feel touching her body, his rough skin skimming over the tender surface of her stomach or inner thigh, then she slammed the door shut on the image.
Okay, so Sean, a minor, was just assaulted to the point that even days later he is still limping and bruised and Megan is having dirty thoughts about him!? He is a needy kid, for GOD's sake. I don't care that he has been on the streets for years, he needs someone to take care of him, not perve all over him!
I honestly found the relationship between Sean and Megan to be sad. I felt like the basis of his attraction to Megan was that she was the first person who really cared for him and watched out for him. His feelings towards her were too complex to be deemed "romantic" in my book. There was a sense of dependence there that depressed me.
The positives of this book? Well, the writing is actually quite nice. I think the overall flow of the story, the way the events unfolded, was well planned and well executed. It also had its moments of sexiness, despite my extreme misgivings, and I think these authors write an erotic scene really proficiently.
What can I say? Pedophilia and incest are hard limits for me and this came a little too close to one of them. I can completely understand why people found this book to be a 5 star read but my own morality police wouldn't let me enjoy this one that much.
"He's a boy and it's statutory rape," Sasha said flatly.
Yes, Sasha, I agree.
This book sparked a little debate in my house. My husband seemed to think it isn't a big deal if a 17 year old homeless prostitute hooks up with a 23 year old woman. I completely disagreed. I actually had a strong reaction to the relationship in this book. I found it to be borderline offensive and I struggled to read a lot of the book because of it.
One of my central problems in this book is that I didn't see Sean as a man. He acted like a teenager. Granted, he was a sexually confident teenager but what teenage boys don't think about sex? In fact, the authors outright portrayed him as a teen.
Over the following few days, Sean continued to sulk. He still did his share of the housework and the food preparation, but gone was the easy camaraderie they'd painstakingly developed over the first couple weeks of his stay. Instead, she felt she'd been saddled with her very own grumpy teenager, sulking in the living room, communicating little, and looking to break the rules whenever possible.
That is because he is a teenager, Megan. A 17 year old boy.
I also thought that Megan was almost predatory in her reactions to Sean. After Sean is beaten and robbed (in the blurb, not a spoiler), Megan takes him into her home.
She noticed his hands when he took them, how the skin of the knuckles was abraded from fighting and the fingernails were bitten short. For the glimmer of a second, she thought about how those hands would feel touching her body, his rough skin skimming over the tender surface of her stomach or inner thigh, then she slammed the door shut on the image.
Okay, so Sean, a minor, was just assaulted to the point that even days later he is still limping and bruised and Megan is having dirty thoughts about him!? He is a needy kid, for GOD's sake. I don't care that he has been on the streets for years, he needs someone to take care of him, not perve all over him!
I honestly found the relationship between Sean and Megan to be sad. I felt like the basis of his attraction to Megan was that she was the first person who really cared for him and watched out for him. His feelings towards her were too complex to be deemed "romantic" in my book. There was a sense of dependence there that depressed me.
The positives of this book? Well, the writing is actually quite nice. I think the overall flow of the story, the way the events unfolded, was well planned and well executed. It also had its moments of sexiness, despite my extreme misgivings, and I think these authors write an erotic scene really proficiently.
What can I say? Pedophilia and incest are hard limits for me and this came a little too close to one of them. I can completely understand why people found this book to be a 5 star read but my own morality police wouldn't let me enjoy this one that much.
June 22, 2012
My rating: 4 1/2*
So, I was pretty much useless all day yesterday, because whenever I wasn't reading this story my mind was in la-la land thinking about it. I finished it this morning around 3AM, because despite the fact that I could barely keep my eyes open I was literally so entrenched in this story that I could not break away without reading to the end. Unfortunately, finishing it didn't help much with getting it off my mind! Finding Home is just one of those books that gets under your skin, breaks your heart, makes your pulse race, and leaves you breathing a huge, hard-earned sigh of relief.
My summary:
Sean (Mouth) is a hustler who makes a 'living' by selling himself on the streets, and although he's nearly an adult, he's still young at only 17. Hopeful journalist Megan meets 'Mouth' when she's attempting to interview kids on the street, so she can write a story about their plight for her job at the newspaper. He opens up to her little by little, and he helps her meet the other kids that work the area. Megan finds herself drawn to Mouth, returning to talk with him even after she finishes her article. When she finds him limping and beaten one day, she insists he come home with her and stay until he's healed. He's not happy to take Megan's charity, having taken care of himself for so long, but Megan gives him the opportunity of a lifetime. Clean, away from the work on the streets, with food and a roof over his head, Sean uses his second chance to change his life. Megan is determined to not let him return to the life he had before, but their time together becomes increasingly tension-filled as she denies the mutual attraction between them. At 23, she knows having sex with Sean is wrong even though he stopped being a 'kid' years ago. When that wall finally comes down (OH MY GOD, it was cold-shower-enducing HOT!!!), Megan knows she can no longer resist him. But indescribable passion doesn't equate to a functioning relationship, and Megan and Sean have one challenge after another when it comes to people accepting what they are to each other. It seemed destined to fail, but what they have may just be strong enough to make it through.
I was concerned about the plot for this story being something that I couldn't swallow. First off, reading about children selling themselves and allowing men to use them for pleasure just makes my stomach ill. And I was wondering how a romance could be built around a character like Sean, after all he'd done and been through. I must say I was so blown away when I read this story, because it was handled in a way that made my feelings about Sean shift along with the story. There's no denying the initial reaction to Sean/Mouth, he's just walking, breathing sex appeal (incidentally, the picture on the cover does NOT do my imaginary Sean justice by any means...the cover should have just had a silhouette, because this guy doesn't fit Sean's description at all). I hated what he and all of the kids were doing to themselves, it was so upsetting to read about. And with Sean, the fact that he had to have this shameful lot in life and then sat and described it to Megan...that was painful to read. He acts as though it doesn't affect him, but deep down you could tell how sickened and embarrassed he was by it. He'd just shut himself down to avoid thinking about it. The other kids on the street were all younger and had even less hope of going anywhere, and Megan's clinical treatment of each of them got to me at times. She was in full-on reporter mode for most of her time down there, but I was happy to see her emotions come into play when she saw Sean injured. She was worried about him, and the protective side of me was so relieved when Sean agreed to stay with Megan. He so truly deserved that chance to turn his life around, and he really grabbed onto it when Megan offered. Sean was just the good-looking teenager who was getting help from the adult who really cared for him, and it warmed my heart to see him finally have that.
Like I said before, though, my feelings toward Sean shifted right along with Megan's, which was really surprising and impressive when it comes to the writing. As Sean and Megan spent more time together, I slowly started seeing him as less child and more this strong, sensual, mature young man that left me weak at the knees. He never really was a 'child' when Megan met him, anyway, because he was forced to take care of himself long before then. And now, he's suddenly making his life better thanks to her support, but he was also going out and working to get what he earned. He was truly a man in my eyes, so when the tension between him and Megan started to boil over, I was fanning myself at every turn!! And yes, that scene when Megan fully becomes aware of just how much she wants him...words can not explain how sexy that moment was, I think my heart was ready to beat out of my chest!!! Wow, wow, WOOOOOOOOOW Sean just parked himself very high on my sexy book boyfriends list!! Whew!
The struggles that Sean and Megan face with her friends and family accepting their relationship were many. It seemed at every turn, Sean dealt with judgement from someone, and it upset me so much to see him have to be scrutinized like that. After all he'd been through, I wanted Megan to just tell everyone to take a flying leap when they looked down their noses at him. It wasn't right, he deserved nothing but encouragement and tenderness. In fact, my issues with Megan's behavior are where the half star was removed in my rating, I just wanted her to consider his feelings over her own more often. After pondering over this book for a day, I feel like, in a way, it was just that Megan really saw Sean as her equal, her lover. She didn't think of him as a former prostitute, so she didn't coddle him like he was. I think this is what ultimately gave Sean the strength to make the hard decision he did, because he wanted to really BE equal. He wanted to feel like he deserved Megan, and that's what made this story really just heartbreakingly beautiful for me. I do wish we got to see more of Megan and Sean's future in the end (epilogues...use them!!!!), but I was still immensely happy with how their story ended.
This book definitely found it's home in my heart, I absolutely loved it and will certainly be re-reading it in the future!
So, I was pretty much useless all day yesterday, because whenever I wasn't reading this story my mind was in la-la land thinking about it. I finished it this morning around 3AM, because despite the fact that I could barely keep my eyes open I was literally so entrenched in this story that I could not break away without reading to the end. Unfortunately, finishing it didn't help much with getting it off my mind! Finding Home is just one of those books that gets under your skin, breaks your heart, makes your pulse race, and leaves you breathing a huge, hard-earned sigh of relief.
My summary:
Sean (Mouth) is a hustler who makes a 'living' by selling himself on the streets, and although he's nearly an adult, he's still young at only 17. Hopeful journalist Megan meets 'Mouth' when she's attempting to interview kids on the street, so she can write a story about their plight for her job at the newspaper. He opens up to her little by little, and he helps her meet the other kids that work the area. Megan finds herself drawn to Mouth, returning to talk with him even after she finishes her article. When she finds him limping and beaten one day, she insists he come home with her and stay until he's healed. He's not happy to take Megan's charity, having taken care of himself for so long, but Megan gives him the opportunity of a lifetime. Clean, away from the work on the streets, with food and a roof over his head, Sean uses his second chance to change his life. Megan is determined to not let him return to the life he had before, but their time together becomes increasingly tension-filled as she denies the mutual attraction between them. At 23, she knows having sex with Sean is wrong even though he stopped being a 'kid' years ago. When that wall finally comes down (OH MY GOD, it was cold-shower-enducing HOT!!!), Megan knows she can no longer resist him. But indescribable passion doesn't equate to a functioning relationship, and Megan and Sean have one challenge after another when it comes to people accepting what they are to each other. It seemed destined to fail, but what they have may just be strong enough to make it through.
I was concerned about the plot for this story being something that I couldn't swallow. First off, reading about children selling themselves and allowing men to use them for pleasure just makes my stomach ill. And I was wondering how a romance could be built around a character like Sean, after all he'd done and been through. I must say I was so blown away when I read this story, because it was handled in a way that made my feelings about Sean shift along with the story. There's no denying the initial reaction to Sean/Mouth, he's just walking, breathing sex appeal (incidentally, the picture on the cover does NOT do my imaginary Sean justice by any means...the cover should have just had a silhouette, because this guy doesn't fit Sean's description at all). I hated what he and all of the kids were doing to themselves, it was so upsetting to read about. And with Sean, the fact that he had to have this shameful lot in life and then sat and described it to Megan...that was painful to read. He acts as though it doesn't affect him, but deep down you could tell how sickened and embarrassed he was by it. He'd just shut himself down to avoid thinking about it. The other kids on the street were all younger and had even less hope of going anywhere, and Megan's clinical treatment of each of them got to me at times. She was in full-on reporter mode for most of her time down there, but I was happy to see her emotions come into play when she saw Sean injured. She was worried about him, and the protective side of me was so relieved when Sean agreed to stay with Megan. He so truly deserved that chance to turn his life around, and he really grabbed onto it when Megan offered. Sean was just the good-looking teenager who was getting help from the adult who really cared for him, and it warmed my heart to see him finally have that.
Like I said before, though, my feelings toward Sean shifted right along with Megan's, which was really surprising and impressive when it comes to the writing. As Sean and Megan spent more time together, I slowly started seeing him as less child and more this strong, sensual, mature young man that left me weak at the knees. He never really was a 'child' when Megan met him, anyway, because he was forced to take care of himself long before then. And now, he's suddenly making his life better thanks to her support, but he was also going out and working to get what he earned. He was truly a man in my eyes, so when the tension between him and Megan started to boil over, I was fanning myself at every turn!! And yes, that scene when Megan fully becomes aware of just how much she wants him...words can not explain how sexy that moment was, I think my heart was ready to beat out of my chest!!! Wow, wow, WOOOOOOOOOW Sean just parked himself very high on my sexy book boyfriends list!! Whew!
The struggles that Sean and Megan face with her friends and family accepting their relationship were many. It seemed at every turn, Sean dealt with judgement from someone, and it upset me so much to see him have to be scrutinized like that. After all he'd been through, I wanted Megan to just tell everyone to take a flying leap when they looked down their noses at him. It wasn't right, he deserved nothing but encouragement and tenderness. In fact, my issues with Megan's behavior are where the half star was removed in my rating, I just wanted her to consider his feelings over her own more often. After pondering over this book for a day, I feel like, in a way, it was just that Megan really saw Sean as her equal, her lover. She didn't think of him as a former prostitute, so she didn't coddle him like he was. I think this is what ultimately gave Sean the strength to make the hard decision he did, because he wanted to really BE equal. He wanted to feel like he deserved Megan, and that's what made this story really just heartbreakingly beautiful for me. I do wish we got to see more of Megan and Sean's future in the end (epilogues...use them!!!!), but I was still immensely happy with how their story ended.
This book definitely found it's home in my heart, I absolutely loved it and will certainly be re-reading it in the future!
January 18, 2013
Note : I am shelving this as NA due to character ages, but this book has several explicit sex scenes. Adult content will be present in this review.
3.5 stars. I think I need to break out some antacids because Finding Home gave me serious heartburn. I am not kidding when I say that I was this close to going with a 2 star rating. People, this book CREEPED me the heck out. If the last 50 or so pages hadn't shown real growth and maturity, I wouldn't have ended up liking this one as much as I did. Thank goodness for that ending.
Even with all of the initial shock, this book was actually captivating, touching, emotional and yes...even beautiful in parts. Sean was truly a diamond in the rough. This story is definitely a diamond in the rough. Are you confused yet? Well so am I. This book defines love/hate for me. I'm completely surprised that Finding Home hasn't gotten buzz right along with the other popular high-intensity/high-drama books that have made the rounds. In many ways, this book has more depth than many of the back-and-forth cheating books.
Finding Home is a story about a 23 year old female reporter who is assigned to work on a news story revolving around underage boys living on the streets and their life of prostitution. Megan and Sean (Mouth) form a tentative relationship based on mutual need - he of money, her of information. This relationship then starts to head down a difficult path.
This was my train of thought as I was reading the first half.
Oh my. This is going to be a sad book.
*gasp!* Those poor kids!
Wait, is the reporter chick getting aroused by staring at the underage boy's ass?
Okay, BACK THE TRAIN UP. WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG.
Sheesh. She's ALWAYS aroused around this person she considers to be a kid.
Is is sad that I find this book extremely interesting?
Seriously. This chick is creeping me out.
Uh...is this going where I think it's going?
Please, no. Please, no more angst.
OH NO THEY DIDN'T.
This was my train of thought while I was reading the second half.
Well, this is going to get tricky.
Is it sad that I find this book extremely arousing?
How are they going to get around these problems?
OH NO HE DIDN'T.
Sigh. I think I'm going to be waiting and hoping.
*sob* WHY?!?
My heart...the feels...
Now this is just sweet. They've done a lot of growing up.
FIN.
My head hurts. I was buddy reading this with a friend and I did complain that the first half of this book was extremely squicky to me. This story did not have enough of a slow build to ease us into becoming comfortable with the age difference. I won't go into legality or double standards of which is more acceptable, depending on which sex is the older person in the relationship. Was I uncomfortable with this? Yes - which is strange because one of my favorite book couples is a 17 year old female and a 24 year old male - but that situation felt like more of a natural and slow-build between peers (to me). In this situation, I had a hard time with accepting the attraction BECAUSE Megan viewed Sean as younger. BECAUSE Megan viewed Sean as a kid at times. BECAUSE Megan felt the need to have to save him. Was the relationship supposed to be more of an older sibling mentoring a younger sibling, or was there another reason why Megan was so attracted to this 'boy' she wanted to save?
Even though I was completely entertained and had a hard time putting down the book, I was still frustrated. How were these two people ever going to become a healthy, functioning couple? Was it even possible?
I will not spoil whether or not these two figure out a way to make it work, but I will say that both characters showed true growth in the end. This is why I was able to finally come down off of that ledge of tension and come to grips with being okay with everything. Bad judgement calls happen - I can handle that. As long as we're seeing people who work through their issues and try to learn something from them, that's about all I can ask for.
Other than my squicky complaints about the first half, I thought this was a solid read. I wish that there had been more of the 'lost boys' story covered because it sort of died out once Sean and Megan started spending more time together. This book could have run with the gritty aspect and I'm sort of sad that it didn't.
If you love books filled with lots of emotional turmoil, this is one you're going to want to check out. If you can't get enough of books which tease you with extreme amounts of sexual tension, then eventually reward you with some sweet, sweet, gratification by stamping that booty card PAID IN FULL (again and again), you'll want to check this out (the sex was definitely smokin'). If you can handle some crazy, eye-rolling behavior to start, knowing that it won't always be this way...I say go for it! This might not be a traditional romance, but the book will get your heart pounding, nevertheless.
"Help? They can help by coming on down here and giving me a hundred bucks for a fuck. That's how they can help. I need cash, hear what I'm saying? Not some do-good bitches trying to get me off the street."
3.5 stars. I think I need to break out some antacids because Finding Home gave me serious heartburn. I am not kidding when I say that I was this close to going with a 2 star rating. People, this book CREEPED me the heck out. If the last 50 or so pages hadn't shown real growth and maturity, I wouldn't have ended up liking this one as much as I did. Thank goodness for that ending.
"That's how it's done here. Nothing ever changes. Nothing you write will ever change it."
Even with all of the initial shock, this book was actually captivating, touching, emotional and yes...even beautiful in parts. Sean was truly a diamond in the rough. This story is definitely a diamond in the rough. Are you confused yet? Well so am I. This book defines love/hate for me. I'm completely surprised that Finding Home hasn't gotten buzz right along with the other popular high-intensity/high-drama books that have made the rounds. In many ways, this book has more depth than many of the back-and-forth cheating books.
He shrugged. "I'm good at blowjobs."
"So it became your nickname?"
"Yeah, well it's better than Ass, don't you think?"
Finding Home is a story about a 23 year old female reporter who is assigned to work on a news story revolving around underage boys living on the streets and their life of prostitution. Megan and Sean (Mouth) form a tentative relationship based on mutual need - he of money, her of information. This relationship then starts to head down a difficult path.
She didn't know where commerce stopped and camaraderie began.
This was my train of thought as I was reading the first half.
Oh my. This is going to be a sad book.
*gasp!* Those poor kids!
Wait, is the reporter chick getting aroused by staring at the underage boy's ass?
Okay, BACK THE TRAIN UP. WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG.
Sheesh. She's ALWAYS aroused around this person she considers to be a kid.
Is is sad that I find this book extremely interesting?
Seriously. This chick is creeping me out.
Uh...is this going where I think it's going?
Please, no. Please, no more angst.
OH NO THEY DIDN'T.
This was my train of thought while I was reading the second half.
Well, this is going to get tricky.
Is it sad that I find this book extremely arousing?
How are they going to get around these problems?
OH NO HE DIDN'T.
Sigh. I think I'm going to be waiting and hoping.
*sob* WHY?!?
My heart...the feels...
Now this is just sweet. They've done a lot of growing up.
FIN.
My head hurts. I was buddy reading this with a friend and I did complain that the first half of this book was extremely squicky to me. This story did not have enough of a slow build to ease us into becoming comfortable with the age difference. I won't go into legality or double standards of which is more acceptable, depending on which sex is the older person in the relationship. Was I uncomfortable with this? Yes - which is strange because one of my favorite book couples is a 17 year old female and a 24 year old male - but that situation felt like more of a natural and slow-build between peers (to me). In this situation, I had a hard time with accepting the attraction BECAUSE Megan viewed Sean as younger. BECAUSE Megan viewed Sean as a kid at times. BECAUSE Megan felt the need to have to save him. Was the relationship supposed to be more of an older sibling mentoring a younger sibling, or was there another reason why Megan was so attracted to this 'boy' she wanted to save?
Even though I was completely entertained and had a hard time putting down the book, I was still frustrated. How were these two people ever going to become a healthy, functioning couple? Was it even possible?
I will not spoil whether or not these two figure out a way to make it work, but I will say that both characters showed true growth in the end. This is why I was able to finally come down off of that ledge of tension and come to grips with being okay with everything. Bad judgement calls happen - I can handle that. As long as we're seeing people who work through their issues and try to learn something from them, that's about all I can ask for.
Other than my squicky complaints about the first half, I thought this was a solid read. I wish that there had been more of the 'lost boys' story covered because it sort of died out once Sean and Megan started spending more time together. This book could have run with the gritty aspect and I'm sort of sad that it didn't.
"You find me sexy, but you can't face fucking me because of what I am."
If you love books filled with lots of emotional turmoil, this is one you're going to want to check out. If you can't get enough of books which tease you with extreme amounts of sexual tension, then eventually reward you with some sweet, sweet, gratification by stamping that booty card PAID IN FULL (again and again), you'll want to check this out (the sex was definitely smokin'). If you can handle some crazy, eye-rolling behavior to start, knowing that it won't always be this way...I say go for it! This might not be a traditional romance, but the book will get your heart pounding, nevertheless.
"Sometimes...I think maybe you saved my life."
October 19, 2014
So this is one of those books that is difficult to read and even harder to rate. My first time reading Lauren Baker was not a let down as she had me questioning my own moral compass from the first paragraph!
What this book gives is a tale filled with the harsh reality of life on the streets...prostitution, drug use, vagrancy, and violence. It also tells of an amazing love story so inherently wrong, completely illegal, yet so completely acceptable in my eyes!
Finding Home introduces "Mouth"
A 17 yr old male prostitute, real name Sean is turning quick tricks to make enough money to get a better life. He has nothing or no one in his life. When Megan, an aspiring reporter takes on the streets to nail that one big story to put her on the map she has no idea how much the people she would meet would affect her...especially Mouth! She cannot tear herself from him even though this is just for a story right?
Needing him to be ok...she makes an offer for safety and comfort...so begins a "relationship" of sorts. An Easy roommate situation, a push and pull of trust. Who is using Who...What is the end game here. There is a strong sexual current of attraction that is festering between a smart 23 yr old woman and an even smarter 17 yr old boy! It is hard to discern at times who is more the adult within this story!
I give Kudos to the author for this work. So many strong emotions as she wrote a love story that was wrong, on every level, and she did it beautifully. The inner turmoil, the shame, the pride, and the ultimate knowledge to do the right thing.
At the end of the day, this read is pretty profound in showing that the past does not define you...that there is hope for a real future...and most importantly that Love can be true and pure even when the circumstances surrounding it are of the darkest nature. For Megan and Sean...
What this book gives is a tale filled with the harsh reality of life on the streets...prostitution, drug use, vagrancy, and violence. It also tells of an amazing love story so inherently wrong, completely illegal, yet so completely acceptable in my eyes!
Finding Home introduces "Mouth"
A 17 yr old male prostitute, real name Sean is turning quick tricks to make enough money to get a better life. He has nothing or no one in his life. When Megan, an aspiring reporter takes on the streets to nail that one big story to put her on the map she has no idea how much the people she would meet would affect her...especially Mouth! She cannot tear herself from him even though this is just for a story right?
Needing him to be ok...she makes an offer for safety and comfort...so begins a "relationship" of sorts. An Easy roommate situation, a push and pull of trust. Who is using Who...What is the end game here. There is a strong sexual current of attraction that is festering between a smart 23 yr old woman and an even smarter 17 yr old boy! It is hard to discern at times who is more the adult within this story!
I give Kudos to the author for this work. So many strong emotions as she wrote a love story that was wrong, on every level, and she did it beautifully. The inner turmoil, the shame, the pride, and the ultimate knowledge to do the right thing.
At the end of the day, this read is pretty profound in showing that the past does not define you...that there is hope for a real future...and most importantly that Love can be true and pure even when the circumstances surrounding it are of the darkest nature. For Megan and Sean...
July 25, 2011
This book blew me away. I recently read Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire and have been looking for something to compete with it. Finding Home came very close to being as good. It's different than anything I've read, but it's an excellent read and very memorable!
The subject matter may not be for everyone. Megan works for a newspaper and is interested in doing a story about homeless boys living on the street selling themselves in prostitution. She goes in looking for boys who will be willing to tell their stories...what brought them there and what their life is like. Megan meets an attractive 17 year boy/man, "Mouth" who agrees to talk with her. This begins an unlikely friendship that turns romantic half way through the book.
Although the sensuality in this book was off the charts, to me this book almost read like a young adult book. Sean aka "Mouth" seemed way older than his 17 years, and Megan seemed way younger than her 23 years. Because of this, their relationship made sense, but I have to admit that I was a bit uncomfortable with his "minor status".
I was absolutely glued to this book from page 1 on. I couldn't get enough of it, and read in all my spare moments until I had finished it. In some ways tragic, in other ways uplifting, and in every way memorable, this book is definitely one to experience. I for one will re-read this one again...and probably again!
The subject matter may not be for everyone. Megan works for a newspaper and is interested in doing a story about homeless boys living on the street selling themselves in prostitution. She goes in looking for boys who will be willing to tell their stories...what brought them there and what their life is like. Megan meets an attractive 17 year boy/man, "Mouth" who agrees to talk with her. This begins an unlikely friendship that turns romantic half way through the book.
Although the sensuality in this book was off the charts, to me this book almost read like a young adult book. Sean aka "Mouth" seemed way older than his 17 years, and Megan seemed way younger than her 23 years. Because of this, their relationship made sense, but I have to admit that I was a bit uncomfortable with his "minor status".
I was absolutely glued to this book from page 1 on. I couldn't get enough of it, and read in all my spare moments until I had finished it. In some ways tragic, in other ways uplifting, and in every way memorable, this book is definitely one to experience. I for one will re-read this one again...and probably again!
March 12, 2014
Loved this book... Amazing!!
RE-READING.... Because I'm fed-up of reading about super rich guys! :P
~~
I really had no idea what a hustler meant when I started this book, I was actually stepping in blind :P
I don't know why I didn't Google it up.. haha
Whatever, The book was amazingggggg!
I loved how she found out about the lives of these hustlers on the street, I loved Sean.. Poor guy, Hate what life threw his way!
I loved how they worked out, and how things went to twist and turns in the middle and how the cards all fell in place in the end.
I really liked this novel... I was deep, dark, sweet and very romantic. :D
First Read- Aug 4th 2012.
RE-READING.... Because I'm fed-up of reading about super rich guys! :P
~~
I really had no idea what a hustler meant when I started this book, I was actually stepping in blind :P
I don't know why I didn't Google it up.. haha
Whatever, The book was amazingggggg!
I loved how she found out about the lives of these hustlers on the street, I loved Sean.. Poor guy, Hate what life threw his way!
I loved how they worked out, and how things went to twist and turns in the middle and how the cards all fell in place in the end.
I really liked this novel... I was deep, dark, sweet and very romantic. :D
First Read- Aug 4th 2012.
March 14, 2023
3 stars
Finding Home is a book that has been on my tbr for a decade and I decided to finally read it. There were things I liked about it, but I’m going to be honest here… the romance gave me a bit of the ick. I didn’t love being in Megan’s head with all this and maybe if it was dual pov it would have been better? I don’t know… maybe not. I’m giving it a 3 because I read it quickly and it kept me intrigued, but I don’t think I enjoyed it all that much.
Finding Home is a book that has been on my tbr for a decade and I decided to finally read it. There were things I liked about it, but I’m going to be honest here… the romance gave me a bit of the ick. I didn’t love being in Megan’s head with all this and maybe if it was dual pov it would have been better? I don’t know… maybe not. I’m giving it a 3 because I read it quickly and it kept me intrigued, but I don’t think I enjoyed it all that much.
November 25, 2011
Wow. Just wow. This was such a wonderful surprise for me. I was extremely hesitant in reading it, but am I so glad I did. The subject of underage prostitution was really the main reason why I didn't want to read it, however, with that said, our 17 year old hero was way beyond his age. He was extremely mature, sexy, and just so mature for his age. Aside from the occasional teenage angst, you simply forget that he's only 17. Not once did i end up cringing at the thought of this older woman having a relationship with an underage man (yes, man not boy). The author did a fantastic job in giving the maturity and respect his character richly deserves. The chemistry between Sean and Megan was amazing! I absolutely LOVED it.
November 26, 2012
I have no words for how much I enjoyed this book. The only thing I would change is I would have liked an epilogue or something to tell me how Sean was going a few years down the track when he reached his full maturity. For a boy who had gone through so much, and ended so strong when he was still a teenager, I wanted to see him as a man. This book is bound to turn up on my re-read shelf in the not to distant future.
Read
October 11, 2018You know the feeling you get when you have read one page of a book and you already can tell that you are going to love it. Yup, that you´re getting from this book. I can promise you that. I absolutely loved it, and you will too.
Finding Home is Megan´s story. She is a twenty something journalist, looking for the big break. She decides to write a paper on the male prostitutes of the town. After some struggling nights she finilly gets to meet and talk to a bunch of them, and she meets "Mouth". She immediately feels a strong attraction toowards the 18 year old prostitute, but does her best to push her inappropriate feelings aside. In time, they form an unusal frienship and he becomes her "protector" on the dangerous streets. After some unfortunate events Megan invites him to her home. She knows it is insane but at the same time she can´t seem to stop herself.
As I said. I loved Finding Home from the first to the last page. The attraction between the H/h is intense and the way Megan is trying to fight it is both realistically written and frustrating. The hero, Sean, completely stole my heart. He is honestly one of the best written heros out there. He obviously got some emotional scars from his time on the streets, and is struggling with both his temper and his self esteem. But he also is unbelievable sweet and many times you just wanna hug and comfort him. Seriously guys, I can´t tell you how much I came to love him. He really did stole my heart!
His and Megan´s love story is written in a very realistic and passionate way. They try to fight their feelings, knowing they (Megan) will have friends and family against them, but sometimes it is not possible to fight who you are. Something we get to learn in this books severel times.
Wgen Sean and Megan finally gives in, it is not easy. It feels like the whole world is judging them and Sean´s first meeting with Megan´s family is painful, to say the least. And at the same time, Sean is fighting to keep his past in his past, but it is slowly coming back to haunt him, and his relationship with Megan is threatened. The book is well written, beautiful, touching, heart warming but it also got its painful moments. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys an angst filled love story! And it is definitly reread worthy. The author has truly done a fantastic job with this book. It is one of the best I read in a really long time. A really great read!
Finding Home is Megan´s story. She is a twenty something journalist, looking for the big break. She decides to write a paper on the male prostitutes of the town. After some struggling nights she finilly gets to meet and talk to a bunch of them, and she meets "Mouth". She immediately feels a strong attraction toowards the 18 year old prostitute, but does her best to push her inappropriate feelings aside. In time, they form an unusal frienship and he becomes her "protector" on the dangerous streets. After some unfortunate events Megan invites him to her home. She knows it is insane but at the same time she can´t seem to stop herself.
As I said. I loved Finding Home from the first to the last page. The attraction between the H/h is intense and the way Megan is trying to fight it is both realistically written and frustrating. The hero, Sean, completely stole my heart. He is honestly one of the best written heros out there. He obviously got some emotional scars from his time on the streets, and is struggling with both his temper and his self esteem. But he also is unbelievable sweet and many times you just wanna hug and comfort him. Seriously guys, I can´t tell you how much I came to love him. He really did stole my heart!
His and Megan´s love story is written in a very realistic and passionate way. They try to fight their feelings, knowing they (Megan) will have friends and family against them, but sometimes it is not possible to fight who you are. Something we get to learn in this books severel times.
Wgen Sean and Megan finally gives in, it is not easy. It feels like the whole world is judging them and Sean´s first meeting with Megan´s family is painful, to say the least. And at the same time, Sean is fighting to keep his past in his past, but it is slowly coming back to haunt him, and his relationship with Megan is threatened. The book is well written, beautiful, touching, heart warming but it also got its painful moments. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys an angst filled love story! And it is definitly reread worthy. The author has truly done a fantastic job with this book. It is one of the best I read in a really long time. A really great read!
November 26, 2011
Nothing less than a 5 star for this absolutely amazing , tear jerking , heart aching emotional ride !!! I'm sooo in love with this book . The story most definitely sucks you in right from the start . A book that is meant to be read in just one go , this was like an elixir of life .
I loved everything about this book . Megan as the leading lady was superbly presented . I admired her total devotion to Mouth/Sean and also loved the fact that she never gave up on him . This book is a must read not only because of its exceptional storyline but also of the fact that it reflects the realities of the modern society !!!!
I loved everything about this book . Megan as the leading lady was superbly presented . I admired her total devotion to Mouth/Sean and also loved the fact that she never gave up on him . This book is a must read not only because of its exceptional storyline but also of the fact that it reflects the realities of the modern society !!!!
July 15, 2012
I don't connect to all of Dee's books, but this one found a permanent home on my bookshelf. I'm a sucker for a beaten down boy, flawed in more ways than not. Looking in from the outside, his salvation may seem obvious and easily acquirable, but Dee forces you to walk in his shoes and discover him as he discovers himself.
February 4, 2016
Rereading this bad boy
October 25, 2013
5 stars! This is a sleeper hit! Not at all what I expected!
Megan wants to prove to her newspaper boss that she's ready to be a real reporter. She gets the idea to go down to Santa Monica Blvd and interview some street kids to bring awareness. She is shocked at what these kids have to do to get by down there.
"Observe, don't get involved..."
That is until she meets Mouth, a 17 year old hustler who has made a lot of tough choices in order to survive. There is something about him that draws her in immediately.
He might be six years younger than her but has lived a life that has aged him well past her comprehension. He's reluctant to help her at first but after a bit of convincing he gives in, for a price.
She tells herself...
"You're here to report, not judge." But she wants to slap the bastard's face."
Over the course of several weeks she finds herself making frequent and sometimes unnecessary trips to the Boulevard hoping to run in to him. Then one night she finds Mouth beaten and robbed. She pleads with him to come home with her for a night so he can heal. He does. Then she manages to convince him to stay until he can come up with a plan for his life that doesn't require him to going back to the streets.
"He might only be seventeen, but Mouth had shouldered adult responsibilities much earlier than Megan ever had and it showed. He was also probably far more used to being treated like trash."
Now that he is under her roof Megan struggles even harder with her feelings for him because they seem inappropriate. Things get even worse when he starts to make his growing feelings towards her more obvious.
Imagine suddenly passing this guy in the morning on your way to the kitchen.
“Sean, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let this happen. I’m the adult here.
He turned his face toward her, still looking blank. “It’s okay. I understand. You don’t need to make up excuses.”
Megan frowned. “What do you mean? I’m telling you the truth. You’re too young, you’re supposed to be in my care, and it’s just—wrong.”
“And I’m a cheap street punk. A hustler. You don’t want to fuck a whore. I get it.”
He's in a tough transitional phase. Megan feels the right thing to do is keep him at arms length and be a supportive adult but it's hard. Especially when he doesn't see their situation, especially their age difference, the same way.
“I told you, I’m not a fucking kid!” he spat out, staring at the television screen in front of him. “I've lived through shit you can barely imagine. If you were out on the street, I’d be the one looking after you. Give me a break, Megan.”
Megan's heart and conscious battle it out something fierce!
"I leave people behind.” He paused and took a deep breath before plowing on. “I don’t want to leave you behind. I want us to be...I don’t want to lose you, too, Megan.”
I loved this story! It was forbidden in the sense that Sean was 17 yrs old in age but he was clearly much older in mentality. It felt wrong but also right for them to be together. Sean needed someone to care about him, not just what he could do for them. Megan helped him get into a healthier mind frame so he could slowly deal with his issues. I felt less dirty about myself by the end of the story! LOL! I also thought Megan had the most judgmental friends and I hated them.
Other than that it was a fantastic read! Highly recommended!
Megan wants to prove to her newspaper boss that she's ready to be a real reporter. She gets the idea to go down to Santa Monica Blvd and interview some street kids to bring awareness. She is shocked at what these kids have to do to get by down there.
"Observe, don't get involved..."
That is until she meets Mouth, a 17 year old hustler who has made a lot of tough choices in order to survive. There is something about him that draws her in immediately.
He might be six years younger than her but has lived a life that has aged him well past her comprehension. He's reluctant to help her at first but after a bit of convincing he gives in, for a price.
She tells herself...
"You're here to report, not judge." But she wants to slap the bastard's face."
Over the course of several weeks she finds herself making frequent and sometimes unnecessary trips to the Boulevard hoping to run in to him. Then one night she finds Mouth beaten and robbed. She pleads with him to come home with her for a night so he can heal. He does. Then she manages to convince him to stay until he can come up with a plan for his life that doesn't require him to going back to the streets.
"He might only be seventeen, but Mouth had shouldered adult responsibilities much earlier than Megan ever had and it showed. He was also probably far more used to being treated like trash."
Now that he is under her roof Megan struggles even harder with her feelings for him because they seem inappropriate. Things get even worse when he starts to make his growing feelings towards her more obvious.
Imagine suddenly passing this guy in the morning on your way to the kitchen.
“Sean, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let this happen. I’m the adult here.
He turned his face toward her, still looking blank. “It’s okay. I understand. You don’t need to make up excuses.”
Megan frowned. “What do you mean? I’m telling you the truth. You’re too young, you’re supposed to be in my care, and it’s just—wrong.”
“And I’m a cheap street punk. A hustler. You don’t want to fuck a whore. I get it.”
He's in a tough transitional phase. Megan feels the right thing to do is keep him at arms length and be a supportive adult but it's hard. Especially when he doesn't see their situation, especially their age difference, the same way.
“I told you, I’m not a fucking kid!” he spat out, staring at the television screen in front of him. “I've lived through shit you can barely imagine. If you were out on the street, I’d be the one looking after you. Give me a break, Megan.”
Megan's heart and conscious battle it out something fierce!
"I leave people behind.” He paused and took a deep breath before plowing on. “I don’t want to leave you behind. I want us to be...I don’t want to lose you, too, Megan.”
I loved this story! It was forbidden in the sense that Sean was 17 yrs old in age but he was clearly much older in mentality. It felt wrong but also right for them to be together. Sean needed someone to care about him, not just what he could do for them. Megan helped him get into a healthier mind frame so he could slowly deal with his issues. I felt less dirty about myself by the end of the story! LOL! I also thought Megan had the most judgmental friends and I hated them.
Other than that it was a fantastic read! Highly recommended!
March 22, 2012
She didn’t know how long they could be together or where they were headed. But she did know she’d already reached the point where it would hurt if their relationship ended.
3 WORDS: I LOVED IT. (even if it's a cliffy. :p)
I just love how it showed the reality of life--that life isn't the same for everybody. That, sometimes, life for others is like a survival of the fittest sort of thing. And that life, too, sometimes, involve relationships that you never really expected to be part of until it was right in front of your face.
God. Who can ignore the beautiful romance between Megan and Sean(Mouth)? Yeah, some people find it disturbing to have an older woman get into a relationship with a younger man, let alone an underage... But, you see, age is just a number (I know that sounds so cliche, but that's reality) and it's what lovers feel for each other that really matters. Seeing them serve as each other's pole of strength is just... heartwarming. So beautiful that I can't even describe how I felt anymore.
'Finding Home' is simply one of those that would continue to sweep you off your feet until you can no longer stand. Seriously. It's so beautiful, so sweet, so hot that, sometimes, you'd have to pause for awhile to take in some air because, GOD was it delicious. But yeah... there were also a few scenes that made reading this hurt as hell. Man. Even I can't believe that this affected me so much. It's just... the way the story was delivered was so magnificent, you'll find it so difficult to resist.
I don't know if other people would love 'Finding Home' as much as I did but, still, I want to recommend this to those who want to take chance in reading a different-in-some-sense romantic novel because, you know what? This is simply beautiful that you wouldn't even care about rules anymore. :)
3 WORDS: I LOVED IT. (even if it's a cliffy. :p)
I just love how it showed the reality of life--that life isn't the same for everybody. That, sometimes, life for others is like a survival of the fittest sort of thing. And that life, too, sometimes, involve relationships that you never really expected to be part of until it was right in front of your face.
God. Who can ignore the beautiful romance between Megan and Sean(Mouth)? Yeah, some people find it disturbing to have an older woman get into a relationship with a younger man, let alone an underage... But, you see, age is just a number (I know that sounds so cliche, but that's reality) and it's what lovers feel for each other that really matters. Seeing them serve as each other's pole of strength is just... heartwarming. So beautiful that I can't even describe how I felt anymore.
'Finding Home' is simply one of those that would continue to sweep you off your feet until you can no longer stand. Seriously. It's so beautiful, so sweet, so hot that, sometimes, you'd have to pause for awhile to take in some air because, GOD was it delicious. But yeah... there were also a few scenes that made reading this hurt as hell. Man. Even I can't believe that this affected me so much. It's just... the way the story was delivered was so magnificent, you'll find it so difficult to resist.
I don't know if other people would love 'Finding Home' as much as I did but, still, I want to recommend this to those who want to take chance in reading a different-in-some-sense romantic novel because, you know what? This is simply beautiful that you wouldn't even care about rules anymore. :)
June 24, 2012
4.5 stars
Going in to Finding Home, it’s safe to say I was very unprepared to what I was about read. The blurb only gives a slight indication to what the story is about, but what I found, after reading the first few chapters was shocking. Male prostitutes and underage sex? Yeah, it was definitely not something I’d ever read about before, but you know what, this story worked.
After the first few chapters, it’s hard not LOVE it and I think the author’s did a fantastic job. It’s heart-breaking and heart-wrenching to see what these characters go through, but underneath the heart-break, there’s hope and kindness and the story became a very touching one.
If you’re going to read Finding Home, then you need to have an open mind. Don’t judge the characters until you really understand what’s it like to be them because in the end, I’m sure you will love it just as much as me.
Going in to Finding Home, it’s safe to say I was very unprepared to what I was about read. The blurb only gives a slight indication to what the story is about, but what I found, after reading the first few chapters was shocking. Male prostitutes and underage sex? Yeah, it was definitely not something I’d ever read about before, but you know what, this story worked.
After the first few chapters, it’s hard not LOVE it and I think the author’s did a fantastic job. It’s heart-breaking and heart-wrenching to see what these characters go through, but underneath the heart-break, there’s hope and kindness and the story became a very touching one.
If you’re going to read Finding Home, then you need to have an open mind. Don’t judge the characters until you really understand what’s it like to be them because in the end, I’m sure you will love it just as much as me.
February 4, 2012
A beautiful gripping book that is without doubt one of my favorites, the writing is amazingly descriptive. It's haunting and passionate, touching and heartbreaking. I loved it!
October 28, 2012
I couldn't put it down! A must read!
January 16, 2016
4.5 "Love's Not Easy But It's Worth It" Stars
It's been a very long time since a book resonated so deeply with me that I know I will NEVER forget it.
July 2, 2015
FINDING HOME is a thought-provoking novel that is sure to leave you pondering the moral and ethical implications presented long after you have read the final words.
Imagine yourself in the life of a journalist trying to make a name for yourself...how would you go about doing that?
Megan is a twenty-something journalist in L.A. where everyone dreams of seeing their name in lights - with no one throwing any stories her way, she decides to go out and find a story of her own. In her off time, she infiltrates the streets of L.A. determined to uncover the stories behind the dangerous lives of the "street kids". The "street kids" exist in a world of drugs and prostitution and are content to live a life of homelessness in order to avoid a life in the foster care system. Early on in her investigation, Megan is befriended by the unlikely guardian of sorts named Mouth - with his stamp of approval; the kids of the streets begin to open up to her about their life on the streets. The more time Megan spends around Mouth, the underage, homeless prostitute, the more she is attracted to his wicked charm and bad boy ways. She knows this attraction is wrong and fights the magnetic pull with everything she has within her until a series of events lands Mouth in her home and eventually in her bed.
I truly loved this book, but it definitely confused me. At times, I was yelling at Megan to "JUST DO IT ALREADY!" Other times, I wanted to slap her for being stupid for putting herself in this awful and compromising situation. Even now that the story is over, I find myself trying to justify Megan and Mouth's relationship by rationalizing that he is 17 and right on the cusp of 18, but the fact of the matter is...he's underage. Period. It's against the law. On the other hand, their journey was fantastic and their story was beautiful, so it leaves me feeling kind of torn.
FINDING HOME evoked a lot of powerful emotions that left my brain at war with my heart. I was ultimately pleased with the way the story ended - it appealed to the romantic side of my brain as well as the intelligent side of my brain that tells me to avoid jail time at all costs :-)
Imagine yourself in the life of a journalist trying to make a name for yourself...how would you go about doing that?
Megan is a twenty-something journalist in L.A. where everyone dreams of seeing their name in lights - with no one throwing any stories her way, she decides to go out and find a story of her own. In her off time, she infiltrates the streets of L.A. determined to uncover the stories behind the dangerous lives of the "street kids". The "street kids" exist in a world of drugs and prostitution and are content to live a life of homelessness in order to avoid a life in the foster care system. Early on in her investigation, Megan is befriended by the unlikely guardian of sorts named Mouth - with his stamp of approval; the kids of the streets begin to open up to her about their life on the streets. The more time Megan spends around Mouth, the underage, homeless prostitute, the more she is attracted to his wicked charm and bad boy ways. She knows this attraction is wrong and fights the magnetic pull with everything she has within her until a series of events lands Mouth in her home and eventually in her bed.
I truly loved this book, but it definitely confused me. At times, I was yelling at Megan to "JUST DO IT ALREADY!" Other times, I wanted to slap her for being stupid for putting herself in this awful and compromising situation. Even now that the story is over, I find myself trying to justify Megan and Mouth's relationship by rationalizing that he is 17 and right on the cusp of 18, but the fact of the matter is...he's underage. Period. It's against the law. On the other hand, their journey was fantastic and their story was beautiful, so it leaves me feeling kind of torn.
FINDING HOME evoked a lot of powerful emotions that left my brain at war with my heart. I was ultimately pleased with the way the story ended - it appealed to the romantic side of my brain as well as the intelligent side of my brain that tells me to avoid jail time at all costs :-)
August 13, 2014
4 Sweet Stars
This was a lovely hidden gem, 17 year old male prostitute Sean meets a 23 year old copy editor trying to catch her break in journalism.
When they form a comfortable friendship on the streets, Megan can't resist helping him in his time of need.
Really enjoyed it. Steamy and sweet.
This was a lovely hidden gem, 17 year old male prostitute Sean meets a 23 year old copy editor trying to catch her break in journalism.
When they form a comfortable friendship on the streets, Megan can't resist helping him in his time of need.
Really enjoyed it. Steamy and sweet.
March 11, 2013
I happened to chance upon this book through a friend on goodreads.
Reading the various reviews intrigued me so here I am.. writing a review after reading it twice.
This book just sort of pulled you in the moment you start reading.
I guess you have to be open minded while reading this book because we are talking about a relationship between a 17 years old kid with a 23 years old woman.
I know! I know! 17 freaking years old!
Hence, I said.. open mind!
This is not "Pretty Woman" from the movies.
There is no sports car, no Richard Gere, no Julia Roberts, no fancy hotel, no fancy dining, no opera, no mad and crazy shopping.
This is a story about Sean/Mouth and Megan.
Megan is trying to write an article about the life of street kids to kick start her career in journalism.
She went down to Santa Monica Boulevard for research hoping to catch some of the kids for interview.
Over there, she met Mouth who is a Hustler and living on the streets, trying to survive with his tricks.
He is different from the other kids. He seems mature for his age. He wanted a way out of the street life.
He wasn't much a talker and he kept to himself and Megan found out that he got his nick because of his traits.
They started talking over a dinner with Megan and words got out, other kids come talking to Megan for her article.
Megan found herself intrigued, sad for the kids and attracted to Sean.
One day, she found Sean bruised and hurt and convinced the reluctant boy home.
And the rest? Well.. hold your horses.
Nothing of that sort happened! Well... at least not till some chapters later.
Throughout the story, I find it intriguing and heart-wrenching.
Learning about the street kids, the friendship between Sean and Megan, how it blossomed, the past catching up on Sean, the problems they faced with Megan's family and friends and their arguments.
It felt real.
It felt something.
It made me upset.
It made me mad.
Hey.. it even made me cried over it!
So to me, it is good enough for me.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable will be the sex.
Hmmm... well.. 17 year old kid. Again.. open mind!
I just wished it was not that much and the book had focused more on their relationship and etc.
The lusty thoughts of Megan did turn me off a bit.
I mean... seriously..... I can't even type what she felt when she sees Sean. *LOL*
So, my verdict?
Worth a good read as long as you are open minded. ;)
I mean seriously.. this is a fiction. Why get so serious?
Reading the various reviews intrigued me so here I am.. writing a review after reading it twice.
This book just sort of pulled you in the moment you start reading.
I guess you have to be open minded while reading this book because we are talking about a relationship between a 17 years old kid with a 23 years old woman.
I know! I know! 17 freaking years old!
Hence, I said.. open mind!
This is not "Pretty Woman" from the movies.
There is no sports car, no Richard Gere, no Julia Roberts, no fancy hotel, no fancy dining, no opera, no mad and crazy shopping.
This is a story about Sean/Mouth and Megan.
Megan is trying to write an article about the life of street kids to kick start her career in journalism.
She went down to Santa Monica Boulevard for research hoping to catch some of the kids for interview.
Over there, she met Mouth who is a Hustler and living on the streets, trying to survive with his tricks.
He is different from the other kids. He seems mature for his age. He wanted a way out of the street life.
He wasn't much a talker and he kept to himself and Megan found out that he got his nick because of his traits.
They started talking over a dinner with Megan and words got out, other kids come talking to Megan for her article.
Megan found herself intrigued, sad for the kids and attracted to Sean.
One day, she found Sean bruised and hurt and convinced the reluctant boy home.
And the rest? Well.. hold your horses.
Nothing of that sort happened! Well... at least not till some chapters later.
Throughout the story, I find it intriguing and heart-wrenching.
Learning about the street kids, the friendship between Sean and Megan, how it blossomed, the past catching up on Sean, the problems they faced with Megan's family and friends and their arguments.
It felt real.
It felt something.
It made me upset.
It made me mad.
Hey.. it even made me cried over it!
So to me, it is good enough for me.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable will be the sex.
Hmmm... well.. 17 year old kid. Again.. open mind!
I just wished it was not that much and the book had focused more on their relationship and etc.
The lusty thoughts of Megan did turn me off a bit.
I mean... seriously..... I can't even type what she felt when she sees Sean. *LOL*
So, my verdict?
Worth a good read as long as you are open minded. ;)
I mean seriously.. this is a fiction. Why get so serious?
November 26, 2012
This book started out pretty intense. It began as a story about "children's life on the streets" what got them there, and the quest to "get out". How exactly does that happen when all there is is a never ending cycle of desperation?
Until Megan came along...and threw Sean a lifeline.
I fell in love with Sean and everything about him. His youth, his heartaches, his quiet strength, and subsequently his triumphs. He's 17 years old, but has lived a lifetimes worth of misery. I would have loved to meet him as a "grownup", when he becomes the man he's meant to be.
Sean and Megan move past society stereotypes, judgmental attitudes, their own fears and issues, and carve out a piece of heaven for themselves. Their emotional and physical connection is undeniable, it's almost meant to be. I think it's a good read.
Happy reading!
January 4, 2013
I’m so happy JoJo asked me to buddy read Finding Home with her. I absolutely loved it! The story does deal with taboo topics of prostitution and a relationship with a minor. The authors did a great job of not making these the focus of the story but putting the focus on the relationship between Sean and Megan. Sean and Megan had the most amazing chemistry; the heat between them was coming right off the pages.
"I love making love to you." His whisper was as soft as feathers tickling her ear."
I had one problem with this book and it was that fact there was no epilogue. I want to know what happened a few years down the road. This is a must read for everyone!
"I love making love to you." His whisper was as soft as feathers tickling her ear."
I had one problem with this book and it was that fact there was no epilogue. I want to know what happened a few years down the road. This is a must read for everyone!
July 29, 2014
3.5-4 Stars
November 5, 2011
I found myself so engrossed in this book and wanting to know what was going to happen with Sean and Megan that I completely lost track of time and my own reality. It's not often that I find myself emotionally connecting with characters but I just couldn't help myself with Sean. What that poor boy went through just to survive makes my heart hurt for him. I didn't mind the age difference between him and Megan because maturity wise I didn't see much of a gap since he had to grow up so quickly at such a young age. Megan got on my nerves a few times but then again it's hard to find a leading lady who doesn't for one reason or another. Finding home pulled at my heart strings and is one I definitely recommend reading not only for the romance but for the struggles Megan faces with their age difference, what the right choice to make, and most especially the struggles Sean faced in his past and now faces as he moves on with his future. I'm so thrilled with how the book ended I still have a smile on my face.
March 1, 2016
Really good book. I would've liked more from the ending, it felt very abrupt. But overall enjoyed it!
February 17, 2012
I love the edge this book has, but I find myself dwelling on the things that the authors could have done better. First, Sean's struggle through the streets is palpable, and they portrayed such an intense character so fucking well, it's insane. But following that? I can't help but be a little disappointed with the follow through.
The beginning of the book...I instantly fell in love with Mouth's character, despite what it involved, because of all the redeeming qualities he slowly revealed. This fiction does show a different side of things, and all the while I was thinking that - in Megan's case - a simple article in the newspaper couldn't accurately explain these kid's situation. A book, with more in depth opinions, could - like this exact one. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I fell in love with the academic aspect of the beginning of this book - learning about things that, perhaps, some people really do go through. Which was a very amazing thing for me, since most romance novels don't even graze something as-- I wouldn't say breathtaking because it isn't in the least beautiful or anything, but an agonizing battle that showed signs of conquering. However...
The book could have gone in several different directions, I believe. In fact, it should have gone in any other direction than the authors chose. They took this dangerous, compelling struggle and turned it into yet another harlequin romance, which just made me extremely sad and disconcerted. Of course, his background did come into play in their relationship, showing through a plot change, but it just...wasn't enough for me, I think.
SO. Sorry for all the rambling or the not making much sense.
But overall, this book had bounds of potential to be something absolutely breathtaking, shocking, and wonderful, but "Part Two" of the story just killed it for me. That's not to say I didn't love the entire book, because I did, but it could have been so much better. Better than it already is, and that's saying something because I gave it a 5 star review and added it to my "loved to death" bookshelves.
Also, even though it's really just a side-annoyance, I couldn't help but feel the authors didn't exactly describe why Mouth was so infatuated with Megan. You can see, obviously, from her POV some of the reasons that Megan loves him, but nothing from the guy... I will blame that on choosing first person POV, but...it's important to add something like that, since most books just skip past the why they're so in love with each other and just show the love, and that frustrates me. Why aren't there any books that really go into the depths of personalities, love, and all that comes in between?
That said, I encourage everyone to read this book - it is something you won't forget for sure, even past all that I've said!
The beginning of the book...I instantly fell in love with Mouth's character, despite what it involved, because of all the redeeming qualities he slowly revealed. This fiction does show a different side of things, and all the while I was thinking that - in Megan's case - a simple article in the newspaper couldn't accurately explain these kid's situation. A book, with more in depth opinions, could - like this exact one. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I fell in love with the academic aspect of the beginning of this book - learning about things that, perhaps, some people really do go through. Which was a very amazing thing for me, since most romance novels don't even graze something as-- I wouldn't say breathtaking because it isn't in the least beautiful or anything, but an agonizing battle that showed signs of conquering. However...
The book could have gone in several different directions, I believe. In fact, it should have gone in any other direction than the authors chose. They took this dangerous, compelling struggle and turned it into yet another harlequin romance, which just made me extremely sad and disconcerted. Of course, his background did come into play in their relationship, showing through a plot change, but it just...wasn't enough for me, I think.
SO. Sorry for all the rambling or the not making much sense.
But overall, this book had bounds of potential to be something absolutely breathtaking, shocking, and wonderful, but "Part Two" of the story just killed it for me. That's not to say I didn't love the entire book, because I did, but it could have been so much better. Better than it already is, and that's saying something because I gave it a 5 star review and added it to my "loved to death" bookshelves.
Also, even though it's really just a side-annoyance, I couldn't help but feel the authors didn't exactly describe why Mouth was so infatuated with Megan. You can see, obviously, from her POV some of the reasons that Megan loves him, but nothing from the guy... I will blame that on choosing first person POV, but...it's important to add something like that, since most books just skip past the why they're so in love with each other and just show the love, and that frustrates me. Why aren't there any books that really go into the depths of personalities, love, and all that comes in between?
That said, I encourage everyone to read this book - it is something you won't forget for sure, even past all that I've said!
October 30, 2018
4.25 stars!
May 5, 2025
Not for me
I’m the heroine’s age and couldn’t buy this as a romance at all.
A 17 year old prostitute and this woman takes him in off the streets.
It would have been a good for a story. I like reverse age gap and hurt/comfort. The heroine being a reporter looking into male prostitution was interesting.
But I couldn’t overlook the fact that the mmc is a minor. I should have looked closer at the blurb.
He was traumatized. He had never had anyone there for him. I couldn’t get past the power imbalances. It felt wrong.
I’m the heroine’s age and couldn’t buy this as a romance at all.
A 17 year old prostitute and this woman takes him in off the streets.
It would have been a good for a story. I like reverse age gap and hurt/comfort. The heroine being a reporter looking into male prostitution was interesting.
But I couldn’t overlook the fact that the mmc is a minor. I should have looked closer at the blurb.
He was traumatized. He had never had anyone there for him. I couldn’t get past the power imbalances. It felt wrong.
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