After Micha Perkins finds himself wrongly implicated in a crime, the last person he wants coming to his rescue is his secret crush Swift; his older brother’s best friend. But when Micha returns to the town that never felt like home, he discovers Swift’s young daughter is in trouble as well. If Micha can help them both in any way, he knows he will. Self-defense coach Swift Coal never realized he … realized he was a father until he gets custody of five-year-old Imogen and her cranky cat. His neat and tidy life is about to come crashing down, but to his surprise, Micha Perkins is there to save the day. He’s so damn good with kids, and just as cute as Swift remembers. When Micha moves in to help look after Imogen, Swift struggles to repress the feelings he’s kept hidden.
Micha’s always been a misfit and Swift’s life was always orderly. Micha may have taken the fall to protect those more vulnerable than him, but who will save him when his past comes back to haunt him? Was Swift a fool to risk the safety of his daughter around a bad element like Micha? When their chaotic worlds collide, perhaps love and family are the middle ground they both need to become stronger together.
Book Three in Pine Cove. Homeward Bound is a steamy, standalone MM romance novel with a guaranteed HEA and absolutely no cliffhanger.
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I love Micha and Swift! Single dad stories are one of my favorites and this was so good. Imogen is such a fun character and it was so sweet to see her get a big, messy, perfectly not-normal family. Swift was such a reserved character in the first two books so it was great too see him start to add some messiness and realness to his life. Micha’s one of my favorite characters of the entire series because he is just so strong and has such grace despite everything life has thrown at him. I am so glad he got such a large and loving family in the end. Can’t wait for the next book in the Pine Cove series!
Homeward Bound is the third book in the Pine Cove series, a contemporary romance series set within a small town. Maybe this book could be read as a standalone, but I think it works best if it was read after the first two. There are a lot of secondary characters that are introduced in the first two books that make a presence in this book. Homeward Bound has one of my favorite tropes: found/made-family and unexpected-kid-acquisition. I really loved Swift – he was sweet, tender, and protective, but still had his flaws which he was open about. The development of the family dynamics and the delightful romance made this an enjoyable read.
Audiobook review
I really enjoy this series. And while this technically could be read/listened to as a standalone, I highly recommend you listen to the series in order.
This is the story of Micha, the youngest of the Perkins kids, and the one who has never found peace. He moved to the big city in order to protect his secret shame…a shame brought on by the past, but exasperated by his behavior as a youth. Unfortunately, trusting the wrong people can also lead to bad situations, and this book starts with Micha landing himself in jail.
Swift is Micha’s older brother’s best friend. He’s done pretty well so far; he’s a self-defense trainer and a bit of a neat freak, but all that is about to change. It’s not until he gets a call from DHS that he finds out he has a daughter. A cute little 5 year old daughter named Imogen, and her cat Butter. I can’t wait for you to hear about Butter.
When Swift brings Imogen to the Perkins’s for help, he finds it in the last place he expects it…Micha. Eventually, after calling Micha for help above family and other friends, and realizing Micha might need a break from the family home, Swift invites him to stay with him and Imogen. They hit it off right away, and Imogen adores Micha. It’s a slow burn between the two men, but oh, so worth it.
But, after sharing their hopes, fears, and deepest secrets, Micha is put in an untenable situation. You’ll have to listen to the story to find out how everything works out with that, but I will tell you this. This story is about facing your past, your fears, and your truths, and coming out stronger than when you started. Like the others in the series, family is an important part of the dynamics of the story, and the beautiful happy ending is definitely worth the listen.
Nick J. Russo is the perfect narrator for this series. He really brings the characters to life in my mind, and for a while, I have my own movie playing in my head.
* I received a free copy of this audiobook and I am leaving my honest review. *
* AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *
I loved this story even though I was frustrated with Micha making a bad decision at one point. This story is filled with feelings and joy but also som reality so it makes it more realistic.
No unnecessary descriptions of surroundings
Good dialogues
The chemistry between Micha and Swift is present early on and it keeps building……… the rest you have to hear for yourself
I love all the secondary characters and the world the author has created is great.
Love scenes is intense but tasteful described
The storyline is good and has a steady build to a happy ending
Narrator:
Clear pronunciation and read with feelings
5 stars overall
Homeward Bound by author HJ Welch is the third book in the Pine Cove Series. I really liked this one. Fast-paced and lots of emotional connection which is why I adore love stories. This story can be read as a standalone title and understood just fine. There are however a lot of characters we have met before in this book. So, fans of the series will love this and probably find that extra layer of enjoyment out of this book. I know I love it when I can catch up on past couples I adore and love.
Micha is the baby of the family. He thinks of himself as the black sheep. He has always felt like he never really fit in. He left home for a while and got into a ton of trouble. Now he is back. But he feels like he is back where he started, in a place he doesn’t really belong.
Swift is Micha’s brother’s best friend. He has problems of his own with custody of his daughter. He is trying to keep her and find his own way too.
What I loved about Swift and Micha together is they stabilize each other and make each other better people. They are two parts of a whole.
I really loved the love and pace of this book. I will definitely be looking for more from this series and this author in the future.
Five Shooting Stars
No one is more surprised than Swift to find he has a 5 year old daughter. His life has always been structured, orderly, and neat, but with a young daughter now in the picture, that is about to change. And then Micha happens. Micha who is as sweet as ever and so great with kids. Micha who stirs up feelings and needs Swift has never acknowledged in himself before.
I thought I loved the previous installment of Pine Cove, but Homeward Bound has got Troubled Waters beat! Swift and Micha are true opposites, both in upbringing and personality, and they mesh together perfectly. Not only is their chemistry fire, it’s not rushed and their relationship evolved organically and naturally. I’ve really been enjoying Pine Cove and am so looking forward to more.
I absolutely love Micah and Swift! Micah, who finds himself in trouble with the law, moves home to Pine Cove and runs into his brother’s best friend, Swift, who he’s always had a crush on but thinks is notoriously straight. Swift learned he has a daughter, Imogen, and knows he’s in over his head, although he does his absolute best with her. He asks Micah, who’s great with children, to move in and help him with the responsibility, which Micah jumps at.
As Micah and Swift learn more about each other; Micah and the reason he can’t move past his self-destructive ways and Swift accepting his bisexuality, I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and see them move past their insecurities. Swift is very supportive of Micah and soon the two of them, along with Imogen, become a close family.
This is a lovely read, one that I will be reading again. Highly recommended!
I was gifted my copy of this book, that I write a review was not required.
Swift finds out he is a father, 5 years after Imogen’s birth. But Imogen’s mum is struggling and Swift takes custody of his daughter while mum sorts herself out. Micha is home, after some time in custody, and is struggling being at home. He loves his family, he really does, but they don’t know who he is, deep down, he can’t tell them, not after what he did before he left. Swift comes to Micha’s aid and vice versa. The things start to spiral out of control with Micha being in such close proximity to Imogen, when his past finds and threatens those he has come to love, and Micha makes a dreadful decision. Can Swift get to him in time?
Ms Welch has out done herself, AGAIN!
I mean, the whole previously undiscovered bisexuality genre is growing on me, big time, and it is almost entirely due to Ms Welch’s skill at writing these characters!
Swift is Robin’s (from book 1, Safe Harbor) older brother, and Swift is Micha’s older brother’s best friend. Micha makes no bones about his attraction to Swift, from when they all hung out together when he was a teenager. But Micha is a grown man now, and surely can’t still be crushing on Swift, right? Clearly, he is. And he struggles so much with that attraction with Swift’s little, entirely innocent, touches, because Micha doesn’t want them to be innocent. But Swift is straight, cos he has a child. And Micha just suffers in silence.
Swift, however, is questioning everything. His daughter just landed on his doorstep, and he has no idea what to do! Having Micha help is a godsend. Having Micha in his space is . .nice. Having Micha OUT his space, is not so nice and it’s not till Swift thinks he might lose Micha that he questions why he feels like that. And Swift is just like, Okay then! Micha is MINE and I want him back. And he goes all out!
When Micha tells Swift about why he can’t tell his family he is gay, I cried, I really did. It breaks your heart, the pain he has been carrying around all this time.
It’s a well told tale, of getting what and WHO you want, it really is!
But PULEEEEEZE, Ms Welch, write Ava and Peyton a full story!!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Love can come from places you least expect!
Sometimes we feel like we don’t belong. Sometimes we feel like “we” are not enough or that we don’t measure up to expectations. Or sometimes, we just feel inadequate, according to ourselves. But our family refuses to make us feel that way, they continue to believe in us, even if we fucked up real bad. All we can do is just have to start to believe in ourselves too. This is how Micha feels about himself, that he is not worth all the love and understanding that his family and Swift give to him.
Swift has had the surprise of his life when he learns that he has a daughter. It threw him for a loop. He practically do not know anything about raising a child. But most importantly he feels guilty that he didn’t know that Imogen exists, though not through his own fault. Now, he has to rearrange his life to give priority to the most important individual in his life.
How can these men navigate all these new events in their lives? Will Micha finally feel that he is worthy of all the love his family gives him? Will Swift finally accept that it was not his fault that he did not know about Imogen and just become the best father that he could be.
HJ Welch has woven a very nice tale of these two people and eventually their acceptance of their love for each other. I love how their story was written in detail, and the supporting characters were loving, supporting and totally accepting. The story is well written and you will feel what each character is going through in each chapter. Congratulations!
Micha was a foundling, left as a baby on a doorstep, and as a result of some early horrible fostering (before being placed with great parents in Pine Cove) was left with a poor sense of self. He became a magnet for trouble, had a close call with the law, and now is back in Pine Cove to get his footing. The last thing he expected was that his childhood crush, Swift, would take an interest in him that would go beyond the kindness he had always shown him as a kid.
Swift gets a shock when he’s informed he has a 5 year old daughter with his ex-girlfriend, who has just entered rehab and cannot care for the girl. At the same time, his best friend’s kid brother Micha comes back to town, awakening all kinds of feelings in Swift that he has never experienced for another man.
This installment in the Pine Cove series is an extremely well done GFY/OFY story with all of the feels, medium level angst, a sweet little girl and a nasty cat from hell. Funny at times, sweet and steamy! Highly recommended!
This is a really enjoyable & very sweet, heartwarming MM romance. It is the third book in the series “Pine Cove” There are some character crossovers but this romance is complete & standalone. The characters are likable & well-developed, although one of the characters has low self-esteem issues, they do continue to emotional develop throughout the storyline. The plot is interesting & intriguing with unexpected situations/events, it keeps the reader’s attention.
It is about: a young man (Micha) returns home after some legal problems & a brush with the law when his brother’s best friend (Swift) invites Micha to stay with him & he accepts never realizing that love would be part of the deal, Swift’s precocious 5yr old daughter (Imorgan) & her cat (Butter)
There is: twists & turns, intrigue, drama, a caring family, law enforcement, memories, insecurities, suggestions, attractions, verbal banter, doubts, fantasies, complications, misunderstandings, unease, confusion, realization, confrontations, threats, blackmail, emotional turmoil, manipulations, prejudices, conflict, declarations, love, contentment, some steam & a truly delightful well-deserved happy conclusion.
This has got to be the cutest found family story I have encountered! The whole host of characters in it, including the MCs, are just a wonderful example of what an inclusive and loving family should be! The plot of the story and the complexity of the MCs was an icing on the cake, making it a really great book to read! Another good one, HJ Welch!
Swift and Micha have taken their well-deserved place as my favourite couple from the Pine Cove series! They were unbelievably sweet together, and left me in tears more than once. Starting with a bit of a slow burn was wonderful because it had me salivating over when they would finally express their feelings to one another, and oh-so-satisfied with how their relationship eventuated.
Returning home to Pine Cove after an incident with the law, Micha is struggling to feel like he belongs anywhere. Swift, having just found out he is a father, is determined to do right by his young daughter. Feeling out of his depth, Swift invites Micha, who is a natural with kids, to stay with them for a while. Pretty soon, both Swift and his daughter are attached to the idea of Micha staying with them, with Swift developing a crush that may lead him to want to finally acknowledge his bisexuality.
As Swift’s best friend’s younger brother, Micha has harboured feelings for Swift since he was a teenager. However, his painful childhood and his fears over coming out because of the belief that he doesn’t deserve to be happy, have ruled his self-worth for a long time. On top of this, he has to fight his past when it catches up to him and threatens to take away everything he loves. Swift was amazingly suited for Micha and treated him with so much tenderness, never once giving up on him.
Best-friend’s brother, first-time bi experience, stunningly sweet romance, the building of a beautiful family, and page-turning action – what more could be needed? A heartwarming addition to the Pine Cove series that left me very excited for the next instalment!
[I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review].
I love books with kids…especially kids as snarky as Imogen. Butter I think is the best animal ever in a book and I’m not a cat person.
Micah was written and portrayed in a the most perfect way. His struggles both from a mental and physical perspective are dealt with fabulously. You can’t help but feel something for him.
Swift wasn’t the most complicated character but I can completely understand his thoughts in regards to his sexuality and how he has dealt with all the aftermath of finding out he has a 5 year old daughter.
I can’t wait for more from Pine Cove so get writing Miss Welch 😉
I absolutely love this story!! It gave me all the feels!! Micha and Swift are spectacular characters and I love them together. Micha has always felt undeserving of love and family and I love the patience and understanding that Swift has with him and how he helps Micha see just how deserving he really is. Imogen is a wonderful character. I love how this story fabulously portrays that blood does not a family make, a true family bond is so much more than blood, family is what you make of it and there is no right or wrong! An emotional story that really tugged at my heartstrings. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Homeward Bound can be read as a standalone, but if you like sweet, somewhat fluffy romance, start with the first book so you get to know the ensemble cast. HJ Welch’s strength is writing series in which many of the same characters appear, but each book focuses on a different couple. She manages to make the secondary characters lovable without letting them upstage the main characters.
In Homeward Bound, the oldest Coal brother, Swift, does what older brothers do and takes care of a surprise daughter and her cat as well as a stray Perkins brother. Or rather, the stray Perkins brother helps Swift take care of the surprise daughter, and Swift helps Micha heal. It’s a bit of a bumpy ride, but has an emphatic HEA.
*I received an arc of this book.*
It is wonderful story of Love, family and relationship.
The book made me realize about the beauty of relation with the love of your life.
Author knit a beautiful plot with stunning characters. The perfection of plot is attractive with mature writing style. Author easily takes the readers from one situation to another and controls their minds and emotions.
Author developed characters which are perfect for this plot and beautifuly engaged with the story line.
This book deals with the themes family bound, respect of relation and love. With many emotional twists and turns this story held me till the perfect ending.
I gave 5 stars to this romantic read.
Highly recommend to those who wants to enjoy an exquisite Lgbt read.
I already loved this series so much but HJ Welch has gone beyond herself with this one.
From the very beginning Micha had my heart. And it broke for him. But HJ Welch put it back together so perfectly.
Micha hasn’t had it easy in life. So trust in something and someone good doesn’t come easy to him. He especially is convinced he doesn’t deserve anything positive in life.
So it is especially beautiful to see how he opens up his heart and soul and finally starts fighting for what he loves! Thank you HJ Welch for this one!!!
Homeward Bound by HJ Welch is the third book in the Pine Cove series and is a contemporary m/m romance. This story about Micha and Swift is such a delightfully fun and sweet read. Both of these men are finding their lives going in a new direction, and when their attraction proves too strong to deny, that new direction is hopefully together. This story has drama, angst, humor, steam and family.
Swift, Micha and Imogwn are such an adorable family unit, and even Butter adds to the sweetness with that mean cat vibe. Nothing says I love you like a headbutt from a furry fierce kitty afterall. The supporting characters are just as fantastic as the main characters and I am looking forward to more in this series.