No one told him she would be coming back…Max Time is supposed to heal all wounds. I thought it had healed mine when I found myself ready to say “I Do”. It all came crashing down the moment I saw Freya Pratt again. After all these years she still affected me like no other. I couldn’t deny that she made me feel something I haven’t felt since the day she left. She made me feel alive. Now I’m … felt since the day she left. She made me feel alive. Now I’m questioning everything about our past and my future.
Freya
Breaking Max’s heart seemed like a good idea at eighteen. I needed him to forget me and let me go. All these years I’d pretended like what we had was never real. I told myself I wanted what was best for him. I told myself that wasn’t me. After seeing him again, I’m not so sure. As his wedding day nears, I wonder if I should tell him the real reason why I left. Would it even make a difference?
It’s Not Home Without You is an angsty contemporary second chance romance.
more
This book was everything!! Loved it! So well written! The story flowed so well! Very impressive! It had all the feels! Can’t wait to dive into the next book!
INHWY…what can I say? This book completely blew me away. A stunning début novel, which put me through the whole range of emotions from laughing, to crying, to rage, to swooning, to happiness. A beautifully-written book, it follows the story of Freya and Max, once teenage sweethearts who were torn apart. Seeing each other again, years later, what will happen?
I really felt Max and Freya’s pain and heartache, and I got so caught up in their story that I read it from start to finish in one go-I had to know what was going to happen!
A solid 5 stars! Read it!
C. Lymari did a great job in her debut novel “It’s Not Home Without You”. The story grab me from the beginning, Freya and Max’s story was story of true love finding your other half and been incomplete without them. Freya had troubles growing up but Max saw in her the beautiful person she was inside and out. I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait for Emma’s story.
I really loved It’s not home without you it would be the first and I hope not last story that I have read by the author I can’t wait to read what’s to come . I loved the fact that we got little chapters of the couple in the past it’s always good to read about that the author also did it to were it wasn’t over whelming . My heart really hurt for the couple with what they were put through I couldn’t imagine what was going through the young heroines heart . I could understand why the hero was how he was with the heroine but every time he did something it just hurt me along with Freya . Not only did I like the main characters I fell for the secondary characters and I can’t wait to read there books .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
****************************************
hero=8 heroine= 9 secondary characters=9
Chemistry=10 steam=7 romance=7
humor=4 darkness level=3 action=2 mystery=4
enjoyment=9 angst=4 story line=10 Story ending=10
character development=10 pacing=10
cover=10 Blurb =10 Stars =4.5
Is this part of a series =yes
Can it be read as a standalone = yes
would I recommend this book=yes
would I re read this book= yes
would I read future books by this author= yes
WOW! Just…wow. What a fantastic debut! So much angst and heartache, and so much love. Freya and Max were electric together. I could literally feel the electricity sparking between them every time they were near each other and it was the most delicious slow burn as I waited for that electricity to combust into flames. This is an amazing story about what judgment and expectations can do to us if we let them, how letting other people dictate our lives can end up having disastrous consequences, and about the power that the truth can hold.
“Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can only be forgiven, not forgotten.”
C. Lymari chose her words very carefully because after reading an ARC of this book, I can not forget it. It’s Not Home Without You is full of love, angst, drama and OMG the sexy men. There were times when I just wasn’t sure how I should be feeling so overwhelmed with emotion. Lymari’s words speak to you in a way that you feel the pain as the characters hurt and feel the love when they are happy, you even feel silly when they are drunk.
Max and Freya come from opposite ends of social class, but they don’t let that stop their love from blossoming. We watch their love move mountains and crash cars but sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we planned and we watch them both live a new life. Upon Freya’s return from her new life, we learn that everything has changed and life must go on. Every character is lovable and relatable…okay maybe you will hate some of them.
This will be a book that I know I will reread for years to come, as will anyone that reads it. C. Lymari is going to take the writing world by storm and I can’t wait to see what else she her mind will bring us.
There are so many good things about this read that I have been going over in my head and I realised after all the amazing points I could right, it was the realisation that when it comes to fantasy romance that’s exactly what it is Fantasy and we love the romance of if it could happen. Well Claudia Lymari wrote this novel and made me believe just maybe this could happen. Small town, first love, Rich family vs Poor. Broken hearts and a return to see what one had let go.
But then throw in all the what’s if’s and the hurt and those people you left behind, good and bad, still all being exactly where you left them. But had they changed and how did you cope when the love of your life had moved on and moved on with someone who had been one of those people whom had never let you think you were good enough.
At times I was so frustrated with both our main characters I would scream at them to wake up to themselves, I went from highs to lows and laughing and heartbreak and it just made me want to keep reading.
I wanted to immerse myself in this town be a part of the amazing characters and relationships with each other. I wanted to know the reasons why Max had moved on and how, how could Freya had let him go.
I read something today that made me understand Freya’s reasoning on leaving
It’s not realising you can fight for what you love
But being able to let that love go because you think at the time it’s the better thing to do.
C Lymari I thank you for the most amazing book to come out of the author in you, you left us with so many other reasons to continue reading the stories of characters besides Freya and Max we were introduced to throughout.
This book makes me want to keep reading and reading it and not want to stop.
Every town should have a coffee shop like Emma’s with a quote board ….. My quote?
Do yourself a bloody favour and read this book
It’s worth the time spent doing so.
I really enjoyed this second chances romance book. Max and Freya were pretty believable, especially when you take into account that the grass was greener on his side and she was from the other side of the tracks. Was he “slumming it”? Even though his family and friends may have thought so, his live for her was the real deal. I was left wanting to know how their relationship fared as adults. I also want to know more about he secondary characters, Max and Freya’s friends. I would definitely it’s read more books in this series!
I love small towns and second chance romances and this had both! Max and Freya’s story is full of angst and heartbreak and forgiveness and healing but also full of steam and healing and love. It’ sucks you in and you are kept wondering what will happen that will have you being unable to put the story down. The other characters are intriguing as well and you want to know more.
It’s Not Home Without You is a debut novel and the first in the Hoco series. There’s a lot to say about small towns, but no matter what there is still “no place like home”. I loved the quotes of the day that others wrote in the coffee shop! This story is full of emotions, surprises and oh h e double hockey sticks! Yep you may want to throttle a few secondary characters a few times.
Max and Freya (AKA Gabby) were from different backgrounds, but their connection could not be denied. It may have been young love, but it was real. You can see why both were hurt by the actions Freya took, but I have to say I probably would have done the same to protect those that you love. Seeing the story from before to now allowed us to really become the characters and feel like you were apart of the town.
I loved the secondary characters and felt a little hurt, just like Freya when it came to her BF, Rusty. You shall see why as I will not spoil this for you! Oh, that H.S. clan gave you moments when you wanted to toss them over a bridge even in the now! Does Max forego with the upcoming plans or not is the question? Read and find out. You will fall in love with this story and I’m hoping our coffee girl is next in line for a story!
I had to break into my emergency chocolate half way through this book. I thought it was going to be another second chance romance but it was so much more.
The story weaves between them falling in love as teenagers, and as adults. Then there is the drama of living in the fishbowl of a small town and coming home again.
I can’t wait until she tells Emma’s story!
This is a debut novel?! Wowza! I adore small-town, second-chance romances. This one totally fit the bill. Although Freya was a hot mess & I rolled my eyes during some of her antics, her character worked in the story. High school sweethearts, Freya & Max – she’s from the wrong side of the tracks, and he’s popular & rich. (On more than one occasion, this story reminded me of the classic 80s movie, Mystic Pizza.) I loved Max! Both characters were willing to give up everything, & I mean EVERYTHING for the incredible love they shared. A well-written story with plenty of scorching heat. You’ll need a fan & an ice-cold cocktail for this one. Congrats on your debut!
4.5 stars!
It has been a while since I enjoyed a book as much as this one. Interesting characters, an original plotline, and great dialogue brought this fast paced story of Freya, Rusty and Max to life. It was impossible not to like the cast, including the supportive characters. A well-written book that was a delight to read.