REVIEW: Home on Apple Blossom Road by Sheila Roberts

In Home on Apple Blossom Road (Life in Icicle Falls #9) by Sheila Roberts, Seattle might not feel as much like home as Icicle Falls always has, but Colin Wright has built a life there with a (mundane) job and a girlfriend. When his beloved Grandma Justine passes away, he finds himself back in town and face to face with the one person he tried to leave behind: his former best friend/girlfriend Mia Blair. He’s spent years thinking about their breakup. So as they find out they’re teamed together to go on a treasure hunt for their inheritance, Colin worries they may go down the same path they did before.

“Sometimes I really miss our old life. I miss Grandma Justine.”
“I know,” he said, and put an arm around her. “I do, too.”
She turned into him and he hugged her. It still felt so right. They should’ve been together. He should never have let her go, should have fought for her.

Mia can’t believe her foster grandmother is gone. Now living in Chicago and busy after her new promotion, she hasn’t been back to visit in Icicle Falls like she probably should have over the past few years. Seeing Colin and being back in town has brought up so many memories, good and bad. Especially once they set out on the trail Grandma Justine paved for them with her helpful clues. Mia begins to wonder if grandma was trying to push her and Colin back together or if it was planned as a way for them to finally let the past go.

‘What would the future hold if she stayed just a little longer? Was it worth the gamble? What if they hurt each other all over again?’

Home on Apple Blossom Road was the sweet reunion story of Colin and Mia, former best friends and high school sweethearts. Sent on a scavenger hunt through their hometown of Icicle Falls after years apart, they found a lot more than they bargained for.

Sheila Roberts did a fantastic job as always with her newest installment of the Life in Icicle Falls series. This may have been a little bittersweet as it was about the passing of one of the town’s most caring people, Justine Wright, but it was filled with many wonderfully tender and poignant scenes. The format worked well for a story about reminiscing as it showcased Justine’s life through letters and emails sent to her mother and sister. Plus there were several flashback scenes about Mia and Colin’s years growing up together.

I thought the premise behind this was unique and interesting. Grandma Justine posthumously sending Colin and Mia on a treasure hunt for their inheritance–which they had to share–could have led to all kinds of interactions between them. Both good and bad. And watching how it all worked out as they followed the clues, catching up with the townspeople we’ve come to know and love, was definitely entertaining. I especially enjoyed the scene at The Red Barn. Not only was it fun, but it was also a turning point for them.

Mia and Colin were both great characters. They were each having a tough time, not really happy with where they were in life. I think coming back to Icicle Falls not only let them see what they gave up in their late teens when they broke up, but it grounded them in the way only a hometown can. I really liked the evolution of their relationship and thought it was realistic. It wasn’t perfect and they both made mistakes and were alternately jealous, but things worked out well in the end. And what a surprising and sigh-worthy ending it was!

Every time I come back to Icicle Falls I fall more and more in love with the town and the people. I hope readers will enjoy this second chance romance as much as I did. And please read past the epilogue if you enjoy baking. Sheila Roberts was kind enough to include several yummy recipes!

Book Info:

Publication: March 22nd 2016 | MIRA | Life in Icicle Falls #9

www.SheilasPlace.com

Home is where the love is…

Colin Wright and Mia Blair grew up in Icicle Falls, but they left years ago—and not on good terms. Now Colin’s grandmother, Justine, has died, and they’ve come home to honor this woman they both loved. That’s when they get some unexpected news. They’re about to inherit something. Jointly. They just have no idea what. It turns out that Justine’s designed a treasure hunt for them, like the ones they enjoyed when they were kids and best friends.

But they’re not kids anymore, and they sure aren’t best friends. As for that young love they once shared? Well…it’s complicated.

On the trail of Justine’s treasure, they follow a series of clues that take them down memory lane—ending up at the orchard on Apple Blossom Road. What will they find there? And what did Justine know that they didn’t?