REVIEW: Home Sweet Home by Candis Terry

In Home Sweet Home (Sweet, Texas #4.5) by Candis Terry, While Aiden Marshall is grateful to be returning home safely to Sweet, Texas, he feels the pain and guilt of surviving the explosion that killed his two best friends, and fellow Army Rangers, overseas. That loss has changed something inside of him, leaving Aiden unsure of his ability to be the person his girlfriend Paige remembers and surely needs in her life. But with a small community rallying around him and the love of his childhood sweetheart, maybe Aiden might be able to free himself of his demons over time.

“I miss feeling…normal. And I’m so damned afraid I’m never going to feel that way again. I don’t want to drag you into my own personal hell. It’s not fair to you.”

Paige let go of the breath that clogged her chest. She kissed his forehead, then his lips. “You’ll find your way back. I know you will. And I’ll be right here whenever you need me.”

Paige Walker fell in love with Aiden when they were in elementary school and has never wavered in the slightest. Now, with her man finally home after years fighting battles in the desert, she’s ready to settle down. But Aiden’s emotional struggles are just beginning, and Paige knows there’s not much she can do besides be there for him with a comforting touch and the love in her heart. She hopes she and the other Sweet residents can finally make the Lieutenant see how much he means to every single one of them.

Home Sweet Home was a touching reunion between a brave soldier and his loving girlfriend who waited years to hold each other close once again. The years may have changed them, but neither their passion nor their love ever lessened.

This is the type of deeply emotional love story that just pulls on my heart strings every time. Candis Terry is a master at bringing together two perfectly flawed individuals in a way that they can ultimately heal their wounds — emotional and/or physical. And it turns out that Home Sweet Home was actually the catalyst for the Sweet, Texas series, when a condensed version of Aiden and Paige’s story appeared in an anthology, For Love and Honor, in 2012. So this is the updated novella Ms. Terry has newly released for us faithful fans.

I thought it was easy to empathize with both Aiden and Paige over the course of their story. From Aiden’s survivor’s guilt in dealing with the loss of his best friends and having to leave his doggy companion behind, to Paige agonizing over not being able to help him through his emotions, it felt completely realistic. The raw feelings they both dealt with were palpable. While I may not have connected with them as a couple like I have in some of the other novels in this series, I still thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and watching their tender yet heated romance build.

Looking for a quick but satisfying contemporary romance, complete with a handsome Army Ranger and a spirited down-home Texas girl? Then you might want to give Home Sweet Home a chance.

Book Info:

Published May 19th 2015 | by Avon Impulse | Sweet, Texas #4.5

A shorter version of this story previously appeared in the For Love and Honor anthology

Before Candis Terry’s wild Wilder brothers met their matches, a soldier gets a homecoming in Sweet, Texas

He’s given up …

Army Ranger Lieutenant Aiden Marshall fought in some of the most hellish corners on earth and survived. Those closest to him, did not. When he returns home to Sweet, Texas, he believes he’s broken and has lost everything—including his soul. The only fair thing he can do to the woman who’s patiently waited for him to come home is tell her to move on with her life—without him.

… but she never will

Sassy waitress Paige Walker has no intention of walking away from the man of her dreams. He gave his all for his country and served with honor. Now it’s time to pull him from the darkness and give him hope. With a heap of love, the help of the entire town, and a tail-wagging companion, Paige makes sure her hero knows there’s no place like home sweet home.