REVIEW: You’re My Home by Debbie Burns

In You’re My Home by Debbie Burns, Riley and Levi had a relationship until Riley took off after discovering her father and Levi’s mother together and getting teased by their classmates because of it. Now, years later, she’s back in town and hoping to avoid Levi. Levi had also left town, but after a work injury left him unable to do his job any longer, he jumped at the chance to return to his hometown once he heard that Riley was back. Riley doesn’t have plans on staying in town permanently, but can Levi convince her to change her mind?

I enjoyed the aspect of the story with Riley and her working with the animal shelter, along with the instant attachment she had with a Great Dane named Arlo, who she found abandoned outside of the shelter. Where the story falls flat for me is when it comes to Levi and Riley’s relationship. While both admitted they never stopped caring about each other, it felt like they just picked up right where they left off. After everything they had both gone through, they weren’t the same people they were when they were teenagers, yet there seems to be very little time devoted to them getting to know each other as the adults they had become or confronting their pasts. It was hard to buy into the fact that they just picked up where they left off after everything, especially when Levi had been so heartbroken when she had left.

Another issue was that Riley seems overly concerned about what people from high school would say or how they would behave towards her now. It had been over ten years since she was in high school; at that point, she should have tried to find a way to move past it, especially if she was going to have to be back in town for a while. Instead, it felt like she was trying to cling onto the past.

Not exactly related to the book, but the dog on the cover doesn’t really look like a Great Dane, and the coloring doesn’t match Arlo, as he was described as having a black tail. For some reason, it always slightly bothers me when random people or dogs are thrown on a cover and they don’t match the book, especially when they play a large role in it. With all the effort that goes into writing a book, the cover should accurately reflect the story. It does not affect my overall enjoyment of a book though.

This is the eighth book in the Rescue Me series, but it can be read as a standalone. Readers who are new to the series can jump in here and not feel like they’re missing anything by not having read the previous books.

While I didn’t fully love this addition to the series, I found it to be a sweet story about getting a second chance at love and, for the dogs, at life. I would recommend to readers who enjoy small-town romances, the second chance trope, or stories featuring rescue dogs.

Book Info:

Publication: May 9, 2023 | Sourcebooks Casablanca | Rescue Me #8

Coming home will always give you a second chance… When Riley Leighton and Levi Duncan finally meet again, the chemistry between them is as hot as ever. But as much as Levi has missed Riley all these years, he still remembers the heartbreak when she left him the first time… Riley has spent a lifetime running from love. Now that she’s home again, starting her dream job at the local pet rescue, she also has another chance to get it right with Levi. Everything Riley’s wanted but thought she couldn’t have is almost within reach.