Book 42, 2021

Coming Home by Willa Hix

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I was almost finished with the book I'd taken to work, and it was getting rather tense; therefore, I brought it home and finished reading it before lunch today. The book was Coming Home by Willa Hix, and it's part of the "Haunting Hearts" line from Jove.

Maizie Ohlinger may have died in a car accident, but her corneas were used to restore the sight of Max Kensington, the owner of Kensington Creative, where Maizie worked. Now Maizie and the ghost of Max's father, Gerald Kensington, have been assigned a mission. To that end, they follow Max to Sweetwater VA, Maizie's home, and the site of one of Kensington Creative's plants. Max knows he may have to close the plant, even though Sweetwater is his mother's home. Once there, he meets Libby Ohlinger, Maizie's sister. Max now has even more incentive to save the plant in Sweetwater, but the numbers simply don't justify trying to keep it afloat. The pall hanging over the plant threatens the budding romance between Libby and Max, but Maizie and Gerald have a few tricks up their sleeves.

I seldom read straight-up romance any longer, but this was a delightful read. It was wonderful to meet Libby's (and Maizie's) family, including their father, RJ, and Maizie's grown children. I also liked Max's mother, Belle, whom everyone in Sweetwater still considers one of their own. The two main plot points of the growing relationship between Libby and Max, along with the tension regarding the plant, were woven together seamlessly with some minor plot points, including Max's plan to open a camp for children in Sweetwater, and a rekindling of RJ and Belle's youthful romance.

Favorite lines:
♦ She hadn't seen this much action since Bessie Conver's turkeys had gotten loose the week before Thanksgiving and the whole town had been pressed into service to help round up the critters.
♦ "You could bounce a quarter on that tight little ass of his."
♦ "I gave that man the best weeks of my death, and how does he repay me?"
♦ "Lord love a duck, if you two aren't up for the title roles in the sequel to 'Dumb and Dumber', I don't know who is."

Maizie was a hoot! It was a lovely story--exactly what a contemporary romance (with a dash of paranormal) is meant to be. Four stars!