Home Sweet Home by T.A. Chase
This series has a really strong message about family which continues in this book. It was nice to see Yancey and Juan get their own story, albeit with lots of inclusion of the other couples we have grown to know throughout the series.
- No Going Home (book 1)
- Home of His Own (book 2)
- Wishing for a Home (book 3)
- Leaving Home (book 4)
- Home Sweet Home (book 5) – in this review
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Blurb…
Home is sweetest when it’s the one person you can’t live without.
Yancey MacCafferty and Juan Romanos fell in love when they were in their teens, but their families convinced them both to follow their dreams and explore the world before committing to each other.
Their dreams take them in different directions. Yancey heads off to veterinarian school while Juan goes East to ride show horses. They stay in touch, and see each other as often as they can, but slowly they begin to drift apart.
Until Yancey graduates from college and decides it’s time to claim Juan as his. He gets a job working at a clinic near where Juan trains and rides. They spend as much time together as their work allows, finding out that while they may still love each other, meshing their lives together will take a lot more work.
So what did I think?
This story starts with a reminder of how Yancey and Juan first met as teens. The eighteen year old Yancey, who had been living on the streets, is older and wiser than Juan, who at sixteen faces some potential trouble at a club. Yancey ‘rescues’ him and something clicks that night for both of them.
They started their relationship slowly with their family – Yancey’s brother and Juan’s uncle – encouraging them to see a bit of the world and develop as their own men before committing themselves to one another. They want to make sure the boys are not in a position to resent each other for what they may have missed out on. They act on that advise and Yancey goes to college to learn to be a vet and Juan becomes a professional jumper. These different educations and careers keep them apart but they still love each other dearly and remain faithful to each other.
The focus of the story is Yancey finally being in a position to buy a vet practice near the stables where Juan rides and for them to be together. “He wanted to be close to the man he loved so they could get reacquainted. He needed to learn who this new Juan was, and see if their love would be strong enough to survive the changes in both of them.”
I found the blurb slightly misleading. The blurb states “He gets a job working at a clinic near where Juan trains and rides. They spend as much time together as their work allows, finding out that while they may still love each other, meshing their lives together will take a lot more work.” I actually found their lives meshed easily and there weren’t any issues. These guys were made for each other and deeply in love.
This doesn’t mean life is perfect but they are very happy together. “…I thought that when you love someone you’re supposed to see them as the best thing since sliced bread.”
Snorting, Yancey rolled his eyes. “Honey, sliced bread isn’t that great, and while I love you, I do see your faults. That’s what love really is. Seeing all your lover’s faults, and loving them in spite of their crazy.”
The plot sees a tragedy which provides opportunity for all the characters to come together as they offer help, love and support. The family theme, which has appeared throughout the series, continues to be strong “You are all my family, not all of you by blood. Actually, we are the best kind of family, the kind that has decided to love each other because we want to instead of having to. We accept everyone for who they are on the inside, and not who or how they look on the outside.”
My only concern with this story was the timeline and how long it took Yancey and Juan to be together. Thirteen years had passed since the boys had met as teens. Surely this was well past how long it would have taken Yancey to become qualified as a vet and be in a position to settle into a practice? Dare I say I also thought it a bit prudish that Yancey was concerned about sharing a bed with Juan. They are grown men yet “The last time they’d been together, Yancey had slept in a different guest room, not wanting to get Tony or Brody upset about them sharing a bed. Juan had thought it had been a stupid idea, since he knew that Tony suspected they’d already slept together.” Well Juan was right!
Overall, this a sweet story and it is nice to see Yancey and Juan get their happy ending!
See my review of book 3, Wishing for a Home.
See my review of book 4, Leaving Home.
For more information on T.A. Chase and her books, visit the website.
Buy Home Sweet Home at Amazon