Close to Home: Sanctuary Island Book 5

Lily Everett

Feb 2017 · Sanctuary Island Book 5 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

The best journeys take us home....

When Tessa Alexander came to Sanctuary Island, she left behind a marriage to a man who didn’t love her the way she loved him. When she finally found the strength to set them both free, she discovered friendship and self-acceptance in her adopted hometown. Now she’s settled into a quiet life on her own—never expecting to see her husband again.

Johnny spent almost two years deep undercover, unable to let his wife into his cold, dangerous world. He’s shaken to the core when he comes home to find her gone. It’s painfully clear that Tessa is no longer the timid young woman he married—she’s become a force of nature, a brave and determined beauty. Johnny can’t let her go without a fight so he sets out to seduce his own wife. But will passion alone be enough to convince Tessa that her new life should include a second chance at happiness with a man who must learn to believe in love?

Fall in love with Close to Home by Lily Everett!

Ratings and reviews

Johnny Alexander married Terri when she was 18 years old and he found her hiding out in the family barn, obviously on the run and scared. He had the "need" to protect her based on events from his past. Johnny never had an intimate relationship with her because he felt she was so fragile. Johnny left for the Army for 6 years then spent 2 years in the ATF so Terri was pretty much alone for her first 8 years of marriage. Terri decided she was not happy and that Johnny only stayed married to her out of obligation, so she was going to release him from his "duty". She filed for divorce, packed up and moved to Sanctuary Island and started going by the name Tessa. A year later Johnny is back from being undercover and ready to spend some time with his wife. Surprise...she's gone. He decides to follow her to Sanctuary Island to get his wife back. While Johnny is there, he is required to deal with his emotions from being undercover for so long. He also realizes that his Terri, no Tessa is no longer the timid, afraid little girl she used to be. Instead he sees a strong, determined woman that he really wants to know. Slowly the two of them get to know each other all over again and realizes that they both still want to be together. It was fun watching these two getting to know each other. Johnny was a little too protective at times and Tessa was a little to stubborn at times but it was fun how they found a common ground. Throughout their story a little suspense was also thrown into the mix, which was very enjoyable. I also loved the character of Marcus and can't wait to see what his story is! Overall this was an enjoyable story with really great characters.

I love the idea of Tessa finding herself while Johnny’s undercover for the ATF and away from home for almost two years. Granted, I think it is a horrible thing to have just left him but I totally get why that was the only way she could do it. She loves her husband but because of the way they got together, and what she thinks is a lack of romantic interested on his part, she can’t stay. Being face to face with him as the woman she used to be, with her feelings and insecurities, she would never have been able to leave. But Sanctuary Island works its magic and in the year she’s been there she has totally come into her own. She’s a strong woman who is able to stand on her own two feet, support herself, make friends and be confident in what she wants. Then he walks back into her life, looking all sexy and protective … and hurt and wanting her back. He’s going to be hard to resist :) Johnny’s only thought after finishing his latest assignment is to get home to his wife, the one person who can help him center himself in real life. Unfortunately she’s left and he knows he’ll be lost until he gets her back. Luckily he’s got time as his job has mandated some therapy in the same town she’s moved to and he takes the opportunity to convince Tessa to give them a chance to save their marriage. And he’s nothing if not dedicated to his cause. He’s going to take that time to win over the new woman his wife has become. The growth that both of these people undergo thanks to their time on Sanctuary Island, both individually and, luckily, back to each other is awesome. Tessa’s had already happened but thru Johnny getting to know his wife better we get to see what that transformation actually meant. And while Johnny’s journey isn’t quite over, by the end he’s found himself on a path that works for him. It takes a strong man to open up and expose himself to someone else and Johnny does it beautifully and even more so for acknowledging that it’s a process that needs to continue. Close to Home is a heartwarming second chance romance full of the hope for new beginnings. (While this is a good place to start (no real ties to previous books) and Tessa and Johnny’s story is complete (and fabulous), the story doesn’t technically stand on its own. There are whole bits of it that set up the next story, Home at Last. So, you have to ask yourself – am I prepared to read the next book or am I OK with that bit of unfinished business … since Everett is such a fantastic writer I’m pretty sure I know which it is going to be!) *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

Loved this and loved returning to Sanctuary Island! This is a wonderful story of Tessa, a woman who loves her husband with her whole heart. She loves him enough to let him go so he can find a woman who will fill his heart. Johnny is a man who loves deeply but doesn't quite know how to show it. He thinks he's giving his wife what she needs but when he returns from an undercover assignment to find her gone, he has to face the fact that he needs to fight for her and show her exactly what she means to him. Their marriage may have started out unconventionally but anything worth having is worth fighting for. I highly recommend this one.

About the author

Lily Everett is the author of several books including, Sanctuary Island, Heartbreak Cove, and Shoreline Drive. She grew up in a small town in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains and has loved romance her whole life. She is thrilled to share the world of her beautiful imaginary Sanctuary Island with all her readers. She and her family currently live in Austin, Texas where she writes full-time.