Tessa Marie

Anna’s always had a strict plan for her life. Get good grades, get into a good college, be successful. Falling in love with a homeless boy? Not exactly on her list. Dean has a plan too. Survive. After a difficult childhood, he now lives on the streets doing everything he can to get by. When he meets Anna, he realizes he doesn't have to do everything alone. Slowly, Anna and Dean let each other in, blending their two worlds into one. But, when a series of events brings Dean’s world into perspective, he pushes Anna away, causing Anna to set out to bring Dean back to her. But her determination and faith in their future puts her on the tracks of danger. Can he be the one to bring her home?

Home is Where You Are

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You know when you read a book that is *exactly* what you needed at the time you read it? That was Home is Where You Are, for me. It was sweet and heartwarming and full of feels. And I absolutely adored it. 

I loved the characters and the setup for this story. It's not a story about a good girl and a bad boy. It's a story about a good girl who desperately needs balance in her life, and a great guy who just happens to have crappy things happen to him. With the loss of his parents and the abusive foster home he was in, Dean could have easily gone down a bad path. But he didn't. He was used to being on his own and he wasn't big on the idea of letting others help him. He didn't want to take advantage of anyone and he definitely had no interest in charity. Anna was naive and "perfect on paper." She was intelligent and driven (though, perhaps for the wrong reasons at times) and used to living her life just as others thought she should. She lost her dad at a young age and never really recovered from it. Neither did her mom, who was a difficult character to like. When Anna and Dean started running into each other, there was an undeniable spark between them. But, neither of them wanted to get too close, even if it was for different reasons. 

The romance in this book was fantastic and perfect in that first love kind of way. The bond between Anna and Dean developed slowly and not without a bit of drama. Anna was afraid to get close to another homeless person because of losing a woman she'd grown to know and care about in the past. Dean felt the connection with Anna, but was afraid to drag down her perfect life. It was beautiful to watch as they both helped each other loosen up and accept the rightness of their situation, even with others questioning it. This is a young adult book, so don't go in looking for sexy times. You won't find those. You will find some great, sweet kissing scenes between two teens finding their way in the world, together. 

There's so much to love about Home is Where You Are. I found it to have a great message about not judging others and getting to know the person. It was a wonderful coming of age story with a sweet romance and a seriously swoony boy. Books like this are what keep me reading young adult even though I am way, way out of my teen years. 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Home is Where You Are

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