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khylabevibin's review against another edition
3.0
This book follows the almost enemies to lover tale of Archie and Ash from the first book in this series.
The first chapter was in my opinion a good start but it kind of went downhill from there. This book was rather uneventful.
I will say though that the characters are like-able and made a cute pair.
I didn’t feel the chemistry in the early chapters of the book and was a bit bored with the plot but when they finally got together they were a very cute couple.
Ending was a bit rushed but kinda goes with the character.
Recommend this book for a light casual read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review
The first chapter was in my opinion a good start but it kind of went downhill from there. This book was rather uneventful.
I will say though that the characters are like-able and made a cute pair.
I didn’t feel the chemistry in the early chapters of the book and was a bit bored with the plot but when they finally got together they were a very cute couple.
Ending was a bit rushed but kinda goes with the character.
Recommend this book for a light casual read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review
jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars. Very cute. I think I enjoyed this one just a bit more than book one. It’s enemies to lovers and that is my jam forever and always. Archie and Ash cannot stand each other at all in the beginning so watching those two fall for each other was wonderful. They both have personal issues that they have to overcome and I thought they were so good together. I loved their banter and their chemistry. Ash is a romantic and Archie isn’t so when she tries to woo Ash and make romantic gestures it was super cute.
The ending was super cheesy and I loved every moment of it. This series is nothing ground breaking but I did thoroughly enjoy them and found them to be very sweet love stories.
The ending was super cheesy and I loved every moment of it. This series is nothing ground breaking but I did thoroughly enjoy them and found them to be very sweet love stories.
00leah00's review
3.0
3 Stars
“Home is Where the Heart is” is the second in the “Rosebrook” series. I want to preface my review by saying I didn’t read the first, “The Duchess and the Dreamer,” so if I’m missing something, that’s why. This is an age-gap, opposites attract romance.
Ashling (Ash) and Archie are colleagues for the Rosebrook Village Trust. Ash (23) was born and raised in Rosebrook. She loves her small village and has no plans to leave. She’s a romantic and loves to read romance novels in her spare time. Archie (36), on the other hand, wants nothing to do with love or small village living. She likes her life in the city and doesn’t seem to mind her long commute every day.
They spend a lot of time bickering and antagonizing one another. Normally I don’t mind this kind of interaction. It’s entertaining for me and builds up the dynamic between the leads. However, I had issue with it this time. Archie is dismissive towards Ash for her age and love of romance novels. She was immature and acted out in childish ways. I found her too off-putting to really want them to be together. Ash was sweet and rather naïve and I felt she deserved better. Archie also has a very quick turnaround in her feelings that made me feel confused and I was wondering if I missed a chapter where her feelings were flipped because it was so unexpected. Once her feelings are changed and she decides to pursue Ash, the cheesy romance begins. There were some over the top moments that I found entertaining but it was still too late for me to really enjoy.
I did enjoy the Rosebrook community. I love the idea of a safe place for all types and classes of people. It’s also environmentally friendly where they’re actively trying to change things for the better.
All in all, I think this will appeal to Frame’s fans. It’s got her typical butch/femme couple with a diverse and varied group of side characters. If it weren't for Archie's attitude in the beginning I would've enjoyed this a lot more.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Home is Where the Heart is” is the second in the “Rosebrook” series. I want to preface my review by saying I didn’t read the first, “The Duchess and the Dreamer,” so if I’m missing something, that’s why. This is an age-gap, opposites attract romance.
Ashling (Ash) and Archie are colleagues for the Rosebrook Village Trust. Ash (23) was born and raised in Rosebrook. She loves her small village and has no plans to leave. She’s a romantic and loves to read romance novels in her spare time. Archie (36), on the other hand, wants nothing to do with love or small village living. She likes her life in the city and doesn’t seem to mind her long commute every day.
They spend a lot of time bickering and antagonizing one another. Normally I don’t mind this kind of interaction. It’s entertaining for me and builds up the dynamic between the leads. However, I had issue with it this time. Archie is dismissive towards Ash for her age and love of romance novels. She was immature and acted out in childish ways. I found her too off-putting to really want them to be together. Ash was sweet and rather naïve and I felt she deserved better. Archie also has a very quick turnaround in her feelings that made me feel confused and I was wondering if I missed a chapter where her feelings were flipped because it was so unexpected. Once her feelings are changed and she decides to pursue Ash, the cheesy romance begins. There were some over the top moments that I found entertaining but it was still too late for me to really enjoy.
I did enjoy the Rosebrook community. I love the idea of a safe place for all types and classes of people. It’s also environmentally friendly where they’re actively trying to change things for the better.
All in all, I think this will appeal to Frame’s fans. It’s got her typical butch/femme couple with a diverse and varied group of side characters. If it weren't for Archie's attitude in the beginning I would've enjoyed this a lot more.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
blacet1's review against another edition
5.0
Audiobook version-As always, Jenny Frame does an amazing job creating characters that you connect with and care about. I really liked Ash and Archie and how they complemented each other (something else that Jenny Frame does a great job doing). I don't tend to enjoy age-gap romance but this one really pulled me in. I look forward to reading/listening to many books in this series. I also enjoyed the narration! Highly recommend!
kieranl's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Frame's books are always a great palate cleanser, with just the right amount of fluff and romance and minimal angst. Lighthearted and consistent.
khieeae's review against another edition
3.0
This book follows the almost enemies to lover tale of Archie and Ash from the first book in this series.
The first chapter was in my opinion a good start but it kind of went downhill from there. This book was rather uneventful.
I will say though that the characters are like-able and made a cute pair.
I didn’t feel the chemistry in the early chapters of the book and was a bit bored with the plot but when they finally got together they were a very cute couple.
Ending was a bit rushed but kinda goes with the character.
Recommend this book for a light casual read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review
The first chapter was in my opinion a good start but it kind of went downhill from there. This book was rather uneventful.
I will say though that the characters are like-able and made a cute pair.
I didn’t feel the chemistry in the early chapters of the book and was a bit bored with the plot but when they finally got together they were a very cute couple.
Ending was a bit rushed but kinda goes with the character.
Recommend this book for a light casual read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review
mjsam's review against another edition
3.0
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is book 2 of the Rosebrook series and features Ashlin and Archie, who were both introduced in book 1. Archie works with Evan and acts as her right hand, while Ashlin is Clem’s PA. The two had a rocky start in book 1 when Archie mistook Ashlin for the tea girl (which Ash mentions repeatedly in the first 30% or so of the book).
Evan and Clem have been married for a few months and are now about to go on their honeymoon. They think it’s a great idea to give two people who dislike each other and don’t work well together the same list of tasks without telling them this. I think that’s a childish and unprofessional thing for two women running businesses and villages to do.
So anyway, Archie and Ash spend all their time bickering and tripping over each other. There’s 13 years between them (as Archie continually points out) but you’d never know it by the way they act, since they both spend the majority of their time acting like petulant teenagers. There’s not much to their character development either, their main character aspects are that Archie is grumpy and avoids commitment and hates village life, while Ashlin is young, inexperienced in the world and LOVES romance in all forms.
They do eventually come to terms with each other and then start a relationship, but I was underwhelmed. Likely because I didn’t particularly like either of them (and I really didn’t like Archie). The big moment at the end was also way too cheesy for me.
I do love Rosebrook and the idea of the village and enjoyed catching up with the villagers again. We also get some new villagers, Patrick, a trans man, and Griff, a friend of Evan’s who travels around doing whatever she wants and who is now helping set up the beer factory. I assume book 3 will be hers. She’s already more interesting than Archie, so that’s a plus. 3 stars.
This is book 2 of the Rosebrook series and features Ashlin and Archie, who were both introduced in book 1. Archie works with Evan and acts as her right hand, while Ashlin is Clem’s PA. The two had a rocky start in book 1 when Archie mistook Ashlin for the tea girl (which Ash mentions repeatedly in the first 30% or so of the book).
Evan and Clem have been married for a few months and are now about to go on their honeymoon. They think it’s a great idea to give two people who dislike each other and don’t work well together the same list of tasks without telling them this. I think that’s a childish and unprofessional thing for two women running businesses and villages to do.
So anyway, Archie and Ash spend all their time bickering and tripping over each other. There’s 13 years between them (as Archie continually points out) but you’d never know it by the way they act, since they both spend the majority of their time acting like petulant teenagers. There’s not much to their character development either, their main character aspects are that Archie is grumpy and avoids commitment and hates village life, while Ashlin is young, inexperienced in the world and LOVES romance in all forms.
They do eventually come to terms with each other and then start a relationship, but I was underwhelmed. Likely because I didn’t particularly like either of them (and I really didn’t like Archie). The big moment at the end was also way too cheesy for me.
I do love Rosebrook and the idea of the village and enjoyed catching up with the villagers again. We also get some new villagers, Patrick, a trans man, and Griff, a friend of Evan’s who travels around doing whatever she wants and who is now helping set up the beer factory. I assume book 3 will be hers. She’s already more interesting than Archie, so that’s a plus. 3 stars.
smellenreads's review against another edition
3.0
Home is Where the Heart is, by Jenny Frame, is the second book in the Rosebrook series, following Ash and Archie, who are colleagues at Rosebrook Village. Ash is a romantic who enjoys cheesy romance books, whereas Archie is a city girl and despises small community life after previous troubles in her childhood. Much of the book is spent bickering and arguing, with Archie coming across as childish and scornful of Ash's hobbies and believing the age difference is too large, before quickly changing her mind. This is overall confusing for the reader, with Archie completely changing her ideas in a very short time, and paired with attempting to make the other jealous, caused me to not support the romance. In addition, the two chapters from Clem and Fox's POV were unnecessary and confusing, with the first (chapter 2) being an explicit scene which I believe was not needed.
(I received a free copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review)
(I received a free copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review)
biblio_gabriella's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I know this book will appeal to a lot of readers, but sadly, I wasn’t one of them. Perhaps I just don’t vibe with the type of humor in this book. This book also employed many stereotypes that I personally don’t care for.
My favorite aspects of the book, by a landslide, were the setting and the side characters. I loved the concept of Rosebrook as an eco-friendly, accessible, LGBTQ+-inclusive village I loved Evan Fox’s (one of the MCs in The Duchess and the Dreamer, which I haven’t read) enthusiasm for the Rosebrook community and for making the world a better place. I appreciated the diversity of Rosebrook’s residents, for example: a woman in a wheelchair who’s given proper agency, a trans man whose backstory isn’t revealed unless he gives explicit permission to do so, a mother with PTSD learning to embrace her love life, several queer couples, etc. The MCs’ fathers (one of whom is gay!) are sweet, wholesome men who deserve the world. There are even some mentions of historical queer romances that I loved and wanted to know much more about!
Unfortunately, the beautiful setting and lovely side characters couldn’t save the romance for me. Ashling O’Rourke (23, lesbian) and Steff “Archie” Archer (36, lesbian) are forced to collaborate on Rosebrook’s administrative duties while Evan and her partner Clementine are away. When Ash was new to Rosebrook, Archie asked her to "make the tea like a good little secretary" (ugh!) and the two have butted heads ever since. Ash is mostly sweet and lovable, but I found that she didn’t have much personality. Archie was definitely my least favorite of the two, and I can’t say I ever liked her much. Archie is constantly condescending toward Ash in both her thoughts and actions, and it got really old after a while. These condescending thoughts also got repetitive: How many times did we have to be reminded of their age difference? How many times did Archie mentally dismiss Ash due to her lack of romantic experience and sheltered background, while never having had a serious romance herself? There’s one part of the book where Ash thinks of Archie as mature, and that made me laugh because so many of Archie’s actions are evidence to the contrary. The protags also play mind games with each other (Ash flirting with another character to make Archie jealous, Archie lying about her actions to appear less invested than she really is), which I didn’t like at all. The romance gets slightly better as the story goes on, but the end of the book, I still had no faith that Ash and Archie could stay together long-term.
There were also two very random chapters featuring Evan’s and Clementine’s POVs — one near the beginning and one near the end. Chapter Two even opens with a very explicit sex scene between Evan and Clementine, which was, um…an interesting choice. I’m not against having multiple couples’ POVs in a romance novel (I think this is done well in Unrivaled by Radclyffe, in which the other couple’s POVs are integrated well throughout the entire book), but I don’t think the ones in this book are necessary at all.
Tl;dr: I can tell Jenny Frame is a great writer and I adored the Rosebrook setting. However, I felt nothing for the romance except for some flickers of annoyance.
other content warnings: divorce (side characters, past), mentions of PTSD, mentions of war, parental rejection
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite aspects of the book, by a landslide, were the setting and the side characters. I loved the concept of Rosebrook as an eco-friendly, accessible, LGBTQ+-inclusive village I loved Evan Fox’s (one of the MCs in The Duchess and the Dreamer, which I haven’t read) enthusiasm for the Rosebrook community and for making the world a better place. I appreciated the diversity of Rosebrook’s residents, for example: a woman in a wheelchair who’s given proper agency, a trans man whose backstory isn’t revealed unless he gives explicit permission to do so, a mother with PTSD learning to embrace her love life, several queer couples, etc. The MCs’ fathers (one of whom is gay!) are sweet, wholesome men who deserve the world. There are even some mentions of historical queer romances that I loved and wanted to know much more about!
Unfortunately, the beautiful setting and lovely side characters couldn’t save the romance for me. Ashling O’Rourke (23, lesbian) and Steff “Archie” Archer (36, lesbian) are forced to collaborate on Rosebrook’s administrative duties while Evan and her partner Clementine are away. When Ash was new to Rosebrook, Archie asked her to "make the tea like a good little secretary" (ugh!) and the two have butted heads ever since. Ash is mostly sweet and lovable, but I found that she didn’t have much personality. Archie was definitely my least favorite of the two, and I can’t say I ever liked her much. Archie is constantly condescending toward Ash in both her thoughts and actions, and it got really old after a while. These condescending thoughts also got repetitive: How many times did we have to be reminded of their age difference? How many times did Archie mentally dismiss Ash due to her lack of romantic experience and sheltered background, while never having had a serious romance herself? There’s one part of the book where Ash thinks of Archie as mature, and that made me laugh because so many of Archie’s actions are evidence to the contrary. The protags also play mind games with each other (Ash flirting with another character to make Archie jealous, Archie lying about her actions to appear less invested than she really is), which I didn’t like at all. The romance gets slightly better as the story goes on, but the end of the book, I still had no faith that Ash and Archie could stay together long-term.
There were also two very random chapters featuring Evan’s and Clementine’s POVs — one near the beginning and one near the end. Chapter Two even opens with a very explicit sex scene between Evan and Clementine, which was, um…an interesting choice. I’m not against having multiple couples’ POVs in a romance novel (I think this is done well in Unrivaled by Radclyffe, in which the other couple’s POVs are integrated well throughout the entire book), but I don’t think the ones in this book are necessary at all.
Tl;dr: I can tell Jenny Frame is a great writer and I adored the Rosebrook setting. However, I felt nothing for the romance except for some flickers of annoyance.
other content warnings: divorce (side characters, past), mentions of PTSD, mentions of war, parental rejection
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Transphobia
nonbinaryknight's review
5.0
I have been excited for this book from the second I heard about it. I may or may not have set an alarm on my phone so that I knew when it was being released. I did receive an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Archie is a Townie who commutes to work for the Rosebrook Village Trust. She is disillusioned about the idea of true love (or any sort of it really) and she never wants to return to living in a small-town. Ashling has lived in a sheltered life in Rosebrook and started coming out of her shelf more when she began working for the Trust. Ashling and Archie got off on the wrong foot, but now they have to work together while their bosses are out. Things get complicated when Archie realizes that she might have feelings for Ash and she has to decide whether she plans to pursue a relationship.
This book left me feeling giddy and happy. I spent the last few chapters grinning like a fool. I love this book and these characters so much. I even like it better than its predecessor. There is initial conflict between the two characters, but around the halfway point (even a bit earlier) things start changing and it leaves me feeling gushy and glowy and happy.
Archie is not a romantic. She had a toxic childhood that left her disillusioned about the idea of love. She hasn’t had a relationship that lasted longer than three months. Ashling hasn’t had much experience in long-term dating either. She’s been very isolated and sheltered in the town of Rosebrook, but she dreams of having a love like her parents did. She’s an absolute romantic and she loves romance books because they show her that sort of love. I love both these characters so much. I love grumpy Archie slowly allowing her shell to break. I love Ash believing the best about love and wanting it so truly. It’s amazing.
I will freely admit that I am a sucker for the idea of a love-averse character having to learn how to “woo” a hopeless romantic. It was great watching Archie figure out what she wanted to do, even seeking help from some other people. My only issue with this book is that I wish that that part had been dragged out a bit longer. I would have loved to see Archie learn more and it would have led to even better relationship development. The relationship in this book does take a bit to get started and, when it does, it hits the ground running. That might be off-putting to some people, but I don’t mind it.
I thought that this book was excellent, one of my favorites by Jenny Frame. I won’t say that this book is for everyone but give it a chance. It left me feeling so happy after that I wanted to read it again almost immediately after finishing it.
Archie is a Townie who commutes to work for the Rosebrook Village Trust. She is disillusioned about the idea of true love (or any sort of it really) and she never wants to return to living in a small-town. Ashling has lived in a sheltered life in Rosebrook and started coming out of her shelf more when she began working for the Trust. Ashling and Archie got off on the wrong foot, but now they have to work together while their bosses are out. Things get complicated when Archie realizes that she might have feelings for Ash and she has to decide whether she plans to pursue a relationship.
This book left me feeling giddy and happy. I spent the last few chapters grinning like a fool. I love this book and these characters so much. I even like it better than its predecessor. There is initial conflict between the two characters, but around the halfway point (even a bit earlier) things start changing and it leaves me feeling gushy and glowy and happy.
Archie is not a romantic. She had a toxic childhood that left her disillusioned about the idea of love. She hasn’t had a relationship that lasted longer than three months. Ashling hasn’t had much experience in long-term dating either. She’s been very isolated and sheltered in the town of Rosebrook, but she dreams of having a love like her parents did. She’s an absolute romantic and she loves romance books because they show her that sort of love. I love both these characters so much. I love grumpy Archie slowly allowing her shell to break. I love Ash believing the best about love and wanting it so truly. It’s amazing.
I will freely admit that I am a sucker for the idea of a love-averse character having to learn how to “woo” a hopeless romantic. It was great watching Archie figure out what she wanted to do, even seeking help from some other people. My only issue with this book is that I wish that that part had been dragged out a bit longer. I would have loved to see Archie learn more and it would have led to even better relationship development. The relationship in this book does take a bit to get started and, when it does, it hits the ground running. That might be off-putting to some people, but I don’t mind it.
I thought that this book was excellent, one of my favorites by Jenny Frame. I won’t say that this book is for everyone but give it a chance. It left me feeling so happy after that I wanted to read it again almost immediately after finishing it.
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