Reviews

Fly Home to Me by Chalon Linton

randikaye's review

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4.0

There's something about a romance novel with a military hero that will win me over every time... oh you know, perhaps it's that once upon a time, I fell in love with a military hero myself... and much like this story's heroine Piper, I was a homebody who was quite reluctant to do so! Needless to say, I really connected to this story on a more personal level than I do with many... and I couldn't get enough of it! There were so many sweet romantic moments that I absolutely adored, all while still taking on the realities of the struggles that do come along with falling in love with someone in the military! Still in fiction as in real life, you cannot help who you fall in love with, and love always makes it worth it... this is definitely one love story that I think military spouses will appreciate, as will anyone who loves a good love story! I absolutely loved it!

While it was the second book in a series, I personally had not read the previous book and found it read just fine as a standalone... though I certainly found myself wanting to go back and read more from this new to me author.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

kimber_reads's review

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5.0

Fly Home To Me by Chalon is a Christian fiction Air Force romance that you do not want to miss! I seriously cannot express just how much I loved this book! Definitely one of my favorite reads this year!

Fly Home to Me is one of those books that had me hooked from the very first chapter. I mean an Air Force pilot single handedly pushing an old man and his car out of an intersection? Chalon is not fooling around people! I was falling head over heels for Gabe right alongside Piper. I love how flirty Gabe is. His text messages had me smiling and blushing and reminded me of the flirty text messages I would get from my husband when we were dating.

I really appreciate how real these characters felt. Both Piper and Gabe had things from their past they struggled to overcome, Piper in particular struggled with feeling abandoned and decided itā€™s easier to just not have relationships, romantic or otherwise than be left behind. I enjoyed watching Piper turn to her faith in God to help her reconcile with friends and family and learn to trust and love again.

The Air Force aspect was also very enjoyable! Chalon did a great job of writing a story that is easy to follow even if youā€™re like me and have no background knowledge of the military or airplanes. I felt just confused enough to understand Piperā€™s frustration with all the military jargon but not confused enough to lose interest in the overall story.

This story truly had everything I could ever want in a Christian romance! Deep relatable characters, hunky Air Force pilot who is just as tender and loving as he is attractive, flirty text messages, swoony kissing scenes, and lots of pizza.

This is a five star read for me! I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys sweet clean romance!

meezcarrie's review

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5.0

4.5 stars

Readers, I have a new book boyfriend. His name is Gabriel Orsini, and between his grins and winks and knee-melting kisses and romantic nature, heā€™ll leave you swooning in his wake, too. Oh, and did I mention heā€™s an Air Force pilot? And that when first we meet him, heā€™s pushing an elderly manā€™s minivan out of the middle of the road? By himself. You know those IG reels that ask ā€œWorthy of a romance novel?ā€ ā€¦ well, the resounding answer for Gabe is HECK YES. Seriously, his romantic gestures alone would earn him a place in my book boyfriend collection, but all of his swooniliciousness together is justā€¦. whereā€™s my fan? I grinned. A lot. And I have a feeling you will too.

Piper is a wonderful heroine in her own right. Sheā€™s smart and witty and has a good heart. Sheā€™s got some walls built up though, thanks to some tough losses in her life, and I really loved that her journey toward healing involved her growing relationship with God AND regular communication with a therapist. I am a firm believer in a counselor or therapist to help us see things from the right perspective when we canā€™t process all the information and hurt on our own. I confess I may have wanted to (gently & in love) purse whomp her a couple of times becauseā€¦ GABRIEL ā€¦ but thankfully she comes to her senses without needing my intervention haha. Watching her blossom as she does the work to restore the relationships sheā€™s pushed away is truly heartwarming and encouraging, and because the story is engagingly written from her perspective we get a front row seat to her progress.

Bottom Line: Gabriel & Piperā€™s journey to happily-ever-after in Fly Home to Me is not always a smooth one but it is super sweet & lots of fun. As I already mentioned, I grinned a lot ā€“ in fact, Iā€™m pretty sure my smile was stuck in place through 95% of the book. Once Gabriel fell for Piper, he was all in and gosh thereā€™s something so swoony about that. Piper takes a bit longer to let go of her fears and fully commit in return, but itā€™s in walking with her through the process that readers will find themselves examining their own hearts, too. This tender romance with plenty of sparks & great kisses also gives us a peek at Air Force life & a new appreciation (and compassion) for those who love an active duty member of the military. The perfect choice for fans of sweet romance with a gentle faith thread!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first reviewed on Reading Is My SuperPower

paperbacks_and_ponytails's review

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4.0

Thanks to Net Galley, they sent me an ebook ARC of Fly Home to Me by Chalon Linton. I immediately fell in love with the hero of the story, and I don't say that lightly. It takes a lot for me to fall for the guy in the story, and Gabriel was pure romance and charm. I'm giving this story 4 stars, I loved the charm of the town, and the military aspect. The author knew a lot about what military couples go through, and did a great job in incorporating that lifestyle. I'd reccomend it to anyone who loves light Christian romance stories, so cute! I can't wait to read more from this author. #netgalley

illusie's review

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2.0

This was an okay book for me. The premise is good, but the story lacked sparkle and chemistry. I liked the journalist angle of the story. Piper had a lot of baggage, which she struggles with at first and overcomes her fears. She annoyed me at times. I like the dates Gabriel planned for Piper. That was sweet.

thecleanreadbookclub's review

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5.0

Let me start out this review saying, this book is one of the best contemporaries Iā€™ve read to date. I loved book 1 in this series, but I am enamored with book 2. I would even say that for me, this is Chalon Lintonā€™s best book she has ever written.

Piper and Gabriel are full of chemistry. I love their dialogue back and forth! The writing of their romance and character growth has left my heart full for days. I love the story they have to tell. As with the first book, I loved all of the Air Force details. The Air Force jargon felt conversational, easy to understand and not forced. I loved the descriptions of Arizona and as someone who has spent more than 10 years in the valley of the sun it was 100% accurate.

There were so many elements woven into this story that made me fall in love with it that it has has secured a spot on my ā€œBest of 2021ā€ reading list. If you are looking for a feel-good, heart-warming story please pick this one to read. Whatever reading mood you are in, this will fit the bill.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

hurst_shauna's review

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3.0

A little too slow of burn for me. Listened to the audiobook and had to skip a few chapters.

the_reading_pantry's review

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4.0

This was such a beautiful romance! There is so much depth to the loss and loneliness Piper had felt. I could understand her reasoning behind her decisions and the fears that led to them. Her journey to God was also touching. Iā€™m a fan!

I may be or may not be in love with Gabriel. He is amazing! His sacrifices and willingness to do whatā€™s necessary for others just melted my heart. He also was perfect for Piper.

If youā€™re looking for a cute romance that will not only bring a smile to your face but make you appreciate the sacrifices of those in the military and their families.

About the book:
Piper has dealt with a lot in her life. With the passing of her parents and brother in a car accident, she is left hurting and with a whole lot of rules to keep herself from getting her heart broken again. That is, until she meets a handsome fighter pilot who makes her rethink all of her rules.
Not only that, but he is the subject for her magazine article she is writing. This book is so cute! I absolutely loved all the flirting. Definitely felt butterflies while reading this one.

I received a complementary advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. This in no way affected my opinion. It was a great read!

bandnerd77's review

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3.0

2.5
https://betterbookbureau.weebly.com/reviews/fly-home-to-me-linton

melissasbookshelf's review

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4.0

Looking for an enjoyable clean contemporary romance? This second book in Chalon Lintonā€™s Flying in Love series captures all those butterflies in the stomach moments when youā€™re falling in love, anticipating that first kiss, and looking at your phone wondering if ā€œheā€ will text/call. Each book in this series focuses on those serving in the Air Force and provides a unique look into the complications and hardships military couples face not knowing when they might be called up for service.

The story takes place in the sunny city of Phoenix, Arizona. Paige is in marketing at a local magazine Finding Phoenix. Sheā€™s excited to pitch her new idea for promoting the magazine by featuring local people and what they like about the community. Sheā€™s on her way to pick up her dry cleaning when she sees a hot looking Air Force pilot helping an old man with his car. Wanting to do a good deed, she pays for the Airmanā€™s dry cleaning when she notices him coming into the shop. Gabriel canā€™t accept her generous offer and calls her to ask her out so he can give her the money back.

Paige talks Gabriel into being the local Air Force hero featured in the magazine and Gabriel readily agrees just so he can keep seeing Paige. Paige is a complicated woman. Sheā€™s experienced a lot of loss in her life and feels like she is constantly being left behind. Sheā€™s afraid of commitment and getting hurt. When she meets Gabriel, she has to decide if sheā€™s willing to overcome her fear or lose the greatest thing to ever happen to her.

Can I just say I love Gabriel/Gabe?! He is not only a gorgeous Italian Air Force pilot, but heā€™s kind, creative, thoughtful, a fabulous flirt, and so patient. I loved his celebration of every holiday under the sun, his willingness to sacrifice for Paige, his love of pizza, and his faith.

I liked Paige but at times I wanted to smack her because she is her own worst enemy. Sheā€™s so afraid of losing someone that she sabotages her own chances for happiness. I liked her loyalty and the way that she grows throughout the story.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series! I give it 4 1/2 stars. I was lucky to receive a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.