I have to confess. I wasn’t hooked right off the bat in chapter one. Ashlyn is a teen paying for the crime of her past by being sent off to boarding school. She’s excited to be back home for the summer where she can hang out with her best friend Tatum, except her dad has other plans for her. Ashlyn is set to help out her cousin, Hannah, at a retreat camp. Why can’t she just stay home like a normal high schooler? Her dad has crimes of his own to pay, so he won’t be home and her mom is so messed up from her father’s misdeeds that she won’t be home either.
Ashlyn goes off to help Hannah at the camp and meets two cute fellow staffers, Baxter and Marcus. Both appear to be great guys and one seems to give her a tad more attention than the other. Will Ashlyn have a summer romance, or will her father’s controlling words freeze her up from enjoying her summer despite having to work?
This novel grew on me. Ashlyn’s character is relatable to me in so many ways. I love to write, journal and read. I think it’s great Ashlyn carries around a notebook of her favorite quotes that she writes down. I, also, shy away from speaking up except for when I’m really mad about something. I also, have daddy issues. My own dad isn’t as strict as Ashlyn’s dad, but I know what it’s like to have high expectations to live up to and not feel like what you do is enough. Also, when it comes to parental affection it’s not doled out often. I know what it’s like to have anxiety when hearing from said parent, of being nervous of being in trouble, even when there’s no reason to be. It’s sad, but true.
I received my complimentary digital copy of No Place Like Here by Christina June from Blink, care of NetGalley. The views expressed are of my own accord and mine only. This book is a sweet read. It is a story that opens up the complication that is family and how we do our best to navigate our family relationships. It shows a great example of how we are all imperfect, but how through our brokenness we can heal baby step by baby step. I highly recommend this upcoming summer release.
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