Blog Tour and Giveaway: Coming Home: Priscilla Glenn

by - Friday, January 31, 2014


COMING HOME
BY PRISCILLA GLENN
Add to Goodreads
Buy Amazon/B&N

Leah Marino hasn’t been on a date in two years. After discovering the man she loved had manipulated and deceived her, she refuses to even entertain the idea of a relationship. Instead, she focuses her attention on taking care of her family, a role she’s assumed since the death of her mother and the one place she knows her kindness won't be taken advantage of again.

When a nostalgic trip back to her childhood home results in a chance encounter with Danny DeLuca, a smart-mouthed mechanic who’s as attractive as he is mysterious, Leah's carefully cultivated walls begin to crumble. She finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Danny, despite his unreliable behavior and mixed signals.
But Danny has a secret...

One that could shake Leah's already precarious foundation and bring her world crashing down around her. Suddenly, she's faced with an incredibly difficult decision--is she willing to risk everything for the chance at finding the love she's always wanted? Or are some obstacles just too big for the heart to overcome? 




“Do you want to be alone?” she asked.

Danny turned to her, his eyes meeting hers before he shook his head.

“Okay,” Leah said gently, and he released her hand as she put the car in park and cut the engine.

They rode the elevator up to his apartment in silence; Danny’s eyes were trained on the floor as he chewed the inside of his lip, and Leah rested her head on his shoulder until they arrived at his floor.

He seemed distracted as he opened the door to his apartment, and Leah followed him inside, putting her purse on the entryway table.

“Do you want me to make you something to eat?” she asked.

“No,” he murmured. “Thank you.”

He was standing in the living room with his back to her, and she walked over to him, placing her hands on the sides of his waist as she rested her forehead against the back of his shoulder. After a few seconds, he turned to face her, and Leah lifted her head, looking up at him.

He stared down at her for a moment before he dropped his eyes, watching his hand as he hooked two fingers in the front pocket of her jeans. She saw him wet his lips, and then he gave a gentle tug, pulling her a step closer as his other hand came to the hem of her shirt, taking it between his thumb and forefinger.

Danny’s eyes were trained on his fingers as he toyed with the soft fabric, and then his knuckle grazed her belly button as he started pulling it up slowly. When her stomach quivered in response, he glanced up, his eyes meeting hers before they dropped again.

And then he slid it up a bit higher.

She lifted her arms out of reflex, and suddenly, her shirt was off. He tossed it somewhere behind her before he hooked his fingers in the front of her jeans and gave her another tug.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her shoulder as his fingers came to the button of her jeans. She felt it pop open as he exhaled against her skin. “I’m sorry. I just…”

Leah closed her eyes as she brought her hand to the back of his head. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “Take what you need.”

He made a small sound in the back of his throat as he dropped his forehead to her shoulder. “God, how do you do that?” he asked, easing her zipper down.

“Do what?” she asked softly, running her fingers through the back of his hair.

“You make it stop hurting,” he said against her skin. “Every time.”

Leah exhaled as she brought her hand to his chin, lifting his head before she brought her mouth to his.


Coming Home is one of those books that you just have to dive into blindly and go along for the ride.


Leah and Danny meet unexpectedly, and they are both intrigued. When given the chance to see her again, Danny takes it even though he knows he should stay away. They have a witty rapport and good chemistry.  He can be funny, charming, and friendly. But he can also be evasive and unpredictable. He keeps trying to talk himself into keeping his distance, that he does not deserve her, but cannot help himself from finding reasons to talk to her. 


Being with him, talking to him, was the emotional equivalent of bungee jumping. There was the freedom, the adrenaline, the exhilaration of the fall, only to have it come to an abrupt halt, roughly yanking her back in the direction from which she came.

Leah is sweet, sarcastic, and a bit reserved. She has serious trust issues with men and her own feelings of personal loss. But something about Danny draws her in. She wants to get to know him, but he confuses her. He runs so hot and cold and she has no clue what is really going on with him. So they dance around each other, both wanting more, but both with fears and insecurities. 

I loved these characters. They were so likable, loving, supportive, fun, and genuine. You could feel the sexual tension, the need, the want of something more between them, and them holding back. But they were so good together. I loved Danny even when he was scared, evasive, and avoiding. I could tell he had a good heart and was a good man who loved his friends and family and took care of those he cared about. But he was scared and hurting. And he worried about his future and hurting Leah. And she was strong, caring, and selfless. She had her own trust issues and fears to overcome and was trying to move past those in order to enjoy time with Danny.

"You're one of the strongest people I know, and I really hate that life keeps making your have to prove it."

Danny's secret is a big mystery that keeps you guessing. What is Danny so guilty about? Why does he keep pushing Leah away?

And when it is revealed, I was both shocked and heartbroken for Danny. He had endured so much and is still  facing repercussions and an uncertain future. And I can honestly say that the whole time I was really trying to figure it all out myself and I did not even come close to the truth. It was a surprising twist and one that I have not seen before. 

Their chemistry is strong, their rapport is easy going, and they love spending time together. But ultimately Leah has to decide if she can live with his past and what could happen in his future. 

"Is the reward worth the suffering?"

The side characters of his friends and her family provided support and comic relief. I found myself laughing in the midst of the more serious storylines. Their strong relationships also helped show the true character of both Danny and Leah. They were caring individuals who tried to be there for those they loved. 


“It’s hard to watch someone you care about suffer. But when you love someone, you do it. You do it without question or reservation. You do it because there’s no other option—because the thought of being without them is a hundred times more excruciating than bearing their burden.” 

This book was beautifully written and slowly allowed the reader to fully comprehend the complicated back stories and it helped you really get to know the characters gradually. I have to say that at times I was so tense trying to figure out the secrets and also figure out what was going to happen that I was silently hoping it would move just a bit faster. But it was intriguing and just when I thought the book was going one way, then it would shift and surprise me again.  It dealt with loss, guilt, trust, and faith. They had real challenges and issues bearing down on them, but also had a strong connection. It was a matter if the feelings they had could withstand the challenges they were facing and if they would feel the same way during the process. It was emotional, sexy, romantic, sweet, heartbreaking, and hopeful. This couple was so likable and it was hard to watch them struggle. But it was a truly moving, unique, engaging, story that I really enjoyed. 

Thanks to Priscilla Glenn for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. 

Coming Home has a great mix of angst and pain, humor and playfulness. Before each chapter I was never quite sure which emotion was going to hold center stage, which just kept me reading that much more. 

"My father once told me that if something seems too hard, before you give up, you should always ask yourself if the reward will be worth the suffering." 

From the beginning I liked Danny. I could tell he was holding something back, but even knowing there was something big looming in his life, I loved the way he was around Leah. Leah, herself, was sunk so far into a state of grief and mistrust that it took a lot to bring her out of her shell. We really saw her pain through the various plot points in the story. It seemed like there was always a new challenge for Leah to overcome. 

Leah and Danny worked so well together. There was an instant interest between them, despite both of them trying to hold themselves back. Danny was so understanding of Leah's hang-ups and worked slowly to get under her defenses. He also really took up the protector role that she had never had before, especially as it comes to light that her ex may not be as gone as she led everyone to believe. 

I loved the buffer of Catherine during the couple's first meeting. Danny walking in to the house cursing out the person parked in the driveway was priceless. The side characters, from Catherine to Danny's friends and Leah's family were great additions to the story, and the bit of the story related to Bryan really explained the cohesiveness of the group and their willingness to support one another in everything going on. Because, MAN, there's a doozy of a storyline in there. Danny has a secret, and I'm not going to give it away, but his hesitance to start anything with Leah in the first place has a reason that had me speculating every time I picked the book up. 

This was a great emotional, surprise-filled story of finding love despite personal doubt and challenges. I really enjoyed following Leah and Danny on their journey to each other.

Thanks to Priscilla Glenn for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.


Priscilla Glenn Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads   
Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching English at the middle and high school levels for the past twelve years while moonlighting as a writer, mom, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer. If you catch her when she's feeling sophisticated, she'll tell you her favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in between, she'll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry's, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson. Glenn is the author of the contemporary romance novels Back to You, Emancipating Andie, and Coming Home. You can contact her at priscilla.glenn3@gmail.com    

 Organized by: AToMR Tours
Follow the Tour

Signed Print Copies of Coming Home – International

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

You May Also Like

3 comments