3.75 ⭐️
ੈ♡˳ Best friends growing up, Blair and Declan were inseparable. But when a kiss turns their close friendships into something more, everything changed for them when they began their short romance, which quickly ended when one moment broke it all and left them both estranged and heartbroken. Four years later, Blair returns to her coastal hometown of Seabrook to support her mom and be there for her great-aunt Lottie, whose health is deteriorating. So, she applies for a job at a local coffee shop in town, only to discover that the manager is Declan. Even though she tries to ignore her racing heart whenever she’s near him, Blair can’t forget what was said and done in the past, and it seems like Declan can’t either. Can they ever move past the secrets and wounds that still affect their present when their hearts long for something more in the future?
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ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Take Me Home by Benson Boone
0:57 ───ㅇ───── 3:01
❦ “I want everything from him and don’t have the slightest clue how to begin getting it. Every year. Every lost year. I want it back. I want us to spend every foreseeable second together until the memory foam of our bodies returns to their forgotten positions. I want to come home.” ❦
ੈ♡˳ I want to start off by saying that I am a big fan of Haley Pham and I love, love, love watching her videos, but even if I didn’t, the critiques I’m about to make have nothing to do with her or her platform. I applaud any author who gets their work out there in the world because I know how hard it is to write a book. Believe me, I tried, and it’s really horrible. 😂 Unless you're Ali Hazelwood or Freida McFadden, then writing books is just child’s play at that point. 😏
This book has been my most anticipated read for 2026. The preorder was an early birthday gift from a sibling, so I was waiting patiently yet impatiently FOR MONTHS. So when it finally arrived at my doorstep, I was over the moon because, oh my gosh, I have Haley Pham’s book in my hands! Like, what?!?! Ugh, I am so, so happy for her. 🥹🫶🏼
Now, I really, really liked this book, but I didn’t exactly love it. Yes, it was cute. Yes, there were sweet moments between Blair and Declan. Yes, there was an emotional aspect of the book (particularly dealing with grief) that made this more than just a regular romance book. In fact, I’d say this was more women’s fiction or literary fiction rather than a romance. It was there, but it wasn’t playing center stage. It was more like a side character, only showing up to support the lead of the story. And for me, that’s fine because I do love literary fiction, but isn’t this marketed as a romance book? That’s what I was expecting, and to me, the romance was…okay. It didn’t make me swoon or kick my feet in the air. It was sweet–nothing more, nothing less.
I did feel like the dialogue was a bit forced, but I think my main problem with the book was the characters. Not their personality, per se, but more like the lack of it. I related to Blair and the walls she built around herself because of her mom’s experience, and then what happened between her and Declan. I get it, I really do, but she just felt a little emotionally immature. Granted, she’s 22. So am I, which is great because I hardly read books where the main characters are the same age as me. But the way she perceived things and situations just did not make sense to me, and that’s coming from someone who has more issues than there are ingredients listed on a cereal box. And the way she handled them? Yeah, she has some growing up to do. But there are thirty-year-old FMCs that act way worse than Blair did, so it didn’t bother me as much, and it’s nothing that time, communication, and experience won’t fix. Besides, she was grieving, so obviously that plays a huge role in decision-making.
Now, with Declan, I felt like there wasn’t much personality to him. Okay, he’s sweet and kind, and we do see that from time to time, but it was more tell than show? He felt more like an acquaintance rather than a best friend who knew Blair better than anyone else did. I just did not feel that big a connection between them. Yeah, like I said before, there were cute moments of them together, and I honestly liked the parts of them together as teenagers more than when they were adults, but best friends tell each other everything, right? They know things no one else does, yet they hold back from each other, specifically Blair holding back from Declan, and that made their short romance rocky because of their lack of communication, or misuse of it. I don’t know. I just didn’t feel that spark or that chemistry that makes me want to scream like I’m at a concert. But at least they took accountability for their mistakes, so that is always a plus in my book.🙂↕️
And you know what this was also missing? Community. Seabrook sounds like a freaking paradise, but it was more like a set for the story than a real place that I can just pack my bags and go visit in hopes of buying from the small businesses and meeting the colorful characters that make Seabrook home.
And what on earth happened to Calvin?? My guy was like the wind--there one second and then gone the next. Where did he go? I...kinda liked him. 😢😂
Gosh, I know this sounds like I’m just hating on the book, but I’m really not. Besides the few things I didn’t like about the story, I still enjoyed myself and everything else about the book was amazing. 😻 Blair's friends were great, so was her Mom and great-aunt Lottie.🥹 I thought Blair and Declan were actually pretty mature for 22-year-olds, and I still rooted for them and wanted them to be together because I need my characters to be happy, gosh dang it. 😭❤️
I also really, really liked the writing, and if you saw all the underlining I did in my copy, then you’d know how much I like it. 😉 I’ve read reviews where readers said that the writing is kinda like Emily Henry’s, but since I haven’t read a single book by her, I can’t say that's true. And I’m honestly glad I haven’t read any of Henry’s books yet because that would seem a bit unfair to compare this book to other books that are written by someone with more experience. Mind you, this is a debut novel. It’s not meant to be perfect, and I think this was a great start to the author’s writing career. I read this well into the night, and I could not put it down the next day. I just had to know how it ended. And, it’s safe to say, I’m pretty happy with the ending.
All in all, this was a cute, cozy read, and I know I said this a hundred times already (sorry 😅), but I enjoyed it. I hope Haley writes more books in the future because I will be the first in line to get every single one of them. 🤭💌
❦ “‘I want you. And I will do whatever it takes to make you remember why you wanted me.’” ❦
❗Content Warnings❗
Loss of a loved one, grief, & mentions a car accident (recalled by character) and an abusive marriage (off page).
Swearing: No
Spice: Only kissing. (🌶/5)