Carry Me Home (Catskill Crew Romance Book 6)

Let’s face it - we’ve all either been one of the characters, or known one or more of the characters in “Carry Me Home”. Anna Cove’s latest is an engaging, often heartrending snapshot of real life … with a happy ending (that’s no spoiler, because the HEA is not a guarantee as you read the story!). Forty-five year old Leela has been living a life many would envy - affluent, well-travelled, remarkably successful as a blogger and travel writer. She managed to escape the grip of small-town Love Falls, and the restricting judgy-ness of life with her parents. Twenty-some years on, Leela has had three failed marriages, and one son who won’t talk to her. When Leela returns to Love Falls for a funeral, and sees Kell O’Connor, best friend from her teen years she’d be thrilled to see her, yes? No. For her part, Kell is the well-loved mayor of Love Falls - by all accounts, very successful in the role. But Kell’s life has been far from satisfying over the past twenty-some years. A reunion with Leela could be something wonderful, for both of them. Cove takes us through the day-to-day ups and downs of small-town life, including loyal friends at odds, parents who “know better”, and life threatening heroics. “Carry Me Home” includes me and lots of people I’ve known, and it’s written in a way that captured my imagination, my attention, and my heart, from page one. I enjoyed an advance copy of “Carry Me Home”, and this is my voluntary enthusiastic review.

Leela and Kell, best friends as pre-teens, one stays and one leaves this small town at the first opportunity. Paths cross again as young adults and they connect as if time hadn’t passed at all. But who did each become as their journeys evolved and where are they going? Great exploration of memories and who I am introspection. Lovely story of finding themselves and the challenges of our decisions.

This book is more women's fiction than romance, it is about the childhood best friends, after twenty years apart, reconnected and fell in love. But just like in real life, love is messy and full of misunderstanding and uncertainty. Of the couple, I instantly fell for the writer Leela, she is caring and patient, brave enough to face her past mistakes and make amends with her family, and along the way find her true love and revive her career! As for the mayor Kell, I have mixed feelings, she is dedicated, devoted to helping others, always putting her town's business ahead of herself. But she is also lonely and insecure, stubborn and skeptical of true love. Her poor health further makes her vulnerable and distrustful. It is very frustrated to see her deliberately sabotages her happiness, pushing her loved ones away. There is little communication between the couple, and all of the sudden, everything is rosy again. I wish the author spent more ink on the couple's relationship, to make the happy ending more believable.

Kell has always been a fascinating peripheral character in this series. She is a familiar, someone like someone in all our lives. You always know there's a secret that makes that person tick, but you don't know her history. In Carry Me Home, Anna Cove shows us Kell's story, and it is beautiful, a bit of angst, some spice, and an opportunity to see the fragility all women have at a "certain age". Anna perfectly captures the internal angst that permeates anyone who has had open-heart surgery, and she articulates the frustration and love of the people who want to be there but don't know how or are pushed away. This story also brings forgiveness through old family ties and new friends who help navigate a changed but familiar landscape. Anna writes strong women-loving-women characters. She shows that our internal strength is sometimes made possible by external influences.

Best friends Kell and Leela reconnect, after twenty-seven years, at the funeral of a former mentor. Kell is the mayor of Love Falls while Leela has traveled the world as a writer. Anna Cove's writing is emotionally compelling and heartbreaking as these women journey through their pasts and into their HEAs. I've truly enjoyed the previous books in this series. I love all the friendships that have been made over the years, but this book's message was really deep. Kell has to learn that she IS enough and Leela has to STOP running. It's beautifully written, but I wish their healing could have happened a little earlier in the book. It's probably just me, but the despondency lasted too long for my liking. However, I still recommend this entire Catskills series!