Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥
Release Date: June 21st, 2021
Sassy social worker Jeni Bishop has lost faith in love. She can’t stand Logan or the NFL team he works for, but can’t help thinking he could help her scratch an itch.
When Jeni’s brother and Logan’s closest friend is diagnosed with cancer, they unexpectedly find themselves on the same team. With Logan interested in a relationship and Jeni ardently avoiding them, they resist their growing attraction even as their lives continue to intertwine in unexpected ways.
“Each time I touch you or kiss you, I feel something I’ve never felt before.”
Home Sweet Mess was such a wonderful read, with so much more under the surface than you realise. The story follows independent social worker Jeni Bishop and charming marketing manager Logan Davis as they go on this journey to falling in love and figuring things out. I had heard a lot about Allison Ashley after the release of her debut and I was curious to see what her second book would be like. It was all heart, it was filled with love and friendships, it’s the kind of book that wraps around you like a warm hug and makes you feel like a million bucks.
Jeni and Logan are a great pairing and I really enjoyed their meet-cute, because it was most unexpected. Their chemistry was a slow burn, but it was also so relatable. As his best friend’s sister, Jeni is sort of off limits, but that doesn’t stop Logan from feeling something for her. Jeni isn’t looking for romance and she’s definitely not looking at it from Logan, because she’s had enough struggles and she doesn’t want to go through falling in love and losing herself all over again.
“I want to try something different. I want a relationship that starts without sex as the primary element.”
While a closed door romance, there’s enough build up to make you fan yourself and grin as they take the steps forward in their relationship. One of the things I enjoyed was seeing how the tables were turned in their relationship – even though they’ve slept together once, Logan has decided that till Jeni is willing to give him more than just a friends with benefits situation, he’s not going to have sex with her again. It’s usually the other way around, where the woman is holding back and I enjoyed seeing how frustrated this made Jeni, but how strong Logan was and how much he stood his ground with his decision.
There were certain elements of their relationship that didn’t work for me, but I really enjoyed their banter and the buildup of their romance. Logan might be charming and sexy and popular with the ladies, but he’s so much more than that. I love how much heart he has and how deep his feelings for Jeni run. Jeni was the complete opposite, but even though she’s got a big heart and is deep in her feels, I loved that she didn’t give in to Logan just because he was saying all the right things. Her reasons for holding back were valid, but I also felt like she could have given in a little earlier. I mean, these are purely selfish reasons, because I just wanted them to kiss and touch more and more and have their way with each other!
“I can’t imagine ever wanting anyone else.”
“I think I’ll want you forever.”
“I can promise you I’ll want you tomorrow.”
Home Sweet Home tackles a lot more serious topics as well, but I enjoyed seeing how they were seamlessly woven into the main story of Jeni and Logan. How their histories and choices all reflected into the little things that they did. Those are the kinds of romances that I really do enjoy. We get a little bit of sports and we get a lot of family fun, but there’s also so much heart in this book that kept me hooked. I’m definitely going to be picking up Allison Ashley’s debut soon!
Thanks to Allison Ashley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
anna reads here 