I'll Be Home...

De: Tate James, Heather Long

Narrado por: Michelle Sparks, Lucas Webley

They say you can never go back…

‘Course, I never wanted to return. It took me years to age out. Once I made it, I took off and never turned around.

Trust me, there were only three reasons I managed to survive there as long as I did and they abandoned me as soon as they were able. I’d like to say I didn’t blame them, but that would be a lie.

I had zero desire to return. Yet here I was, on the road to Northland chasing a story cause my editor told me kids were disappearing… again.

It doesn’t matter what I want, I’m taking the fastest route to the darkest part of my past.

And then I’ll be home…

*Please note this is a reverse harem and the authors suggest you always read the foreword in their books. Contains some dark elements, mature situations, and is definitely intended for 18+. This is a standalone and if you're very good, the elves might even bring it sooner than Christmas.

©2023 Heather Long and Tate James (P)2024 Heather Long and Tate James

Title Details Won’t Prepare You

I didn’t have a clue this was a spicy 🌶️ book until someone in my book club pointed it out. The title details give nothing away. The narrators did well and the plot was decent. The spicy 🌶️ scenes weren’t so over the top that it was gross. Aside from that, the real plot was decent and it ended well.

Wild Holiday Ride

So I generally do not pick up holiday themed books, especially romances. They just tend to land in the Hallmark Christmas movie vein and I’m not about that life. But when Tate and Heather combine forces, it’s an insta-buy no matter the theme. And this was hands down the most spicy, fun, dark, intriguing holiday-themed book ever. I giggled at all the references and names (so clever), cringed and had my heart broken at some super dark stuff, and just loved, absolutely LOVED, our main 4. Bravo, Tate and Heather.

my new favorite Xmas book!

I love the witty holiday fun. Tate and Heather never disappoint! Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!

A True Twisted Christmas Classic

Loved the book and the narration was the cherry on top of the figgy pudding! I can only imagine the conversation between Tate and Heather when their muse’s came up with this storyline! It’s a holly jolly ride through the winter wonderland!

Favorite Christmas book ever!

I wanted something special for Christmas and Tate & Heather DELIVERED IT wrapped in a sexy AF bow! Is this a typical Christmas book? Heck no. Is everything some sort of perfect corny Christmas reference? Heck Yea. And I was so for it. Rayne Dear is a perfect Grinchy FMC for this storyline and I was all for her men that she came across: Frost, Alfie, and Saint Nick. I wanted all of them 🥵🥵🥵🥵🎄🎄🎄🎄 so freaking HOT! Let’s talk about the storyline: it’s intense and can be hard to digest due to what our Big Bad is up to — read your trigger warnings and skip the appropriate chapter named in the front of the book if needed. That being said, it was all interwoven flawlessly creating both a character and plot driven storyline. Did I mention there’s a dog? Oh yeah. Go read this for Christmas if you’re a RH fan!
This duet style narration was amazing. It completely brought the characters to life!!!

strange combo of tragic and funny

I was in the mood for a dark and dirty Christmas listen, so I picked up I’ll Be Home… by Tate James and Heather Long. While I don’t read a lot of dark romance—or reverse harem—I was intrigued by the promise of a dark RH Christmas romcom. I can see how it tried to be all of those things, but it didn’t quite hit the mark in any category.

There were plenty of Christmassy names and puns, but the story was darker (expected) and more depressing (not expected) than I anticipated. It tackled heavy themes involving a foster home selling children into trafficking and abuse. The FMC, Rayne Dear, grew up in this orphanage alongside three boys—Alfie, Frost, and Nick. After they aged out, she was the first to be abused. Now, years later, Rayne is back in town as a journalist, determined to expose the orphanage’s crimes. Along the way, she reconnects with the three men, who are all still in love with her.

Despite the setup, the RH dynamic felt underdeveloped. If I’m remembering right, there was only one scene with all three guys, and the romance took a backseat to the darker plot. The SA storyline and mystery really took over, leaving the Christmas vibes and spice in the background.

The story was a bit all over the place—lots of plot holes, magical coincidences, and tonal shifts. It felt like a dark romance that had Christmas sprinkled in after the fact, and the mix didn’t fully work. That said, it still kept me interested. The dark elements delivered, and there were some oddly funny moments that lightened the mood just enough to keep me reading.

3.75 Stars, 4 Flames, 4.5 Narration

Great

Great story
Great performance
Had me in all emotions I really liked this one.
I recommend this.

Dark but fun

So creative! Ended last year reading this book and kept it in my KU library so it wouldn’t leave. This year I’m ending the year with the audible version.

8/10 recommend

So I LOVE both these authors and the storyline was good. BUT I know both these awesome ladies usually write multiple pov this book however was not and I feel like a big chunk of the story was missing. So that’s where the missing stars come in. I was hoping with the whole Christmas names and theme it would have a paranormal element but it did not. It was however 🔥🔥🔥 nice and spicy. A decent holiday listen and Lucas…you can NEVER go wrong with Lucas he’s the best yum. And who wouldn’t wish they had a kick butt dog like Jolly.

christmas novella realness

i knew i would love this book even before i read it, when i found out there was gonna be an audiobook, i waited for the audio. as always lucas and michelle didnt disappoint. i love their chemistry in a book. they just work well together. the way lucas's voice can change with either voice is epic. the story that was used was so well written. i would love to see more collabs from these two authors. the spice was also spicing but even without that, it would have been an amazing ride.