Review: Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer

Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer

Publisher: William Morrow 

Pages: 384 

Format: ARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Queenie Wake, a country girl from North Star, Texas, has just been fired from her job as a chef for not allowing a customer to use ketchup. Again. Now the only place she has to go is home to North Star. She can hope, maybe things will be different. Maybe her family's reputation as those Wake women will have been forgotten. It's been years since her mother-notorious for stealing your man, your car, and your rent money-was killed. And her sister, who as a teenager was branded as a gold-digging harlot after having a baby with local golden boy Wes McKay, is now the mother of the captain of the high school football team. It can't be that bad…

Who knew that people in small town Texas had such long memories? And of course Queenie wishes that her memory were a little spottier when feelings for her high school love, Everett Coburn, resurface. He broke her heart and made her leave town-can she risk her heart again?

But when secrets from the past emerge, will Queenie be able to stick by her family or will she leave home again? A fun-filled, touching story of food, football, and fooling around.


Kritters Thoughts:  A small town in Texas packs quite a big punch in this sweet and endearing look at how a small town works and the ways that it can destroy some of its own.  Queenie Wake has been an outcast her entire life - she just never quite fit in and maybe it is because of the drama from her mom, but I don't think she helped the matter either.  Her and her sister reacted in different ways to the abuse from the small town - she ran from it.  She returns to North Star, TX, but isn't sure she is there to stay.

I am from a small town, 3 stoplights (2 of which appeared my senior year of high school) and reading a book that is set in a small town was so enjoyable.  I understood the wrath of the mean girls and how it continues after high school and I understood not quite fitting in and how that can last a lifetime.  I fell in love with Queenie Wake and her quirky family and wanted to read more and more about their everyday life.  

With chapters named by food, this book should definitely not be read on an empty stomach.  The southern comfort food made me want to head home to my favorite restaurants from my childhood years.  I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love a big story set in a small town where you see the main character evolve into her own despite going back home.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 15 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The tour schedule:

Tuesday, April 2nd: Book Hooked Blog

Wednesday, April 3rd: Sara’s Organized Chaos

Thursday, April 4th: Kritters Ramblings

Monday, April 8th: The Book Garden

Tuesday, April 9th: A Dream Withing a Dream

Wednesday, April 10th: 5 Minutes for Books

Thursday, April 11th: Short and Sweet Reviews

Monday, April 15th: I Read a Book Once

Tuesday, April 16th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Tuesday, April 23rd: Reading Lark

Wednesday, April 24th: Melody & Words

Thursday, April 25th: From the TBR Pile

Friday, April 26th: West Metro Mommy