ARC Review: The Journey Home by Kelly Elliott

The Journey Home is the first book that I have read by Kelly Elliott, but I was really drawn in after reading the blurb for this book. I knew that this book would be angsty and filled with drama, but I was honestly unprepared for the amount of it in this story. While this book had a lot that I really liked, it was also a bit too much for me and I found myself shaking my head or rolling my eyes quite often.

After a night of passion unlike anything they have known before, Maddie walks away and leaves Cale behind. Two years later they both often think of each other. Maddie knows it was the biggest mistake of her life, and Cale looks for her everywhere he goes. But when a bet suddenly brings them back together, Cale is dating one of Maddie's friends. When Cale finds himself in a tough situation, he starts to rely on Maddie's help. Despite everything that has happened, Maddie and Cale's feelings and connection has never changed. But can they get past everything that has happened and finally try something between them?

I liked Cale and Maddie, but they both made a lot of mistakes. Maddie had a tendency to run and push others away, especially when she found herself really caring about them. I didn't understand why she acted this way at all, as it wasn't like she had been through anything rough or that would have made her that way. She was scared and acted immaturely, and it seemed as though her actions were those of a much younger person. Cale had searched for Maddie and never gave up on her, until she was right in front of his face. He didn't ever stop to really think about what it must have been like to be in Maddie's shoes, and that really irritated me. At that point Maddie had tried to move on as best she could, and he treated her horribly. I didn't understand it, and frankly it made me like his character a lot less. I could see the connection between Cale and Maddie, and they definitely had attraction and chemistry. But I honestly thought that they both had some real issues that were pretty much never addressed.

I also hated how blind both Maddie and Cale were when it came to Zoey. She did nothing but manipulate and scheme, and she really didn't hide it well at all. But yet both Maddie and Cale continued to say and think that she was so far above that. I don't understand the blind faith they had in her when it was so obvious, but it made them come off as extremely naive and a bit ridiculous. I hated Zoey instantly and knew she was no good, just as their friends Jack and Monica did, and I was just waiting for her to get what she deserved. I really think that Cale and Maddie belonged together and I did like a lot of how things went for them after they got past some of the obstacles in their way. I felt like they had their sweet moments, and their connection only got stronger with everything that happened. But to me, there was just too much drama and things were over the top. It was a bit soap operaish to me, and pretty much every cliche and predictable source of drama that could happen did. It just was too much in my opinion, and unfortunately dimmed all the good moments for me. I think that a lot of readers will enjoy this book, especially if you are looking for something with a lot of angst and drama. This one just wasn't for me though, and I am not sure if I would read more from Kelly Elliott in the future.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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