Review: Homecoming by

Title: Homecoming
Author: Jackie Sexton
Pages: 169
Publisher: Moon Flower Press
Pub Date: June 20th, 2014
Source: Netgalley
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What he wouldn’t give to know her. To tell her that her art saves him everyday. 

Ariane Michaelson is always the quiet girl in the room, the one that her kooky mother and three sisters lovingly call the wallflower. After graduating from college she finds it more than a little difficult to find the graphic design job of her dream...or any job, really. She’s more than given up on painting, and a terrible run-in with her twin sister’s fiancé makes each day harder to keep a life altering secret. 

Liam Ashdown was just the moody small town nobody, with one friend and a busted pickup—until he moved to LA. Spotted by famous actor and producer Michael Jennings during a late night shift at the bar, Liam is transformed seemingly overnight into Tinsel Town’s hottest bad boy. The life Liam once knew is turned upside down with models and mayhem...and there isn’t much down time in-between. 

The only thing that keeps him sane is the paintings. Beautiful ocean portraits that remind him of home, painted years ago by some friend of a friend. 

What he wouldn’t give to know her. To tell her that her art saves him everyday. 

The engagement of his childhood friend, Todd, brings him back home to Craryville, to deal with a drug-addicted mother and an ailing grandmother. But it also brings him hope—somewhere in the bridal party is the woman who has been his calm and respite in the storm of fame. 

The only question is, can she save him? 

I’ve read a lot of new adult full of cliches but this takes the award, it was just one after the other. Now I normally don’t mind clichés. They can be cute and useful sometimes and at times it did work in Homecoming but for the most part I just kept rolling my eyes.

It’s written in a first person point of view that changes between Ariane and Liam. Ariane is a small town girl just trying to make it big in LA. She wants to be a graphic designer but so far no one will take her seriously. She’s just about to give up, especially since her boyfriend dumped her… over text! Liam is from the same small town, only difference is he actually made it out. Now he’s a famous movie actor who acts all cocky but is really empty inside and trying to fight addiction. 

Now anything from Ariane’s point of view was okay, she was very soft-spoken and humble. The problem was whenever it turned to Liams point of view. In essence he was cute and perfect but when he heard his point of view it was just A LOT of whining, complaining, and lusting. It didn’t sounds like a guy at all. I mean some sentences were just ridiculous.

“But just her presence made Liam feel like a child. Like he was melting down into sentimental ooze.”

I mean really? And then Liam and Ariane meet because they’re both part of a bridal party. He instantly realizes there’s something special about her while she tries not to embarrass her. Once the bridal shower is done he whisks her away to LA so she can live the big life that he lives. He continually talks to her about he wants to treat her like a princess but he never actually asks her what he wants. Then there was James… oh James. He was Liam’s personal assistant who literally exists to be the worst cliché ever. I couldn't help but cringe anytime he came out. 

Now even though there was a lot of cringing. There were parts I liked. For example Ariane was an artist and Liam was able to fall  in love with her through her art and I thought that was beautiful. Sadly there was too much unneeded drama and complaining to really be able to enjoy it.

Overall it was an okay book, a fast read with a dash of romance and a lot of clichés.