No Way Home by Callie Mae Shaw: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

Went on a date with the Bowen Dupree.

Didn’t know who he was then.

Wish I didn’t know now.

In my defense, I grew up overseas. And I’m pre-med. I don’t have time for celebrity gossip—I barely have time to sleep.

So, it’s a miracle when my roomie convinces me to stop studying and attend a blind date-scavenger hunt. The one hard and fast rule? No exchanging names until the end.

I win the date lottery. My guy’s quick-witted, unfairly gorgeous—hello, stormy gray eyes—and feels like someone I’ve known forever.

By the time we reach the final task, a kiss for the camera, I’m confident this will be my last first kiss.

I duck into the bathroom for a breath check, but when I come back out…

He’s gone.

No note. No number. Just a night that felt like magic collapsing into a sucker punch I never saw coming.

A week later, Griffin Dupree asks me out. He’s safe, steady, and everything I should want. And yes, his family is stacked with country music stars, bestselling authors, and an NFL QB. But Griffin doesn’t want the spotlight—he just wants me.

Things are finally looking up.

Until I meet his family…and lock eyes with his brother across the table.

I nearly fall out of my chair.

Turns out, the boy who vanished? Is my new boyfriend’s younger brother, Bowen.

When those stormy gray eyes lock on mine, I know…

Bowen Dupree isn’t done with me yet. Not even close.

The Author

Callie Mae Shaw/Susan Henshaw is an Amazon Best-selling author and an unapologetic romantic who can’t stop seeing potential love stories everywhere—church potlucks, high school football games, even the soup aisle at her local grocery store.

She writes emotional, angsty romances about realistic, imperfect people fighting to protect their hearts, and a family whose love is so fierce, it feels like home.

When she’s not busy torturing fictional couples, she’s teaching fitness classes, bribing her teenager to eat real food, and checking her phone to see if her adult children have remembered she exists.

Her stories grow on a large patch of land in rural Virginia that feels like a dream—where fireflies dance through the night air, bullfrogs sing from the river, and the deer and bunnies are basically her coworkers.

Book Review

When I pick up a book by Callie Mae Shaw/Susan Henshaw, I know without a doubt I am in for an emotional roller coaster. Her stories never fail to bring the angst and the drama, but also the heart. Even knowing all of this, I was not at all prepared for this one! It was perhaps her most emotional story yet... and while I can't give away all the details as to why, just trust me that you'll want to have tissues handy for this one. We got to see a little bit of Bowen and Magnolia's story in Sing Me Home (I do highly recommend reading it first) and I absolutely could not wait to get the full story... and boy, was it worth the wait! I've said many times before that 'dating the wrong brother' is one of my absolute favorites that shouldn't work but gets me every time. And this one? It brought ALL the angst and drama that you would expect in that scenario... but both the history between Maggie and Bowen and the issues between Bowen and Griffin went so much deeper as well. I loved getting the chance to go back and see how things started, and to see that infamous moment from book one from their perspectives. I don't love cheating; I don't love love triangles... but I loved this story. Somehow, Susan once again took a messy situation and made it work... and work beautifully. Theirs was the slowest of burns filled with both heartbreak and healing with a hard fought happily ever after completely worth waiting for... and I absolutely loved it. The Duprees are all put through the absolute wringer in this one, and I cannot wait to see what's in store for them next. 

No Way Home is a closed-door romance with detailed kisses only. It does have some minor innuendo and language as well. This story does not shy away from tough topics, so I do recommend reading the author's note for potential triggers, if needed. It is the second book in the Seddledown Two: Finding Home series. While you may be able to enjoy this one as a standalone, I do think you're going to get the most out of it if you've read at LEAST the first book in this series, if not the original Seddledown series as well. 



You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/43we76F