Review: Following Maggie by Melanie Moreland (Coming Home #4)

Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

There was a time when I gobbled up quite a few insta-love stories, mostly because they were super quick reads that provide the reader with a satisfactory happily-ever-after. Think of it as instant satisfaction, but I did grow tired of it after a while. There's just something about delayed gratification, I guess. That being said, I always try to keep myself open to all things book-wise. I still enjoy the occasional insta-love story, albeit I look for that something extra that makes it stand out. Welp, I needn't look far this time around because Melanie Moreland, who has easily become one of my favorite go-to authors over the last couple of years or so, has a new book out. Yes, it has a touch of insta to it, although it's more insta-spark than actual insta-love, and she's written the story in a way that could well make you believe (again for those who no longer do!) in the idea of love at first sight.

Following Maggie is the fourth book in the multi-author Coming Home series. Fun fact: I had no idea it was part of an ongoing series or that there were other authors involved. While reading, I was curious about two established couples in the story, and I wondered if they were already in published stories from Melanie Moreland. A little bit of searching after I finished reading made me realize the whole multi-author series thing. All that being said, Moreland's book can very much be read as a standalone. This is the story of Maggie Andrews and Sebastian Ruggers, two twenty-somethings who meet while stuck at the airport during a snowstorm. She's heading to the only place she's ever considered home; he's going back to a place that should have felt like home but hasn't been that in years. Their connection is instant and unlike anything they've ever experienced before, but could this be nothing more than a fluke or could this all be something extraordinary?

This romance had me, hook, line, and sinker! I was attached to Maggie and Sebastian from the moment she spied him sleeping across a set of seats in one of the waiting area at the airport. There was just something about these two that I found utterly irresistible, and becoming emotionally invested in them and their story was a no-brainer. I loved the journey these two were on--that search for home and the realization that home isn't a structure or a location; rather it's the person you're with. While this may have been a fairly quick read, it packs a punch, thanks to Melanie Moreland's beautiful writing and her ability to bring originality and creativity to a well-worn trope, breathing new life into it. If you're looking for something light and easy with a teeny bit of angst to read this weekend, I highly recommend you follow my lead (and that of other romance readers who have fallen in love with this book) and spend some time Following Maggie (and Sebastian too). Five stars.

Release Date: 07 April 2022

Date Read: 02 April 2022

Learn more about Melanie Moreland.

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