Maxine Morrey - No Place Like Home

Ellie Laing has a very good reason to want to stay single: her last relationship put her in danger. And she’s worried that while the physical scars will heal, the emotional ones never can. So, travelling to Kansas for her best friend Sandy’s wedding, Ellie’s in need of some time alone. And Sandy’s brother Ben’s rural and idyllic ranch seems like the perfect place for it.

Ben comes with his own baggage – a failed marriage in his past, and a big question mark over his future – and he knows the feelings he had for Ellie belong firmly in the history books. But, sitting on his porch with her, he’s never felt more at home.

Both of them swore they were better off alone … yet is it possible that two broken hearts could come together to heal?

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten. As time went by, she continued to write, but ‘normal’ work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love.

In August 2015, she won HarperCollins/Carina UK’s ‘Write Christmas’ competition with her first romantic comedy, Winter’s Fairytale .

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym.

Twitter @Scribbler_Maxi

Instagram @scribbler_maxi

Facebook www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor

Pinterest ScribblerMaxi

Website www.scribblermaxi.co.uk

Email scribblermaxi@outlook.com

‘I’ve fallen head over heelsfor Maxine’s writing style’

‘I’m a big fan of Maxine’s writingand I love how she is able to write lighthearted romantic comediesthat have serious issuesat their centre’

‘I loveMaxine Morrey’s books’

‘Hand on heart, I could read a Maxine Morrey novel every dayof the week without getting bored’

‘I’m a big fan of Morrey’s books’

‘Maxine has this way of captivating her readerswith charismatic and memorablecharacters’

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019

Copyright © Maxine Morrey 2019

Maxine Morrey asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © May 2019 ISBN: 9780008318512

Version: 2019-02-25

Table of Contents

Cover

Blurb Two hearts. One home? Ellie Laing has a very good reason to want to stay single: her last relationship put her in danger. And she’s worried that while the physical scars will heal, the emotional ones never can. So, travelling to Kansas for her best friend Sandy’s wedding, Ellie’s in need of some time alone. And Sandy’s brother Ben’s rural and idyllic ranch seems like the perfect place for it. Ben comes with his own baggage – a failed marriage in his past, and a big question mark over his future – and he knows the feelings he had for Ellie belong firmly in the history books. But, sitting on his porch with her, he’s never felt more at home. Both of them swore they were better off alone … yet is it possible that two broken hearts could come together to heal?

About the Author About the Author About the Author Praise for Maxine Morrey Title page Copyright Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Acknowledgements Extract Dear Reader … About the Publisher Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten. As time went by, she continued to write, but ‘normal’ work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love. In August 2015, she won HarperCollins/Carina UK’s ‘Write Christmas’ competition with her first romantic comedy, Winter’s Fairytale . Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym. Twitter @Scribbler_Maxi Instagram @scribbler_maxi Facebook www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor Pinterest ScribblerMaxi Website www.scribblermaxi.co.uk Email scribblermaxi@outlook.com

Praise for Maxine Morrey Readers love Maxine Morrey! ‘I’ve fallen head over heels for Maxine’s writing style’ ‘I’m a big fan of Maxine’s writing and I love how she is able to write lighthearted romantic comedies that have serious issues at their centre’ ‘I love Maxine Morrey’s books’ ‘Hand on heart, I could read a Maxine Morrey novel every day of the week without getting bored’ ‘I’m a big fan of Morrey’s books ’ ‘Maxine has this way of captivating her readers with charismatic and memorable characters’

Title page No Place Like Home MAXINE MORREY

Copyright HQ An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019 Copyright © Maxine Morrey 2019 Maxine Morrey asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. E-book Edition © May 2019 ISBN: 9780008318512 Version: 2019-02-25