If you like sweet romance in set in earlier eras, you’ll get plenty of it in Ann Gabhart’s new novel, Love Comes Home. In it, three sisters are reunited–or not–with their men coming home from World War II. For good or bad, war changes people, and after long years of separation, even the most joyous, longed-for reunion requires some adjustment.

As the story opens in August 1945, all of America is cheering the end of World War II with the announcement of VJ Day. In a small Kentucky town, the four Merritt sisters find themselves navigating rocky emotional waters:

*One is overjoyed at the return of her soldier-husband and eager to start a family. But they were newlyweds when he went off to war–how well do they really know each other?
*Another sister struggles when her husband returns from the war a changed man
*Another must adjust to life as the single mother of a toddler

At age 14, the fourth (adopted) sister doesn’t have a soldier coming home–but must cope nonetheless with roiling emotions concerning the true circumstances of her birth.

Faith and the support of a big, warm, loving family is the overarching theme that weaves all of these separate threads together.

As a history buff, I felt that more details about life during World War II, particularly its effect on a small town in Kentucky, would have added color, interest, and credibility to the story. At times it felt very contemporary, especially when characters said things like “You go hang out with Jay.” “Hang out” doesn’t sound like something that would have been said in the 1940s except in reference to hanging out the wash. But for readers less history-minded and longing for tales of romance and strong family ties, Love Comes Home offers both in spades.

Love Comes Home is the third book in a series, and I read it without reading the others first. I wish I had read the books in order, because I think it would have given me better insight into the sisters and their personalities and motivations, which were mystifying to me at times. But for the most part the story stands on its own, and the author does a good job of filling in bits of story from the earlier books.

In short, Love Comes Home is a clean inspirational read about romance, marriage, family, and faith.

Disclosure: I’ve been given a review copy of this book by the publisher. This generosity, while appreciated, has not biased my review. I also post some of my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.