4.2

Thanks to once upon a book club i read this book!!! And it was so heartfelt and fantastic. I would have never chosen it!! And I Loved it!!!!

Amazing read. Heart felt story of love and friendship. Regardless of the obstacles in their path Ruth and Tom keep moving forward towards happiness.

"Happy ever afters come in all shapes and sizes. When you least expect then. Some last a lifetime, others only a fleeting moment." "Home is a feeling. Not a place"

I felt everything the characters felt. I laughed with them, cried with them, and all the in between. Each character was as unique as a real person. Ruth is an adult coping with Asperger's and trying to be a mom. Tom suffered great loss and couldn't continue his regular life. Countless others have their own stories. They're all the faces of homelessness who are regular people like all of us.

This was such a beautiful and emotional read . Dealing with homelessness and autism. I just loved it.

Got this from a book subscription box (once upon a bookclub). I would not normally pick this myself but the. I feel in love with Main characters

This was a great book when I needed a wonderful story with a mix of endings - happy, sappy, and crappy (although the crappy ones were the start of refreshing new beginnings). This book deals with parenthood of many varieties, social issues, and the true meaning of family. Highly recommend

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It was a fabulous read that made me laugh out loud at some points but reduced me to tears at others. I loved it and would recommend it.

An absolute GEM of a book! I was drawn into this book right away and became thoroughly invested in the lives of the characters. It does take a while for the author to reveal certain things about the characters, so while I had guessed a portion of it, there were still surprises when she finally directly addressed a lot of the secrets that were being hinted at throughout the book. This is another book written alternating between not only characters but also between time periods in those characters' lives. I was cheering for and aching for and wanting to meet and be a part of everyone of their lives. While the book is set in Dublin, Ireland, and a commentary about the homeless situation in that city and country, I still felt that it's a very real social situation that we can all be aware of and work to not judge anyone based on simply a look at their outward appearance because there are layers to everyone and their situation. This book also deals with the autism spectrum and makes some very important observations about autistic individuals and their lives as well. Again, I absolutely loved this book and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Content: Strong language throughout (frequent, regular F bombs)

***Spoilers for Once Upon a Book Club Box***

**Warning-- Do NOT read these spoilers if you want to be surprised about the gifts if you purchased this subscription book. This list also contains some book spoilers as well.**

I received this book as part of my subscription to Once Upon a Book Club, which includes gifts to be opened as you come upon certain spots throughout the book. For this book, the gifts were as follows:

p. 7 - A hug coupon (printed like a ticket to a play/sporting event/etc.), representing the hug coupon DJ gives to his mom (Ruth) on his birthday to thank her for his birthday presents from the hug coupon book
p. 67 - headphones (Beats-style but not Beats, ha ha), like Ruth wears when she has her meltdown in the hotel room and DJ helps her cope
p. 227 - a pink and gold spoon, representing the one Tom uses to stir his coffee in the coffee shop while he's visiting with Ruth
p. 398 -a gray and white patterned decorative pillow cover, representing the one Tom remembers when he's dreaming about Cathy and their argument about the pillows on the bed

Bonus: Autographed bookplate from the author.

Printed Quote: "Home isn't a place, it's a feeling." - Carmel Harrington, "A Thousand Roads Home"