BOOK REVIEW- NO PLACE LIKE YOU by Emma Douglas

Home—in the island village of Cloud Bay—is where the heart is. . .

Leah Santelli always knew that Zach Harper, son of a rock legend and her best friend’s brother, was painfully out of reach. Then, on the night of her eighteenth birthday, Leah shocked herself by asking for—and receiving—the gift she wanted: one night of passion with Zach before he left town to pursue his rock star dreams. Now, years later, Zach is back in Cloud Bay to record his first solo album. His return could also be Leah’s big chance to step up her own music career. But getting the producing credit she needs means spending long hours with Zach in the recording studio…and falling back into the habit of longing for him, for better or worse.

Zach used to believe that a man must put his past behind him. But coming back home for Cloud Bay’s famed music festival has allowed him to finally make amends with his family and, much to his surprise, reunite with Leah. He might have left her once but now it seems he can’t stay away. Trouble is, even though the heat between them burns hotter than ever, Leah has old wounds in need of healing before she can give Zach a real chance. Can he find a way to convince her that they can make more than just great music together—and that she’s the one that he wants for all time?   AMAZON 3.5 STARS

I have to say that the story does kind of start off slow.  I know it does take time to develop the characters and set up the story and it does do that.   But for quite a while it seems set at a slower pace.  I guess that is some of the reason for my giving it a lower rating.  It just didn't draw me in as much as I would have liked.
The emotions of the main characters are pretty well felt as the story goes on.  That slower feel to the story does ramp up as the story goes into the last few chapters.  Things start happening and there is a surprise twist at the end.   Another secret from the rock star legend Grey's past that is mentioned in the book.  There was speculation from the three "kids" about what that secret was....and then..bam, there was the answer.  It will have to be continued in another book but it did make for a good ending. 

But I get ahead of myself here.  Zach, Faith and Mina are the rock legends "kids".  And they have stuck together having each others backs for years.  Well, until Zach did a really selfish move and made himself scarce.  Now he's going to have to do some groveling to get that sense of family back.  

Here are some of the parts that I did like.  One of them is the dual P.O.V.'s from the main characters.  And some of the conversations between Zach and Leah were downright funny when they weren't awkward of even painful. It was interesting that you could feel the awkwardness before they even began to say that it was there.  Leah was a meet things head on kind of woman, going after what she wants.  I liked how Zach mentions that he sees her as someone who is laughter, movement, guts and brilliance.  What a great way to put it.  
Leah saw Zach as too talented and too hot for his own good; that he was born to prowl and born to leave.   But that didn't stop the two of them from acting like two magnets continually being drawn together. 

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion of it.