Returning home might save the town-but could cost her everything. Orphaned as a teenager, veterinarian Charlie Anderson built a life on her own terms-far from the fractured family she left behind in the rural town of Naringup. But when a suspected Hendra virus outbreak draws her back to Naringup, Charlie is forced to face the very past she thought she’d escaped.

Returning means confronting the people she walked away from: a cousin she left behind, an aunt whose choices shattered her world, and a tangle of grief and resentment she’s kept buried for years. As panic over the outbreak grows, Charlie teams up with local ranger Joel Drummond-whose easy warmth and unruly family offer a glimpse of the connection she’s longed for.

When tensions reach breaking point, Charlie must decide: will she find the courage to heal old wounds, or walk away for good-and risk losing the only family she has left? Close to Home is a standalone novel in The Homecoming Collection – an emotionally layered, page-turning story of family, resilience, and the ties that pull us back home. _______________________________________ Praise for Close to Home: Couldn’t put it down. Brilliant. A wonderful story. A heartfelt story about family, forgiveness, healing the past and hoping for the future. Well written and researched. Pamela Cook has raised the bar …. A must read!