Finding Home

By: Garrett Leigh

Narrated by: Dan Calley

Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

With their mum dead and their father on remand for her murder, Leo Hendry and his little sister, Lila, have nothing in the world but each other. Broken and burned, they’re thrust into the foster-care system. Leo shields Lila from the fake families and forced affection, until the Poulton household is the only place left to go.

Charlie de Sousa is used to other kids passing through the Poulton home, but there’s never been anyone like his new foster brother. Leo’s physical injuries are plain to see, but it’s the pain in his eyes that draws Charlie in the most.

Day by day, they grow closer, but the darkness inside Leo consumes him. He rejects his foster parents, and when Charlie gets into trouble, Leo’s attempt to protect him turns violent. When Leo loses control, no one can reach him - except Charlie. He desperately needs a family - a home - and only Charlie can show him the way.

©2016 Garrett Leigh (P)2020 Garrett Leigh

Another great story by Garrett Leigh

I am such a fan of Garrett Leigh. This is another beautifully written soulful story that kept me hooked from the beginning until the HEA end. Perfectly narrated by Dan Calley, he brings life to these wonderful nuanced characters. This was a love story, a coming of age story, but even more was a story about hope and healing, love and what family really means...that famlies come in all kinds of packages that have so much more to do with love than with biology.

Fantastic! Highly recommend!

This was a bit different from anything else I've read by Garrett Leigh. It's about a fifteen-year-old boy and his younger sister who survived something horrifically unspeakable. They have to adapt to life living with a foster family that includes Charlie, also fifteen-years-old.

There was so much feeling in this story that it's hard for me to describe how it made me feel. The blurb does a really good job describing the story so I'm not going to retell it. This is a medium length audiobook coming in at just under five hours but it felt like a much longer story – in a good way.

Finding Home is maybe the best performance I've listened to by Dan Calley. Each characters' voice was very distinctive and the emotions he put into the books was perfect.

I can't recommend this one enough but you might want to have tissues handy.

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

Amazing. Absolutely amazing!

Since I was trying to multitask, I snagged this on Audible thinking I could listen while I did other things. It was the holidays after all and I had loads to do. Might as well tackle some baking or wrap while I listened.
WRONG!
I couldn’t do anything (besides shallow breathing and trying to quiet my heartbeat) while listening to this intense and impressive story. Honestly, I found myself seeking my dark and comforting bedroom so I could eliminate as many other senses as possible. I needed to listen…and only listen. Once I began, I didn’t want to stop. I was lost in their world and panicked when the low battery signal beeped in my ears. I was really enjoying my new wireless pods until then. I told myself it was a blessing since it was after 2 am. However, my reading bug didn’t allow me to slip away for long and I woke before the sun to finish the final few chapters. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Just as I knew (okay, hoped and prayed) it was going to be.
I don’t read a great deal of YA but these are precisely the exceptions that I make. Leigh takes a wretched situation with a lost and broken soul and gives him the impossible. Hope. He doesn’t want to admit it, least of all to himself, but it’s there. Finding Home is so much more than you’ll expect. Please, allow me to try and tell you why…


As with anything composed by Garrett, the gripping pull of emotions was as undeniable as ever. Despite the title leading us to believe Leo discovers a home, it’s actually quite deeper. Spoiling aside, a home is indeed found but more importantly, so is Leo. He was lost. Shadowed by his vital roles of protector and defender, no one truly knew who Leo was. Until Charlie. Charlie had the cryptic “Leo Manual” that everyone else somehow missed and he simply…got him. Rather terrifying at first but then it became a lifeline, a fragile cord that strained under pressure. When affections sprang up from their fierce connection I held my breath until I nearly passed out. Not from anticipation or aversion to their ‘brotherly status’ but because I too, wished that the universe would just let them have this one thing. As much as there is to like you will undoubtedly find bits to dislike. I would be amiss to omit possible sensitivity warnings such as child abuse and the loss of a parent. Having said that, it would also be most unfortunate for you to pass up an opportunity to meet the Poulton’s. Each one is vivid and noteworthy in their own unique way. I might have a favorite but I’ll let you discover your own before I share mine.


This isn’t quite a romance but it’s certainly a story full of love. From motherly love and sibling love to maybe-my-boyfriend but definitely-mine love Garrett covers all the facets and then some. The horrific prologue had my heart in my throat and my momma bear instincts on high alert. I can’t tell you how grateful I was for Kate and Reg. They are true angels that I will never forget. Dan Calley delivers a striking narration that clearly identifies each person and held me spellbound. I did hesitate at times trying to decipher if the monologue was internal or not but that was no one’s fault but my own, for I rarely tune into audiobooks. I might have to readdress that because I adored listening to the British touches. Speaking of adoration, Charlie is a treasure. I loved how he cared for Leo. Leo isn’t accustomed to people caring for him. Of course, his mum did and Lila loves him like the father she never had but Charlie not only loves him but cherishes Leo. If only he can make Leo see that he is worthy. But you know what they say about ‘in the eye of the beholder’ right? Sad eyes only see sadness. Luckily for Leo, his new family is determined to share their joy and happiness. I hope you give him a chance as well and if you do, give him my love. He’s due all the love he can get.


Tears may fall but hearts will lift. The battles are hard-fought and hard-won. This quest for a home ends with not only shelter but love, happiness, and a proud reflection.


This is a special story with special people that will require extra care while handling…please bear in mind a PG-13 rating and set aside some time, I can assure you they will devour it.

Angsty!!😍

This story was intense, heartfelt and took me on a roller-coaster of an emotional ride.

There is so much going on in this book.

The storyline and the characters were well developed.

This was one of my favorite listens and Dan Calley performed an exemplary audio delivery and narration.

Leo & Lila find a home and Leo

First a disclaimer, *** I received a copy of this audio-book in hopes of an honest and fair review***

15 year old Leo and his deaf little sister Lila are in the foster care system following the murder of their mother by their abusive father. That he witnessed it, unable to do anything while protecting his little sister is just one source of his PTSD and his inability to trust any adult males. Added to the burns that he's still recovering from, and his night terrors, Leo is having a tough time of it.

When he meets his new “brother,” 15 year-old Charlie, the attraction is immediate and the boys quickly become aware that they interest each other in ways that girls never interested them.

Charlie, has been with the Poultons for a while now and seems well-adjusted, though he has the capacity to be a bratty teen at times. His confidence and feelings of being accepted, despite his unsettling feelings for Leo, is a great contrast to Leo’s panicked and 'wounded animal” lashing out. The connection between these two teenagers is not insta-love but more an organic understanding that they have a mutual concern in, and for, each other.

Told from the POVs of these two 15 year-olds, this is a tale of a young lad in crisis. It's heartbreaking and endearing from chapter 1. The wholesome goodness of the adoptive Poultons family is a balm to all the drama that Leo brings to the situation and all of the members of the Poulton household are well-drawn three dimensional, believable and distinct characters. I would have liked more of the back-stories on all of them, but this is really Leo's and Charlie's tale.

The upbeat ending to this tale is an affirmation that no matter how insurmountable the difficulties seem, we can get through them if we do it together.

Given that the boys are both under-age, this tale is pretty tame as to bedroom action but both boys are hormonal teen-agers and there are some very well written snogging scenes.

Narrator Dan Calley does a great job with the basic narration and with creating realistic accents and voices for the characters in this book. In some ways he “felt” the most at home in the voice of the foster father Reg. The quite competence of the man and the competence of the narrator seemed an ideal match.

I'm a sucker for “broken-winged bird” stories and this is clearly one of those, but it's also a bit more than that as well. Seeing the journey from maudlin to mended made this a heartwarming tale to listen to. I recommend it.

RATING: Four stars, (and couple of sexy snogs)