Already home

Author: Susan Mallery
Publisher: Mira Books

After nearly a decade as a sous-chef in a trendy eatery, Jenna is desperate for a change. She's supported her ex-husband's dreams for so long that she can't even remember her own. Until she sees a for-lease sign near her parents' home and envisions her very own cooking store.

Her crash course in business is aided by a streetwise store manager and Jenna's adoptive mother. But just as she's gaining a foothold in her new life, in walk her birth parents—aging hippies on a quest to reconnect with their firstborn.

Now Jenna must figure out how to reconcile the free-spirited Serenity and Tom with her traditional parents, deal with her feelings for a new love interest and decide what to do about her ex's latest outrageous request. In the end, Jenna will find that there is no perfect family, only the people we love….

Already Home is a beautifully written tale about family and home. I was sucked right in from the beginning. Jenna has moved back home to make a fresh start and try to find herself again. While starting a new business, she meets Violet, who is in someways searching for the same things. Throw into the mix the potential for new love and the appearance of her birth parents, Jenna gets more than she bargained for by coming home.

I loved this book. The relationships are complicated and realistic. The characters are strong and likeable. While there are two really nice romances in the book, they really take a back seat to the main story. Watching Jenna try to stay close to her adoptive mother while navigating her relationship with her newly found birth mother was endearing and at times heart wrenching. Violet's struggle with reconciling her hidden past while learning to trust again was equally engaging. I would definitely recommend this book. For me, it is one of those book that stays with you long after you have read it.

--Kari

* note: I read a complimentary copy of Already Home supplied courtesy of Mira. I was not compensated in anyway for this review. By receiving a complimentary copy, I am in no way obligated to write a good or bad review. I am an honest reviewer and my reviews are based on my own opinion and only written by me.*