Review - Already Home by Susan Mallery

Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: March 29, 2011
How I got this book: NetGalley

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….
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’ve come to count on Susan Mallery as being one of my favorite romance authors, but when I ready the blurb for Already Home, I was both intrigued and scared. I can always count on Mallery to provide a fabulous read full of romance. This blurb read to me like it was going to be more Chick Lit, and while I was somewhat nervous to try it, knew that Mallery wouldn’t let me down. I have to say, I was pretty surprised.

Jenna is recently divorced and her self-confidence has taken a nose dive. She returns home and buys a retail space on a whim. Determined to open her own cooking supply store, Jenna throws herself into her business. She hires Violet, a wild child but savvy store manager to help with everything. Once getting settled into her new life, her birth parents show up at the front door, wanting to have a relationship.

Jenna is suddenly being pulled in every direction imaginable. Her birth parents, adoptive parents, new friends, two brothers and new boyfriend are all vying for her time. But as time wears on and things get more and more hectic, Jenna will learn that just because there are more people in her life, doesn’t mean she doesn’t have enough love for all of them.

For fans of chick lit and family fiction, this read is a MUST BUY for you! Jenna’s journey of growth and self discovery are so well done. Plus, I loved watching her struggle with building her business. Makes me want to open a cooking store. (and I hate cooking!) While I don’t usually love these kinds of reads, Mallery does such an amazing job of pulling the reader into her world and character’s lives, I felt like I was a part of their world. Along with Jenna, Violet also gets the chance to really grow as well, having to experience a hardship that kills her faith in men. But with an unexpected friendship in Jenna’s newly discovered brother Dragon, she is able to regain that confidence.

The appearance of Jenna’s birth parents was great as well. I loved how hippyish Serenity and Tom were, they brought some crazy antics to the story line. Having known a few people who were adopted, the ever changing relationship between Jenna and her birth parents and adoptive parents was so interesting and well done. Mallery did an amazing job of capturing everyone’s emotions as they changed and evolved on a daily basis.

The tragedy that struck towards the end of the book had me in tears, and wishing that I could change the ending to make it a fairy tale. But, I understand why it had to happen, and could appreciate the way it really tied up everything.

All in all, I give Already Home 3.5 out of 5 cooking supply stores!