Search - Already Home

I really like Susan Mallery, even though a lot of her books follow the same formula: Husband cheats, divorce, woman goes back to her childhood home, and discovers the life, and love, that she's been looking for. However, even though this book has the same formula, it was wonderful! The story was rich with good characters. There was a deep feeling of family and love. There were trials to overcome, but even through those, the love was obvious. As I read, I felt like I was a part of this great family.

One note- Mallery usually uses sex in her books. This one was very chaste. There was some "touching" during kissing, but no sex. No profanity either. What a relief! Just strong characters living life, and learning how to connect with others.

Loved it!

This was a sweet story about what makes people family, and I loved both of the main characters. Knowing you're adopted and having your adoptive parents show up out of the blue are two different things, but Mallery handles the story beautifully.

Really enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed this book but it hit a few of my pet peeves so that was the reason for the low rating. Please note there may be some spoilers in this review.

First, things that are neither here or there. Here are the things that are for your information only and doesn't affect the rating of this book for myself but might be a turn off for others. There is only implied love scenes, not anything detailed. The book is really more about Jenna, Beth, and Violet (mostly Jenna and Violet) rediscovering themselves. Along with that thought, the end doesn't have as much of a happily after ending that are in some of Mallery's other books. It's not a bad ending though.

On to the good things, I love the characters and I liked that each of them had faults. Sometimes there is a tendency to make at least one of the protagonist flawless. If there ever was a character like that in this book, it might have been Ellington. I also love the extra story lines with Beth and Violet. Really, I think Violet was interesting enough to have her whole book but she works well here too. It was quite an emotional story and a bit of a tear-jerker in some areas. If this was the only story Mallery ever wrote, I would have given it a higher rating. It was also a very fast, quick read.

On to my pet peeves. Most of these probably won't bother you but it did me:

The foremost is that Mallery recycles characters and put different names on them. Perhaps she is trying to work through some adoption angst herself because the teenage parents forcing to give up their child for adoption and later grew to marry anyway and owns a winery idea isn't new to Mallery stories. She has used this story line in at least two of her books. That really makes me loose respect for a writer. It's like she doesn't bother wanting to do research to create new characters. It's an insult to her readers.

Speaking of research, what is up with all her digs against homeopathic medicine, home births, and cloth diapers? Again, it doesn't seem like she has really done much research on alternative medicine / home birth, only peripherally. Trust me, if my naturopath/homeopath takes their kids to a pediatrician for something as minor as a stomach flu and takes aspirin for a headache, I would not go to him at all. Who is going to go to a doctor who doesn't believe in his own treatments? It only adds to the assumption that Ellington and the alternative medicine community are cons. Now if it was a broken bone, it totally makes sense. Also, I find it hard to believe Wolf's wife can't have a water birth at home in California where you pretty much can throw a rock and hit a home birth midwife. Most rent out birthing tubs. And has Mallery ever seen homespun cloth made? It takes a really long time and I think it will probably take someone about nine months to make one diaper. Again, not really enough research and Mallery ends up being offensive towards people. I know. I'm being nit-picky.

I had a really hard time with Serenity. When Beth goes off and starts ranting about how selfish Serenity is, I was going, "Right on, Beth." Everything Beth said about Serenity at that moment was exactly how I feel about the character. I can sympathize with giving up your child for adoption. I really think people who can think beyond themselves and think of what is best for their child by giving them up for adoption are heroes. But everything Serenity did was about Serenity in the guise of a cosmic knowledge: "it's the right time" and "it's the right thing to do for you." So I don't get how everyone was so in love with her because she is one selfish SOB in my book. No wonder Jenna fell for someone like Aaron because he is just the same version of her birth mother.

As for Jenna, I wish she would have told Serenity off a few times but that wouldn't be true to her character and I appreciated that Mallery kept Jenna constant.

Overall, if you are a fan of Mallery you might be somewhat insulted by this because this is very similar to her other story lines. But it was a nice read to pass the time if you have nothing else better, especially you just want to shed some tears.

I have been reading books by Susan Mallery for too many years to count. She always writes a very good book.

As a vegetarian and an alternative medicine follower,
I loved how she brought in veganism and alternative medicine. People do react the way it was written...when they hear you are a vegan or choose to follow alternative health practices, if what you follow isn't "mainstream" can seem "weird" or "different" to many people. Well done!

This book is one of her best books. It has so many parts to it...more like life. I loved all of the twists and turns and ups and downs. It draws you in, beautifully.

Wonderful, simply wonderful!

Susan Mallery is the best....another great book :-)

Wonderfully written book - one of those kinds of books that you just can't put down - so don't plan anything before you start to read this book!