Leaving behind her more carefree stories, Susan Mallery has written a book with an emotional impact, one that stays with you long after you close the last page of the book.

Moving home to Georgetown, Texas, after her divorce seems like the best decision for Jenna Stevens. After her husband explained that he was in love with someone else, Jenna didn’t even try to save her marriage. In a way she was relieved to have a reason to leave the man who had systematically eroded her self esteem, and creativity. From an early age, Jenna loved to cook, and experiment with food, but her husband’s ridicule has taken away her confidence. So putting aside her ten years experience as a professional sous-chef, Jenna decides on the spur of the moment to open an upscale kitchen store. Even with her new employee Violet’s retail experience, the shop has a dismal opening but Jenna is not about to fail. Revamping the store, and making sure that it is a success would be enough for anyone to handle but soon Jenna has additional problems. Her bohemian birth parents have decided it is time to met their daughter after thirty-two years. Can life get any more complicated?

This book is an engrossing read. The author’s ability to identify and aptly depict accurate and candid emotions kept me turning the pages. She deftly explores feelings instigated by the end of a marriage, new scary beginnings, a budding sense of accomplishment, and changes in family structure which all result in a poignant journey.

One thing that makes the book work so well is the diversity of the characters. Jenna is a “by the book” person. She has never stepped outside the lines. Highly organized as well as loved by her parents, she grew up to be an self confident young woman. Now, after the divorce, she constantly second guesses herself and tries to find her place in the scheme of things. Violet’s upbringing definitely played a part in her decisions, but now she looks longingly at what she sees as normalcy. Less kind individuals would call Jenna’s birth parents kooky, the more open would just call them unconventional. But what comes across is the caring and love for a daughter that they lost. Plus the whole family dynamic between Jenna, her birth parents, and her parents is written very realistically. While Jenna is completely thrown for a loop with her birth parents appearance, her adopted mother initially encourages the new relationship but then finds herself surprised by unexpected emotions.

This book is classified as women’s fiction, so while there is a romance the book focuses more on the personal growth of the characters. While I liked Jenna’s love interest, he seemed almost too perfect. Violet’s surprise ending is the romance that captured my heart.

I struggled a little bit with the grade. At first I was going with a rating of B, but with so many things done right, this books deserves a B+. If you enjoy books with stories that allow the characters to follow their instincts, plus give them a second chance to get it right, then you need to make sure that Already Home makes its way into your shopping cart. I know that I am glad that I read it.