When We Found Home by Susan Mallery | Review

Posted July 19, 2018 by Asheley in review / 1 Comment

When We Found Home by Susan Mallery
When We Found Home by Susan Mallery | ReviewWhen We Found Home by Susan Mallery
Published by HQN Books on July 10, 2018
Pages: 432
Source: the publisher
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four-half-stars

Life is meant to be savored, but that's not easy with no family, limited prospects and a past you'd rather not talk about. Still, Callie Smith doesn't know how to feel when she discovers she has a brother and a sister--Malcolm, who grew up with affection, wealth and privilege, and Keira, a streetwise twelve-year-old.

Callie doesn't love being alone, but at least it's safe. Despite her trepidation, she moves into the grand family home with her siblings and grandfather on the shores of Lake Washington, hoping just maybe this will be the start of a whole new life.

But starting over can be messy. Callie and Keira fit in with each other, but not with their posh new lifestyle, leaving Malcolm feeling like the odd man out in his own home. He was clever enough to turn a sleepy Seattle mail-order food catalog into an online gourmet powerhouse, yet he can't figure out how to help his new sisters feel secure. Becoming a family will take patience, humor, a little bit of wine and a whole lot of love.

But love isn't Malcolm's strong suit... until a beautiful barista teaches him that an open heart, like the family table, can always make room for more.

In this emotional, funny and heartfelt story, Susan Mallery masterfully explores the definition of a modern family--blended by surprise, not by choice--and how those complicated relationships can add unexpected richness to life.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

REVIEW:

When We Found Home by Susan Mallery in a nutshell is the story of three siblings who end up with one another after their much-older grandfather goes to great lengths to bring them together as family. All three have the same father but three different mothers. They all have different backgrounds and come from different parts of the United States. Malcolm is in his thirties, Callie is in her mid-twenties, and young Kiera is only twelve.

Callie is the last to arrives at the family home in Seattle, where she finds that Malcolm has grown up there. He has lived there for many years and had the opportunity to have a great education. He now runs the hugely successful family business. She also finds that Kiera is already living in the home, much to the delight of their grandfather, but to the apparent distress of Malcolm, who either doesn’t know what to do with a tween-aged child or doesn’t like her. Callie can’t quite tell how Malcolm feels about his “new” sisters — he’s really tough to read and frankly, he’s a little rude at times. While Kiera has an “I’m fine” attitude about everything, Callie can hardly justify all of her new fortune. It’s a little overwhelming.

It turns out that all three are having a little bit of trouble coping with their new family dynamic. They need to adjust. They need to learn how to relate to each other.

When We Found Home by Susan Mallery

Probably my favorite thing about this story is the way that Susan Mallery explores relationships. I mean, she does it so, so well. It seems like nearly every time of relationship is represented in here: siblings, parent-child, romantic relationships, grandparent-grandchild, coworkers, and even the complicated relationships between staff and their bosses. There are also wonderful and complex friendships. I most loved the way Malcolm related to both Kiera and Callie. It felt almost tangible to me as I understand difficult relationships with siblings; I can’t even imagine how difficult it can be with the issues that these three have. There is also a special way that Callie and Kiera are able to bond over certain aspects of their pasts and new shared experiences, and I related to this as well. These three are patient with each other, even when it is hard, and I can’t even express how much I love that theme in this story.

There are several neat surprises in these pages with regard to the journey these three make. I don’t want to give anything away, but I think that certain details that were thrown in made the story extra-appealing. Heartwarming and emotional, for sure, but also with smiles. Sometimes a young character like Kiera, especially with a tough past, can weigh a book down for me, but thankfully not here. Kiera was a delight, even as she had a hard time adjusting. She was insightful and funny, and I loved her interaction with her cat, Lizzy.

When I first saw the cover for this one, I thought it was about three similarly-aged people that are getting to know one another after meeting for the first time. I didn’t realize that they are of three different ages and stages in life, so I loved going back and glancing at the cover as I read the book. I loved the cover even more as I learned more about where Callie and Kiera came from, and about how great these three are together as they learn to become family. By the end of the book, this cover is perfect and EXACTLY how I picture these three.

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About Susan Mallery

Susan Mallery Author Photo

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. She’s best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.

Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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