Customer Reviews

Home at Last (Signet Eclipse)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is much more than a romance. It is the story of a woman trying to find herself while she shakes free of the past. But while readers will enjoy reading of Marigold O'Malley's attempts to find herself and the true meaning of home, they'll also be touched by the sense of "forgiveness" that permeates this well-told tale. Mari's new love, Andy, has a great deal in his past that requires a forgiving heart, at the same time he has to discover what it means to forgive others. His struggle is all the more poignant given his choice of work -- in a camp for troubled boys. This latter setting deepens an already-rich story as the backgrounds of the troubled boys are revealed. It's no wonder the author dedicated the book to those who work with such kids. The author is a master of description. You will feel you are breathing the humid summer air of the Ozarks and hearing the voices of her lively characters. I highly recommend this novel.

Eight years ago, Marigold "Mari" O'Malley fled Cordelia, Missouri for Kansas City vowing to never return. However three strikes propel her to go home. First her career tanked; next her love life collapsed; finally and most critical her beloved mom suffered a heart attack and resides in the cardiac care unit of St. Luke's Hospital. Her mom's health accentuated by pressure from her siblings Lil and Alceca is the reason Mari rationalizes as to why she is in Cordelia.

Former troublemaker Andy Epplewaite has struggled but turned his life around. Now he works with troubled teens trying to help them straighten out their lives. He wants Mari, but she is reluctant as her last relationship was a disaster. As he gets her involved in his work, they fall in love, but she has a secret that she knows she must tell him though she expects once she reveals the truth he will send her away to Kansas City.

The third "Home" tale (see FOLLOW ME HOME and SING ME HOME) is a terrific O'Malley contemporary romance that stands alone because Jerri Corgiat cleverly intertwines the key elements from the previous novels into the fine story line. Andy is fabulous as a reformed bad boy while Mari is his ideal counterpart struggling between love and shame. Although a major but almost feeling like an implausible twist of fate propels the plot to its conclusion, fans will appreciate the final story in the O'Malley sisters' you can find love at home trilogy.

Harriet Klausner

This one is the story of Mari, the youngest sister, who tried to derail the romance in the first book. She's a hard character to like--a typical youngest child: self-centered & spoiled, used to getting her own way.

An affair with a married man effectively derailed her career, and now she's out of a job, out of money, and pressured by her sisters to stay with her mother who's recovering after a heart attack.

She renews her acquaintance with a childhood best friend, Andy, who she remembers as an always-in-trouble drunk.

here's also a secondary plot thread about Jon's (from the first book) now-teenage son Michael who's having psychological problems and the effect it's having on Jon & Lil's marriage.

I docked this one a half star because Mari was so hard to like, but the writing is superb. The story's all about family and acceptance and blame, and though it has those women's fiction-y themes, its tone (and happy ending) is pure romance. Not a comfortable book to read, but very satisfying.

I am a fan of Jerri Corgiat's writing - this book and the others in the series are wonderful reads. When you read them, it's like visiting old friends and catching up on their lives. I highly recommend any book by Ms. Corgiat.

Mari O'Malley left her small town home to make a life for herself in the big city, but all her grand plans amount to dust in the wind. So, when her mother's health fails, she takes that excuse to come back home. There, amid the family crisis, she finds her past, notably No-Account Andy, the local bad boy who has used his own past to help others avoid his mistakes. Now helping troubled teens, he's succeeded in becoming someone worthwhile. He also is firmly entrenched in Cordelia, Missouri, the last place Mari wants to spend her life. Andy's past should make him forgiving, but can he forgive Mari's mistakes? Moreover, which dreams will Mari chose to live?

** Unfortunately, this series ends on a weaker note than it began. A pall of depression lingers throughout thanks to the all too accurate portrayal of the mother's health. **

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.