I don’t know any woman who says, “Hey there’s a horse’s ass masquerading as a man, I think I’ll fall in love with him,“ because most women don’t set out to have relationships with nut jobs, wackos or losers. And for those unfortunate enough to find a man whose main mission in life is to destroy their self-esteem, I say, dump the jerk. Leave him by the side of the road like so much garbage that’s been sitting under the blazing sun for weeks. It’s time to throw the trash out! Because, when a man rips your heart out after he’s annihilated your self-confidence, you just might develop some trust issues for any future relationship. And, trust is the big issue in Susan Mallery’s latest release Already Home.
Sous chef, Jenna Stevens moves back to her hometown in Texas after divorcing a husband who not only broke her heart but her spirit, and left her with an inability to pursue her real passion- cooking. With doubts about her culinary skills she forgoes looking for work as a chef and instead opens a kitchen ware store. With no retail experience Jenna needs to hire help; enter spiky haired, tattooed covered Violet,a young woman with a dark past. Both women have somewhat unpleasant histories that have created a cloud over their lives, making them tentative, afraid and skeptical that they’ll ever find their place in life or in love. Yet both women have abilities far beyond what they were led to believe, and with the help of family and new friendships they find that trust begins from within, and love is there, if you look.
I’m a big fan of Susan Mallery’s work. She creates stories that are filled with compassion, lessons to learn and journeys to travel, and Already Home is no exception. There may be some that will categorize this as part women’s fiction and part romance. Me?-I just categorize it as a good read. She sets up two love stories that are uniquely intertwined and she doesn’t rush anything. There’s no ‘wham, bang, thank you ‘mam’. It’s a slow build that incorporates all the realities of how a relationship progresses, with all the attendant stomach flips, heart flutters, arguments, and drama that go with the beginnings of a new relationship. It’s the kind of story you want to dig into and hope you find yourself on a train that gets stuck between stations allowing you more time to read.
What the most important trait you lover must have?
Maria Lokken is an avid romance reader and an award winning television producer
I would agree with baycat57. Quiet confidence first and foremost followed by the strength to be gentle, the ability to stand tall enough to reach out to a child, the wisdom to acknowledge and accept the fact that no one, not even he, knows everything, have dreams of a better tomorrow for himself, his loved ones and the world, the determined will to make his dreams come true, and the courage to stand for what's right when everything else around him is going to heck in a handcart. Of course, I don't ask for much 
Smiles,
Teresa
