Home Again by Lisa Emme
Romance Contemporary
February 29, 2016
Self Published
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “Pride is what tore your family apart. Are you going to let pride keep standing in your way?”
Allie Daniels is a single mom whose maternal family abandoned her when her mother ran away with her father against their wishes. Having left her hometown years ago, Allie is forced back home with her aunt and uncle when her apartment burns down, leaving her and her son with nothing. Having already spent a majority of her life having to pay for her parent’s supposed sins, Allie isn’t interested in rehashing the past. She just wants a safe place to raise her son, Dougie, and make a little money to restart their lives.
Dr. Mike Finn isn’t looking for love…just a place to live out his dream in a small quiet town as a veterinarian. He finds both though when he runs into Allie. Instant attraction blazes but Allie isn’t interested in relationships right now. Mike uses his charm and some help from the town to spend as much time in Allie’s space as he can, slowly breaking down her objections.
When a series of ‘accidents’ around her aunt and uncle’s farm began to evolve from childish pranks to potentially fatal deeds, Allie takes it upon herself to do some investigating. Thankfully for her, she has a protective vet who’s determined to keep her heart and body safe when someone decides to stop Allie permanently.
Home Again is a delightfully humorous and sexy small town romance by debut author Lisa Emme. Light hearted with a steamy romance and a hint of mystery and suspense, Emme will keep you laughing and sighing as she builds an engaging contemporary using the small town dynamics that make these romances so popular. With some updating to the trope and a refreshing lack of internal angst, our heroine Allie is someone readers will easily relate to. Strong willed, intelligent, witty, and very self-reliant, Emme doesn’t make her a martyr to her past. She works hard and enjoys life to the fullest with the help of an adorably portrayed son, a loving family, and some well-meaning friends at her back.
The romance is the focus of the story, playing well with the various elements of coming home, forgiveness, and redemption. Allie and Mike have some potent chemistry that is uplifted with their jocular banter and ardent foreplay. Emme doesn’t make it hard for them-no mind games played or heavy secrets that require a separate storyline all their own. She takes it slow and easy, allowing Allie to find her footing back in the town and her life while subtly weaving in a mystery that engages and opens the door for some much needed familial reconciliation. Combustible sex scenes with a dash of kink should have felt out of place but Emme blends them into the storyline effortlessly, showcasing her skills in characterization.
The supporting characters are portrayed perfectly as nosy, concerned busybodies who all have plenty of advice to give, whether you want it or not. Allie’s best friends and their husbands offer her the support she craves while her aunt and uncle give her the unconditional love she deserves. Allie’s relationship with her grandfather and that branch of the family was interesting to watch play out over the course of the story though I would have enjoyed a little more depth in the resolution. Also, while Mike was a prominent figure, more transparency into his background would have given him a solid base on which to stand. By the end of the story, there was actually very little we knew about him.
The ending is a whirlwind of chilling activity as the secrets of the mystery reveal completely through a series of unfortunate events. Everything wraps up nicely and we are assured that no matter what anyone says-you can indeed come home again.
Grade: B-
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