Steffie Wyler had a crush on Wade MacGregor from the time she was young. She even conned him into taking her to her senior prom when he was home from college in Texas. But, Wade went back to Texas, and, except for occasional visits to his Great-Aunt Berry, he was seldom seen in St. Dennis. And, he only broke her heart again when he came for a wedding, but fled back to Texas following an emergency phone call.
As a lifelong resident, and owner of Scoop, the local ice cream store, Steffie knew everyone in town. And, she met regularly with her best friend, Vanessa, owner of a local boutique, and other store owners, so she was up on the current gossip. So, it came as quite a shock when Dallas and her son walked into Scoop, followed by Wade and a toddler who called him Daddy. What kind of secrets did Wade have? And, why did he show up in St. Dennis, pulling a trailer behind his car?
I hadn't read the first book in the series when I read Home Again last year. You don't need to have read any of the previous ones to pick up Almost Home. But, it certainly would make the stories more fun to start at the beginning. You'll get to meet Grace Sinclair, owner of the local newspaper, and the writer of the Chesapeake diaries, short accounts of the lives of the local residents, accounts that appear in each book. As romances develop, and troubles are overcome, life unfolds in the small town of St. Dennis. Romances, humor, in this book, a Ouija board and the possibility of love. Mariah Stewart always introduces terrific characters in these enjoyable pageturners. I read Almost Home in one sitting. Stewart welcomes readers to St. Dennis, making them feel at home with her characters and her community, and it's hard to let them go for another year.
Mariah Stewart's website is www.mariahstewart.com
Almost Home by Mariah Stewart. Ballantine Books. ©2011. ISBN 9780345520371 (paperback), 391p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The publicist sent a copy of the book to use for the TLC Tour
Tuesday, May 17th: Pudgy Penguin Perusals
Wednesday, May 18th: Luxury Reading – guest post
Thursday, May 19th: I’m Booking It
Monday, May 23rd: Joyfully Retired
Wednesday, May 25th: Simply Stacie
Wednesday, May 25th: She is Too Fond of Books – guest post
Thursday, May 26th: My Two Blessings
Tuesday, May 31st: Book Reviews by Molly
Wednesday, June 1st: One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books
Thursday, June 2nd: A Cozy Reader’s Corner
Monday, June 6th: Colloquium
Wednesday, June 8th: A Chick Who Reads
