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Here, Home, Hope

by Kaira Rouda (Goodreads Author)

3.35 of 5 stars 3.35 · rating details · 691 ratings · 148 reviews

Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors' seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly's own passions lie wasted. She...more

Paperback, 310 pages

Published May 1st 2011 by Greenleaf Book Group (first published April 28th 2011)

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Jun 12, 2011 Luanne Ollivier rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5/5
Kaira Rouda is a very successful woman - she is the founder of the Real Living Real Estate brand and the Real You - a road map for success for womenpreneurs. This doesn't even begin to touch on her many, many accomplishments. Here, Home, Hope is the culmination of "her life-long dream to publish a novel."

Kelly Johnson has it all - million dollar home, loving husband, two happy, healthy sons, loving friends and family, but as she's looking at her fortieth birthday, something is missing from...more

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic-lit, favorites, fiction, women

Here, Home, Hope has been on my list of books to read since it came out! It was a great read, well-paced and entertaining, and I would highly recommend it to women who are looking for stories of empowerment, or inspiration to become entrepreneurs. I have had my own business for 10 years, and became an entrepreneur in my late 20s, and I could identify with a lot of what Kelly, the main character was going through, although this happened much earlier in my life for me, and before children.

Kelly is...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2011 Reader's Paradise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

To be happy or live in the moment; that is the question.

Book Cover: the color was crisp and peaceful, it depicts the perfect neighborhood

One of my favorite quotes in the book can be found on page 113, it reads: “It wasn’t Beth’s fault we stopped talking; it was mine. Our whole group ostracized her. We didn’t understand what she was going through, and it was easier to talk about her than to help her.” This quote is inductive of the folks in Grandville.
This book reminds me of the earlier seasons o...more To be happy or live in the moment; that is the question.

Book Cover: the color was crisp and peaceful, it depicts the perfect neighborhood

One of my favorite quotes in the book can be found on page 113, it reads: “It wasn’t Beth’s fault we stopped talking; it was mine. Our whole group ostracized her. We didn’t understand what she was going through, and it was easier to talk about her than to help her.” This quote is inductive of the folks in Grandville.
This book reminds me of the earlier seasons of Desperate Housewives. The close knit community, the manicured lawns and everybody knows everybody. We hear the cliché all the time about thinking the grass is greener in someone else’s backyard. Well Rouda does an excellent job of showing us that some of that green grass is built on septic tanks.
Kelly Mills Johnson begins to wonder how can she live in the moment & live to be happy. As a woman in her forties I can understand how Kelly got comfortable in her life. Sacrificing her own for her two sons and her attorney husband she now looks back and realizes that she has let go of her own passions; and envies the life of her two best friends.
After receiving the results from her mammogram she decides what she wants to change about her life. At the age of 39, she has memory challenges and places post it notes as simple reminders of things to change. Like Kelly I live with post it’s at work and in my office at home. This will be the first year while her children are away at camp that Kelly will not gain weight but make a career change; her plan is a midlife makeover.
As we journey with Kelly through this humorous read I was at one time an emotional wreck. Laughing, crying and trying not to get worked up over decisions made. While much of the book is a humorous ride Rouda also tackles some serious emotional issues such as addiction, and eating disorders.
Here, Home, Hope will touch those readers with a vision for a makeover, as it will also entertain those who are content with where they are now.

Missy
Readers Paradise
5 Bookmarks.
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3 likes · like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Elena Aitken rated it 4 of 5 stars

Here, Home, Hope
was a lovely story about a woman's journey through finding herself. I think it's a story so many can relate to. Both those women who stay home with their kids,and those that are in the work force.

The story moved along at a good pace, was enjoyable and easy to read.

The reason I'm giving this book four stars is because towards the end, everything wrapped up far too neatly. I kept thinking, 'well isn't that convenient? And how perfect."

I don't think in real life, with all the dram...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 25, 2011 Angie Holtz rated it 5 of 5 stars

You'll have to come to my blog to see my review. ;) http://lilacwolfandstuff.blogspot.com on May 4. But in the meantime I will say that it is a great story, wonderful writing and lovely characters.
**update**
Here, Home, Hope a novel by Kaira Rouda...in fact this appears to be her first fiction novel. This is a story about 39 year old Kelly, during a summer where she is feeling the ultimate boredom of being a housewife and the lives of her friends enter turmoil around her. She is so stressed that...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book got off to a slow start for me. I thought (at first) that it sort of smacked of that "Desperate Housewives" TV program, but that feeling soon dissipated and once the story got rolling, I was hooked. Kaira talks about marriage, divorce, affairs, motherhood, mompreneurship, and depression in this book, among other things. The main character, Kelly Johnson, is closing in on her 40th birthday. Although she is living what some would consider a charmed life, she feels dissatisfied. Sound fam...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Paula Tohline Calhoun rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all women

Recommended to Paula Tohline by: Emlyn Chand

I have the privilege of giving those of you who have not read the book, “Here, Home, Hope,” by Kaira Rouda, a sampling of what you will savor should you make the wise decision to read it.

First off, I will make a generalized comment, “I don’t particularly like ‘chick lit.’” There, I’ve said it. As a rule, that has always held true for me, but then I started reading some wonderful, funny, and moving novels by Jennifer Wiener. It was only after I read the first two or so of her books that I noticed...more I have the privilege of giving those of you who have not read the book, “Here, Home, Hope,” by Kaira Rouda, a sampling of what you will savor should you make the wise decision to read it.

First off, I will make a generalized comment, “I don’t particularly like ‘chick lit.’” There, I’ve said it. As a rule, that has always held true for me, but then I started reading some wonderful, funny, and moving novels by Jennifer Wiener. It was only after I read the first two or so of her books that I noticed from the blurbs on the back that she was considered a “chick lit” author! Then, it clicked. I had always assumed it was a pejorative term. I found out “it ain’t necessarily so!” I branched out a bit and read Kaira Rouda’s “Here, Home, Hope.” Ms. Rouda has very successfully written a book aimed at women – women who think: women who think not only of themselves, but their relationship to the world, and their understanding and relationship with others, friend or foe. Women who have the gumption to stand up for themselves, and be counted among those who are listened to, and among those who are heard. This book is most definitely not a “romance novel,” although there is romance in it, and it is definitely not a “bodice ripper,” although there is evidence that some bodices get ripped (although the details are in the mind of the reader)!

The book is set in a fictional town in the upper Midwest, a town called “Grandville,” probably near Chicago. Written in first person, “Here, Home, Hope” is populated with several women, all of whom have a relationship in one way or another with the main character, Kelly Johnson. The book begins with a very simple sentence, that could serve as a model for all novel writers – state what your story is about, hook your reader, and all without giving anything away. Rouda hooks you, and then takes you with her: “Here’s how I knew something about my life had to change.”

Kelly, approaching the magic age of 40, is suffused with mid-life angst. It is the sort of fear and ambivalence that many women – irrespective of socio-economic class – experience when they realize what they had always imagined were their “prime years” are coming to an end. You married right out of college (or high school), had a career, perhaps became a stay-at-home mom or a so-called “working mother” (as though stay-at-home moms don’t work full-time!). Somehow you reach a time in your life when you think there is more to look back on than ahead to. Kelly’s struggles have made their mark on her by creating a lot of dental problems. She grinds her teeth hard enough and often enough to necessitate the visit to the dentist that is the opening scene. Sitting in the dentist’s chair, Kelly arrives at the pivot-point of her life: If she wants her life to be different, then something has to change. Now, she decides, is the time to start.

Kelly and Patrick, her wonderful attorney-husband, have two sons, who are away for the summer, happily, at camp – a place they love. Perhaps this will be the summer that she can work on herself, pay more attention to and reconnect with her dear husband, and revamp her entire life, all in a few easy steps. She finds out it is not all that easy. She plunges into her self-renewal by, very wisely, making a list of things in her life she wishes to change. She begins jotting down on small sticky-notes the individual aspects and hang-ups of her life, which she posts throughout her home and car, labeled and numbered as T2C (Things to Change). These T2C’s become funny little asides Kelly makes to herself as she forges a path to the life she wants.

The book is divided into three sections, entitled “Here,” and “Home,” and “Hope.” (Bet you weren’t expecting that!) Each section involves these three aspects of Kelly’s life, and the life of her friends. “Here” is about where she is right now. Here is where she discovers that things are not always what they seem; that so-called perfect lives of many of her friends are often anything but, and also where she takes on the awesome task of trying to help an angry and morose teenage girl, the daughter of a dear friend, turn her life around. A task that she is willing to take on, but has absolutely no idea how to accomplish. The girl, Melanie (Mel), has been emotionally neglected by both her parents, and in a desperate attempt to get the attention and control she needs, she enters the long downward spiral of anorexia. Her mother is Kathryn, one of Kelly’s best friends; she asks a huge favor of Kelly – that Kelly take Mel in for a few days, while she goes on a business trip. The trip extended for longer than any of them imagined, but the circumstances of “Here,” lead Kelly on the road to “Home.” The definition of what a home is varies with everyone. Kelly has always seen it as a place of refuge, perhaps a way to keep her from the comparisons she makes of herself to others.

With the help of friends and a supportive family, Kelly begins to discover that home is more than a retreat, but it can be the launching pad for a whole new way of thinking and relating to others. Beth, a former high school friend, whom she had betrayed and pushed out of her life, comes back into Kelly’s life, but in a whole new way. After a sincere and heart-felt apology by Kelly, the two friends renew the close friendship they had formed in grade school. Beth has an education in eating disorders, and she manages to help Melanie, and help Kelly help Melanie.

The well-constructed story is populated with a number of what might be considered stereotypical characters; but all serve the story well without being contrived, and add to the layers of understanding of each other. In addition, the foibles of each help to shed light on the erroneous assumptions that had been made among them. There are the faithful and unfaithful husbands; the self-righteous, know-it-all stay-at-home Mom, who spends her life making herself feel like a better parent by denigrating all those around her; the beauty pageant queen turned real estate business woman, and others. All live in the upper-level economically, but Ms. Rouda uses their varied personalities to bring “home” the point that just as charity begins as home (meaning a charitable spirit is born at home and nurtured there), so does change.

Once the changes begin to make their way into Kelly’s life – some from outside in, most from inside out – she finds her sense of joy in life, her realization that life is now, it is what she does with it, she is responsible to herself to become who she wishes to be – no amount of outside influence or interference can make those changes happen – it requires making and executing a plan, but it leads to “hope.”

Kelly finds her hope, and not by happenstance. The road to change that she traveled was not easy, and it was hers alone to make in order to put aside her dissatisfaction with her own life, and discover for herself the capabilities she had and the possibilities for her life. Kelly turns around, and finds that “hope” is everywhere.

There you have it, another “thumbs up” from me – this one for Kaira Rouda’s “Here,” Home, Hope.” A probing self-examination by a woman most of us would like to know, and with whom many will identify themselves, served up with lots of humor and wit, and a few tears, but in great “chick lit” style, it comes with a wonderful, uplifting ending, filled with hope.

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May 29, 2011 Sheree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, general-fiction, chick-lit, own, read-in-2011, reviews

A quick,entertaining read that delves into one woman's search for happiness; her coming-of-age requires honesty, 'work', adjustments and a Things to Change (T2C) list. The emphasis is on the empowerment of women, the importance of nurturing friendships and the need for women to support each others' desires and dreams, whatever they may be.

After a health scare, lingering feelings of dissatisfaction and depression motivate Kelly to re-evaluate her life; something I'm sure we can all relate to. I...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 14, 2011 Maureen Hovermale rated it 5 of 5 stars

We all know the old adage: Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.

Kelly has a very posh life: A family, a beautiful home, and a comfortable way of living. Malaise has surprisingly tingled around the edges now that her sons are entering their teenaged years, and she struggles to pinpoint its causes. She faces what many homemakers struggle with: A sense of purpose beyond motherhood and the loving wife roles that sometimes wrap around the axles of women’s identities.

Her struggle to unrav...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Kate's Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars

Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda is great story about a woman finding herself, at the age of 30, to be in a crisis of sorts. Kelly had a recent breast cancer scare and finds herself suddenly fearful. Her comfortable life just doesn't fit right anymore.

Her two growing boys are away at camp for the entire summer and with her nest empty she realizes she needs to make changes in her life. She starts her Things to Change (T2C) list and leaves post-its with list items around her house and the dashboar...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Sherri rated it 3 of 5 stars

I identified somewhat with the main character, Kelly, who was going through an identity /mid-life crisis. I expected that she would spend more time whining and crying or at least being a lot more reflective about it, but she was able to turn herself around pretty quickly through supportive friends and family and her endless Post-Its of self-improvement ideas. Don't get me wrong - I appreciate that Kelly was a go-getter and not a whiner, but I'm giving this 3 stars because the story had too much...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 20, 2011 SallyHP rated it 2 of 5 stars

Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This review is going to be a bit of a ramble, but that may be appropriate since the book was as well. I realize that I was reading an advanced reader's copy, but it read more like a second or third draft. Kelly is a mother of two teen/tween boys and is in the predicament of trying to 'find her purpose'. She makes an ever-growing, rambling list of Things to Change, or T2C as she puts it. I felt like this could have been a great book if her edi...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Julie Smith (Knitting and Sundries) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, womens-fiction

This review first appeared on my blog:

http://www.knittingandsundries.com/20...

FIRST SENTENCE: Here's how I knew something about my life had to change.

Kelly is 39 years old, and for those of us who have been there (or may still be there), her "restless" feeling may be familiar. She's not UNhappy .. she just wants something "more". She left a successful career in PR when she decided to be a stay-at-home mother, and she's been happy with that decision. Her two boys, however, are 12 and 14, and they...more

1 like · like · see review

May 30, 2011 Tina Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here, Home Hope is the debut novel of Kaira Rouda and a thoroughly good read! Kelly Johnson is about turn 40 and finds herself with 2 boys going off to summer camp, weepy and wondering what to do with herself. Her neighbor's wife has left him with the kids and a house without any furniture. Another friend asks her to befriend her anorexic daughter and then takes off for parts unknown after dropping off said daughter at Kelly's.

My thoughts: Here, Home, Hope is a great read. Set in 3 sections, th...more Here, Home Hope is the debut novel of Kaira Rouda and a thoroughly good read! Kelly Johnson is about turn 40 and finds herself with 2 boys going off to summer camp, weepy and wondering what to do with herself. Her neighbor's wife has left him with the kids and a house without any furniture. Another friend asks her to befriend her anorexic daughter and then takes off for parts unknown after dropping off said daughter at Kelly's.

My thoughts: Here, Home, Hope is a great read. Set in 3 sections, the first part opens with Kelly in the dentists office getting a new retainer (she broke the last one grinding her teeth in her sleep) and breaking down in tears. It covers the background of Kelly, raising kids, stress and her "mini" middle age crises that weren't so "mini" to her. She learns of secrets her friends have been keeping and decides to start up a T2C list, ie - Things to Change which eventually becomes a list of 22 things to change in her life. This list at first was irritating to me (I'm definitely NOT a type A person - I can make a list but once it's done I'm done with it) but by the time the 2nd part "Home" begins I'm skipping over those and really into the story. With the help of Kelly's husband Patrick, her friends Beth, Charlotte and Katherine and Mel (Katherine's daughter) she turns her life around and gives it meaning and purpose.

I loved this book. It was so nice to read a secular book that isn't raunchy, dirty mouthed and yet lifts up women and encourages them to take charge of their lives with positive steps. Thanks Kaira, I am so looking forward to your next book! Can I make a suggestion? How about Book 2 be about Katherine and Mel and how they take the reigns back to their lives?

This book is for adults. Teens won't have any understanding of the crises in Kelly's life and also her friends - but then again they would understand what Mel (the anorexic teen) is feeling and would sympathize with her feelings and situation. There are discussion questions at the end of the book and it is an ideal book for a book club.(less)

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May 30, 2011 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 16, 2011 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

The new plight (or maybe the old one) of the middle classes seems to be the mid life crisis. At a certain age we have the leisure to examine our lives and wonder if we shouldn't have made different choices. Here, Home, Hope looks at one woman's struggle with a vague sense of dissatisfaction and depression. As Kelly struggles to find a sense of purpose in her perfect life she goes through all the standard options - a therapist, medication, reconnecting with friends, and gradually she begins to cr...more

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May 06, 2011 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

Reviewer: Stephanie
Release Date: May 1st, 2011
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
Page Count: 310
Source: print ARC from BookSparks PR for review

Blurb: Desperate Housewives meets The Middle Place in this absorbing, witty story about one suburban mother's journey from a midlife crisis to reinvention with the help of her husband, friends, and neighbors.

Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence an...more

1 like · like · see review

May 01, 2011 Samantha Robey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda is a five star worthy read! I was in love with this novel, from the first page and the hilarious dentist office scene, to the last page where I felt I was left with life lessons, and all the scenes in between. The story centers around Kelly Mills Johnson, a suburban wife who has become bored as her fortieth birthday nears. Her husband, a successful and supportive attorney, has a thriving career and love for golf, and her two young sons are active and away at camp...more Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda is a five star worthy read! I was in love with this novel, from the first page and the hilarious dentist office scene, to the last page where I felt I was left with life lessons, and all the scenes in between. The story centers around Kelly Mills Johnson, a suburban wife who has become bored as her fortieth birthday nears. Her husband, a successful and supportive attorney, has a thriving career and love for golf, and her two young sons are active and away at camp for the summer. This leaves Kelly drumming her fingers, trying to figure out how to overcome her midlife crisis. Her two best friends appear perfect to an outsider- wealthy husbands, interesting careers, and Kelly decides to try to be more like them. She decides to act on her passion for decorating, but before she can even get started, life intervenes with the appearance of her friend’s anorexic daughter. And an affair that shakes the neighborhood. And a friendship that is on the rocks. Kelly tries to tackle many subjects- her start up business, her family, her friends and their problems, and by doing so, realizes what the important things in life are.

I absolutely adored Here, Home, Hope. What I found interesting is that I completely connected with Kelly, even though I am nothing like her being in my twenties, not married and have no children. But I think that shows the strength of a great writer and character that they create- anyone can relate to them, no matter how far off they are from your real life. And I loved that Kelly’s husband was one of the good guys. I will admit that I was almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for him to be having an affair because that is often how the story goes these days, but he was faithful and supportive through it all. The Things to Change List that Kelly makes along the way was also really inspiring. I thought of a few changes that I could make myself, and I think readers will take a lot away from that. But what really got me with this novel is how empowering it was to read as a women. Kaira Rouda says on her website that she has a particular interest in empowering women and children, it showed through her writing. I closed her first novel feeling like I could do anything, and that is special. Here, Home, Hope is only the first in a series that center around Grandville, the fictional town where Kelly Mills Johnson and friends reside, and I know the others will all be must reads for me.
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Jun 04, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I first started reading Here, Home, Hope, I thought I couldn’t really relate to Kelly because she is in a different age bracket than me and going through different things than I am experiencing. I decided to give this book a chance and keep reading. I found this book to be inspiring, feel good, empowering book! As I kept reading, I didn’t want to put it down. Kelly has so much going on in her life with her friends, but she takes it all in stride and just wants to be a good friend and wife a...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kelly is about to turn 40 as she sends her sons to camp for the summer. Yikes, what's a mother to do without her kids for 7 or 8 weeks? Kelly is facing a mid-life crisis in the wealthy suburb of Grandville. The theme is a woman's self discovery and finding what she really wants out of life. Into this we add her taking care of her friend's anorexic daughter, friends having affairs, another mother who does her best to make Kelly feel inferior, and a husband who couldn't be more perfect. Having a l...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 21, 2011 Shannan/GirlsInTheStacks.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

Here, Home, Hope is an adult novel told in three parts and empowers women while still reading like a story.

The novel remains authentic, easy to read, and emotional on several different levels. When I started reading, I kept thinking – yeesh. Kelly is just like me. Well, besides the perfect house and lots of expensive outfits. I wish I was as strong and had as much time as Kelly. You do relate with her on understanding that something is missing in her life without thinking “This girl has it all...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Stacy Eaton rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a book for women, plain and simple. Any woman who has reached a point in her life and has started asking questions about what they have accomplished and where they are going from here will find real joy from this book.

I was able to identify with Ms. Rouda’s Here, Home, Hope very easily as I have had not one, but two mid-life crisis’s. Reading how she takes the lives of close friends, husbands, children and careers on a round-about merry go round was entertaining and enjoyable.

Her writin...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Jessica at Book Sake rated it 2 of 5 stars

Here, Home, Hope is your typical Desperate Housewives plot. In other words, it was unbearable to finish – midlife crises and pettiness galore. The author obviously tries to make the reader empathize with the main character, Kelly, but there is nothing about her I can relate to. She’s supposed to be humbled by some of the events that occur in the story, but her character is still very trivial and pretentious throughout the book. I did enjoy Kelly’s “Things to Change” notes, but that certainly was...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Debby rated it 3 of 5 stars

For a first time novel, I liked it. Some parts were disappointing, such as Kelly's life. Her husband is a successful lawyer, they live in a beautiful neighborhood, her two boys are away at camp for the summer and she's depressed. What?! Essentially, she is looking for her passion, something to be excited about. Along the way, Kelly meets some very believeable characters: a snotty associate (love this! We all know her too!), Charlotte, her neighbor who is supposedly living a "perfect life," and a...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Marla rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. There is a clear main character in Kelly Mills Johnson who has become restless in her thirty-ninth year while her two sons are at summer camp. She’s quirky with her post-it notes all over her house and her car on things she needs to change in her life. She also has a knack for interior decorating and “staging” a home. Her friend Charlotte (real estate agent) asks her to stage a house for her to sell, which causes Kelly to realize she has a talent. She becomes a whirlw...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Readingcureall rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found this book actually very inspirational as well as entertaining. The entertainment comes from the rich characters that allow you to get lost in their woes and drama as they work through the ups and downs of their lives. The inspiration comes from the conection you get to the characters to your own life. How it an motivate you to make changes in your own life or think of new posibilities you may want to consider.
The main character is a 39 year old mother of two teen boys happily married w...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-fluff-or-humor

I appreciate that this author was trying to send women in their 40's, like myself, a message about avoiding self-deprecation and following their dreams. She made it very clear that women have choices these days, and that doesn't preclude being a good mother. However, the message was forced (actually had one of those speeches at the end like in those 1980's teen movies), and the plot was a little Wysteria Lane meets HGTV. The mix of the one street with all of the best friends and how their lives...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2011, ebooks

I must admit to being a sucker for cheap e-books. I rather suspect a lot of people are, so when I saw Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda for $2.99, I eagerly downloaded the sample to my Kindle so I could see if it was a novel I’d like. I was pretty sure it was one I’d like, if only because of the supremely gorgeous cover. Sure enough, the sample hooked me and I quite happily parted with my money to get myself the rest of the novel. It took me about 5 days to finish the novel, but it resonated with...more I must admit to being a sucker for cheap e-books. I rather suspect a lot of people are, so when I saw Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda for $2.99, I eagerly downloaded the sample to my Kindle so I could see if it was a novel I’d like. I was pretty sure it was one I’d like, if only because of the supremely gorgeous cover. Sure enough, the sample hooked me and I quite happily parted with my money to get myself the rest of the novel. It took me about 5 days to finish the novel, but it resonated with me a lot despite the fact I’m in an entirely different place to the one Kelly finds herself in.

Here, Home, Hope, starts with Kelly Mills Johnson at the dentist. This is the point in Kelly’s life where she decides something has to give (“Here’s how I knew something about my life had to change.”). Her sons are away at camp for the summer and Kelly’s worried about putting on the regular 6lbs she usually piles on when her boys are away. She’s restless and despite having a fairly easy life, she’s unconsciously grinding her teeth as she sleeps. Her life isn’t bad, far from it, but she wants more from her life, she wants more than just being Patrick’s husband and mother to her two sons. A recent cancer scare – which resonated me more than you will ever know as somebody I know is currently going through something similar – is just the push Kelly needs and she starts a Things to Change (T2C) list. I loved the idea of the T2C list. I’m not that kind of personality; I wish I was, but I’m not, but I love the idea of writing down things to change in your life and sticking the post-it notes everywhere. There’s a lot I’d like to change, but I don’t much see it happening.

Kelly’s life changes dramatically when numerous things happen at once: her best friend Kathryn dumps her anorexic daughter with Melanie, and Kelly finds out that her other best friend Charlotte also has her own secrets, and it makes her realise that she’s quite possibly been neglecting her friends for too darn long. I really really loved the way Kelly took charge of Melanie – ‘adopting’ her as her own teen in fact – and how she was so determined to help Melanie overcome her troubles. Although some of the subplots seemed as though they were straight out of an episode of Desperate Housewives (a bit far-fetched in other words), that didn’t particularly matter to me. I also loved the fact that Kelly pushed herself to try and find a job that would suit her. Whereas a lot of Chick Lit characters coming up to 40 would just think they were far too past it to work again, Kelly strives to find something to fill her abundance of spare time and I loved that.

Kelly is one of the most upbeat characters I’ve come across in a while. Her life doesn’t suck. She isn’t contemplating having an affair, her husband isn’t leaving her, she’s a brilliant parent, and she’s confident in her own abilities (although she does still struggle like most women). I thought she was a breath of fresh air. I loved that she called her car Doug, to make him more relateable to her. I found her husband Patrick to be charming and it was nice to meet the husband of a character who supported his wife 100%. I found most of the characters to be likeable. I did find Kathryn to be a bit neglectful to her daughter, Melanie, though and I had a lot of question marks over Charlotte, but bar that they were all likeable characters. Melanie was my favourite, I loved the moody anorexic teen and I loved the way she wanted to get help, she wanted to get better.

Here, Home, Hope is one of the most uplifting books I’ve read so far in 2011. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and there was enough drama and good things in the novel to keep me hooked from the outset. It’s a well-written novel, and the message inside the novel is one everyone can understand. Whether you’re 21 like me, 39 like Kelly, Here, Home, Hope is a novel for the ages. It’s such a well-written novel that even when my eyes were closing in tiredness, I just wanted one more chapter and I stayed up past midnight finishing it off. There was nothing about the book that I’d change, and it inspired me. It showed me that it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you want to change your life you can do it, you just have to go ahead and make those changes. This novel is well worth purchasing, I was inspired while reading it and a lot of other people will be too. I can’t wait for Kaira’s second novel, I’m sure it’ll be just as good.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 08, 2011 Catherine Schmidt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: one2onenetwork

Here, Home, Hope is a good, mindless beach read. I hate to label it chick lit, but probably more "beach book"; one that gets left behind at the rental property.

I really wanted to like this book. The setting is close to my home town. I loved identifying with popular places, restaurants and stores. And for that reason, I found it fun.

Unfortunately, the book is best characterized as being trite. I really didn't like and couldn't identify or sympathize with any of the characters. I felt that the au...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was quick read. Lots of women figuring out how to manage life. a little too predictable in moving forward and a bit too unrealistic to me. If life was that perfect where your husband made big bucks and you wanted to start your own business on a whim without really discussing it with him, well this might be the book for you. or where you agree to take in a friends anorexic daughter and the mother falls off the planet to really not be readily reachable. I don't know the main character was a b...more

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About Kaira Rouda

Thank you so much for visiting my author page! I hope you'll take a moment to visit my website - and to peruse my books. I love talking to book clubs, in person or via Skype. If you're interested, please let me know. For more, please visit my website KairaRouda.com

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Quotes from Here, Home, Hope

“It’s really a blessing, to let go of grudges, to forgive, and to move on. To allow yourself to get rid of what they called emotional hoarding.” — 7 people liked it

“I didn’t know how good change could feel. I just worried about the risks, not the rewards.” — 4 people liked it

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