The heroine is searching for a missing part of her family, her father. Katherine Whitfield lost her mother when she was only twelve. She lived with her stepfather and his second wife. They were kind to her, but she knew they weren’t her real family. When she discovers a trunk of her mother’s with a half written letter to her real father, she realizes that perhaps he never knew of her existence. She also finds matchbooks and napkins from Golden’s Cafe in Paradise, Kentucky, a lovely handmade quilt, and a cuff link. She impulsively decides to go to Kentucky to see if she can find her father.

As she drives down the winding road near Paradise, she suddenly comes upon a horse trailer stopped by the side. When she swerves to avoid an accident, she and her rental car end up in a ditch. The owner of the trailer and the horse upbraids her for her careless driving. But he also wipes the blood from her face, makes sure she is all right, and stays until the tow truck arrives. Thus Katherine meets Zach Tyler.

Zach is the manager of the Stanton’s stud farm, one of the best in the area. He is also the owner of a very promising three-year old horse, Midnight Rogue. In a little over three weeks, Rogue will run in the Kentucky Derby. If he wins, Zach may finally overcome the stigma of being Jackson Tyler’s son.

Jackson is a con man par excellence. Eighteen years earlier, he had bilked a number of the citizens of Paradise out of sizable sums of money. When his father moved on, sixteen-year-old Zach had stayed with the Stantons. Harry Stanton and his trainer, Sam Jamison, had helped Zach grow into a fine man and an excellent horse man. But he is still Jackson Tyler’s son. A victory at Churchill Downs will give Zach the respect he craves.

Katherine tells Zach about her quest. He warns her that she will be stirring up trouble and she might not like what she finds. How many men with names starting with “J” are there in town? Will anyone remember events that happened twenty-seven years ago? Will anyone remember her mother, Evelyn Jones?

The similarities to True Betrayals are obvious, but Almost Home is a very different book. This is romance, not romantic suspense. And it’s a lovely romance. Freethy also provides a nice look at small town life, at the marriages that Katherine’s inquiries shake, at the way that families can come apart and come together.

Katherine and Zach finally discover what it means to belong. I’ll leave you to guess whether or not Rogue wins the Derby.

Almost Home is a most enjoyable contemporary romance. Freethy writes the kind of love stories that leave me smiling in contentment. I think Almost Home will leave you smiling, too.

--Jean Mason