Home to Comfort by Kimberly Fish LSLL Book Campaign with Reviews & Giveaway!
With Patsy leading resort security, FBI agents, and Mason on a merry chase, Gloria knows that if you want to catch a woman of a certain age, you have to think like a woman of a certain age. Thankfully, she’s got the credentials.
If only she could understand the other people in her life—particularly Gardner Rogers. Gloria returns home to Comfort, Texas with a ring, a pressing need to organize her house, and a custom order of Sweeties signature truffles to be delivered to White House chefs. When her business partner embarks on last-minute travel plans, one of her best friends announces a retirement, romances bloom from unlikely sources, and Gardner and her ex-husband, Harry Rogers, come unhinged—quite publicly—it all forces Gloria to face her strangest challenges yet.
This final book in the Comfort and Joy trilogy weaves happy endings for the townsfolk that readers have come to love, and just deserts for those they don’t. It’s Kimberly Fish at her finest, and a treasure for brave people who don’t retire quietly.
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Home to Comfort lives up to its name; the story feels like curling up on the sofa with your favorite throw, a cup of tea, and a good book.
I appreciated so many things in Kimberly Fish’s final book in the Comfort and Joy series. As a woman of a certain age myself, I enjoyed that Gloria was a “seasoned” character who, while she shared so much wisdom (more on this), also managed to get herself into pickles on the regular. It was a fun reminder that no matter what stage we’re in, we’re always learning and growing.
Several sentences in the book stood out like treasures and had me stopping to take note. I circled back to them so that I could absorb their wisdom and let them settle in me:
“Do not dismiss me because you had a bad day. Embrace me because I can lighten the load.”
“It will all work out in the end. And if it hasn’t worked out, it’s not the end.”
Along with Gloria, Fish created a cast of characters that makes Comfort feel like the Texas version of Stars Hollow. From Drue and Joynella to the Bunco Ladies, Gloria’s “daughters by choice,” and even Patsy and Gardner, I delighted in each introduction. Meeting them inspired me to go back to the beginning of the series so I could experience their stories.
There was so much packed into this book that Fish could have easily broken it into two novels. The adventure in Mexico could have been a book on its own, ending with Mason and Gloria’s nuptials. Gloria’s return to Comfort—where she faced ex–best friend drama, high stress at her truffle shop, and the challenge of navigating a new marriage—would have handily served as the series finale. However, I also understand the author’s decision to wrap up the series with this final book.
Taking a closer look at the story, I found two plot points particularly poignant. First, Fish realistically captured the friction between Gloria and Mason as they transitioned from a long-distance relationship to living together in the same space. She did not shy away from the doubts, distress, and fears that mark this type of life change.
Second, I appreciated that, throughout the novel, Fish wove threads of frustration around the fact that women of a certain age are underestimated, dismissed, and patronized. She does it with skill, wit, and also a measure of maturity. One of my favorite places this shows up is when Gloria observes how the authorities in Mexico handle Mason’s crazy, criminal ex-wife:
“Though she could never have been friends with Patsy [the ex-wife], it was hard to hear the men underestimate her creativity.”
Well played, Ms. Fish.
Home to Comfort is a feel-good novel that kept me reading well past my bedtime. I highly recommend it.
If you enjoyed this book, you might also like watching: the new Matlock; Grace & Frankie; Elsbeth
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Kimberly Fish always delivers characters you want as friends. Great post!
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