Free to a Good Home, a delightful debut novel by Eve Marie Mont, follows a year in the life of Noelle Ryan, a woman whose life has not taken the course she expected. Settling into recently divorced status, Noelle is trying to reconcile her dreams of the perfect life with the one she is actually living. While she keeps herself busy with combing real-estate listings for unachievable dream homes and trying to place unwanted dogs with deserving families, she is ultimately looking for a good home herself, not the physical space but its emotional equivalent. Through it all she must navigate a world of relationships that would test the patience of man's most loyal best friend. Like the misunderstood dogs she tries to redeem, Noelle gets another chance at happiness in the form of a surprisingly grounded musician. While the Disney version of happily-ever-after may be just a fantasy, Noelle is searching for a real-life alternative that promises to be equally satisfying (and much more entertaining).Anyone looking for the simple pleasure of a good read will be charmed by Free to a Good Home. The believably likable characters draw the reader into an engaging story that is hard to put down. Noelle's bouts of self-doubt, struggles to replicate her hairstylist's magic, and skepticism about the seemingly perfect guy make her the ideal protagonist; an everywoman to whom most readers can relate. The ebb and flow of her relationships provides layers of humor and emotion to a story that is completely relatable. And, while many stories about relationships and love become sappy or banal, thanks to Ms. Mont's witty and honest writing, Free to a Good Home never falls into that trap. Instead, it is a perfect balance of humor, intelligence, romance, and reality.Readers hoping to spend chapters of a book scratching their head in confusion should look elsewhere. This is not an overwrought morality tale. But, readers who like to close a book with a satisfied grin will not be disappointed. Like the best `comfort food', Free to a Good Home is flavorful and filling, and it will leave the reader completely satisfied.