Home is Where the Heart Is - Laurel Wenson

We all need shelter from the storm - it's called home.

For years, Carla Douglas has wanted nothing more than to get out of Gloucester forever. She's lived her entire life in the neighborhood called "the Fort" in a small fishing village, but hasn't had great memories.

Her father left when she was two, and her mother, Betty Sue, abandoned her five years later to run off with a new rich man. She remains in town to care for the one person who has always been there -- her "Nonna"-- but knows the time is coming when she'll be free to go. Her mother, now a wealthy widow, is back in town, but Carla has no desire for a relationship with the one who hurt her most. 

Carla's "chosen" family include her neighbors, the McBrides, and her boss at the Even Keel, a bar where she's worked for a decade. They've all been there for her over the years, and understand her desire to go. But before she can leave, a new customer walks into the bar one night and catches her eye. Not long after their meeting, another man comes to town who challenges Carla's plans even more. In the end, she must ultimately decide whether to leave and start fresh in a new place, or heal old wounds and call Gloucester home forever.