A seemingly Norman Rockwell-like family is at the center of Spencer's (Family Blessings) latest novel, and, as usual, Spencer reveals the hard truths that lie beneath the bright exterior. On the first day of school, high-school principal Tom Gardner thinks his biggest problem is finding the shipment of textbooks for his wife Claire's English class; but the most difficult ordeal of his life is about to begin. Tom's real troubles start when he meets a new student, Kent Arens, who turns out to be smart, well-mannered, a star athlete-and the illegitimate son Tom never knew he had, conceived during a one-night stand 18 years ago, just before Tom married Claire. Tom swings between fear that Claire will find out about Kent and pride in his newfound son, but when the boy, unaware of his lineage, starts courting Tom's 16-year-old daughter, Chelsea, Tom is forced to reveal his secret. Claire, bitter and angry, asks Tom to move out of their home. Robby, their son, resents his new brother and takes out his anger on Kent on the football field. Chelsea, meanwhile, starts running with the wrong crowd. But while Tom and Claire grow farther apart, the three siblings decide to become friends. Together, they reunite Tom and Claire, restoring family harmony.

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LaVyre Spencer is a great writer. This is a relationship story about teenage mistakes and adult repercussions which affect more lives than the two originally involved.

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You just cannot go wrong with LaVyrle Spencer. I'm still sad that she retired years ago.

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Excellent book! I could hardly put it down!

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A seemingly Norman Rockwell-like family is at the center of Spencer's (Family Blessings) latest novel, and, as usual, Spencer reveals the hard truths that lie beneath the bright exterior. On the first day of school, high-school principal Tom Gardner thinks his biggest problem is finding the shipment of textbooks for his wife Claire's English class; but the most difficult ordeal of his life is about to begin. Tom's real troubles start when he meets a new student, Kent Arens, who turns out to be smart, well-mannered, a star athlete-and the illegitimate son Tom never knew he had, conceived during a one-night stand 18 years ago, just before Tom married Claire.

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I love all of LaVyrle Spencer's books

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Very good book, I enjoyed it.

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This was the first LaVyrle Spencer book I read. The story was amazing and a quick read. I'm now a huge Spencer fan!

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I love this book. It is a story about a warm loving family and how they overcome their problems. Very absorbing. I did not want to put it down.

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What happens if in one night of indescretion, at a man's bachelor party, a woman becomes pregnant and never tells the man? The man and woman never really knew each other and there was no reason that they would ever see each other again.

The woman raises the child, a son, as a single parent. He's a well adjusted teen -- excels in school and sports. Then, 17 years later, the woman and her son move to a new town and the man who fathered the child is the principal of the high school, his wife teaches honors English and he has a son, the same age as the illegitimate son and a daughter a year or so younger.

Revealing this truth could destroy the marriage he's come to cherish despite it's rocky start but events force him t reveal the truth to wife. Especially once he learns that his daughter is interested in dating the boy -- who is actually her half-brother.

This is what happens when Monica Arens moves to a St Paul suburb with her son, Kent. The school principal is Tom Gardner and his wife Claire, son Robby and daugher Chelsea. Learning the truth all these years later threatens to drive a permanent wedge into his marriage and destroy the love among the family members.

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High School Principal Tom Gardner had the perfect life...a beautiful wife, two teenage children, and the respect of the community. But his world comes crashing down when he meets transfer student Kent Arens and his mother, Monica. Tom recognizes Monica has the pizza delivery girl he had a one-night stand with a week before his wedding to Claire eighteen years ago. He also does the math and realizes the teenager who looks just like him is his son. Tom's worst nightmare happens when the truth comes out and rips his family apart.

I didn't know if I would like this book because of the subject, but I have to say it was very hard to put down. Tom is torn between wanting to keep his illegitimate son a secret because he doesn't want to hurt his wife or family; yet he wants to get to know his son and be a father to him. Claire is devastated by the news and the kids are confused. Overall, I thought the story was realistic, but the ending was tied up a little too neatly for me. I understood why Claire was upset at the news but didn't quite grasp her reasoning for staying upset at her husband throughout the book, but other reviewers felt she was justified. My rating: 4.5 Stars.

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This is one of LaVyrle Spencer's better books...and that's saying something, because all of them are good! This one delves into the explosive emotion of a family torn apart by one indiscretion almost two decades before. She details the fallout without pulling punches, and shows what it is really like when a family dynamic shifts as suddenly as an earthquake. HIGHLY recommended reading!

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No surprises here. Nice Family Story.

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Are there sins of the heart beyond forgiving? The answer is revealed in LaVyrle Spencer's powerful novel of a family whose future is imperiled by the past.

When a new student transfers to principal Tom Gardner's school, Tom instantly recognizes that this teenager is the son he never knew he had, the result of a one-night stand years before. Raised by an adoring and fiercely independent mother who never revealed the name of his biological father, Kent Arens is a fine young man. But his very presence represents something deeper-and darker-to the members of Tom Gardner's family. To Claire, Tom's wife, Kent is the symbol of an act of betrayal so bitterly wrenching she cannot forgive her husband. To Chelsea, their daughter, he is the boy she is falling in love with and to Claire's son, Robby, Kent is his rival in the classroom and on the football field.

As the Gardners careen toward disaster, they must learn the true meaning of unconditional love. In that lesson, "Home Song" strikes a universal chord in all of us.

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