Tag Archives: Single Parent

Boy Toy (Man Hands #3)

By Sarina Bowen & Tanya Eby

Synopsis

Liam
The moment Sadie Matthews walks through the daycare center door, I feel my world tilt in her direction. Again. I fell for her when I was fourteen, and I’m still not over her. Problem: she still thinks of me as a teen she used to babysit. But I’ve learned a few things about pleasing a woman in the last fifteen years. I can’t wait to show her how good it could be. I need to move quickly before I lose her again. This is more than a game to me, but I still plan to win.

Sadie
I’ve just survived the worst year of my life. As a single mom of twin toddlers, I don’t have time for a man. I barely have time to finish a thought. Who knew that Liam McAllister would grow up to be so devastating? He’s everything my husband was not: tall, built, and willing to have a tea party with my girls.

I can’t possibly get involved with him. He’s too young for me. Too handsome. But he’s so persuasive…

Review

I loved this book! BOY TOY was sexy and fun, and it was refreshing to read a story about a younger man/older woman for a change, even if the age difference between Sadie and Liam was only five years.

I think Sadie is a character a lot of women will relate to. She was smart, hardworking and a wonderful mother to her adorable twin girls, Kate and Amy. I felt so sad and angry on her behalf at how her self-esteem had been knocked down by her douche of an ex-husband, who you wish was real just so you could kick him in the balls for his douchey ways. 

Liam was an amazing man and it was no surprise that Sadie and her girls fell in love with him. He proved to all three of them that they could rely on him, that he’d always be there and that he’d always keep his promises.

I loved all the characters, with the exception of Douchebag Decker of course, and I liked getting a glimpse of the previous couples and where they were at with their lives. I LOVED the surprise party for Liam’s dad, which was both hilarious and gratifying. As with the previous books, the banter and inner monologue were quite amusing, like this little gem, which had me laughing out loud and saying “Ewww” at the same time.

“He wants to put ranch dressing on your Hidden Valley.”

The only complaint I have is that I was irritated by how many times Liam referred to his fourteen-year-old self. It was funny at first, but it got old pretty fast.

BOY TOY is told in dual POVs and comes with a beautiful HEA for Sadie and Liam. While it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone, though I would recommend reading the previous two books because they’re both very enjoyable.

Boy Toy (Man Hands #3)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Sarina Bowen:  Click Here
Visit Tanya Eby:  Click Here

Man Hands Series

Clean Sweep (San Francisco Dragons # 1)

By Kate Willoughby

Synopsis

He’s a hockey player, not a housekeeper.

Cameron Bowes is the face of the San Francisco Dragons, so when the team needs a gimmick to improve their fan relations, Cameron becomes the focus of the new video “At Home with a Dragon”. Unfortunately for Cam, his bachelor pad looks like an earthquake hit it. Repeatedly.

She’s the sexy maid a teammate hires as a joke.

Dakota Kelly has been working non-stop since she was unexpectedly awarded custody of her young niece. Though the little girl’s grandmother swooped in to help, the old woman’s overbearing ways have left Dakota no choice but to work as a janitor and moonlight as a maid in the hopes of one day getting some much-needed space from her niece’s highly controlling Nana.

Lucky for Cam, Dakota turns out to be the miracle worker he desperately needs, and he jumps at the chance to hire her as his live-in housekeeper. Soon, the two can no longer ignore their smoldering chemistry, and it seems turning their business relationship into a happily-ever-after for all three of them will be the next play. There’s just one problem: Nana doesn’t approve, and she’s not about to let her granddaughter go without a fight.

Review

CLEAN SWEEP is the first book in the San Francisco Dragons series, a new hockey series from Kate Willoughby.

I thought Dakota and Cameron were very likable characters. Dakota put her dreams and her life on hold to take care of her orphaned niece, Zinny. She was not afraid of hard work and was not ashamed of what she did because it helped provide for her and Zinny. Cameron was just an all-around nice guy and he never treated Dakota like a piece of meat. Instead, he seemed embarrassed for her at what she had to put up with just to provide for her family. He was there every time Dakota needed help and he was a wonderful father figure for Zinny. The only complaint I have against Cameron and Dakota is that I didn’t feel any chemistry between them.

Story wise, there’s hardly any hockey included, so if you’re after a hockey read, you won’t find it here. Additionally, there were some inconsistencies, some things left hanging, and some events that felt out of place, as though they weren’t put in the right part of the timeline. However, I was reading an advanced reader copy, and I know the author was still tweaking the book after I received my copy, so maybe these things have been fixed for the final copy.

CLEAN SWEEP is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Cameron and Dakota. While it is part of a series, I’m assuming each book can be read as a stand-alone.

Clean Sweep (San Francisco Dragons # 1)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Kate Willoughby:  Click Here

San Francisco Dragons Series

A Change of Pace (Northern Lights #3)

By Freya Barker

Synopsis

Once a man who lived by the letter of the law.

Newt Tobias will do anything for his little girl. Even take early retirement, sell his city home, and move to cottage country, hoping that the simpler life will provide a better balance for his troubled teenage daughter.

Yet, not long after they’ve settled, he finds himself toe-to-toe with a stubborn, fiery-tempered woman with pretty brown eyes.

Once a recluse preferring to live alone.

Working with troubled adolescents, Frederique Marchand doesn’t suffer fools and won’t put up with bullies. Especially handsome strangers like Newt who think they can run roughshod over her. She loves her work, but on her own time, she much prefers the company of her menagerie of animals.

But with the welfare of a teenager at stake, she must put aside rocky first impressions and work with a man who needs her as much as she’ll come to need him.

Review

A Change of Pace is now my favourite of this series, I did not think anything could top Book 1 but this Author has told such an incredibly heartfelt story with too many wonderful characters.

I simply loved the dedication at the beginning to motherhood – it sets the tone of the entire story.  A woman can be a mother to a child without giving birth, love knows no boundaries.

The journey that Freddy and Millie take together was just inspiring and to see Millie grown as a young woman will melt your heart.

With sensitive subjects covered we are given moments of small-town humour and adolescent struggles.  The story continues with so many rich layers of new families forming and solid friendships.

The menagerie of animals and children and the concept of different families strengthened the message in A Change of Pace of motherhood in all different forms.

These characters, in particular, the trio of Freddy, Newt, and Millie all had battle scars of loss.  They all fought in their own way to want to live fulfilling lives and believe in love and second chances.

Newt’s love of his daughter knew no bounds and his desire for her to find herself again by trusting others.  Jim and Jordan’s storyline is another I loved as father and son and what a surprise with Phyllis – loved that curveball.

Finally, the Epilogue gives hope and also wonderful closure for Millie, Newt and Freddy.

Quote:  “Sometimes you need time to slow down so you can appreciate the wealth around you.  Most days we just run past it”

A Change of Pace (Northern Lights #3)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author:  Click Here

Doppelbanger

By Heather M. Orgeron

Synopsis

Doppelbanger; A person who bangs someone solely because they look similar to another person they want to bang.

At thirty-five, Gina Bourque is still playing the field. If he’s single, in his early twenties with dark hair and brooding eyes, there’s a damn good chance you’ll find him in her little black book.

Jeffrey Ryan never imagined that at nearly forty he’d find himself widowed and a single dad. But here he is—stumbling through this thing called life with two impressionable daughters watching his every move.

When Gina and Jeffrey meet while cruising the Caribbean, sparks fly and not in a good way. He’s too old. Too blond. Too stiff. Yet she’s still drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She’s too vulgar. Too sassy. Too wild. But she ignites something inside of him he can’t ignore.

We all know what happens when you play with fire. . . someone’s bound to get burned.

Review

I quite enjoyed DOPPELBANGER, which is the second book from Heather M. Orgeron that I’ve read.

“You burst into our lives like a bomb, when our world needed nothing more than to be shaken up.”

I liked Gina, who has a heart of gold but a mouth that gets her in a lot of trouble. I loved, loved, loved all the kids. Gina’s nephews⏤Landon, Lake and Kyle⏤were a handful and hilarious. Jeffrey’s daughters⏤Evangeline and Willow⏤were feisty and adorable. I loved the scene were Gina and Jeffrey meet, which was awkward and hilarious at the same time.

Unfortunately, Jeffrey wasn’t as likable. Some of the things he said to Gina were so hurtful and some were downright unforgivable. It was so disappointing to see a man—who loves his daughters and loved his wife—treat women so badly. That being said, he was a wonderful father to his two girls, and he did redeem himself in the end, but I still spent most of the book wishing I could kick him in the balls.

DOPPELBANGER is told in dual POVs and, while it has a connection to BOOMERANGERS, you don’t need to read that book to enjoy this one. DOPPELBANGER was very funny, but as with the previous book, some of the humor did feel forced. DOPPELBANGER comes with not one, but two epilogues, both of which were lovely and sweet and perfect ways to end the book. But the extended epilogue—set twelve years in the future—was my favorite one for sure.

Doppelbanger

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Heather M. Orgeron:  Click Here

The Accidentals

By Sarina Bowen

Synopsis

Never ask a question unless you’re sure you want the truth.

I’ve been listening to my father sing for my whole life. I carry him in my pocket on my mp3 player. It’s just that we’ve never met face to face.

My mother would never tell me how I came to be, or why my rock star father and I have never met. I thought it was her only secret. I was wrong.

When she dies, he finally appears. Suddenly I have a first class ticket into my father’s exclusive world. A world I don’t want any part of – not at this cost.

Only three things keep me going: my a cappella singing group, a swoony blue-eyed boy named Jake, and the burning questions in my soul.


There’s a secret shame that comes from being an unwanted child. It drags me down, and puts distance between me and the boy I love.

My father is the only one alive who knows my history. I need the truth, even if it scares me.

Review

THE ACCIDENTALS is the first young adult novel by Sarina Bowen, and while I don’t usually read young adult, I’ll read anything written by Ms Bowen. Told only in Rachel’s POV, we follow her as she mourns the death of her mother, moves to a different state, goes to a new school, makes new friends, loses old friends, and struggles with intimacy, all while she navigates a relationship with her father, who she knew about but had never met prior to her mother’s death.

Going by the blurb, I thought the relationship between Rachel and her father, Frederick, would be the primary focus of the story, but it wasn’t. There was a lot of other stuff going on, which for me was too much and detracted from what I was really hoping to read: a story about a teen-aged girl and her previously absent father. Rachel and Frederick barely spent any time together, and when they finally had their heart-to-heart, it was done so at the 93% mark and only lasted seven pages. This was where I was expecting to have my heart broken for Rachel. Instead I felt nothing for a scene that felt incomplete and left me wanting.

Overall, I did enjoy this story, but I didn’t love it, and I think that’s because I had expectations that this would be an emotional read, and for me, it wasn’t one. I also felt that some threads were left hanging and when the book ended, it was very sudden and again, felt incomplete.

I’m a huge fan of Sarina Bowen, so it pains me when I (very rarely) give her a not-so-glowing review. I think a lot of readers out there will enjoy THE ACCIDENTALS, but sadly it just wasn’t for me.

The Accidentals

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Sarina Bowen:  Click Here

A is for Alpha (Homefront: The Sheridans # 4)

By Kate Aster

Synopsis

Who put the “O” in Aloha?

Yeah, that’s me. Camden Sheridan.
A guy who will bring you to “O” faster than you can text it.
Former Army Ranger with the standard issue 8-pack.
And now, a bartender who’ll get you safely back to your hotel after too many margaritas… and you won’t want me to leave.
Believe me, you won’t.

I live life by my rules in my bachelor pad paradise here on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Until a Ranger brother needs me to take care of his little girl while he deploys.
A four-year-old cockblock in pigtails.
My sex life comes to a screeching halt.
Then the babysitter shows up.

Annie.
Smart, principled, good with kids. All the things I don’t look for in a woman.
I want her anyway.
Annie’s got a fortress of secrets surrounding her. But I’ll break it down and claim her as mine.

If this kid will just take a nap.

Review

So I thought FAKING IT would be the last book in the Homefront: The Sheridans series, but it turns out I was wrong. In A IS FOR ALHPA, we meet three of the Sheridans’ cousins: Camden, Fenway and Dodger. Yes, their parents named them after baseball stadiums. Sick of being known as the “other” Sheridans, they moved to the Big Island to get away from the rich and successful side of their family.

A IS FOR ALPHA was an easy and average read for me. Both Camden and Annie are likable characters, but there isn’t anything about them that stands out. The same could be said for the story, because even though it’s only been a few days since I read it, I’m struggling to remember what happened. What I remember most is how often Annie alluded to something that happened to her on the mainland. Something so bad it forced her into hiding on the Big Island. I remember it because I was already annoyed by the repeated teasing at the 35% mark, before the incident was finally revealed at the 60% mark. 

A IS FOR ALPHA is told in dual POVs, comes with a sweet HEA for Camden and Annie, and while it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Will Fenway and Dodger get their own stories? I’m not sure. Would I read them? Yeah, I think I would.

A is for Alpha (Homefront: The Sheridans # 4)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Kate Aster:  Click Here

Homefront: The Sheridans Series

Rescuing Emily (Delta Force Heroes #2)

By Susan Stoker

Synopsis

Renting out the apartment over his garage shouldn’t be a life-changing decision, but when Delta soldier Cormac “Fletch” Fletcher meets Emily Grant, he feels an instant connection. He can’t stand the thought of Emily and her young daughter living anywhere unsafe. Offering cheap rent is a small price to pay for their safety…and Fletch’s peace of mind.

Being a single mother is difficult at best, but renting the extremely affordable space from Fletch makes Emily’s life a lot easier…until it doesn’t. Suddenly all the money she’s saving thanks to Fletch’s generosity is going into the hands of a blackmailer. And what little food Emily can afford goes to her daughter Annie, so the girl doesn’t go to bed hungry…leaving Emily weaker and weaker.

When miscommunication has Emily assuming Fletch is in on the blackmail, he not only has to gain her trust but also deal with a man holding a grudge against Fletch and his entire Delta Force team. A task made more difficult when the dangerous man gets his hands on Emily and Annie…

** Rescuing Emily is the 2nd book in the Delta Force Heroes Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings

Review

Rescuing Emily was a guilty little romance read that has all the elements that leave you satisfied with a gorgeous happy ever after.  I have not read any of the other in this series, it is standalone and easy to follow.  You meet a group of strong alpha men who have hearts of gold.

This story flowed well and held my interest in that I finished it in a couple of days.

My favourite character was Annie, wow she was simply beautiful and gave such light to this story. For a young child, she was front and center in building the romance journey for her mother and was such an integral part of melting Fletch’s resolve.

The chapter when Annie seeks Fletch for help when her mother was sick made tears well in my eyes and my heart hurt.  What a strong and and resilient character and a testament to the way Emily raised her.

Emily has had such a hard start in life and I immediately loved the break she was given by Fletch.  This story is told over many months so the build-up of the relationship is realistic.  Emily & Fletch have incredible heat and passion and their transformation into a family with Annie is just heartwarming.  This story will give you all the feels of love and new beginnings.

The action and drama towards the end gives you some suspense and just reaffirms the Delta Force family.  Annie’s declaration for Fletch at the end will make your smile and feel so happy.

Rescuing Emily (Delta Force Heroes #2)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author:  Click Here

Series Link:  Click Here

Marek (Cold Fury Hockey # 11)

By Sawyer Bennett

Synopsis

Marek Fabritis is used to delivering blows, not receiving them. But when he gets tipped off by an anonymous email about his ex-girlfriend, the news leaves him ice cold—and it’s not because Gracen Moore is getting married to a total jerk. It’s the fact that Marek has a three-year-old daughter he never knew about. Now he’s going back home, not to play knight in shining armor but to make damn sure that no man takes what’s his. For the first time, there might be something more important than hockey.

Gracen Moore has always loved Marek. That’s why she let him go, so he could pursue a career in the NHL. And that’s why she never told him about Lilly. Only now does Gracen realize that she made an unforgivable mistake. But is that any reason for Marek to crash her wedding and make an epic scene? If the spark that still smolders between them is to be trusted, maybe. Still, Gracen’s not getting her hopes up. Because she knows better than anyone that appearances aren’t always what they seem. . . .

Review

MAREK is a second chance, secret child romance, which for the most part was a very enjoyable read and a good addition to the Cold Fury Hockey series. The story was entertaining, kept me turning the pages and brought out a wide range of emotions from me.

I loved Gracen, who apologized several times for keeping her daughter a secret and she meant each and every one of those apologies. She was willing to accept Marek’s anger towards her, but she was not afraid to stand up for herself and put him in his place when he went too far. Given how their breakup went down, I don’t blame Gracen one bit for what she did, especially when she believed she was simply honoring Marek’s wishes.

I also loved her daughter, Lilly, who was a gorgeous and sweet little girl.

I wish I could say I liked Marek, but I just can’t. While he became a good father to Lilly, I didn’t like how he kept playing the victim or how badly he treated Gracen throughout most of the book. From memory, he never apologized to Gracen for the cruel way he broke up with her, or take into account her feelings or try to understand why she kept Lilly a secret.

While MAREK can technically be read as a stand-alone, the scene where Marek rushes to stop Gracen from getting married⏤and learns about his daughter⏤only appears in the previous book. So if you haven’t read REED, you will miss that particular heated and emotional scene that sets up this story.

I also have to say that the synopsis does not match the story at all, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a glaring disparity between the two. The synopsis says that Gracen let Marek go so he could pursue his NHL dreams, and that Marek rushes to stop her from getting married after learning he has a daughter. That is not even close to what happened. Instead, Marek dumped Gracen when he reached the NHL because he didn’t want to be tied down to her, and only learned of his daughter after he turned up to stop Gracen from getting married.

There’s not a great deal of hockey in this book, as the story mostly takes place during the off-season. But despite that, and as I said above, the story is a page turner and I devoured it quickly. MAREK is told in dual POVs and comes with a HEA for Marek and Gracen.

Marek (Cold Fury Hockey # 11)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Sawyer Bennett:  Click Here

Cold Fury Hockey Series

Hooked On You (Chicago Rebels # 3)

By Kate Meader

Synopsis

Violet Vasquez never met her biological father, so learning he left his beloved hockey franchise—the Chicago Rebels—to her is, well, unexpected. Flat broke and close to homeless, Violet is determined to make the most of this sudden opportunity. Except dear old dad set conditions that require she takes part in actually running the team with the half-sisters she barely knows. Working with these two strangers and overseeing a band of hockey-playing lugs is not on her agenda…until she lays eyes on the Rebels captain and knows she has to have him.

Bren St. James has been labeled a lot of things: the Puck Prince, Lord of the Ice, Hell’s Highlander…but it’s the latest tag that’s making headlines: washed-up alcoholic has-been. This season, getting his life back on track and winning the Cup are his only goals. With no time for relationships—except the fractured ones he needs to rebuild with his beautiful daughters—he’s finding it increasingly hard to ignore sexy, all-up-in-his-beard Violet Vasquez. And when he finds himself in need of a nanny just as the playoffs are starting, he’s faced with a temptation he could so easily get hooked on.

For two lost souls, there’s more on the line than just making the best of a bad situation… there might also be a shot at the biggest prize of all: love.

Review

HOOKED ON YOU is the final book in the Chicago Rebels series, and it is a little sad to say goodbye to the three Chase sisters who did what nobody thought they could: take control of the worst hockey team in the league and lead it to success.

While I liked Bren, Violet and Bren’s two daughters, and that we got to see more bonding between the Chase sisters, this book didn’t engage me as much as I was hoping it would, and it did take me a few days to finish it. I found myself frustrated by the number of times Bren alluded to something terrible he did in his past before it was finally revealed towards the end of the book. There were also a couple of hockey related mistakes, like the name of the opposing team changing in the middle of the game, and the away team having home ice advantage for game seven of a playoff series. These aren’t huge mistakes and maybe most readers wouldn’t notice, but they were big enough for this hockey fan to notice.

HOOKED ON YOU is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. It comes with a HEA for Bren and Violet, and an ending for the team that I think fans of the series will be happy with.

Hooked On You (Chicago Rebels # 3)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Kate Meader:  Click Here

Chicago Rebels Series

Love At Last

By Claudia Connor

Synopsis

How many times can you be unlucky in love before you decide it’s not luck, it’s you?

I’m in love with someone else. With her ex-groom’s words still ringing in her ears, Clare Franklin flies off alone to her would-be honeymoon. Forced to accept not everyone gets that happily ever after she’s always dreamed of, she’s done with men. Until she gets tangled up, quite literally, with one sexy veterinarian.

The only thing Dr Deacon Montgomery wants is to share his surgical expertise and get back to his two year old twin daughters. But, the connection he feels with Clare highlights just how alone he really is and makes him wonder if he can be more than doctor and daddy.

Long talks and moonlit walks under the rustle of palms has Clare thinking maybe she gave up on love too soon. Until one phone call from home changes everything.

Review

If you’re a fan of sweet, single-parent, second-chance romances, LOVE AT LAST is for you.

I liked Clare and how she took a chance on Deacon after being dumped at her own wedding. It also takes guts to go on your honeymoon alone, knowing you’ll be surrounded by happy couples everywhere you look, and not let it get you down. I loved Deacon. Absolutely loved him. He was honest and sincere, and what you see is really what you get. I loved his relationship with his twin daughters, as well as the effort he went to to reconnect with Clare. He felt they had something special, and he was not afraid to put himself out there for her.

So why only 3❤? Well, because while I liked it, I didn’t love it. I felt that certain parts of the story dragged on, while other parts of the story felt rushed and therefore anti-climactic. But mostly I think my issue was that I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be reading this particular story when I did. I believe that if I had been in a better mood, I would have found LOVE AT LAST more enjoyable.

Love At Last

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Claudia Connor:  Click Here