Better Late Than Never (A Huckleberry Ridge Romance, Book Three)

 

K.T. RAINE

Stats for my copy: Pdf, pub date 3/18/23.

How acquired: Received via BookSirens.

First line: Dawson turned his ball cap around backward and wiped an arm across his sweaty forehead.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This is the third book in the author’s Huckleberry Ridge series. I loved the first book, and realized when I received this one that I must have missed the release of the second book, but I bought it as soon as I finished this one!

While volunteering at for an annual forestry event that aims to teach kids about conservation and protecting natural resources, Dawson inadvertently sort of meets Kara. Sort of, because she stays turned away from him and then flees. Dawson is intrigued, and determined to learn more about her.

Kara has been living with her mother, and her father before he died, in the family home for some twenty years, but nobody in Huckleberry Ridge even knew she’d come home. Celebrating graduation with friends, she had suffered burns to one side of her face and down her arm. Her boyfriend at the time promptly dumped her, and she’s kept herself hidden from the world ever since.

It’s been about a year since I read the first book, but I believe there was quite a bit more angst in this one. Not that I’m complaining, I love good angst, and Kara deserves to have all the angst she wants. But there is also a lot of humor, and laughter, and some wonderfully funny and flirty banter between Kara and Dawson. I loved watching them get to know each other. Dawson was so patient with Kara, slowly drawing her out and encouraging her to face the world again, a little at a time. When his family finally met Kara, they too were all just wonderful to her, welcoming both she and her mother her to the fold. My heart broke for Kara and the pain she had suffered, not just physically but emotionally.

There’s a big misunderstanding on Kara’s part, which I did not see coming, that drives a wedge between them, to Dawson’s perplexion, and then a smaller misunderstanding, which I did see coming but which fortunately was resoled within a few pages. And some more angst over the difference between their ages, which I totally understood and was there for. And then of course the HEA, and it was all just so heartwarming and fun and delightful. And I don’t understand why the author’s books don’t have a bigger audience.

*received via Booksirens and voluntarily reviewed*

Goodreads Synopsis: If only she could be invisible…

Kara Grissom has spent twenty years in hiding. Ever since suffering a severe facial burn the night after her college graduation, her only refuge has been the childhood home she shares with her mother. She’s long since given up on any possibility of finding love, so when a handsome stranger suddenly invades her safe place, Kara’s stunned by the sudden awakening of desires she thought had died years ago.

Dawson Wickham loves life as a bachelor. With his own home, a great family, and the perfect job, he’s got everything he needs. But he also loves mysteries, and when he accidentally stumbles upon the reclusive Kara and she flees from him, her bizarre reaction is a mystery he just has to solve.

Kara knows that no man who sees her face could ever love her, so she does her best to rebuff Dawson’s interest. But he’s not the type to give up easily, especially once he begins to fall for her charm, wit, and intelligence. But will his love be enough to break through Kara’s phobia of rejection and convince her to trust him? Or is she destined to live out her days alone?

Cold Light of Day (Missing in Alaska, Book One)

 

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2/7/23.

How acquired: Received from the publisher via Revell Reads Blogger Program.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: When this book came up for review, I didn’t even read the synopsis. Just the word “Alaska” and the author’s name were enough for me to know I wanted to read it. I’ve loved all of the author’s books that I’ve read so far, and lately I’ve been drawn to anything set in Alaska.

Autumn Long is the police chief in the small town of Shadow Gap, following in her father’s footsteps. Currently, the city council members are considering relieving her of her position, driving by Wally, who is pushing for his nephew to take over as police chief. On top of that, she’s suddenly faced with a small crime wave in her town, the likes of which Shadow Gap has never experienced before. So she’s got her hands full and plenty of stress on her plate.

Grier Brenner is an outsider who showed up in Shadow Gap to do some fishing, and then stuck around. That’s all Autumn knows about him, other than the fact that she finds him attractive and is drawn to him, feelings she does her best to ignore. I loved Autumn, but Grier was definitely the bigger draw for me. We know nothing about his past and can only speculate along with Autumn, who decides he must be former military at the least. But when the narrative is focused on him, we do start getting hints along the way. He’s a mysterious stranger, and we know he’s in hiding, as he keeps trying to remind himself he’s not in Shadow Gap to make friends and needs to keep to himself. But he’s also human, and with the townsfolk being so open and friendly, he can’t keep himself from visiting the Lively Moose every morning to eat breakfast with his new buddies. Whatever is going on in Shadow Gap, with two bodies, found near each other but seemingly unrelated, it’s nothing to do with him and he needs to keep a low profile. And yet he finds it hard to not get involved…

Memories that felt like they were from another life chased him. And here he was, running after danger again. For all the right reasons – again.

As the happenings in Autumn’s life and Grier’s life began to converge, the plot got a little convoluted, but the tenseness and suspense kept it moving at a brisk pace. Autumn and Grier are both being hunted, and find themselves thrown together in investigating, with Autumn offering to hire Grier since he obviously has skills, and Grier refusing the offers, because a background check might give her too much information about him, but then sticking close and working with her unofficially because he feels a need to protect her.

As I seem to say about every title I read from Revell’s romantic suspense line, the author’s writing is wonderful. I loved the detail about the Alaskan wilderness, and Autumn’s feelings about Shadow Gap and how much she loves her town and her work. The supporting characters aren’t fleshed out much, with Grier’s new friends being interchangeable to me, but this is about Grier and Autumn, and they were very real and believable and I was wholly invested in their story.

All in all, a great start to the author’s newest series. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book.

*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Goodreads Synopsis: Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community. 

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him. 

As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.

Five Fortunes

 

BARBARA VENKATARAMAN

Stats for my copy: Pdf, Next Chapter, 2023.

How acquired: Received from the author.

First line: “Don’t tell me you actually believe this stuff?” Megan said dismissively, tossing her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder in true drama queen fashion.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This was a quick and entertaining read. Five fourteen year old girls get their fortunes from a new arcade game at the mall. None of them are particularly impressed with their fortune, but from that moment on their friendships begin to erode after a series of misunderstandings between them. Which, as teenage girls are prone to, they each overreact to and read far too much into the actions, inactions, and believed slights of the others.

I don't read a lot of young adult fare, but I enjoyed the author's Jamie Quinn mystery series, so when she offered this to me I accepted. I found myself wishing my granddaughter was old enough to share this with to get the reaction of someone in the intended target's age, but at five, despite loving books, she's not quite ready for this story.

Oh, how I do not miss my own daughters being at the age of the girls in this book! Teen girls are just a bundle of emotions, and the author captured that perfectly in the five girls, as they moped and internalized and dealt with problems both real and perceived. And in the end everyone's story line wrapped up quite satisfyingly, with me even starting to tear up just bit as one mom rushed to her daughter's side after an allergic reaction.

I would say if there is a fourteen year old in your life, this would be a nice book to recommend to them, but I know from experience that girls of that age don't always take kindly to any kind of recommendation from an adult. Especially a parent.

*received from the author and voluntarily reviewed*

Goodreads Synopsis: When five fourteen-year-old girls get their fortunes from an arcade machine just for kicks, it turns their world upside-down and their close-knit group of friends starts to fall apart.

Misunderstandings abound as allegiances shift and outsiders start to come between them. The fortunes seem to be self-fulfilling prophecies - whether the girls believe in them or not.

Do our beliefs color our perception of the world? Do we ever see ourselves the way others see us, and why is change so hard?

Budding romance, angry bees, teenage fashion influencers, and parents who just don't get it make Barbara Venkataraman's 'Five Fortunes' a fun story you won't soon forget.

The Cowboy's Pride and Joy

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

MAUREEN CHILD

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Harlequin, 2014.

How acquired: Bought.

First lines: “When Boston comes to Montana, it’s never a good thing.” Jake Hunter frowned into the distance.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: It’s been quite some time since I read a Maureen Child book but I’ve enjoyed them (I especially recommend SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL), so I looked forward to this one. And it did not disappoint.

Jake Hunter took over running the family ranch when he discharged from service. After having spent vacations at the ranch with his grandfather when he was a child, it and the mountain in Montana are the only home he ever loved, the only place he felt comfortable and at peace. His mother runs the other family business, a media empire started by his father’s family, and she has long been after him to take his rightful place there, but the last place Jake wants to live is Boston. His mother has finally agreed to let him completely off the hook for that business, and sends her assistant to Montana with paperwork for Jake to sign, which will absolve him of all dealings with the business.

This is a Harlequin (Desire), so of course Jake is wildly attracted to Cassie, said assistant, and of course a snowstorm rolls in, closing down roads so that Cassie cannot get back down the mountain to catch her flight back to Boston the next day. You can guess what happens between them, but once the weather clears up, it’s back to real life and they part company, because it was purely physical. No emotions involved. At least, none admitted to.

Fast forward fourteen months. Cassie is now a single mother to five month old Luke. Once she realized she was pregnant, she quit her job to keep Jake’s mother from finding out. Of course she didn’t notify Jake. He’d made it all too clear that he preferred to be alone on his mountain. But her sister has stepped in and taken the decision away from Cassie, going behind her back and telling Jake’s mother, and now Jake’s mother is threatening legal action. So off to Montana Cassie goes with Luke, to enlist Jake’s help in calling off his mother.

I’m always a little leery going into a secret baby story. I need there to be a compelling reason for the heroine to not let the hero know he’s a father. But again, Maureen Child, so I was curious to see how she would handle this. And I’ve gotta say, I totally understood where Cassie was coming from, and could sympathize with her reasoning for not telling Jake. Not saying it was right, but believable. But even more, after being lambasted by her sister and brother for keeping Jake in the dark, Cassie can admit she’s had some guilt over her decision. And after spending some time with Jake again, facing his anger but also seeing the hurt in his eyes, she’s finally able to admit she was wrong. And not admit it just to herself, but to Jake.

That doesn’t mean they’ll become a happy little family though. No, there’s still a lot to sort through and a lot of clashing with each other before they can finally get their HEA. I love a hero who is grouchy and angry and prickly, and the heroine has to get past his defenses, actually gets a little past them without even trying. I loved Jake and Cassie, plus Jake’s grandfather, loved their story, loved this book.

Goodreads Synopsis: All former marine Jake Hunter wants is peace and quiet. But when his business-minded mother sends her assistant Cassidy Moore from Boston to see him about a long-standing family dispute, chaos ensues. Their attraction rages out of control as a snowstorm strands them on his Montana ranch.

Flash-forward fourteen months: Cassie can't bring herself to tell Jake she's had his child. But when his mother interferes again, Cassie rushes back to Jake…just in time for another blizzard—and for the Christmas spirit to open one reclusive cowboy's heart. 

Critical Threat (Extreme Measures, Book 3)

LYNETTE EASON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2023.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This series just gets better and better! A serial killer is on the loose, and the killings are reminiscent of an earlier serial killer who is now incarcerated. Supervisory Special Agency Grace Billingsley is a behavioral analyst – a profiler – called to the latest crime scene. Sam Monroe is an FBI agent and a prison psychiatrist, also called to the crime scene but in an unofficial capacity – he is the son of that incarcerated serial killer.

I loved Sam just about right off the bat. It’s been awhile since I read the previous books and I wondered briefly if we had already met him, but I don’t believe so. One of my first thoughts about him was what a gentleman he is. He and Grace met previously at a conference, where they spent some time together, but haven’t seen each other since. In a good romance, the characters usually have some baggage (don’t we all?), and with his infamous father, Sam has a lot of baggage. He and his now ex-wife had even changed theirs and their children’s last names in order to distance themselves from his father.

In the previous books, from what I remember, especially the first book, the action started right from the first few pages. This time around the book started off at a leisurely pace, though no less enthralling, as Grace and Sam, along with other members of the FBI, continue to investigate. Sam has a niggling feeling that his father, despite being in prison, is somehow connected to the murders. He and Grace visit the previous crime scenes as Grace gathers information to create a profile of the killer. There is some action, a car nearly running Grace over in a parking structure, but the real, pulse-pounding action starts around page 124. Not that I’m complaining, I was completely invested in the story from the first chapter.

As usual, the author’s writing is descriptive and flowing. Though I’d never read about characters heading somewhere as aiming themselves. As in, she aimed herself towards the door. I guess when we are going somewhere, we do aim ourselves in that direction. It just struck me as an odd way to describe it. Also as usual, all of the characters are well written. While we don’t see the main couples from the first two books until the very end, we meet lots of new characters, including Sam’s kids and mother-in-law, who all live with him, and both Sam’s and Grace’s coworkers. Sam’s 12 year old daughter is prevalent throughout the book, and I loved how she took to Grace immediately upon meeting her. There are plenty of twists, and while I suspected (correctly) that one plot point was going to happen, until it did I never knew where the story was going, and when it did I had no idea how the characters would get out of their predicament.

Another wonderful and suspenseful story, and I can’t wait for the next book!

*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Goodreads Synopsis: FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley tracks serial killers, using her skills as a psychiatrist and behavioral analyst to get dangerous people off the street and safely behind bars. But prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe knows that just because a killer is incarcerated doesn't mean they're not a threat. His own father, Peter, is a serial killer--in prison but certainly not out of Sam's life, as much as he wishes he was.

When bodies start showing up with Peter's MO, Sam and Grace are both called in to consult. They've met before--and though Grace thought they'd made a real connection, Sam ghosted her. They'll have to get past the awkwardness and mistrust to solve this case--especially because it's about to get personal.

Miracle Creek Christmas

 

KRISTA JENSEN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Shadow Mountain, 2020.

How acquired: Borrowed from library.

First line: In another life, Mark Rivers would’ve focused on the woman who’d just entered the bakery and nodded in her direction with a smile of appreciation.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: 2022 has been a really good reading year for me. I’ve always been stingy with the five stars, but this year I’ve been handing them out left and right. I’ve read a lot of great books and discovered a lot of wonderful new to me authors. MIRACLE CREEK CHRISTMAS is my 37th five star read for 2022 (out of 78 books) and the latest new author discovery.

I’m partial to wounded heroes, and Mark Rivers is the epitome of a wounded hero. A firefighter, he and his best friend, Jay, rescued seven young boys trapped in a tree fort as a forest fire raged around them. Jay lost his life, and Mark was badly burned on one side of his body, spending months in the hospital and undergoing multiple skin grafts. On top of that, his girlfriend left him, because it was all too hard on her. (Bitch!) When we, the reader, meet Mark, he’s become a bit of a recluse, avoiding social situations, skulking around with as much of his scars hidden under clothing as possible, and keeping the burned side of his face turned away from others.

Riley is new in town, and teaching art at the local high school. She has a lot of baggage, such as not liking anything to do with Christmas because that’s when her grandmother died, and a famous ex who used her and then dumped her, publicly humiliating her and driving her to seek out a small town to live in, where she thought she wouldn’t have to worry about gossip. She’s obviously not read any small town romance books, or she would’ve known that in a small town everyone knows everyone’s business! While my heart went out to her, and I completely understand avoiding another relationship, cuz I’ve been doing that for years, I still struggled to connect with her and take her baggage as seriously as I did Mark’s. Especially when her baggage broke his heart and almost prevented them from having a happily ever after.

I loved the banter between Mark and Riley, as well as the banter between Mark and his dad, and Mark and his friends. There was a lot of dialogue that made me smile like an idiot. Mark’s dad was a pretty major character, as Mark lives with him, and I really enjoyed the scenes that included him. Mark’s burns are not glossed over, and the author included a lot of details about his treatment, and how his injury affected his day to day activities, not to mention his mental state. What I loved most about Riley was that from the beginning she never looked at him with pity or horror, and was immediately accepting of his appearance. Well, except when she thought he was stalking her and brought out a baseball bat. I won’t say anymore about that scene as it’s better to read it for yourself.

Several other reviewers have compared this book to a Hallmark movie, and I would certainly watch it if it were ever filmed. Despite some of the heavy subject matter, the book is still a fairly light read, and I breezed through it pretty quickly. Lots of feelings and emotion, both happy and sad, while also filled with hope.

Goodreads Synopsis: When Riley Madigan moves to the sleepy mountain town of Miracle Creek, she hopes her new job as a high school art teacher will help her mend her recently broken heart. A little peace and quiet would be a gift this Christmas season. The last thing on her mind is love. Former firefighter Mark Rivers has spent the last year recovering from burns sustained during a rescue operation. He’s been trying to piece his life back together but still struggles both emotionally and psychologically. When he meets Riley, he finally sees something that might bring some light back into his life. When Mark asks Riley to work on a special nativity project, he finds himself falling for her quirky, unaffected ways. Riley doesn’t seem bothered by his scars, but is her affection for him real, or is this just another act of charity? One thing’s for certain, in a small town that views Mark as a fragile hero, it’s hard to pursue a relationship without everyone in his business. And although Riley has sincere feelings for Mark, is she ready to risk her heart? Broken hearts and lives are mended as the town of Miracle Creek comes together to celebrate a Christmas to remember.

Trail of Longing (Hot on the Trail, Book 3)

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

MERRY FARMER

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 1/11/15.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Dr. Dean Meyers was the most beautiful thing Emma Sutton had ever seen.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I read the first two books in this series back in 2015, and very much enjoyed them, and in 2020 I came across the next two books while browsing in a bookstore and snatched them both up. And as often happens, when I have so many different book series in progress, they then sat on my shelves until now.

I’ll admit that it took me awhile to really warm up to Emma. When the story opens, she’s madly in love with Dean, even though she’s never spoken to him. And when she does finally speak to him, she’s so shy that she can barely stammer out full words, much less a complete sentence. She was sweet enough, but her mother was a piece of work, shamelessly contriving to push Emma and Dean together and telling Emma she needs to “trap” Dean because he’s such a good catch. Much to Emma’s dismay and embarrassment, but to Dean’s amusement. He’s interested, and is willing to let Emma’s mother play matchmaker. Actually, I guess my taking awhile to warm up to Emma isn’t quite true – I liked her just fine, until her mother decided another candidate would be better than Dean, and Emma would not stand up to her. Dean was frustrated, and I was right there with him, while Emma kept insisting that her mother had been through so much that she couldn’t go against her wishes.

I loved Dean. He’s a doctor, and his tending to the other travelers on the wagon train was sweet and compassionate. After a tornado ravages the travelers and Emma’s ankle is sprained and swollen and painful, she and her mother and Dean and dropped off at a way station so she can rest and stay off her feet while they wait for the next wagon train to come along. And that’s when the trouble started. They join the next train, where Emma becomes good friends with another girl, Katie, and where she meets Russ, who went to medical school with Dean, was a surgeon alongside Dean on the battlefields, and who tells everyone that Dean was a deserter, along with lots of other stories. The speed with which Emma’s mother suddenly throws her lot in with Russ and begins pushing Emma to him and away from Dean was astonishing, and I began to hate her mother. That was the point where I also got exasperated with Emma for not standing up to her.

Then Emma and Katie are kidnapped by a couple of Indians, and Dean and Aidan, who has been in love with Emma practically his whole life, take off after them, while Russ refuses to go along, claiming he needs to stay behind to help protect the other women.

Needless to say, Dean rescues Emma, they declare their love for each other (and spend a steamy night in a cave), and everything is right with the world after that. Except that the two had Indians split up and gone in different directions, and when the book ends we still don’t know the fate of Katie and Aidan. Thankfully, their story is the next book, TRAIL OF DREAMS, which I am now off to get started on.

Goodreads Synopsis: Emma Sutton fell in love with Dr. Dean Meyers on the very first day of their journey west on the Oregon Trail. Dean is handsome, caring, and noble. If only she could tell him! But between her crippling shyness and the marital machinations of her mother, she despairs of ever being able to say what’s in her heart. When a sudden injury puts her in Dean’s hands, literally and figuratively, she hopes she might just have a chance with him…until a ghost from Dean’s past comes between them.

Dean Meyers is determined to make the long journey west to start a new life and leave the horrors of the Civil War behind him. He is charmed by Emma and amused by her mother, and can finally see peace in his future. But when an old colleague shows up to turn his world upside down, it’s all Dean can do to keep love, hope, and Emma from slipping away. All seems lost until Emma finds herself in danger and Dean is given a chance to be a hero…if he can reach her in time.

Love will give her courage to find her voice and follow her heart…

A Father's Gift (San Antonio Series, Book Two)

 

PAULA PECKHAM

Stats for my copy: Pdf review copy, Elk Lake Publishing Inc., 2022.

How acquired: Cozy Mystery Review Crew.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This second book in the San Antonio series picks up some time after Manny and Abby marry and settle down in Manny’s house together. Abby is about seven months pregnant and they are eagerly anticipating becoming new parents but are both experiencing anguish and fear as well. Abby is constantly sick, long past the time when morning sickness should have passed, which keeps her worried as she tries to go about her usual chores. Manny is feverishly working long days, trying to get everything done around their home and farm prior to the baby’s birth. In the midst of his usual chores, he decides to add on a bathing room to their cabin, so Abby won’t have to go outside in the cold winter weather, and can have a tub.

While the story is both Abby’s and Manny’s, I felt it leaned more towards Manny. Abby’s fear of giving birth and her worry over her constant sickness are quite valid, but Manny’s story just tugged at my heart a little more I guess. He’s filled with self-doubt regarding his ability to be a good father, worried that he’ll be like his own father, who was shot to death over a gambling table when Manny was very young. He becomes more and more obsessed with learning the circumstances around his father’s death, where it happened, and where was his body buried? It’s a quest that exposes secrets and lies, and causes him to cross paths with a dangerous man.

Gabe is an older gentleman passing through town, who helps Manny one day when he’s trying to take home a load of firewood. The two hit it off, and not long after he offers Gabe room (well, barn) and board in exchange for Gabe’s help with building the new room. Gabe is a mystery. Abby isn’t pleased to have a stranger living on their farm, foisted on her with no warning, but a deep friendship soon develops. Still, she wants to know what Gabe is hiding, and the answer to that came as quite a surprise and not what I was expecting.

One of my favorites parts of the book is Manny trying to learn everything he can about babies, without asking Abby any questions, as he doesn’t want her to think he is incapable of being a good parent. When he inadvertently overhears a conversation between a couple of women, he is delighted to realize that women talk about pregnancy and babies and child birth a lot, and he begins skulking around, eavesdropping wherever he can. This led to a hilarious scene when he’s telling his best friend, Jonathan, about a conversation wherein “Martha told Juanita her daughter, Jessie, had her bloody show.” The two men are appalled and disgusted over the thought of having to see a bloody show, and as they speculated about what it entailed I was laughing out loud.

This shorter story is a nice follow up to PROTECTED, and while it wasn’t quite as enthralling as the first book, I did enjoy revisiting Abby and Manny starting out their married life. I’m very much looking forward to the third book, about Jonathan, who we got to know in the first book.

*received via Cozy Mystery Review Crew and voluntarily reviewed*

Goodreads Synopsis: Abby and Manny Blair anticipate the birth of their first child. Nausea plagues Abby every morning, and fears keep her awake at night. Orphaned at age eighteen, she prays daily for a safe delivery and a future with her child.

Manny yearns for guidance from his own father. Good news can't be shared with a man who'se been dead since Manny was only five years old. His grandmother, Yaideli, raised him, doing her best to stand in the gap. She taught him how to become an upstanding, caring man.

But the impending responsibility of fatherhood looms over Manny like a storm cloud. He fears he will fail his young family. The desire to know what happened, to understand why his father left him behind, overwhelms Manny. Christmas and the baby's birth draws near. He sets out on an adventure of discovery and finds something completely unexpected. Abby and Manny receive a precious gift--learning about the love and sacrifice only a father can give.