Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Family Man by Trish Milburn
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin American 16 Mar 10
I had the pleasure of reading a previous Trish Milburn Harlequin American for a contest I judged this year, and I walked away from the story quite impressed. Nice characters, nice romance, completely devoid of any silly misunderstandings, overblown drama and other nonsense. I was determined to read another book by her, and her return to the fictional town of Horizon Bay, Florida has a lot of the same key ingredients I enjoyed in that contest read.
Detective Sara Greene is a heroine who knows what she wants. A single mother to two adopted daughters, and a police detective, she doesn’t have time to waste on men who don’t fit the Potential Family Man bill. Which means no matter how attracted she is to Adam Canfield, she’s staying far, far away. The guy has a reputation for being a carefree beach bum and serial dater for a reason. Heck, Sara has lost track of the bevy of beauties this guy has dated. So no. No way. She’s determined to find Mr. Right – no matter how distracted she is by Mr. Right Now.
Adam Canfield wasn’t always a carefree slacker. It’s a lifestyle he adopted to escape a past that still haunts him. Oh sure, he’s noticed Sara Greene. I mean, how could he not? The woman is certainly delectable. But attaching himself to her is out of the question. For one thing, he’s so not comfortable with her job, and for another? She’s a Mommy. Talk about responsibilities! So why can’t he stay away from her? And keep his hands off of her? And why is he constantly thinking about her when she’s not around? Ugh!
I flat-out liked these people. Sara comes off very much as an Every Woman. She’s got a career, a house, and the kids to take care of. The only thing she doesn’t have is a man. But she’s not about to welcome just any man into her life. She’s got responsibilities, children to think of. Yes, it’s tempting to be selfish, but Sara isn’t going to go there.
Adam is a nice guy running away from a past he doesn’t want to confront. His reasons for not loving Sara’s job are valid, but he blessedly doesn’t harp on it incessantly. He does slip into pity-party mode on occasion, but when met with a challenge, he’s a hero in every sense of the word. His choices might not always toe the line, but his heart is always in the right place, and deep down, behind the slacker image, he’s a good, solid man.
This is a pleasant, heart-warming story that plucked all the right romantic heart-strings. The ending does venture into syrupy territory a smidge (right down to the conspiring kiddies and nosy neighbor), but it’s firmly corralled to the final chapters and it didn’t stop me from going all gooey. It’s a lovely story, about lovely people. More please.
Grade: B
Summary:
For Florida detective Sara Greene, who is busy raising a toddler and teenager alone, finding Mr. Perfect Forever seems an impossible dream. One thing she knows. He isn’t Adam Canfield. Charming, carefree and single, Adam couldn’t be further from the man she’s been looking for.
After losing the woman he loved, Adam opted for the solo life—no strings, no long-term commitments. Now one intriguing cop and single mother is making him question his choices.
The problem is that while Sara’s head is telling her Adam is completely unsuitable, her heart is urging her to give him a chance.
Maybe perfection is overrated….
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Thanks for the review, Wendy. I liked ‘Her Very Own Family’ and I’m interested in reading this book, too.
Sarah: I liked this one a lot, but not quite as much as Her Very Own Family. Mostly it was the syrupy ending that help me back a bit. Also, the hero does, on occasion, wallow a bit. But still, it’s a very solid read. A nice, pleasant distraction and a good way to kill a couple of hours reading 🙂 I don’t read a ton of Americans, but Milburn is now a solid autobuy for me in that line….