Stevie‘s review of The Ones Who Matter Most by Rachael Herron
Contemporary Women’s Fiction published by NAL 05 Apr 16

I have a sneaky love for books about women who are flung together by the actions of a man who wronged them, but then go on to work together and forge a new unit. I also like books that show how it is possible to choose your family as well as your friends, no matter that popular sayings might tell us otherwise. This book achieves both.

Abby is planning to leave her husband. Not because he’s feckless or conventionally unfaithful – to her knowledge – but because he’s lied to her about the issue closest to her heart. Abby has always wanted a family, preferably by biological means, but having miscarried several times, she’s prepared to opt for adoption. When he tries to talk her out of that plan, she decides to see if another pregnancy will be luckier than her previous ones – only to discover that he’s had a vasectomy without telling her. Abby confronts her husband; he storms out – and then drops dead from a heart attack.

Abby finds herself grieving for the man she was about to turn her back on, but when she starts clearing out his desk she discovers that he’d been married before, and has been paying child support for a son Abby never knew existed. Determined to clear up the mystery of yet another lie, Abby tracks down the woman, Fern, her son, Matty, and the father-in-law she’d always been told had died years before – plus a whole host of other people who aren’t quite family but might become one to her.

Abby and Fern come from very different backgrounds to each other, but I found it hard at times to connect to either of them. We’re told at various points how much Fern earns, and how much Abby is prepared to pay for various jobs she needs done – and also the amount of life insurance due to come to her – but none of the figures equated to anything I understand about what stuff costs. I just couldn’t seem to make the currency or background conversions in my head. Which is a shame, because other than that, I really enjoyed the story.

The characters are very well drawn, and their troubles – other than those involving actual sums of money – feel very real to me. I like the way people around Abby and Fern are drawn into their lives or force their way in against others’ better judgement. And Matty’s science project and his description of how everything came together are utterly delightful.

An author I’ll be keeping an eye out for in future.

Grade: B

Summary:

After her husband dies unexpectedly, Abby Roberts comes across something startling: wedding photographs of him with another woman, along with pictures of a baby boy. Shocked, Abby does something utterly impulsive: She embarks on a journey to discover the family her husband apparently left behind.

Money has always been tight for single mom Fern Reyes, and never tighter than now. But this month, in place of a child-support check, her ex’s pretty, privileged wife appears on her doorstep with far too many questions. Unfortunately, her young son is so taken with Abby that Fern doesn’t have the heart to send her away.

What begins as one woman’s search for truth becomes a deep bond forged between the unlikeliest of people, and the discovery that there are many ways to make a family—as long as you take care…

No excerpt available.