Sam is a single dad, trying to get over the death of his ex-wife, and help his daughter move on from the loss of her mother.
Rachel is a single mom with a secret of her own that has kept her out of the dating scene for years.
What happens when this drop-dead gorgeous firefighter moves in across the street from the reticent woman with a past?
Sparks fly as the heat level rises in this new novel of Serendipity.
Rachel is a single mom with a secret of her own that has kept her out of the dating scene for years.
What happens when this drop-dead gorgeous firefighter moves in across the street from the reticent woman with a past?
Sparks fly as the heat level rises in this new novel of Serendipity.
I
met Anne at a recent signing in Houston. I watched how she interacted
with her readers and other authors and was impressed with her compassion and
interest she showed them. As it turned out we were staying at the same
hotel and I would run into her off and on and we would chat, she was always
engaging and friendly. She offered to send me a book for a review and I
happily agreed. I allowed her to pick the one she wanted me to read which
is how I read Hot Mess. Now I say all of this to you because what comes
next just proves how I observed her at the signing. This author clearly
has a level of understanding and compassion that can’t be faked. She
takes the story of Rachel and Sam, adds two little girls and creates a story of
realism, passion, heart break and genuine fear that we have in life and weaved
it into a story that should be read by everyone.
The
synopsis tells you about the story, I have just told you how I feel about the
author so let me talk now about the characters. Rachel is a single mother
to a sweet little girl Sophie. She is a dedicated mother who works from
home and makes sure she is at all of the daughters school functions. She
writes for a blog and you will see her blog posts at the beginning of
chapters. She makes home cooked meals, sanitizes the home, teachers her
daughter right from wrong and lends a helping hand where ever she can, but she
is isolated. Never reaching out to meet new people she is thrilled when
someone moves next door that has a child Sophie’s age.
Sam
recently moved to Serendipity Texas with is ten year old daughter Amanda.
He is a sexy firefighter who needed to start over after the death of his
wife. Amanda is struggling with depression and a few other issues that
come with a child losing a parent. He hopes that once he is settled and
his daughter is comfortable in her new school, things will start looking up for
them. Not ever being domestic, he is struggling to learn how to not only
be a single parent but a mom to his little girl. He hired a woman to watch
Amanda while he is on shift and she appears to want to make this a cozy little
family but he has other ideas. His heart is reaching out to Rachel.
This
is where the author’s compassion and brilliance shines. So far you are
thinking this is a normal love story of two single parents, but you are in for
a tissue filled ride. Rachel is fighting a disease that could kill her,
if society doesn’t find out first and destroy her. She is going to
struggle with how much she wants and needs Sam versus trusting him to know the
truth about her. Sam should be able to handle the truth, he is a
firefighter and he faces devastation every day, but how can she ask him to
invest his heart in another woman who might leave him due to death? Their
lives will never be normal, there will be doctor’s appointment, and pill
holders will be full and the risk of death shadowing their every minute.
How can she do this to him, but how can she deny him the first chance at love
after losing his wife, especially when she feels the same way?
Anne
took a very serious topic and never twisted it to sell the book or make the
story work. She kept it real and made the situation work around the
disease just as people with this do every single day. While we wanted
them to find romance, Rachel wanted to do the right thing. The way Anne
dealt with the children and their grief was also a very sensitive situation
that I feel she handled with grace and tact. Yes I gave this book five
stars not only for the plot and message it sends out, but I feel it deserves it
for the manner in which the author dealt with the topics and showed the respect
that is deserved to those in this real life situation. I highly recommend
this book to everyone. You won’t find a bunch of sex, you won’t be
embarrassed to be caught reading it. It might even open your eyes to what
you can do to help stop the shame that goes along with the diagnosis and see
the hero that these people can be by surviving.
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