Monday, March 29, 2021

An Unexpected Father - Marie Ferrarella (HSE #2822 - Mar 2021)


This is the story of a man named Brady
 
Reformed playboy Brady Fortune has suddenly become legal guardian to his best friend's little boys, and he is in over his head…until Harper Radcliffe comes to the rescue. His new nanny makes everything better, but her past makes her wary. Can Brady convince her they can somehow form a family? Their Fortune bunch won't feel complete without her!

 
Good book. Brady is the quintessential bachelor until his best friend and his wife die in a motorcycle crash, leaving Brady guardian of their four-year-old twins. The story opens a few months later with Brady at the end of his rope. The two boys are wild and have worn out their welcome with all of the family caregivers. Even Brady's mom tells him she can't take anymore. Brady gives up his job and moves from New York to Texas, where he has more family willing to help and the offer of employment at the new Hotel Fortune. His life doesn't get any easier, as his boys drive nannies away at an alarming rate. Even the owner of the preschool suggests he needs help and gives him a number to call.
 
Harper meets Brady when she stops at his cousin's restaurant looking for work. She lost her job as a nanny when the man of the house made unwelcome advances, but his wife blamed it on Harper. The wife has bad-mouthed Harper to her friends, making it difficult to find another position. The idle conversation with Brady doesn't go well, thanks to his misinterpretation of what the preschool owner said to him. It becomes even more awkward when the number he finally calls belongs to Harper. The ensuing conversation was pretty funny until they straightened out the confusion. Brady's relief that she was a nanny was overwhelming.
 
Harper's connection with Toby and Tyler was immediate. I loved seeing them fall in love with her and her with them. There were many sweet scenes of them together, and also with Brady. It was clear they were well on their way to feeling like a family.
 
The relationship between Brady and Harper was a cautious one. Sparks flew between them from the start, but Harper is extremely wary of trusting him. Brady doesn't want to lose the perfect nanny, so he tries to bury his feelings. I liked seeing Harper grow to trust Brady. It's easy to see them falling for each other and how close they come to admitting it. Then an unexpected ambush by her former employer sends Harper running. But a call from one of the boys telling her that they are at the hospital and Brady needs her stops her in her tracks. I loved the hospital scene and Brady's unwavering belief in her. The ending is sweet, and I loved the surprise the boys gave Harper.
 
There is a brief mention of the ongoing investigation into the balcony collapse from the first book. Brady does a little investigating.


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