His shocking revelation…
…for the single mom!
For nurse Willow Thompson, taking on parenthood alone
certainly wasn't easy, but her daughter, Maisie, is her world…and life on St.
Victoria is near perfect. Only, everything changes when jaw-droppingly handsome
Dr. Theo Moore strolls along the beach and into their lives -- to tell Willow
that he's her daughter's biological father! And now that he's able, he's
determined to be there…for them both.
Good book. Willow is the single mother of a little girl.
She always wanted to be a mother, but after eight years together, her fiancé finally
admitted that he never wanted children. He didn't tell her because he didn't
want her to break up with him. After that betrayal, she gave birth to Maisie by
using a sperm donor. Partway through the pregnancy, she learned of a mix-up and
that she received someone else's sperm. Not wanting to be selfish, she agreed
to be contacted by the donor if he wished to do so. When he didn't, she figured
he didn't care and put the whole thing behind her. Not long after, she left
London for a better job and life at the Island Clinic on St. Victoria. That
life changed dramatically when Dr. Theo Moore showed up on her beach to tell
her he is Maisie's father.
Theo is a research and cancer doctor in London who has
just finished a three-year battle with cancer. During that battle, he refused
to contact Willow because he didn't want to risk getting to know Maisie and
then have her lose him. Now that Theo is in remission, he wants to get to know
her and Willow. He'll do whatever he must to be there for them.
I liked both Willow and Theo, but they each had issues
that caused some frustration with them too. Willow has trust issues after the
way her fiancé kept his views on children a secret. Because of it, she intends
to keep men out of her life. Theo kept his cancer a secret from most of his
family, protecting them from worrying about him, the same reasoning he used to
keep his distance from Maisie. Willow wasn't pleased to have Theo show up at
this late date, but she won't keep him away either. However, she has some
conditions he must agree to, showing his commitment to Maisie. He must have a
place to live that isn't a hotel, and he must have a job.
I liked watching the relationship develop between Willow
and Theo. Theo stunned her when he got hired to work at the Island Clinic,
putting him in frequent contact with her. Neither one expected the attraction
that flared between them, nor were they pleased about it. Both worked hard to
suppress it and vowed to be friends instead. I liked seeing Theo get to know
Maisie. Theo's and Willow's parenting techniques differed, with Willow being
somewhat overprotective and Theo more adventurous. As Theo and Willow spent
more time together, the feelings between them began to grow. But just when the
future looks bright for them, Theo makes the boneheaded mistake of keeping a
big secret from Willow. Understandably angry and feeling betrayed, Willow pushed
Theo away.
I ached for both Theo and Willow. Each of them allowed
their pasts to come between them, and both of them had to face their shortcomings
before they could fix their relationship. Each of them could see what the
other's problem was while being blind to their own. I loved that each received
eye-opening advice from unexpected sources. Willow's came honestly but gently,
giving her much to think about. Meanwhile, Theo pretty much got bludgeoned with
his via his twin sister but also saw the truth in what she said. I liked seeing
them come together at the end, renewing their commitment to honesty and being a
family for Maisie and each other.
The main medical issue in this book was cancer. Theo had both
his remission and the complications of follow-ups and a possible recurrence,
his fears, and his reluctance to accept help. Theo and Willow worked with a patient
at the Island Clinic who fought her own battle. The clinic treats many
celebrities, and seeing the woman, the staff, and others deal with paparazzi
and the health issues made the medical aspects that much more believable.
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