Family by Design-Roxanne Delaney

Family by Design
Roxanne Delaney
Harlequin American, Jan 2008, $4.99
ISBN: 9780373751983

Thirty miles out of Wichita in Katyville, Kansas recently divorced Becca Tyler struggles to make it raising her three youngsters, five years and under, by herself. Her spouse the stockbroker has no interest in the hick town, his wife or even his offspring. However even her dumpy rental is yanked from her as someone else bought the property with the stipulation he moves in immediately.

When her car has a flat, Nick Morelli, who left town a decade ago after she broke his heart, gives her a lift to her friend’s house. Becca reflects back on the irony that she had the golden spoon, but he is the success story with his construction firm and she is broke with no prospects. He provides her a job and proves to be much more of a father to her kids than their absentee dad. They fall in love, but he has doubts about trusting her having been battered by her once before and besides he has hidden from her the fact that he owns the home she and her brood still live in; she feels no one wants to be saddled with someone else’s children and knows how cruel she was when she heeded her father’s advice ten years ago.

This is a fun second chance at love tale due to the zany support characters, her children and best friend, and his family. Their good intelligent design of matchmaking seems to keep the lead couple from each other’s arms rather than bring them together. Readers will enjoy love on the Great Plains.

Harriet Klausner