Child of Mine

Child of Mine is the 4th book in Grey’s Boston Classics series set in the late 80s. Bella’s been a secondary character in the Boston Classics series since the beginning and behind “Hot” Steve she’s the story I was most looking forward to. You could start here as there aren’t any spoilers for previous stories (other than they end up together – but this is romance, so yeah). However, I definitely recommend reading/listening to them in order.

I admit that “secret baby” is not my favorite trope. Mostly because I usually find the MC’s reasons for keeping the secret pretty lacking. However, I really loved the way Grey handled it here. No spoilers – so I’m not telling, but it worked for me.

Henry & Bella have a fling and external forces keep them apart for 7 years. Now that they’ve met again – the previously extinguished flame is rekindled. Bella is faced with revealing that they have a child, major career & life choices, plus moving beyond mistakes from her past.

No, she does not consider Lilah one of those mistakes. Bella is a devoted mom and I appreciated Grey’s inclusion of Lilah as an integral part of the story. She wasn’t a prop or someone to be on page for a few minutes just for a joke to work. I also liked Henry’s efforts to get to know his daughter.

There’s a little drama/angst as Bella, Henry, and even Lilah react to the new dynamics. It worked well in giving the story realism and depth. There’s also some healing for Bella and Henry individually that helped me believe they were ready for their HEA. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and a great addition to a fun series.

Babies and Bookshop Cats and Shakespeare, oh my!

Child of Mine is the fourth installment of Karen Grey’s Boston Classics series. I have read this book twice and I can’t wait until the audiobook comes out so I can experience it again! Child of Mine is an outrageously fun, touching, cheeky retro romcom. Karen Grey has outdone herself once again with more 80’s fun!! Bella is a member of the Shakespeare Boston theatre company and has been an ancillary character throughout the series. I am overjoyed this talented, sassy, brilliant single mom finally got her HEA!

Child of Mine is a fantastic romcom teeming with Karen Grey’s signature humor, wit, fun eighties nods, and amatory exploits! There are wonderful character catch-ups from the Shakespeare Boston company throughout the book and even some nuggets of wisdom from the Bard sprinkled in. Run, don’t walk back in time to dive into this spectacular second-chance, secret baby retro romcom with a lot of heart and plenty of steam!!

Child of Mine is one of the books I've been waiting for since the very first book in the Boston Classics series. Single mom Bella is such a strong character, and I love how much she loves her daughter and keeps her needs front and center at all times. I always wondered about Lilah's father, and we finally get all the answers in Child of Mine. I really feel like each of the books in the series build upon each other, so readers will understand the character dynamics a bit better if they have read all the books in the series. However, you can read Child of Mine as a stand-alone story as well.

I've enjoyed each of the books in the Boston Classics series, and Child of Mine was another winner. I felt like much like in You Spin Me, there were parts of their history that were darker than in other books in the series, but I think that is one of the reasons I've adored the last 2 books in the series so much. I There is so much growth in the characters in the 7 years they have been apart. They also had to really work to figure out the new dynamics of their relationship. I loved that Henry and Bella's chemistry was every bit is strong 7 years later.

I loved once again revisiting the 80's, as I grew up in the 70's, and 80's the "historical" mentions of passing notes, cell phones not being the norm, and tv shows you had to watch when originally aired, or you never got to see them again were all part of my childhood and high school years. Honestly each mention brought back lots of happy memories.

Karen Grey did an amazing job with the secret baby/second chance romance in Child of Mine. Both troupes can be hit of miss, but Ms. Grey took the ball and ran with it and gave her readers a funny, sexy, and endearing story. I’ve actually listened the audiobooks for each of the other books in this series, and can’t wait to re-read Child of Mine once the audiobook is released.

Updated to add audiobook review.

I felt that both Erin Mallon and Tom Taylorson did a really great job with Child of Mine. I felt like they did great job distinguishing the voices of all the different characters. I was never pulled out of the story with the narrator’s transitions, and I really felt like Erin and Tom helped totally bring this story to life.

Rating: 5 Stars (A)
Performance Rating: 5 Stars (A)
Review copy provided by publisher