Loving You
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
"Maureen Child infuses her writing with the perfect blend of laughter, tears and romance. "-Jill Marie Landis
For the first time in his life, cameras aren't focused on football star—make that former football star—Nick Candellano, and he doesn't like it. Even so, scandal is not how he wants to return to the limelight, so when an 11-year-old claims Nick is his dad, Nick wants to keep it quiet before the press and his Italian mama find out, at least until he knows if Jonas really is his son.
Tasha Flynn, Jonas's fiercely protective foster mother, won't let anyone hurt the boy she loves like a son, even a man who might be his father. But Nick's charms are hard to resist. The more time she spends with him, the more conflicted she feels. He's kind, good to Jonas, and his kisses set off a fire inside her—but he could be the reason she loses Jonas forever. How can a single beautician with no kin compete with a rich pro athlete, especially one of the close-knit Candellanos who can give Jonas the family he's always dreamed of?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Following hot on the heels of Child's two-in-one May release (Finding You/Knowing You), this formulaic novel spotlights Nick, another sibling in the boisterous Candellano clan. Like each member of his family, and each character in this novel, Nick fits a distinct mold. He's an injured football superstar who's facing an empty future now that his career is over. However, when an orphaned boy, Jonas, sues him for paternity, he realizes that Jonas and his sexy fill-in foster mother, Tasha Flynn, may be just what he needs. As a teen, Tasha ran away from her drunken parents, lived on the streets and was eventually rescued by Mimi, a kind, mystical woman who took her under her wing and later fostered Jonas. After Mimi's death, Tasha assumed Jonas's care, but she never informed social services of Mimi's passing, fearing her illicit past would preclude her from legally fostering Jonas. Now, thanks to Jonas's well-intentioned meddling, the situation could blow up in her face. The tension between Tasha and Nick is more situational than romantic: indeed, Tasha is so hostile towards Nick that it's difficult to see why he finds her appealing. This lack of true romantic conflict, combined with Child's pedestrian (and often repetitive) prose, makes for a mild, predictable read. FYI:Child also writes historical romances under the pseudonym Kathleen Kane.