Customer Reviews

A Family for Daniel: You, Me & the Kids (Harlequin Superromance No. 1280)

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Amy Loar, climbing the corporate ladder in Atlanta, and Joshua White, a school principle in tiny Sweetbrook, share little except a past as best friends. But when their two children--Amy's daughter Becky and Josh's nephew Daniel--get in trouble together at school, they have a mutual problem, and they have to work together to solve it. Along the way, they rediscover their closeness, which blossoms into something far deeper and more complex.

Amy has recently escaped a verbally abusive husband and is committed to building a secure life for herself and Becky the only way she knows how--pursuing a big-city career with dogged determination. She knows Becky is getting the short end of the stick in terms of her time and attention, but only until this one big project is over. Josh has all the financial security he needs, and more. But it's not enough for Daniel, whose father was physically abusive. Daniel is holding everything inside, and unless he confides in someone, his horrible father stands a good chance of regaining custody.

I loved this book for its many complex issues, and I agonized with Amy over what was the right thing to do. These characters faced so many difficult choices. Getting into the viewpoints of the troubled children added dimension to the story, and their triumphs were all the sweeter because of the pain they'd faced. A great, emotional read; a quality sophomore effort from an author to watch.

Josh and Amy were friends, but a rousing fight and the passage of time has left them with just childhood memories. Josh is trying to cope with a troubled, orphaned nephew, and Amy is trying to rebuild a life for herself and her daughter after walking away from a disastrous marriage. It's not the ideal time for either of them to rekindle their friendship, even a worse time to take it beyond friendship into an entirely new type of relationship. But love doesn't tend to wait for the right time.

Four wounded souls come together and find not only healing, but a family in this wonderful second novel by Anna DeStefano!

Anna DeStefano's A Family For Daniel is an emotionally moving story.

Joshua White is at his wits end trying to help his troubled nephew Daniel. His sister had died suddenly after leaving an abusive partner. Josh as a grade school principal has another child in the school that is going through a trying time as well. Becky is the child of his former high school pal Amy Loar.

Amy is slowly getting her life back on track after her disastrous marriage. She leaves her young daughter in the care of her mother while she rebuilds her career in Atlanta. But Becky is floundering and Amy must go back to her hometown to help.

Now Amy and Josh must join forces to help these to troubled children. As they work together old feelings resurface but now they are stronger and more powerful. Amy has some major trust issues to overcome before she can let these feelings fly.

A Family For Daniel will make your heart soar and weep as these two young children find their ways back to being whole. The relationship between Amy and Josh is deeply touching and heartwarming. This book is assuredly a keeper.

In Sweetbrook, South Carolina, elementary school principal Joshua White struggles to raise his abused nephew Daniel, who detests the small town and wants nothing to with his uncle as just the latest dumping on a relative. Every time Josh tries to help Daniel acclimate, he fails.

After dealing with abuse, Amy Loar drops her daughter Becky at her mother's home in Sweetbrook while she tries to make a career in Atlanta. Becky has problems adjusting with all the recent traumas in her life and soon gets into a fight with fourth grade classmate Daniel. Their feud grows until Amy is forced to come to town. For some reason, perhaps a deep understanding of Daniel's internal demons, Amy seems to reach him where as Josh fails to have the slightest positive vibe with the son of his sister. On the other hand Josh seems to have done well with Amy's daughter. As they work together to help one another raise their respective child, these childhood friends fall in love, but each knows the kids must come before their own needs.

A FAMILY FOR DANIEL is an intriguing family drama that focuses on the impact of abuse on adults and children. The lead couple, their children, and other support players like her mom and teachers bring to life the small South Carolina town that shows it takes a village to raise a child. Though the woes are cleaned up relatively easy (this is a romance), fans of powerful contemporary tales with social issues will want to read Anna DeStefano's fine storey.

Harriet Klausner