Customer Reviews

Her Unlikely Family (Love Inspired #434)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

He's a wealthy, powerful, workaholic.
She's a pink-haired waitress.
His niece has run away and ended up with her.
Now he's gotta go through her to get his niece to come home.
A perfect set up. No two people could be more wrong for each other.

It's as much fun as I've had with a romance novel.

Just bright and funny and fast moving. I was completely in love with the poor hard-shell, soft-heart hero. I was rooting for the waitress to not get weak in the knees just because he was trying so hard and failing so miserably. But get a LITTLE weak in the knees, after all, he is gorgeous and rich, so give him SOME chance.
It was just laugh out loud funny at times, sweet all the way to the heart and so charming I didn't want it to end, except I was desperate for Happily Ever After.

Missy Tippens' debut novel Her Unlikely Family should appeal to romance lovers. Michael, the tall, dark and handsome "hero" is well-written as a sensitive guy under his buttoned up banker image. Josie, the heroine, is all softness and yearning in a self-imposed protective shell, and Lisa the teenage niece is a rebel with a reason.

Tippens has studied the craft and has married a tight story with the classic romance formula and small town charm.

Review as appearing at Novel Reviews Blog Spot

This was Missy's debut novel and I loved it! The opening line pulls you in right away (see my previous post on Great Beginnings). The characters are distinct and grab you from the start. The situation of these characters has the right amount of emotion to move you as you come to care about the people in this story. In fact, I don't want to call them characters. I want to call them people. The conflict is believable and real. Families deal with these kind of stresses all the time. While Michael has a business background like most men, he is definitely teachable and willing to change. The transformation that takes place in him and Josie is gradual, and perfect. It isn't rushed and Missy brings it about in a way that makes it seem natural.

I won't spoil the ending, but I will say I loved it that Josie had pink hair and Lisa had green hair. And when I discovered the reason for Josie's pink hair, that made it all the more engaging. I'm looking forward to reading more from Missy Tippens.

Her Unlikely Family is an excellent book. I've enjoyed it very much! I didn't give it 5 Stars because, in my opinion, this book lacked romance a bit!

Just as the title says, this book is about a very unlikely family. There is a runaway, an Uncle looking for the runaway, a waitress with pink hair, and then the parents of Michael and Josie are both wealthy. Although you would not know it to see how Josie dresses. Josie was a runaway once herself.
Michael is President of the Bank and an unlikely match for Josie. Josie has allowed Michael's neice, Lisa, to stay with her and work at the diner.
Through this book God will teach you about forgiveness, learning to have fun, how to be yourself, and to expect the unexpected. It is a book that you won't be able to put down.

This delightful story centers around a cozy hometown diner where romance is on the menu, and let me tell you--it's a tasty dish! First of all, I am a first-line freak, and seldom has a book reeled me in with the first few lines like "Her Unlikely Family" did with this classic hook: "If there was one thing Josie Miller knew, it was the smell of a rich man. And whoever just walked into the diner smelled like Fort Knox."

From that point on, my appetite was whet for this surefire recipe of unlikely love between hunky, uptight banker Michael H. Throckmorton III (be still my heart) and quirky, pink-haired waitress/future diner proprietor Josie Miller. Ms Tippens thickens up this simmering stew with a Tabasco shot of Michael's orphaned niece, a rebellious teen that Josie has taken under her wing. From there, the story heats up nicely, satisfying romance readers with a delicious plot that is truly satisfying.

Ms. Tippens writing style is easy and engaging, and the spiritual threads subtle yet powerful. One of the characters asks, "Isn't every relationship a risk?" A resounding "Yes!" comes to mind as this fun and well-crafted story deftly conveys the Scriptural message of the book -- "We love because he first loved us." Yes, loving others is always a risk. But for romance fans, reading this book is not -- you will love it!

What a fun story! I liked the mix of two such different personalities as Josie and Michael. Josie is both kind and wild--just the kind of heroine I like to read about. Michael starts off very stuffy and I didn't really like him at first, but I really enjoyed his transformation from Michael Throckmorton III to Uncle Mike. The flow from uptight prick to sensitive guy was very smooth, believable, and enjoyable to read.

Michael's niece, Lisa, steals the show, in my opinion. Maybe because I've worked with teens for so many years. She seemed completely authentic--irritating and lovable at the same time.

There were a few moments at the end where things got confusing for me--I didn't understand why some characters made the choices they did or were upset by other people's choices. However, the ending is satisfying and romantic and left me with that happy feeling at the end of a romance.

This is a great book for romance readers of all ages, from teens and up.

Missy Tippen's novel, Her Unlikely Family, is a delightful, entertaining story with fully developed characters who had me pulling for them as they faced the need to change and rose to meet the challenge. A very satisfying, feel good ending leaves me wanting to read more from this debut author.

Wow, this is a fantastic debut novel! Missy Tippens delivered a heartwarming romance that hooked my interest from page one. I loved the pink haired waitress, uptight banker, and vulnerable niece who made up Her Unlikely Family. I can't wait to read more from this new author!

I only meant to flip through the first few pages of Missy Tippens' debut novel...but two hours later I found myself still reading. I kept reading, thinking there would be a place I could set it aside for the night. Never happened.

This debut is definitely one worth losing sleep over. The characters are real and compliment each other beautifully. I really enjoyed the setting of this book. It reminded me of the older TV series "Mel's Diner." Anyone remember that? Missy's vivid writing helped me feel like I was in the setting alongside her characters.

A great story with endearing characters who I feel anyone in any walk or station in life will be able to identify with.

I highly recommend this book and just know this author will be among my favorites.

Cheryl Wyatt