WANTED: A REAL FAMILY – Karen Rose Smith
The Mommy Club , Book 1
A Perfect 10
Harlequin Special Edition #2277
ISBN: 978-0-373-65759-9
August 2013
Series Romance

Fawn Grove, California – Present Day

When a fire burned down physical therapist Sara Stevens's home, she was only able to save her precious four year-old daughter Amy. All else was lost. She has nothing in reserves but debt, due to her late husband's extravagances. But help is on the way. Some women of the small town of Fawn Grove have recently established The Mommy Club in order to help women in need. Through their agency, Sara receives an offer to use a guest cottage on the Raintree Winery grounds until she can come about. She learns she has a former patient of hers to thank for the offer. Photo-journalist Jace Cramer was wounded in an attack in an African village where he was helping the local children. Sara's therapy helped Jace recover from his injuries, and her encouragement did a lot to heal his spirit as well. Though Sara was married then, he never forgot her.

Because of their respective pasts, both Sara and Jace are wary of the attraction they begin to feel for each other. Sara's primary concern is her daughter. Though Jace is wonderful with Amy, where her husband mostly ignored her, Sara doesn't need the distraction. Since Jace's injuries, he has taken on much of the responsibility for the family vineyard and winery, though his relations with his adoptive father are strained.

WANTED: A REAL FAMILY is the first installment in Ms. Rose's new miniseries, The Mommy Club. It's a charming, heartwarming start to what promises to be an excellent series. Sara makes friends with the women of the town and joins in their activities in gratitude for all they have done for her and Amy. We'll get to know the ladies and look forward to more of their stories. Jace is a great hero…sensitive, generous, and respectful, but he sorely misses his former life. Can he reconcile what he had with what he has now?

It was easy to fall into WANTED: A REAL FAMILY and come to care about Sara and Amy, Jace and others. It epitomizes the ideal Home and Family category romance. As such, I recommend it highly and give it a rare RRT Perfect 10.

Jane Bowers