Adam's Boys by Anna Clifton

"Wrong girl — wrong time? Adam’s fling with Abbie just weeks after the death of his wife may have been all wrong, but their time together gave him the strength to return home to his newborn son, Pete, and start their new life together.

Wrong guy — wrong time? Abbie's fling with Adam may have been all wrong, but their time together gave her Henry, the sunshine in her life, and although Adam is long gone, Abbie can never regret the time they spent together.

But two wrongs don't necessarily make a right. Adam Cooper is back, and when he learns the truth about his unknown son, he is hell-bent on creating a home and family for his boys, even if it means blackmailing Abbie into taking part.

Abbie has scars from her own tumultuous childhood, and losing Henry would destroy her. But with only mistrust and pain to bind them, can she and Adam ever find a way through regret to love and the family they could be"

“Adam's Boys” is an emotionally charged roller coaster ride. What stood out for me, was that this book was so well written, I could empathize with all the characters situations without every having to be in that position myself. This was the first book in a long time that I can remember crying while reading.

There is a lot packed into this short novel and it is a powerhouse of feelings and drama. Besides that, this book is about is about family and redemption. It leaves you with a heart warming feeling of hope and that everything happens exactly how it should.

Do not be fooled by the books length- this is no lightweight novel. If you enjoy heartfelt stories in the vein of Debbie Macomber and Jan Karon, then this book should be at the top of your “to read” list.

“Adam's boys” delivers everything it promises and pulling on your heart strings is 100% guaranteed.

Dealing with the grief of losing his beloved wife, Ellen, Adam Cooper leaves his 3-month old son with his parents and flees the UK and heads to Australia to work out of the foreign office and try to heal. He finds his healing during a three week fling in the arms of Abbie McCarthy. It was the wrong girl, for the wrong guy, at the wrong time, and neither were ready for a relationship. When Adam returns to Australia on a business trip four years later, and finds Abbie with a 3-year old son, long-held secrets come tumbling out. Adam is determined to be involved in the life of his newly discovered son but can he overcome so many obstacles - the death of his former wife, a broken-hearted Abbie, two lovable little boys and the distance of many, many miles?

This is a clean and lovable romance novel. There is the innuendo of sexual activity but it is rare and very lightly implied. Any reader seeking explicit sexual descriptions will be disappointed however readers who prefer the romance and emotional connection between characters will enjoy the story. The relationship between Adam and Abbie was tumultuous as they are both deeply scarred by their past. Adam feels guilty over the death of his wife, Ellen. Abbie struggles with issues of trust and abandonment due to her family history. Then, there are those two little boys who so desperately want everyone together for a happy family life. Any parent, but especially a single parent, will easily identify with the two adorable little boys in the book. There are frustrating moments and behaviors on the part of both main characters and the book description is a bit misleading. There is never any “blackmail” attempt by Adam toward Abbie. He proposes two options to resolve the issue of him being able to see his son and she chooses the one she finds less disagreeable. I wouldn’t consider any action on the part of Adam to be even close to blackmail. There are incidents throughout the book that highlight flaws in both Adam and Abbie but that is why the romance between the two characters works.

The pacing of the novel is good but it can be a little fast during parts of the novel and there are a few points where the story skips ahead by a few weeks or months. The biggest issue with the pacing is that the conflict is never really given the time it needs to build tension and create drama. When a tense moment is developed it happens quickly and then is resolved within just a few pages. It happens repeatedly during nearly every tense situation. The reader isn’t really given the time to feel anguish for the characters because the conflict wraps up so quickly. There is plenty of conflict throughout the novel though so it’s never lacking, it’s just quickly resolved.

Overall, Adam’s Boys is an easy read and the two little boys, Pete and Henry, are the highlight of the novel. They are adorably written and will tug at the heartstrings of every reader. It’s a light (non-erotic) romance and a quick book to read. It is an emotional story, on behalf of all of the characters, and one I feel most readers will enjoy.

Review by Ashley LaMar
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