"Heart-warming story with memorable characters..."

Alan Palmer's mother deserted him and his father when Alan was just ten years old. His father dealt with the grief by drowning his sorrows in a bottle and instilling in Alan the belief that a woman didn't stick around if the man couldn't provide materially for her. Alan dealt with the pain of being abandoned by his mother by bottling up his emotions, cooking and looking after his father. The only way Alan knows how to express his feelings for those he loves is through service - he needs to feel he can provide for them, do things for them. He also tries to shield his family from problems not realizing that they may feel left out or neglected.

Cate, Alan's wife, wants much more from their marriage but feels at her wits end. She arrives at his office late one night - when he promised to be home early but didn't make it - to talk about their failing marriage. Upon arriving she realizes Alan has been keeping a huge secret from her, one that will no doubt affect their future in a big way. This is the last straw for her. Her control snaps. She's tired of being on the outside, tired of Alan pushing himself to give her and Dan, their eighteen year old son, a comfortable lifestyle at the expense of family time. Cate informs Alan she's leaving him but minutes later, she's involved in a traffic accident that robs her of her memory.

Cate's accident and their prior argument makes Alan realize just how far apart they have drifted. While he's been obsessed with "providing" for his family, he's forgotten how to communicate with and appreciate his wife. Followed close on the heels of this soul searching is Alan's discovery that Cate is pregnant - a fact that she obviously chose to hide from him! Can they possibly find their way back to each other before the hurt simmering between them pulls them further apart?

UNEXPECTED BABIES by Anna Adams is a beautiful novel about two vulnerable people who struggle to keep their marriage together and learn how to become a happy family once again. The plot touches on the emotional issues related to everyday life and Ms. Adams has done a fabulous job of portraying what sort of devastation lack of communication can cause in a family.

Alan believes in providing for his family and is struggling to keep his dying business from collapsing around his ears. His fears of losing Cate, just like his father lost his mother, if he can't provide for her are beautifully depicted and make him seem so very real. Cate strives to keep her marriage together but realizes she just can't live with Alan if he's going to continue to shield her and shoulder all the problems alone, making her feel left out. The secondary characters of Aunt Imogen, Uncle Ford and Dan also add warmth, believability and depth to the story. Each of them is charming and fascinating in their own special way.

Anna Adams has the wonderful talent of writing entertainingly sensual and very memorable romances that take you right into the heart of the story and make you fall in love with the characters from the start. Don't miss UNEXPECTED BABIES. You're in for a real treat!

Reviewed by Leena Hyat
Posted July 18, 2001