"engaging relationship drama"

Twenty-five years ago her father deserted her mother and her when she was a little girl. For years she has prayed he would come see her, but nary a word came from him. That hope ended when her mother was put away in a psycho ward. Chicago business executive Tess Wheaton obtains what she wished for as a child, but not the way she wanted to hear from him. A Boulder lawyer has informed her that her dad and his second wife died in a car crash, leaving their two children, thirteen-year old Nick and six-year-old Molly temporary wards of Colorado. She wants nothing to do with her half siblings or her father's estate.

Nick and Molly arrive at Tess' office as she is on the phone with Boulder social worker Alec Malone. Tess demands Alec come pick up his two charges immediately. He agrees to arrive tomorrow. As Tess comes to know her siblings and more about the father who left her behind, she soon wants to raise the two youngsters, but with Alec at her side because she loves the three new people in her life.

Though the ease in which Tess "forgives" her father's desertion seems off kilter after two plus decades of hurt, anger, and accusations, fans will enjoy this substantial engaging relationship drama. The theme focuses on how the four prime characters evolve from individuals with their own needs (except Nick's efforts to nurture his younger sister) into a cohesive loving family. Readers will appreciate watching Tess struggle between a growing love for the three newcomers in her life vs. her animosity towards her father.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 17, 2003

Summary

As a little girl, Tess Wheaton wished that her father would come back and rescue her — but he never did. Although Tess grew up in the care of a loving guardian, she never had the parents she longed for. These days, she's a successful businesswoman and family is the last thing on her mind.

That is, until she discovers that the father who abandoned her long ago is dead and has left behind two young children who want Tess to be part of their lives. She steps, hesitantly at first, into this makeshift family and finds herself on a fascinating journey — getting to know her brother and sister and discovering the father she barely knew. Most fascinating of all — she's finding real love for the first time, with a man who understands what it's like to get a second chance.