"powerful tale focusing on relationships"

In Pennsylvania, "Unsinkable" Molly McClain believes that her dad psychiatrist Dr. James McClain excessively worries about her to the detriment of his own health. The eight- year-old realizes she has problems having a transplant inside her, but she also needs to do children things without a daddy hen looking over her every action. At Camp Firefly, a special place for children with organ transplants and their parents, she decides that her father needs a wife who would also mommy her, but not like the one who deserted the two of them years ago.

Divorced schoolteacher Rachel Thompson has been on a leave of absence since her four-year-old died. She wants to return to the classroom, but her dad and her boss agree she needs to do something else first to insure her grieving has hit a stage where she can work with children. They insist she first test herself at Camp Firefly. Molly chooses Rachel as the star of THE MOMMY PLAN.

Don't let the inane title fool readers into thinking this is some sort of comic relief. Instead THE MOMMY PLAN is a powerful tale focusing on relationships in which the health of a child supersedes everything else. In this case there are two children involved, obviously Molly, but also Rachel's deceased little Daniel. This novel is for readers who appreciate a poignant well written emotional powerhouse and yes there is a romance subplot that fits inside the theme of the story too.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 25, 2003

At Camp Firefly Wishes, a summer camp for transplant kids and their families, reluctant-volunteer Rachel Thompson faces her fear of loving and losing again when she falls for sexy, compassionate single-dad James McClain and his match-making, heart-transplant-recipient daughter, Molly.

Summary

Modern medicine can replace worn, defective hearts, but only love can heal a broken one.

Molly McClain has a new heart and an overprotective father. What she needs is something—someone—to distract him while they're at summer camp, so she can have some fun. A woman might be just the thing. But when she really gets to know the lady she picks out for her dad, a summer isn't enough. Molly needs a new full-time mom. So, she sets out to get her dad and Miss Rachel together.

Rachel Thompson has a broken heart. The divorced teacher lost her only child, but donated his organs. Now she's volunteering at Camp Firefly Wishes, a special summer camp for transplant kids and their families, in a last-ditch effort to make some sense out of her loss, to see the kinds of miracles that happened when she donated her little boy's organs. The last thing on her mind is romance or loving anyone—especially not a medically-fragile child. Or her father. But in James's arms, Rachel finds comfort, a safe place to mourn at last, and a reminder that life is for living.

Psychologist James McClain always puts his daughter's needs first. But Rachel reminds him that he's not just a dad, he's also a man. A lonely man. Rachel's bravery in the face of his worst nightmare touches something deep inside, reawakening his need to love.

But can Rachel conquer her fear of loving and losing again? Or will Molly's " Mommy Plan" only cause them all more pain?