"A touching story starting off the Luchetti Brothers series"

Aaron Luchetti is lost. Fourteen years ago he was a young man full of purpose, longing to help others by wanting to become a priest. Then for some reason unknown to all but him, he returns home to his family as a new man -- unhappy, quiet, no longer wanting to be in the Church. No one understood why until a young girl appeared on their doorstep.

Nicole Houston has lived a life no child should ever experience. Dumped at a Church as a baby, unwanted and unloved, her life never improved. She ended up in Vegas working as a stripper at the tender age of sixteen. Then one night of love with a man bound for the Priesthood set her on a new path... as a mother.

When Rayne Houston discovers her mother had kept her from her father for thirteen years by saying he was dead, she's furious. With only a young orphan called "The Timinator" as her companion, she takes off cross-country to find her father in The Daddy Quest. When she arrives at the Luchetti home, secrets are revealed and shocks abound. Though her running away temporarily reunited her parents, is it enough to convince them both that one man's sin is another person's salvation?

When the Luchetti family was introduced in The Farmer's Wife, readers knew there were stories to tell for these five brothers. This story is the first of the mini series, though not the first read by this reviewer. As always, Lori Handeland pens an emotional tale that will keep one turning those pages until the last one is reached. The plot is strong, and the secondary story lines presented only add to the whole story.

Aaron and Nicole are meant for each other, though it takes them a while to figure that out. Nicole's whole life is her daughter and her best friend at the halfway house where she turned her life around. When she discovers the gift given her in the form of her pregnancy, she is afraid to let Aaron know, for she doesn't want to ruin his life. Sacrificing her desires for the good of others, makes her much more like Aaron then she'd have thought. Aaron is torn over what he considers his failure to God and lives with the guilt every day of his life. Learning he is a father helps him realize what has been missing in his life.

Readers will love the side stories and secondary characters found in this book. This reviewer was especially taken with "The Timinator" and found herself laughing out loud sometimes and getting teary eyed over the plight of this wonderful child. Readers will be longing for his happy ending as much as they hope for Aaron's and Nicole's. Rayne is a wonderful child, wise for her years due to the life she lives with her mother. It will amaze one to see just how much she knows about the world, though she never loses the innocence all children should have for as long as possible. Hints are given to the personalities of the other brothers in the family, and readers will find themselves eager to spend more time with the wonderful Luchetti clan.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2005. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted August 24, 2005

Summary

Thirteen-year-old Rayne Houston is on a quest. After discovering that her father is alive, she angrily packs her bag and goes off to find him, with only a six-year-old orphan named Tim at her side.

Nicole Houston is frantic when she discovers Rayne gone. Fourteen years ago she'd thought lying would be best for everyone because the choices Aaron Luchetti had made meant it was impossible for them to be together. Now it's time to face the past and tell the truth. And once that's done—and they find Rayne—maybe, just maybe, they can become the family they all so desperately need.