🏡 "The Soldier's Unexpected Family" (Heroines of Hollydale #3) (2021) 🏡 - Book Tour & Review
He had a plan
She changed it all!
Major Aidan Murphy arrives in the charming small town of Hollydale to take full guardianship of his six-year-old nephew. Only there's a slight problem his vivacious, fiery co-guardian. School teacher Natalie Harrison has no intention of letting Aidan take her best friend's heartbroken little boy away. Now Aidan must convince Natalie that blood is stronger than love even if his heart tells him otherwise.
About the Author
Tour Giveaway
Ends March 17, 2021
Thank you in advance to the author, Tanya Agler, for providing a complimentary review copy through Prism Book Tours. A positive review was not required or requested and all thoughts are my own.
This is my third (3rd) visit to Hollydale and I can hardly believe it was a year ago that I was making my first visit with The Sheriff’s Second Chance. How is that possible? Easy … reading good books!
Seriously though …
Despite the cutesy, family cover; this book was a bit different than the other ones with a more realistic slant to it. And, I have to admit, the author did a fantastic job at countering the realistic grief and the stringent military life. She certainly highlights the view of custody – Aiden’s rigidity versus Natalie’s nurturing.
Right off, it grabbed me, and I read 47 pages in no time. I honestly didn’t want to put it down. Agler’s easy style and flow with even pacing made this easy to read.
The plot is beautiful, heart-breaking, endearing. But readers should be warned that this deals with the death of a single parent and obvious grief.
I adored the relationship that Natalie and Danny had right off, despite it only being three (3) months since his mother’s death. Agler realistically details the grief that Danny had to have been experiencing which makes his uncle coming into his life … complicated.
And, right off, I didn’t like Aiden. While Natalie understood that Danny needed a support system, Aiden didn’t get the idea that Danny needed more than rigidity and routines. Natalie was a wonderful advocate for Danny.
This begins with Natalie and a parade float – her goal, making the parade the best for Danny. Though it is her frustration with it that Aiden mistakes for Danny and that is where the miscommunication lies.
From there, Aiden is on a one-track goal – custody of Danny, despite what his sister really intends – for Danny to be raised in Hollydale. It is strange that a stranger, despite being friends, knows more of what Shelby intended. And, Danny’s therapy is going as well as can be expected there in Hollydale.
And, they are each trying to convince the other what is better for Danny. Then there is his attachment to Natalie.
Natalie is also focused on the parade float. And, that becomes a running story line that brings her and Aiden together. Yet, despite this, even halfway into the story – Aiden wasn’t getting it. And, the reader sees the struggle between the love and support angle versus consistency and discipline.
While Aiden slowly warms to Natalie, he is hoping she’d have relented by then. The mayor brings up a good point, that rallying around Danny represents the community. And, Natalie tells Aiden that life can be planned out, but not love.
The two have polarizing views, but in talking they see the other’s point. For Natalie, it was planning something big and losing it that showed her to live in the moment. For Aiden, plans and schedules avoid dealing with “life”.
Even the mayor has some “advice”; though it is more like “stories” and parables to get Aiden to thinking. There is also Aiden’s continual involvement in the parade and community, mostly at the behest of the mayor. Aiden keeps getting “roped” into other projects involved with it. And, it is cute to see the characters working to convince him to “settle” in Hollydale.
Natalie’s family picnic even shows Aiden something he’s been missing, and what his nephew might miss, but still – Aiden refuses to budge.
But, it isn’t until Aiden gets a rude awakening about his military life that he begins to see his own “plans” unravel.
One thing that floored me about Aiden – the lack of planning for Danny’s care while Aiden was working and contingency in case he was deployed again. It seemed that his plans didn’t seem to reveal that information. And, to me, that was definitely crucial. But, it also showed he wasn’t “thinking” any further than the custody arrangement.
I understand the importance of family, but Aiden needed to work with Natalie to provide the entire picture. Each wanted Danny, but needed to see what was best for Danny, and one issue was stability. Part of that stability was care while Aiden was working. More so if he got deployed again. Anyone who is military knows how easily that can happen.
Other than that, overall, it was a joy, and sometimes frustrating book to read. Yet, Agler made it work. There were some laugh-out-loud moments (something about heat and a barbecue sauce that could scorch someone’s toupée). And, obviously a happy ending.
Other characters from the series return – Mike and Georgie Harrison, Caleb and Lucie, even the pigs from book #2 get a mention. And, I also LOVED the CHEERWINE COLA shout-out.
FYI: I discovered it when I stopped at the Alien Jerky Store in Baker, California back in 2012. FELL IN LOVE WITH IT. And, on some of my trips to and from California – I HAVE to get some. I also found it at the Baker Country Store.
This is the author’s third book and it has been a pleasure and honor to read her books from her debut. I look forward to any future books in this series or even another one. Given that this series, despite being larger print, is “bigger” than the others; I read it in a day. I honestly did not want to put this down!
Those who’ve read the previous two and/or love the heartwarming line are sure to enjoy this. This is a clean read with no sex or foul language.
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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