A new year and a new baby. Sounds like a great start for
Stacy Fortune Jones. But when you've been dumped by your
fiancé and are raising a baby alone, maybe it's not so
great. HAPPY NEW YEAR, BABY FORTUNE is the latest in a
series about Horseback Hollow so at the initial party
we -
and baby Piper - meet many characters from previous books.
Since I wasn't up to date on the Fortune family I needed
this to read well as a standalone.
Colton Foster, working away on his folks' ranch in Texas,
has known Stacy most of her life, and his sister Rachel is
a good friend to her. He thinks anyone who left a girl and
baby doesn't deserve someone as lovely as Stacy. While he
has no designs on her, he gives her his first New Year kiss
as the countdown turns to cheers. Having the baby has made
the girl grow up fast, and Colton suddenly starts seeing
her in a whole new light. From a remark he makes, Rachel
and Stacy think he's interested in some other girl he won't
name, and a few amusing incidents occur such as a cooking
lesson.
Stacy, twenty-four and a trained nurse, feels responsible
and tired and harried; she hardly knows what it's like to
go outside her parents' house. She takes Colton up on his
offer of an evening at the bar and grill, but of course has
to be home early for her child. Shortly afterwards we get a
merry scene where Colton is obliged to care for the baby
for an evening, fussing and changing and blowing bubbles.
He's not used to babies, but he copes well!
The start of the book revisits siblings who were separated
and adopted, who they married and who had money and who
didn't, all of which will be welcomed by fans of the series
but could deter newcomers. After that however the main
characters take over the tale and a new reader will be
fine. While Stacy often does feel that she and the baby
were let down, and the father isn't providing support, the
overall tone is light and families and friends rally around
to help. This is an adult romance but it's one of those
times where the couple don't admit how strong their
feelings have become until something serious occurs.
Leanne
Banks has written several great reads and - provided you
can handle a lot of baby talk, including useful tips -
HAPPY NEW YEAR, BABY FORTUNE is sure to make a lot of new
friends.
Lullabies…and cowboys? USA TODAY bestselling author Leanne
Banks kicks off the new Fortunes of Texas continuity with a
story of a single mom and the sexy rancher who sweeps her
off her feet!
As she rings in the new year in Horseback Hollow, Texas,
single mom Stacey Fortune Jones tries to count her
blessings. She has an adorable baby girl, Piper; supportive
parents; good friends. Best of them all is Colton Foster,
her longtime neighbor from the ranch next door. He always
seems to be around when she needs him. Trouble is, she may
be starting to need him a bit too much….
She's off-limits, Colton keeps telling himself. The tall,
muscular rancher turns to mush every time he sees Stacey.
But falling for his little sister's best friend seems wrong
on so many levels. She's on the rebound. She's got a baby.
She's…complicated. What's a big-hearted cowboy to do?