A Man to Hold on To [Tallgrass #2] by Marilyn Pappano
(Genre: Contemporary Romance)
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**Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
This is the second novel in a series that features Army widows in Tallgrass, Oklahoma who find second chances at love. So far, I've read both Tallgrass books and a bonus novella from a Christmas anthology. I liked all three. Even though sweet contemporaries aren't usually in my wheelhouse, I found myself really connecting emotionally with the members of the "Tuesday Night Margarita Club" and wanting to see them thrive.
I also loved that even though Therese's late husband did a bad thing (cheating on his wife and fathering a child) he wasn't portrayed as a bad man. He's not made out to be a saint before the cheating is known and he's not vilified after that comes out either. Vilifying the ex to promote the new love interest is a well that is dipped into a lot in the romance genre and it would have been easy for Pappano to go there but I was seriously impressed that she didn't.
All in all, I really really liked this book, enjoyed the ground laid for future books, and can't wait to return to Tallgrass for more.
(Amazon||Goodreads||Author'sWebsite)
**Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
This is the second novel in a series that features Army widows in Tallgrass, Oklahoma who find second chances at love. So far, I've read both Tallgrass books and a bonus novella from a Christmas anthology. I liked all three. Even though sweet contemporaries aren't usually in my wheelhouse, I found myself really connecting emotionally with the members of the "Tuesday Night Margarita Club" and wanting to see them thrive.
Sergeant Keegan Logan comes to Tallgrass looking for a solution to his current troubles in the form of the man who fathered the toddler his ex-girlfirend left in his care. Unfortunately for him, what Keegan finds instead is the man's struggling widow and kids. No easy-peasy solution to his problems there.
Therese Matheson, the aforementioned widow, is at the end of her rope. She's been struggling to care for her stepchildren since their father's death three years ago and the situation isn't improving. At all. In fact, it's getting downright untenable.
While trying to work up the courage to tell Therese why he's really in town, Keegan and Therese fall in love. It's fast, but I bought it. I had a little trouble with how long Keegan keeps his secret but I understood why he did it. I just wanted to shake him a little.
The Tallgrass books overlap quite a bit so Therese's struggles with her stepchildren were introduced in the previous book "A Hero To Come Home To." I found her parts of that book to be seriously compelling. Therese has tried everything she can think of. Therapy, advice from friends, consulting with her pastor, prayer... but nothing is working. She's drowing and the kids aren't thriving. 13 yr-old Abby, in particular, is petulant and volatile and never misses an opportunity to express her dissatisfaction with her lot in life in general and Therese in particular. With the children's mother and neither set of grandparents interested in custody, it's gotten to the point where Therese is struggling with the idea that placing the kids into foster care might be the best option for all of them.
Overall, I loved a number of things about this book and had very few quibbles.
Overall, I loved a number of things about this book and had very few quibbles.
How the children, from 13 yr-old Abby all the way on down to 3 yr old Mariah, were portrayed worked like magic for me. I love when children in novels are multifaceted and not just generic pot moppets. Even though Abby's behavior is out of control and horrible, it makes sense that she reacts the way she does. She's angry and feels abandoned and acts like a monster (marvelously dubbed "The Princess of I-Hate-You" by Therese's best friend).
Related to how well I thought the children were written, I love-LOVED how parenting was portrayed in this book as this incredibly difficult job that was multifaceted and alternately rewarding and friggin back-breaking. Also, parenting had absolutely nothing to do with biology and everything to do with love and compassion and putting the work in that the job requires.
“I may just be a stepmother, but I know real mother things. Jacob puts the brownies on a plate to hide the fact that he’s already sampled them. Abby hides her shampoo and pretends she’s out because she likes mine better, and neither of them has ever, ever used the last square of toilet paper in the bathroom. It disappears magically, spills happen spontaneously, empty milk cartons march themselves back into the refrigerator, and food disappears without being eaten.”
"Keegan wasn’t even a stepparent, but he was the closest thing to a parent Mariah had. Sometimes, he was learning, it didn't have anything to do with a blood tie. Sometimes an emotional tie was just as strong. Even stronger."
I also loved that even though Therese's late husband did a bad thing (cheating on his wife and fathering a child) he wasn't portrayed as a bad man. He's not made out to be a saint before the cheating is known and he's not vilified after that comes out either. Vilifying the ex to promote the new love interest is a well that is dipped into a lot in the romance genre and it would have been easy for Pappano to go there but I was seriously impressed that she didn't.
All in all, I really really liked this book, enjoyed the ground laid for future books, and can't wait to return to Tallgrass for more.
Note: I read this and "A Hero To Come Home To" out of order and I rather wish that I hadn't. This book spoils major plot points from the first book and the first book lays groundwork for this one that I wish I had had going into it. I would not recommend following my lead on this one.
Rating: 4 stars
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