A sweet romance about a woman not able to bear children (and comfortable with that fate) who then has to learn to deal with motherhood when friends start announcing pregnancies and she herself falls in love with a widower with kids....Civilian physical therapist Anne Lee meets and crosses swords with pilot Eric Bankwell at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Eric is a widower with two daughters on the cusp of young adulthood, a time when tenderheartedness is masked by...snark. His new life as Mr. Mom is complicated by falling for feisty Anne. Although Anne is head over heels for Eric, she feels she's pretending to like his girls...until pretense gives way to genuine love after a series of unfortunate events.
Assessment:
Plot: The standard love-story trope is elevated here into something intriguing, quickly capturing and keeping the reader’s attention.
Prose/Style: While technically well written, the plot’s foundation is undermined by a strong tell-not-show method of storytelling, relying too heavily on repetitious internal monologue.
Originality: This book features an uncommon plot and unique take on modern-day romance and one that highlighted some pervasive, but little seen, aspects of military life.
Character Development: Each character is lovingly drawn and well-fleshed out, but certain aspects are over-emphasized, turning the characters into only that single trait (i.e., Anne and her thoughts on children. A bit more about her hobbies and fascinating work would have been appreciated). Some expansion of the characters' origins and motives would strengthen the cast and overall plot.
Date Submitted: June 20, 2019
I've entered ANNE'S FAMILY PLAN, a sweet romance, in the BookLife prize contest. I don't even have a cover for it yet - the one here is just a quick placeholder! I will eventually contract for one, but in the meantime, this beachy image at least captures the setting of the story - along the Delaware coastline, its 117 miles of Atlantic seashore and gorgeous inland bays!
