Her Unexpected Family by Carol Burnside


Her Unexpected Family (Sweetwater Springs, #2)

Reviewed by Desere

Anyone who has had cancer will be able to tell you that you are willing to fight to get back out there healthy, but the thought of it returning is always there. Will you make it through the second time? Will you ever have the guarantee that everything will work out?

The answer is of course, no one knows for sure. Because life does not come with guarantees. All you can do is hope and fight back as hard as you can.

In this read the author explores this side of life as she takes us on the very difficult journey with heroine Claire and how meeting the man of her dreams, Travis, shows her the way to a happy life.

But the road to their happiness is filled with many twists and turns, cancer being only one of the turns. Whist Claire has her own demons to fight Travis has his. Together they can both help heal each other, however fear is a strong motivator for holding back on your dreams.

I found this read to be very touching and also very humorous. Yes, I said humorous, not the word you would associate with something so serious as cancer, yet I understand exactly what the author was trying to show.

Cancer is not a death sentence, it's a time to sit up and realize that these could be your last days. Laugh and be as happy as you can, because tomorrow you might not be around to laugh.

The book also made me cry over and over at the extreme sadness the illness can cause in the lives of so many.

But the author's most powerful message was one of love can get us through anything, and trying to step away from love when we need it the most will gain us nothing but sorrow.

I recommend this read for readers that don't mind pulling out the tissues and looking like a fool when crying over a book and if you don't mind laughing out load in the middle of nowhere whilst reading. An emotional, heartwarming look at living with cancer and uncertainly.

4/5 star review
" Taking each day one step at a time" 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reviewed by Shirley Buchanan




Again we visit the quaint small town of Sweetwater Springs with all of its intriguing, interesting inhabitants. Claire and Travis have flirted, trying to get to know each other, until one ill fated date sent them in opposite directions. Now they avoid each other, but circumstances are about to change.

Funny, sexy and gorgeous Claire has a philosophy to live by: keep her cancer a secret, live each day to the fullest and allow no attachments, casual or otherwise. Disappointed that Travis no longer wants a casual affair, Claire retreats until a renovation, a darling three year old boy and her help-out-her-fellow-man personality clash. Thrown into close contact with Travis at work and eventually his home, smoldering embers of attraction flare to life. Sparks fly, but can she keep it casual until her five year cancer free period is over? Then there are the main fears. What if it comes back? Will she be able to survive the heartbreak of losing Travis and his son?

Handsome, former “bad boy” Travis has been known for his “love 'em and leave 'em” attitude, but the interactions with Claire makes him want to spend forever with her. Making his wishes known during their one ill fated date scared her off, but extenuating circumstances gave him a second chance to show her he was willing to take the time to tear down all her walls, just to be with her. But with the renovation, sudden fatherhood and the scare of her cancer returning would he ever get the chance? Would he and his son have to survive another loss or would the fates smile kindly on him just this one time?

This was a wonderful, sweet romance showing how with perseverance and love just about any obstacle can be faced and overcome. I laughed at the humor, cried with the heartbreaking parts and sympathized with their plight as they tried to find their lasting love. Well written characters meshed with a well developed plot for true reading pleasure. Real page turner. I look forward happily to the next book in the series.

I would recommend to all romance readers.

5/5 stars Would they be brave enough to take a chance?

*******************************************************************************