No Matter What

by Janice Kay Johnson

As a high school vice principal, Molly Callahan is used to being the one with all the solutions. Not this time.

Her teenage daughter's pregnancy has Molly questioning her own choices and unable to make the tough decisions. Figuring out what's right and wrong isn't so simple anymore, and now, more than ever, she needs someone to trust.

Little does she expect that person to be Richard Ward. Their teenagers' dilemma has forced them to meet, but something much more powerful is pulling them together. This is hardly the time for Richard and Molly to think about themselves…yet she can't stop this attraction. Letting herself count on him is one thing. Letting herself fall for him? That's guaranteed to make things very complicated.

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Janice Kay Johnson is the author of over a hundred books for children and adults. Her first four published romance novels were coauthored with her mother, also a writer who has since published mysteries and children's books on her own. These were "sweet" romance novels, the author hastens to add; she isn't sure they'd have felt comfortable coauthoring passionate love scenes!

Janice graduated from Whitman College with a B.A. in history and then received a master's degree in library science from the University of Washington. She was a branch librarian for a public library system until she began selling her own writing.

She has written six novels for young adults and one picture book for the read-aloud crowd. Rosamund was the outgrowth of all those hours spent reading to her own daughters, and of her passion for growing old roses. Two more of her favorite books were historical novels she wrote for Tor/Forge. The research was pure indulgence for someone who set out intending to be a historian!

Janice is divorced and has raised her two daughters in a small, rural town north of Seattle, Washington. She's an active volunteer and board member for Purrfect Pals, a no-kill cat shelter, and foster kittens often enliven a household that already includes a few more cats than she wants to admit to!

Janice loves writing books about both love and family — about the way generations connect and the power our earliest experiences have on us throughout life. Her Superromance novels are frequent finalists for Romance Writers of America RITA® awards. Along with her books for Harlequin, Janice has written the Cape Trouble series of romantic suspense novels, and is about to launch a new series, Desperation Creek, set in rural eastern Oregon.

Reviews

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tell the story of Molly who found her teenage daughter, Caitlyn is pregnant and that Richard's son is the culprit. Being pregnant at fifteen, it surely impacted both Molly and Cait's life as a whole. Molly, being a single mother is in dilemma. So is Richard who doesnt want his son to be in the position that he was in before, being
married before he is ready to do so. From barely knowing each parties, both parties begin to conversed regularly and before both of them realising, they became dependant on each other for morale support to help each other in the complicated situation involving their children.

I find this story plot is rather peculiar. In one hand, Molly and Richard is establishing a relationship and on the other hand, their children are involved in each other and soon, a baby will also be involve. As much as i love to read about a happy ending to their relationship, i was rather dissapointed with the ending of the relationship between the children. It was not clearly written about the future relationship between the two of them, and with Molly's decision to adopt the baby, the relationship between them and the baby become very peculiar.

[Brianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this books moving and heartrending, bringing out lots of emotions as the hero Richard and heroine Molly meet and develop a relationship as a result of their children, Cait and Trevor who must deal with an unplanned pregnancy. This was not a light hearted read and many hot button issues were included, so might not be the choice for all. I was dragged in and could not put the book down.

[Gina Hott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hott Synopsis:
Until recently, Molly’s life with Cait has been a breeze. Molly may have been a single mom but they were a team and together things were great. Even being the vice-principal at her Cait’s high school was easy for them.
Until Trevor.
As soon as Trevor graced the halls of Molly knew he was going to be a problem but little did she know how this one teenager could wreak havoc on everything she holds dear. What Cait will do for this troubled teen knows no bounds.
Molly’s in over her head – then she meets Trevor’s father & looses her balance…

Hott Review:
What I liked: Amazing! I absolutely loved this book! We always read books from the teen’s side of the pregnant teen epidemic but how often do we really see & feel what the parents feel like. This book took me on that journey.
I was so emotional reading this! Ms. Johnson’s writing amazingly brings you into this story and keeps you there until she’s finished!
What I didn’t like: There will be some readers that will have a lot of trouble with this book. There is frank talk about abortion, foul language, and blatant intimacy.
It was a very slow start & I almost stopped reading in the second chapter — don’t make that mistake!

More…
Source: Harlequin via Netgalley
Grade: A+
Steam: Adult – with caveats

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a hard one to read, and that mainly is due to the topic of teenage pregnancy. Also the way that Molly reacts to Richard I found to be grating on my nerves. Which isn't really a bad thing, that is just the way she is. Cailtly and Trevor are, well typical teens self absorbed not really willing to listen and follow sound advice. But really what teen is, and this hit home a little too much especially since I have a 16 year old in my house. It is a good story, and true to what I would picture families that really care about their kids would go through in a situation like this. The subject matter is handled in a positive, but not really sugar coated way, the charachters are supportive of one another and really other than the main topic of this book a bit too close for comfort I think is the only reason I didn't like the story as well as I should have. I do look forward to reading another story by Janice Kay Johnson though.

  Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own

[Leanne Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author. She writes wonderful stories. I really enjoyed her story

[Deb Diem · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Matter What is an entertaining read. A little angsty, but overall enjoyable.

I read a print copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Molly's daughter Cait is pregnant. Richard's son Trevor is the father. Trevor is acting up at home and at school and as vice principal Molly has to deal with him and his father. Molly and Richard have to find a way to help their kids deal with the consequences. They find themselves attracted to each other which only adds to the confusion. I really liked both Richard and Molly. Richard is a single father who suddenly has his seventeen year old son living with him. Trevor is sullen and angry and in constant trouble, not the boy he had been a few months before. Richard has been called to meet with the vice principal, Molly, several times. The did not hit it off well in the beginning, though Richard did find himself attracted to her. When he found out that Trevor was the father of Cait's baby, he was not happy and was also worried that Trevor would find himself in the same position he had been in. Richard soon found himself spending more time with Molly as they tried to deal with their childrens' predicament. From there, they discovered a great sense of support from each other which soon developed into love. Richard still had some issues to deal with from his marriage to Trevor's mom, which nearly caused an end to his relationship with Molly. Meanwhile Molly had always had an excellent relationship with Cait, until she started going out with Trevor. When she found out about Cait's pregnancy she was stunned and wondering where she had gone wrong. She knew they would have to work with Richard and Trevor which meant she would have to deal with her attraction to Richard. She soon came to love him, but had trust issues from her life with Cait's dad. She also had to deal with her feelings about Cait's options about her pregnancy, which caused problems with Richard. The solution to their problems was an interesting one. I also really liked how Trevor and Cait were portrayed. Both of them seemed typical for their ages, with their attitudes and how they dealt with their problems. I enjoyed seeing the changes they went through. I would liked to have found out whether the baby was a girl or boy.

[Janga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never miss a Janice Kay Johnson book and haven’t for years. She creates strong characters in whom I believe and places them in situations that seem credible and prove to be character crucibles. Unfortunately, No Matter What was an atypical Johnson book. I had a problem with the two perfect teens who become surly rebels, but the greatest problem was that the relationship between the hero and heroine felt convenient rather than compelling, and the solution to the teen pregnancy vastly oversimplified a situation that I’ve seen in three separate real life incidents to be fraught with all kinds of complications. The writing as always is lucid and pleasing, but the story didn’t work for me.

[Darlene Torday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this different kind of love story. Two lonely adults and two teenagers plus unplanned pregnancy makes for a different and difficult falling in love story. The author did a great job of making the plot believable and real, along with 4 characters that are real people with their own problems to throw a few bumps in the pathway to happily ever after. I will look for more books by this author in the future.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the complexity of this book - it dealt with teen pregnancy (specifically the heroine's daughter). While that aspect of the storyline wasn't always pleasant to read (15 year olds act like 15 year olds, and all that), I thought the romance was really well done. Both parents struggled with their decisions, and I liked seeing their initial dislike turn into something deeper.

[Harlequin Books]

Category: Heart & Home

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars.