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With You
A billionaire on TV just offered 10 million dollars to anyone with information on his missing daughter. And she's sitting next to me on my couch.
Yesterday, I barely had enough money for food. I was just fired from my job, and I have thirty-three dollars to my name.
Tonight, I heard a small knock at my door, and when I opened it, a little girl was standing on my porch shivering in the rain.
When I asked where her parents were, she looked down and said,
"My aunt told me Daddy doesn't love me and he wouldn't care if I disappeared."
She asked if she could stay and have dinner. I only had two cans of soup, but she said it was her favorite.
After dinner, we curled up under a blanket on the couch, and I turned on the TV.
Suddenly, the news cut to a live press conference. It was a billionaire offering a 10 million dollar reward for anyone with information on his missing daughter.
Immediately, she pointed at the screen and yelled, "That's my daddy!"
A number flashed on the screen, and my hands were already shaking as I grabbed my phone and started dialing.
The rain was still tapping against the windows while she leaned her head on my arm and smiled at the screen.
The operator picked up, a deep male voice came through the line, low and strained,
"This is the emergency line for Mr. Sterling. Who am I speaking with?"
I froze, my throat tight, then said,
"Umm… hi… I'm Claire. I think I have your daughter."
Yesterday, I barely had enough money for food. I was just fired from my job, and I have thirty-three dollars to my name.
Tonight, I heard a small knock at my door, and when I opened it, a little girl was standing on my porch shivering in the rain.
When I asked where her parents were, she looked down and said,
"My aunt told me Daddy doesn't love me and he wouldn't care if I disappeared."
She asked if she could stay and have dinner. I only had two cans of soup, but she said it was her favorite.
After dinner, we curled up under a blanket on the couch, and I turned on the TV.
Suddenly, the news cut to a live press conference. It was a billionaire offering a 10 million dollar reward for anyone with information on his missing daughter.
Immediately, she pointed at the screen and yelled, "That's my daddy!"
A number flashed on the screen, and my hands were already shaking as I grabbed my phone and started dialing.
The rain was still tapping against the windows while she leaned her head on my arm and smiled at the screen.
The operator picked up, a deep male voice came through the line, low and strained,
"This is the emergency line for Mr. Sterling. Who am I speaking with?"
I froze, my throat tight, then said,
"Umm… hi… I'm Claire. I think I have your daughter."
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
February 14, 2026
Doomshadowing, insipid FMC and the worst grasp on legal logic ever
At approximately 200 pages, this story is 175 pages too long. It's an interesting idea of a story but terrible execution.
Claire is the most illogical, wussy, masochistic and moronic FMC I've read in a long time. Beyond her niceness to small children, she's worthless. She bases her entire personality on the actions of a woman who abandoned her when she was 12 years old and returned 6 months later a drug addicted mess. No mention of how a 12 year old survives 6 months alone. Just full on idolization and attachment to the ghost of her horrific mother. Apparently Claire focused on the wrong things in therapy because no ex is more important than the mommy issues she carried.
Nathaniel is the shallowest deep character possible. I can't decide if I like or hate him. Again, he bases his entire personality on a dead woman, internalizing the outcome of his grown rich wife not being smart enough to seek her own medical care. I can almost respect this since he should have been a more supportive partner but in the end the idiot dead wife caused her own end.
The antagonist is appropriately despicable and that plot line ends well but everything involving the legal process is absurd. From the idea of him having security cameras that he never uses as evidence of Victoria being evil, to a custody hearing involving a nonbiological parent who has barely been in the kids life, to said custody battle being given priority scheduling over a fricking attempted murder charge - none of it makes sense.
At approximately 200 pages, this story is 175 pages too long. It's an interesting idea of a story but terrible execution.
Claire is the most illogical, wussy, masochistic and moronic FMC I've read in a long time. Beyond her niceness to small children, she's worthless. She bases her entire personality on the actions of a woman who abandoned her when she was 12 years old and returned 6 months later a drug addicted mess. No mention of how a 12 year old survives 6 months alone. Just full on idolization and attachment to the ghost of her horrific mother. Apparently Claire focused on the wrong things in therapy because no ex is more important than the mommy issues she carried.
Nathaniel is the shallowest deep character possible. I can't decide if I like or hate him. Again, he bases his entire personality on a dead woman, internalizing the outcome of his grown rich wife not being smart enough to seek her own medical care. I can almost respect this since he should have been a more supportive partner but in the end the idiot dead wife caused her own end.
The antagonist is appropriately despicable and that plot line ends well but everything involving the legal process is absurd. From the idea of him having security cameras that he never uses as evidence of Victoria being evil, to a custody hearing involving a nonbiological parent who has barely been in the kids life, to said custody battle being given priority scheduling over a fricking attempted murder charge - none of it makes sense.
September 9, 2026
What can you say when you pick a book that not only checks off one of your Male Character letters for the 2026 Reading Challenge, but also earns you another bookmark in your Kindle Reading Challenge?
I say, read it and hope for the best.
So I did.
And here we are.
With You, book one in the You, Only series by Harper Lawson, gets those honors.
Would this normally be my go-to? Absolutely not. But a challenge is a challenge, and sometimes you have to venture outside your comfort zone and hope you don’t regret it.
Did I enjoy it? We’ll get to that.
Were there timeline and editing issues? Yeeeessss. So many that at times I found myself stopping to wonder if I had somehow skipped a chapter. Or maybe reread a chapter? Yikes.
And then there’s the AI question. There has been some speculation that this book was AI-generated. Honestly? I’m wavering. My gut says it wasn’t, because if AI wrote this, apparently nobody bothered to proofread what it produced. 😂
Claire has significant childhood trauma that has obviously impacted her. She has worked hard to build herself a better life, and she’s had seven years of counseling. SEVEN. Years.
So you would think she’d have developed at least a little stronger sense of self.
Nope.
She’s losing her job at the end of the school year. Her roommate is moving out. She has no savings. And, oh yeah, her aunt—the woman who took her in when she was 15—keeps asking her for money.
Girl. We need to have a conversation about budgeting, boundaries, and possibly a financial intervention.
Then there’s Millie, who has been dealt a pretty crappy hand herself. Her mother is dead, her father is absent, and she’s basically left to navigate a whole lot of emotional baggage on her own.
Nathaniel, meanwhile, is so wrapped up in his business that he apparently forgot he has a personal life. And a daughter.
Until said daughter runs away and hides in a cemetery. In the rain.
Because apparently that is what it takes to get Dad's attention.
And then these three come together, and the story begins.
There were cute moments. There were emotional moments. There were also plenty of “Oh, come ON. That would NEVER happen.” moments.
And somehow, everything gets tied together with an ending that was…fine.
Just fine.
There was minimal spice—and let me be clear, minimal spice—with most of the action happening off-page. That didn't really bother me, though, because the longing and emotional tension were actually done pretty well.
The frustrating part is that there were good bones here. There really were. The premise had potential. The characters had potential. There were emotional storylines that could have hit SO much harder.
But instead, we got situations that were rushed, timelines that made me question reality, editing issues that pulled me out of the story, and characters who occasionally made choices that had me staring at my Kindle like, “Are we seriously doing this right now?”
Ultimately, this is a cute, easy read with some emotional moments, a little longing, some spice added for flavor, and everything neatly tied up with a big, shiny bow.
And apparently that is where my frustration comes in.
Did I enjoy it for what it was?
Yes.
Was it what I wanted it to be?
Absolutely not.
Am I continuing the series?
Hell. No.
It’s just too cutesy for me. Too sappy. Too neatly packaged. I need a little more mess, a little more depth, and characters who occasionally make decisions that don't make me want to throw my Kindle across the room.
But if you’re a contemporary romance connoisseur who loves sappy, happy stories with emotional bumps along the way and everything eventually working out perfectly, this might be right up your alley.
For me?
2.5 stars. ⭐️⭐️½
I read it. I survived it. I checked off my challenge.
And now we move on.
I say, read it and hope for the best.
So I did.
And here we are.
With You, book one in the You, Only series by Harper Lawson, gets those honors.
Would this normally be my go-to? Absolutely not. But a challenge is a challenge, and sometimes you have to venture outside your comfort zone and hope you don’t regret it.
Did I enjoy it? We’ll get to that.
Were there timeline and editing issues? Yeeeessss. So many that at times I found myself stopping to wonder if I had somehow skipped a chapter. Or maybe reread a chapter? Yikes.
And then there’s the AI question. There has been some speculation that this book was AI-generated. Honestly? I’m wavering. My gut says it wasn’t, because if AI wrote this, apparently nobody bothered to proofread what it produced. 😂
Claire has significant childhood trauma that has obviously impacted her. She has worked hard to build herself a better life, and she’s had seven years of counseling. SEVEN. Years.
So you would think she’d have developed at least a little stronger sense of self.
Nope.
She’s losing her job at the end of the school year. Her roommate is moving out. She has no savings. And, oh yeah, her aunt—the woman who took her in when she was 15—keeps asking her for money.
Girl. We need to have a conversation about budgeting, boundaries, and possibly a financial intervention.
Then there’s Millie, who has been dealt a pretty crappy hand herself. Her mother is dead, her father is absent, and she’s basically left to navigate a whole lot of emotional baggage on her own.
Nathaniel, meanwhile, is so wrapped up in his business that he apparently forgot he has a personal life. And a daughter.
Until said daughter runs away and hides in a cemetery. In the rain.
Because apparently that is what it takes to get Dad's attention.
And then these three come together, and the story begins.
There were cute moments. There were emotional moments. There were also plenty of “Oh, come ON. That would NEVER happen.” moments.
And somehow, everything gets tied together with an ending that was…fine.
Just fine.
There was minimal spice—and let me be clear, minimal spice—with most of the action happening off-page. That didn't really bother me, though, because the longing and emotional tension were actually done pretty well.
The frustrating part is that there were good bones here. There really were. The premise had potential. The characters had potential. There were emotional storylines that could have hit SO much harder.
But instead, we got situations that were rushed, timelines that made me question reality, editing issues that pulled me out of the story, and characters who occasionally made choices that had me staring at my Kindle like, “Are we seriously doing this right now?”
Ultimately, this is a cute, easy read with some emotional moments, a little longing, some spice added for flavor, and everything neatly tied up with a big, shiny bow.
And apparently that is where my frustration comes in.
Did I enjoy it for what it was?
Yes.
Was it what I wanted it to be?
Absolutely not.
Am I continuing the series?
Hell. No.
It’s just too cutesy for me. Too sappy. Too neatly packaged. I need a little more mess, a little more depth, and characters who occasionally make decisions that don't make me want to throw my Kindle across the room.
But if you’re a contemporary romance connoisseur who loves sappy, happy stories with emotional bumps along the way and everything eventually working out perfectly, this might be right up your alley.
For me?
2.5 stars. ⭐️⭐️½
I read it. I survived it. I checked off my challenge.
And now we move on.
March 19, 2026
DNF at 64%
I tried with this book, I really did but I just couldn’t. The heroine was the stupidist heroine I think I’ve ever read. Ever. And her self-induced martyrdom was so over the top, I couldn’t take any more. I’m going to list a few details.
* she has recently lost her job. She is so behind in her rent, she’s being evicted in 2 days. She has $37. In her account. When she rescues a missing little girl and calls the billionaire father to let her know she’s found his missing daughter, he is so grateful, he wants to show his gratitude and offers her a reward. Not ONLY does she turn it down, she is OFFENDED!!. Can we say TSTL?
* while waiting for father, she makes kid bowl of soup and opens TWO cans!! It was pretty much the only food she has and she gives the kid TWO cans!! Who does this. Then of course she is offended at the reward.
* when reward is turned down, he looks into her situation, sees she’s on the verge of being evicted, he pays for one year of rent. Of course this offends her too.
* when he finds out she will soon be out of a job and is a child educator, he offers her the position of nanny for the little girl who really does need a nanny, she turns him down and ….you guessed it …..is offended.
But still I carried on and it continued to be bad. I could list example after example of plot devices that don’t make sense, a WAY OVER THE TOP VILLAINESS but it would only raise my BP.
I give kudos to the author for doing what I can’t and that’s write a book, but she very badly needs a beta reader to help her tone it down. Some readers may enjoy this book, but I’m not one of them and because of that, can’t recommend this book.
I tried with this book, I really did but I just couldn’t. The heroine was the stupidist heroine I think I’ve ever read. Ever. And her self-induced martyrdom was so over the top, I couldn’t take any more. I’m going to list a few details.
* she has recently lost her job. She is so behind in her rent, she’s being evicted in 2 days. She has $37. In her account. When she rescues a missing little girl and calls the billionaire father to let her know she’s found his missing daughter, he is so grateful, he wants to show his gratitude and offers her a reward. Not ONLY does she turn it down, she is OFFENDED!!. Can we say TSTL?
* while waiting for father, she makes kid bowl of soup and opens TWO cans!! It was pretty much the only food she has and she gives the kid TWO cans!! Who does this. Then of course she is offended at the reward.
* when reward is turned down, he looks into her situation, sees she’s on the verge of being evicted, he pays for one year of rent. Of course this offends her too.
* when he finds out she will soon be out of a job and is a child educator, he offers her the position of nanny for the little girl who really does need a nanny, she turns him down and ….you guessed it …..is offended.
But still I carried on and it continued to be bad. I could list example after example of plot devices that don’t make sense, a WAY OVER THE TOP VILLAINESS but it would only raise my BP.
I give kudos to the author for doing what I can’t and that’s write a book, but she very badly needs a beta reader to help her tone it down. Some readers may enjoy this book, but I’m not one of them and because of that, can’t recommend this book.
Did Not Finish
August 28, 2026lol no
March 1, 2026
2 stars
There were some major issues with confidentiality, legal proceedings, both family and criminal. Whatever makes the story work, though, I guess?
There were some major issues with confidentiality, legal proceedings, both family and criminal. Whatever makes the story work, though, I guess?
September 18, 2026
Grief can be overwhelming but coming through it and finding there is a silver lining awaiting us is a rainbow.
March 9, 2026
This book was so ridiculous; did it not have an editor or any beta readers?
1. Claire said that her mother had abandoned her in their apartment for six months and left her with nothing. How did a 12-year-old survive for six months completely on her own with no money? How did she pay the rent? How did she buy groceries?
2. Claire said, “Yesterday, I couldn’t afford dinner, and here was a man offering ten million dollars to find the child eating soup on my couch.” Then, three paragraphs later, “The realization landed all at once: a billionaire on live television just offered ten million dollars for information about his missing daughter, and she was sitting next to me, wrapped in my only good blanket, with tomato soup on her chin.” How many times is she going to “realize” the same thing?
3. When Claire called the emergency line to report that she had Millie, an operator picked up and said, “This is the emergency line for Mr. Sterling. Who am I speaking with?” In the next chapter, the scene was repeated but this time, it was Nathaniel who answered the phone.
4. After Claire called and said that she had Millie, Nathaniel called his lawyer and called off the search before he even left to go to Claire’s apartment just because he heard Millie’s voice in the background. There is no WAY that he would have called off the search before he saw Millie for himself and knew for SURE that she was safe.
5. When Claire called to say she had Millie, she said, “Hi. I’m Claire.” When Nathaniel got to the apartment, Millie referred to her as “Miss Claire”. Then Nathaniel said, “Claire Cross stood with her arms around herself.” When and how did he learn her last name? Then, a couple of pages later, Nathaniel said, “Thank you, Miss Claire …?” And, Claire replied, “Cross. Claire Cross.”
6. There is no court in the world that would award custody of a child to a non-biological parent over the biological parent, especially since Victoria had only been in Millie’s life for a short time and had not adopted her.
7. Victoria may have been able to insist on staying in the house until there was at least a separation agreement in place but a judge would not insist that Victoria remain there while they were in the process of getting a divorce.
8. When Nathaniel offered Claire the position as Millie’s tutor, Claire accepted it on the condition that she was a tutor only, not a nanny or a companion. Then, she made meals for Millie, played games with her, had tickle fights with her, came over for dinner, read her a bedtime story and took her to her school play. I don't think she ever did any actual tutoring.
9. There were security cameras all over the house that had recorded the cruel way that Victoria treated Millie. Why was the footage not used for the custody trial?
10. Nathaniel’s lawyer told him that the police had the security footage showing that Victoria had accelerated in order to hit Millie with her car. And, the judge still proceeded with the custody trial after that? Come on! 🙄🙄🙄
11. How would Victoria’s lawyer explain how they got access to Claire’s sealed medical records?
DNF
1. Claire said that her mother had abandoned her in their apartment for six months and left her with nothing. How did a 12-year-old survive for six months completely on her own with no money? How did she pay the rent? How did she buy groceries?
2. Claire said, “Yesterday, I couldn’t afford dinner, and here was a man offering ten million dollars to find the child eating soup on my couch.” Then, three paragraphs later, “The realization landed all at once: a billionaire on live television just offered ten million dollars for information about his missing daughter, and she was sitting next to me, wrapped in my only good blanket, with tomato soup on her chin.” How many times is she going to “realize” the same thing?
3. When Claire called the emergency line to report that she had Millie, an operator picked up and said, “This is the emergency line for Mr. Sterling. Who am I speaking with?” In the next chapter, the scene was repeated but this time, it was Nathaniel who answered the phone.
4. After Claire called and said that she had Millie, Nathaniel called his lawyer and called off the search before he even left to go to Claire’s apartment just because he heard Millie’s voice in the background. There is no WAY that he would have called off the search before he saw Millie for himself and knew for SURE that she was safe.
5. When Claire called to say she had Millie, she said, “Hi. I’m Claire.” When Nathaniel got to the apartment, Millie referred to her as “Miss Claire”. Then Nathaniel said, “Claire Cross stood with her arms around herself.” When and how did he learn her last name? Then, a couple of pages later, Nathaniel said, “Thank you, Miss Claire …?” And, Claire replied, “Cross. Claire Cross.”
6. There is no court in the world that would award custody of a child to a non-biological parent over the biological parent, especially since Victoria had only been in Millie’s life for a short time and had not adopted her.
7. Victoria may have been able to insist on staying in the house until there was at least a separation agreement in place but a judge would not insist that Victoria remain there while they were in the process of getting a divorce.
8. When Nathaniel offered Claire the position as Millie’s tutor, Claire accepted it on the condition that she was a tutor only, not a nanny or a companion. Then, she made meals for Millie, played games with her, had tickle fights with her, came over for dinner, read her a bedtime story and took her to her school play. I don't think she ever did any actual tutoring.
9. There were security cameras all over the house that had recorded the cruel way that Victoria treated Millie. Why was the footage not used for the custody trial?
10. Nathaniel’s lawyer told him that the police had the security footage showing that Victoria had accelerated in order to hit Millie with her car. And, the judge still proceeded with the custody trial after that? Come on! 🙄🙄🙄
11. How would Victoria’s lawyer explain how they got access to Claire’s sealed medical records?
DNF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2026
3,5. Leuk boek om gewoon in een dag uit te lezen! Ik vond de karakters erg leuk, maar het heeft me geen wauw factor gegeven. Leuk voor tussendoor!
March 22, 2026
Cute story
I love the story line, fast pace not to much the cliché story . I highly recommend . I red the whole book in 1 day.
I love the story line, fast pace not to much the cliché story . I highly recommend . I red the whole book in 1 day.
July 12, 2026
A Sweet Read
This was a very sweet read. The characters are very good, there's a lot of communication between the characters which is great. You get to see a lot of growth with all of the characters, even side characters.
This was a very sweet read. The characters are very good, there's a lot of communication between the characters which is great. You get to see a lot of growth with all of the characters, even side characters.
Did Not Finish
February 23, 2026Dnf at 24%
The FMC made zero sense...
The FMC made zero sense...
March 9, 2026
3.5 stars for Claire and Nathaniel.
I enjoyed the overall storyline, however there were timeline errors and the whole legal side was nuts.
Claire had significant childhood trauma that impacts her greatly, but she has worked hard to build herself a better life. With seven years of counselling, I would hope she would have a stronger sense of self, but alas.
Millie, the poor kid, was dealt big blows, she should have been removed from her ‘Aunt Victoria’s’ presence long long ago.
Nathaniel like control, to mitigate risks and plan ahead for business but was not able to with his personal life, which he struggled with.
There was minimal - a kiss isn’t spice - spice with minimal off page action, but the longing felt was well done. There were decent bones to the story but there is so much that could have had a better impact.
Excerpts from With You written by Harper Lawson:
Those moments felt like love. They taught me that affection was something you purchased with competence, that being needed was the same as being cherished.
It was small and dim, furnished with pieces that looked like they might collapse under a strong opinion.
That you need too much. Love too hard. Try too desperately to make yourself indispensable because somewhere deep down, you know you're not enough on your own.
It was the desperate, aching recognition of a person I'd been holding my breath for without realizing I'd stopped breathing.
I don't want to be someone you take care of, Nathaniel. I want to be someone you choose."
This was the life I built—not inherited, not given, not earned through suffering. Built, with my own hands and my own heart, on the foundation of everything I'd survived.
I enjoyed the overall storyline, however there were timeline errors and the whole legal side was nuts.
Claire had significant childhood trauma that impacts her greatly, but she has worked hard to build herself a better life. With seven years of counselling, I would hope she would have a stronger sense of self, but alas.
Millie, the poor kid, was dealt big blows, she should have been removed from her ‘Aunt Victoria’s’ presence long long ago.
Nathaniel like control, to mitigate risks and plan ahead for business but was not able to with his personal life, which he struggled with.
There was minimal - a kiss isn’t spice - spice with minimal off page action, but the longing felt was well done. There were decent bones to the story but there is so much that could have had a better impact.
Excerpts from With You written by Harper Lawson:
Those moments felt like love. They taught me that affection was something you purchased with competence, that being needed was the same as being cherished.
It was small and dim, furnished with pieces that looked like they might collapse under a strong opinion.
That you need too much. Love too hard. Try too desperately to make yourself indispensable because somewhere deep down, you know you're not enough on your own.
It was the desperate, aching recognition of a person I'd been holding my breath for without realizing I'd stopped breathing.
I don't want to be someone you take care of, Nathaniel. I want to be someone you choose."
This was the life I built—not inherited, not given, not earned through suffering. Built, with my own hands and my own heart, on the foundation of everything I'd survived.
March 25, 2026
I think this was written by AI
The story was repetitive and made no sense. Family court is not structured that way at all. Millie is 7 which means she is old enough to dictate the household she would like to stay in.
The author spends all this time making the Sister-in law a sympathetic character only to give her no sense of resolution, it almost seems cruel.
There are posts on here that talk about a step parent and not a sister-in-law? That type of drastic change makes me think this story was written by AI, plus the constant repetition and the pacing of the storyline.
I do not recommended reading this book at all.
The story was repetitive and made no sense. Family court is not structured that way at all. Millie is 7 which means she is old enough to dictate the household she would like to stay in.
The author spends all this time making the Sister-in law a sympathetic character only to give her no sense of resolution, it almost seems cruel.
There are posts on here that talk about a step parent and not a sister-in-law? That type of drastic change makes me think this story was written by AI, plus the constant repetition and the pacing of the storyline.
I do not recommended reading this book at all.
April 30, 2026
Really bad
I would never write a horrible review if I thought this was a real author who I might hurt their feelings. But I 100% think that this is an AI written book and not worth a read. I can only say that it really reads awfully. I read other reviews and knew that it might be written by AI but I don't think a real human could ever write something so..... I don't even know the word. It's not good. Thank goodness I have Kindle unlimited.
I would never write a horrible review if I thought this was a real author who I might hurt their feelings. But I 100% think that this is an AI written book and not worth a read. I can only say that it really reads awfully. I read other reviews and knew that it might be written by AI but I don't think a real human could ever write something so..... I don't even know the word. It's not good. Thank goodness I have Kindle unlimited.
June 21, 2026
This book is entirely forgettable. I learned nothing about the MMC and felt detached to every character.
May 2, 2026
Good but with a few errors an editor should have caught.
May 20, 2026
good but felt unfinished
Really enjoyed the story but there’s just elements that feel unfinished in the story particularly around other characters stories .
Really enjoyed the story but there’s just elements that feel unfinished in the story particularly around other characters stories .
August 13, 2026
Very different book than most romances. A more thoughtful telling of the story with experience instances woven in.
After reading some of the reviews, I would say the author revamped the story since a lot of what I read didn’t happen in my version.
*Romance is very subjective, and ratings systems not conducive to that, but because writers depend on reviews, I rate
Five ⭐️- Loved
Four ⭐️ - Liked
Three ⭐️ - Held my interest
Writing is damn hard. Readers like what we like. Not all books are for everyone. Be kind.
After reading some of the reviews, I would say the author revamped the story since a lot of what I read didn’t happen in my version.
*Romance is very subjective, and ratings systems not conducive to that, but because writers depend on reviews, I rate
Five ⭐️- Loved
Four ⭐️ - Liked
Three ⭐️ - Held my interest
Writing is damn hard. Readers like what we like. Not all books are for everyone. Be kind.
February 21, 2026
You cannot tell that a step-parent has any legal grounds for custody of a child with a living birth parent still around. This, along with the sometimes unbelievable statements made by the young child, have me unable to continue reading. I need books based in the real world to have just a splash of believability and this book didn’t have it.
February 16, 2026
Does not make sense.
I was very disappointed, the story did not make sense. Firstly, the wife he was divorcing was the child's step mother, there was never any mention of her legally adopting so why should she have any legal claim on the child. Secondly, the whole story seemed to be based on this. No judge would insist on co-habitation this is just totally unrealistic and completely unbelievable. I think you have to have something realistic to grasp your imagination this is definitely not that. Rubbish
I was very disappointed, the story did not make sense. Firstly, the wife he was divorcing was the child's step mother, there was never any mention of her legally adopting so why should she have any legal claim on the child. Secondly, the whole story seemed to be based on this. No judge would insist on co-habitation this is just totally unrealistic and completely unbelievable. I think you have to have something realistic to grasp your imagination this is definitely not that. Rubbish
August 23, 2026
DNF - 40%
The repeating sentences in various chapters and the way things were described gave some big red flags on potentially being AI.
Then I come to the reviews to find out there are two different books by the same author with changes.
I’m reading the one where Victoria is the sister in law trying to get custody and Claire wasn’t abused except for her deadbeat aunt borrowing money every month but that’s more of a boundary problem.
While I liked the concept of the story I couldn’t get over the repeating speech patterns. Like there are other ways to say the same thing. Maybe an editor was skipped?
The repeating sentences in various chapters and the way things were described gave some big red flags on potentially being AI.
Then I come to the reviews to find out there are two different books by the same author with changes.
I’m reading the one where Victoria is the sister in law trying to get custody and Claire wasn’t abused except for her deadbeat aunt borrowing money every month but that’s more of a boundary problem.
While I liked the concept of the story I couldn’t get over the repeating speech patterns. Like there are other ways to say the same thing. Maybe an editor was skipped?
Did Not Finish
April 26, 2026DNF. Bad writing
September 29, 2026
Dnf'd at 12%. The story doesn't make a whole lot of sense. So the FMC is in her twenties and she works as a school teacher where she apparently got fired because they say there's budget cuts but she blames it on the fact that she was outspoken about things like funding and how the kids can't afford certain things like fees if they want the Arts programs to do things. She also lives in a dump and she's being evicted all at the same time she has a 72-hour notice on her door would she proceeds to take off her door and throw on the ground outside. She decides to leave her apartment even though the weather is shitty outside to go to the local park so she can take her stale bread to feed birds. While she's at the park she sees multiple people playing their kids and then she sees the mmc's daughter sitting on a bench she waves to her and then continues to feed the birds well it starts to finally rain and she just kind of goes well somebody here probably is taking care of the kid and then decides to go home and then after she gets home someone knocks on her door and it's the mmc's daughter she tells her that she ran away because her aunt Victoria told her that her dad doesn't love her or want her. She ends up helping the girl clean herself up and ends up giving her basically her last can of tomato soup. Then there is a News Bulletin on the TV with him looking for his daughter and saying that he will give a $10 million reward and she's basically like that's awesome and calls and tells him that she's got his daughter. Then it goes to his POV where he goes and picks his daughter up and when he mentions giving her the 10 million reward she's basically like no I don't want it or whatever which is a complete turnaround on what she was actually saying in the beginning when she was like Hey I can use this 10 million dollars to help myself out of this really shitty situation. She also talks about how her mom only had one good nice dress and at 12 she came home and there was basically a note saying that she was leaving to go find herself or whatever and then 6 months later she comes back and she's a druggie and then the FMC spends 7 years basically taking care of her mom until I'm assuming that she dies. But there's no mention about what the hell she did for 6 months while her mom is gone. So what did you just live in the house by herself? How to pay for things cook food Etc whatever who knows. Then during the mmc's POV you find out that he is married to Aunt victoria. I don't know if she's actually an aunt to his dead wife or if she is just called that because the daughter's mom died. You're also told that she died because she was having headaches and they realized it was an aneurysm and she died. Then there's a side story where it sounds like Aunt Victoria is trying to get full custody of the mmc's daughter but she also doesn't like her I don't understand exactly considering the daughter is seven and his wife died 3 years ago so he got married pretty quickly apparently.
September 16, 2026
Story idea okay. Book very lacking.
The overall idea of the story was okay, but it was very lacking.
Some light steam. No spice. Timeline and details didn’t make sense to me.
I did not feel a strong connection to the characters. Nor did I feel a connection between the two of them.
Many interactions and time passing should provide us that connection, but the author breezes through it all! As if people don’t talk when they see each other for months. Or talk and build a relationship on a 10 day trip to 4(!?!) different countries until the last day. It’s so much time that’s supposed to pass and connections that should happen, but the author tells us a quick synopsis instead of showing us so much.
******Lots of spoilers & Grievances ahead!****
So many details are glanced over, don’t make sense, and aren’t explained. What did the wife get sick with and die from? How long was her sickness? Details? Is the girl’s aunt ever actually around? She says she is concerned about the kid and wants custody, but she never comes around enough to notice and see what’s going on. What the hell is Nathaniel doing on the weekends that he isn’t around? I understand during the work week, but weekends, holidays, and such? What kind of man withdraws from his 5 year old (!) that much when they are both so hurt? My kids would never let me withdraw that much.
The timeline and passing is irritating as well. At the beginning Claire’s boss announces that they are ending important programs, but continuing the spring musical they are about to start planning. But the next day she sees Millie. It has to be around mid-late March when the kid runs away based on a letter from “November 12th. Four months ago.” Great! Right? Well… later Claire has worked with Millie, the girl, for 3 months and has a play in 3 weeks at the end of chapter 9. So now we should be in June-July, right? NO! Because after that, they go on Spring break for 10 days?!? Make the math Math! And Claire is worried about a job, but all the timing and things don’t make sense!! By the time the court conference about custody come around, Claire’s been working with Millie for 6 months per chapter 19. And after that they go on a summer trip for a few weeks. Math?!?
And what 1st or 2nd grader does all this work that they are explaining?! Kids don’t usually go to school and do even more school afterward without a lot of fight! Especially not the history and in-depth projects for everything! And does she have to go to school year round or something?!? They keep saying that her current report from teachers say she’s improving yada yada, but time passage is so strange! What month are we in?
The overall idea of the story was okay, but it was very lacking.
Some light steam. No spice. Timeline and details didn’t make sense to me.
I did not feel a strong connection to the characters. Nor did I feel a connection between the two of them.
Many interactions and time passing should provide us that connection, but the author breezes through it all! As if people don’t talk when they see each other for months. Or talk and build a relationship on a 10 day trip to 4(!?!) different countries until the last day. It’s so much time that’s supposed to pass and connections that should happen, but the author tells us a quick synopsis instead of showing us so much.
******Lots of spoilers & Grievances ahead!****
So many details are glanced over, don’t make sense, and aren’t explained. What did the wife get sick with and die from? How long was her sickness? Details? Is the girl’s aunt ever actually around? She says she is concerned about the kid and wants custody, but she never comes around enough to notice and see what’s going on. What the hell is Nathaniel doing on the weekends that he isn’t around? I understand during the work week, but weekends, holidays, and such? What kind of man withdraws from his 5 year old (!) that much when they are both so hurt? My kids would never let me withdraw that much.
The timeline and passing is irritating as well. At the beginning Claire’s boss announces that they are ending important programs, but continuing the spring musical they are about to start planning. But the next day she sees Millie. It has to be around mid-late March when the kid runs away based on a letter from “November 12th. Four months ago.” Great! Right? Well… later Claire has worked with Millie, the girl, for 3 months and has a play in 3 weeks at the end of chapter 9. So now we should be in June-July, right? NO! Because after that, they go on Spring break for 10 days?!? Make the math Math! And Claire is worried about a job, but all the timing and things don’t make sense!! By the time the court conference about custody come around, Claire’s been working with Millie for 6 months per chapter 19. And after that they go on a summer trip for a few weeks. Math?!?
And what 1st or 2nd grader does all this work that they are explaining?! Kids don’t usually go to school and do even more school afterward without a lot of fight! Especially not the history and in-depth projects for everything! And does she have to go to school year round or something?!? They keep saying that her current report from teachers say she’s improving yada yada, but time passage is so strange! What month are we in?
September 8, 2026
Not well written
There is no real substance in this book. There’s no relationship building, there’s no real connection between the characters, the main female and main male character. There’s no relationship building with a child. We’re just told about things, time goes by, throw in some things for drama. There was no reason for her principal to give a bad reference. More, he cannot give a bad reference when all her performance reviews were positive. The school she interviewed with deciding to go with a more tenured teacher is believable. Bad reference from the principal who had already talked about providing good references for her when he cut her job is not. That is something that should be taken up with the school district’s human resources department, and a complaint filed. Put some reality back in.
Victoria filed for custody of a child that she didn’t ever really see? Yes, there was an incident and yes, there were some falling grades and such, father working a lot and not present for his daughter, but he had an appropriate caregiver. She did not have a winnable case. The most she had was being able to give visitation rights and have a court order, grief, counseling, parenting, classes, and family counseling for he and his daughter. The biggest piece, what the aunt said to that child prior to that child leaving the house, the aunt was the reason why that child left the house. And that is something that would be told during the mediation since the biggest piece filed over was the little girl running away, which she left the house with hopes that her father was coming to find her. That alone sunk her ship. Then the things she said during mediation would have blown it up and sunk it too. Both grounds for the aunt only having supervised visitations.
The story had good premise, was lacking in being fleshed out. Did a bit of skimming to get through.
There is no real substance in this book. There’s no relationship building, there’s no real connection between the characters, the main female and main male character. There’s no relationship building with a child. We’re just told about things, time goes by, throw in some things for drama. There was no reason for her principal to give a bad reference. More, he cannot give a bad reference when all her performance reviews were positive. The school she interviewed with deciding to go with a more tenured teacher is believable. Bad reference from the principal who had already talked about providing good references for her when he cut her job is not. That is something that should be taken up with the school district’s human resources department, and a complaint filed. Put some reality back in.
Victoria filed for custody of a child that she didn’t ever really see? Yes, there was an incident and yes, there were some falling grades and such, father working a lot and not present for his daughter, but he had an appropriate caregiver. She did not have a winnable case. The most she had was being able to give visitation rights and have a court order, grief, counseling, parenting, classes, and family counseling for he and his daughter. The biggest piece, what the aunt said to that child prior to that child leaving the house, the aunt was the reason why that child left the house. And that is something that would be told during the mediation since the biggest piece filed over was the little girl running away, which she left the house with hopes that her father was coming to find her. That alone sunk her ship. Then the things she said during mediation would have blown it up and sunk it too. Both grounds for the aunt only having supervised visitations.
The story had good premise, was lacking in being fleshed out. Did a bit of skimming to get through.
February 17, 2026
This was a cute little fluffy story, but there were so many questions and issues that I have. So many points just didn't make sense to me.
- If she is there at the house as a tutor, why is she working on Saturdays if she wanted to keep strict boundaries?
- Millie goes to school, so is Claire's job part time? Is she only there in the evenings? I may have missed that explanation, but I don't think so.
- It would be extremely difficult for Victoria to get custody of Millie. I don't see how she thinks she can. She is just the step mother, and she never really adopted Millie, so why would she ever think she could get custody over her own parent?
- For a contentious divorce, why would the court require they remain living together? That makes absolutely no sense, either.
- Why didn't Claire mention the threatening text while in court? That could have made so much difference, but she kept quiet.
- How did Nathaniel ever marry Victoria? If it was just a marriage of convenience, then there would be paperwork stating so. If it was more, then how did he not even get a glimpse of her true nature, especially since he has supposedly known her since school.
Then, there are the odd editing issues.
- The foreshadowing statements at the end of each chapter are annoying. Luckily they seemed to taper off later in the book.
- So, the Principal has the same last name as Claire? Was this sloppy editing or lazy writing? Or both?
- There were some formatting issues. I wasn't going to mention it, since it was almost unnoticeable because my last book was just riddled with them. But, I wanted to give a heads up.
The story was OK, but the execution was a bit wonky. I won't be reading this again.
- If she is there at the house as a tutor, why is she working on Saturdays if she wanted to keep strict boundaries?
- Millie goes to school, so is Claire's job part time? Is she only there in the evenings? I may have missed that explanation, but I don't think so.
- It would be extremely difficult for Victoria to get custody of Millie. I don't see how she thinks she can. She is just the step mother, and she never really adopted Millie, so why would she ever think she could get custody over her own parent?
- For a contentious divorce, why would the court require they remain living together? That makes absolutely no sense, either.
- Why didn't Claire mention the threatening text while in court? That could have made so much difference, but she kept quiet.
- How did Nathaniel ever marry Victoria? If it was just a marriage of convenience, then there would be paperwork stating so. If it was more, then how did he not even get a glimpse of her true nature, especially since he has supposedly known her since school.
Then, there are the odd editing issues.
- The foreshadowing statements at the end of each chapter are annoying. Luckily they seemed to taper off later in the book.
- So, the Principal has the same last name as Claire? Was this sloppy editing or lazy writing? Or both?
- There were some formatting issues. I wasn't going to mention it, since it was almost unnoticeable because my last book was just riddled with them. But, I wanted to give a heads up.
The story was OK, but the execution was a bit wonky. I won't be reading this again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2026
Love it!
I really, really loved this one! ❤️
The story starts with little Millie showing up at Claire’s door, believing that her dad doesn’t love her and doesn’t want her anymore because that’s what her aunt told her. And honestly, Millie kind of found Claire more than Claire found her. 😂
Claire ends up being hired as Millie’s tutor after she refuses the reward for finding her, and that’s where everything starts to come together. Claire and Nathaniel just have this chemistry from the very beginning that I absolutely loved. They work so well together, and honestly, they just seem like they fit.
I loved Claire’s character too. She’s been through some hard times herself, but she keeps going, and I loved seeing how everything eventually fell into place for her. And Nathaniel… I really enjoyed watching him come to terms with some of the ways he handled things before his wife passed away. He had some things to figure out, and I loved seeing that growth in him.
And Millie? 🥹 She absolutely stole my heart.
Claire, Nathaniel and Millie just made such a great little family, and I loved watching everything develop between them. There was so much emotion in this story, but it still had that sweet romance that kept me smiling.
And Claire and Nathaniel? CHEF’S KISS. 👩🍳💋
I loved how well they worked together and how natural their relationship felt. No unnecessary drama just for the sake of drama—just two people figuring things out, healing, and finding their way to each other.
This was such a sweet, emotional and heartwarming read, and I definitely recommend it! ❤️📚
#BookReview #WithYou #HarperLawson #RomanceReads #RomanceReader #BookRecommendations
I really, really loved this one! ❤️
The story starts with little Millie showing up at Claire’s door, believing that her dad doesn’t love her and doesn’t want her anymore because that’s what her aunt told her. And honestly, Millie kind of found Claire more than Claire found her. 😂
Claire ends up being hired as Millie’s tutor after she refuses the reward for finding her, and that’s where everything starts to come together. Claire and Nathaniel just have this chemistry from the very beginning that I absolutely loved. They work so well together, and honestly, they just seem like they fit.
I loved Claire’s character too. She’s been through some hard times herself, but she keeps going, and I loved seeing how everything eventually fell into place for her. And Nathaniel… I really enjoyed watching him come to terms with some of the ways he handled things before his wife passed away. He had some things to figure out, and I loved seeing that growth in him.
And Millie? 🥹 She absolutely stole my heart.
Claire, Nathaniel and Millie just made such a great little family, and I loved watching everything develop between them. There was so much emotion in this story, but it still had that sweet romance that kept me smiling.
And Claire and Nathaniel? CHEF’S KISS. 👩🍳💋
I loved how well they worked together and how natural their relationship felt. No unnecessary drama just for the sake of drama—just two people figuring things out, healing, and finding their way to each other.
This was such a sweet, emotional and heartwarming read, and I definitely recommend it! ❤️📚
#BookReview #WithYou #HarperLawson #RomanceReads #RomanceReader #BookRecommendations
February 19, 2026
Weak. Sauce.
You need to understand that I NEED things to make sense or I can’t get involved.
The following things made NO sense in this book
- Victoria having any say over custody?? She’s a roommate at best - Millie refers to her as aunt?
- Why does Eleanor have the same last name as Claire, lazy writing or insinuating a familial tie?
- Why would a judge ever require cohabitation?
- My god, why were recordings of the way Victoria threatened Nathaniel & treated everyone else ever brought up in the custody hearing?
- Claire’s a gold digger?, but she refused the 10M AND refused the job at first? (Please!) Those details should have been in her contract & could have been used to object during the custody hearing.
- How does a billionaire only have one lawyer? I’d expect a whole team of them.
- Speaking of his lawyer, Nathaniel told him twice to find dirt on Victoria and he literally never did.. Victoria sunk her own ship.
- How on earth could they get therapy records just for a witness?
- What’t the point of this being a billionaire book if he can’t just snap his fingers & make things happen? Very weak sauce on this front.
- Victoria literally hit Millie with her car & was arrested & we’re supposed to believe she could still get custody on any level?
- Points taken away from Claire for promising Millie on TWO separate occasions that she’d be there for her in the hospital & then just.. wasn’t 👎
- Why was Millie in the hospital so long? And why would she be hooked up to monitors for a concussion & bone injuries?
You need to understand that I NEED things to make sense or I can’t get involved.
The following things made NO sense in this book
- Victoria having any say over custody?? She’s a roommate at best - Millie refers to her as aunt?
- Why does Eleanor have the same last name as Claire, lazy writing or insinuating a familial tie?
- Why would a judge ever require cohabitation?
- My god, why were recordings of the way Victoria threatened Nathaniel & treated everyone else ever brought up in the custody hearing?
- Claire’s a gold digger?, but she refused the 10M AND refused the job at first? (Please!) Those details should have been in her contract & could have been used to object during the custody hearing.
- How does a billionaire only have one lawyer? I’d expect a whole team of them.
- Speaking of his lawyer, Nathaniel told him twice to find dirt on Victoria and he literally never did.. Victoria sunk her own ship.
- How on earth could they get therapy records just for a witness?
- What’t the point of this being a billionaire book if he can’t just snap his fingers & make things happen? Very weak sauce on this front.
- Victoria literally hit Millie with her car & was arrested & we’re supposed to believe she could still get custody on any level?
- Points taken away from Claire for promising Millie on TWO separate occasions that she’d be there for her in the hospital & then just.. wasn’t 👎
- Why was Millie in the hospital so long? And why would she be hooked up to monitors for a concussion & bone injuries?
March 14, 2026
Missed Opportunities
From jump, this was either lazy or oblivious, neither makes a good book.
Claire lost her teaching position bc she advocated for her students, she’s being evicted, and is broke. We quickly learn she’s not quite unemployed. Which beckons the question, how can she be in such dire straits, while gainfully employed.
Nathaniel is uber rich, but has no security team. When his 7 yr old daughter simply walks away, he offers 10 million for her return and drops his personal phone number. He’s not inundated with crazy calls, no he simply answers the a call from Claire.
It only gets more ridiculous, Nate immediately knows Claire is down on her luck and wants to reward her taking care of Millie with money. Claire is an inch from homeless, starving & destitute is offended and tries to refuse help.
Nate has bigger problems, after the death of his wife, he quickly married Victoria, who is a train wreck. Nate is divorcing Victoria but self absorbed step monster is fighting for custody of Millie and threatening to cut Nathaniel off from his daughter. This is stupidity- super rich, bio dad fearing losing custody to short term step parent. This sloppy writing could have been avoided if she would have somehow tricked him into adopting Millie- but no mega millionaire is living with crazy lunatic lady by court order because ??????
I stuck it out to the end, step-monster blows her case by running over Millie with her car, Claire & Nate wind up together, Millie’s a very perspective kid with good instincts
From jump, this was either lazy or oblivious, neither makes a good book.
Claire lost her teaching position bc she advocated for her students, she’s being evicted, and is broke. We quickly learn she’s not quite unemployed. Which beckons the question, how can she be in such dire straits, while gainfully employed.
Nathaniel is uber rich, but has no security team. When his 7 yr old daughter simply walks away, he offers 10 million for her return and drops his personal phone number. He’s not inundated with crazy calls, no he simply answers the a call from Claire.
It only gets more ridiculous, Nate immediately knows Claire is down on her luck and wants to reward her taking care of Millie with money. Claire is an inch from homeless, starving & destitute is offended and tries to refuse help.
Nate has bigger problems, after the death of his wife, he quickly married Victoria, who is a train wreck. Nate is divorcing Victoria but self absorbed step monster is fighting for custody of Millie and threatening to cut Nathaniel off from his daughter. This is stupidity- super rich, bio dad fearing losing custody to short term step parent. This sloppy writing could have been avoided if she would have somehow tricked him into adopting Millie- but no mega millionaire is living with crazy lunatic lady by court order because ??????
I stuck it out to the end, step-monster blows her case by running over Millie with her car, Claire & Nate wind up together, Millie’s a very perspective kid with good instincts
June 15, 2026
I generally choose by books based on the blurb and reading about a woman down on luck and being offered ten million dollars was intriguing. Claire is a teacher who has lost her job, is struggling paying her student loans and about to be evicted from her apartment. She spots a young girl out in the rain who follows her home and later knocks on her door. Claire brings her in and is soon caught up in her life. Nathaniel is a father struggling to run his business and be a good father. Unfortunately he married a horrible woman who he is trying to divorce and she is destroying the impressions the child has of her father. I have never read this author before and there were some things that were a little confusing for me but I overall enjoyed the story. I loved that Claire was a teacher and they got the teacher stuff right (as a former teacher it drives me crazy when authors get this wrong). The book fails by not explaining how Nathaniel a fairly intelligent man ties himself to such a barracuda and then can’t get her out of his house while they are going for a divorce. This is the slowest of slow burns I have ever read. I do like the romance between these two and the way they take a long time to progress to the next step. This story has lots of drama, and emotional upheaval and it’s a sweet romance. I’m glad a gave this author a chance.
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