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Hometown Heartbreakers #3
Isaks õppimine
"Üksikema Sandy Walker tuli Glenwoodi lootuses leida vaikne ja sõbralik koht, kus oma kolm last üles kasvatada. Tal polnud kavaski otsida metsikut seiklust kurikuulsa poissmehe Kyle Haynesiga. Mis siis, et see võimatult seksikas asešerif paelus ta lapsi ja pani Sandy ihast värisema? Ta vajas enda kõrvale tõsist partnerit, mitte seiklejat.
Kuusteist aastat oli Kyle varjanud oma hinges armumist Sandysse. Kuid paraku ei soovinud Sandy olla sõbrast enamat. Ta väitis, et Kyle pole isatüüp. Aga kas ta siis ei mõistnud, et Kyle oli kogu elu selleks rolliks valmistunud?"
Kuusteist aastat oli Kyle varjanud oma hinges armumist Sandysse. Kuid paraku ei soovinud Sandy olla sõbrast enamat. Ta väitis, et Kyle pole isatüüp. Aga kas ta siis ei mõistnud, et Kyle oli kogu elu selleks rolliks valmistunud?"
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
728 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mallery
862 books15.4k followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 11, 2011
Have you ever read a book where you hated the heroine and wondered what the hero saw in her and why didn't he dump the shrew?Well, Father in Training is like that, I have enjoyed all the Haynes family books when I read them 3 years back but this one was the least good. Kyle is the youngest brother and was affected strongly by their mother walking on them, so for years he has vowed not to let anyone get the same opportunity.
When he was a teen he had a bad crush on 2 years older Sandy who never noticed him. Now, years later Sandy a widow, has moved in next door with her 3 kids. Sandy is stubborn to the point of stupidity, whenever Kyle wants to help them get their house cleaned and settled she says no and instead leans hard on her children. She is so shallow and judgmental, fine she had problems with control since she had an alcoholic mother and an irresponsible husband, but she blames everything on others and micro-manages her kids life. I felt Kyle should have cut his losses with her, she constantly even after spending time with him, thinks the worst of him. I was never satisfied with her apologies even when she realizes some of the blame lay with her as well as far as her marriage is concerned, she was too controlling.
I like an independent heroine but not a shrew and Kyle was always wonderful with her and the kids, coming back even when she behaved in a rude manner.
She spoiled the book for me.
When he was a teen he had a bad crush on 2 years older Sandy who never noticed him. Now, years later Sandy a widow, has moved in next door with her 3 kids. Sandy is stubborn to the point of stupidity, whenever Kyle wants to help them get their house cleaned and settled she says no and instead leans hard on her children. She is so shallow and judgmental, fine she had problems with control since she had an alcoholic mother and an irresponsible husband, but she blames everything on others and micro-manages her kids life. I felt Kyle should have cut his losses with her, she constantly even after spending time with him, thinks the worst of him. I was never satisfied with her apologies even when she realizes some of the blame lay with her as well as far as her marriage is concerned, she was too controlling.
I like an independent heroine but not a shrew and Kyle was always wonderful with her and the kids, coming back even when she behaved in a rude manner.
She spoiled the book for me.
June 29, 2011
Sandy decided that it was time to change her life - so she moved from LA to a small town she spent her teen years in. She was looking for a change not only for herself but for her children as well. Since her husband died two years ago she was coping, but her children had some problems. So Glenwood it is. But when she got to her house the first person she met was Kyle, her high school boyfriend's little brother. And he's all grown up. If only she had the strength to resist him.
Kyle wasn't looking for relationship, commitment or love. His childhood was far from perfect, his parent's marriage a wreck, and the his mother walked out when he was 15. He was scared to death of loving someone because they leave and he ends up with a broken heart. But he has hard time resisting Sandy and the children - Lindsay, Blake and Nichole. I love how's he so patient and loving with them, he listens to them and actually understands them. He is a great hero and he deserves a much better heroine than Sandy.
Sandy's childhood was bad as well. Her mother was a drunk and she never knew her father. And then she married an immature man, a man who left her to carry all the burdens alone. She has issues with trust. I hated her. She kept hurting Kyle over and over again. She'd overreact and basically accuse Kyle of being selfish, immature, irresponsible... And it's pretty obvious that he's not all that. I have no idea why he put up with it. And kept forgiving her for her outbursts.
Another great thing is Kyle's family, his brothers and their wives.
So to summarize - Kyle and the children were great, and I spent some time wishing she would die a low and a painful death so that Kyle could find someone worthy of him and his love.
Rating:
2.5 stars
Kyle wasn't looking for relationship, commitment or love. His childhood was far from perfect, his parent's marriage a wreck, and the his mother walked out when he was 15. He was scared to death of loving someone because they leave and he ends up with a broken heart. But he has hard time resisting Sandy and the children - Lindsay, Blake and Nichole. I love how's he so patient and loving with them, he listens to them and actually understands them. He is a great hero and he deserves a much better heroine than Sandy.
Sandy's childhood was bad as well. Her mother was a drunk and she never knew her father. And then she married an immature man, a man who left her to carry all the burdens alone. She has issues with trust. I hated her. She kept hurting Kyle over and over again. She'd overreact and basically accuse Kyle of being selfish, immature, irresponsible... And it's pretty obvious that he's not all that. I have no idea why he put up with it. And kept forgiving her for her outbursts.
Another great thing is Kyle's family, his brothers and their wives.
So to summarize - Kyle and the children were great, and I spent some time wishing she would die a low and a painful death so that Kyle could find someone worthy of him and his love.
Rating:
2.5 stars
April 20, 2014
Sandy was absolutely the most annoying character I have ever read. I love Susan Mallery but my goodness Sandy was by far the worst character she's written. I loved Kyle and even I was screaming at him to drop her even though I enjoy happily ever afters. Two stars because it's Susan Mallery and Kyle was the best.
March 22, 2024
Father in Training features a romance between a single mother and her bachelor neighbor.
Sandy Walker came to Glenwood to have a place to raise her three children away from the hustle and bustle of the city. She has no plans for a new man in her life but her neighbor Kyle Haynes has other ideas. Kyle had a crush on Sandy back in high school but he never stood a chance with her back then. Now that she's returned to town, Kyle is determined to take his shot but Sandy is convinced he's not father material. But Sandy doesn't realize he's been working towards this his whole life and he'll do whatever he can to prove it.
I had read a book in the Hometown Heartbreakers previously and was interested in the story of some of the side characters so I was looking forward to picking this one up. I did end up liking this book better than The Best Bride but I did have my issues with this one as well. I liked Kyle's character a lot but Sandy's character is where this book fell apart for me. She's incredibly controlling and judgmental which became frustrating pretty quickly. She also snaps at Kyle quite frequently for issues she blows out of proportion when he hasn't said or done anything wrong. She also attributes her late husband's faults to Kyle which is incredibly unfair. Ultimately her issues made it difficult to root for the pair's relationship.
Overall Father in Training wasn't for me despite really enjoying the hero's character.
Sandy Walker came to Glenwood to have a place to raise her three children away from the hustle and bustle of the city. She has no plans for a new man in her life but her neighbor Kyle Haynes has other ideas. Kyle had a crush on Sandy back in high school but he never stood a chance with her back then. Now that she's returned to town, Kyle is determined to take his shot but Sandy is convinced he's not father material. But Sandy doesn't realize he's been working towards this his whole life and he'll do whatever he can to prove it.
I had read a book in the Hometown Heartbreakers previously and was interested in the story of some of the side characters so I was looking forward to picking this one up. I did end up liking this book better than The Best Bride but I did have my issues with this one as well. I liked Kyle's character a lot but Sandy's character is where this book fell apart for me. She's incredibly controlling and judgmental which became frustrating pretty quickly. She also snaps at Kyle quite frequently for issues she blows out of proportion when he hasn't said or done anything wrong. She also attributes her late husband's faults to Kyle which is incredibly unfair. Ultimately her issues made it difficult to root for the pair's relationship.
Overall Father in Training wasn't for me despite really enjoying the hero's character.
March 27, 2021
Mõnus rahulik vahepala, kuid sama loo oleks võinud poole kiiremini ära rääkida.
Pikemalt kirjutan blogis: https://midaheliluges.blogspot.com/20...
Pikemalt kirjutan blogis: https://midaheliluges.blogspot.com/20...
August 21, 2020
Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...
April 21, 2020
An interesting take on a sixteen year-old infatuation. Kyle was fourteen when he first met Sandy, and he has never been the same since. She is sixteen and doesn't even notice him. Sixteen years later, Sandy returns to Glenwood and meets Kyle again, only this time she is widowed with three children, and Kyle looks better than she remembered. She's not sure she can trust him since he has spend the past sixteen years going through women, like his father and brothers. Kyle takes one look and is a goner once again. I love this story because it rings true and hits all the right notes.
March 14, 2024
Really a 3.5 stars for me.
Sandy is a young widow with three children. She has moved her family from L A to a small town where she lived when she was a teenager. And one of the first things she learns is that her nearest neighbor is, Kyle, someone she knew when she was a teenager. She used to date his brother.
The story is pretty simple with not many real surprises. There are some glitches. There are some places in the story where the children are simply too cute.
Sandy and Kyle lust for one another. And there is a happily ever after.
Sandy is a professor. She will be teaching at a college.
Kyle is a policeman and his brother is his boss. Kyle’s entire family lives nearby and they are all welcoming to Sandy and her children. Kyle loved Sandy when he was 14 years old, she was 16 and she never noticed him.
Sandy has control issues. She wants to control everyone and everything around her. She treats her children in a rather distant way. She does love her children, but she finds it difficult to connect to anyone else. I found it difficult to really like her.
Kyle is a warm and friendly man who wants to do the right thing in every aspect of his life. He likes the children and he has loved Sandy since he was 14 years old.
Life sometimes gives us exactly what we need.
The story is a nice one. This is a quick read..
Sandy is a young widow with three children. She has moved her family from L A to a small town where she lived when she was a teenager. And one of the first things she learns is that her nearest neighbor is, Kyle, someone she knew when she was a teenager. She used to date his brother.
The story is pretty simple with not many real surprises. There are some glitches. There are some places in the story where the children are simply too cute.
Sandy and Kyle lust for one another. And there is a happily ever after.
Sandy is a professor. She will be teaching at a college.
Kyle is a policeman and his brother is his boss. Kyle’s entire family lives nearby and they are all welcoming to Sandy and her children. Kyle loved Sandy when he was 14 years old, she was 16 and she never noticed him.
Sandy has control issues. She wants to control everyone and everything around her. She treats her children in a rather distant way. She does love her children, but she finds it difficult to connect to anyone else. I found it difficult to really like her.
Kyle is a warm and friendly man who wants to do the right thing in every aspect of his life. He likes the children and he has loved Sandy since he was 14 years old.
Life sometimes gives us exactly what we need.
The story is a nice one. This is a quick read..
October 8, 2018
This third book in the series can stand on its own. It tells a complete story. There are some things that grow out of the first and second book.
I love it when these stories have kids that are part of the story. I also like the stories with a lot of relationship building between the leads. This book had both. There is also some humor. I had at least one LOL.
"Smiling, whispering children was not a good sign."
Sandy has good and bad moments. She has a very hurting backstory. And as several reviewers have noted, she is much harder on Kyle than he deserves being mean at times. But I think that SM intends for her to be a woman with a lot of conflicting things going on that she is trying to deal with. I didn't always love her, but I tended to forgive her and root for her to be better.
Kyle has some hurts in his backstory, as do all the Haynes brothers. In this story, his armor is shining pretty brightly.
I'm not sure you'd call it a twist, but there is an interesting development late in the story.
Mature themes: there are some very steamy moments. As to violence, there is a small scuffle.
I love it when these stories have kids that are part of the story. I also like the stories with a lot of relationship building between the leads. This book had both. There is also some humor. I had at least one LOL.
"Smiling, whispering children was not a good sign."
Sandy has good and bad moments. She has a very hurting backstory. And as several reviewers have noted, she is much harder on Kyle than he deserves being mean at times. But I think that SM intends for her to be a woman with a lot of conflicting things going on that she is trying to deal with. I didn't always love her, but I tended to forgive her and root for her to be better.
Kyle has some hurts in his backstory, as do all the Haynes brothers. In this story, his armor is shining pretty brightly.
I'm not sure you'd call it a twist, but there is an interesting development late in the story.
Mature themes: there are some very steamy moments. As to violence, there is a small scuffle.
February 9, 2025
Father in Training is an older book by Susan Mallory. It was part of a series called Hometown Heartbreakers and published in 1995. Having said all that, the book was certainly contemporary enough for today’s reading and had great characters.
Kyle Haynes is all grown up and is a deputy in Glenwood. He and his brothers were all painted with the same brush - handsome players. He has had a crush on one of his brother’s old girlfriends for years and guess who just turned up as his new landlord.
Sandy Walker moved back to Glenwood with her three children. As a widow, she has her hands full with her kids and being totally responsible for them. Her dead husband was always wandering off to adventure after adventure leaving her to be the responsible one. Sandy had no idea that Kyle Haynes was not the playboy that she thought, and was interested in her, ordinary as she was.
Kyle and Sandy are hot together even when Sandy is chasing him off. She has many trust issues and is afraid to let down her fears to move forward. Kyle is determined to have her see him in a true light, to trust him. Father in Training by Susan Mallory was a good read.
August 5, 2020
3 1/2 stars. A widowed heroine, Sandy, with three children who is scared of making another mistake. A slightly younger man, Kyle Haynes, whose reputation is greatly exaggerated. Kyle has loved Sandy since he was fourteen and she was seventeen and dating his brother, Jordan, until they decided they were better as friends. The man Sandy married, a philosophy professor, was a kid at heart and not very responsible. Sandy likes rules that keep her world running smoothly, but her children and the universe don’t always agree. Kyle seems like a nice guys, and her kids like him, as she does, but is he going to be around during the tough times? For the long haul?
April 20, 2019
Sandy Walker spent from 12-17 in Glenwood. Now a 32 year old widow with 3 children, she has returned. Her tenant is 30-year-old sheriff Kyle Haynes who has had a crush on her since he was 14 and she dated his 16-year-old brother. Her husband was a jerk. His family has a 4 generation bad marriage track record. The two are attracted, but wary thanks to their track records. All eventually works out.
December 4, 2019
I want to start by saying I love Susan Mallary books , but this one is definitely that one exception. I really disliked Sandy. There has never been a main character I have disliked as much as her. She never listened to anyone she always thought she knew what happened. Kyle on the other hand was a gem. He was very helpful and loved kids and was good to with them. He was the main reason I continued to read the book.
December 8, 2019
This was a fairly predictable romance with a likeable male lead and a leading lady with a lot of issues to work through. At least Sandy exhibited some personal growth through the story. I appreciated her devotion to her kids and her effort to do the best she could for them. I thought the storyline of preteen Lindsay's crush on Kyle and his dedication to treat her carefully was really sweet.
August 5, 2020
2.5 stars. I loved Kyle but couldn’t stand Sandy. I hated her constant jumping to conclusions without ever finding out the facts first and hated that as bull-headed and arrogant as she was, it only took her a few hours to decide she was wrong and go make amends. It was frustrating and made me strongly dislike her. Poor Kyle deserved a much better person for his match.
September 1, 2025
Father in Training
This is a really good read about two opposites who are attracted to each other.
Kyle has only ever wanted casual hookups but did have a crush on Sandy in his teens.
Sandy is a widowed mum with 3 kids and is too responsible to have fun.
Maybe their unbelievable chemistry will make them take a chance?
This is a really good read about two opposites who are attracted to each other.
Kyle has only ever wanted casual hookups but did have a crush on Sandy in his teens.
Sandy is a widowed mum with 3 kids and is too responsible to have fun.
Maybe their unbelievable chemistry will make them take a chance?
December 11, 2017
I loved it.
Moving back home with three children to a town that had great memories would the kids like it here? And that hot dude as a neighbor oh boy will they find each other. Life as a single mom of three was a great responsibility and one she cherished but could she ever trust again...
Moving back home with three children to a town that had great memories would the kids like it here? And that hot dude as a neighbor oh boy will they find each other. Life as a single mom of three was a great responsibility and one she cherished but could she ever trust again...
June 1, 2017
Father in Training
Great surprises and action makes love galore. The characters keep you in suspense. A terrific ending with love winning out.
Great surprises and action makes love galore. The characters keep you in suspense. A terrific ending with love winning out.
October 26, 2017
3.5 stars
This is an older title by the author. They still use VCRs. Other than that reference, I think the plot stands up well.
This is an older title by the author. They still use VCRs. Other than that reference, I think the plot stands up well.
February 16, 2019
So/so early work from Mallery. The potential was there to see, but a bit dated and melodramatic.
June 6, 2019
A woman who is blind to love is loved by a man who has lived her since he was 14. It’s nice the heroine had to do the “growing up “ in the relationship. An interesting change.
September 10, 2019
Boooooring
Did not finish. Then I realized it was an oldie, but that was not enough to get me into it. Boring characters. The heroine might be crazy
Did not finish. Then I realized it was an oldie, but that was not enough to get me into it. Boring characters. The heroine might be crazy
September 16, 2019
It was okay
September 21, 2019
Awesome book! I loved it! It is makes you laugh!
October 1, 2019
.
An older one of Susan Mallery's books, but very enjoyable. I love the reaction of Kyle and Sandy to Lindsey's crush.
An older one of Susan Mallery's books, but very enjoyable. I love the reaction of Kyle and Sandy to Lindsey's crush.
October 15, 2019
The main character ruined it for me.
May 4, 2020
The story line was pretty similar to all the stories in this series.
June 5, 2020
it was ok. decent book if you want to escape reality for a bit.
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March 9, 2021love the book
January 8, 2025
Love her books. Just didn’t like the main girl character that’s why I rated it w a 3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews