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Found Father
PAPERBACK
- GenresRomanceContemporary
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
2 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Justine Davis
252 books217 followersAuthor biographies are supposed to give you all those statistics, books written, awards won, etc. and I will, I promise...but first let me tell you about this ornery little tomboy (back then, the boys had all the fun...) who was always the one to make up the stories the neighborhood kids would "play". For those who came of age in the computer game era, this is something that was done usually in the backyard, by any number of summer-bored children, with props where appropriate. (Did you know a 55 gallon drum tied to a picnic bench makes a very cool horse?) It wasn't until much later that this tomboy realized two things: A) not everyone made up stories in their heads all the time, and B) in real life, the boys that had already had all the fun now seemed to always be winning.
But I digress. I was born on a farm down in Iowa....well, not quite, but close; Boone, Iowa is in the middle of farm country, but I arrived at a hospital. In a snow storm. Make that a blizzard. My sister tells me she knew my destiny when I was very young, because when I first saw the Disney classic Old Yeller, I was apparently so upset that I promptly went home and rewrote the story. In my version, the dog lived, of course. Should have been a clue.
Possibly in response to that blizzard I was born in, I've been a West Coaster since before I was a year old, and intend to stay that way. I have a history of staying. I started my first full time job right out of school (well, there was a very brief sojourn at a place where they made, among other things, burial vaults, but I prefer not to recall that one...) and stayed for twenty-one years. I've been married to the same wonderful guy for going on two decades now. We lived in our last house for seventeen years. (I won't even mention how many dumpsters we filled moving after that long....)
Readers seem as fascinated by my first career as they are with my writing. My time in law enforcement was many things, exciting, nerve wracking, and irritating, but most importantly never, ever boring. It was fascinating enough that I didn't think about writing seriously for several years. I kept a journal, and wrote long letters, collected quotes, mentally rewrote movies, and still made up those stories in my head, but never dreamed of actually writing for publication. I was having too much fun helping to catch bad guys, and being continually amazed at the situations people get themselves into. And eventually I walked away with a wealth of background and story ideas, and knowing some truly great people who work very hard to keep all of us safe. I'm proud to have been one of them, and I'm very aware that I have had the great good fortune of having had two jobs in my life that I love. Many people don't get even one.
But now that I'm in the delicious position of being able to make a living telling those stories in my head, I promise my readers two things: A) I'm staying--I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading, and B) in my stories, the girl--tomboy or not--always wins!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And now, the official stats:
Justine Dare Davis sold her first book in 1989, and followed that up with the sale of nineteen novels in less than two years. Her first four books were published in 1991, and she saw all reach the finals for either the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award or the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award. She has since won the RITA award four times, along with several Reviewer's Choice awards and three Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. At the 1998 national conference, Justine was inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame, making her one of a very select group of just eight writers. She also had four titles on the Romantic Times "Top 200 of All Time" list. Her sales now total more than 45, and her books have appeared regularly on best seller lists, including the USA Today list. She has been featured in several local newspapers and nationwide by Associated Press, has appeared on CN
But I digress. I was born on a farm down in Iowa....well, not quite, but close; Boone, Iowa is in the middle of farm country, but I arrived at a hospital. In a snow storm. Make that a blizzard. My sister tells me she knew my destiny when I was very young, because when I first saw the Disney classic Old Yeller, I was apparently so upset that I promptly went home and rewrote the story. In my version, the dog lived, of course. Should have been a clue.
Possibly in response to that blizzard I was born in, I've been a West Coaster since before I was a year old, and intend to stay that way. I have a history of staying. I started my first full time job right out of school (well, there was a very brief sojourn at a place where they made, among other things, burial vaults, but I prefer not to recall that one...) and stayed for twenty-one years. I've been married to the same wonderful guy for going on two decades now. We lived in our last house for seventeen years. (I won't even mention how many dumpsters we filled moving after that long....)
Readers seem as fascinated by my first career as they are with my writing. My time in law enforcement was many things, exciting, nerve wracking, and irritating, but most importantly never, ever boring. It was fascinating enough that I didn't think about writing seriously for several years. I kept a journal, and wrote long letters, collected quotes, mentally rewrote movies, and still made up those stories in my head, but never dreamed of actually writing for publication. I was having too much fun helping to catch bad guys, and being continually amazed at the situations people get themselves into. And eventually I walked away with a wealth of background and story ideas, and knowing some truly great people who work very hard to keep all of us safe. I'm proud to have been one of them, and I'm very aware that I have had the great good fortune of having had two jobs in my life that I love. Many people don't get even one.
But now that I'm in the delicious position of being able to make a living telling those stories in my head, I promise my readers two things: A) I'm staying--I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading, and B) in my stories, the girl--tomboy or not--always wins!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And now, the official stats:
Justine Dare Davis sold her first book in 1989, and followed that up with the sale of nineteen novels in less than two years. Her first four books were published in 1991, and she saw all reach the finals for either the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award or the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award. She has since won the RITA award four times, along with several Reviewer's Choice awards and three Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. At the 1998 national conference, Justine was inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame, making her one of a very select group of just eight writers. She also had four titles on the Romantic Times "Top 200 of All Time" list. Her sales now total more than 45, and her books have appeared regularly on best seller lists, including the USA Today list. She has been featured in several local newspapers and nationwide by Associated Press, has appeared on CN
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 31, 2021
The Hero being celibate after meeting the heroine, and declaring his love consistently after he found her again after a separation was a really nice change of pace. Some of the foreshadowing was a little obvious, but that’s okay. If anything, there could have been a little more father-son time in a book titled “Found Father.” Compelling; read it in one sitting...
July 19, 2011
Well done but the themes are too cliched and the plot was nothing special. Enjoyable if you come across it but not worth seeking.
I did like the settings and the secondary characters, a good villain redeemed the story from being lackluster.
I did like the settings and the secondary characters, a good villain redeemed the story from being lackluster.
November 23, 2025
I thought I would like this, but it started turning into the typical trope instead of something different, with some imagination.
Why is it that almost every time something goes wrong between the H and h, the h tries to hide her warm, loving nature by turning herself into a cold "keep your distance" type, putting her long lovely hair into a tight controlled chignon, wearing uptight business suits 24/7 and keeping all that made her special encased in ice?
I could never stand the whole hair symbolism, it's just so DUMB! After the H is out of her life, the h tries to deny she's a woman by binding up her hair. That's almost as bad as the h who cuts her hair short because the H liked it long. It's so childish and also sounds emotionally unstable. Why not just wear her hair the way she always did, the way she always liked it for herself, and be the person she always was? What better way to get back at someone then to be yourself and not hide who you are, and prove they didn't damage or change you in any way?
How about a h who remains her warm, free-spirited self, even with her broken heart and unexpected pregnancy? One who doesn't get all cold and uptight and efficient, one who doesn't play games and try and keep the H from knowing he's a father, one who doesn't let bitterness turn to spite and try and keep her son from knowing his father because of it?
And the h was too much of an artistic soul to settle for becoming a businesswoman at her father's beck and call.
As for the H, no matter the circumstances, there was no excuse for him not telling the h he was married. He should have stayed away from her like he planned, instead of letting his hormones do the talking and coming back, then disappearing right after he slept with her? He should have had the guts to say straight out, "I'm married, but not married, since my wife's been in a coma for two years", then let the h decide what happens next. She was young but seemed levelheaded enough where she could decide what she wanted to do.
To tell the truth, this H acted too much like a martyr for me to like him and when I don't like one (or in this case, both) of the MC that ruins the book for me.
DNF
Why is it that almost every time something goes wrong between the H and h, the h tries to hide her warm, loving nature by turning herself into a cold "keep your distance" type, putting her long lovely hair into a tight controlled chignon, wearing uptight business suits 24/7 and keeping all that made her special encased in ice?
I could never stand the whole hair symbolism, it's just so DUMB! After the H is out of her life, the h tries to deny she's a woman by binding up her hair. That's almost as bad as the h who cuts her hair short because the H liked it long. It's so childish and also sounds emotionally unstable. Why not just wear her hair the way she always did, the way she always liked it for herself, and be the person she always was? What better way to get back at someone then to be yourself and not hide who you are, and prove they didn't damage or change you in any way?
How about a h who remains her warm, free-spirited self, even with her broken heart and unexpected pregnancy? One who doesn't get all cold and uptight and efficient, one who doesn't play games and try and keep the H from knowing he's a father, one who doesn't let bitterness turn to spite and try and keep her son from knowing his father because of it?
And the h was too much of an artistic soul to settle for becoming a businesswoman at her father's beck and call.
As for the H, no matter the circumstances, there was no excuse for him not telling the h he was married. He should have stayed away from her like he planned, instead of letting his hormones do the talking and coming back, then disappearing right after he slept with her? He should have had the guts to say straight out, "I'm married, but not married, since my wife's been in a coma for two years", then let the h decide what happens next. She was young but seemed levelheaded enough where she could decide what she wanted to do.
To tell the truth, this H acted too much like a martyr for me to like him and when I don't like one (or in this case, both) of the MC that ruins the book for me.
DNF
February 20, 2024
4,5 - Czy ja się spodziewałam że coś tak dziwnego będzie takie wzruszające?! To było takie urocze, jakoś personalnie do mnie dotarło 🥹
January 24, 2015
The latest entry in my continuing goal to re-read and review every book that has been laying around my house for days, weeks, months, years, or decades.
This book was published in 1993. I used to read a lot of Harlequin romances and liked books by Justine Davis better than most. This one was pretty forgettable - when I looked at the description on the cover I didn't remember it at all. Davis excels at the tortured hero, but 188 pages later all is well.
This book was published in 1993. I used to read a lot of Harlequin romances and liked books by Justine Davis better than most. This one was pretty forgettable - when I looked at the description on the cover I didn't remember it at all. Davis excels at the tortured hero, but 188 pages later all is well.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews