Abandoned But Not Alone

Spark of Hope #4

by Nicole Dykes

Felix
I’ve always been a helper. Someone who sees the world in a brighter light than others do. Who tries to show everyone there’s good in this world.
So when I meet Henry, I immediately make it my mission to show him how great the world can be if he’ll only accept a little help.
Easier said than done. But I’ve always liked a challenge.

Henry
I have no idea why this complete stranger wants to help my daughter and me. But I can’t seem to shake him.
Life hasn’t been kind to us, and I clearly don’t see the world the same way he does. I want what’s best for my daughter, though, and if that means accepting help from Felix, then that might be what I have to do.
No matter what my instincts scream at me.
I’ve been abandoned by everyone in my life, and that’s what I expect now.
But Felix seems determined to make sure I know I’m not alone.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Found Family, Audiobook, LGBT, Contemporary

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2023

About the author

Nicole Dykes is a wife and a professional assistant/mom to two gorgeous girls. Currently residing in Kansas, she’s a lover of coffee, Kansas City Chiefs, and all things romance.

She's found her passion in writing M/M romance because love is love is love. Some popular works include Hostile, The Spark of Hope Series, and The Kensley Panthers Series!

Email at nicoledykes_author@yahoo.com

Or visit my website at Www.authornicoledykes.com

Reviews

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He loves us both. I may have been abandoned over and over in my life, but I know I'll never be alone again"

Abandoned But Not Alone is the fourth book in the Spark of Hope Series. When we met Henry and his daughter at the end of Wrecked But Not Ruined, I was intrigued. I enjoy single father stories, and I was curious to know about his past and the situation that led him to the group theory session.

Henry and Hazel, his 5-month-old baby, are homeless, and in desperation, he comes to the support group. There he meets Fliex, a bright golden younger man who wants to reach out to him.

I found the story to be cute and endearing read as we see Henry learn to trust once again and embrace his new found family. Felix was an infinite pool of optimism and good energy as he tried his best to make sure that Henry felt welcomed and cared for. I loved getting to see the other couples from the previous books as they came together to support Henry and Hazel.

There is a bit of angst and some challenging themes, such as physical/domestic abuse and drug use, are mentioned, so please check trigger warnings. Henry is rightfully cautious due to his past and not quick to trust, but finally, seeing him get his HEA with sunshine boy Fliex was heartwarming.

Overall it was a nice addition to the series. While it was one of my anticipated reads, it sadly was not my favourite of the series as there were aspects that I did not connect with.

The final book, which is Andrew's story, is coming up! Looking forward to it.

**Side note: I am in love with the cover!!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story, but I wish it had been longer. Too much was just told, which I'm not a huge fan of as you're not experiencing what the characters are, you're just being told it happened and moving on.

Because it was fairly short a lot of potential emotion was kinda skipped over, and considering this series is about trauma and recovery I expected to feel Henry's emotions more 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I'm hoping Andrew's story is full of angst because so far everything has been too light and easily resolved/brushed over for me!

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

is this perfect? no. but it’s literally so cute and warm and makes me feel things. protect felix at all costs. my big dumb softie. also, how henry learned to trust other people. so good.

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. ***

Abandoned But Not Alone is the fourth entry in the Spark of Hope series. What amazes me about this series is how much love, support, and space are given to these characters through their struggles. I love how each story highlights a particular aspect of trauma and grief. This story is no exception, that focuses on the abandonment of a struggling single father.

This story focuses on Felix and Henry. Henry is a struggling single father to his infant daughter, Hazel. Seeing a family in need forces Felix to act. Felix is the ultimate helper, he strives to help in any way possible to anyone in need. He decides to help Henry get back on his feet, even with Henry resists. Their relationship is very supportive, warm, and kind. Felix has so much care and love in his heart and seeing him share his affection with Henry allows him to lower his guard and accept the help and love Felix is willing to share.

Their relationship is a great slow build that is founded on their great friendship. Felix knows when to give space and when to shower Henry and Hazel with endless amounts of love and affection. Together they are quite a sweet pair and an even sweeter family. I loved getting to know these characters and their story is one of hope and perseverance. Another winning entry in this series and I cannot wait for the finale!!!

[Kaity · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars

While I this could be read as a standalone, it feels like you go in to this in the middle of their story haha

I couldn’t feel the spark of chemistry between the two MC’s…but still it was cute at times especially with Hazel.

Overall an ehh 🤷🏽‍♀️ for me.

[25 Readings Or More · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75
Oh my gosh!!
The cuteness!!
The goodness!!
My black little heart just grew up at least two sizes reading this story.

Felix is outgoing, nice, selfless...literaly a ray of sun.
Henry is the opposite: he doesn’t trust anyone and he has many scars hidden in his soul. His daughter is his only priority.

They are perfect together: they heal parts of the other they didn’t think were broken.

What can I say more??!
ABNA is just one of those story that's able to warm your heart and make you hope for a better world.

Absolutely recommended!

[✨Lucy IntheSky☄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Finally the series is starting to pick up. 😉

I really liked this story. A bit different from the rest.

Absolutely not boring, with two genuine MCs and also a shorter book, which was definitely the right decision.

🟣 Single dad
🟡 Found family
🔵 Likeable MCs
🌶️ Good spice
❗ Addiction, homelessness
🟢 I'm still just waiting to get to Andrew's book 😄


This was a really cute, sweet story of Henry, who came by the support group in the previous book, and his baby daughter Hazel, both finding their happy home with Felix, who works at Ben's gym.

Felix was really endearing.
He badly wanted to be Henry's friend and he made it happen, persistently. 😄
A nice, caring soul that took Henry and Hazel under his wing and showed them what true love looks like.

I really loved Felix and Henry together. I usually religiously avoid the single dad trope, but in this book it was sweet and heartfelt. Felix and Henry made their little family work.

This book was a bit different. I felt it had more relationship development and both MCs had more substance, their love story made sense.

🟣 The only thing I absolutely didn't like was the way the story handled Maggie.

Maggie was Hazel's mother and Henry's ex girlfriend. They met when they were in foster homes, both having tough childhoods and a sad relationship afterwards, since Maggie was an addict.

Here comes the bad part.

Maggie got pregnant and didn't want the child, because she didn't want to become a mother, based on her family experience and her dealing with addiction. But Ben persuaded her.

Not only that, but when she had the child and went into post partum depression, Maggie was judged .
Big time.

The story is constantly mentioning how Maggie doesn't want anything to do with Hazel and how she doesn't even look at her, when she made it clear that she didn't want to have her.

Instead of Ben being judged just a little for making her deliver the baby, Maggie is shown as a terrible mother and even the author says it's hard to believe a mom wouldn't want her child.

WTF❓❓❓

I had a big problem with that.

Ladies and gentlemen.
Even though women can physically carry and deliver babies, doesn't mean they all want them.

Many times women are literally forced to have them, when they don't really want to, but it's expected to have maternal feelings just because they're women and don't even get me started on women being shamed for having abortions.

Also, a side note - post partum depression is a bitch.

So fuck, poor Maggie and her miserable childhood and her lifelong addiction and on top of all the BS she's still shamed for not melting at the sight of the daughter she didn't want in the first place.


I would've given this book 3.8⭐, because the story itself is definitely worth it, but the Maggie part just rubbed me the wrong way.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abandoned But Not Alone is the 4th book in Nicole Dykes Spark of Hope series of linked standalones, centered around a trauma support group and the found family that run it. This is Felix and Henry's story.

Tropes include:

❣️MM romance
❣️Found family
❣️Single father
❣️Hurt/comfort
❣️Small town
❣️HEA

There are some angsty issues, so be sure to check out the author's warning.

If you are a lover of Nicole's work, this one will hit the mark too. Personally it wasn't my favourite in the series so far, but then I always prefer a darker, enemies to lovers read 😈.

3.5-4 stars

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicole Dykes is actually a new to me author, though one that has been popping up in my feeds for quite some time so I was excited for the opportunity to jump into this series. Henry is homeless and caring for his 5 month old daughter. He meets Felix who invites him to stay in a vacant apartment above the gym where he works and also offers him a job.

Henry is clearly traumatised by something and is very reticent to accept any help despite Felix being a complete ball of sunshine. Felix falls hard and fast for Henry and his daughter and over time Henry falls just as hard for him. There are characters from previous books in the series that appear though it wasn't necessary to have read the previous books to make sense of the story and the players here.

Overall this was a decent enough story but I found the writing a bit jumpy and there was a lot of 'telling' and too little 'showing' in the writing and over time, this became quite repetitive. Nonetheless, Felix and Henry were very likeable characters, the development of their relationship was very sweet and the baby was just a magnet to bring out the sweet in everyone.


ARC provided to me in return for an honest review

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

I liked the premise of the book, but I feel like the execution could be a bit better. It felt very rushed and very fast paced. First the book was 180ish pages, so it makes sense for it to be fast paced, but for a book dealing with trauma and the obstacles that could be faced; it should have been longer. I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and their relationship happened so early on. There was no buildup which I love seeing. Overall, it was an okay book, but I hope Andrew’s book is better.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 gwiazdki , ale , że fajnie mi się czytało to daje 4.

[DeniReadsMostlyMM · Rating 5 out of 5]

***ARC Review***

This is my honest review for the ARC I received.

“Abandoned But Not Alone” by Nicole Dykes is the fourth book in the Spark of Hope series. It follows Felix and single dad Henry as they navigate Henry’s abandonment issues and his learning to trust that there are good and kind people in the world who will stay.

Felix is a ray of sunshine. His optimism is absolutely precious and I just love how easily he gives himself to people. He volunteers at a homeless shelter and is always willing to help people however he can. He’s instantly smitten with Henry and his adorable baby girl Hazel. Felix is a genuinely good egg and I was glad that he remained patient throughout the novel as Henry started to let him in and open up.

Henry has been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life so far. He’s been in and out of foster care due to his parents’ inability to take proper care of him. His childhood friend and (sometimes) girlfriend Maggie has an addiction and a habit of leaving for random spells of time. It was heartbreaking seeing how deeply Maggie’s leaving affected Henry, especially in relation to their daughter, Hazel. It’s really difficult to understand how a parent can abandon their child, but I know it happens.

There’s great cameos from the rest of the gym crew. We see Ben and Colby (as well as Brooks and Roman) tackle baby fever. Andrew is doing his best to continue to help the Spark of Hope meeting members. (There’s a subplot with a kid named Evan that I’m hoping gets wrapped up in the next book. Speaking of that, I am beyond excited that the fifth book will be about Andrew! I’ve been waiting for his story)!

The connection between Felix and Henry is organic and so filled with love, it made my cheeks hurt from smiling. They have amazing chemistry! But they also have strong emotional ties. I loved how instantly Felix and Hazel took to one another as well. There’s a bit of conflict with Maggie in this book, but our MCs manage to work through it and achieve their HEA. The epilogue in this book is swoon worthy. I love everything Nicole writes and this story should definitely be read! Nicole validates Henry’s concerns and feelings, and handles sensitive topics with grace.

[Miss S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Nicole Dykes' Kensley Panthers Series, and her book Hostile is one of my favorite mm reads. So of course I needed to read these too!

I was intrigued by the fact that these books revolve around trauma, and the trauma group called "Spark of Hope". I love an emotional and empowering read.

I absolutely loved this book, and it surprised me because I went in like "urghhh, the single dad thing" because it's one of the tropes I try to avoid, buuut... it worked for me. I even went as far as thinking that Hazel, the baby, was adorably cute. I felt a strong connection to Henry, who only wanted what was best for his daughter. And Felix... I adored him! I'm usually into the grumps, but his sunshine even shone on me.

I had to read the next book before I could rate this one, because I was afraid a really sad and bad situation was left unsolved, and that would have pissed me off. But It wasn't, so it's all good, and I'm back to loving this book. It was my favorite for a little while, but the fifth book took the favorite spot.

[kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear to god Nicole Dykes just can’t go wrong.

“I won’t be a stranger for long. I’ll be your new best friend by the end of the week. Trust me.”

Because the only thing worse than being alone is the hope that someday you might not be.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything though.”
“It meant everything to me.”

It’s domestic and probably boring to most people, but it’s the most beautiful thing in the world to me.

“I’ll never leave you,”
“I know,”

At the end of Wrecked But Not Ruined when we got introduced to Henry and Hazel I was immediately excited for their story!

The way they connected and came together is absolutely beautiful and loving. Felix has such a big heart and cares so deeply about others and was immediately drawn to the single father and his baby girl.

Felix offers Henry a place to stay and helps him start working at the gym, they become fast friends and feelings start to develop overtime. Henry is hesitant though, for so long it’s just been him and Hazel and he is trying to get his life back together after the disaster that is Hazel’s birth mother.

I love these two so freaking much and I’m so happy I got to read about them :)

Check out my bookstagram 💜

🧡I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review🧡

🖤Strangers-to-Friends-to-Best Friends-to-Lovers
🖤Past Trauma
🖤Healing/Comfort
🖤Low-ish Angst
🖤Single Dad
🖤STEAMY
🖤HEA

[Never Stop Reading or Dreaming · Rating 1 out of 5]

First let me say I’ve enjoy the series. Although I wish there was more depth in such a heavy topics I still have enjoyed the books.

What rubbed me the wrong way? When Maggie found out she was pregnant. She knew she did not want this baby. She did not want to be a mother. She did not want to have a baby, but yet Henry convince her to keep the child.

Once hazel is born, Maggie wants nothing to do with her, and Henry gets upset. How can you get upset when she clearly stated she never wanted this child she never wanted to be a mother she couldn’t be a mother, so when she had no feelings for her daughter, you can’t be upset when he convinced her to have her in the first place.

Then she comes back, and in the course of their conversations, she makes the comment she was never mine. Hazel was never supposed to be mine. And Henry gets mad at her again … how in the hell did this guy get mad at her when he convinced her to have a kid she never wanted to begin with? They put so much blame on her when she never wanted this child she knew she couldn’t have this child because she knew that she would laps again.

So that’s my two cents on what really bothered me however, I understand that the author needed to give this book a baby or wanted to give this book a baby, and they believe this was the best course of action for the baby to be into this book. this is the babies, backstory and authors can do whatever they want to do. I appreciate that authors can write whatever they want and they can give us beautiful compelling stories I understand this was how we got the baby into the story. This whole aspect really just rubbed me the wrong way.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say Felix and Henry are my favorite couple of this series??? I loved them so much! If you love hurt/comfort, single dad, found family tropes – you will love this. This reads fast and moves quickly but in typical Nicole fashion, she gave us so much emotion and passion. She gave us incredibly deserving, loving men!!

Felix might be one of the most big-hearted, supportive, kind and gentle men ever. He loved so strong and so big! He cared about people so much. He did not hesitate to help Henry and his daughter, Hazel. He also enlisted the whole gym fam. They all immediately embraced Henry and Hazel.

Henry had been dealt a rough hand. His parents had all but abandoned him. He was put into the system and moved between foster families. He had met Maggie (his ex) during one of those stints but Maggie had her own demons. The only good thing to come from all of that was Hazel. Henry was doing everything he could to provide for Hazel but so much was working against him.

While Felix had no problem offering help, Henry had huge issues with accepting that assistance. Felix was nothing if not determined. He pretty much told Henry they were besties so he needed to just go along with it. Henry found himself in this situation he’d never faced before – a group of people truly wanted him and his daughter. There were times it was too much because he couldn’t understand why anyone would be so kind and generous but want nothing in return.

The connection between Felix and Henry was evident from the beginning. Felix was ready to jump in head first but didn’t want to frighten Henry. Henry wanted to be enough for Felix but his past was a lot to overcome. Their first kiss was simply amazing. Nicole definitely delivered on the wild, uncontrollable desire between these two. They were the definition of passion. Their love was inevitable! Hot damn!!

We also got glimpses and updates for the other Spark couples, and they were delightful! Ooh I am so ready for Andrew and Miles!

[Nedra81 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely addition to Nicole’s Spark of Hope series, filled with overcoming past hurts and learning to trust again. Nicole has a habit of efficiently tackling sensitive issues, never hesitating to bring these topics to life. There is a tad bit of angst, including but not limited to past abuse and mentioning addictions. She handles these sensitive topics with care and keenness, always adding a character filled with kindness and optimism.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩, 𝙝𝙚’𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚.

Oh, Felix and Henry, their relationship was a joy to watch unfold. Witnessing and understanding Henry’s skepticism to trust was so pure, even with such a traumatic history. And Felix was the best man to sweep in and show him it was okay to trust again. I appreciate the love both of these men have for Hazel, and the remaining guys, too. The mother leaving in this story was unfortunately for the best when about Hazel because some people aren't made to be parents.

𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙬, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨.

I cannot wait to get Andrew and Miles's history finally!! They have been a complete mystery, but there are hints of a past evident in their body language and interactions. Sadly, though, we're coming to an end.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abandoned But Not Alone
by Nicole Dykes ARC Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

Spark of Hope? Perfectly named for this series! At least for Abandoned But Not Alone. What a heartwarming read! It melted me.

This was the first book that I've read in this series but I'm definitely going back to read the rest.

Felix is the helper, the fixer, the lover with a huge heart. Volunteering his time at shelters, helping strangers, helping his friends. He's an all around good guy that everyone loves. Seeing Henry with his baby daughter, he immediately can see that they need help and some tlc.

Poor Henry has been through it. He doesn't want to ask for help, his pride has already taken a back seat. If it wasn't for his daughter, Hazel, he wouldn't have even tried. But he has his baby girl to think about.

Felix sees Henry at a support group meeting and later at the gym where Felix works. Because of his past, Henry is skeptical of everyone. He doesn't trust, and he's certainly used to doing things on his own. What evolves is a friendship between Felix and Henry brought together by the adorable Hazel.

Henry learns to rely, not only on Felix but also the others that he works with. Finding a "family" amongst them. It was so endearing.

"𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑰 𝒂𝒎, 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎."

Soon, that friendship between Felix and Henry turns into much more. A beautiful, loving relationship between two people that weren't sure if they'd ever find love again. It was warm, spicy, and downright adorable.

I absolutely loved the fact that it primarily was Hazel, whom ultimately bonded all of them into this newfound family. That they also find the courage to get the support they need to work through their trauma.

I can't wait to see what is next in this series!

"𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏."

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a very sweet romance that despite the trauma and fear the love interest experiences, is surprisingly low angst. The characters are lovable, especially little baby Hazel, and I love the found family aspect to this series. I continue to enjoy this series, but haven’t found the most recent volumes quite as captivating as the first two books. I noticed books 3 and 4 are also significantly shorter than 1 and 2, so I wonder if that’s a factor, since it leaves less room for development. Nevertheless, I did like this, and am definitely looking forward to the next book, as it involves a couple I’ve been intrigued in since the beginning.

[Pam Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Abandoned But Not Alone

Felix is a helper it is in his nature when he sees someone in need he has to step in and do anything he can. When Henry shows up with a baby in tow and a lost look on his face Felix is on it.

I loved the dynamic between these two. Henry doesn’t know who to trust but can’t really say no to the help and Felix is so friendly and open that it makes not trusting him very hard.

When Henry has been abandoned by everyone who is supposed to love him how can he open up and let Felix love him how can he love him in return? It’s a heartbreaking story with a HEA.
Loved the narration as always.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has one of those people that do random heinous things then 'forgive themselves', in a sense - Maggie. Wild behavior from that one.

'I don't regret it, Henry. I wanted her for you. You're her father. But I don't want to be her mother.'

WHAT?! 💀💀💀💀💀

Otherwise the romance felt like it progressed too quickly. Felix just met this man and started calling him bestie, then claiming his child as his.

This was nice in a background noise sort of way. You can listen to it and not hate it, but it doesn't grip you either.

[Lyndsay TC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! Felix and Henry were so sweet and baby Hazel coming in with her baby cuteness was just overload for me. Felix's patience with Henry was just perfect. I adored the love Henry had for his daughter, she was the most precious and important person in his life. Favorite book of the series!

[Joana Pozo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ (Siento que falto algo para el 4⭐️ pero hasta eso 3.75)

Amo la forma de escribir de Nicole ❤️ crea personajes tan hermosos

[The Secret Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4
Steam: 3

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felix and Henry’s story is the first book I’ve read in this series and I will absolutely be going back and reading the rest. These books are truly stand-alone as I didn’t feel like I missed anything by not reading the earlier books but all the past characters made appearances and they really made me want to know their story as well!!

Felix is an amazing character. He has such a loving, giving heart and doesn’t see it. Always thinking he’s nothing special and wishes he could do more. I loved the way he looks out for everyone, especially Henry and his daughter Hazel. Right from the start Felix and Hazel were so cute together. I love when children play an important role in single-father romances and Felix’s love for Hazel was an integral part of Henry opening himself up!

Henry has had a super rough life. Always being abandoned and never feeling like anyone will love him. It takes a lot of love and patience from Felix and the rest of his found family at the gym to work through his abandonment issues. It was such a beautiful journey and I loved seeing him open up.

The beginning of this book is spent on developing Felix and Henry’s friendship and trust so it does have a slower start. However, their friendship is such an important part to why their love works that it works perfectly! It is a fairly low-angst book besides Henry working through his issues. It has an amazing HEA that could not have been more perfect for these two!

There was a situation with side character Evan that we didn’t get a resolution for in this book. I’m assuming that we will get a resolution in the last book in this series which will be about Andrew and Miles. I’m looking forward to their book. They seem like they will have an interesting back story!

[Katriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

'I may not know what's drawn me to this man, but I'm not someone who argueds with fate.'

I have loved every single book in Nicole's Spark Of Hope series. She just writes characters so well!

Henry is a dad who has his daughter Hazel and that's all he has. His world revolves around her now, nothing else matters. He needed to find a place for them to stay but he never expected what would happen when Felix insisted that stay at the gym. Henry and Hazel both got a family and more love than they've ever had before. They found their home.

Felix is a helper, that's just who he is. He always wants to try to help people the best way that he can. When Henry and Hazel walks into the gym's doors he knows he is a gonner. He slowly falls for this beautiful and strong man, and he's immediately captivated by Hazel's cuteness. From the first moment they met, Felix instists on being Henry's best friend, and overtime.... He becomes just that and more.

'I wrap him in my arms and hold onto him with everything I have.'

I really enjoyed this book just like the others in this series. There has yet to be a bad book in this series, they have all been so good and so unique. And just in case you're wondering, these can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the series as a whole. You'll get so much more out of it and you'll also get an insight to the other characters lives and backgrounds. One of my favorite parts of these books is getting glimpses of the other couples lives, it makes me so happy to 'see' them again. This book is really well written, fantastic detail, and wonderful characters.

'These moments remind me good still exists in the world. Even when my heart burns with bitter betrayal and anger.'

My heart was breaking when Henry was talking about Maggie, Hazel's mother. What he went through was definitely a form of trauma. Then my heart broke a separate time when Evan was introduced! He was such a sweet character and I really wanted to know more. That's the only part of this book where I was a bit confused, he got introduced within the last couple of chapters and then he wasn't really brought up again. Which was confusing. I hope he's in Andrew's story cause I really want to learn more about him.

I'm also really excited to read Andrew's story!

*I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.*

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️ 3.5🌶️
Everything just felt okay. I liked everyone, there just wasn't much happening. An insta-love romance with a lot of telling instead of showing. It was cute, but I just didn't feel particularly connected to anyone. It was also pretty short, which I felt worked in some ways but also didn't in others. Overall a good story but nothing I loved.

•minor spoilers•

Henry was probably the character with the most depth, but he was just repeating the same thoughts about his abandonment issues. He spilled his story pretty quickly to Felix so there wasn't much intrigue there. We are told Felix is happy/sunshine, but it feels like he's more just a nice person who likes to volunteer. Like he's nice, but I wouldn't say he showed a lot of sunshiney characteristics. They fell in love pretty quickly, the timeline was a few months but we only saw a little of their time together.

As a common theme in this author's books, the drama was very low key. No big throw down with the baby momma or anything like that. I'm glad everything with Maggie was tied up though. I'm still wondering what happened to Evan, but maybe we will see more about that in Andrew's story?

Easy short read that only took me a few hours. I felt it hit all the main points but maybe was lacking some depth, especially with their relationship. Loved seeing the crew as always, and Ben and Colby adopting their little boy! Interested to see what's in store for Andrew and Miles in the final book.

Read if you like:
• insta-love
• hurt/comfort
• found family
• single parent

[s.shadereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved every book in the Spark of Hope series but Abandoned But Not Alone really touched my heart.

If you have read prior books in the series you know that these books touch on subjects of trauma and overcoming or working your way through and coping. This book touches on the subject of addiction, which like many people I'm sure can relate, this subject really touches home for me. So many people suffer from addiction or know someone who is or have suffered from it. I love that Nicole Dykes is not afraid to bring these subjects to light and sometimes it is very hard to read but her words for me are truly very healing. It's amazing how someone else's words can touch you in such a profound way.

"I miss her, and I hate her at the same damn time."

This story was beautiful and I loved Felix, Henry, and Hazel's journey. The love these characters have and the support they get from prior characters is so amazing to read. I absolutely adore the family dynamic all the characters have had not just in this book but throughout the entire series. It just goes to show that you can create your own family and choose who is worthy to be around you and that you are worthy of that same energy in return.

Next is Andrew and Miles story, and I could not be happier that the kind hearted therapist and friend we all know and love finally get's his own story!

[Luisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I have to start by saying that Hazel was the star of the whole story!, she was adorable and I absolutely love all the interactions around her <3, single parents are one of my favourite tropes and I enjoy this bit about the story greatly. I love the found family aspect too, even tho I haven't read any of the previous couples I really like them and the way they all care for each other, I'm very much looking forward to Andrew's story.

I feel like due to the length of the book plus the trauma aspect of Henry's story this area felt a bit "unconcluded" or as some reviews mentioned just "told instead of shown" leaving me with that feeling. Also, as the story is quite insta-lovey I felt like Felix, although I adore him, was a bit much at the beginning with the whole "let's be best friends" thing, I would believe more if things were a bit more natural and timed.

[☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ ѕℓιм ☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Spoilers here and there***

https://ladiikeiii.wordpress.com/2023...

I enjoyed this book it’s not much I can say about this book.

Only thing I can say is a lot of people goes to trauma but assume that they aren’t going through anything. They they are fine. When there not, it Henry awhile before he decided to go to one of those meetings. He went after he moved in with Felix when he saw that he could be loved.

If it wasn’t for Felix he would’ve still be thinking about Maggie and why she didn’t want Hazel or to be with him. Felix and the guys at the gym showed him that he has family who loves him and Hazel. People who aren’t his biological family but are real friends and more.