Full-Time Father

by Susan Mallery

A reader-favorite story of love, loss and finding family from #1
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

Computer consultant Parker Hamilton's life is thrown into a tailspin when a woman named Erin Ridgway suddenly shows up on his doorstep, claiming that he is the father of her four-year-old niece, Christie. But how can Parker be a father? What will he say to his long-lost daughter? And why is the beautiful Erin suddenly giving him a chance to be part of Christie's life?

After Erin Ridgway's sister dies in childbirth, Erin promises herself
she'll do everything she can for her sister's baby, and that includes finding the baby's father. When she finally meets the reclusive Parker, she wants to give him the chance to know his daughter, but what could a lonely millionaire know about raising a little girl? And is she just imagining the chemistry between her and Parker?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Harlequin, Fiction, Audiobook

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 20, 2009

About the author

#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.

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute and enjoyable story. The little girl, Christie, was just so well written, and made me want to give her a big old squeeze in a teddy bear.

The romance was pretty well scripted, to the point that it was very predictable.

I recommend for those who like love stories.

[Triinu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...

[Dinjolina · Rating 1 out of 5]

My oh my...the hero of this novel is one of those heroes that suffer from the saintly previous love illness. It is my least favorite type of 'the ex love' factor in a romantic story. But here? The hero overdid it for all the other heroes that were weepy when some lame woman they loved died. He was soooo against even thinking about other women,and somebody that could replace his dear dear dear Robin because he...brace yourselves... he kills the women he cares for. He killed Robin by pneumonia and the heroine's sister by a pregnancy. No, this is not a fantasy novel and he is not a magician! He is just so full of himself...oh pardon!I mean he is so full of angst that he thinks the word evolves around him. Around the people he likes. Around how he will treat women....him him HIM!!! Give me a brake. It went in to narcissism really. So when he changes his mind I really didn't care because he already ruined the whole book.

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! I enjoyed the engaging characters and the great plot. There is a lot of emotion that drove the plot. The narrater was good as well. Happy reading/listening!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to read more

[Sierra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay for me. I found myself getting sick of the hero's constant self-loathing. I believe in taking responsibility for your actions but he took complete blame and responsibility for everything and everyone. I wanted to shake him and say 'Dude you are not the master of the universe so stop with the guilt fest'. There were some funny parts (Purple condoms anyone?). I was glad when I finished and was satisfied with the ending in general.

[Gigi Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read a book by this author. It was not a favorite book for me. I found it very predictable, repetitive, and I just wanted to tell them to move on and get over the guilt and angst! I was hoping it would be a fun summer easy read, but, found it a bit boring, especially with all the repetition.

[Jack Vasen · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the Goodreads title and other places claim this a part of the Hometown Heartbreakers series, there is absolutely no tie to that series with the possible exception that it also takes place somewhere in Northern California, although not Glenwood.

I usually don't do synopsis, but apparently the publisher didn't write one.
One day Erin Ridgeway shows up at Parker's door and says this is your 4 year old daughter by my twin sister Stacey who died from birth complications. Christie looks so much like Parker that he doesn't question it. Erin has become Christie's mommy but knows she needs her dad and so they begin to work out a plan for joint custody. For starters, they will spend a couple weeks in his huge house with him. Kiki, his housekeeper will be an unofficial chaperone for the adults, for all the good that does. The two weeks turns into a whole summer.

Christie is precocious and endearing. Erin is a generous and brave single mom. She doesn't ask for money. She just wants Christie to have a dad. Parker falls in love quickly with his daughter. Parker is not a bad guy and probably his worst fault is blaming himself for way too many things.

Erin's backstory is not too sad other than the loss of her sister and Erin's life as a single mom.

Parker's backstory is slowly revealed. It involves the death of his wife, whom he loved, and a one night stand with Stacey, but even when fully revealed they don't add much.

That's pretty much it. There is some humor and the two leads dance around their feelings for each other. There is one brief bit of excitement, but even that is not earth-shaking. The charm of the book is in the relationships and dialog. It's not bad, but it lacks any depth. It's also a quick read.

Mature themes: there is no violence, but there are a couple of explicit love scenes.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other than the fact that this hero had ongoing relationship / commitment issues, this book has absolutely nothing to do with Mallery's "Hometown Heartbreakers" series. It isn't part of the series, but it shows as such almost everywhere.

My issue with the book (meaning only 3 stars) is the little girl, a 4-year old going on 30. There was little childish about her.

The setting was lovely, northern California, a big, beautiful old mansion on the coast. Points for that. And points for the heroine who was upfront honest and un-possessive about the little girl, regardless of how much she loved her niece.

Also the category romance cover is deceiving. It shows a couple - he's holding a child who looks to be 4-5 years old and there is a young girl, 10'ish or so. Throughout the entire book there is only the young 4-year old. Picky. Yeah, I know I am.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Susan Mallery books, for me, are either hit it miss. This one was a definite miss. The whole situation, especially Parker's reaction to finding out he had a daughter, is ridiculous. I just couldn't buy the basic premise of the book.

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

FULL-TIME FATHER

The plot was fine, the characters were likeable- but this story dragged on and on. I usually enjoy this author, but not so much with this book.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why this is part of this series. It has nothing to do with any of the other books

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-1/2 stars.

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 3-star only because I liked the narrator's voice for the 4-year-old little girl. Other than that, the story was sappy; the narration voice was annoying. Sorry!

Go Cards! L1C4!!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read!

Although the form of writing in this book was a little stilted and formal, I loved each of the characters and the progression of the story.

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good but predictable story of loss, love, romance, and family—both those you are born into and those you create by blood ties or with open hearts.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story…but gets a little bogged down

I like the characters for the most part but the last third of the book as pretty slow and boring.

[Zel Polev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was just an alright book but it wasn't really that compelling. There wasn't anything new in this book or particularly insightful, it was an entertaining but familiar read.

Hmm...I don't think I'm particularly fond of any scene. Christie was adorable but not enough to stand out.

My most disliked part of the book is Erin being an armchair psychologist to Parker. I disliked it because she was so biased. She had feelings for him and she was basically just lashing out over it being not reciprocated. He didn't know she had feelings for him and he took her diagnosis to heart since she was the experienced one when it comes to parenting. It worked out in the end I suppose but I really disliked that scene. If that behaviour was applied to other scenes, she wouldn't come out smelling like roses.

Oh actually, I thought it was particularly weird that her sister's behaviour was brushed off as an act of romantic. I do appreciate that Erin acknowledged her sister was being really selfish but it was glossed over since people don't make a habit of speaking ill of the dead. However, she took advantage of Parker being drunk and it was really scummy of her to lie about being in birth control. Also, twenty three year old is plenty old enough to know what you are doing. I feel like the account was sugar coated.

The story revolves around Parker, Christie, and Erin. Parker is a millionaire who was approached by Erin. She told him she was the father of a four year old he never knew about. He was initially skeptical but a picture of Christie convinced him. He was apprehensive over being a parent. He was closed off emotionally due to his upbringing. The death of his wife also affected him. He had a one night stand with Erin's sister. He berated her the morning after since he felt guilty. She left and discovered she was pregnant. She died after she gave birth and pushed all responsibilities of taking care of Christie to Erin. She also didn't tell her who the father was, therefore, Erin didn't have any support.

Years later, Erin discovered it was Parker and wanted Christie to have a father. They have an attraction. Parker is stuck in his emotionally stunted state. She falls for him. He loves Christie. He wants them both to stay. He is worried he'll mess Christie up. Erin struggles with waiting in the sidelines when it comes to living. She decides to go for it and stay with Parker. Parker realized he loves Erin and they stay together.

Five years later, they have a child and another one on the way. She is a famous artist whose profits go towards charity for young mothers.

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why I picked this one up to read. I enjoyed Susan Mallery's Sheikh's but not so keen on her current small town romances.

This particular scenario is one I usually avoid due to ick factor. Hero sleeps with heroine's sister and she gets pregnant and later dies. Heroine is bringing up baby and finding out Parker is the father, Erin takes four year old Christie to meet him. This is a surprisingly common trope so presumably I'm in the minority about disliking the scenario.

The story itself is well written enough with Parker full of angst over the death of his wife not long before his drunken one night stand with the sister, Stacey. Of course he has lots of guilt attached to how callously he treated her so altogether he thinks he's not a safe bet for any woman.

Erin is the cautious sister and unwilling to go out on a limb to seize the day.

There is a rather eccentric housekeeper who stirs the pot and provides some light relief.

The weirdest thing was the cover picture which shows a scene from the epilogue. Now I like my happy ever after guaranteed but don't expect it to be so clearly illustrated.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read a few books by this author, so when I read this intriguing synopsis I sat back and waited to be sucked into the story. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I couldn’t put this book down simply because I wanted to finish reading it. The characters seemed overly flawed and complicated. There also didn’t seem to be enough redeeming qualities in them to make them appear relatable. Both Erin and Parker spent so much of the story in their own way and pushing the other away, in one way or another. Parker spent so much time brooding, it was hard to tell what kind of man he was while Erin spent so much time hiding from life. Then, at the end suddenly all that they claimed was wrong or scary or difficult seemed to vanish. Which just made the story feel contrived and predictable. However, Parker’s relationship with Christie was beautifully written and charming to read. Christie brought a lightness and innocence to the story that I found compelling. I really liked that this book had an epilogue showing where the characters ended up. It brought the story full circle.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: "Part of bestselling Hometown Heartbreakers miniseries! When tragedy strikes, Erin Ridgeway and her orphaned niece work together with the child's father to make a family of their own."

My Review: While it says that this is part of a series, I don't think you have to read them in order. This is the first book I have read and I didn't feel lost at all. I listened to the audio version of the book and the narrator did a good job, though I found the little girl voice she used to be a little grating and also too young for the character. It was a short book but enjoyable to read, it moved along as you would expect it to with familiar tropes to the romance genre. I did enjoy Erin and Parker's character development and Kiki was a fantastic addition to the story. This is great for a quick, fluffy and emotional read but is a little cliché and predictable.

[VLynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was sweet with a bit of humor to keep things flowing without being sticky sweet. However, this is most definitely a woman's fantasy book. Parker is "female" version of the perfect man. Always sweet, always understanding, smelling wonderful, and feeling guilty for things out of his control (isn't that a female trait?). I bet this man never farts or burps, or gets grumpy. :) Cute story because of the female characters in this book. Christie and Kiki were my favorite, but Parker well he needs to... Grow a pair as the saying goes. :) But if you are looking for quick read, this a good book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars--it was really good but not quite amazing. I enjoyed the characters and the story was unique. I'm not rating it higher because I didn't fully understand Parker's misplaced sense of guilt/responsibility for Stacey and especially Robin's deaths. It seemed a little forced, which is unusual for Mallery's characters. I'm not sure how this connects to the other Hometown Heartbreakers books; it seemed more like a standalone novel to me, but I enjoyed Christie and watching how Erin and Parker interacted with her as much as I did seeing them interact with one another. Christie was definitely the center of this story and she was a delightful, precocious child.

[Toni Wulfekuhl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erin raises her niece as her own when her twin sister dies from complications of child birth. After 4 yrs she discovers the name of the child's father in her sister's diary. She seeks him out so the child can have a relationship with her father.

Parker is a wealthy computer geek who has relationship issues after his wife died 5 yrs ago and has kept to himself in his huge house on the ocean since.

Good book. Kind, caring, considerate characters. (Not today's "normal" reactions to these type of circumstances, but makes for a "easy to listen to" book.)

[Ginna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eeh... Daisy Wheeler has a charming voice has a narrator, but that is about all I can say for this book. Perhaps though, I am not interested in strictly romance novels. So if you are... give it a go...

I am fine with romance, but only if it is included in a book about people and their lives. I am just not interested in a book about one couple and the 2 of them getting together and 1 or 2 other people. So obviously if that is your thing... have at it...

Though, I must say, the writing is not stellar either, but that is just my opinion...

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very slow. It was difficult to pick up and continue reading. Repetitive and not much happening in the plot. Plus I spent most of the book trying to puzzle out what the cover had to do with the story. The answer is nothing to do with the story and everything to do with the epilogue, five years later, a few pages at the end of the book. What were they thinking? There are only four characters and all of them seemed a bit off somehow, not quite real.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of humor, but lots of drama too as two people try to grapple with learning what a family really is. One learning how to be a parent overnight when he finds out he has a 9 years old daughter and a woman (the aunt in this case) how to share a precious and precocious child with her biological father. Ms Mallery is great a putting humor into situations that are sometimes not so funny, but does it with a wonderful sense of what is right and good. Always enjoy her books.

[Roz Curney-Sherod · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars would be more accurate! Even though I enjoyed this story certain incidents you have to suspend belief! Both hero and heroine are likable characters and the little girl at the heart of the plot is very well written. I also really liked the house keeper but the author could have explained the relationship more between Parker and his deceased wife Robin. I didn’t understand the timeline between the child birth and Stacy’s death. Overall, an interesting story and one worth reading.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 5th book of this series and I liked it, but I have yet to figure out why it belongs in this series. I don't see any connection to the Haynes, Reynolds, or Harmons! I enjoyed the book, but it kind of felt like the same story, just re-written with different players...The hero with misplaced guilt and the heroine who is afraid to risk falling in love and, of course, your basic HEA!!!

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this certainly wasn't my favorite book by Susan Mallery, I still thought it was an easy read. It didn't seem to grab me the way some of her others books have, but it was still good.

However, I've only read one other book of the Hometown Heartbreakers, so maybe I missed something, but I'm not entirely sure how this book fit into the series.