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Shelter Valley Stories #9
Somebody's Baby
Discovering she has a twin in Arizona, Caroline Prater leaves her hometown, her family and her farm and drives west She’ll try to connect with her sister Phyllis, and she’ll seek out John Strickland, the father of her baby—if only to let him know. John, like Caroline, is widowed.
Arriving in Shelter Valley it’s not long before Caroline becomes part of the town’s life. And while she’s waiting for the right moment to approach Phyllis, her relationship with John is growing deeper—but that’s just for the baby’s sake. Or is it?
Arriving in Shelter Valley it’s not long before Caroline becomes part of the town’s life. And while she’s waiting for the right moment to approach Phyllis, her relationship with John is growing deeper—but that’s just for the baby’s sake. Or is it?
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2005
About the author
Tara Taylor Quinn
387 books1,459 followersTara Taylor Quinn began her love affair with Harlequin when she was fourteen years old and picked up a free promotional copy of a Harlequin Romance in a hometown grocery store. The relationship was solidified the year she was suspended from her high school typing class for hiding a Harlequin Romance behind the keys of her electric typewriter. Unaware that her instructor loomed close by, Ms. Quinn read blissfully on with one finger resting on the automatic repeating period key. She finished the book in the principal’s office. Forced to leave her romances in her locker after that, Ms. Quinn’s typing skills improved - a fact for which she is eternally grateful.
With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”
Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.
Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.
When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..
With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”
Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.
Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.
When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 23, 2016
Caroline is adopted, and wants to seek out her twin sister Phyllis, a resident of Shelter Valley, AZ. Desperate to feel close to her sister, and reeling from the death of her husband six months prior, she spends the night with another of Shelter Valley's citizens, widower John - and becomes pregnant. Now she has two reasons to leave her small Kentucky hometown and try to make a home in Arizona. But Phyllis doesn't know she exists, and John has sworn to never fall in love and marry since the death of his wife...
A thoroughly unromantic Superromance from Tara Taylor Quinn. I've noticed with every TTQ book that I've read that I really can't feel any love between the characters, and it was more obvious with this book than with most. Hero and heroine don't even mention having any feelings - let alone being in love - towards each other until ten pages from the end, which makes it feel a bit insta-love, despite the fact that they've known each other for months and are expecting a baby.
Sometimes Taylor Quinn's characters and plotlines make up for the lack of romantic feeling (for example, A Child's Wish, which I consider one of her best books). That didn't happen here for me. I found Caroline somewhat insipid, John read like a secondary character rather than a hero, and the whole unexpected baby plotline just didn't do it for me - though I did like the estranged-twin plot, and the scenes between Phyllis and Caroline.
An unsatisfying read overall, and not one I'll keep. 2-2.5 stars.
A thoroughly unromantic Superromance from Tara Taylor Quinn. I've noticed with every TTQ book that I've read that I really can't feel any love between the characters, and it was more obvious with this book than with most. Hero and heroine don't even mention having any feelings - let alone being in love - towards each other until ten pages from the end, which makes it feel a bit insta-love, despite the fact that they've known each other for months and are expecting a baby.
Sometimes Taylor Quinn's characters and plotlines make up for the lack of romantic feeling (for example, A Child's Wish, which I consider one of her best books). That didn't happen here for me. I found Caroline somewhat insipid, John read like a secondary character rather than a hero, and the whole unexpected baby plotline just didn't do it for me - though I did like the estranged-twin plot, and the scenes between Phyllis and Caroline.
An unsatisfying read overall, and not one I'll keep. 2-2.5 stars.
February 9, 2016
I absolutely love this. It's my favorite from the Shelter Valley series. So much angst. Flawed but extremely likeable and relateable hero and heroine. I can't help but root for them. In fact, I want my very own John and a friend like Caroline. I don't care much for the scenes and side stories of the other characters and skip them whenever I reread the book. I wish it was longer so that there would be more John-Caroline interaction and scenes. I could not get enough.
I was going to rate it 4 stars because there wasn't a lot of John and Caroline on the last few pages. The ending of Somebody's Baby was kind of cluttered with the other Shelter Valley residents. But heck, I love John and Caroline to pieces and this is their book so 5 stars it is. Now that there are new Shelter Valley books coming out, I hope the author, Ms Quinn would feature the Stricklands prominently. They are wonderful and I really want to know what happened to them. In fact, why not release a new novel about John and Caroline? With the extended families and unusual background of their romance, there is so much potential and possibilities in their story.
I was going to rate it 4 stars because there wasn't a lot of John and Caroline on the last few pages. The ending of Somebody's Baby was kind of cluttered with the other Shelter Valley residents. But heck, I love John and Caroline to pieces and this is their book so 5 stars it is. Now that there are new Shelter Valley books coming out, I hope the author, Ms Quinn would feature the Stricklands prominently. They are wonderful and I really want to know what happened to them. In fact, why not release a new novel about John and Caroline? With the extended families and unusual background of their romance, there is so much potential and possibilities in their story.
April 12, 2014
Stayed up til all hours reading this. I'd missed Shelter Valley. :)
January 8, 2015
(M&B) after sorting out the characters and somehow getting a handle on the action, this turned out to be quite an interesting story
December 14, 2016
Not bad story, except romance between H and h was not there.
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June 17, 2017A story about twin girls separated at birth and the efforts of one to find the other. Add to this a one night stand resulting in pregnancy, an alcoholic husband (who was killed in a farm accident) and you have a really good story. The Shelter Valley series is a strong read with good writing and believeable characters.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews