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Thompson Siblings #1
The Mommy Plan
Mills & Boon Blush series brings you moving, true-to-life romances
Even though her dad calls her Unsinkable Molly McClain, eight-year-old Molly knows he worries about her all the time. In her opinion, he needs someone else to think about. And Molly's found the perfect candidate Miss Rachel, the arts and crafts instructor at Camp Firefly Wishes. Now all Molly has to do is get them together.
Rachel Thompson isn't sure she's ready for this camp or these kids. For one thing, the campers and their parents talk openly about their experiences, something Rachel's not prepared to do. Her secret is too painful. But little Molly and her father are hard to resist. Slowly they're teaching Rachel to value the past, deal with the present and believe in the future.
Even though her dad calls her Unsinkable Molly McClain, eight-year-old Molly knows he worries about her all the time. In her opinion, he needs someone else to think about. And Molly's found the perfect candidate Miss Rachel, the arts and crafts instructor at Camp Firefly Wishes. Now all Molly has to do is get them together.
Rachel Thompson isn't sure she's ready for this camp or these kids. For one thing, the campers and their parents talk openly about their experiences, something Rachel's not prepared to do. Her secret is too painful. But little Molly and her father are hard to resist. Slowly they're teaching Rachel to value the past, deal with the present and believe in the future.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Susan Gable
23 books82 followersBooks have always been my constant companions, all the way back to when I was reading Gus, The Friendly Ghost from the Weekly Reader Book Club. I grew up in a house of readers, and my mom bought me books like other parents bought their kids candy. I did well in school, finishing my work quickly - so I could read. I never went anywhere without a book. It was no surprise that in high school, I was voted Class Bookworm - and scored the Valedictorian slot. (Yes, I was slightly geeky. But only slightly. Never mind what my high school classmates say. )
In elementary school, I loved writing stories and keeping a journal. In high school, I wrote lots of poetry filled with the usual teen-age angst. I wrote the lyrics to my brand-new high school's alma mater. But did I ever consider a career as a writer back then? No, not at all.
I went to college and became an elementary teacher, spending ten years passing on my love for books and reading to children. I adored being a teacher. I will admit, the year I was pregnant with my son, I actually started a novel for young adults, and I outlined a concept for some children's series books. But, those things fell by the wayside.
Then I moved from New Jersey, the state where I'd been born and raised and worked for all those years. After a one year stint in West Virginia, I landed in Erie, Pennsylvania. I absolutely love Erie - though I love it most in June, July, and August. But I discovered that getting a teacher's certificate in PA is....well, not easy, to say the least. I taught in a private school here the first year, then I homeschooled my son for a year. At the end of that year, I needed SOMETHING to restore my sanity (let me just say that I admire those who can homeschool successfully - for me, I wanted to trade my son, whom I love very much, in for 25 kids that belonged to other people) - and I turned to writing fiction.
I started by dabbling in fanfiction, and wrote like a woman possessed. (After all, I did hear voices in my head. ) I learned a lot about the craft of writing from other fanfiction writers. Over and over again, romances surfaced in my fanfiction stories.
Then, in Dec. 1999, I decided that I was going to go for it. I made it my New Year's Resolution to learn all I could about writing romance, and to do it. I had a five-year goal - I wanted to sell a novel by the time I turned 40 - five years from then. I did reserve the right to modify that goal in the future. I signed up for an on-line writing romance class, joined Romance Writers of America and Pennwriters, and started writing my first romance novel.
Which had some serious failings. ;-) But I finished it. A whole novel. And sent off a query letter and received the rite-of-passage, a form rejection. I retitled the book, reworked it toward another publisher, sent off another query, received another rejection. Hey, no one ever said it was going to be easy.
Meanwhile, I'd started another book, and while the characters were a lot of fun, I wasn't totally sure where the story was going.
Somehow, the basic premise for The Baby Plan was born while I was playing with GMC's (Goal, Motivation, & Conflicts) for that other book. Then, Harley sprang to life, and that was it. The other book had to be abandoned, because Harley insisted I write her story. She wouldn't let me rest.
In February of 2002, I got THE CALL from Harlequin Superromance ®, saying they wanted to buy The Baby Plan. I did my best to act dignified on the phone, then yelled like a banshee when I hung up. To say I was thrilled is the understatement of the century.
I've now gone Indie with my books, and I'm loving being in complete control over the decisions I make with my books. I hope you enjoy them.
In elementary school, I loved writing stories and keeping a journal. In high school, I wrote lots of poetry filled with the usual teen-age angst. I wrote the lyrics to my brand-new high school's alma mater. But did I ever consider a career as a writer back then? No, not at all.
I went to college and became an elementary teacher, spending ten years passing on my love for books and reading to children. I adored being a teacher. I will admit, the year I was pregnant with my son, I actually started a novel for young adults, and I outlined a concept for some children's series books. But, those things fell by the wayside.
Then I moved from New Jersey, the state where I'd been born and raised and worked for all those years. After a one year stint in West Virginia, I landed in Erie, Pennsylvania. I absolutely love Erie - though I love it most in June, July, and August. But I discovered that getting a teacher's certificate in PA is....well, not easy, to say the least. I taught in a private school here the first year, then I homeschooled my son for a year. At the end of that year, I needed SOMETHING to restore my sanity (let me just say that I admire those who can homeschool successfully - for me, I wanted to trade my son, whom I love very much, in for 25 kids that belonged to other people) - and I turned to writing fiction.
I started by dabbling in fanfiction, and wrote like a woman possessed. (After all, I did hear voices in my head. ) I learned a lot about the craft of writing from other fanfiction writers. Over and over again, romances surfaced in my fanfiction stories.
Then, in Dec. 1999, I decided that I was going to go for it. I made it my New Year's Resolution to learn all I could about writing romance, and to do it. I had a five-year goal - I wanted to sell a novel by the time I turned 40 - five years from then. I did reserve the right to modify that goal in the future. I signed up for an on-line writing romance class, joined Romance Writers of America and Pennwriters, and started writing my first romance novel.
Which had some serious failings. ;-) But I finished it. A whole novel. And sent off a query letter and received the rite-of-passage, a form rejection. I retitled the book, reworked it toward another publisher, sent off another query, received another rejection. Hey, no one ever said it was going to be easy.
Meanwhile, I'd started another book, and while the characters were a lot of fun, I wasn't totally sure where the story was going.
Somehow, the basic premise for The Baby Plan was born while I was playing with GMC's (Goal, Motivation, & Conflicts) for that other book. Then, Harley sprang to life, and that was it. The other book had to be abandoned, because Harley insisted I write her story. She wouldn't let me rest.
In February of 2002, I got THE CALL from Harlequin Superromance ®, saying they wanted to buy The Baby Plan. I did my best to act dignified on the phone, then yelled like a banshee when I hung up. To say I was thrilled is the understatement of the century.
I've now gone Indie with my books, and I'm loving being in complete control over the decisions I make with my books. I hope you enjoy them.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 22, 2012
This book deals with a very heavy subject, children who have had organ transplants, the parents dealing with uncertainty and parents whose children have been organ donors.
The heroine Rachel is falling apart, she can't seem to function at all & now her teaching job is at risk and she has been sent by her father to a camp where transplant children come. For Rachel her grief is too personal, her son Daniel died one and a half years ago and she hasn't been able to deal with it.
The hero James, is a single, over-protective parent whose daughter Molly received a transplant. He adores his daughter and she is his life. His ex-wife left since Molly was born with a birth defect but he's been there always and hasn't had time for dating or anything.
Molly wants her father to date since he is alone and worries too much about her.
James is a counselor but he wants to be Rachel's friend and so he is and soon they are getting in deeper but he doesn't know if Rachel can withstand the hospital visits etc
I liked the book, the subject it dealt with was heavy but I have read much better by this author.
The heroine Rachel is falling apart, she can't seem to function at all & now her teaching job is at risk and she has been sent by her father to a camp where transplant children come. For Rachel her grief is too personal, her son Daniel died one and a half years ago and she hasn't been able to deal with it.
The hero James, is a single, over-protective parent whose daughter Molly received a transplant. He adores his daughter and she is his life. His ex-wife left since Molly was born with a birth defect but he's been there always and hasn't had time for dating or anything.
Molly wants her father to date since he is alone and worries too much about her.
James is a counselor but he wants to be Rachel's friend and so he is and soon they are getting in deeper but he doesn't know if Rachel can withstand the hospital visits etc
I liked the book, the subject it dealt with was heavy but I have read much better by this author.
August 19, 2012
4 1/2 Stars ~ When a playground accident brought a declaration of brain death, the hardest part was letting go of her 4 1/2 year old son while his heart still beat. Rachel didn't want them to cut her son's perfect body, but her father and ex-husband convinced her that his death could mean life to other children. And so Rachel became the mother of a donor child, and much of her new life was spent watching the paint peel. From the moment James met the pretty art teacher, he knew there was something deep inside her eating away at her soul. He'd promised to take off his Dr. Psychologist hat for the two week duration of summer camp, and just be a Dad for his transplant recipient daughter. Hopefully the weak child Molly had been would be forever a memory. Even though a new heart beat strongly, James couldn't help his need to over protect his daughter. Molly wants more freedom to enjoy her new life, and that means getting her Dad to focus on someone else. She's seen the look of interest in her Dad's eye when he looked at Miss Rachel and this sets the 10 year old on a mission of matchmaking. Rachel's never really dealt with her son's death, and facing these brave families is hard for her. When James learns of her tragic loss, he instinctively wants to help her, and slowly he and Molly unlock her heart and show her how to live again.
Though there are wonderfully warm moments, this is not a warm and fuzzy feeling romance. Molly's an awesome character, eager for new experiences and full of the wisdom of a survivor. She brings out the best in both James and Rachel. Though Rachel has tremendous baggage, James holds steady and refuses to let her sink under the weight. Rachel fully understanding James fear of losing Molly, helps him to loosen the over protective hold. Ms. Gable has a remarkable talent for breathing life into her characters, offering sobering storylines and then balancing them with poignant and joyful moments. This is a story that will stay in my heart for some time.
Though there are wonderfully warm moments, this is not a warm and fuzzy feeling romance. Molly's an awesome character, eager for new experiences and full of the wisdom of a survivor. She brings out the best in both James and Rachel. Though Rachel has tremendous baggage, James holds steady and refuses to let her sink under the weight. Rachel fully understanding James fear of losing Molly, helps him to loosen the over protective hold. Ms. Gable has a remarkable talent for breathing life into her characters, offering sobering storylines and then balancing them with poignant and joyful moments. This is a story that will stay in my heart for some time.
December 29, 2017
I really loved this book! I don't usually give 5 stars to a Harlequin romance, but this book was so much more than just a romance between the man and woman, it was really about the love of a family, or becoming a family. This is about a little girl, Molly McClain, who recieved, a few years prior, a donor heart. It's also about a woman, Rachel Thompson, who, a few years back, lost her son in an accident, and donated his organs to help others in need. Rachel goes to the summer camp Molly is attending, Camp Firefly Wishes, for kids like Molly that have recieved donated hearts, because it is a part of Rachel's therapy. There, Rachel meets Molly and her dad, James, who councels Rachel. They develop strong feelings for each other, but it's much more than just a romance. It's about overcoming emotional obsticles, learning to trust, and become a real family. A wonderful, heartfelt book that I had a hard time putting down.
February 12, 2019
A Tearjerker.
A beautiful story, with a happy ending, about the heartbreak of losing a child and the highs and lows of organ transplants. Well worth reading. Warning don’t read this book when you have a cold it will make your headache worse!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A beautiful story, with a happy ending, about the heartbreak of losing a child and the highs and lows of organ transplants. Well worth reading. Warning don’t read this book when you have a cold it will make your headache worse!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 26, 2010
– Susan Gable is a good writer who knows how to create characters that will touch your heart. While The Mommy Plan is on the huggy / feely / perfect fairytale ending side of things, it was still a good read. Molly is too cute and her machinations are reminiscent of The Parent Trap. ~ Ana, www.ireadromance.com
February 20, 2013
Molly was an excellent character! Her story was sweet and her father, James, was a terrific guy. Rachel, our heroine, was a little hard to understand because sometimes she was hurt and grieving too much and other times cold and miserable. Excellent resolution to all the story lines but Molly definitely made the story.
October 10, 2010
Ohh my, I've never thought about organ donors like this before and I really thought this was well written and I was crying in several parts of this book. It really touched me and I would reconmend this to anyone.
November 12, 2013
This was a really cute and emotional book. I loved Molly, and her relationship with Miss Rachel.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews