Daddy by Default

by Pat Tucker

Roxanne Redman’s husband hasn’t fathered a child, but he’s suddenly arrested for fifty-thousand dollars’ worth of delinquent child support— and their nightmare is just beginning.

Roxanne’s husband, Parker Redman, is shocked when he’s arrested for delinquent child support...especially since the devoted husband hasn’t fathered any children. The Parkers’ best friends, James and Serena, are in the final stages of a bitter divorce. When the divorce is final, James believes his nightmare is over—that’s when he learns his daughter has a different daddy.

Single mom Lachez Baker is a ghetto-fabulous mother of three who seems to have it all, thanks to money from her children’s fathers. But soon, her life of designer clothes, endless parties, and steady cash collides with the man who’s been the target of her carefully crafted paternity fraud. From author Pat Tucker comes a drama-filled tale of lies, schemes and consequences as these men discover the importance of knowing the paternity laws in your state.

Genres: Fiction

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2010

Reviews

[Yolanda Gore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pat Tucker is truly making a household name for herself. This is the first book I have read by her but she has written other books and a few under various aliases. I will definitely be reading other books by her. I love her writing style. She knows how to reel in the reader from the beginning. Daddy by Default takes us on a roller coaster ride with two different men. Both men are living nice comfortable lives with their family until drama and scandal hit the fan. There is Parker Redman and his wife Roxanne. On the same day that he is trying to help his wife cope with another miscarriage, Parker is arrested on their drive back home from the hospital. The charge: delinquent child support. Roxanne and Parker are dumbfounded. Parker doesn't have any children. Immediately, I could feel the knife that Roxanne felt was put in her back. Then there is Parker's best friend James and the problems he is having with his wife Serena. They are going through a messy divorce. While all of this is going on, James learns that his daughter, Semaj(James spelled backwards) isn't his. On top of that, throw in Lachez Baker who is living the ghetto-fabulous life by milking the system makes for a great story.

I like how Pat Tucker takes us on the journey of the justice system, paternity rights and responsibilities. I wasn't aware until I read this story that each state has various paternity laws. It is very important that men read the laws for their state or the state where the woman lives. Pat Tucker is a former television news reporter, so she has investigated these types of stories. Sadly, I wasn't surprised by the things Lachez did to get paid by the state. Even though Daddy by Default is fiction, the stories are real. It is a must read. I advise everyone to read it; especially men.

Do you want to know if the charges against Parker were dropped? Did he have to pay the delinquent child support, even though the child isn't his? Did Roxanne stand by him? What happened with Serena, James and Semaj? Did the system finally figure out what Lachez? You will have to read the book to find out. So, what are you waiting on? Go get your copy. You will not be disappointed.

[OOSA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daddy By Default

Parker and his wife Roxanne want nothing more than to be parents. However, Roxanne cannot maintain a pregnancy; so imagine their surprise when Parker is arrested for delinquent child support. Simply saying "I'm not the father" isn't getting Parker out of jail.

James, Parker's best friend, knows Parker would be a great father and can't believe his boy is in jail. James has his own problems. He's going through a messy divorce with Serena and can only see his daughter Semaj on her terms. He has offered to pay child support without an argument. That's until a routine health exam reveals he is not the father.

Lachez has built a grand lifestyle off of the fathers of her three children, despite the fact that she has no real idea who their fathers really are. Lachez is expecting a financial windfall from her paternity fraud scheme.

“Daddy by Default” is an excellent story that shows you the importance of knowing the paternity laws in your state. It also gives you a male perspective on the situation, which is rare. I would've liked more on Serena's role in everything and how she handled telling her daughter the truth.

Reviewed by: Alicia

[Karma Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, entertaining, fast paced read. The storyline drew me in because you often don't read books about the struggles men have with paternity suits. There a part 2 scheduled to come out later this year and I can't wait to see if justice is finally served! This book also made me curious to find out if the statue of limitations on filing paternity disputes is indeed really 30 days. It has me wondering if that part was more fact then fiction. I recommend this book to anyone looking for some drama.

[Mzamtvip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opener for me! Can't help but suspect that this book is grounded in fact. This story schools us of the oposing issues men who may want to do the right thing may face at the hands of unscrupulous women who are baby-makers for profit. Story takes unexpected turn as the real villain is revealed! Wow -- you never know how treacherous and deceitful a woman can be!

[Zaqueria · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I had to summarize Daddy by Default in one sentence, it would be: “Misogyny wrapped in melodrama, tied together with legal inaccuracies and plot holes you could drive a U-Haul through.”
From the jump, Pat Tucker seems less interested in telling a compelling story and more interested in punishing women—especially her female characters. The main female lead can’t seem to do anything without asking her husband for permission, approval, or basic direction, and only starts questioning her own life when a manipulative "friend" spoon-feeds her feelings like she’s incapable of thinking for herself. Independent thought? Never heard of it.
And the two other women? Cartoonish villains without depth, purpose, or even a halfway decent redemption or origin arc. They’re just… bad. Because women bad, I guess?
Meanwhile, the men are infantilized to the point of parody. Even the "bad guy" is treated like a tragic victim, despite having the emotional range of a potato and the intellect to match. It's hard to root for anyone in this book when the smartest thing any character does is… absolutely nothing.
But the real jaw-dropper? The complete butchering of legal facts. The story hinges on a misunderstanding (or willful misrepresentation) of how paternity and default judgments actually work—particularly in Texas. Spoiler alert: if a man didn’t receive proper notice of a paternity suit, he has legal grounds to contest the judgment after the fact. He can file a motion to vacate, request genetic testing, and the court will absolutely take fraud and lack of service into account. So the entire foundation of the book’s drama? Dead on arrival.
Ultimately, Daddy by Default fails as a legal drama, fails as a character study, and definitely fails as a balanced narrative. It reads like a personal vendetta against women, a pity party for underdeveloped men, and a complete misunderstanding of family court law. The title should’ve been Logic by Default, because the book certainly didn’t use any.
Hard pass.

[Mickey Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shocked me, pissed me off even! I must say the name says it all! Getting arrested and having to pay child support for a child that ain’t yours, you never even met the mother of the child to have sex with her. Proving to the court everything possible just for the judge to tell you that you STILL have to pay child support is diabolical!!!

[reneeNaDaCherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daddy by Default (Zane Presents)

I liked the info this story presents according to TX law. If you are named as the father in a paternity suit, you have 30 days to confirm or deny. Otherwise you are, by law, the 🚼 daddy.

[lonita owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Default

This was a very good book. It really showed how how the system can be. This situation can and probably has happened to so many men. So even though the book is fiction it didn't feel as though it was.... Great read!

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story although it did take me awhile to read,it had an interesting concept but sad I hope this has never happened to any man because it's just messed up if it did! This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last!

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book with drama and lies. It’s about a man that was arrested and accused of not paying child support. I didn’t really like some of the characters because of their attitude and secrets. I just realized there’s a sequel to this book, which I’ll read whenever I get a copy.

[Autumn Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay urban fiction novel. I think the wrong emotions were used a lot of times for the audiobook so it was a little, ehhh. But the book was a fun read and the characters were interesting.

[Catherine Ross]

Wow! This book is crazy. The characters are relatable. This could happened. It is not that hard to believe that someone would go that far to get back at a man.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not for me. I never connected with the characters and I was turned off by all the profanity. DNF for me as 20%.

[Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well dang! That was swift! And infuriating! And Roxy…chile….she pissed me off!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg!!! I was just randomly looking for audio books for noise while I work. This book pulls you in right from the beginning! I was angry right along with the main character Parker. The voices, the pauses, you felt like you were right there with all the characters! It's a shame that this type of situation probably happens in real life and it probably destroys families. I'm not sure what year this book was written, I'll go back and look at that, but I pray states are have changed the laws to better protect in these situations.

[Carmen Blalock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who is a parent knows it is a difficult but rewarding job, but when things start to happen as a result of no fault of your own it really starts to take a toll on parenthood.

Roxanne and Parker Redman are a couple who has been married for 3 years and are trying very hard to have a baby. After a miscarriage Roxanne and Parker's lives are further turned upside down and they are not sure if they can recover from this latest misfortune.

James and Serena Carson are friends to Roxanne and Parker and have 2 children. When James and Serena's daughter Semaj is rushed to the hospital with her latest bout of Sickle Cell Anemia some interesting revelations are discovered that leaves everyone stunned!

Lachez Baker is a single mother with 3 kids. Her only job is to hustle money from guys that she dates but when she discovers a basically foolproof scheme, not even Lachez can pass it up, but some things are just too good to be true!

Through a series of events the lives of these 3 families with cross and the result will be a catastrophe! How do you go about being a good person and a better parent when the deck is stacked against you?

Zane Presents Daddy by Default is a great read for an individual or a bookclub because it gives you lots to talk about, I even found myself talking to the book asking questions! Pat Tucker captured the emotions of everyone involved with these intersecting stories and brought it all to a head perfectly! This is a must read, run and get it RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shatoya Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in one day because I was anxious to find out what would happen next. I was really interested because I felt the book was honest about the laws. In OK, the man is given 2 years after two years, the child is his regardless of the DNA test. So if James was in OK, he would be responsible for Semaj until age 18. I know this book is fiction but I know similar thing have really happened. These laws really need to be looked into and changed to catch up with the times.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parker Redman and his wife Roxanne are on their way home from the hospital after another miscarriage. Parker is pulled over for speeding and is arrested for non-payment of child support. This is a huge surprise to Parker and Roxanne. Roxanne is so upset with her husband Parker. This is a great book which deals with faith. Parker tries to convince Roxanne that he don’t have and kids out in the world….

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of those books that grabs your attention. In some parts i would have to reread and see if what i read was right it was a lot of drama between the married couples that involved children. I know if you start to read this book you wont want to put it down. There is lots of detail in the story about whats going on.

[Tyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the dialect annoying after a while. I'm sure that there are a number of African Americans who do speak this way, but they aren't the people I know. I also thought that a couple of the story lines didn't have a conclusion. And, all I can say, is if this can really happen to men, the legal system has GOT to change!

[SlimmGoodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting to me basically because it was a different topic than I am used to reading. The ending was predictable so it took away from the story for me. The divorcee, Serena, was a little extra, her character was so cold and inhumane. But other than that it was ok. I do not plan on reading the 2nd book neither would I recommend it as a read for anyone else.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down this books was very good. Parker a married man dealt a bad hand due to the law of missed deadline to question paternity. Lachez Ms. ghetto diva herself finds her plan to get rich land her in more trouble than she bargains for. James, Parker's best friend has his own share of paternity to prove when dealing with his soon to be ex wife.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the dialect annoyed me from time to time, the story gripped me. This could have been my kids story if not for their adoption. Well, maybe that's a little dramatizing on my part, but as I said the story really gripped me.

[Shone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing , and full of drama. Roxanna and Parker are in a state of depression when their marriage is hit with a thousand pound cyder block. The more they try to break it down the larger it and more complicated it gets. Read the story to see who is behind all this drama and why.

[Latoria Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to finish this book. The first six chapters was boring as well as the characters. It began to pick up more than halfway through but by then I figured out the plot and the ending was a complete waste of my time. I hope football widows will be a better read.

[ShayBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is OMGEEEZ, this was a page turner I had to find out how this was going to end and I can honestly say I was Shocked and it did not end like I thought it would. I cannot wait to read the next one. This is my first book by her and it definitely will not be the last.

[Erica Stinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lachez. That is all. lol...I am actually reading the prequel of the same name, which goes further into her past. I thought this was a cute and funny(at times)book. Shame that this kind of thing happens in real life, though. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Kim Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pat Tucker is an excellent storyteller. The book had me on the edge of my seat trying to connect the dots between the characters! Great job Pat. Can't wait to finish Football Widows!!

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned some very informative information regarding paternity. Great Read :)))

[Nandi Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thought provoking book about