Some Kind of Wonderful

Holiday shop owner Carol Baker infuses her business and her life with peace and good will. But she has secrets from her past that make her all the more determined to someday have a family of her own. She never expects a sweltering July heat wave to bring the gift of a baby girl who needs a mother's love...and a man who needs to heal his wounded soul.Ex-LAPD copy Jack Reilly's back in town--temporarily--to fill in for the ailing local sheriff. Haunted by the tragedy that made him leave Los Angeles, Jack doesn't believe in "forever." His sassy landlady Carol, with her year-round Chistmas spirit, gorgeous smile, and adorable little foster daughter, Liz, begin to bring him back to life. But the past has a way of coming back again, and the dark places of the heart have a way of staying hidden. Still, good things have a way of happening in Christmas--and if the Reillys have anything to say about it, what develops between Carol and Jack will be some kind of wonderful...From BooklistChild deftly invokes the full range of human emotion in this contemporary romance set in the determinedly festive town of Christmas, California, where the holiday season lasts all year. Carol moved here several years ago and finally has a home and a dog of her own after being orphaned at a young age and raised in foster care. Suddenly her safe little world is turned on end when she discovers that the baby Jesus statue in the town square's life-size Nativity scene has been replaced by a live newborn. Unwilling to subject the child to the system, she offers to become a temporary foster mother. Complicating the matter, the temporary sheriff, ex-LAPD cop Jack Reilly, is a dark and brooding soul, tormented by survivor guilt. Against her will, Carol finds herself falling in love with both baby Liz and gruff, growling Jack. The plot of this thoroughly satisfying tale is intriguingly complicated with journal entries written by Liz's mother, multiple points of view skillfully presented, and a host of well-developed supporting characters. Lynne WelchCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReview"Maureen Child infuses her writing with the perfect blend of laughter, tears and romance. her well-crafted characters, humor, and understanding of what it mean to be part of a family make each of her novels a treat to be savored."--Jill Marie Landis, author of Lover's Lane