This was great! I have enjoyed each and every one of the books in the Boston Classics series so far. This is the fourth book in the series but it would work perfectly well as a stand-alone. This book brought together so many elements that I love into a delightful story that I didn’t want to put down. I had a fantastic time reading this book.

I must admit that I was a little nervous when I discovered that this book was a secret baby story because those only work for me if certain conditions are met. I had nothing to worry about because this story was executed very well. Bella is a single mom who is focused on taking care of her daughter. She has a more colorful past from her time starring in a soap opera but she tries to stay out of the spotlight these days. She agrees to take on a producer role on a television show because she cannot turn down the paycheck. She never imagines that she will cross paths with Henry. Henry just arrived in town to direct this new show and he is determined to do a good job. He has always thought of the girl he knew years ago before his life took a turn.

I really liked the characters in this book. Bella and Henry were both great people and I thought that the chemistry between them was amazing. Henry was very forgiving which proved just how much of a good guy he is. Throw in an adorable kid, a dog, a bookstore, a couple of cats, and some family drama and I was a happy camper. I liked the 80’s references and enjoyed the few times that the mention of something from that period sent me on a trip down memory lane.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this story to be really well-done with a believable second-chance romance and great characters at its core. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from the author. ( )

Child of Mine is the fourth entry in author Karen Grey’s marvelous Boston Classics nostalgic romance series. It’s wonderful as a standalone and it’s the perfect continuation of a series I hope lasts forever. Karen Grey doesn’t just remind us about the 1980s. We’re not reading about them – we are living them again. It’s like being in your goofy past, hooking up again with familiar old friends. The clothes, the hair, the music, the attitudes, the catch phrases. The social mores and dating scene that are different than today but the love and loss and hope and heartbreak – and the handsome, sexy guys with smiles that make you melt - are just the same. Will, Ben and Cal to name a few. And now there is Henry. Struggling with a lot of things, but single-minded when he sees the woman he wants. Even if it scares him.

In 1982, two people experience a moment of magic. Real magic. Unexpected, instant attraction, stars, violins, this might be it wow magic. And then, like sometimes happens with magic – poof! And these two people are left wondering, “What if?”

Jump to 1989. Bella York has a quiet life and wants to keep it that way. Raising her (incredibly precocious) daughter and working at the bookstore with her mother and being part of a local theater group is as much excitement as she wants. Until money becomes a big, big problem and she needs to get a job and ends up at the PBS station WGBH. But she doesn’t want her past to ever resurface. Enter Henry Smith, whose life is actually too quiet and who wants to see if he can get back on track after having to abruptly return home years ago and jump off the fast-track train. He, too, is starting work at WGBH. When he and Bella see each other – WHOA! Bella wonders if she can just run home and stay there. Because . . . well, because would be a spoiler and you need to read Child of Mine for yourself and enjoy every single minute of it like I did. But just let me tell you that the room gets pretty crowded with Bella and Izzy and Quinn and Henry and Hal in it! Pretty funny, and pretty steamy!

Author Grey is such a good writer. She has a knack for balancing the humor with the sadness, the fear to jump in with the desire to change life for the better, and for inserting phrases that make you laugh out loud, put your hand to your heart and say, “Awww,” or make you reach for a tissue. The plot is solid and just takes you along with it, making you love these characters so much you never want to leave them, and you want everything to be all right. Saying that Henry looks like a combination of Kurt Russell and Leif Garrett right off the bat doesn’t hurt, either. And the nostalgia of the crazy 1980s is a bonus.

Child of Mine is serious, sweet, saucy, and sexy, sexy, sexy all rolled into one. Old favorite characters appear, expanding the big, happy family we’ve come to love. Lilah is adorable in a so thoughtful and solemn it’s almost scary kind of way. Both Bella and Henry have some issues from the past that must be resolved if there is to be a future. There are surprises and unexpected revelations that need to be worked out. Grey juggles it all to a very satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to author Karen Grey for providing an advance copy of Child of Mine for my reading pleasure and honest review. I love this series and as I finish each book I think, “Wow, that one was the best.” Great characters, great plot, great smooches . . . what more could you want? All opinions are my own. ( )