AUTHOR: Valerie Comer
DATE: 2015
PUBLISHER: GreenWords Media
STARS: *****
Kelly Bryant's young daughter wants a daddy and sets her sights on her new best friend's single father. The man may be charming, sweet, and a believer, but Kelly is embarrassed. She extracts a pinky promise from her six-year-old to stop proposing to men on her behalf.
Ian Tomlinson isn't looking for a wife but does need care for his daughter during spring break the week after his move to Riverbend. He hates to ask Kelly — and plant ideas in the girls' minds — but he's rather low on options.
How can two single parents fall in love for real with a pair of mini-matchmakers pushing from both sides — pinky promises or not?
I received this novella as a gift when I subscribed to Valerie Comer’s newsletter, and it turned out to be a sweet treat, just what I needed. I’d already read the first book of this series, Secretly Yours, a while ago, so I expected an enjoyable story. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with two precocious, unrelated “twins.” Elena and Sophie stole the story, but they’re such adorable scene-stealers, they made my day.
This is a novella, not a full novel, so the timeline is tight, but it didn’t feel rushed. The inevitable romance between Kelly and Ian seemed realistic. Sometimes love blooms quickly, as I know from experience, and I loved the journey from initial attraction, through doubts, to the happy ending.
I had to chuckle at the author’s blatant product placement, a mention of her Farm Fresh series. It fit into the story, so why not?
This lighthearted story took only a few hours to read, but Pinky Promise made those hours enjoyable. This book earns five stars from me.