A Baby by Christmas

During her six months of marriage to Jake, Elise failed to consider the effect of having her deceased husband's picture by the bedside, or the effect of her emphasis on procreation at the expense of all of else. But when Jake suddenly discovers that he is the father of a special needs child, the very foundations of their marriage prove to be made of sand. She is not ready to be the mother of someone else's child. He is not prepared to give up his son. Only the fact that Jake cannot gain custody of his child without being married forces both he and Elise to confront their deepest feelings. Truthfully, somewhere along the way a marriage formed for the purpose of having a child had brought unexpected love. But due to the new stresses of their lives, now it has brought unexpected heart ache. But mutual love and love for a special child might just be enough to bring this unexpected family together by Christmas. Linda Warren pens a heartwarming tale of second chances in A BABY BY CHRISTMAS. She deftly exploits one of the best benefits of writing for the Superromance line by bringing together mature characters under unusual circumstances. Certainly they discover new love, but not through the traditional plot devices. Instead, she creates a masterfully fresh plot and wonderful, yet wounded, characters that discover marvelous possibilities. With such a wonderful storyline, readers will easily forgive a child that is rather too precocious for his circumstances. A wonderful read that belongs the keeper shelf, A BABY BY CHRISTMAS comes very highly recommended.

In Texas in her mid thirties with her biological clock ticking, Elise wanted a baby for a long time, but her beloved husband died ten years ago. The English Lit professor knows that was the prime reason she remarried six months ago. However, she has had no success with becoming pregnant though she and her second spouse Jake have tried. Jake feels Elise's pain and disappointment over their constant failure for he would do anything he could for his beloved, but is weary of her belief that he is a perpetual machine to feed her his sperm. However, Jake is stunned to learn that before he met his cherished spouse, he sired a baby Ben, whose biological mother abandoned the three year old. Jake wants to raise his son, who has special needs that require extra parental involvement. Clock or not, Jake prays that Elise will help him raise this little boy in love whether she becomes pregnant or not, but so far she rejects the lad.Though the child is too precociously wise for his age and lot in life, readers will enjoy this Yuletide tale of varying love. The story line contains the obvious adult love theme, but also includes a delightful relationship drama when Jake wants Ben with him, but Elise cannot cope with this image of her failures. Linda Warren provides a strong look at what is important in life in time for the holiday season.Harriet Klausner