Book Review: Building a Family by Jennifer Slattery

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What is this book about?

Creating a circle of love together… Can love for two little matchmakers unite their reluctant hearts?

Worried that Noah Williams is still the reckless bull rider she remembers, Kayla Fisher is convinced he isn’t the right person to care for their orphaned niece and nephew. Now she’s back home, determined to fight for custody. But Noah is a changed man, and he intends to prove it. When Noah and Kayla start falling for each other, could raising the children together be the perfect solution?

My review:

Front and center of this story are two adorable children. We meet Noah after he has taken an active role in the care of his abandoned niece and nephew. I really liked the role that community played in this story. Everyone pitched in to help care for these children. It was a great reminder of how we are better people when we are working together to help each other out.

I liked Noah’s character. He overcame a troubled past and created a ministry to help other troubled men. And how can you not like a man who stepped up to take care of children that were not his own?

I wanted to like Kayla. I could certainly understand her reticence to leave her niece and nephew in the hands of a man who she didn’t know real well, but her lack of relationship with the children prior to the story made me unsympathetic to her. Plus she spent most of the story with a ‘one foot out the door’ mentality.

Between Noah being overly invested in wooing Kayla and her regular declarations that she wouldn’t be staying, I had a hard time accepting how soon they ended up together.

I enjoyed many of the secondary characters. They grounded the story for me.

What I enjoyed most about this book:

The message of community and the rambunctious children.

What I didn’t like about this book:

I didn’t connect with Kayla and the romance felt off balance to me.

Would I recommend this book to others? Perhaps. This was one of those stories that was just okay for me. However, it does involve cute children and a cowboy which is an attraction to many Love Inspired readers.

Note: I received this book complimentary from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and my own.

Where can I learn more about this author and their books?

Jennifer Slattery, author website

-Loraine Nunley

Building a Family by Jennifer Slattery (3 out of 5 stars) #BookReview #amreading Share on X