BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

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Are you looking for your next romance novel?

Romance books are famous for focusing on specific tropes. There are sports romances, enemies to lovers, MM, fantasy romance, forbidden and many more. Some romance novels have more than one trope. But most every romance delivers a theme or feel that is specific to a trope.

This blog post is dedicated to my favourite single parent romances. For me, a single parent also covers guardianship and older siblings. They are usually romances with a hero or heroine taking care of children of any age. Rearing children is hard. Being a parent is hard. But it’s also a lot of fun. And the love of children is precious. And the romances below all have a love for children at the heart of their story.

You’ll fall for these kids. And you’ll fall for these love stories.

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Loved the combination of matchmaking romance and single parent trope. Also nerdy hero alert!!!! This book is going to be a fan favorite and a crowd pleaser. There is nothing in this book that wasn’t just solid and delivered on what I’ve come to love of this author couple. A wonderful romance, with witty and smart dialogues, and great characters with a wonderful supporting cast.

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Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Raised by her grandparents–who now help raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno–Jess has been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting anyone in. After all, her father’s never been around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before Juno was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close, but working constantly to stay afloat is hard…and lonely.

But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers: This Jess understands. At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98% compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Pena. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Pena. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we’ll pay you. Jess–who is barely making ends meet–is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the “Diamond” pairing that could make GeneticAlly a mint in stock prices, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist–and the science behind a soulmate–than she thought.

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez

(The Friend Zone #3)

I’m a big fan of babies when it comes to the single parent trope. It’s quite entertaining when characters have to figure things out themselves, and not everything goes right. Because rearing a baby is not easy, and it’s just fair that characters struggle too. Also, the author’s writing is top notch, she does romance very well. A must read for anyone loving this trope.

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Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment.

But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element.

The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all. . .

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This SEP novel is almost 20 years old, and is not a traditional single parent trope, but fits the trope in a round about way. The kids in this novel are from a close friend and come to visit for a longer stay. And of course the hero is forced to interact with them. Not everything goes as planned. But the interactions are charming and funny. It’s set in Italy, which makes this a must read for anyone loving to travel. And it’s sexy and just entertaining. Also it’s one of the books I re-read again and again, and it’s my favorite SEP novel.

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She’s Dr. Isabel Favor, America’s diva of self-help.
He’s Ren Gage, Hollywood’s favorite villain.
Sometimes you just know that God has a sense of humor.Dr. Isabel Favor, author of Four Cornerstones for a Favorable Life, has sacrificed everything to build her self-help empire. Then, in a matter of weeks, it all comes crashing down. She loses her money to an unscrupulous accountant, her fiancé to a frumpy older woman, and her reputation to headlines denouncing her as a fraud. America’s diva of self-help soon discovers she can fix everyone’s life but her own. Broke, heartsick, and soul-weary, she heads for Italy in search of a little breathing room.

Lorenzo Gage makes his living killing people… on the silver screen, that is. He’s viciously handsome and sublimely talented. But as he begins his vacation in Italy, he’s also vaguely dissatisfied. Being a villain with a face to die for has its rewards, but he hates the feeling that everything he’s neglected in life is catching up with him. Then he spots Isabel sipping a glass of wine in a sidewalk café. A good guy wouldn’t think of seducing such a tidy-looking woman… but he’d never seen the fun in playing the hero.

It doesn’t take long for Isabel to realize she’s escaped one kind of chaos only to be plunged into another. Even the shelter of a simple stone farmhouse nestled in a Tuscan olive grove can’t provide her with the refuge she needs — not when the townspeople are scheming to drive her away, and her plan to restore her reputation has come up empty. And especially not when the man who deceived her refuses to leave her in peace.

Family Man by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is another old school romance and a book I read every time I’m in a book slump. This novel is almost 30 years old, a 1992 release, but it never gets old. The combination of an alpha male, a heroine who takes care of her younger teenage brother, and a big protective dog is catnip for me. And of course there is a bit of mystery too. I remember binging all of the author’s books 20 years ago, but the only one I still pick up years later is this one.

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As personal assistant to octogenarian matriarch Justine Gilchrist, Katy Wade has spent years sorting out Gilchrist family problems; but now she pulls off a minor miracle: she persuades Justine’s grandson Luke, a talented restaurant consultant who has no use for his relatives, to rescue the family’s restaurant chain from its financial decline. After nosing around, Luke claims that the business is being sabotaged from within. Meanwhile some of the Gilchrists suspect that he’ll destroy the company to gain revenge: his father was disinherited by Justine when he left at the altar the bride she had handpicked (the woman who became Katy’s mother). In fact, Luke plots only to win Katy, which is not easy, given that the young woman wants out of her job and away from everyone named Gilchrist. In her own saucy, upbeat style, Krentz (Sweet Fortune) turns this eccentric family and pair of mismatched lovers (so everyone tells them) into an entertaining story. Krentz is even confident enough to question the genre rules she plays by so well, as when Katy walks out on Luke during a passionate love scene, saying, There’s no call to get surly. You started this. Her fans will eat it up. 

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

Wait for It by Mariana Zapata

Loved this book so much, and read it again and again. A slow burn romance, with a wonderful hero next door. Dallas is a dream. I don’t need a billionaire, rockstar or CEO if I can get Dallas across the street. Loved the interactions between heroine and her two young nephews. There were so many scenes that made me laugh out loud, and others reminded me of how much work it is to corral young kids. SO GOOD!!!

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If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn’t been one long enough. Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing half the time. How she’s made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn’t supposed to be so hard. With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for. Except for a boyfriend. Or a husband. But who needs either one of those?

Room for You by Beth Ehemann

(Cranberry Inn #1)

I adored this series. What is not to love about an ice hockey player staying at an Inn and falling in love with the heroine, a single mother with adorable girls. It’s the definition of cute, sweet and charming. Devoured all of the books.

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Kacie Jensen has one main priority in her life: raising her twin daughters, Lucy and Piper. Ever since her ex—the girls’ father—vanished four years ago, Kacie’s sworn to keep her head in her studies and her heart out of trouble. Moving back home to her mother’s bed-and-breakfast had seemed like the best way to start over.

But when hockey star Brody Murphy washes up on the front steps of the Cranberry Inn during a raging storm, he awakens a hunger in Kacie that she’s long forgotten…and he opens her eyes to a life she never thought was possible. With so much more to lose this time around, can Kacie trust her heart to make the right decision?

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

Sustained Emma Chase

(The Legal Briefs #2)

OMG I loved this book. The kids were so much fun. And Jake Becker is such a grump, but also so lovable and kind deep down. It’s my favorite Emma Chase book, and the only one I re-read in the past. Also, I love a full house, and six nieces and nephews make one busy household.

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A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.

When you’re a defense attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand.

Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will turn you on. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be.

Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I’m going to Mommy & Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room, and arguing cases in the principal’s office.

Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, defend her…and the kids.

And that — that, I know how to do.

Worth the Fall by Claudia Connor

(The McKinney Brothers #1)

This is probably my most beloved romance novel of all times, next to LOOK THE PART (which is on this list too). But WORTH THE FALL is magic, and perfection rolled into one. Again, I have a weakness for a household full of kids, and Matt meeting Abby at the beach, highly pregnant and corralling FOUR kids, is the epitome of a full house. And I just love how he falls for her and the kids. The entire books is so romantic and one of these feel good novels that leave you smiling and happy.

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They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers.
 
They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family.
 
But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

The Darkest Sunrise by Aly Martinez

(The Darkest Sunrise #1)

STUNNING. RAW. UNPUTDOWNABLE. Wow this story threw me for a spin. It’s a mystery and emotional love story that had me flipping pages like crazy. The duet is emotional at times, and covers some heavy topics. But it’s also a story that will stay with you for a long time. MUST READ if you want to read something different.

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Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Whoever coined that phrase is a bald-faced liar. Words are often the sharpest weapon of all, triggering some of the most powerful emotions a human can experience.
“You’re pregnant.”
“It’s a boy.” 
“Your son needs a heart transplant.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Syllables and letters may not be tangible, but they can still destroy your entire life faster than a bullet from a gun.
Two words—that was all it took to extinguish the sun from my sky.
“He’s gone.” 
For ten years, the darkness consumed me.
In the end, it was four deep, gravelly words that gave me hope of another sunrise. 
“Hi. I’m Porter Reese.”

At Peace by Kristen Ashley

(The ‘Burg #2)

The ‘Burg series by Kristen Ashley is my favourite because of the kids in books 2-4. And if you love alpha males, Joe will become a favorite. Although I usually only re-read Golden Trail and Games of the Heart – my all time favorite books by KA – I still would recommend AT PEACE to start with. All three books have teenage kids, and the boys in book 3&4 are mini alphas and I just swoon every time. SO GOOD!!!! And while writing this blurb I feel a re-read coming up….

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Violet Winters once had it all but lost it when her husband was murdered by a criminal madman. During a cold winter night Violet has to leave her warm bed to tell her neighbor to turn the music down. And that’s when she meets sinister, scarred, scarily attractive security specialist, Joe Callahan. 

She wants to deny it, but Violet can’t beat back the hunger she feels for Joe so she gives in again and again. Feeling it himself, Joe feeds Vi’s hunger, breaking his own rules to keep her in his bed. 

Even though Violet had only one man in her life, she’s sure Joe is giving her the signals and Vi decides she’s ready to take a second chance at life and, maybe, love. But Violet doesn’t know the dark secrets in Joe’s past, secrets so soul-wrenching, they’ve drained him dry. With nothing left to give, Joe’s determined to live his life alone and he breaks Violet’s heart. 

Crushed by Joe’s betrayal, Violet comes to terms with the fact that, no matter what signals he gave, Joe was not theirs to win. But Violet’s husband’s murderer is obsessed with her and heartbreak again haunts the door of the Winters home. When it does Joe is forced to face the knowledge that he can’t fight Violet’s pull, she’s under his skin and filled him full to bursting. 

Joe needs to win her back and put his life on the line to keep Violet safe. But, having had it all once, can Violet endure losing Joe?

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

Ghosted by J.M. Darhower

This was such a wonderful romance, with a dash of super hero actor. A second chance single parent romance, perfect for anyone loving this genre. The author doesn’t write enough if you ask me, and hasn’t written a book since GHOSTED was released. But if you haven’t read anything by her yet, please give this one a go. She has written a really sexy series and a mafia duet too which I really enjoyed.

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He’s a troubled young actor, Hollywood’s newest heartthrob, struggling with fame as the star of the latest superhero franchise. Through scandal after scandal, addiction on top of addiction, a flurry of paparazzi hunt him as he fights to conquer his demons.

She’s a single mother, assistant manager at a grocery store, existing in monotony with her five-year-old daughter. Every day when she goes to work, lurid tabloids surround her, the face of a notorious bad boy haunting her from their covers.

A man and a woman, living vastly different lives, but that wasn’t always the case. Once, they were just a boy and a girl who bonded over comic books and fell in love unexpectedly.

When Kennedy Garfield met Jonathan Cunningham back in high school, she knew he had all the makings of a tragic hero. With stars in his eyes, and her heart on her sleeve, the pair ran away together to follow their dreams.

But dreams, sometimes, turn into nightmares.

Now, years later, the only thing they share is a daughter—one who has no idea her father plays her favorite superhero. But Jonathan is desperate to make amends, and at the top of his list is the woman who gave up everything for him and the little girl he hasn’t yet met. 

Look the Part by Jewel E. Ann

This is the only romance I ever gave 6 stars. Loved it so much!!! A grumpy hero, an upbeat heroine, and a son who steals the show. Also if you enjoy reading about characters on the spectrum this is your book. It’s also one of the books I read when I’m in a book slump. But it’s not without some emotional scenes that made me tear up. Full review here.

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Flint Hopkins finds the perfect tenant to rent the space above his Minneapolis-based law office.

All the t’s are crossed and i’s dotted on Ellen’s application. Her references are good. And she’s easy on the eyes.

Until …

Flint discovers Ellen Rodgers, Board-Certified Music Therapist, plays music. Bongos, guitars, singing—not Beethoven administered through noise-cancelling headphones.

The cut-throat attorney serves up an eviction notice to the bubbly, constantly humming redhead who’s too sexy for her own good. But luck is on Ellen’s side when Flint’s autistic son, Harrison, takes an instant liking to her. A single dad can’t compete with guitars—and rats. Yes, she has pet rats.

This woman …

She’s annoyingly happy with a constant need to touch him—adjust his tie, button his shirt, invade his space, and mess with his mind.

Still …

She must go.

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

The Five Stages of Falling in Love by Rachel Higginson

WOW, another favorite of mine and a romance I re-read all the time. The book is emotional, but it handles grief beautifully and it just hits you in the heart. A must read for any romance lover. A real gem of a book!!! Full review here.

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Elizabeth Carlson is living in the pits of hell- also known as grief.

Her husband of eight years, the father of her four children and the love of her life, died from cancer. Grady’s prognosis was grim, even from the start, but Liz never gave up hope he would survive. How could she, when he was everything to her?

Six months later, she is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and get the kids to school on time. Both seem impossible. Everything seems impossible these days.

When Ben Tyler moves in next door, she is drowning in sorrow and pain, her children are acting out, and the house is falling apart. She has no time for curious new friends or unwanted help, but Ben gives her both. And he doesn’t just want to help her with yard work or cleaning the gutters. Ben wants more from Liz. More than she’s capable of ever giving again.

As Liz mourns her dead husband and works her way through the five stages of grief, she finds there’s more of her heart to give than she thought possible. And as new love takes hold, she peels away the guilt and heartache, and discovers there’s more to life than death.

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

I’m not a typical Jojo Moyes fan, but I read a couple books so far and the two I enjoyed the most are GIVER OF STARS and ONE PLUS ONE. I loved this opposites-attract romance, maybe even more so because it’s one of her older books. It was wonderfully heartfelt and charming.

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 Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied, and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight in shining armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

(The Travis Family #3)

Lisa Kleypas is the queen of historical romance, but I also devoured her contemporary romance series, especially book 2. Now, Smooth Talking Stranger was utterly adorable and romantic thanks to a single mom, and a playboy playing dad.

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Jack Travis leads the uncomplicated life of a millionaire Texas playboy. He makes no commitments, he loves many women, he lives for pleasure. But no one has ever truly touched his heart or soul. Until one day, a woman appears on his doorstep with fury on her face and a baby in her arms. It seems Jack is the father and this woman is the baby’s aunt. The real mother has abandoned the child to her more responsible sister.  And now, Jack is being called upon to take responsibility for the first time in his life.  With delicious romantic tension, characters so real they walk onto the page and into your heart, Lisa Kleypas delivers the kind of novel that makes you laugh, love; cry and cheer.

Fortuity by Jewel E. Ann

(Transcend #3)

Loved this book!! I read it as a standalone and didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. Also I loved that both characters were older, mid thirty to forty, and neither was looking for a romantic entanglement. Their love story hit me with all the feels. Passionate, heart tingling real, and so deep it was palpable.

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Forty-something Gracelyn Glock is living the dream. 
No husband.
No retirement plan.
And since her self-imposed man-ban—no need to shave above her knees.

After a tragic accident, Gracelyn inherits her ten-year-old nephew. She signs a lease on a San Diego beach house and learns their neighbors for the summer are a sexy anatomy professor and his young daughter. 

Professor Nathaniel Hunt has spent the last decade being a single dad … and not having sex. 

So when he discovers Gracelyn has a peculiar outdoor stripping ritual, a million inappropriate thoughts fill his responsible mind. 

When kisses are stolen, man-bans are broken, and summer comes to an end, will hearts stay in one piece and hope stay alive? Or will saying goodbye destroy everything?

A standalone contemporary romance. 

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

When the Time Is Right by M. Mabie

This friends to lovers romance was right up my alley, with a cute kid and a friendship that was hilarious and a love story that was slow burning. A very enjoyable and funny read, with smart writing, and witty dialogues.

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Fate doesn’t always happen overnight. 

Hudson Bradley is the cockiest, most stubborn, hard-headed man I’ve ever known. And for fifteen years, he’s been my brother’s best friend. 

But lately, what I’m feeling for him isn’t friendship at all.

Why is my heart racing every time his blue eyes lock on mine?
Why does every word he rumbles in my ear make my body come alive?
And worst of all, why did I bet him that I could find a woman he and his son would both love? 

If I hadn’t given up on love altogether, Hudson would have been perfect for me. After all, he was there the day my world fell apart. He’s spent the last six years piecing me back together. 

There are a million reasons why we could never work, but after a single kiss, I can’t remember any of them. 

Now that the time is right, I have to make him mine—before I lose him forever. 

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

If you love surprise baby stories, second chance and slow burn romances, you need to give this book a go. Loved it all. The diarrhea scene made me laugh so much I cried. Grandpa steals the show. And the epilogue made me cry for real. Full review here.

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Some things are easily forgiven. Other things… not so much. 

Lenny DeMaio made herself a promise: she was done. 

Done thinking about him. 

Done worrying about him. 

iDone reaching out to a man who clearly didn’t want to be found. 

Too bad no one gave Jonah Collins the memo.

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

This was such a heartfelt romance. More earnest than expected thanks to a cover that is a bit misleading. A witty romance with great banter and humour. With a hero who was out of his comfort zone, and a steadfast heroine that kicked ass. Full review here.

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Talk about an embarrassing introduction. On her first day of law school, Kailyn ran quite literally into the actor she crushed on as a teenager, ending with him sprawled on top of her. Mortified to discover the Daxton Hughes was also a student in her class, her embarrassment over their meet-cute quickly turned into a friendship she never expected. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming either…

Now, eight years later, Dax is in her office asking for legal advice. Despite her anger, Kailyn can’t help feeling sorry for the devastated man who just became sole guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister. But when her boss gets wind of Kailyn’s new celebrity client, there’s even more at stake than Dax’s custody issues: if she gets Dax to work at their firm, she’ll be promoted to partner.

The more time Kailyn spends with Dax and his sister, the more she starts to feel like a family, and the more she realizes the chemistry they had all those years ago is as fresh as ever. But will they be able to forgive the mistakes of the past, or will one betrayal lead to another? 

Gifts by Brynne Asher

(The Killers #3)

Loved this book so much and have recommended it to friends multiple times, and all told me how much they loved it. I found this book via a Goodreads review and read it as a standalone. And if you love alpha males, kick ass heroines, smart and funny kids, and animals, you must read this book.

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No one would say Keelie Lockhart isn’t determined.  Taking on the role of both mom and dad to her two young kids, she’s managing life the best she can.  Saddled with a century-old dilapidated farmhouse she can’t afford, a bevy of goats, two dogs, and a geriatric donkey, the last thing she has time for is a man—even if that man is a knight whose shining armour comes in the form of worn-in jeans and work boots.   

Controlled, methodical, and focused—Asa Hollingsworth takes charge of everything in life.  Working close to home after years away, he finally has the time to focus on his kids.  Little does he know, a chance meeting with a petite, strawberry-blonde stranded on the side of the road, would intertwine their lives in a way he’d never want to untangle.   

But when school bullies turn into something much worse, Asa starts to dig around.  He never dreams the troubles lurking in the hallways of the local high school would shake his family to its core.  With drug dealers lurking, bullets flying, and threats coming from every angle, Asa must do everything he can to protect the ones he loves.   

Because in the end, there’s nothing more precious than the gift of life.   

Warning:  Oh, I’m sorry, that’s a fake ID.  If you’re not eighteen, consider yourself bounced and walk away from my books.  I’ll gladly welcome you back when you become a legit adult.  That is, unless you’re my parents or my children.  If so, walk away and don’t come back.  You don’t need to know what’s in my head. 

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES

Dance Away with Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Wonderful romance that was just what I needed. Small town mountain romance, with a grumpy hero, and a heroine looking for a new start. It covers some heavier topics, but hits just right, and balances the heavier with the lighter beautifully. Full review here.

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Run, run, as fast as you can!

When life throws her one setback too many, midwife and young widow Tess Hartsong takes off for Runaway Mountain. In this small town high in the Tennessee mountains, surrounded by nature, she hopes to outrun her heartbreak and find the solace she needs to heal.

But instead of peace and quiet, she encounters an enigmatic artist with a craving for solitude, a fairy-tale sprite with too many secrets, a helpless infant, a passel of curious teens, and a town suspicious of outsiders, especially one as headstrong as Tess. Just as headstrong, is Ian North, a difficult, gifted man with a tortured soul—a man who makes Tess question everything.

In running away to this new life, Tess wonders— Has she lost herself . . . or has she found her future?

Misconduct by Penelope Douglas

Ooh one of my favourite tropes is the FORBIDDEN, which in this case means a love story between a teacher and a parent. It’s one of the author’s older books, more old school romance compared to her newer novels, and just right for this list.

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Former tennis player Easton Bradbury is trying to be the best teacher she can be, trying to reach her bored students and trying to forget her past. What brought her to this stage in her life isn’t important. She can’t let it be. But now one parent-teacher meeting may be her undoing…

Meeting Tyler Marek for the first time makes it easy for Easton to see why his son is having trouble in school. The man knows how to manage businesses and wealth, not a teenage boy. Or a young teacher, for that matter, though he tries to. And yet…there is something about him that draws Easton in—a hint of vulnerability, a flash of attraction, a spark that might burn.

Wanting him is taboo. Needing him is undeniable. And his long-awaited touch will weaken Easton’s resolve—and reveal what should stay hidden…

BEST SINGLE PARENT ROMANCES