Reviewed by Anabela
TITLE: Family Recipe
AUTHOR: Tia Fielding & Lisa Henry
PUBLISHER: JMS Books
LENGTH: 216 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 22, 2020
BLURB:
Justin O’Dwyer is 19. Four days ago, his mother died of a drug overdose, and now Justin is back in Enterprise, Oregon, trying to figure out how to raise the younger siblings he’s afraid of losing to the foster system. Justin is completely out of his depth. Harper is six, and hates him. Wyatt is four and doesn’t remember him. And baby Scarlett, at fourteen months, has never even met her big brother before. When Scarlett gets sick and won’t stop screaming, and when Harper runs off in the middle of the night, Justin is at the end of his tether. In desperation, he knocks on a neighbor’s door begging for help.
Del Abbot is 38, and living in his grandparents’ old place in Enterprise after his marriage broke down and he lost his restaurant in the divorce. He’s a chef, even had his own show on cable for a while, but now he’s looking for a new start, if he could just figure out what exactly that entails. When the O’Dwyer family barrels into his life one night, Del can’t refuse to help. What begins as a trip to the hospital becomes a regular child-minding gig while Justin struggles to find his feet. And the more time Del spends with Justin, the more they both want more than friendship. But small town life comes with its own bigotry, and, in Justin’s case, that bigotry has always been close to home.
When an act of violence threatens to destroy the small family they’ve built, both Justin and Del need to put aside their pasts and reach for their future together.
REVIEW:
When he got the news of his mother’s death, Justin O’Dwyer’s life as he knew it ended. Not so much of a life to begin with, but at least he had recently found a semblance of stability, with plans to better his future. But now he has to raise his three younger siblings, and try to offer them a normal childhood. Not an easy task for someone who doesn’t know what it entails, not having lived one himself.
The help his neighbor, Del, offers is providential, to say the least. Soon Del’s home becomes a sanctuary for the O’Dwyer siblings, a place where Justin can forget about his gloomy prospects and the children are well cared for and actually blooming. Del seems to have a magic hand with them, somehow instinctively knowing how to talk to them, when to praise or to be stern. They’re also a great distraction, a reason for Del to delay any choices regarding his future.
So, I guess they met at the perfect time, each having what the other needed. Justin has someone to help him find his footing and Del sees his dream come true: a family of his own to take care of. Maybe it doesn’t come as a surprise when they’re slowly more and more attracted to each other, but I appreciated the fact they don’t just throw themselves into a relationship. They doubt their connection and question the validity of their feelings, considering how dependent on one another they are. I’ll admit I would of preferred they tested their doubts, maybe have Justin step away from Del, try to make it all by himself and only afterwards see if they could build something together. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like them as a couple, because I do, they’re absolutely perfect for each other. I’m just sorry for the lingering insecurities that neither Del or Justin seem to lose.
I really liked the family they’ve built together. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the little ones aren’t just mentioned in the book. In fact, the authors gave them clear personalities and voices, making them active participants not just secondary to the romance. That’s why Family Recipe felt more like reading the story of how five people found each other, two adults and three children interlocking their lives into a durable bond of love.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: