Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Dancing with Daddy
AUTHOR: Susan Hawke
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 206 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2020
BLURB:
I love my daughter, but finding out she wasn’t biologically mine is the best news ever.
I’m a widower who is too scared to have the stupid test that would tell me whether or not I even have the gene that would mean dealing with a horrible illness and certain death. A gene that could’ve also been passed to my child, had she been mine.
She’ll need her father, if something ever does happen to me…That’s why I search for Maddie’s biological father, and when I find him, ask him to become part of her life.
What I didn’t expect is for him to become my best friend. Shane is fun and easygoing, the exact opposite of me. He makes me laugh. He’s the perfect antidote for my neurotic existence. And he’s bi, like me.
But am I courageous enough to take the leap into falling in love with him?
Dancing with Daddy is a super sweet, full-length, standalone, feel good mm romance. There’s no angst, just two very opposite men who befriend each other super fast then slowly find their way to love…all while parenting the precocious five-year-old who belongs to both of them.
REVIEW:
Bradley Weston is a widower single father of a young daughter. During a medical emergency, he discovers that she couldn’t actually be his biological daughter. His reaction is somewhat unexpected – he’s actually happy about it 🙂 But he’s still worried, that should the worst happen, and he develop the disease that his father had, he could leave Maddie far too soon. Without family of his own and unwilling to risk her going to his late wife’s family, he reached out to try to discover who Maddie’s father might be – so that he at least has another possibility and can gather medical history information for her at the least. What he doesn’t expect is to find a guy that is thrilled to discover he has a child and willing to be a part of her life in whatever way is most helpful.
When Shane get a FB message out of the blue from the widower of his college girlfriend, he’s flabbergasted. But when he sees a picture of the late Trina’s daughter, he has no doubt that indeed she is his. Brad really wants him to be a part of her life and he doesn’t share immediately exactly why that is. Shane is a freelance graphic artist and he’s got no qualms about leaving Texas to join Brad and Maddie. His most recent breakup with his boyfriend on Valentine’s Day (a well-written and pretty funny scene) leaves him looking in a new direction anyway, and once he’s over the shock and he begins to communicate regularly with Brad, he can’t wait to get there and meet his daughter. He’s a big blown away about Brad’s offer to have them move in with them, but also grateful.
When Shane arrives, Maddie seems to take to him right away. He’s great with kids and is so happy to be able to spend time with her. He’s careful not to try to charge into Brad and Maddie’s lives, but he really enjoys spending time with both of them. As they settle into a routine, after Maddie goes to bed each night, they spend time in the quiet evenings getting to know each other. They discover they have a lot in common and Brad is able to relax a little now that he has another adult living in the house and helping with the responsibilities. He also really like Shane who is funny, talented and also sexy 😉 Shane shares the funny story of his last breakup with his boyfriend in Texas and then thinks he might have said the wrong thing in revealing that he was with a man. But Brad doesn’t have any problem with it as he’s bi himself. Shane is relieved that his pan sexual identity is not an issue for Brad.
As the school year winds down, there is a trip to visit Shane’s family that results in some close quarters. Both Brad and Shane are feeling the attraction, but they are still fighting it because they have developed such a great friendship and they don’t want to ruin it. But as the school year is winding down, it’s becoming harder and harder to stay in friend zone. They have to decide if they are ready to take things to the next level and what that might mean – for everyone.
Well this story was absolutely adorable in the best possible way. I love seeing people act like adults and put the interests of family first. Both Brad and Shane are absolutely devoted to Maddie and making her life the best it can be. Shane is overjoyed with his new life and he’s found a truly supportive friend in Brad. They each find in each other the best friend they’ve ever had and they begin to realize that there might even be more there that will make there lives richer. I loved both of these characters. I loved how they actually DID bring out the best in each other – Shane helping Brad to relax and stop worrying so much and Brad helping Shane to realize that he is a stable responsible adult and that he can put down roots now and be safe. I love the supporting characters of Shane’s mom and Peaches as well. And of course Maddie is adorable and not written like miniature adult 🙂 This is my first Susan Hawke book and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the story and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended especially for fans of friends to lovers stories without any contrived conflict 😀
RATING: 
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