Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Dad News
SERIES: Dad Habits
AUTHOR: Annabella Michaels
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 205 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2025
BLURB:
Bryson-
What were they thinking?
I thought I had my life all figured out—five-year career plan, ten-year personal plan. But all that shatters when my best friend and her husband die in a car accident. When I agreed to be the guardian for their baby, I never imagined I’d become a single dad to a six-month old. I’m supposed to be the one who spoils her rotten and sends her home, not the one responsible for raising her. I love my goddaughter, but I don’t know the first thing about babies.
Worse? I’m not Chloe’s only guardian. Her Uncle Tucker is my complete opposite, but the terms of the will are clear: we have joint guardianship. How am I supposed to navigate the chaos of caring for a baby with a free-spirited world traveler who thinks I’m a stick in the mud?
Seriously, what were they thinking?
Raising a baby wasn’t part of the plan, but now we’re both determined to raise Chloe to the best of our abilities. Unfortunately, our talents aren’t at all aligned, and we’re both in way over our heads. Not to mention this pesky attraction to Tucker I’m trying my best to fight.
Dad News is a small town, single dad(s), opposites attract, terms of the will MM romance.
REVIEW:
Bryson is a digital marketing manager who is very successful. He’s the Man of Honor at his best friend Brooke’s wedding. Everything is planned to the T. The best man, Tucker, brother of Zach, the groom, shows up literally when they are supposed to begin. Tucker is Bryson’s opposite in just about every single way. He lives out of a suitcase and travels the world on his adventures.
Fast forward a few years and Brooke and Zach have had a baby girl Chloe. They are tragically killed by a drunk driver on their way home from the aquarium. Bryson gets the call in the middle of the night and drives to Michigan to get Chloe who only has a few bumps and bruises. Tucker arrives from Asia the next day and together they have to take care of Chloe. Neither of them have cared for a baby before, so it’s a bit dicey. Tucker is a bit of a slob and Bryson is a neat freak – again opposites.
As the men navigate funerals, Chloe and the reading of the will, the town shows up for them. Food starts arriving. The next door neighbor offers to help in any way. But the will reading is a shock. They are to be Chloe’s c0-guardians. They both have lives and jobs, but they are willing to work to together to figure this out.
It’s not easy taking care of a baby, working and living with someone who has a completely different lifestyle. Oh, and they both can’t help the little simmering attraction under the surface. They are finally figuring out a rhythm when Tucker decides to come clean. But can they risk it? What if it doesn’t work out? But what if it does.
I really enjoyed this kick-off to a new series centered around single dads 🙂 Bryson and Tucker could not be more different – either in their upbringing, their experiences or their personalities. But they have the most important thing in common. The love they have for Chloe, their goddaughter and niece. The other thing they have in common is a deep love and respect for Chloe’s deceased parents. They are committed to doing everything in their power to love and protect and raise Chloe to be everything she can be. Their ineptitude with taking care of a baby was entertaining and believable. Bryson’s need to have things organized and controlled is also handled well. He’s had a lot of trauma in his past and his deep friendship with Brooke, Chloe’s mom was his saving grace. Brooke was his sister in every way but blood. Tucker seems like he doesn’t have a care in the world from the outside, but he was deeply connected to his brother Zach and he is also determined to live up to the expectations of his brother and sister-in-law. The other single dads are there to provide support as are many of the other residents of Lakeside Ridge. This small town really believes in the “it takes a village” concept. The Meal Train was there day 1! Susie, the next door neighbor, Langston, the restaurant owner who has his own twin girls and invites Tucker and Bryson to join the single dad’s nights are just a few of the townspeople who are stepping up for Chloe and her guardians 🙂
The one thing that confused me a bit was Tucker. We have no idea about his sexuality. He seems pretty fine with his attraction to Bryson once he figures it out. There is not angst about it – other than potentially screwing up the guardianship. Clearly from the wedding dance on, he had no problem with Bryson’s sexuality, but it was surprising that there was no drama about him being attracted to or having feelings for a man. It seems like maybe Zach and Brooke had some sort of sixth sense about these two? Who knows. Regardless, I really liked how honest they were with each other and how Tucker respected Bryson and his feelings and his boundaries. Bryson hasn’t felt really safe much of his life until he was an adult and could control things and it didn’t take long for Tucker to recognize that. They were so sweet (and spicy) once they got it together. Also, I loved the bet 😉 I can’t for Langston’s story next 🙂
RATING: 
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