Serenity Harbor

May 1, 2017
Thayne’s sixth Haven Point contemporary (after Snowfall on Haven Point) is built on the flawed premise of disabled children teaching awkward adults about unconditional love. Elementary school teacher Katrina Bailey is teaching English in Colombia when she meets Gabriella, an orphaned girl with Down syndrome. She begins adoption proceedings, selfishly hoping that parenthood will help her convince herself and everyone else that she is a responsible adult. When Katrina reluctantly returns home for a family wedding, she sees autistic six-year-old Milo having a meltdown in a grocery store and spontaneously offers to become his caregiver. She figures that the job will help her raise money for the adoption and get experience caring for someone disabled. After Milo’s mother died, his older brother, tech entrepreneur Bowie Callahan—who had been abandoned by his mother at a young age and didn’t even know Milo existed—became responsible for the boy’s care. Bowie vows to make sure Milo will never suffer the way he suffered, but he has no idea how to raise an autistic kid, and he’s glad to accept Katrina’s offer. Bowie’s decision to demonstrate his devotion by hiring a complete stranger as a caregiver is questionable, and he seems more interested in his job than his brother. Readers will still enjoy watching Bowie and Katrina fall in love as they learn to believe in themselves, but the use of disabled children as plot tokens is grating. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates.

June 15, 2017

Elementary school teacher Katrina Bailey, back in Haven Point for her sister's wedding after a teaching stint in Colombia, has no intention of being a temporary nanny for Bowie Callahan, the arrogant R&D director of a new tech facility. But she could use the money for her planned adoption of a three-year-old Colombian orphan, and Bowie's little brother, Milo, who has autism, needs her help. She never sees it coming that her relationship with Bo would develop in a totally different way. Characters from previous books are the perfect backdrop for the reluctant spark between Kat and Bo. VERDICT All about family, this latest jewel in Thayne's community romance crown is guaranteed to please. Thayne (Snowfall on Haven Point) lives in Northern Utah.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017
Katrina Bailey has returned to little Haven Point, Idaho, for her sister's wedding. The hot new bachelor, Bowie Callahan, is one of the founders of a high-tech company that has recently relocated to the town. They meet in the supermarket when Katrina, using her skills as an elementary school teacher, steps in to sooth a little boy with autism. It turns out that Bowie's late mother, whom he hadn't seen or heard from in more than 20 years, willed him guardianship of six-year-old Milo. Bowie has gone through three nannies in an amazingly short time, and the autism specialist he has hired won't arrive for three weeks. Katrina needs the money millionaire Bowie offers her to help with Milo to adopt the daughter of her heart, Gabi, a little girl with Down Syndrome in a Colombian orphanage. As Thayne spins a charming installment in her sweet Haven Point series, she does a fabulous job of keeping all the threads that could lead to a happily-ever-after ending tangled up in suspense.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)