The Accidental Mother

September 3, 2007
Coleman makes her U.S. debut with a disarmingly sweet tale of motherhood and reluctant love. London party planner Sophie Mills becomes the improbable guardian of sisters 6-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Izzy after their single mom, Sophie's childhood best friend Carrie Stiles, dies in a car accident. Life suddenly gets very complicated and dirty for the hyper-organized career chick, and a panicked Sophie figures she'd better launch a search for the girls' long-missing dad before maternal mayhem wreaks havoc on her busy life. But once found, mysterious charity worker Louis Gregory triggers Sophie's own overwhelming sense of loss for her late dad and dead pal Carrie. And for the first time in her life, Sophie is forced to jump into the middle of life instead of planning it from a safe distance. Love isn't the instant fix for Sophie's fragile makeshift family, but Coleman shows how it can kick-start a lonely heart.

September 3, 2007
Coleman makes her U.S. debut with a disarmingly sweet tale of motherhood and reluctant love. London party planner Sophie Mills becomes the improbable guardian of sisters 6-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Izzy after their single mom, Sophie's childhood best friend Carrie Stiles, dies in a car accident. Life suddenly gets very complicated and dirty for the hyper-organized career chick, and a panicked Sophie figures she'd better launch a search for the girls' long-missing dad before maternal mayhem wreaks havoc on her busy life. But once found, mysterious charity worker Louis Gregory triggers Sophie's own overwhelming sense of loss for her late dad and dead pal Carrie. And for the first time in her life, Sophie is forced to jump into the middle of life instead of planning it from a safe distance. Love isn't the instant fix for Sophie's fragile makeshift family, but Coleman shows how it can kick-start a lonely heart.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2007
Sophie Mills adores her shoe collection and her job as a corporate party planner in London. Her career is all-consuming, whichisfine because she can never make a decision when it comes to men. Just when she is finallyabout to accept a lunch date, a social worker informs herthat her best friend since grade school, Carrie, has died, naming Sophie guardian of her two daughters, six-year-oldBella and three-year-old Izzy. Reluctantly, Sophie agrees to take care of the childrenuntil their father, who left three years ago, can be located. How hard can it be to temporarily take care of two girls? Andshe did promise Carrie, even though she was drunk at the time. Sophie has a lot to learn about children, and by caring for Bella and Izzy, she discovers what it means to beconnected to people rather than focused onher next promotion. British author Coleman creates witty and endearing characters and delivers an exceptional and touching read about loss and love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)