Review: A Stranger in the Family by Patricia McLinn

Author - Patricia McLinn
Genre - Contemporary
Series - N/A
Format - eBook (254p.)
Rating - ♥ 5/5 stars ♥

Bodie Smith's discovery that he fathered a son 17 years ago starts him on a search that leads to a Wyoming ranch, where he finds young Pete part of the warm and welcoming Weston family. That was the easy part. Complex doesn't even begin to describe his relationship with Pete's beautiful and wary adopted older sister Cambria. The sparks between them are real . . . and so is the danger if she finds out why he’s really in Wyoming.

• Review •
Okay, I've just gotta say… that cover is bad. I mean, really bad. I had seen this book a couple times on Amazon, but each time, I just said 'no way' because of the cover. I wasn't familiar with the author, and the book was free, so I assumed the story would be equally as bad as the cover… or worse. I was way off base!

I'm not exactly sure why I did get it though, or why—out of so many TBR's—I chose to read it now instead of putting it off. But I am so glad I read A Stranger In The Family. It literally blew me away. This novel took me a while to read because it struck such an emotional chord with me that I kept going into an introspective daze.

The characters are extremely well portrayed without having too much back story bogging down the main story. I connected with these characters—not just Cambria and Boone either, but the whole cast—on such a deep level that when I finished A Stranger In The Family, it was like saying 'Goodbye' to a loved one. And I really adore Cambria, I see so much of myself in her. I think that's why I was so emotionally invested in the book… I wanted her to have her HEA.

A Stranger In The Family is a beautifully written romance, that in spite of my initial judgement turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading it, and recommend it to those that enjoy reading about characters that come to terms with life, love, and family, while growing and becoming better people in the process. To say I loved this book would be such an understatement. But I really loved this book!

♥★★★★★♥