The Family Man
By Kelly Eadon
ISBN13: 9781455593996
Brought to you by OBS reviewer jerjen
Synopsis: 
TEMPTATION NEVER TASTED SO SWEET…
When life hands lemons to Beth Beverley, she makes mouthwatering lemon squares. Mostly because they’re coveted by the sexy single dad who owns Belmont’s most popular coffee shop. But that’s where her crush on Griffin has to end. Her sweet treats are selling like crazy cakes in his shop, and she doesn’t mix business with pleasure. Too bad his sinful smile has her flirting with the idea of forever.
Griffin Hall definitely needs to keep his eyes–and his hands–off Beth. Since he’s traded in late-night gigs and partying for bedtime stories with his little girl in his arms, he doesn’t have time for anything else. So why does Beth’s big heart and easy way with his daughter make him finally feel alive again? But there’s a little secret Beth doesn’t know, something he can’t bear to tell her . . .
Review:
Beth is happy with her life, being a baker, a seamstress and helping out with the children’s theater. She likes having a variety of jobs to keep her busy, at least until she decides what she is most passionate about. Having tried her hand at being a small business owner and failing, she is content taking her time before making a commitment to a career she might fail at again. She loves selling her pastries to different businesses around town, especially one in particular. Little Ray of Sunshine is her favorite stop because of the coffee shop owner, Griffin. She thinks he is quietly cute, brooding and intriguing and she would like to get to know him better. She wants to bring a genuine smile to his face.
Griffin has a lot going on in his life. He is managing the coffee shop and raising his daughter, Mabel, by himself. He does not have any time to worry about a love life. But if he did have the time, he would love to get to know Beth a lot better. When he runs into Beth a few times away from the coffee shop, he is more curious about her and finds himself thinking of her and wanting to spend time with her. Will Beth and Griffin take a chance exploring the possibility of a relationship, or will they keep their feelings hidden from each other?
The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. Beth is positive, quirky, and fun loving. She is the type of person who would turn a bowl of lemons into lemonade. When she learns that Griffin has a daughter, she gets nervous because she does not know anything about parenting a child. But she is willing to learn because Mabel is the sole focus of Griffin’s life. Griffin is a great dad and does his best to give his daughter everything she needs to have a happy childhood. But he realizes that he needs more in his life and knows that he wants Beth to be a part of it. But he has a secret that he has kept from her and he is afraid she will look at him differently once she learns the secret. Both Beth and Griffin are likable characters and and it is hard not to want their relationship to work out. Both had friends who are also likable and they added a lot to the story.
The writing style flows smoothly and it is a quick easy read. This is the perfect book for the beach or a weekend read-a-thon. It is a feel good story where you are rooting for the two main characters. There was enough humor to have me smiling as I was reading, but there was also some tense moments that had me turning the pages faster. This was a great combination and I really enjoyed it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written women’s contemporary. I would not recommend it to young adults due to some steaminess and language but neither were over the top. It is a book well worth reading and I am glad that I did.
