Author: J.P. Barnaby
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 108 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: I’m sad to see the series end, but it does so in the most fabulous way.
Reviewed By: Queue
Blurb: It’s amazing how a single word from a tiny girl can change your life.
Spencer Thomas’s world turns upside down when his beloved Nell dies and leaves custody of her three-year-old daughter to him. Her “Spenna” comes when Sophie needs him most, but his boyfriend, Aaron, can’t be a parent. He just can’t. Neither of them expected a baby to fall into the lives they’d finally just settled.
When Nell’s ex comes to claim Sophie, Aaron needs to make a decision: man up or walk away as Spencer faces the fight of his life.
Review: I had this book for a bit before I started reading it because I wasn’t ready to deal with the angst. Turns out I didn’t need to worry. The angst, though present in this book, wasn’t nearly as heavy as in the previous books in the series. I’ve absolutely loved the other books because of the stellar writing, but they also sometimes dragged me into a dark place.
Sophie is much lighter in tone and plot, though it deals with important subjects. And the different tone absolutely fits because of the changes and growth both Aaron and Spencer have made throughout the books.
I don’t usually like series that suddenly thrust a child and marriage onto an established couple. Sometimes it reeks of forcing gay men into the heteronormative lifestyle, but that is not the case here. Every plot point here fits perfectly with Aaron and Spencer’s story. Nothing rings false, and that’s a testament to Barnaby’s talent.
In the story, Spencer becomes the guardian of a young girl after the death of his aunt. Aaron hates the idea of being a parent, but when faced with the challenge, he accepts it and we see Aaron grow and adapt to his circumstances. And when Spencer told Aaron to “man up”, I almost cheered out loud. I always knew Aaron could handle more than he thought, and it was nice seeing it come true.
Barnaby did an excellent job with keeping all the characters true to themselves throughout the series. There was never a false note. I’m sad to see the series end, but it does so in the most fabulous way.
You can buy Sophie here:
[zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2mPGc1V” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Dreamspinner Press [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://amzn.to/2mPJi5N” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon US [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B06X99SJQT?d” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon Int’l [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2mPuhkz” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Barnes & Noble [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://apple.co/2mPOgiV” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] iBooks [/zilla_button]
The Novel Approach Reviews 
Leave a Reply