REVIEW: Mommy for Rent by Lori Handeland
A classic romantic novella-Humor with Heart!
Kelly Rosholt has just opened a satellite office for her brain child, Rent a Mommy, in Wisconsin. Once upon a time, all Kelly wanted was to be a mother. When her dreams were dashed, she started a business doing everything a mommy does—for a price.
Scott Delgado has recently moved to Wisconsin with his daughter Dani. A former pro baseball player, Scott is now the coach of the minor league Kiwanee Warhawks. His job involves a lot of travel and he needs help.
Dani is tired of moving from town to town. What she really wants is to stay put this time and make some friends. But how can she when everyone else is part of a family and she doesn’t even have a mother? Hiring one from Rent a Mommy seems like the perfect solution.
By the time the truth comes out, Kelly and Dani have bonded and the attraction between Kelly and Scott is impossible to deny. Will they be able to move past all obstacles and create a home, a life and a family together?
Dear Ms. Handeland,
I was in the mood for a baseball book and already had this in my wishlist so “Rent a Mommy” it was. This one is quick both as a read and in the time span of the action but it’s cute, the daughter Dani is delightful but not at all saccharine (kid’s got a mouth), and everyone ends up getting exactly what they want.
Dani’s father Scott is the new head coach for a minor league baseball team but has spent years moving up the coaching ranks. Dani knows moving and trying to fit in and hates it so if she’s a bit aggressive in fending off potential interactions with kids she thinks might pick on her, you can’t blame her. When she catches onto a way into the girl clique via having her mom arrange a local event, Dani goes for it even if she doesn’t have a mom. Real Mom split when Scott left the majors and the big money was no longer there.
Scott is flabbergasted to arrive home to discover a strange woman in the house with his daughter. His first reaction is to swing into protection mode, figure-this-out mode, and then he notices that this woman is very good looking. A quick call to a PI friend vets Kelly’s business (they’ve got branch locations in several other states, too). An April snowstorm in Wisconsin (they’re a thing) strands Kelly long enough for her to begin to bond with Dani, and a desperate need has him hiring her for a week when he has to be out of town.
But there’s a devastating reason why Kelly’s marriage to her high school sweetheart failed and Scott unknowingly runs headlong into it after their hot night in bed (Dani’s at a sleepover). When Kelly bolts, everyone is left wondering why.
Yep, this is a fast one. But despite the speed with which the story moved, it’s got some lovely stuff in it. Dani is a great second grader who is smart, tough, intelligent, but also has some little girl yearning for girly stuff and ballet lessons that Scott just hasn’t seen until Kelly notices and helps Dani into lessons and “how to fit in” dressing. Scott is heartbroken when he realizes that all his efforts (and he does try) have fallen a bit short. Dani’s not a bad kid, she’s just got a single parent, and has acted out a bit to get his attention.
Kelly lost her chance to be what she really wants – a 1950s stay at home mom. Her high school sweetheart turned out to be a dickwad but Kelly took her misery and has turned it into a profitable (and expanding) business. No, she never intends to fall for Dani and Scott but by gum, she does. Thankfully she has good friend Paige (who is also wonderful) to yank a knot in her when it counts.
Scott realizes that eventually – well, probably now actually – his little girl will need help with the kind of stuff that fathers sometimes struggle with. But that’s not why he perks up when Kelly is around. He does see how quickly his daughter is clicking with the Rent-a-Mom but he perks up for Kelly all on her own.
This is a novella with a lot of emotional ground to cover so I’ll give the story speed a bye as everyone seems to be on the same page and love is everywhere. Also though it’s listed as part of a series, it’s the last story and doesn’t actually appear to be tied to the other books. B
~Jayne
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