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Amanda Brown, the author of LEGALLY BLONDE, has another success on her hands with her second novel, FAMILY TRUST. This witty and fast-paced book follows the relationship of two people, Becca Reinhart and Edward Kirkland, who are thrown together after Becca's best friend Amy and her significant other Arthur, Edward's best friend, die in a plane crash.
Their wills name Becca and Edward as joint legal guardians of their four-year-old daughter, Emily. Parenthood is the last thing on either Becca's or Edward's mind. Becca is a hyper, high-strung successful businesswoman whose every move is dictated by her palm pilot and her jam-packed schedule. She has little time for dating, let alone parenting. Edward is a rich guy whose social life takes up more time than a nine-to-five workday would. His job seems to be present at various functions at which his family donates money.
However, both of them rise to the challenge of being parents to Emily and strive to put her needs first. They begin a three-month trial period. At the end of three months, the judge will determine who will receive permanent custody. The judge tells them that if one of the two marries, chances are that that party will be the one to receive permanent custody. Becca takes a two-month paid leave from her job, and Edward and Becca move in to the apartment that Emily's parents bequeathed to her so Emily would not have to leave the only home she has known. Becca and Edward both play a large role in Emily's life, taking her to various lessons, playing with her, and tucking her in at night.
But all is not idealistic in their world. A viper named Bunny dwells there as well. Bunny, or Roberta Stirrup, is a nasty woman whose main purpose in life is to marry Edward. Bunny was picked by Edward's mother to marry Edward when they were young children, based on her status. Bunny figures that when she and Edward marry, she will send Emily off to boarding school to get her out of her hair. Needless to say, the tide of maternal feelings does not flow deeply in Bunny. Bunny bamboozles Edward into a wedding date, which may seem slightly unbelievable, until readers learn how driven Bunny truly is --- even though Edward realizes he has fallen in love with Becca. Becca resigns herself to having lost Emily and Edward. But the path of love is full of twists and turns, which readers will enjoy negotiating while reading this book.
Both Edward and Becca are characters who readers will come to care for, and Emily is a sweetheart. In addition, readers will love to hate Bunny and will be waiting for her to receive her comeuppance. Brown's writing style flows well, and she seems to have a good sense of both the business and domestic worlds. FAMILY TRUST will most likely appeal to female readers in their twenties and thirties. Do I see movie rights to this book in Brown's future as well? It's possible --- and it would be quite welcomed.
Becca Reinhart is a career-oriented woman who has no desire to marry and raise a family. Edward Kirkland is a rich playboy with a very busy social life. But when a little girl named Emily enters their lives, these two individuals who have never met suddenly find themselves immersed in the trials and tribulations of domestic life.
--- Reviewed by Melissa A. Martin (melissaenglish72@yahoo.com)
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