Adopted: Family in a Million. Barbara McMahon. 2009. 192p. (Harlequin Romance #4093). Harlequin. When Zack Morgan discovers he’s a father, and that his little boy was given up for adoption, he decides to find him. He has to know his son is okay. Life is a struggle for single mom Susan Johnson, but she loves being Danny’s mother. When Zack unexpectedly comes into their lives, he lights up their world. Zack intended to keep his distance, but he’s found the family of his dreams. Only, Susan has no idea who he really is.

Adopted Son. Linda Warren. 2007. 288p. (Harlequin Super Romance #1440). Harlequin. After answering a call asking for backup, Texas Ranger Jeremiah “Tuck” Tucker discovers an abandoned child at the crime scene. Little Brady has been neglected—and it turns out he has no living family. Tuck is determined to give the two-year-old boy a home, and starts the process of adoption. He’s furious when he learns Grace Whitten, a lawyer and family friend, is representing a couple who also want Brady. She and Tuck have never gotten along, and now she’s questioning his abilities as a parent. But once he finds out Grace’s true intentions for the child, he begins to see beyond the lawyer, to the woman. And to the potential wife and mother.

AKA: Marriage. Jule McBride. 1998. 248p. (American Romance #733). Harlequin. Delilah Fontenont, alias Lillian Smith was a wanted woman. Undercover detective Shane Holiday had been on her trail for seven years trying to solve his Uncle Silas’s murder. Silas, a Louisiana cop, was killed the night Delilah married gangster Sam Ramsey and ran off the $3 million of the mob’s money. She escaped to New York and went to work for Wall Street wizard Jefferson Lawrence under an assumed name. Although she was a wanted woman, “Lillian Smith” desperately wanted to adopt a baby. She had her heart set on a young boy at the Big Apple Adoption Agency. However, the caseworker wasn’t optimistic about her chances to adopt as a single woman. Shane, who also worked at the agency as a part-time security guard, and saw this as a chance to get closer to Lillian. By the Same Author: Verdict: Parenthood; Diagnosis: Daddy; and Mission: Motherhood.

Adopt a Dad. Marion Lennox. 2003. 256p. Harlequin. For Michael Lord, head of security at Maitland Maternity, the arrival of the package from his long-lost mother recalled his abandonment as a baby—so he wasn’t about to desert his secretary, Jenny Marrow. Seven months ago her husband had died in an accident. Now she was pregnant and her controlling mother-in-law wanted custody of the unborn child. The confirmed bachelor couldn’t ignore a woman in trouble. Michael had an idea that could keep Jenny and her baby in Texas—a temporary husband!

Adopted Dad. Donna Clayton. 2000. 185p. (Silhouette Romance, 1417). Silhouette. When Ethan Kimball came to claim his new daughter, he discovered the adoption hinged on the impossible. Unless he found a wife immediately, the tiny orphan would be snatched away forever. But before Ethan could abandon hope, a beautiful stranger proposed a surprising solution: marriage!

Adopted: Twins. Marion Lennox. 2002. 192p. Harlequin Books. Matt McKay is en route to propose to his girlfriend when he hears a fire alarm coming from the orphanage. After helping to rescue the children, Matt offers Erin Douglas, the orphanage House Mother, and a set of twins, the use of his spare bedrooms until they get new housing. But as his nice, orderly life and house are taken over by this trio, he begins to realize that the things he thought were important in life, aren’t any more.

Almost Heaven. Sandra James. 1991. (Harlequin Superromance #435). Harlequin. The shame still haunted her. After learning a shocking secret about her husband, Leslie Wilson had divorced him. A tranquil summer in San Diego with her friend Colleen’s family would be just what she needed. Or so she thought. She hadn’t counted on Colleen’s brother-in-law Clint Stuart disturbing her peace. Leslie and Clint became friends; she thought they might become more. But she was puzzled by his coldness toward Bonnie, the beautiful Mexican orphan girl who was temporarily staying with them in the house. Soon Leslie began to suspect that Clint, too, had a secret—perhaps one a deep and painful as her own.

Another Homecoming. Janette Oke & T Davis Bunn. 1997. 251p. Bethany House Publishers. Martha and Harry Grimes were married for only nine weeks when he was sent overseas during World War II. When Harry is declared “missing and presumed dead,” 18-year-old Martha panics at the thought of raising their expected child alone. When the baby girl is born, Martha gives it up for adoption. When Harry is found to be alive, though gravely wounded, it is too late for Martha to get their baby back. Returning home from war, Harry is bitter over his wounds and refuses to forgive Martha for her action. Though they have other children, the couple is never truly happy; their children grow up incomplete and eventually become Christians, which allows them to bring Harry and Martha back together. In the meantime, Kyle grows into a sweet but headstrong young woman, somewhat uncomfortable in the “high society” trappings of her family’s estate. But when the secret of her adoption is accidentally divulged, Kyle sets out to discover who she is, finding heartbreak and romance, despair and faith along the way. Are her birth parents, even a brother or a sister, somewhere waiting for her?

Baby Chase, The. Jennifer Greene. 1997. (Fortune’s Children). Harlequin. All she wanted was a baby. If that meant falling into bed with Gabriel Devereau, then Rebecca Fortune would swallow her pride and seduce her nemesis. She knew he would soon be gone from her life, so her secret would be safe. But then the eternally single Rebecca was shocked to realize her passion for Gabriel had gone beyond pretense. Would the father of her child ever feel the same way—especially with the lie between them?

Baby Farm, The. Karen Harper. 1999. Mira Books (Canada). Deep in the hills of Appalachia, someone is stealing babies. Without a trace or a reasonable explanation, pregnant women are disappearing, targeted for the precious commodity they carry. Emma Weston is a modern midwife. Raised in Shelter, she understands the women she’s trying to help. When her best friend and sister becomes endangered, Emma is determined to revel the ruth. There’s only one man she can trust. Griff Cusak, the new town doctor.

Baby Mine. Erica Spindler. 1992. Silhouette. Schoolteacher Meg Halloran watches a group of teens attack a homeless person. She tries to intercede, but is beaten up by the gang. Meg goes to the police station to file a report, but the officer, not recognizing her as the Police Chief’s wife, blames it on the Mexicans. Thaereafter, a Mexican named Esperanza Moreno is murdered, and a pregnant Mexican teenager disappears.

Baby of the Bride. Kay David. 1996. 250p. (Silhouette Intimate Moments #706). Silhouette. She was going to lose her baby! Rachel St. James’s dream of having a baby was finally in her grasp. But the adoption contract stipulated that little Elizabeth had to grow up in a two-parent home. And Rachael would do anything to keep the little girl—including marrying a man she didn’t love. He was going to gain a wife! Paul Delaney had secretly loved Rachael for years.Now she need a husband, and he was more than happy to volunteer for the temporary fantasy. But when make-believe started feeling all too real, Paul knew he had to convince her that the three of them could be a genuine family—or walk away from her forever.

Baby 101. Marisa Carroll. 2003. 256p. Harlequin. When Lana Lord received the parcel containing a tattered teddy bear, three tiny hand-knit sweaters and an unsigned letter, she knew it was from the mother who had given her and her siblings up for adoption twenty-five years ago. But Lana claimed no interest in who her mother was or why she had waited until now to contact her—until she met Dylan Van Zandt. Dylan’s struggle to raise a child who wasn’t his own made Lana realize that love’s choices aren’t always easy.

Baby Track, The. Barbara Boswell. 1991. Silhouette. Sexy Connor McKay enlists the assistance of beautiful Courtney Carey to expose a notorious adoption ring, but trouble erupts when he becomes attracted to his pretty temporary “wife” and falls in love with Sarah, a three-day-old infant that becomes his adoptive daughter.

Baby Wait, The. Cynthia Reese. 2007. 288p. (Harlequin Superromance, #1415). Harlequin. Sarah Tennyson has it all planned. In two months she’ll travel to China to adopt the beautiful baby girl she’s always wanted. Even after a mountain of setbacks, she has the faith that one day she’ll hold her daughter. But that’s before the man she loves starts to doubt. Joe is Mr. Fix-It. The only thing he can’t do is get Sarah her baby. Now, after all the disappointment they’ve faced, he’s begun to wonder if their little family was really meant to be. Sarah can’t give up her dream, but what if waiting for her baby means losing Joe?

Bad Girl’s Money, A. Paula Paul. 1993. 372p. HarperCollins. Alexis Runnels is all those things and more. She’s from a rich oil family in Texas, but because she’s adopted she has a lot of emotional issues that make her feel like an outsider. Tough on the outside, bruised on the inside, Alexis is the kind of heroine almost anyone can identify with. When she meets maverick oil man Jon Callahan, she sees the chance to step out from her family’s shadow and become her own person. It doesn’t hurt that Jon is strong, gorgeous, and absolutely loaded. Being an older man, he is also a source of stability in her turbulent life.

Balancing Act. Lilian Darcy. 2003. 249p. (Silhouette Special Edition Series, #1552). Harlequin. Libby McGraw and Brady Buchanan, both single parents, adopted mixed-race babies from the same Vietnamese orphanage, whom they name Colleen and Scarlett, respectively. When Colleen wins a parenting magazine’s beautiful-baby contest and her picture appears on the magazine’s cover and Brady’s mother sees it and shows it to her son, they both realize that there is a strong possibility that Colleen and Scarlett are twins. Brady seeks out Libby with the idea of doing blood tests, but both Brady and Libby know as soon as they meet and the little girls are face to face that blood tests would only be a formality. Colleen and Scarlett were identical in every detail. Their parents now must decide if it is right to raise twins five hundred miles apart.

Ball’s in Her Court, The. Heather Justesen. 2009. 256p. Cedar Fort, Inc. Growing up in the foster care system was no picnic, but after being adopted into a loving LDS family, playing college basketball, and launching her career in the software industry, Denise Dewalt finally feels as though she’s left her former life behind her. What she doesn’t realize is that she must confront her past if she ever wants to move on to a brighter future. While her search for her biological family isn’t an easy one, Denise’s biggest fear is that even when she finds her family, she ll have nothing to give Rich, the only man who can see past the tragedies of her childhood. This emotional and inspirational story proves that life is full of unexpected twists and turns especially when it comes to facing your demons, fighting for love, and finding happiness for the future. The Ball’s in Her Court will keep you hooked to the very last page.

Because of Her Nephew. Fata Alic. 2008. 212p. PublishAmerica. Dina Zuhric is a young Bosnian native who is trying to adopt her ten-year-old nephew, Edin Nukic. Her family did not know the boy existed until they received a call from a young woman living in Kentucky. Dina’s oldest brother, Edin, the boy’s father, had been killed in the war in Bosnia. When Dina finds out about her brother’s child, she decides to find him. In Kentucky she meets Alma. Dina spends time with Alma’s family and she meets Alma’s brother, Amer, who also wants to adopt the young boy. But since neither one of them is married, the boy’s caseworker does not consider them suitable parents for Edin.

Beloved Outcast. Pat Tracy. 1996. (Harlequin Historical #333). Harlequin. A dramatic western about an Eastern spinster who is hired by a man with a notorious reputation to tutor his adopted daughter.

Better Life, A. Frankie McGowan. 1999. 340p. Victor Gollancz (UK). Anna Minstrel has a good life. Adopted but happy within her loving family, she’s got an exciting job—as an editor of a daytime TV show—and a career that’s consuming but which leaves room for spin doctor Oliver Manners to woo her. Until her mother dies, and her father remarries, leaving her isolated from his new, dull family. Then into her life comes Sophia, her real mother, who wants Anna to forgive her and come to Rome to meet her real father—now sadly dying. Sophia’s family, dizzyingly rich and hopelessly immoral, captivates Anna as they try to make up for all the missing years. Anna feels they too should first forgive her mother, so Anna’s new life takes her to Rome and into the family’s secrets. She sets out to help Sophia, but with devastating results.

Beyond Mist Blue Mountains. Carrie Bender. 2003. 164p. (Dora’s Diary Series #3). Herald Press. Dora, married and settled into Millstream Orchard Farm in Minnesota, writes in her diary faithfully. A year after they had planned, Dora and her husband Matthew finally go to Belize to work in an orphanage run by Dora’s aunt and uncle. There, though she is homesick at times, she recounts their many adventures: a kidnapped child, thieves in the night, escaping down a wild river, watching the breathtaking tropical sunsets, and of course, taking care of all those children. Through all this, Dora and Matthew wish for a child of their own. Even after three years of marriage, there is no baby. So the adventures continue. They buy a farm in a different Amish settlement in Belize, adopt children (Dora wants a dozen!), and revel in the wonderful people and world God has given them. About the Author: The author’s pen name is Carrie Bender. She is a member of an old order group. With her husband and children, she lives among the Amish in Lancaster County, PA. Bender is the popular author of the Whispering Brook Series, Miriam’s Journal Series, and Dora’s Diary Series.

Beyond the Gathering Storm. Janette Oke. 2000. Bethany House Publishers. From Publishers Weekly: Oke, whose evangelical Christian romances have sold 19 million copies worldwide, here presents the romantic lives of an adopted brother and sister in pre-WW I western Canada. Duty calls Henry, a sensitive and kind Mountie, to inform a young logger’s wife that her husband has been killed in an accident. The woman’s tragic loss haunts Henry, who wonders for years afterward what became of her and her infant son. Assigned to a new beat five years later, he rediscovers Amber and gains her trustAand eventually her heartAby offering his calm and steady assistance as she copes with another near-tragedy. Meanwhile, Henry’s younger sister, Christine, off to work as a secretary in the big city of Edmonton, experiences her own loves and losses. Courted by the boss’s temperamental, randy son, the saintly Christine has to fend off the traditional temptations of her suitor’s fast friends, late evenings and penchant for alcohol. She and the boss’s son become engaged, but his mercurial outbursts only worsen, occasionally erupting in violence (the novel anachronistically refers to Christine as “physically abused”). A heartbroken Christine breaks off the engagement, sadder but wiser.

Billionaire Drifter, The. Beverly Bird. 2003. 256p. Silhouette. Billionaire Max Strong was enjoying living under the radar on the remote island of Brunhia, far away from the glitz and glamour. His beloved father had died, his divorce was final and he needed to do some soul-searching. But strange things were happening at this “safe” haven ... the most disturbing was his unexpected run-in with a beautiful stranger. Sheltered Honey Evans hadn’t a clue who he was, yet Max would never forget her irresistible seduction or her abrupt departure. Fate would put them in each other’s arms again, though Max was determined to keep his identity a secret and teach his naïve temptress a lesson. But would his deceptive charade destroy them both?

Biological Bond, The. Jamie Denton. 2001. 251p. (American Romance #892). Harlequin. Fourteen years ago, Rebecca Martinson heard the sweet cry of her newborn baby, but she never laid eyes on her child—until now. Recca had been forced by her power-hungry father to send her child into adoption. Years later, single father Sam Winslow stormed into her world, stirring old emotions and sensual fantasies...and offering Rebecca chance to give life to her daughter one more time. Keeping young Melanie alive meant bringing the beguiling birth mother into his home. But not for long! For Sam would never allow Rebecca to upset his ordered life. But Rebecca brought unyielding joy to their daughter—and a fire to his soul. Could it be that in saving his child, Sam had found a way to save his heart?

Blessed Baby Love. Lois Richer. 2001. 256p. Steeple Hill. Widowed dad Ty Demens had his hands full with his adopted toddler until Brionly Green came along. And his first instinct was to turn the inquisitive, pint-size blond away. But he was as desparate for a nanny as Bri was to get to know her niece. As a cool-hearted scientist, Bri thrived on theories and logic, not emotion. But all that flew out the window the moment she held the sweet little girl. She knew there was a reason God had given h er a career instead of a family. But there was also a reason He had lead her to Ty and Christine.

Blessings. Belva Plain. 1989. 340p. Delacorte. At thirty-six, Jennie Rakowsky’s dreams were coming true. She was about to marry a wonderful man, her career as a lawyer was skyrocketing, and she had never been more beautiful. And then the secret she had hidden for nineteen years thretened to shatter it all.

Bloodsmoor Romance, A. Joyce Carol Oates. 1982. 615p. Dutton. A true epic story of the astonishing affairs of a renowned family of the Bloodsmoor Valley in Pennsylvania, which begins with the abduction of Miss Deirdre Zinn, the 16-year old adopted daughter of wealthy inventor John Quincy Zinn. She was abducted in broad daylight by an unknown pilot of a sinister black balloon, quite remarkable in the 19th century.

Blue Bayou. JoAnn Ross. 2002. 400p. Pocket Books. Danielle Dupree, daughter of a prominent judge, was the closest thing to a princess that the sleepy Louisiana town of Blue Bayou ever had. Her passionate teenage love affair with Jack Callahan was cut short for reasons that were never clear to Dani—but were all too obvious to Jack, the sexy bad-boy son of Judge Dupree’s housekeeper. Thirteen years later, Dani, a widow with a son, comes home to start a new life and is surprised that Jack, too, has moved back to the bayou. A former DEA agent who is now a bestselling author, Jack has bought Dani’s childhood home, Beau Soleil. But even as their passion reignites, Dani and Jack know that secrets hang in the air, and that the past may ruin their second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love.

Breach of Trust. DiAnn Mills. 2009. 400p. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Paige Rogers is a former CIA agent who lost all she treasured seven years ago when her entire team was killed in a covert mission. She blames their leader—Daniel Keary—whom Paige believes betrayed them. Disillusioned and afraid for her life, she disappeared and started a new life as a small-town librarian. But when Keary announces his candidacy for governor of her state, he comes after Paige to ensure that she won’t ruin his bid for office. He threatens everything she holds dear, and Paige must choose between the life of hiding that has become her refuge ... or risking everything in one last, desperate attempt to right old wrongs.

Brentwood. Grace Livingston Hill. 1937. 250p. JB Lippincott. Reunited with a family she never knew, Margaret struggles to overcome resentment and build the home and love she has always dreamed of. About the Author: Grace Livingston Hill is the beloved author of more than 100 books. Read and enjoyed by millions, her wholesome stories contain adventure, romance, and the heartwarming triumphs of people faced with the problems of life and love.

Buchanan’s Return. Pamela Toth. 1997. 250p. (Buckles & Broncos) (Silhouette Special Edition #1096). Silhouette. The Buchanans are back., and Kirby Wilson didn’t know if she was more mad or grateful. In one shocking moment she had learned that she was adopted—and that she had two brothers she had never known about. The revelation brought her face-to-face with destiny.

Caitlin’s Guardian Angel. Marie Ferrarella. 1995. (Dangerous to Love USA). Silhouette. The assignment—protecting a witness to a brutal murder—was the toughest of Detective Graham Redhawk’s career. Because the witness was Caitlin Cassidy, the woman who’d long ago decided that a half-Navajo renegade like him wasn’t good enough to spend her life with. At the same time, he was entangled in a bitter custody battle for his adopted son. And his only hope of winning was a marriage—in name only—to this woman he couldn’t stop loving.

Can’t Stop Loving You. Janelle Taylor. 2001. 347p. Kensington Publishing Corp. From Publishers Weekly: College freshman Mariel Rowan has dreamed of becoming an actress, but an unexpected pregnancy threatens to derail her plans. Even though her boyfriend, Noah Lyons, is eager to marry and start a family, Mariel insists that they give their child up for adoption. Fifteen years after delivering her baby daughter, Amber, and ending her relationship with Noah, Amber contacts Mariel via e-mail. Before Mariel has a chance to meet Amber, however, the girl disappears. To begin her search, Mariel meets up with Noah in Syracuse, NY, at the quaint B&B where they made love for the first time, and, unable to deny their attraction, they pick up where they left off. Once reunited, Mariel and Noah learn that neither has attained the goals that precipitated their decision to put Amber up for adoption Mariel is a teacher in her sleepy Midwestern hometown, and Noah is unwinding from a failed marriage and a job he loathes. Lukewarm clues lead to dead ends until they do the obvious and open Amber’s original e-mail. Readers looking for a rousing contemporary romance with sympathetic lead characters and plenty of soul-searching won’t be disappointed by Taylor’s (Not Without You, etc.) loosely labeled romantic suspense, but those who desire the added spice of intrigue should look elsewhere. © Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Cari’s Secret. Neva Coyle. 1994. 284p. Thomas Nelson. One bad choice can change a woman’s life forever. Cari Nelson made her mistake by getting involved with Richard in high school. She told people she was going to Minnesota, to help “a sick aunt.” As she returns home to Redlands, CA, she wonders how she can tell her grandparents the real reason she went to visit Aunt Hannah. She wonders how she can put the past year behind her and go on with her life. Then Cari meets Jeff Bennett, and she fights to suppress the hope he kindles in her, along with the feelings she has for him. Just as Cari is ready to reach out for Jeff’s love, the past reaches forward to threaten her happiness again. How long will Cari’s secret cast a shadow over her life? An absorbing and timely tale of the painful consequences of sin—and the liberating forgiveness to be found in Christ.

Cause for Alarm. Erica Spindler. 1999. Mira Books. Spindler’s latest romantic suspense (after Shocking Pink) moves fast and takes no prisoners. Kate and Richard Ryan, the perfect couple (money, good looks, successful power careers, great house on Lake Pontchartrain), adopt a baby girl to make their lives complete. Unbeknownst to them, the birth mother, Julianna, a young woman on the run from her ex-lover, CIA contract-killer John Powers, is more than a tad unhinged. Unable to tear herself from the beautiful lives of the Ryans, Julianna falls for Richard and becomes his mistress. Meanwhile, baby Emma fulfills Kate’s life in a way material success never could. But Powers is closing in on all of them, vowing bloody revenge, and Kate finds herself turning to old boyfriend Luke Dallas, bestselling author of detective stories, for aid and comfort. Though marred by an occasionally clunky prose style, Spindler’s newest is an intriguing look into the twisted mind of someone for whom murder is simply a business. — From Publishers Weekly. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Celebrate the Child. Amy Frazier. 1999. 249p. (Silhouette Special Edition #1270). Silhouette. Little Rose made Dr. Fiona Applegate’s quiet life complete. And as this single mother raised her adopted daughter she never expected to want—to need—anyone else. Then handsome Chase Riboud taught Fiona the power of passion—and the price her heart would pay for welcoming a stranger. Unbeknownst to her, Chase was on a mission unlike any he’d undertaken before: to find his child who’d been given up for adoption by her mother without his knowledge Yet the ex-military man’s mission to claim Rose as his own changed the moment he encountered sweet Fiona. He could never separate mother and daughter. But would this world-weary bachelor embrace the job of family, and celebrate the child and the woman of his dreams? About the Author: Romance novelist Amy Lanz, who writes as Amy Frazier, was born in coastal Maine, descended from Nova Scotia Acadians, and lives now in northwest Georgia with her husband and two children. She sold her first Silhouette Special Edition series novel, The Secret Baby, in 1994. Besides writing, Lanz has also had careers as a teacher, librarian, professional storyteller, and free-lance artist.

Chandler’s Child. Anita Meyer. 1994. 248p. (Silhouette Intimate Moments #581). Silhouette. Millionaire tycoon Michael Chandler was nothing but a heartless wheeler-dealer—or so everyone said. And now he had adopted archaeologist...

Change of Heart. Tracy Stern. 1997. 253p. Simon & Shuster. A supposedly modern young woman must choose between single motherhood and a full, happy life in this hopelessly dated and unconvincing melodrama, by the author of the equally dreadful But First for Love (1991) and This I Promise You (1989). Rushing from junior-college classes to joyous pre-wedding shopping sprees with her wealthy San Francisco grandmother, Nevada native Kerry McKinney leads such a treacly-perfect life that the reader can hardly wait for the axe to fall—this time in the form of a positive pregnancy test. Stunned, Kerry struggles to accustom herself to the idea of walking down the aisle with a very thick waist, but embarrassment soon gives way to dismay when Brad is killed in a car accident and Kerry must decide what to do about her now-fatherless unborn child. Running off to grandmother Lisbeth’s Victorian mansion to think things through, Kerry learns that by great coincidence Lisbeth’s new tenants, a professional couple, are dying to adopt a child. Lisbeth, convinced that Kerry can’t possibly have a full life saddled with a baby, arranges for a post- pregnancy job at a trendy San Francisco magazine in exchange for Kerry’s promise to hand the infant over to her tenants. Kerry obediently goes along with the plan until after her son is born, at which point she panics and decides to keep the baby—only to change her mind back again. Once the child is safely gone, Kerry is relieved to find she enjoys the magazine job, but then a visit to her infant son convinces our fickle heroine to fight for custody. The adoptive parents suffer paroxysms of anxiety over Kerry’s decision, only to learn that Kerry, tempted by the love of a handsome law student, has once again decided to sign her baby over to them for good. Who are we supposed to cheer for here? Wooden dialogue, dated assumptions, and a host of whopping coincidences leave the reader caring not a whit where that baby goes. — Copyright © 1997 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Changeling, The. Philippa Carr. 1989. Collins (UK). The prolific British author of historical romances (The Pool of St. Branok) continues her lavishly entwined narrative of the families connected to Benedict Lansdon, now a recently bereaved widower, absentee father and wealthy seeker of a Parliament seat. Narrated by Benedict’s aggrieved stepdaughter, Rebecca, this complex tale of love and betrayal concerns a three-cornered sibling relationship involving Rebecca, her half-sister, Belinda and Lucie, a country waif informally adopted by Benedict. Aware that her father blames her for her mother’s death in childbirth, Belinda takes refuge in michievous behavior. Placid Lucie, however, fits in well with the family, though her lineage is suspect and clouded with mysterious events at St. Branok’s pool. Although Belinda seems the most obvious “changeling,” Carr sustains an air of doubt and intrigue. The ambience of the Cornish countryside and of Victorian London permeate this piquantly Gothic family saga.

Child Is Waiting, A. Christine D’Angelo. 1993. 251p. (Silhouette Intimate Moments #509). Silhouette. Amy Blake, an unmarried American, has an accident that leaves her unable to have children, so she goes overseas to adopt a baby. When she gets there she is informed by the adoption agency that she has to travel to the mountain region where the baby is. Sam Crawford is the man who reluctantly agrees to help Amy find the biological mother who wants Amy to adopt her baby. Sam, who has a lot of emotional issues to deal with since he was falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit, is very reluctant to get close to and trust Amy, but she falls in love with him and he loves her, but is afraid to admit it because of being hurt by a scheming woman from his past.

Child of Her Heart. Arlene James. 1995. 250p. (Silhouette Special Edition #964). Silhouette. A cruel deception had robbed Dr. Gail Terry of her newborn baby. And after years of desperate searching, Gail had finally found her, alive and well and living in Texas. Now, the only person who stood between Gail and her precious daughter was ruggedly handsome Rand Hartesite. Rand had made a loving home for not one, but two adoptive daughters. And Gail couldn’t deny that her child’s life had been blessed by the ranchers warm and gentle ways. Soon Gail wished she could keep her true identity from the man she had come to love. Now taking back the child of her heart meant betraying the man of her dreams.

China Doll. Barbara Jean Hicks. 1998. 256p. Palisades. Hicks’ sweet and gentle novel features Georgine Nichols, a woman who wants nothing more than to settle down and have a family. Unfortunately, she is unable to bear children, which causes the breakup of her marriage. After meeting the interesting and attractive journalist Bronson Bailey, who shares her love of God, Georgine falls deeply in love. There is only one problem: Bronson isn’t interested in children. When Georgine hears of the possibility of adopting a little girl from China, she decides to do so as a single parent, though it may jeopardize her future with Bronson. Here the romance takes a back seat to Georgine’s desperate need for a child, but most readers will be too caught up in the fascinating details on overseas adoptions to care that Georgine’s romantic life gets pushed aside.

Choices. Erin Kaye. 2004. 403p. Poolbeg Press (Ireland). When Sheila gave birth to Claire she was just sixteen years of age. Persuaded by her family to give the baby up for adoption, this choice would affect her life—and the lives of those she loved—forever. Two decades later, Sheila and her older sister Eileen face heartache. Eileen’s cancer has returned and Sheila can no longer live with the decision she made all those years ago. She wants her daughter back. Sheila’s desperate yearning threatens to shatter family relationships. Now Eileen is terminally ill, Sheila’s marriage to Jimmy is under strain and her eldest son, Conor, is in serious trouble. Then events take the most unexpected turn, offering Sheila hope for the future, but she faces one final, life-changing choice.

Circle of Empty Arms. LaShaundra Seale. 2009. 160p. AuthorHouse. Wanting your heart’s desire is natural. What can happen when these desires lead to deception and scandal? These wonderful fictional characters permit us to take a peek into every aspect of their lives. Jennifer has everything a rich, beautiful, happily married woman could ask for, with the exception of one thing. A baby. Her husband has always made sure she’s had everything her heart desires. Will this be the exception, or will he stop at nothing to get his wife and himself what they want? Natalie has always been content with life’s ups and downs. She can’t understand how she has allowed herself to become so consumed with one thing. After trying unsuccessfully for five years to conceive a child, she pulls out all stops. Her motto is, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” The reader will be shocked and appalled at the measures she takes to try and obtain her goal. Sara just knows she will get what she wants. The question is how. The answer will floor the reader with an unlikely solution that’s right in front of her eyes. Circle of Empty Arms will enlighten and inspire readers. It will have you begging the characters to think twice before surrendering to dreadful decisions, and sympathizing with them when those decisions turn into disasters. Most of all it will make you smile, laugh, and shout with joy when these corky characters triumph. About the Author: This is the second novel by LaShaundra Seale. Her first novel, Never More Than You Can Bear, made quite a buzz. She grew up in a military family and had the pleasure of living in Europe, Hawaii, and many other states in the U.S. LaShaundra is an avid reader and writer. When not writing, LaShaundra loves scrap-booking, shopping, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. LaShaundra has a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Tyler, and she’s currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration. She lives in Texas with her husband and their son.

Circle of Gold. Karen Harper. 1992. 393p. Dutton. In this deeply involving saga, a woman’s quest for love carries her from frontier Kentucky to Victorian England’s aristrocratic estates. A wonderfully moving story, it captures a very special part of America’s past in its tale of Rebecca Blake, an orphaned mountain girl who is adopted by the Shakers and raised in their secretive, sexually repressed world.

Close to You. Christina Dodd. 2005. 400p. (Lost Texas Hearts #3). Pocket Star. Who knows the truth about her family? Who wants to keep her past hidden forever? Caitlin Prescott was only a baby when her parents disappeared. Adopted by a wealthy Texas oil family, she became Kate Montgomery, and grew up with no memory of her parents or her two older sisters and brother, who have been searching for her, hoping to right a terrible wrong that was committed twenty-two years ago in a small Texas town. Now an ambitious young news reporter, Kate realizes she is being stalked soon after landing her dream job at an Austin TV station. Why did a car try to run her down? Who would want to kill her? Turning her precarious situation into a story, she takes on a bodyguard and follows him on the job. But she didn“t plan on the cool, blade-sharp strength of Teague Ramos or the attraction that sizzles between them. When Teague connects the death of an Austin socialite to unanswered questions about Kate’s childhood, she finds herself unlocking dangerous doors to her past. Now, with only her mysterious bodyguard to protect her, Kate is on a high-stakes chase that may lead her to the family she has never known—or into the trap of a ruthless killer.

Coming Together: A Novel of Love & Intrigue in Rio. Joyce Norman & Joy Collins. 2009. 226p. Chalet Publishers, LLC. Recently divorced documentary filmmaker Daisy Gardner jumps at the chance to film a documentary about Brazil. It’s in the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro where she meets Luis, a local cameraman and a member of her team. Initially, Daisy finds the Brazilian arrogant and unapproachable. Upon closer inspection, however, she finds him captivating. Luis, it seems, feels the same way about her. Quickly too Daisy becomes captivated by Rio. The landscape, the food, and the culture all intoxicate the American. While filming in and around the city, Luis suggests they visit a local orphanage. It’s there where Daisy meets Clay, a baby boy born in a funabem, the equivalent of an American ghetto. Immediately she falls in love with the orphan, and soon she decides to adopt him. Adopting Clay is not as easy it seems, however, and before she knows it Daisy becomes caught in the spider-web complexities of Brazilian bureaucracy. Meanwhile her relationship with Luis deepens. It also becomes more confusing. In the end, will Daisy be able to adopt Clay as well as confirm a long lasting relationship with Luis? Joyce Norman has written a well-crafted easy-to-read novel based on one woman’s transformation from a fiercely independent citizen-of-the-world to some one who is hoping for love and, ultimately, the chance for unlikely people—a Brazilian cameraman, an orphan, and herself—to come together. — Kelly Huddleston

Cowboy Daddy. Susan Mallery. 1994. 256p. (Silhouette Special Edition #898). Silhouette. Rancher Jake Masters’s adopted daughter had been deeply troubled since his wife’s death, and he couldn’t deny the little girl’s anguished plea to meet her “real” mother. But it was damn hard—and the hardest part was his stunning passion for this woman who was now an unwanted part of his life. Anne Baker had come a long way from the dirt-poor Texas town where she’d made the toughest decision of her life, but she’d never forgotten her child. And nothing was going to keep them apart now—not even the suspicions of the most disturbing and compelling man she’d ever known.

Cowboy’s Convenient Bride, The. Patricia Thayer. 1997. (Silhouette Romance #1261). Silhouette.

Cowboy’s Lover, The. Ada Steward. 1994. 298p. (Harlequin Superromance #619). Harlequin. Who are his real parents? Jamie Conley wants to know. He’s beginning to ask questions his adoptive mother, Lexi, can’t answer. Questions her sister won’t let her answer. The child is distracted for the moment when Lexi “kidnaps” his idol, rodeo champion Jake Thorn. She needs Jake, her former brother-in-law, to manage the ranch—but only until her dad recovers from surgery. Jamie, of course, hopes he’ll stay forever. What Lexi can’t explain to him is that Jake’s the last man she wants around—and the only man she’s ever loved.

Cradle of Secrets. Lisa Mondello. 2007. 256p. (Cradle of Secrets Series #1). (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #78). Steeple Hill Books. Who was Tammie Gardner, Really? She was never supposed to know she was adopted. Never supposed to uncover the secrets of her birth. But she had. And with God as her guide, Tammie Gardner headed cross-country to a sleepy New England town, determined to discover who she really was. Yet her arrival was met with odd double-takes and the dangerous attention of handsome stranger Dylan Montgomery. He insisted she was another woman entirely and the key to his brother’s mysterious disappearance. And now someone wanted to make Tammie disappear before either of them could ever learn the truth.

Crime of the Heart, A. Cheryl Reavis. 1988. 251p. (Special Edition #487). Silhouette. Surely the old scandal about outsider Quinn Tyler and Amishman Adam Sauder was all but forgotten. And no one knew the true extent of their “sin”—that Quinn had borne Adam’s child. World-weary and hungry for a simpler life, Quinn was going home to Lancaster County. Only nothing was simple anymore. Adam still wanted her—though he damned his wanting. And Quinn yearned for him like the missing half of her soul. But his people had accused her of an unforgivable crime, and if she let Adam back into her heart, they’d find him guilty, too.

Crossing the Line. Lauren Baratz-Logsted. 2004. 320p. Red Dress Ink. From Booklist: The sequel to The Thin Pink Line (2003) picks up where that story left off, as Jane Taylor arrives at the house of her ex-boyfriend, Tolkien, carrying a baby she found on the steps of a church. After faking a pregnancy for nine months, fate delivered little Emma into Jane’s arms. Though there’s no way Jane can pass Emma off as her own—Emma is black, while Jane is white—Jane wants nothing more than to adopt Emma and raise her, but her own deception might stand in her way. She has to come clean to her family, friends, and coworkers and convince them to hide her folly from Stephen Triplecorn, the Social Service worker who seems determined to find Jane unfit to raise Emma. But as Jane bonds with Emma and starts to win Tolkien back, her fake pregnancy comes back to haunt her in an unforeseen way. Even better than the first book, Crossing the Line offers the possibility of another delightful adventure for Jane. — Kristine Huntley; © American Library Association. All rights reserved.

Crown Jewel: A Novel. Fern Michaels. 2003. 320p. Atria. Ricky Lam had it all—a thriving film career, the adoration of countless fans, incredible wealth, and a cocaine and alcohol problem that was about to destroy him. Luckily, he also had a business manager—his straight-arrow older brother Philip—who strong-armed him into an addiction clinic. But not even the passage of fifteen years, Ricky’s rehabilitation, and undreamed-of worldly success for both men can mend the rift that erupted between the brothers during those dark days. Now all that remains is a business relationship, although Ricky yearns for more. When tragedy strikes, erasing Ricky’s dreams of winning Philip’s forgiveness, Ricky resets his priorities. He turns his back on Hollywood, invites his two illegitimate sons into his life, hoping to become a real father to them, and dedicates himself to his brother’s dream—the construction of a unique resort in South Carolina called the Crown Jewel. But when Ricky steps into his brother’s shoes he encounters unsettling surprises and contradictions, as well as an amazing woman, his sister-in-law Roxy Lam, who leads him to the mystery at the center of his brother’s life and into a love affair far richer and more challenging than any he has experienced before. (Can it be true that Philly’s real mother, 14 when he was born, is now married to aged billionaire Armand Farquar? And did the young Lorraine rescue her newborn son from a dumpster when her heartless lover tossed him in and then bravely give him up for adoption?) As Ricky attempts to discover the brother he loved but never truly knew, he must settle a grave injustice committed decades ago, even if it means risking his fame, his fortune, and his life.

Cry in the Night. Colleen Coble. 2009. 320p. Thomas Nelson. A mysterious crying in the night leads search-and-rescue worker Bree Matthews and her dog Samson to an abandoned baby in the woods outside of Rock Harbor, Michigan. Against objections from her husband, Bree takes the baby girl in. Quickly she begins a search for the mother—presumably the woman reported missing just days earlier. While teams scour the wintery forests, Bree ferrets out clues about the woman. Where is she and why did she leave the child behind? And how does that connect to Bree’s first husband’s mysterious death yars ago in the Upper Peninsula? Everything Bree thought she knew about her life is turned upside down with the sound of a Cry in the Night.

D is For Dani’s Baby. Lisa Jackson. 1995. 256p. (Special Edition #985). Silhouette. Stewart has known heartbreak in her life. Her first was when the boy she loved left town and never returned for her. The second was when she found she was pregnant and was forced to give up her baby. And then ten years later her marriage ended after a few short years. Suddenly Dani realizes that she has nothing in her life that brings her happiness and peace. Even though it had been eleven years since she gave her son away, Dani had to find out what happened to him. She didn’t want to interfere in his life, all she wanted to do was make sure he was safe and happy. Then her long lost love comes back to town and everything gets turned upside down. Brand Scarlotti always wanted to prove to the town he grew up in that he was something. When he set out to California, leaving the girl he loved behind, he knew it was for the best. Not once did he look back, or regret his decision. Then a job brings him back to Rimrock and he is suddenly face to face with Dani. As the days go by, Brand feels the same attraction flare to life and knows that he will settle for nothing less than forever this time around. In D is for Dani’s Baby, Brand and Dani come together to rekindle the love and desire that never died, even though they were apart for twelve years. However, the secret that Dani has kept in her heart for all these years threatens to destroy the fragile love that they have rebuilt. Secrets are revealed in this final book in the Love Letters series that will shock the reader, but are not unexpected.

D’Alessandro’s Child. Catherine Spencer. 1992. 185p. Harlequin. When Michael D’Alessandro discovers that, three years ago, his ex-wife gave birth and then had his baby adopted, his only desire is to find his son.

Dark Arches, The. Aileen Armitage. 1996. Transworld Publishers Ltd. Seduced under the arches of Clondarras village bridge, Irish shop girl Rosa Sheridan is persuaded to give up the baby for adoption and make a new life for herself in England. But she can never forget particularly when her happy marriage doesnt bring her the children she longs for. Twenty years later, a successful businesswoman, Rosas life becomes entwined again with three women from her past: the woman who arranged her child’s adoption; the woman who adopted her; and Lucy, her child. Together they must work out their destinies in the shadow of the arches.

Dark Heritage. Emma Darcy. 1992. 186p. (Harlequin Presents #1511). Harlequin. Rebel had been fortunate to be adopted by the James family. The Australian clan fully supported her search for her mother’s roots—even though it took her to England. But when Rebel arrived at Davenport Hall, the English manor where her mother had stayed as a five-year-old war orphan, she was surprised to discover the earl actually seemed to be expecting her. Hugh Davenport was not what Rebel had imagined—he was far too handsome and sexy. And Rebel, Hugh discovered, was not the new nanny after all. But none of that mattered. Rebel knew Hugh and his fiery little niece needed her. She’d stay because she had already opened her heart—she needed them too!

Dark Room. Andrea Kane. 2007. 368p. William Morrow. From Kirkus Reviews: Hot bodies and glamorous careers can’t protect fabulous New Yorkers from tragedy, but affairs are set right 17 years later. Morgan Winter is a scarred woman. Never mind her fragile beauty, startling light-green eyes or business acumen, the high-powered matchmaker is still reeling from her parents’ murder nearly two decades before. So the news that the man convicted of that double homicide is not the real culprit is almost enough to shatter this young Manhattanite’s equilibrium. Only justice, Morgan realizes, will free her from the past. Assisting in her quest are an attractive DA who’s also a matchmaking client and PI Pete “Monty” Montgomery (Wrong Place, Wrong Time, 2006). Whatever problems they face in opening such a stale case should be smoothed over by Morgan’s guardian, powerful Congressman Arthur Shore, but he has a campaign and a magazine feature to worry about. Meanwhile, Monty’s handsome photographer son Lane also takes an interest ... and not just because of his experience with covert federal investigations. The resulting fast-paced romantic adventure unfolds with a series of twists that will keep readers guessing whodunit and why. Whether they will care is a different matter. Far-fetched coincidences-an adopted child turns up working for his unrecognized grandparent-stretch credibility to the breaking point. The acrobatic and clinically related sex is strictly par for the genre, and for a supposedly sensual writer, Kane is surprisingly light on detail. (Food from a renowned deli, for example, is described simply as “delicious.”) Fans may go for the author’s formulaic second novel, but newcomers will have little reason. About the Author: Dark Room is Andrea Kane’s latest romantic thriller. Her groundbreaking foray into the genre, Run for Your Life, became an instant New York Times bestseller. Her bestselling success continued with No Way Out, Scent of Danger, I’ll Be Watching You, and Wrong Place, Wrong Time. With a worldwide following and novels published in sixteen countries, she has also authored fourteen historical romances. Kane lives in New Jersey with her family, where she is learning how to shoot a Glock, resolve crisis situations like a hostage negotiator, and investigate like an FBI special agent. Between reloads, she is researching and writing her next novel.

Daughters of Nora Crawford, The. Anne Lebrecht. 2006. 158p. iUniverse, Inc. Once strangers, the three sisters, Sylvia, Alice, and Monica find themselves bound by one single event. They share in their mother’s name, Nora Crawford, and in her death. Raised in different homes under foster care, they now meet eighteen years later. Their lives are forever changed. United in a search for their father, clothed in mystery, they bond in a relationship shared by ambitions for power, love, and of secret confessions, as each pursue happiness, love and closure to their past. Each of the sisters has a story to tell, and a past to forget. Each has faced their lives with a different outlook and searches in their own way for peace of mind. Author Anne Lebrecht loves to tell a story, almost as much as she enjoys reading one. Her novels are all fiction. You will share her stories of love, betrayal, romance, loss, and all of the things encountered in life. Real stories about real people, some of the people will make you cry, some you may hate, but all will be remembered. About the Author: Anne Lebrecht is the author of poetry, short stories, and novels. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, she now resides with her husband on Balboa Island in California. She and her husband have two daughters and two grandchildren. Retired in 1985 from a position as a Vice President and CFO of a large corporation, she took up reading and writing as a hobby, then as a full time occupation. This is her third novel, following Memories of a Forgotten Past (2005) and Discoveries of a Hidden Past (2005), all of which are now available at all bookstores and online. Visit the author’s website.

Desire’s Blossom. Cassie Edwards. 1985. 494p. Kensington Publishing. When her family was lost at sea off the coast of China, eight-year-old Letitia Taylor became the adopted daughter of a Chinese mandarin. An exotic tale of irresistible desire and high adventure, wherein a woman falls victim to her own fate and a man charts out his destiny as they find a love spanning cultures and boundaries.

Desperately Seeking Dad. Marta Perry. 2000. 256p. Steeple Hill. Philadelphia lawyer Anne Morden was a breath away from adopting Emilie, the child she had always longed for. All that was left to do now was to convince police chief Mitch Donovan to sign away the rights to his precious daughter. But with his denial of paternity, Mitch put baby Emilie’s future at stake, and Anne’s lifelong dream on hold. Yet Mitch seemed determined to make things right, if only Anne could trust him enough to let him help.

Diagnosis: Daddy. Jule McBride. 1998. 246p. (American Romance #725). Harlequin. Francesca Maria Angelina Sophia Carmella Luccetti wanted to adopt a baby. The odds were not in her favor. However, the Big Apple Adoption Agency’s compassionate intake coordinator didn’t have the heart to tell her no. The adoption agency dispatched its hired gun, head pediatrician Winston “Doc” Holliday to shoot down her dreams of motherhood. Doc had a reputation for knowing “how to let the hard-luck cases down easy.” But the shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone had to be easier than facing down Frankie Luccetti in her Little Italy apartment. By the Same Author: Verdict: Parenthood; Mission: Motherhood; and AKA: Marriage.

Distant Hills, The. Lucy Walker. 1962. Collins. Alone without money, Angela accepted an offer by her adopted aunt to settle in Austrailia only to discover that Aunt Kara died during her journey. Kara’s nehew Gilbert decided the best way to deal with gossip was to force Angela to marry him. Pictured: 1973 Beagle Romance Paperback Edition.

Doctor’s Adoption Wish, The. Gill Sanderson. 2003. 285p. (Medical Romance). Mills & Boon (Canada).

Document, The. Gayle Roper. 1998. 274p. Multnomah Publishers, Inc. In The Document, romance writer Cara Bentley has just discovered her recently-deceased grandfather’s adoption papers and decides to search for his biological family.

Dream Baby. Ann Evans. 1999. 296p. Harlequin Superromance No. 870). Harlequin. When a friend—pregnant and desperate—suggests that Nora Holloway adopt the baby, it looks as if Nora’s dream of celebrating the millennium with a family of her own may come true. Then the baby’s uncle shows up with a plan that doesn’t include Nora. Jake Burdette’s guilt over his brother’s death won’t allow him to break his promise to look after the child. He won’t allow a stranger to adopt his nephew. But the more he learns about Nora, the less of a stranger she becomes.

Dream Groom. Susan Mallery. 1999. (Silhouette Special Edition #1244). Sillhouette. Cassie Bradley Wright had been adopted. She knew about the Bradley’s family legend that said each female Bradley was to wear a certain nightgown on their twenty-fifth birthday and she would dream of her life long love. Being adopted, she never expected it to work for her. It had worked for her sister though. Ryan Lawford was a big time business man. When he brother and sister-in-law died, he was given custody of his two-year-old niece, Sasha. He found out that caring for a toddler was a nightmare! Then Cassie entered the door! She had a natural way with kids. Ryan immediately hired her as Sasha’s nanny! The two adults were perfect for each other, though neither admitted it. Yet Sasha would unknowingly show the two what love really was! This one is just a sweet romance. No life threatening times. No danger. No heartbreak. Just a slow blooming romance story.

Drifting In & Out of Sleep. Sarah Hanks. 2008. 356p. Xulon Press. Eve is a bold supporter of the rights of unborn children. She prays that God will wake the Church up and give believers a spirit of adoption, but she’s never had an opportunity to live out these prayers. One summer morning outside an abortion clinic, she is given a chance. Lisa is pregnant, trapped by fear and past tragedy. She is planning to abort her baby when she encounters Eve. Eve offers the unthinkable: she will adopt Lisa’s unborn baby in addition to raising her own unborn son. Have your baby, Eve pleads. I promise you, I’ll find a way to take her into my home. Let her live. Trent works at the abortion clinic where Eve prays. He keeps his head down and tries his best to live a normal life despite his profession. He barely dares to hope he and his wife Beth will one day have a child. When he meets Eve, he’s forced to examine his choices and doubts. The agreement with Eve leads Lisa down the long road of healing. Trent takes a more difficult path, while Beth comes to grips with her own past. And Eve must prepare for not one baby, but two, as God uses her to touch three very different hearts. Drifting In and Out of Sleep is a powerful story of redemption, forgiveness and restoration. It calls the Church to awaken fully to the issue of abortion and to act on behalf of the defenseless and voiceless. From prayer to adoption to offering forgiveness and healing, this novel challenges believers everywhere to take a stand for life. About the Author: Sarah Hanks lives with her husband Kevin and her three children in St. Louis, Missouri, where they are involved in the Gateway House of Prayer, interceding and providing training for the children there.

Dublin Crossing: Romance & Adventure in the Viking Era. Sandy Dengler. 1993. 342p. Moody Press. First in the Heroes of the Misty Isle Series. A.D. 793: After her family is slain and her village burned by invading Danes, Shawna is torn from her island home off the coast of Ireland. In a gallant gesture, she is adopted by Doyle Dalaiin, whose son, a scholar and a man of God, grows to love the fiercely independent Shawna.

Echoes of Summer. Barbara Faith. 1991. 251p. (Silhouette Special Edition #650). Silhouette. Eden Adair was missing a vital piece of her past, and only one man could help her retrieve it: Linc McAllister, the doctor whose sure, steady hands had delivered her baby 16 years ago ... then delivered the infant into adoption.

Embraced by Love. Suzanne Brockmann. 1995. Ballentine. Josie and Cooper were one of those couples everyone envied: gorgeous, successful, and so deeply devoted. Even though Josie tended to work too hard, putting in long hours to lift her fledgling company off the ground, and Cooper could be wild and unpredictable, the two complimented one another. It seemed their love would last forever. But sometimes love just isn’t enough. When a tragic accident leaves Josie and Cooper with two young children to care for, their bond will be tested. Now the pressures of their commanding careers are compounded by the needs of the children, and they find themselves drifting further and further apart. They will have to work to find the way back to each other, to the incredible passion that was once at the center of lives—and still burns deep in their hearts.

Emma & the Outlaw. Linda Lael Miller. 1991. 372p. Pocket Books. Despite her unconventional upbringing—she’d been adopted off the orphan tra in by the local “madam”—Emma Chalmers was the most prim and proper young lady in all of Whitneyville. Why, she wouldn’t even permit Fulton Whitney to kiss her, and they were practically engaged! But when Steven Fairfax landed in her home, wounded in an explosion at the town’s raunchiest saloon, his lazy smile made Emma’s blood race. Slowly, Steven stilled her fears with his gentle, insistent caresses...until at last she gave herself unashamedly to the splendid passion that was their destiny. Yet now Emma faced a new terror—for the drifter she loved so desperately was a wanted man, and his past was about to catch up with him!

Every Waking Moment. Meryl Sawyer. 2002. 416p. Zebra Books. From Publishers Weekly: A number of soap-opera-worthy dramas propel this middling romantic thriller, but Sawyer fails to offer a fresh spin on any of her salacious topics. Taylor Maxwell’s dying mother, Vanessa, is determined to track down the baby she gave up several decades earlier. When tough New Orleans stripper Renata Rollins and her unconventional father, Caleb, call claiming to be kin, Taylor has no choice but to let her mother see them. Vanessa believes Renata and Caleb are the genuine article and immediately changes her will in Renata’s favor, but Taylor’s family and assorted other relatives and hangers-on think Renata is only after a share of To the Maxx, the family’s lucrative cosmetics business. Shane Donovan, the company’s dreamboat security consultant, assists Taylor in her quest for the truth, but before they receive conclusive DNA results, Renata is murdered. A few days later, Taylor’s own life is threatened. Despite the plethora of red herrings peppered throughout, the villain’s identity is readily apparent. While Florida natives will cringe at Sawyer’s pale portrayal of South Beach and the Florida Keys, fans of twisted family dramas may enjoy the Jerry Springer-like revelations. © Reed Business Information, Inc.

Family Album. Patricia Kay. 2002. 304p. Berkeley. Hannah Ferris thinks she must be the luckiest woman in Los Angeles. After all, how many wives are still madly in love with their husbands after fifteen years of marriage? And how many mothers count their teenage daughters among their best friends? Sure, Hannah is estranged from her father, and the scars from her troubled childhood never completely faded away, but life is good. Sometimes it seems almost too good to be true. That’s because Hannah Ferris has a secret. And one day, she looks into the eyes of a determined young man and realizes that her luck has run out—she can’t run from her past anymore.

Family For Raffi, A. Lara Rios. 2001. 312p. Pristine Publishing. There are times when the human spirit must rise above it’s comfort zone. He’s a man who has everything. Dale Curtis runs a multibillion dollar airline his father built from the ground up. He cares about two things: profits and driving up his stock prices. Neither compassion nor devotion are part of his vocabulary. She’s a woman who wants nothing. Tamara Cassetti has made it her life’s goal to take children out of dangerous situations and find them loving families. But as a professional social worker her involvement ends there. Raised by institutions herself, she has learned to keep attachments superficial. What they both need they can only find in each other. But a young orphaned boy makes them both question what’s important in life. Tamara has no dreams of happily ever after. She believes love is only an illusion, especially with a wealthy, arrogant playboy such as Dale. Yet, as she watches Dale overcome his affluent upbringing and give his love to the one child who has stolen her heart, she fears they will both lure her into their world forever.

Family Found. Bonnie K Winn. 2001. 304p. (Harlequin Superromance #964). Harlequin. Dr. Fletcher gave more than just bad news to Laura Kelly, who already received a previous jolt that neither she nor her former spouse is a close enough match. He informed her that the blood tests on her aunt and second cousins prove that biologically they are not her relatives. Desperate because her eighteen-month-old son Alex needs a bone marrow transplant, Laura realizes the truth that her now deceased parents must have adopted her. She must find blood relatives rather quickly if Alex is to live. Frantic, Laura turns to private detective Mitch Tucker, who has quite a reputation for discovering birth parents, for help. With little information from Laura’s aunt, who says her parents just did not want to rock the boat, Mitch begins the seemingly impossible search, knowing that the clock ticks away for Alex. As he digs deeper, Mitch falls in love with his client and her infant, but he also realizes that Laura’s adoption was shaky at best and probably illegal. Those involved in the original deal want things to remain quiet even if it means a little child must die.

Family Likeness, A. Margot Dalton. 1996. (Harlequin Superromance #714). Harlequin. Fifteen years ago, desperate circumstances forced Gina Michel to do the unthinkable: she gave up her baby daughter hours after birth. Now Alex Colton—a man she’s never met—has checked into Gina is Bed & Breakfast with his rebellious teenage daughter. One look at the girl and Gina knows she can no longer escape her past. Alex is a good father, but he’s never told his daughter the circumstances of her birth, and he has no idea that his child—Gina’s child—is living in a nightmare. A nightmare only her birth mother can end.

Family to Cherish, A. Carole Gift Page. 2000. 252p. Steeple Hill. Barbara and Doug Logan must learn to deal with their feelings of guilt and grief so they can repair their marriage after the devastating and tragic loss of their beloved daughter causes them to become emotionally distant.

Far Morning, The. Brenda Clarke. 1982. Popular Library. Orphaned by cruel fate, then adopted into an aristocratic home, Ellean Heriot is a girl whose grace and charm have a devastating effect on the men who love her. Rich, attractive, victim of one man’s ambition and another’s need, she is torn by emotions she does not understand.

Fateful Summer, The. Velda Johnston. 1981. Dodd, Mead & Co. Looking back over her long life to the summer of 1910, plain, sensible Emma Hoffsteader writes of her beautiful girlhood friend, Amanda Dorrance, and of an act of violence that changed many lives. Amanda turned nineteen that June. Like all her summers since John and Clara Dorrance had adopted her as an infant, this one began with the Dorrances moving from their mansion in New York to their twety-room cottage in East Hampton. What made the summer differet was that Amanda soon fell in love with Michael Doyle, the son of an Irish immigant.

Fever. Linda Winstead Jones. 2004. 256p. Silhouette. Called to Carson County, Montana, to find a cure for a deadly epidemic, renowned epidemiologist Faith Martin never thought she’d become entangled in a seductive battle of the sexes. Luke Winston, her new “partner,” was a heart-stoppingly handsome man who challenged her every decision . . . and awoke unsuspected desires within her. With each hour that passed, their passion escalated, and the stakes were getting higher. Ruthless scientists were after Faith for information she didn’t even know she possessed, putting her life in jeopardy. Now Faith had to figure out a way to reckon with her mysterious past so she and Luke could have a future together.

Finders Keepers. Fern Michaels. 1998. 352p. Kensington Publishing Corp. Jessie Roland always knew that her feelings for her parents—dislike and disgust for her mother, less than love for her father—were anything but what a child should feel, especially for the parents that had given her a privileged childhood filled with private schooling, lavish vacations, and any gift that her heart desired. But try as she might, something always kept her from truly loving the Rolands. Strange dreams of a yellow dog and a stroller hinted at the truth, but Jessie couldn’t recall the fateful day when Thea and Barnes Roland had stolen her from her stroller, leaving her pet retriever Jelly to chase after their car for miles, only to return to Jessie’s stunned parents without the golden-haired little girl. Now a woman, and armed with a sizeable trust fund, Jessie moves far away from her parents to start a new life in Washington, D.C., where a new job, new apartment, and a new man awaits her. Tanner Kingsley is handsome, charming, and hiding something. Jessie’s involvement with him will lead to happiness, heartache, and the full realization of her hidden past—a past she must come to terms with before she can find true peace. Visit the author’s website: FernMichaels.com.

Finders Keepers. Catherine Palmer. 1999. 288p. (Finders Keepers Series #1). Tyndale House Publishers. From Library Journal: Antiques dealer Elizabeth Hayes hopes to expand her shop by purchasing and refurbishing the Chalmers House next door. Zachary Chalmers, an architect who recently inherited the house, wants to tear it down and build an office. The resulting feud drags the town into a battle of historic value vs. personal property. The only one who doesn’t care is Nikolai Hayes, Elizabeth’s adopted Romanian son. He’s interested in persuading Zachary to be his father and in listening to Boompah’s stories of the “nachos” who tyrannized Europe during World War II. Nikolai’s endearing attempts to master English provide levity in a romance that tackles deeper issues than land rights. © 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Finding Ian. Stella Cameron. 2001. 300p. Kensington Pub Corp. Thirteen years ago, Byron Frazer had faced the toughest decision a parent could ever face. When his young wife, Lori, died in childbirth, Byron chose to put his newborn son, Ian, up for adoption. Recovering from the grief of both losses, Byron turned his energies to finishing school and building his career. Now, years later, Byron has become a nationally known family therapist, and Ian needs a father. Though Byron had followed Ian’s life, he had never felt the need to step in before. When Ian’s adoptive parents die and he is sent to live with relatives in Cornwall, England, Byron knows he must go and see that Ian is all right. Finding Ian is fairly straightforward, but finding the right thing to do is much more difficult. Stella Cameron’s novel carefully describes a wide spectrum of family relationships, with painfully accurate depictions of the worst ones. Pride and loyalty are the strongest emotions in the Cornwall community, but there are more complex layers of emotions below that. Though the language, actions, and dilemmas can be exhaustingly over the top, the down-to-earth character of Ian helps balance things out, and makes Finding Ian a satisfying read. — Nancy R.E. O’Brien

Firebrand, The. Susan Wiggs. 2001. 392p. (Great Chicago Fire Trilogy #3). Mira Books. As she flees the raging inferno, Lucy Hathaway risks her life to save a precious baby girl. The little orphan is a gift from heaven, coming into Lucy’s life just as the fire takes everything else form her. Five years have passed, and Lucy has raised Maggie has her own. Now, seeing a loan to refinance her most cherished dream—her bookstore, The Firebrand—Lucy finds herself face-to-face with Randolph Higgins, Chicago’s most prominent banker. Rand is a bitter, lonely an scarred by the great fire and still grieving for the baby girl he lost that night. And to her astonishment, Lucy discovers that the child she’d saved was his. Some women who have fun, some would have taken the secret of Maggie’s identity to the grave. But not Lucy. Now her life is about to take another dramatic turn, forcing her to confront the one man who threatens all she holds dear. But it is their mutual love for a child that will propel Rand and Lucy on an unforgettable journey into emotion, adventure, and passion.

Firstborn. Robin Lee Hatcher. 2003. 325p. Tyndale House Publishers. From Publishers Weekly: Solid writing saves a cliche-ridden plot line in Hatcher’s inspirational novel about how a woman’s secret teenage pregnancy has disastrous fallout for two couples years later. At age 16, Erika James loves Steven Welby, but a momentary lapse of judgment results in her pregnancy. Keeping her condition concealed from everyone but her grandmother, she has the baby and puts it up for adoption. Erika eventually marries Steven, and 23 years later, her secret comes home to roost. Meanwhile, Steven’s best friend, Dallas Hurst, longs for a child, but fulfilling his desire may destroy his marriage to his wife, Paula. The reverberations of the past threaten both couples’ unions and raise numerous questions about faith, forgiveness and commitment. Hatcher believably builds suspense for the reader about Erika’s secret and pulls no punches as she convincingly portrays the agonizing emotions and far-reaching consequences of giving a baby up for adoption. Flashbacks are used effectively to flesh out the characters’ teen years, and Hatcher manages the multiple points of view adeptly. Although there is an obligatory CBA conversion scene, Hatcher avoids a neat wrapup; the book’s conclusion makes allowances for the messiness of life. Hatcher, the author of 35 novels and novellas, is the recipient of both the Christy and the RITA Awards, so it’s no surprise that this is a well-written inspirational novel. The plot, however, is hackneyed. © 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Folly, The. Meg Elizabeth Atkins. 1987. 188p. Marion Boyars. Rupert and Lydia Latham live in a glamorously restored folly with their adopted daughter Jessica and Lydia’s brother, Mickie Southern. When Clive learns that Rupert and Lydia’s marriage is a sham and that Rupert and Lydia’s brother, Mickie, are lovers, it threatens to destroy the whole family.

Footsteps in the Night. Lee Karr. 1993. 248p. (Silhouette Shadows #15). Silhouette. Maurie Miller’s search for her roots led her to a boardinghouse in a small village, where strangers were as welcome as questions about the past. Yet even long, uneasy days of suspicious glances from Daylan O’Shane—the intently handsome, secretive man who watched her—were nothingcompared to the terror of the nights.

For the Love of a Child. Catherine Palmer. 1994. 256p. (Silhouette Intimate Moments #551). Silhouette. For one reckless, youthful interlude, Lilia Eden had dared to believe in forever. Now she knew better. Fate had cruelly shattered her marriage to the debonair Miles Kane—and now it had struck again. Nothing could ease Lilia’s anguish when Colin, her soon-to-be adopted son, had to be returned to his natural mother—not even Miles’s unexpected return. His presence only reminded Lilia that nothing ever lasted, not even a love as intense as theirs. Gone was the carefree girl Miles had married. In her place was a graceful, desirable woman—a woman whose heartache he longed to soothe. A decade of separation and secrets lay between them, but somehow, some way, Miles meant to reclaim his wife—and adopt Colin—at last.

For the Roses. Julie Garwood. 1995. 528p. Pocket Books. When four streetwise boys, one of whom is a runaway slave, find a baby girl in a New York City alley, they make a pact to raise her the way they should have been raised. Christening the child Mary Rose, the children form a family under the adopted name of Clayborne and head West to protect Mary Rose from the people who abandoned her. Eighteen years and several thousand miles later, Harrison MacDonald tracks down a rumor about a young lady who could be the daughter of his employer, a wealthy British lord. Harrison confirms that Mary Rose, whom he has fallen in love with, is the missing child, stolen as an infant and believed dead, and immediately makes plans to reunite her with her “family” as his wife. In England, Mary Rose soon realizes love is stronger than blood and returns to America and her “brothers.” — Melanie Duncan. From Booklist. Copyright © 1995, American Library Association. All rights reserved.

Forgive Our Trespasses. Belva Steil. 2004. 199p. Trafford Publishing Co (Canada). This is Marcia’s story, a life of hardships and losses, disappointments and despair. Yet, in her struggle to overcome, she learns the true meaning of love and forgiveness from others. In the middle of this fictional life story, there are three chapters based on her nursing experiences. The author, who took her nurse’s training in the Second World War years, has given her training experiences to Marcia as she remembers them from so long ago. Marcia’s story tells us, though life can be hard, we can ultimately find joy and forgiveness of our trespasses. Acceptance and understanding lie on the other side of loss. There is no short cut. About the Author: Born and raised on a Saskatchewan farm, Belva received her registered nurse’s diploma after three years in a prairie hospital school of nursing. After graduation, she nursed across Canada from Vancouver Island to Halifax, then down the south shore of Nova Scotia, following her husband who, in wartime, was in the Royal Canadian Navy. The war years over, they returned to the western prairies and raised three sons. At forty, the author returned to her nursing career with refresher courses in various hospitals and updating knowledge at the University of Alberta to qualify for a hospital charge position where she remained for twenty years. Taking an early retirement, she filled her life with many writing courses through the Department of Extension at the University of Alberta. After her husband’s death, she decided to write the book she had always intended and Forgive Our Trespasses is the result of her decision.