Family of His Own by Catherine Lanigan (Review)

He’s ready to settle down…with or without her 

Scott Abbott has always loved Isabelle Hawks. And he’s always been her rock. Patient, dependable, strong. But lately, she’s been acting like that rock is weighing her down. With her art career taking off, Isabelle has been spending less and less time in Indian Lake…and with him. Scott isn’t even sure what they are to each other anymore. They might be friends with a history, but it sure doesn’t feel like a future. Maybe it’s time for Scott to set her free and focus on his own dreams. A real home. A family. All the things he had hoped to share with her…

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This book had me torn most of the time. I loved Scott’s consistency, his determination. And when he met a five-year-old girl and her little brother, I loved him even more. But I disliked his complacency.

On the flip side, Isabelle bothered me at first. Even though she’s realizing some of the less attractive characteristics of her personality, she’s so focused on her childhood dream, she doesn’t see how she’s ignoring and hurting those around her. She believes she’s the only one with hurts, a hard past, the only one who is striving to overcome. Although, I’m happy to say she does have a turnaround at the end of the book.

What tips this book into the “read it” category for me are the children, Bella and Michael. Two innocent lives that Scott commits to invest in. Children whose circumstances are too real for many today. These two have lived in fear of what comes next, they are hesitant to accept and believe they are lovable, that others want to protect them.

Family of His Own is a read that will make you feel. Whether it’s contempt for Isabelle, sympathy for Scott, or hope for the kids’ future, you can’t help but be moved somehow by this story.

***I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.