When Kamryn (Ryn) Matika gets a call from college friend Adele Del Brannon, she reluctantly heads to the hospital where Adele is dying of cancer. The two had been odd couple friends (working-class Ryn is black, posh Adele is white) while attending Leeds University, but their friendship did not survive Del's admission of an affair with Ryn's fiancé Nate Turner, which also ended Ryn's relationship with Nate. The affair did result, however, in the now-five-year-old Tegan, and Del has called Ryn to ask her to adopt the adorable girl. Ryn agrees, but must face down Del's stepmother, Muriel, to do it. She finds surprising help from new boss Luke Wiseman, who, after meeting her unceremoniously, loves Tegan (and eventually Ryn, too), but the return of Nate, who doesn't know Tegan is his daughter, promises to reopen old wounds. Koomson's U.S. debut is a three-hankie delight. (Mar.)
I picked this book up because I thought the idea was original. If your best friend cheated on you with your fiancé and got pregnant, could you raise the child? It's an interesting idea that I thought was handled well from the beginning. I also liked the descriptions of Ryn transitioning from a career minded single female to somebody who is very suddenly a single mother. I thought that the start of this book was excellent, but was a little disappointed that the ending turned more into a story about a love triangle and romantic angst. I wish the focus could have stayed with the little girl, and the adjustment of adding her to Ryn's life. It was a pretty good book, though, and a quick easy read. I liked it, but it wasn't spectacular.
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