Series: Bravos of Valentine Bay (Book 1)Bravo Family Ties (Book 52)
Meet The Bravos of Valentine Bay…
And the single father of twin toddlers in desperate need of a nanny!
All his life Daniel Bravo has been the responsible one. So when he’s left widowed with adorable twins to raise, he knows he needs help, fast. Enter family friend Keely Ostergard -- a woman with love in her heart for his children, and a gigantic chip on her shoulder for him. She’s the last person he’d ever fall for -- the aversion is mutual. Until it isn’t…
Terrific start to the new Bravo series. Daniel is the oldest of the family, head of the family business, and the one who stepped up when their parents were killed. He was only eighteen but determined to keep the family together. He married his high school sweetheart and together they raised his siblings. There is only one left at home. He is also now the widowed single father of twin toddlers after his wife died giving birth. He's had a succession of nannies, with his mother-in-law filling in when necessary. He's in a quandary now, because Gretchen broke her foot and can't take care of them. He's surprised when his late wife's cousin offers to step in.
Keely loved her cousin Lillie and was there during the last months of Lillie's life. There are things that Lillie told her that have affected the way that Keely looks at Daniel. But she adores Jake and Frannie and will do anything for them, including putting up with Daniel.
I loved Keely. She has a really busy life, with her successful art gallery and her own textile art. She has good friends, and a good relationship with her aunt, who is like a second mother to her. She has a good, though unusual relationship with her rather bohemian, rock star mother. I loved the way that she was ready to put Jake and Frannie at the top of her priority list when it became obvious that Daniel needed help, even though she has issues with his relationship with her cousin.
I ended up loving Daniel, too, though there were times that I didn't like him very much. I loved the way he had put his own life on hold to raise his siblings after their parents' deaths. But that much responsibility turned him into something of a grouch and a hard ass, as shown by his attitude toward his youngest sister, Grace. He had also been looking forward to when all his siblings were grown and on their own, looking at that as him regaining his freedom. He and his wife hadn't planned on having children of their own, but Lillie changed her mind and tricked him into getting her pregnant. He loves his kids, that's obvious, but he still has moments of resenting the delay of his "freedom."
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Daniel and Keely. First, there was a cessation of hostilities between them as they got used to working together to care for the twins. This was accelerated when first one twin, then the other became ill and they had to deal with multiple crises because of it. I loved seeing them realize how much they had in common and begin to grow a real friendship. I especially liked seeing Daniel discover the quiet happiness of having someone to talk to about his day and anything else that crossed his mind. Both of them got quite a shock when they discovered that the friendship had moved into attraction. I loved their attitude that they were adults and entitled to behave as such. As they grew closer, Daniel especially did not want to tell the family that he and Keely were a couple - he wanted to enjoy what they had without commentary or interference. It was pretty clear that the feelings between them were deepening and both knew it, but they also had some reservations about how the family would handle it. There was another complication that cropped up and Keely was really worried about how that was going to go over.
I cried ugly tears during the last part of the book, which was full of family drama. From a confrontation with Gretchen to some learning points for Grace, that was hard enough. But Keely is devastated by Daniel's reaction to her news. I loved the support that she received from her mother, which played out in a very surprising way. I loved Daniel's big moment at the end. He had the perfect mix of groveling and explanation.
The secondary characters were great. First and foremost were the twins, who were absolutely adorable. I loved how different Daniel was around them - happier, more inclined to laugh, and with his love for them plain to see. His younger sister Grace showcased an entirely different side of him. She is twenty-one, yet Daniel still treats her like a child, and they have major blowups because of it. He does it because he knows just how easily things can go wrong and he wants to protect her, but learning how to let go is hard for him. I loved the two sisters, Gretchen and Ingrid. They are so different, and I loved seeing them push each other's buttons. Ingrid, who is Keely's mother, is a trip and a half. I loved her outspoken comments at Sunday dinner because she could see what was obvious between Daniel and Keely, even though they were in denial. I am looking forward to reading about the rest of the family.
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