Involuntary Daddy

Conard County #14

by Rachel Lee

FIRST-TIME FATHER…

Rafe Ortiz didn't know a thing about babies. But as a DEA agent, he was an expert at spotting criminals. So when his new son's mobster uncle started asking too many questions, Rafe knew it was time to split. He needed the safety of Conard County.

Then Rafe met Angela Jaynes. Being around Angela made Rafe want more than he'd ever thought possible. Would Rafe be able to protect his newborn son and convince Angela that the safest place for her was in his arms?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Romantic Suspense

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Rachel Lee is a New York Times best-selling author and the winner of Six Romantic Times magazine Reviewers' Choice Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a five-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America's RITA® Award. She has penned a wide variety of novels in several genres including fantasy, romantic suspense, and romantic comedy. She resides in Tampa, Florida.

Reviews

[Eeeps :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book so emotional that it can be difficult to read at times (hence why I took like two months to read this comparatively short book). However, those emotions are exactly what makes this book so good. The characters are allowed to be unlikeable and imperfect while still engendering the sympathy of the reader – a tough balance to strike. The book offers a nuanced exploration of guilt. Rafe has guilt over his relationship with his dead baby momma and his initial reluctance to take care of his new, unexpected baby. Angela has guilt and shame over her diabetes, her inability to have children, and her moral conflict from her past job collecting debts. Rafe can be incredibly sweet despite his prickly edges, especially when he is interacting with Angela and caring for/reassuring her around her diabetes. Angela can be harder to like than Rafe because she keeps up her habit of pushing away those close to her much longer than Rafe’s character does.

Rafe and Angela also bond over taking care of Rafe’s baby, nicknamed Peanut, but not in a way that makes the reader feel like they are more interested in each other as coparents than as romantic partners. It is clear that their bond over Peanut augments their relationship but is not the central basis for their relationship.

Finally, on a personal note, I really appreciated the portrayal of Angela’s depression and diabetes. While I do not have diabetes, I do have an eating disorder and other disabilities that are comorbid with my depression. This book finally helped me figure out why so many representations of depression in literature and art do not feel true to my personal experience. These representations often portray depression alone, not how it manifests when it is comorbid and wrapped up with other mental illnesses and disabilities.

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Both of these characters are prickly and uncommunicative but the heroine takes it to extremes. She gets mad at everything he says, for no discernible reason, and never explains it! Just stomps off and sulks like a 12 year old, and she’s supposedly 30 or so. She’s the most emotionally disregulated character I have ever encountered. By the end I was sick of her and in no way believed in the romance.

[Erotic Horizon]

Involuntary Daddy (Conard County) (Silhouette Intimate Moments, 955) by Rachel Lee (1999)

[Mollie *scoutrmom* · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent tale of how two people overcome their insecurities to build a family. Great plot, well-drawn characters. Realistic settings. Another Lee triumph.

[Marwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

so romantic so nice,i just love it

[Mellanie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Rachel Lee's Conard County series. I wish I still had the books so I could read them all again.