Building a Family

by Jennifer Slattery

Creating a circle of love together…

Can love for two little matchmakers

unite their reluctant hearts?

Worried that Noah Williams is still the reckless bull rider she remembers, Kayla Fisher is convinced he isn’t the right person to care for their orphaned niece and nephew. Now she’s back home, determined to fight for custody. But Noah is a changed man, and he intends to prove it. When Noah and Kayla start falling for each other, could raising the children together be the perfect solution?

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published May 19, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah! There's so much to say about this book but I don't want to post any spoilers. Rule of thumb is to not give away anything that isn't mentioned in the synopsis but that means...gah!!!!

Let's just say there's an extra depth to this Love Inspired contemporary romance. Noah definitely isn't a reckless bull rider any more. He's learned some tough life lessons and is walking by faith now. As in following God's plan for his life, not his own. Even when it's hard and doesn't make sense and things seem impossible. His steadfastness is one of the most alluring things about him.

By contrast, Kayla seems...distracted. She's made her career her focus and even though she's come back home, she's still majorly driven by her business. But as she gets to know her abandoned niece and nephew, her focus is torn and it's just plain confusing. Plus she tends to make hasty judgments -- especially about Noah at the start which complicates things all the more.

Slattery has created a wonderful, caring community who exemplify what being a good neighbour is all about. These secondary characters brought vibrancy to an already compelling read. If you like a romance that touches on serious subject matters in a positive and uplifting way, then Building a Family might just be a good fit.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building A Family by Jennifer Slattery is a delightful Christian contemporary novel that will leave you smiling.
The novel revolves around two small children in need of stable parenting. They have been abandoned by their parents but have other relatives wanting to parent them. There is so much love surrounding them. This reminds the reader that God surrounds us with an unconditional love and He longs to adopt us into His family.
There are the difficult topics of alcohol and drug abuse. People need help to heal. They also need to want to get better. We all deserve a second chance to have a fresh beginning.
When God places a dream in your heart, you should pursue it. “God didn’t put a spark in your heart just so it could fizzle out.” Sometimes life intervenes, but if God gave you your dream, you will succeed if you just keep focused on Him. Sometimes He changes our dreams. We need to always go with His plans. They are the best ones for our lives. If we are in doubt, we need to pray about it. Prayer is important.
Within the story there are interiors that are remodelled. This can be seen as a motif for our lives. When we say yes to Jesus, He moves in and remodels our life to be the best version of ourselves.
Jennifer Slattery has drawn a marvellous set of characters. They are all warm and welcoming, making the reader feel at home.
Building A Family was a charming read that makes you feel good. It was positively delightful.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

[Loraine Nunley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Front and center of this story are two adorable children. We meet Noah after he has taken an active role in the care of his abandoned niece and nephew. I really liked the role that community played in this story. Everyone pitched in to help care for these children. It was a great reminder of how we are better people when we are working together to help each other out. Full review is at my website.

I received this book complimentary from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are honest and my own.

[Edward Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when your younger sibling has abandoned her toddler son and her baby girl: just simply left them at home all alone and disappeared? Kayla’s immediate response was to pack a bag and get the first flight back to her hometown, even though it’s 2,400 miles from her life and her business to Sage Creek, Texas, where she grew up. She well remembers what Noah Williams was like. His brother, the father of the children, has been gone since learning another baby was on the way. Does Kayla trust Noah to raise her nephew and niece? The jury is out on that. She does not know what he is like now, only what he used to be. Will this turn into a legal battle to decide who gets custody of the children? Or will the mother come back to claim her children? Kayla is upset with her sister, but also extremely worried about her and wondering if she is still alive. For me, the children are the focal point of the story, especially Timber. He is so full of energy and has such enthusiasm for life. He is a typical little boy who is loved completely by his aunt and uncle. Like many small communities around the country, this one was ready to gather around and give support in any way needed. I enjoyed the camaraderie between Noah and his friends. Faith runs deep in the story, although not in a preachy way. Many of the characters live their faith from day to day, even in the most difficult situations. What a beautiful story of a community working together to figure out what is best for a little boy and a baby girl! I received an advance copy of this book from the author. This is my honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

[Maryann Skaritka · Rating 4 out of 5]

When interior designer Kayla Fisher finds out her younger sister Christy has abandoned her young nephew Timber and sweet niece Sophia she heads back to her hometown of Sage Creek, Texas.

Noah Williams is fostering these sweet kids. His brother is their father.
He is running a ministry for those trying to turn their lives around.

The hard subjects of alcohol and drug abuse and how they affect all involved are brought to light in a very realistic way.

There was a real sense of community and relationships with others in this small town. I loved the many secondary characters in the story.

While putting the children first can Kayla and Noah see if there might be more in store for their future as more than just friends? You will enjoy reading this sweet hometown love filled story.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I received my copy of Building a Family by Jennifer Slattery, I was already in the middle of two other books. I thought I would just read the first chapter to see what it was like and then come back to it later. I couldn’t stop reading it after I started! Her writing flows smoothly and kept me engaged throughout. It’s a beautiful story with strong characters you care about. There is humor, faith, and love. The author also included enough tension to keep me concerned about the outcome for Noah who is the hero of the story. There is one scene she created at a Lavender field that I wish was a real place! I would love to visit there. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jennifer Slattery’s newest book!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building a Family

I liked this heartwarming love story of Kayla and Noah who fell in love fostering the toddler and infant of Kayla's sister and Noah's brother who were drug addicts and alcoholics and left the children in their abandoned house. Kayla has her own interior design business five states away from Texas but came back to her hometown in Texas to decide who would get custody of the children. You will have to read the book to find out who gets custody and if Kayla's business survives. I highly recommend this book as a Christian clean romance. This is my voluntary and honest review.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Slattery has an adept way of bringing out the best in her novel's characters. She writes with heart, faith, and family. All very endearing qualities to me.

This novel paired career-woman Kayla with one handsome former bull rider, Noah. There were also some absolutely adorable little ones who figured prominently in her story, which made me smile. And, the romance, the tense longing between Kayla and Noah was palpable. It's what a romance reader loves in an excellent novel like this one.

[Lynn Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Building a family is a HEA read. A lot of faith, hope and community love goes into this story. It's about a maternal aunt and paternal uncle trying to do whats best for their niece and nephew. Can their relationship be more? I think it is a good christian read and I recommend it if you like good, clean stories.

[Wendy Huddler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kayla left her business in the hands of her assistant and go to the town where her sister used to live. Her niece and nephew were being watched by their uncle. Kayla needed to see how he was doing. She may have to bring them home.
I enjoyed reading this book and watching the story unfold.

[Toni Shiloh]

Review to come

[Melony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[x · Rating 1 out of 5]

No no no. Nope.

[Janet Dobbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building a Family

A beautiful story of how God and faith can get you through any adversity, and how He has a perfect plan for everyone. Highly recommend.

[Dorel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I read by Jennifer Slattery. This is book's storyline was okay. I liked Christian theme in this story. I liked Noah's character. I loved ❤ the children. I liked Kayla's character. I liked the ending.