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His Daddy's Eyes #1
His Daddy's Eyes: A Little Secret
His Daddy's Eyes by Debra Salonen released on Jul 25, 2000 is available now for purchase.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Debra Salonen
98 books211 followers- Born and raised in Brookings, South Dakota. Youngest of five (much youngest). A Baby Boomer who married her high school sweetheart (our lockers were side-by-side). Mother of two, grandmother of three darling princesses, dog mother of 2.5 mutts.
- Graduate of South Dakota State University with a Master’s degree in Geography and History.
- Job history: taxi driver, flax seed counter, cartographer, rural mail carrier, substitute teacher, secretary/community liaison for Merced College’s Child Development Center, bookkeeper, journalist, author.
- First sale story: June, 1999, to Harlequin Superromance. Total number of books sold to Harlequin =27.
- Honors and awards: Romantic Times BOOKreviews, 2006 Series Storyteller of the Year. Winner: Best Superromance of 2010: Until He Met Rachel. Nominated for Desert Quill in 2008.
- First book published by Tule Press, summer 2014: Cowgirl Come Home. The Big Sky Mavericks series opens Aug. 2014 with: Nobody's Cowboy.
- Graduate of South Dakota State University with a Master’s degree in Geography and History.
- Job history: taxi driver, flax seed counter, cartographer, rural mail carrier, substitute teacher, secretary/community liaison for Merced College’s Child Development Center, bookkeeper, journalist, author.
- First sale story: June, 1999, to Harlequin Superromance. Total number of books sold to Harlequin =27.
- Honors and awards: Romantic Times BOOKreviews, 2006 Series Storyteller of the Year. Winner: Best Superromance of 2010: Until He Met Rachel. Nominated for Desert Quill in 2008.
- First book published by Tule Press, summer 2014: Cowgirl Come Home. The Big Sky Mavericks series opens Aug. 2014 with: Nobody's Cowboy.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 8, 2025
His or Her Baby by Debra Salonen, book one in the Secondhand Hearts series, is a wonderful, heartwarming, single mom, sweet story about dealing with grief while dealing with unanswered questions. After the death of her sister Julia and Julia’s husband in a boat crash, bookstore owner Sara becomes the guardian of Julia’s baby son Brady. Ren had a one night stand with a woman he knew as Jewel. Determined to find her again, he had his school friend Bo, a private investigator, search for her. Bo finds out who she really was: he discovers her real name is Julia; she was married, had a baby about nine months after their night together, and has since been killed in a boating accident. Now Ren had questions, mainly, was he the father of Brady.
It was enjoyable watching judge Ren coming to grips with the situation; trying to figure out what his future would be like if he truly was the father. Sara is running her bookshop while raising Brady and is doing an excellent job of it; despite the lack of support from her brother-in-law’s lawyer. She and Ren should be enemies battling for custody but instead they bond and connect immediately. The secondary characters added depth and support to the story; several seemed to be trying to steal the scene at times. I’m looking forward to Bo’s story next.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#HisOrHerBaby #SecondhandHearts # DebraSalonen
It was enjoyable watching judge Ren coming to grips with the situation; trying to figure out what his future would be like if he truly was the father. Sara is running her bookshop while raising Brady and is doing an excellent job of it; despite the lack of support from her brother-in-law’s lawyer. She and Ren should be enemies battling for custody but instead they bond and connect immediately. The secondary characters added depth and support to the story; several seemed to be trying to steal the scene at times. I’m looking forward to Bo’s story next.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#HisOrHerBaby #SecondhandHearts # DebraSalonen
July 23, 2025
The characters in His Or Her Baby turned me to mush. They’re all wonderful in their own ways but Ren and Sara are standouts. After the death of her sister Julia and Julia’s husband in a boat crash, Sara becomes the guardian of Julia’s baby son Brady, who was probably fathered by Ren in a one night stand. Ren knew Julia only as Jewel and has had his private investigator friend Bo searching for her ever since. The story opens with Bo’s revelation about Julia and Brady. I loved watching Ren coming to grips with the situation and strategising his new position as a likely father. Meanwhile Sara, who is an absolute angel, is running her bookshop while raising Brady and looking to be doing an excellent job of it. She and Ren should be enemies battling for custody but they’re both just lovely and click immediately. I adored them. I adored the supporting characters, several of whom seemed to be trying to steal the scene at times. This is the first book in a gorgeous new series and if the others are half as good then I’m going to be in reader heaven.
September 13, 2025
His or Her Baby by Debra Salonen
His or Her Baby is the first book in Debra Salonen’s new Secondhand Hearts series—and it’s absolutely brilliant. Debra is one of my favorite authors, and every time she releases a new story, I know I’ll be drawn in by her engaging writing and the way her characters feel so real, as if you’ve known them forever.
This story follows Ren, Sara, and her young nephew, who has been orphaned after the tragic loss of Sara’s sister, Julie. The emotional depth of the story is beautifully balanced with warmth, heart, and a touch of hope, making it easy to connect with the characters and their journey.
Debra has written this book with a seamless flow that makes it a joy to read from start to finish. The pacing, the heartfelt storyline, and the authenticity of the characters make His or Her Baby a standout.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys heartfelt, character-driven romance. I’m already looking forward to the next installment in the Secondhand Hearts series!
His or Her Baby is the first book in Debra Salonen’s new Secondhand Hearts series—and it’s absolutely brilliant. Debra is one of my favorite authors, and every time she releases a new story, I know I’ll be drawn in by her engaging writing and the way her characters feel so real, as if you’ve known them forever.
This story follows Ren, Sara, and her young nephew, who has been orphaned after the tragic loss of Sara’s sister, Julie. The emotional depth of the story is beautifully balanced with warmth, heart, and a touch of hope, making it easy to connect with the characters and their journey.
Debra has written this book with a seamless flow that makes it a joy to read from start to finish. The pacing, the heartfelt storyline, and the authenticity of the characters make His or Her Baby a standout.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys heartfelt, character-driven romance. I’m already looking forward to the next installment in the Secondhand Hearts series!
September 9, 2025
His or Her Baby is a clean, heartwarming, complicated romance. I immediately fell in love with Sara, Brady and Lawrence. The blurb handles the details of the plot nicely so I can focus on my feelings. Ms. Salonen creates wonderful characters I would be proud to know. I love how Sara and Lawrence navigated the circumstances that placed them where they were. They worked together to resolve things for Brady's best interest. Of course, Sara and Lawrence feel in love which makes the best possible solution. But it was the warmth and humanity that Ms. Salonen gives her characters that kept my interest from the beginning to the end of this delightful, well written book!
July 8, 2026
Wow, this book was full of surprises. Good ones for sure, I found myself leery of some characters, cheering for others, and downright outraged on behalf of other characters. So yes, you could say this was a good book. You would think that Bo would be the down-and-out low-life gumshoe (Nick at Night) lovers know that term because all the good old PI shows would have that term bantered around a time or two on one or more shows. And he was best friends with Ren Bishop the judge's son. The two had met in college, and they had made fast friends. Although, Bo was better at partying than hitting the books. Where Ren wanted to be the perfect son for his mother. Therefore, college was pre-law, law school, and then the bar. What his mother didn't count on was his going into environmental law. Once he won one of the biggest cases around, he took off to Tahoe for a time-out. His mother had his career primed toward politics.
However, his father's death threw a wrench and a void in both their lives. When she got her bearings back she pushed him to take his dad’s place on the bench. He has been miserable ever since. Now here's the thing he’s had Bo looking for a woman that he had a one-night stand with while in Tahoe. Since he is so visible he can’t believe she hasn’t shown herself to the press, to expose him. He needs to find her because he’s engaged to Eve a reporter on TV, and his mother and Eve want him to run for the Senate. He remembers the night with the sexy siren as hot and memorable. It was a one-off, but a night of multiple times. A time he’s thought of often. So when Bo shows up in his office and asks, “Well, I’ve got bad news, and even worse news. Which do you want first?” “First off, the name she gave you—Jewel—was pretty close. Does the name Julia Noelle Carsten ring a bell?” “Julia Carsten,” Ren repeated aloud. “Nope. Never heard of her.”
“Her married name was Hovant,”
He added casually.
“Married?” Ren croaked, lurching to his feet. Of course. We got to read Ren’s thoughts. Why else would she disappear without so much as a word? Ren looked at Bo. The man who’d just simplified Ren’s life and eased his guilty conscience wasn’t looking very pleased about it. “Oh, God,” Ren groaned. “What else?” “She’s dead.” “She can’t be dead. She’s too young.” “How?” “The inquest called it—” “Inquest? Why was there an inquest?” “Fancy speedboat. Too much power, not enough lake. Rammed an exposed rock and burst into flames—” “—the inquest ruled it an accident, but the investigating officer told me Dr. Hovant was known for his temper. Some people think he might have let that temper run away with him.” “Murder-suicide?” Ren asked, almost choking on the words. “Something like that, but no way to prove it.” “Her husband was a doctor? What kind?” As if it mattered.
“A specialist with a whole bunch of letters after his name. Julia had been a nurse before she became Mrs. Hovant.” “It happened last July. I asked around the marina. Everybody remembered the crash. One guy said the boat blew up like a grenade.” Bo shook his head. “You could ask your fiancée. They probably have it on tape. The media eats up this kind of thing.” “Why do they think it was intentional?” “I guess that’s what happens when you air your dirty laundry in public. According to my source, the Hovants were known to get into shouting matches. Seems their marriage had been rocky for the past few years—which, I guess, might explain why Jewel-slash-Julia did what she did with you.” “This obituary says she was survived by her son, Brady. Stepson, right?” Ren asked, looking up. “The woman I made love to was nobody’s mother.” “You’re right. She didn’t have the kid when you were together. He was born later.”
Ren froze. “How much later?” Bo fumbled with the notepad. “October? November?” Ren and Julia’s tryst had taken place the Friday after Valentine’s Day. February, March, April…he mentally counted. “I repeat—how much later?” Bo flipped pages. “Bingo! Brady Hovant. No middle name. Born November twelfth. Eight pounds ten ounces. I forgot to mention the aunt. I talked to her, too.” “What aunt?” “The kid’s aunt. Julia’s sister. Sara Jayne Carsten, age thirty-one. Runs a bookstore near the K-Street mall. She’s got custody of the kid.” This wasn’t over for Ren. Yes, he didn’t need to worry about being outed for having an affair with what he now knows, was a married woman. But, his brain won’t ever allow him to rest. Not until he knows for sure that the boy, Brady, the boy left behind with his aunt, is his biological son. Yet, when he sees Sara’s picture for the first time, he calls her plain and not very pretty, pissing Bo off. Bo tells him how good do you think you would look without help, running a business that she owns that was left to her by the man she used to work for since she was 16, that now thrives? Plus, she does that while grieving her sister, helping her community with outreach programs, and all while taking her son to work with her. Not just giving them books but having them work for her. Not just giving a hand out but a hand up. Ren was surprised by his outburst and knew he needed to step lightly. Sara must have made an impact on Bo. That's when he started to take a closer look at her pictures. MEN!
However, his father's death threw a wrench and a void in both their lives. When she got her bearings back she pushed him to take his dad’s place on the bench. He has been miserable ever since. Now here's the thing he’s had Bo looking for a woman that he had a one-night stand with while in Tahoe. Since he is so visible he can’t believe she hasn’t shown herself to the press, to expose him. He needs to find her because he’s engaged to Eve a reporter on TV, and his mother and Eve want him to run for the Senate. He remembers the night with the sexy siren as hot and memorable. It was a one-off, but a night of multiple times. A time he’s thought of often. So when Bo shows up in his office and asks, “Well, I’ve got bad news, and even worse news. Which do you want first?” “First off, the name she gave you—Jewel—was pretty close. Does the name Julia Noelle Carsten ring a bell?” “Julia Carsten,” Ren repeated aloud. “Nope. Never heard of her.”
“Her married name was Hovant,”
He added casually.
“Married?” Ren croaked, lurching to his feet. Of course. We got to read Ren’s thoughts. Why else would she disappear without so much as a word? Ren looked at Bo. The man who’d just simplified Ren’s life and eased his guilty conscience wasn’t looking very pleased about it. “Oh, God,” Ren groaned. “What else?” “She’s dead.” “She can’t be dead. She’s too young.” “How?” “The inquest called it—” “Inquest? Why was there an inquest?” “Fancy speedboat. Too much power, not enough lake. Rammed an exposed rock and burst into flames—” “—the inquest ruled it an accident, but the investigating officer told me Dr. Hovant was known for his temper. Some people think he might have let that temper run away with him.” “Murder-suicide?” Ren asked, almost choking on the words. “Something like that, but no way to prove it.” “Her husband was a doctor? What kind?” As if it mattered.
“A specialist with a whole bunch of letters after his name. Julia had been a nurse before she became Mrs. Hovant.” “It happened last July. I asked around the marina. Everybody remembered the crash. One guy said the boat blew up like a grenade.” Bo shook his head. “You could ask your fiancée. They probably have it on tape. The media eats up this kind of thing.” “Why do they think it was intentional?” “I guess that’s what happens when you air your dirty laundry in public. According to my source, the Hovants were known to get into shouting matches. Seems their marriage had been rocky for the past few years—which, I guess, might explain why Jewel-slash-Julia did what she did with you.” “This obituary says she was survived by her son, Brady. Stepson, right?” Ren asked, looking up. “The woman I made love to was nobody’s mother.” “You’re right. She didn’t have the kid when you were together. He was born later.”
Ren froze. “How much later?” Bo fumbled with the notepad. “October? November?” Ren and Julia’s tryst had taken place the Friday after Valentine’s Day. February, March, April…he mentally counted. “I repeat—how much later?” Bo flipped pages. “Bingo! Brady Hovant. No middle name. Born November twelfth. Eight pounds ten ounces. I forgot to mention the aunt. I talked to her, too.” “What aunt?” “The kid’s aunt. Julia’s sister. Sara Jayne Carsten, age thirty-one. Runs a bookstore near the K-Street mall. She’s got custody of the kid.” This wasn’t over for Ren. Yes, he didn’t need to worry about being outed for having an affair with what he now knows, was a married woman. But, his brain won’t ever allow him to rest. Not until he knows for sure that the boy, Brady, the boy left behind with his aunt, is his biological son. Yet, when he sees Sara’s picture for the first time, he calls her plain and not very pretty, pissing Bo off. Bo tells him how good do you think you would look without help, running a business that she owns that was left to her by the man she used to work for since she was 16, that now thrives? Plus, she does that while grieving her sister, helping her community with outreach programs, and all while taking her son to work with her. Not just giving them books but having them work for her. Not just giving a hand out but a hand up. Ren was surprised by his outburst and knew he needed to step lightly. Sara must have made an impact on Bo. That's when he started to take a closer look at her pictures. MEN!
July 28, 2025
WOW .. probably one of if not the best books I've read by Deb. Had me hooked from the beginning and I can't wait for the next book in this series.
July 12, 2026
Too Much Setup, Not Enough Romance
His or Her Baby had a premise I wanted to enjoy, but it spent far too much time setting up future books in the series. The number of side storylines became distracting and often overshadowed Ren and Sara’s relationship.
I also struggled with the romance itself. The relationship moved much too quickly, especially considering Ren was supposedly in love with and engaged to another woman until nearly halfway through the book. That made it difficult for me to believe the emotional connection between him and Sara.
I wanted to be invested in the main couple, but between the constant setup for future books and the rushed romance, this one never came together for me.
His or Her Baby had a premise I wanted to enjoy, but it spent far too much time setting up future books in the series. The number of side storylines became distracting and often overshadowed Ren and Sara’s relationship.
I also struggled with the romance itself. The relationship moved much too quickly, especially considering Ren was supposedly in love with and engaged to another woman until nearly halfway through the book. That made it difficult for me to believe the emotional connection between him and Sara.
I wanted to be invested in the main couple, but between the constant setup for future books and the rushed romance, this one never came together for me.
July 8, 2026
This is a beautiful and heartwarming story with some complicated bits!
I was hooked right from the beginning and before I knew it I was at the end and realized that I had read it straight through!
Lots of warm, fuzzy feels along with some downright out loud laughter, and quite a bit of silent cheerleading on the side!
Looking forward to the rest of series!
July 9, 2026
His or Her Baby
Oh my goodness, this was absolutely one of the sweetest and most touching stories I’ve read in a long time.
I went in cold, and so happy I did. The story is a little mystery, love story that is hard won, and just so beautiful..
Oh my goodness, this was absolutely one of the sweetest and most touching stories I’ve read in a long time.
I went in cold, and so happy I did. The story is a little mystery, love story that is hard won, and just so beautiful..
July 16, 2026
This is an interesting and delightful story about a young woman who's raising her late sister's baby; when the dad finds out he has a child, he wants custody. It a lovely story with great characters.
Want to Read
July 6, 2026Purchased in epub format from Barnes & Noble for my Nook.
July 10, 2026
Great surprise/secret baby story. Lots of romance. Heartwarming. Debra has given us another great book.
July 10, 2026
Delightful story
My first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. good writing; some suspense; and a little bit of a surprise ending. Very well put together characters.
My first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. good writing; some suspense; and a little bit of a surprise ending. Very well put together characters.
July 16, 2026
A sweet romance with little angst. There are a few intrigues. There is nothing about this one that stands out, but it’s still fun.
September 9, 2025
His or Her Baby is a clean, heartwarming, complicated romance. I immediately fell in love with Sara, Brady and Lawrence. The blurb handles the details of the plot nicely so I can focus on my feelings. Ms. Salonen creates wonderful characters I would be proud to know. I love how Sara and Lawrence navigated the circumstances that placed them where they were. They worked together to resolve things for Brady's best interest. Of course, Sara and Lawrence feel in love which makes the best possible solution. But it was the warmth and humanity that Ms. Salonen gives her characters that kept my interest from the beginning to the end of this delightful, well written book!
August 19, 2025
I ate this up like a bowl of ice cream! Sweet, satisfying, an occasional wince and not to be rushed.
Who wouldn’t like Sarah or Ren individually ? And love them as a couple?
Toddler Brady conquers and rules Sarah, Ren and the reader.
I loved the interplay between Bo and Ren, old school and college mates - they know all our weak points!
Author Debra Salonen has a knack for friend and family relationships and inserts every day moments that give depth and shine to the story.
A heartwarming read.
Who wouldn’t like Sarah or Ren individually ? And love them as a couple?
Toddler Brady conquers and rules Sarah, Ren and the reader.
I loved the interplay between Bo and Ren, old school and college mates - they know all our weak points!
Author Debra Salonen has a knack for friend and family relationships and inserts every day moments that give depth and shine to the story.
A heartwarming read.
July 19, 2026
4 out of 5 stars
No review, but to check out my actual reviews, go here: https://fromjesstoyou.com
No review, but to check out my actual reviews, go here: https://fromjesstoyou.com
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews