A Child's Wish

by Tara Taylor Quinn

Too much to handle?

Since his divorce, Mark Shepherd is wary of women. Once bitten, twice shy, he's thrown himself into his work as a headmaster. But now he finds himself defending one of his teachers, Meredith Foster, against the school board. As if his problems with his daughter, Kelsey, weren't enough! Mark wants to keep Meredith at arm's length, but he's drawn to her more than he would like to admit.

Meredith also feels the connection with Mark, but she suspects that Kelsey is in trouble. She needs Mark to listen to her, but he doesn't want to hear about her hunches. As they learn to trust each other, will she and Mark find something more?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Fiction

378 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

Tara Taylor Quinn began her love affair with Harlequin when she was fourteen years old and picked up a free promotional copy of a Harlequin Romance in a hometown grocery store. The relationship was solidified the year she was suspended from her high school typing class for hiding a Harlequin Romance behind the keys of her electric typewriter. Unaware that her instructor loomed close by, Ms. Quinn read blissfully on with one finger resting on the automatic repeating period key. She finished the book in the principal’s office. Forced to leave her romances in her locker after that, Ms. Quinn’s typing skills improved - a fact for which she is eternally grateful.

With over 140 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”

Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.

Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.

When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, and LeeLee or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Child’s Wish is the eleventh stand-alone romance by American author, Tara Taylor Quinn. Mark Shepherd, headmaster and single father of nine-year-old Kelsey, is doing the best he can. But Kelsey can be a handful: her behaviour leaves something to be desired, especially around his lover, Susan.

Susan’s best friend, Meredith Foster is a teacher at Mark’s school, where her perceptive observation of her class may have saved more than one child, but is causing Mark any number of headaches. Meredith seems to believe she has a gift, but he’s not convinced. The fact that he finds her attractive is an added problem.

While the title, cover picture and back cover blurb seem to indicate a light romance, this story is anything but. There is romance, but it is far outweighed by other issues: paedophiles; domestic violence; a crystal meth lab; an influential politician who manipulates the media to protect his reputation; psychological intimidation; a mother whose addiction blunts her morals and endangers her child. A happily ever after ending, but definitely no light read.

[Pam Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

The storyline is an important one. Never discount what your senses are telling you, and be aware of what is happening around you, be attuned to any changes in your child's attitude. A good look at what can happen to children of divorce when you think things are ok.

[Sati Marie Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom got to this one before I did, after I picked it up secondhand and then forgot about it. After she read it, she said to me, "You should read this book. The heroine is you."

After opening the book and meeting Meredith, I knew that was one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me.

Meredith is an empath (like me). She's also a fourth-grade teacher (not like me!). So when she senses that one of her students is being emotionally abused by his father and is contemplating suicide, she reports her fears to the boy's (divorced) mother. Cue the drama. The father, a district attorney and all-round powerful guy, decides that she needs to be taken away from children, and sets out on a mission to discredit her and expose her as a head case with dangerous imaginings. The boy's mother - one of the few people who believe Meredith - is too beaten down and scared of her husband to publicly support Mer, despite the fact that she thinks Meredith saved her son's life, so it's up to Meredith and sceptical principal Mark to prove to the school board that she's both sane and a good teacher.

Meanwhile, Mark has his own problems. He's dating Meredith's best friend Susan, but his nine-year-old daughter, Kelsey, isn't happy about that. Kelsey misses her mom and wants her back, and has been sneaking off to meet her while she's supposed to be at a friend's house. Which is more dangerous that it sounds, since mom is addicted to meth, and is living with a man who runs a meth lab out of his house...

I really enjoyed this book. The only main criticism I have is that it was published under the wrong imprint - there's very little romance in it, and Superromance it is not. If it had been a standalone book (even one published under the HQN imprint) it would have got five stars from me, but I had to deduct a star for the lack of romance.

That said, taken as a story about a remarkable woman's fight for justice, it's a delightful tale. Meredith is one of the most likeable, relatable protagonists I've come across in a long while. All of the supporting characters, from Meredith's overly cerebral doctor friend Susan, to Kelsey's drug addict mother, to the junior high kid (Kenny) that mom has Kelsey unknowingly passing drugs to, are brilliantly lifelike; you can truly feel their pain. Kenny in particular is someone I want to see in another book, though sadly he doesn't seem to have his own story.

Mark I am less fond of. He is very sceptical and stubborn, to the point that, even though they have proved that Meredith has a better than 90% accuracy rate with her intuitions about the kids, he still doesn't want to listen to her worries about Kelsey. He's willing to defend her to the school board, because he thinks she's a good teacher and believes that SHE believes in her abilities (condescending much?) but he doesn't trust them himself, and thinks it's just luck, even with the numbers right in front of him. This makes it hard for me to buy the (tiny bit of) romance that occurs between Mark and Meredith - I know that I could never truly give my heart to a man who flat-out refused to even entertain the possibility that he might be wrong about me. Mark does eventually come to believe Meredith, but not until after she saves Kelsey's life, and as recalcitrant as he is, I can't help but wonder if his scepticism will return later after the book ends. Combined with the fact that he thought himself in love with Susan until halfway through the book - he actually asked her to marry him - his love for Meredith is hard to wrap my head around.

All in all, though, I thought this was a really nicely-written book that I'd like to read again.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars! ~ Meredith's been the 3rd grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary for four years, and she's very good at her job. Her students have the best test scores in the county. But Meredith brings more of herself to the classroom than most teachers. She brings her sixth sense with her too; her uncanny ability to feel when her students are in trouble. It's this uncanny feeling of Meredith's that has gotten her and the school into hot water. Mark's the Principal and he's exasperated with her but he knows what a great teacher she is, not just because she's his employee but she taught his daughter Kelsey the year before. Nine year old Kelsey's in trouble. She's been keeping dark secrets about her Mom, Mark's ex-wife; secrets that could be very dangerous. Meredith senses something is very wrong with Kelsey. She's praying she can save the child in time. Meredith's six sense is also telling her that her feelings for Mark are more than concerned teacher to concerned parent / friend or those of employee / employer. But she confuses her feelings thinking she's just empathizing with her best friend Susan, whom Mark is getting ready to propose too. The most confusing thing of all is that kiss she shared with Mark, the one they both agreed hastily wasn't a sexual thing at all. Uh huh; sure

This is my very first Tara Quinn and I enjoyed it very much. In this story Ms Quinn made Mark and Meredith completely believable characters. We clearly feel and understand Mark's reluctance to get involved with the very emotionally intense Meredith. Meredith delights in her gift and truly loves who she is; intense emotion and all. And your heart wrenches for poor Kelsey, who is craving her mother's love so much that she finds herself keeping very dangerous secrets. Well done Ms. Quinn

I've been intending to read Ms. Quinn for some time now. I have her Shelter Valley books now all collected and ready to open. When I read the blurb on this book, it intrigued me and was quickly added to my shopping cart last month. I have absolutely no regrets! And I am thoroughly looking forward to reading Ms. Quinn's Shelter Valley stories.

[Linda Sophis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good