You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO comes from Rita, who wants to find this romance:
I’m hoping someone can help me identify this book I read about 10–11 years ago. I think it was originally published in the 1990s (can’t remember the exact date) and might have been a Harlequin or possibly a Silhouette title. Here’s what I recall:
– Male lead (ML) is a single dad with a young daughter.
– The child’s mother died in an accident, but she and the ML were never married.
– Since her mother’s passing, the daughter has been living with her maternal grandparents.
– The ML wants full custody and is told his chances will improve if he’s married and can show a stable home.
– He creates a list of eligible women in town and settles on the town librarian, Paige.
– After some convincing, Paige agrees to a marriage of convenience.
– Paige starts out as a “plain Jane” but is later seen as attractive/sexy.
– The story basically begins around the time they marry.
– I read it as part of a two-book box set.
I’d love to know the title and author if anyone recognizes it!
Does this sound familiar?
A Wolf River Summer
by
Barbara McCauley
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Is it “A Wolf River Summer” by Barbara McCauley? It’s part of a two-book paperback published by Silhouette in 2003 (“Sweet Wind, Wild Wind”, by Elizabeth Lowell, is the first book).
In “A Wolf River Summer”, Clay Bodine returns to town and asks librarian Paige Andrews to marry him. Here is an excerpt I found in a copy at openlibrary.org:
“Almost six years ago,” he went on, “I married the daughter of a wealthy businessman in California, but she – Nancy – left me after three months of living on the Rocking B and filed for divorce. In spite of the various rumors that have circulated, my ex-wife is not locked in my basement.”
“I hadn’t heard that one,” Paige said, her eyes wide. “I heard-”
When she stopped herself, then bit her bottom lip and glanced away, Clay almost laughted. “She isn’t buried on my property, either, if that’s the one you heard.”
Paige stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head. “I still don’t understand why you’re telling me all this.”
“Just give me a minute and you will.” He let out a long breath, then continued, “Nancy was killed in a boating accident in the Caribbean last month. Her parents contacted me to give me the news.”
“I’m sorry,” Paige said quietly.
While he’d certain never wished Nancy any harm, it still surprised him that he felt nothing for his ex-wife. No grief. No sadness. Just…nothing. “I’m not here for sympathy.”
“Then why are you here?” she asked. “What is it that I can possibly do for you?”
Clay leveld his gaze with Paige’s. “You can marry me.”
Clay then goes on to say that he learned from Nancy’s parents that he had a five-year old daughter, Julia. He didn’t know that Nancy was pregnant when they divorced. Marriage to Paige was the only way he could see to convince a judge to give him full custody of Julia.”
Thank you, Jenny! This is absolutely the book I was searching for. Thanks so much!