MILLION TO ONE

Author: Darlene Gardner ISBN: 0373713169 12/2005 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE

When your life changes in the blink of an eye . . . Kaylee Carter may have just found her birth mother - and the sense of belonging that's been missing all her life. But Sofia Donatelli's stepson, Tony, is suspicious. He thinks Kaylee's just another parasite who's come to sponge off his stepmother since she struck it rich in the state lottery. Still, whether or not Sofia is related by blood, Kaylee and her son form a bond with her that is stronger than biology. Now, if only Kaylee could convince Tony she's not after money but love - a love that has grown to include him. But the odds are stacked against them . . .

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Ms. Gardner's first foray into Harlequin Superromance is a heartwarming story with both nicely sketched characters and a real flavor for small town life.

MILLION TO ONE's characters will speak to you.

This story is filled with characters who are everyday people struggling with everyday problems. MILLION TO ONE has no super heroes, no glamorous facades. The lead characters—an unwed, single mother searching desperately for a place to belong, a successful businessman trying to escape the stigma of an unsuccessful father, and a woman seeking her birth child—provide Million To One with many touching moments.

My favorite character in this story is, without a doubt, Sofia Donatelli...the woman seeking her birth child. Sofia reflects the sweetness, the sincerity, the hopefulness of this story.

The two romances going on within MILLION TO ONE are also nicely done. Neither romance overpowers the other, instead these two romances work well together within the fabric of the story.

Ms. Gardner establishes a fast pace early in the story, keeping a reader involved by unraveling a number of secrets and giving several characters points of view.

Debbie Jett