Daddy's Little Matchmaker (Harlequin Superromance No. 1220) (Single Father)

Rating:
Summary: fine contemporary tale
Review: In Ridge City, Tennessee, widower Alan Ridge, CEO of Windridge Distillery, worries about his nine year old daughter who severely injured her back in the car accident that killed his wife. Louemma has successful surgery, but shows no signs of healing and her doctors insist her problems are psychosomatic.

Divorced from an alcoholic spouse, weaver Laurel Ashline has moved to her late grandmother's home in Ridge City. She provides weaving therapy to patients who need help for their arms and wrists. Alan's grandmother decides that Laurel is perfect to help her great-granddaughter and forces Alan to agree to the therapy. As Laurel reaches inside to Louemma beyond the loom, she learns the guilty secret that has incapacitated the child even as she falls in love with the two Ridges.

The weaving therapy apparently has been around since the end of World War II with plenty of success is enlightening and quite interesting. The relationships between Louemma and the three prime adults in her life are touching as everyone wants the best for this hurting little girl. On the other hand Laurel's doubts due to her ex being a drunk and her beloved owning a distillery seems insignificant when compared with Louemma's needs, their love, and the heroine's understanding of personal responsibility as well as anyone. Still contemporary audience will find themselves praying for Louemma and wanting to see the permanent coupling of the lead pair.

Harriet Klausner