Suddenly Engaged by Julia London

Suddenly Engaged (Lake Haven)

by Julia London

New York Times bestselling author Julia London proves that there's no insurance against falling in love.

Single mother Kyra Kokinos spends her days waiting tables, her nights working on her real estate license, and every spare moment with her precocious six-year-old daughter, Ruby—especially when Ruby won't stop pestering their grumpy next-door neighbor. At first glance, Dax Bishop seems like the kind of gruff, solitary guy who'd be unlikely to offer a cup of sugar, let alone a marriage proposal. But that's exactly what happens when Ruby needs life-saving surgery.

Dax showed up in East Beach a year ago, fresh from a painful divorce and looking for a place where he could make furniture and avoid people. Suddenly his life is invaded by an inquisitive munchkin in sparkly cowboy boots—and her frazzled, too-tempting mother. So he presents a practical plan: his insurance will help Ruby, and then they can divorce—zero strings attached.

But soon Kyra and Dax find their engagement of convenience is simple in name only. As their attraction deepens, a figure from the past reappears, offering a way out. Can Kyra and Dax let go so easily, or has their sudden engagement become something more?

Reviewed by EBookObsessed on

4 of 5 stars

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I think I enjoyed the friendship between little Ruby and Dax even more than the romance. This kid is adorable.

Kyra had it all. She landed a job at a magazine and took her first steps into the world of publishing. She could see all her dreams coming true. Until a little too much alcohol at a destination wedding lead to some unprotected sex and a scary little oops. That’s bad enough, but when she calls the man responsible, he wants her to get rid of the baby since he is getting married in a few months to his long-time girlfriend.

Seven years later, Kyra’s a single mother and her dreams have all changed quite a bit. She dreams of being able to go to the bathroom by herself, enough time to make a decent meal for her daughter and maybe enough money at the end of the month to take some of the strain off her life.

Kyra and Ruby have just moved into a quiet little cabin on a lake in the much cheaper, and infinitely nicer neighborhood in Lake Haven, NY. The summer crowd is jumping and Kyra has a chance to make some decent tips but until school starts again, Kyra is going to have to find a babysitter who will accept what little she can pay. Especially since Ruby seems to have a fondness for their cranky new neighbor, a man who has holds nothing back in his desire to have Ruby remain on her own side of the fence.

It is Dax, a former paramedic, who notices Ruby’s medical problem and who jumped in to help Kyra get the medical coverage Ruby needed by offering to marry her. Dax and Kyra had just started enjoying their close proximity, so being forced to jump into a quicky marriage throws this blossoming relations off-kilter, but it is Dax who recovers first and gets excited at the prospect of their new family.

While the story is supposed to be the romance between Kyra and Dax, I think I enjoyed reading Dax and Ruby’s interactions more. I thought Robert Downey Jr would be perfect for Dax as he always has the same dry humor in almost any part he plays. Ruby would come find Dax. She would ask if he wants her tell him about her day. He would tell her no, thanks but then sit and listen to the girl talk. Dax wasn’t interested in getting to know the family next door and while he was rude to her, Ruby was never put off by him and Dax was never vicious or angry in his desire to not be bothered by the neighbor’s kid.

This was a very enjoyable story and I did pick up one of the earlier stories after finishing because it had gone on sale. This was the third story in the series, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. So this definitely can be read as a stand alone.

This was my second Julia London story and I had a lot of issues with the last one so I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this one. I guess it does pay to give an author a second chance.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 December, 2017: Finished reading
  • 9 December, 2017: Reviewed