You know a guy’s a keeper when you can call him in an emergency and in under an hour he’s at your door with two car seats, ready to take you and your two very young nephews to the hospital because you’re babysitting and you’ve just received word that the babies’ parents were in a fatal car accident.

Talk about works of mercy. Would you keep a guy in the friend zone after that?

In Amanda Hamm’s newly-released novel, They See a Family,  Kay reaches out to her friend William for help when an accident kills Kay’s sister and brother-in-law, leaving their baby and toddler in her care. Kay and William had been friends for a couple of years, and both harbor unspoken crushes. As they navigate the pitfalls of caring for two young children and dealing with Kay’s grief, each tries to figure out how to reveal the feelings of growing love to the other — even as they cook up a plan to become a family out of necessity.

Some of the best characters in the book are the supporting cast. William’s sister Annie is a wonderfully pro-life young mother whose easy confidence belies the fact that she needs a friend just as much as Kay needs a friend, sister, and parenting mentor. And Father David is sensitive and insightful, but I can’t say more about him without a spoiler alert! Kay’s nephews and Annie’s young daughters have real personalities too, and remind me of the equally-well-drawn small children in Carolyn Astfalk‘s novels.

I highly recommend this clean romance; I’d give it to older teens as well as friends my age and anyone in between. Amanda Hamm tells a wonderful story that emphasizes works of mercy in many ways, and distinguishes between infatuation and real love. They See a Family is the first book I’ve read by Amanda Hamm, but it won’t be my last.

Copyright 2018 Barb Szyszkiewicz
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I was given a free review copy of this book, but no other compensation. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.