Here I go again.

I hadn’t realised this was book 2 in a series.
I’m OCD when it comes to series. It says you can read this as a stand alone. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are like me.

It read perfectly fine for me however I often felt I’m missing some of the puzzle.

It’s a really good emotive read that will grab you though and make you want to buy book 1 which I’m gonna do right now!

Despite being a sequel, Call Me Daddy can be read as a stand-alone novel. The premise caught me and I gave it a go.

Initially (only the very first few pages), I wondered if I did need to read the first book. The reader is immediately introduced to complicated characters and relationships and, if you haven’t read the first book, you don’t know precisely what you are dealing with.

But it only took a couple of pages before I was able to piece things together and get to know the characters on my own terms rather than how they had been presented in the previous book.

There are a lot of strong characters in this. Cass can speak to ghosts and has a troubled past, but a good heart. Her sister, Lola, takes a matter-of-fact approach but wants to fix all of the problems. Clay has a tough-guy exterior but conceals a heart that feels far too much. Grams, Grace, even Benny…all of these characters are likeable, relatable and make you want the best for them.

Despite the issues the characters must overcome, the plot has a simple premise: family. There are a lot of twisting relationships which ultimately reveals there is no such thing as the traditional nuclear family in this book. But it is about more than blood ties: it’s about love and sacrifice and how you are willing to go to protect your family.

I initially wasn’t certain on the book. The setting and language used were too American for me to read comfortable and it was jarring me. But, as with the characters, it didn’t take long until I settled into my stride and realised I couldn’t put it down. There is something warming and beautiful about this book as the characters have to realise who is important in their lives and whether they are prepared to face up to their parents’ mistakes in order to be the better person.

The plot basically centres on figuring out who is related to who. Somehow, however, tension is still created (there could be serious implications if some of the relationships are proven to be true) and I was gripped: I wanted to see how they would resolve the issues and whether the characters would be able to come to terms with their actions. There was enough uncertainty to keep you reading despite it being a gentle story.

Although there is no need to read the first book to enjoy Call Me Daddy, I would like to read the first one. The characters are in-depth and realistic and the hints about the first book means I’m intrigued to find out how they got to this point. But, ultimately, it’s because I really like the writing style. I got swept up and it was the perfect curl-up-for-an-afternoon type of book.

This was a soft yet moving tale, with characters you could relate to. It’s not action-packed and full of tension, but it did keep my interest the whole way through.

*Book source ~ NetGalley

Cass Adams sure has it out for the Adams family. Well, except for Clay. Clay’s a keeper. After killing her husband, Roland, running over his and Clay’s half-brother shouldn’t be too big a surprise. Thing is though, no one except Roland knew about Britt. Well, there may have been someone else in town who knew but he’s got secrets of his own so he’s got his lips zipped. In the meantime, Cass is going a little more crazy than usual trying to figure out if being pregnant is a good idea and Clay is trying to wrap his head around the fact that not only does he have a half-brother, but their dad is still alive. Sorta. Secrets are about to come out. Lots of secrets from the past. Can open, worms everywhere.

This is one awesome bag of crazy! Cass’s way of looking at things, Clay’s patience, Gram’s quirkiness, Lola’s practicality and big heart, Richard’s steadiness, and a small town of eccentric characters all make for one hell of a read. And the secrets. Or lorty the secrets only a small town can conceal. You’ll snort, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh, and you’ll be surprised by what comes falling out of the closets. This book 2 can certainly stand alone, but you’ll get a great deal more out of it if you read book 1 first. Just my opinion. I sure hope we’ll be seeing more of Cass, Clay, and gang in the future.

I just didn't like this book. I didn't read part one of the series anf if I had, I probably wouldn't have read part two. The characters weren't really developed all that well and after a while it just got on my nerves that Cass is so "crazy" and that her mother was "crazy" too, and that her sister has some of the "crazy" in her as well. Overall, the novel seemed Kind of sexist, occasionally homophobic and dismissive of people with a mental illness. Apart from that most of the characters seemed to be either horrible people or caricatures and there wasn't really anyone left to root for.

wow there's a lot packed into this well written tale of family secrets. Gamble has done a good job with her characters. I had not read the first book but this wasn't a problem because it neatly wrapped in all I needed to know. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC- I'd like to see more from Gamble, who has a good turn of phrase. This is storytelling.

Call me daddy by Kelly Stone Gamble is a women's fiction and mystery and thriller read.
Cass Adams comes from a long line of crazy, and she fears passing that on to her unborn child. Also, she’s run over Roland and Clay’s surprise half brother Britt, landing him in the hospital. With her inner demons coming out to haunt her, she doesn’t know if she should keep the baby.

Clay Adams has his own decisions to make. His half brother shows up to tell him their father, Freddy, is still alive but needs a liver transplant. When Freddy blew out of town thirty-five years ago, secrets were buried. But it’s time for them to be dug up, because only then can Clay hope to lay the past to rest.

Call Me Daddy is a story of family, the secrets they keep, and to what lengths someone would go to protect them.
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. Full of twists and plots. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Call Me Daddy is a story of family, the secrets they keep, and to what lengths someone would go to protect them.
I was surprised by this book: nothing is quite as it seems, nor are relationships. Even though this is the 2nd in a series it can also be read alone. I rate this book 5*