Osklee is the social media director for the town of Darling, Vt. She is driving along a deserted road one night when she hits a dog. She takes it to Rory, the newest vet in town and, the man she had a crush on when she was a teenager. Problem is that Rory is her brother's best friend and her protector so, she is hands off for him. He cares for the dog, then talks Oaklee into fostering the dog until the owners show up. The thing is that both Oaklee and Rory have been severely burned by love and, neither is willing to fall into that 'trap' again. The big problem with that is when Oaklee falls fast and hard for the dog, she starts to realize that she has feelings for Rory and panics. Rory already knows he has feelings for Oaklee but, is petrified of falling in love again. What's going to happen to these two injured hearts? This is a book about fear, trust, soul-searching and, most of all, love!

Rory and Oakley have known each other since high school, but she has always been off limits as his best friends lil sister. Till she comes into his clinic with an injured dog. And now they can't seem to stop thinking about each other. But they both have been hurt in the past and that has made them commitment phobic. And though they are attracted towards each other, their past connection doesn't let them do casual, and they are too scared to commit. How will they bridge the gap ?
Somebody's baby is relaxedly paced read. It's about moving forward despite your fears. It's a heartwarming, small town romance, and you can't help but root for Rory and Oakley to find their happily ever after. The dog, Buster was just too cute, and reason for many laughs.

As promised, I’m bringing you a review of the 3rd book in Donna Alward’s Darling, VT series. This is my favorite book in the series so far. Somebody’s Baby is Rory and Oaklee’s story. We’ve met them briefly in the previous two books, but now it’s their turn to find love.

Veterinarian Rory Gallagher had his heart broken during college, so he’s hesitant to trust his heart again. Oaklee Collier is the kid sister of Rory's best friend and is also healing from a broken heart. When Oaklee shows up at Rory's clinic late one night after hitting a dog with her car―the dog ends up not being all either of them have on their minds. The two begin to share a deep connection that neither could have ever imagined. Could it be that love has been waiting for them all along?

Why is this my favorite book in the series so far? One, I felt a connection with Oaklee and Rory. A bigger connection than I have felt for any of the other characters in the series. Because Rory and Oaklee grew up together they had a background to build on. Their relationship going another step felt right and believable. Two, there’s Buster, the dog Oaklee hit with her car. I’m a sucker for animals and this aspect of the story was a pleasant addition to the book. After all, Buster is responsible for bringing Oaklee and Rory back together.

Somebody’s Baby takes place during the same few months as book two, Someone to Love. There were a couple of events in this book that were mentioned before. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a complete rehash, but if you’ve read book two there will be a couple of similar scenes played out here. While the seemingly short time frame with Ethan and Willow bothered me, the same was not true for Rory and Oaklee for the reason I mentioned above.

I talked about the upcoming release of Somebody’s Baby in my review for Someone to Love. I thought I knew what the title was alluding to, but I was wrong! It wasn’t what I thought at all. The real meaning? Heart melting!

Will there be more books in this series? I don’t know the answer to that question yet. There are more characters who need to have their chance at love. Plus, there is still so much more to learn about Aiden and Laurel, Ethan and Willow, and Rory and Oaklee. I’ll be watching for the next book in the series.

Rory, a veterinarian, convinces Oaklee to foster the dog that she accidentally hit with her car until he can find a permanent home for him. Oaklee isn't an animal person, but she reluctantly agrees since she feels guilty. As Rory and Oaklee spend time together while caring for Buster, they discover that they have chemistry. Too bad they have both been hurt in past relationships and aren't looking for a relationship. Add in the fact that Oaklee is Rory's best friend's little sister and it gets complicated.

I enjoyed this sweet romance set in the town of Darling, VT. I loved Rory and Oaklee as a couple. Their interactions on Twitter were entertaining.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.

In the small town of Darling Rory Gallagher is known as the heart-breaker, it's not that he means to do it, it's just that he dates a woman, they get attached, he feels pressured and his need to be a free man takes over and he is gone. He isn't anywhere ready to be a settled man, he likes his the way it is, and having the privilege of doing what he wants, and not having to worry about answering to anyone. He has always thought when the right woman for him comes along he'll know and then he'll be ready to give up his bachelor ways... he doesn't need the town's famed kissing bridge to dictate his future... or does he?

Oaklee Ferguson has never understood what all the fuss is about when it comes to the towns famed handsome veterinarian Rory Gallagher, yes he is good looking, but he's nothing to get all twisted up about, or is he? She has heard all the rumors, seen the remnants of the trail of broken hearts he leaves behind, but his tempting bedroom eyes and charming smile have no effect on her whatsoever... That is until she finds herself on his office steps late one night with an injured dog. Watching him care for the injured animal starts to do weird things to her heart, and then when he settles his caring eyes on her she knows she is in trouble... something about this man is making her feel things for him she never thought were possible!

I always enjoy my visits to Darling, the towns people there always have a special way of pulling me into their world and having me never wanting to say goodbye, each one always finding a way to secure a treasured spot in my heart. But I have to say this may just be my favorite visit yet, meeting Rory and Oaklee, and reading their touching story really struck a cord with me. I am not sure what it was about these two that resonated with me so much, but from the moment they both walked onto the page I was completely captivated by them, their story really stirred the emotions up and had me feeling the intent behind every word. Their story was a perfect blend of romance, heartfelt emotion, and humor, and I truly loved every minute of it!!

I think it is safe to say that Ms. Alward has another bestseller on her hands with this one, it is certain to win the hearts of all romance readers!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

This is only my 2nd book by this author and I have only read the previous book in the series about Ethan and Willow. This story is about Ethan's brother Rory, who is a veternarian. This is his story and romance with Oaklee whose brother is Rory's best friend growing up. Oaklee has always crushed on him until she ended up with a serious boyfriend through her college years.

This story opens up as she hits a dog on a drive home at night. She takes the dog to the vet in town, Rory and he convinces her to keep the dog until his owner can be found. Oaklee is a disaster and so Rory helps her learn how to take care of "Somebody's Baby" hence the books title, though she names the dog Buster.

This book was very enjoyable and I really enjoyed Oaklee and how hard she falls for her dog. I love this series and I really enjoyed the characters. I thought Rory and Oaklee were adorable together and I really enjoyed their story. That said if you want a romantic book, look elsewhere. I was disapointed in how there was so little romance in this story.

Oaklee and Rory both have ugly pasts. Things that made not want a romance. Rory decides to date once or twice to get sex and Oaklee doesn't date. Everytime the two seemed to be getting close, like watching a movie together, one of them gets scared and runs away. And while I would have enjoyed that in a story once or twice, it got to be too much and started to take away from the story. For every step forward the characters took ten steps back every freaking time and it was beyond frustrating for me who was rooting for them.

At a point I was ready for Oaklee to date other guys because I got fed up with Rory and how he kept things from her and refused to look at a future together. Oaklee was frustrating too but Rory seemed to just never get there. I read romances for romance and this book did not have that. Even the big date in the story ended on a sour note. At the end of the book after one official date that ends badly, they are in love. I wanted to experience that and it just was one minute they were apart and the next they were in love. Even Rory's big gesture, I felt was pretty pathetic.

So while I enjoyed the writing, the characters drove me crazy in their wishy washiness and refusing to grow and get over bad romances.

This was an easy read about a small town. It centred around Oaklee (she works for the town council promoting tourism) and Rory (vet and best friend of Oaklee's brother, Cam, who has now left town and is a big hockey star).

Oaklee and Rory have known each other since they were children and Oaklee had a crush on Rory when she was a teenager. They have grown up and moved on since then, but are still in their twenties.

One day Oaklee hits a stray dog whilst checking texts on her car, not a good move and one that did really annoy me. She then brings the injured dog to Rory at the vet clinic and he looks after the dog and sets his broken leg. The dog turns out to be malnourished and probably a stray so once he is on the road to recovery Rory persuades Oaklee to look after him until a home can be found for him as there is no room at the clinic. So Oaklee very reluctantly agrees to look after Buster the dog. She hasn't had pets before and really has no idea about looking after a dog initially, and really hasn't a lot of common sense either(!), but starts to really love him as she is quite lonely as she lives alone and isn't that close with her family.

​Oaklee and Rory start to see more of each other because of Buster. T​heir relationship is quite slow burning but they eventually realise their feelings are stronger than they initially thought.

This was quite a slow-moving, gentle small town romance with a really cute dog, that did cause me a few tears towards the end (don't worry, the dog's OK!).

I love her characters and their background. Very smooth writing style with lots of emotion. This book is part of a series and each one is well worth reading

Really loved this one. I could feel the chemistry between Oaklee and Rory, as well as their friendship. This is the older brother's best friend trope and done so well. Add in a dog to the mix and I'm putty.
It's the third in the Darling, VT series and I'm addicted. I want to know what happens to the rest of Rory's family yet to find love. I want to know if Oaklee's brother will get a book?? And most of all, the books leave me satiated and happy. They're sweet with a little steam and a lot of reality.

The Skinny

Oaklee returns to her hometown of Darling to join the city council in promoting tourism. She knocked it out the the park re-creating the town’s iconic photo of Aiden Gallagher kissing Laurel Stone on the Kissing Bridge when they were just five years old, re-branding the city’s entire marketing campaign. Despite the fast-paced life she leads, and the jillions of people she interacts with on a daily basis, whether in person or online through Twitter, Oaklee is hiding her loneliness from everyone, even herself.

Which is exactly what she is doing one night when she hits a dog. Frantically, she gets it in her car and takes it to the vet clinic, where Rory Gallagher works and lives. While Oaklee feels massive guilt, she is stuck footing the larger than expected bill for the dog with a broken leg, named Buster by the clinic. Then Rory up and pushes her into fostering the thing. She’s never had a dog in her life!

Just like with his brother and his wife, Rory has a history with Oaklee. Cam, Oaklee’s now-famous hockey star older brother, was Rory’s best friend growing up. After Cam went all famous, Rory was tasked with looking out for Oaklee until she went off to college.

Now they are both back home, both working in their small town, and both trying to make a go at adult life. There’s just one problem: they are both keeping the truth – their truths – a secret from every single person they know.

The Players

Oaklee – 23 year old city council socialite and younger sister of a famous hockey player

Rory – 26 year old vet at the local clinic; a serial first-date-is-the-last-date kind of guy

Hannah – Rory’s sister who gets all nosy up in Rory’s personal business; Oaklee’s friend

Buster – the dog Oaklee hits and then Rory convinces her to foster

The Quote

So close now…her eyes drifted closed, waiting for that first touch of his mouth on hers.

Instead his lips touched her forehead. She froze in place, both from surprise and dismay. A kiss on the forehead was what you gave a sister or a friend. She’d been moving in and he’d just friend zoned her big-time.
The Highs and Lows

Animals. Let’s be real, here. Animals are always the way to win over the hearts of readers, and Rory Gallagher has them in spades. Buster is an adorable dog, and he fills the holes in Oaklee’s life. When reading about how he wanted to be in bed with her the first night after fostering him, it reminded me so much of my own dog, Baby, whom has slept with me since she came home. I could see the same way Baby does when she wants to crawl in bed in Buster, and it brought a smile to my face.
Emotional Baggage. Both Rory and Oaklee carried such emotional baggage. I could understand both of their pasts and the pain and fear it puts you in to try again at love, but neither of them ever told anyone what happened. NO ONE. That seemed so unrealistic to me. NEITHER of them told ANYONE. That is very uncharacteristic of human nature. They are both choosing to hide behind their pasts, despite their feelings for one another.
Oaklee’s Loneliness. Due to Oaklee’s baggage, she doesn’t allow anyone in. That’s why she has a messy car and an apartment that sets off Rory’s OCD like nobody’s business. It’s why Rory pretty much offs Buster onto Oaklee, so she wouldn’t be lonely. He sees it as just an outsider and wants her to have some companionship, but Oaklee has to come to terms with it herself: she keeps her apartment in this state so it looks lived in, so she doesn’t feel lonely. She’s also flat broke and barely making it, something that shocks Rory considering her brother is a rich and famous hockey player, but Oaklee refuses to ask for a hand out or help. She has to get creative with Buster’s vet bill, and offers to redesign the vet clinic’s website and do some other social media packaging to help pay for the unexpected financial cost.
Twitter. The use of Twitter in this installment is Oaklee’s job. Her life. But I wasn’t kosher with her using it to publicly ask Rory out. Then the pressure and maelstrom that followed as all the local businesses and locals themselves began to weigh in and give their opinions. In a world where we have to teach our students and children digital citizenship and appropriate social media usage in a world drowning in oversharing, I though this was a perfect example of what not to do. There were some things that came back to both characters, questioning the already unsteady ground they were on with each other. In an about-face, later in the book Rory also uses Twitter to send out an announcement to Oaklee.
Lies and Deception. Sometimes a white lie is necessary, like telling your husband the dog knocked over the expensive vase when your 8 year old really did it playing football in the house. I get that – protecting others. I also get that at times in our lives we have to be self-serving and protect ourselves. I get it. I was there once a bunch. But what kept rubbing me a little quite a bit the wrong way was that neither Rory nor Oaklee had ever told anyone anything, as I mentioned above. But it wasn’t just that. Despite the budding relationship between Oaklee and Rory, neither one of them is honest. They both lie to each other. They are not all-in and willing to be honest with themselves or each other. Oaklee basically had to beg Rory for a date, and at the end she finally revealed her hidden truth and gave him an out to share his. And then he ignored her for two weeks. That bothered me.
The Title. For the longest time I could not understand why the book was titled Somebody’s Baby. I still kind of don’t. At the end of the book, Rory surprises Oaklee with an unexpected gift, and that is the “somebody’s baby” part…but I didn’t think that warranted being the title.
The Take-Away

I really thought for the longest that Rory was just going to walk away and leave Oaklee hanging. Ignore her and put her off and avoid her as much as he could, given the small town and the nature of Oaklee’s job to make it her business to support his business and others around town. There was something not quite there for me in this installment in the series. I’m not sure if this is the last book in the series or not, but there are still three more Gallagher children who are single! I hope Hannah is the focus of the next book.

This third book in Donna Alward's Darling VT series is another charming addition about the people in the fictional town of Darling, Vermont.

Somebody’s Baby is a sweet story about Oaklee, the town’s social media guru, and Rory, one of the town’s veterinarians. When Oaklee is distracted by a text while driving along a deserted country road, she hits a stray dog. Distraught over the dog’s injuries, she frantically pounds on Rory’s door late at night asking for help. Though their attraction to each other is obvious, they are reluctant to get involved as more than friends. Both have been hurt badly in the past, and neither is willing to trust the other with their heart. But as they spend more and more time together, they realize sometimes the risk is worth the potential reward.

This book started out charming and cute. As with the first book, Someone Like You, the dialogue was witty and the situations humorous. However, unlike in the first book where there were other side plots to keep the story moving, I found this book to be much slower paced. There also seemed to be less interference from the Gallagher siblings and other townspeople, and that’s one of the things I love about small town romances!

It took me four nights to read this book, which is extremely unusual for me. The story was sweet, and I enjoyed the characters of Oaklee and Rory. But there just wasn’t much else to the book other than them debating whether or not they should be together - and so much of it was done through inner dialogue instead of with each other, which is a shame because Ms. Alward does dialogue so well. The writing was good and the characters likeable. The story just didn’t keep my interest as well as Someone Like You.

I haven’t yet had the chance to read the second book, Someone to Love, which I’m definitely interested in reading. How well that book holds my attention will determine whether or not I continue on with this series. I love a series that takes place in a small town, with the charming cast of side characters that you get to know and love, and the extra glimpses of characters you’ve grown to love from previous books. But with so many other books on my "To Read" list, I need to really be wowed in order to leave that list behind. Time will tell if this will be one of those series!

Somebody’s Baby is the third book in Donna Alward’s Darling, VT series. I am so hooked on the people in this town and the characters in this series. This book is Oaklee and Rory’s story. We met Oaklee and Rory in the first book.
Oaklee is Darling, VT’s social media butterfly. She works for the town council posting events and activities on various social media. She works hand in glove with the town PR department and the small business owners. Oaklee seems so put together but she hides a backstory of loneliness and sadness that she doesn’t share with anyone. Her house is a pigsty (there’s a story behind that) and she doesn’t date or allow herself to form a relationship with anyone (there’s a story behind that, too).
Rory is a veterinarian. He is one of the six children of John and Moira Gallagher, and the only one who is not a redhead. He loves children and animals, and in high school he was the best friend of Cam, Oaklee’s big brother. When Cam left town to pursue his career as a professional hockey player, Rory quietly looked after Oaklee’s best interests.
One night, on her way home, Oaklee is checking her phone messages while driving and accidentally hits a dog. She picks up the poor, suffering animal and takes him to Rory. After Rory treats him and names him Buster he convinces Oaklee, against her better judgement, to foster the dog until a forever home can be found for him. The scene when she comes home from work after leaving Buster alone in her apartment all day is both horrifying and hilarious.
Trying to continue to hide their secrets from each other while continuing to push away from a growing attraction is the main storyline. They start and stop, family and friends interfere, and the whole thing is often broadcast over social media.
I am so in love with these characters, and in fact, all of the people of Darling, VT, and can hardly wait for the next episode. Who will be next to visit the Kissing Bridge, which signifies a forever kind of love?

Loved this book and need to read the first 2 books in the series about the Vets.

Rory and Oaklee in book 3 of the Darling VT series was a game of cat and mouse.

There was more doubts and hesitation then the love that was expected after books 1& 2. The familiar characters made it worth finishing and I would have loved it if there was more sharpness in the story.

4.5 - "I'm not sure you and I will ever be just friends..." Stars!

The next book in Donna Alward’s Darling, VT series; Somebody’s Baby gives the third and final Gallagher brother his happily ever after. Vet, Rory Gallagher, is what you would affectionately call a serial dater... That is until Oaklee Collier brings an injured dog to his clinic one evening.

IMAGE.

There is just something about this series that has just pulled me wholly into it, I think a lot of it is based in the fact that Donna has delivered characters in each book that as a reader you just cannot help but like and empathize with, even in the times they are acting against what you as a reader can see as being best for them. Rory and Oaklee’s story is based around the classic and beloved 'Older brothers best friend' trope, only Oaklee’s brother is no longer in town, and Rory no longer see’s her as his annoying little sister.

"I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be compatible..."

So what starts out non-relationship with frenemy leanings, built initially around the caring of a destitute dog, gradually morphs into something more as they both admit that they are more than a little attracted to each other.

"Damn, but you’re beautiful when you get riled up."

You gradually see through the time they spend together that both of them are inherently lonely. Rory hides a hurt from his past behind his cheeky persona, and the fact he avoids relationships may not just be because he is scared of commitment. Oaklee, has pretty much lived for work since returning to town, so the introduction of Buster the dog to her life, followed by regular interaction with Rory (someone who she has had a crush on for years) brings about all sorts of emotions and feelings that she has long kept buried. And while Buster the dog is unashamedly working his way into her heart and bed, Rory is doing the same thing but a little more cautiously.

"I hate being alone. I have the loneliness and I’m so goddamned afraid to ask for anything more..."

"Why?"

"Because it hurts. Because it’s not real. And in the end, you’re left standing alone surrounded by a world made up of couples and lovers, and wondering what the hell you did that was so wrong, that made you unloveable."

I think Somebody’s Baby may just be my favourite of the series so far. The author in all three books has managed to bring the drama to each couples story, but keep it relevant and not overdone, but this book, gah! I was in floods of tears at points, but they were happy tears, even though my heart was breaking for them as a couple at the time. Again Oaklee and Rory are both characters you can’t help but like, although at points you also want to bang their heads together as well.

We have three single Gallagher sisters still waiting for their stories to be told, and I hope that the author and the publisher are looking to tell them soon, this is another series that I can see myself going back to re-read again and again in the future.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my absolute pleasure to provide the above honest review.

I have reviewed "Somebody's Baby" by Donna Alward for ReaderToReader.com where it will remain on the site indefinitely. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact Vickie Denney at: Vickie@ReaderToReader.com. The link to the review is posted below.
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Oaklee Collier, frustrated by all the wedding and baby showers she is attending wonders if she'll ever be lucky enough to have one given for her. After being left at the altar in Vegas, she's been afraid to open up and love another, so she immerses herself in her job working for the town of Darling, Vermont.

One evening, Oaklee grabs her phone to answer a text while driving, knowing it's wrong, but she's on a deserted road, and no one is around. Before she realizes it, she hears a thump only to discover she hit a dog. Ashamed and frightened, she bundles the pup up a blanket and takes him to Rory Gallagher, the local vet.

Rory is Oaklee's older brother's best friend, and a guy she crushed on since she was young. His care and gentleness with the dog touches her heart. Buster (the name they both give him) requires a cast and Rory talks Oaklee into fostering him until they can find his owner or a permanent family. Oaklee wants to decline, for she is fearful of ties, but her guilt and the adorable pooch make her accept.

Buster isn't the only one to win her over. She still feels an attraction for Rory, yet is terrified to depend on anyone. Rory also comes with baggage after his heart had been broken, but he notices his best friend's sister is now a fascinating woman. There is something between them that is too hard to deny.

Book #3 in the Darling, VT series, "Somebody's Baby" opens hearts to trust, acceptance, and a second chance for love.

Three and a half stars.

So, I really didn't like the previous book in this series, I haven't read the first book so I can't comment on that, so it was with some trepidation that I accepted the offer to review this book. I believe in giving second chances so I gave it a go but I was practically reading my Kindle sideways in anxiety.

I'm happy to report I really liked this one.

Rory Gallagher is a vet, unlike his two brothers who are first responders. In high school his best friend was Cam Ferguson and Cam's little sister was Oaklee. Now Oaklee works for the town council and is responsible for promoting tourism for the little town of Darling. One night Oaklee accidentally hits a dog in her car and rushes him to Rory's clinic. Rory manages to persuade Oaklee to foster the dog, which the clinic calls Buster, until the cast comes off his leg and/or they can find his owners.

Both Oaklee and Rory are keeping the truth behind their broken hearts a secret from their friends and family. At college Rory proposed to his girlfriend of two years but she turned him down, what made it even worse was that Rory had become attached to her young son and after the breakup he felt like he had lost his own son. Since then, he has become a serial dater, usually he only goes on one date although occasionally he stretches it to two or even three. Oaklee and her high school boyfriend went to Vegas to get married but he got cold feet and left her at the wedding chapel. He didn't even have the guts to tell her himself, he texted. Since then, Oaklee has not let anyone into her heart. So, same heartbreak, different reactions.

As Rory and Oaklee bond over Buster and their shared childhood memories romance develops. But neither of them is all-in and neither of them is willing to tell the truth about their previous relationships.

Rory and Oaklee were much more likeable characters to me. And there was a cute dog, so extra half a star for that! I liked their dates and the slow burn of their relationship. This was definitely the small town romance I had been expecting with the previous book but was overshadowed by the hippy dippy. This book too is about opposites attracting: Rory is a neat freak and Oaklee is messy, Rory is old school and Oaklee is the twitter queen, Rory is jeans and a t-shirt and Oaklee is suits and heels.

One gripe, in the three books in the series so far all the men have serious 'manly' professions like Police Officer, Vet, Firefighter whereas all the women have softer 'homemaker' jobs like owning a cake shop, owning a garden centre and tourism. Rory is a total anal-retentive about mess and his 'home' is totally anonymous, with no personal touches whatsoever, yet he doesn't get called on that. Oaklee bemoans her lack of homemaker skills and eventually asks her mother to teach her to cook. Even Rory's mother offers to teach Oaklee to cook as, she has no-one else now her daughters are grown up! I flt like saying "WTF? Why not teach your useless son to cook too?" But that's just my gripe. Why couldn't Oaklee be the vet and Rory do the tourism stuff?

So, now I'm into this series I'm thinking that maybe the next couple might be Hannah Gallagher and Cam Ferguson - or would a brother and sister marrying a sister and brother be weird? I just thought that Cam doesn't seem to be dating and Hannah can't find a guy that likes her strength ...

Anyway, I am so glad I took a chance and requested this title because it had all the small town charm I wanted and then some. And a cute dog.

Baggage. Every person has baggage. They usually adapt and learn to work around it. Some actually fare rather well – using their baggage as sort of a learning tool – and nobody is the wiser about their past – their baggage. Others have a difficult time getting past it. Their baggage is a sort of roadblock to success, to the future. Life is about adapting, short and simple. In SOMEBODY’S BABY Donna Alward truly and honestly tackles the prospect of the lives of two people whose baggage has defined their lives. SOMEBODY’S BABY completes an awesome series about the magic healing powers of love with just a little touch of magic thrown in for good measure. Obviously Donna Alward believes in love, romance and passion. Her works are testament to these tenets. Each book in this series won my heart and made me a devote fan.

In Darling VT there is a Kissing Bridge – yes I am capitalizing it since it is a destination of many young lovers hoping that the magic of that bridge will make their love last forever. Beautiful sentiment and the people of Darling seem to have some proof that that magic is alive and well and they are not embarrassed to use it as a center for their tourism plans. Oaklee Collier is one of the people spearheading that campaign. As such we have seen how driven and imaginative Oaklee is.

Poor Oaklee is actually a very accomplished actress. She has everyone in Darling believing she is a self-assured, socially outgoing woman. She practically exudes confidence in her dealings with the people of this small town. Her abilities on social networking have brought about some wondrous successes for the town and several businesses. She a home town girl who seems content working in what is a small market when her talents could certainly earn bigger bucks and have more far reaching accolades in a large city. So then why did I call her Poor Oaklee. Well it seems that she has a big secret that is going to stay that way. But Oaklee has let that secret diminish her life in many ways.

Her brother Cam’s best friend Rory Gallagher has been a part of Oaklee’s life – well forever. Rory had been her teenage crush when they were kids. Oaklee was that kid that relentlessly followed Rory and Cam everywhere. Rory was fine with watching out for Oaklee when Cam left for the NHL. But he never counted on having anything other than sort of brotherly feelings for her.

Both Rory and Oaklee have been burned in the love department. Each took a very different approach to their social life based on their unfortunate experiences.

Rory became known as a sort of social butterfly. The steady stream of dates was the fodder for quite a lot of town gossip. Rory went on a lot of first dates. And he seemed just fine with that status quo. He absolutely wasn’t looking to ever put his heart out there again. He was one of the walking wounded as they say.

Oaklee took the opposite tack. Outward appearances aside Oaklee lend a rather lonely life outside of her job. Her job was her only outlet for social contact it seems. If she was being honest with herself she didn’t really have many friends – more like business acquaintances. And for a long time that was just fine with her.

SOMEBODY’S BABY is about self-discovery – which isn’t always so attractive – and getting yourself out of a self-imposed rut. And Donna Alward made it her mission to help Oaklee and Rory find themselves and if along the way they happen to fall in love – well all the better. After all I can’t think of a better matchmaker than Donna Alward and in SOMEBODY’S BABY she definitely has her work cut out for her. You are absolutely guaranteed to fall in love with all the folk in this series. And I know that SOMEBODY’S BABY is the last of the series but you are definitely going to wish there was more.

Rory Gallagher was new veterinarian in Darling, VT. He had grown up here in this small town and knew everyone around. He dated a lot but never got involved. Never more than a date or two because his heart had been broken when he was ready to propose to his long-time girlfriend and she told him she didn't love him and left him hanging. He didn't want to risk further damage.

His best friend was Cam Ferguson who was now a well-known NHL player. Cam's younger sister, Oaklee, had been crushing on Rory when they were teenagers but Rory never let anything happen because Cam was his best friend. Now, Oaklee was all grown up and definitely not a little girl anymore. But, Oaklee had been hurt and humiliated by her fiance and she hadn't been with or dated anyone for over two years since her fiance had left her at the alter with nothing but a text to break it off.

Could there ever be anything more than friendship between Rory and Oaklee or were they designated to be friends only forever? Would they be willing and able to trust again and open their heart and show their vulnerability or would their hearts be forever closed to love in order to protect themselves from further pain?

This was a beautiful love story about learning to love again and hoping to find that special someone who will protect you and love you with all your baggage. I've read other books in this series and this author does a good job of helping you feel like the characters are your friends. My only criticism is the sex. Not my cup of tea, to have detailed descriptions.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

loved this book