Blog Tour & Excerpt:
Dancing with Daddy by Susan Hawke
Universal Link
At the start of the novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect. A single father romance where the two fathers start falling for one another? I’ve never read a story like this before. But now, I have fully fallen for this genre of romance and can’t wait to read more from Susan Hawke!
I was so happy with how story played out. Bradley was never once bitter towards Shane for being the “real” father of his daughter, and Shane always respected Brad for raising Maddie so well. Neither knew that the other existed, but they seemed to fall into a pattern of living so comfortably after such a short time. It was so sweet to see how they both connected with their daughter while connecting with each other.
This book also covered the topic of genetic diseases delicately yet seriously. Brad knew he had a 50% chance of being a carrier for Huntington’s disease, and his father had passed from the disease when he was only a teenager. He had been left with no one as a teenager, and he wanted to make sure that Maddie would never be left in that position if he did carry the disease. Dealing with a genetic disease that you may have can be horrifying for anyone to deal with, and I hope even more book characters shed light on the reality that many people live through daily.
The only complaint I have about the story is that I didn’t enjoy the frequency of the time skips at the second half of the novel. Once Shane connects with Brad and Maddie, weeks seem to pass between the chapters. I believe this was done to make the romance feel even more slow burn, which it was successful in doing. But I wanted to feel as if I was with Shane and Brad through the early stages of their romance. Rather than having time skips, I would have enjoyed either faster romance or less time spent on the two characters separately at the start of the novel in order for these skips to feel shorter.
I would recommend this unique novel to anyone looking for a cozy romance to read.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 books
Audio coming soon. Narrated by Michael Dean
Excerpt:
Bradley “Can I be done now, Daddy? My tummy hurts.” Maddie pouted adorably, giving me her best puppy dog eyes. I fought back the instant panic that came whenever my baby was sick, reminding myself that things weren’t always as they seemed. For instance, Maddie wasn’t exactly a fan of oatmeal. Sure, she’d eat it. Reluctantly and with a healthy dose of cinnamon and brown sugar. Feeling calmer, I set my empty bowl aside and studied her thoughtfully. “Would your tummy still hurt if I’d made pancakes?” “The tiny little circle ones or the big kind you make on special days?” I fought the urge to laugh. The little stinker was obviously not feeling as badly as she’d have me think. “Either one; they both taste just as good.” She nodded as solemnly as a five-and-a-half-year-old could pull off. “I think my tummy could eat the little ones. We could try it, I guess?” She shrugged, as if willing to make the sacrifice. “How about we save those for Saturday? Today is Thursday and you have school in half an hour. Now finish your oatmeal, it’s brain food.” Maddie obediently took a spoonful and wrinkled her nose with a distrustful look at the offending food before taking the bite. As soon as she’d swallowed, she clutched her stomach and winced. “My tummy doesn’t like brain food today, Daddy.” I bit my lip, wondering if maybe she wasn’t faking it. Leaning over, I rested the back of my hand against her forehead. “You don’t have a temperature, pipsqueak. I think the problem is you let your food get cold and now you don’t like it.” She glowered and pouted, only making a small “hmph” noise as she ate another spoonful. I couldn’t handle how cute she was, but then I never could resist my daughter. I lowered my hand to her ribs and lightly tickled her. When Maddie squirmed away from my touch with a shrieking giggle, I figured she was okay. I waited until she took three more excruciatingly slow bites before deciding she’d had enough. “Okay, I think you’ve eaten enough to fuel your brain. Go wash your hands and brush your teeth. I’ll be in to check as soon as I get our dishes rinsed.” Maddie shoved her bowl toward me with both hands, her face lighting up with relief. “Thank you, Daddy. I know, you don’t have to say it… hurry so we don’t be late but make sure I brush good.” Amused by how she’d parroted what I must say a bit too often, I chuckled and caught her around the waist when she stood to rush off, pulling her back against my side while I kissed the top of her head. “You’re a good girl, pipsqueak. Thank you for minding.” She tilted her head back to see me, smiling at me upside down. “I tried to be good, Daddy. But my tummy didn’t like our breakfast today.” I kissed her forehead then released her, giving her bottom a playful swat as I sent her off. “I hear you, loud and clear. Tomorrow is Friday; maybe we’ll celebrate the end of our week with Raisin Bran. Now go wash up before it gets much later.” “Okay. Love you!” Maddie took off running around the corner, her long brown hair fluttering behind her. “Love you too, pipsqueak.” I laughed under my breath while I cleared the table and straightened the kitchen.
About Susan:
As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.
I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.
