Four Little Problems by Carrie Weaver, Harlequin Superromance #1346, May 2006, Rating: B

I admit I wasn't sure if I was going to like this books. Four kids seemed like quite an obstacle in itself to overcome let alone any other conflict the hero/heroine might find themselves in. And then to find out a key point of conflict between them is Emily's oldest son, I wasn't sure how Weaver was going to pull it off.

Emily Patterson is a twice divorced mother of two, neither ex is in the picture. She struggles to make ends meet as well as being there for all of her sons activities. She has contented herself with being alone feeling that she's not a very good judge of character, despite making a good match between her friend and her husband. She has a good but chaotic and hectic life and seems content with that.

Patrick Stevens is a science teacher who gave up a more lucrative career as a chemist. He's intent on giving his students a trip to Sea World, but when the PTO president suddenly dies he has to come to terms with the fact this may not happen, particularly when the mother of his one failure as a teacher, Jason Patterson, takes the PTO president's place. Never married, however, Patrick has his own baggage in the form of a disabled brother he feels responsible for making that way. A practical joke turned bad, which goes to part of the reason he is so hard on Jason and his practical jokes. He understands that jokes can hurt people.

Patrick and Emily finding themselves working together to try and figure out where the PTO money went to as the trip had been promised to Patrick and his students. Romance blossoms between the unlikely couple despite Emily's two older children not being too keen on the idea of their mother making another attempt at love. Their investigation leads them to Atlantic City for a weekend alone doing some legwork in an attempt to find some of the lost money.

For a change, it's Patrick who has the most ghosts to battle. Emily seems pretty content with her life and okay with her past, including failed marriages. She does the best she can under the circumstances. But Patrick has to come to terms with his childhood and why he is so harsh on Jason if these two are to make it work.

An enjoyable read. It was so nice to read about real people combating real problems that most of us can identify with. I was pleasantly surprised and rate Four Little Problems a B.

©Susan Falk and phantomroses.com