#BookReview- Matilda Next Door by Kelly Hunter #Romance #amreading

When a long-anticipated holiday takes an unexpected turn…

Aussie farm girl Matilda Moore kicks off her dream trip to London by flat-sitting for her childhood friend. But London is daunting, crowded and noisy, and that’s before Tilly finds a baby on the doorstep. There’s a note attached: “Henry, if you’re reading this, please know the worst has happened.”

Probability expert Henry Church has finally returned home to Wirralong, Australia, to see his grandparents when he gets a phone call from Tilly that breaks every statistical analysis. The probability of him being the father is marginal. Plus, he knows nothing about caring for a baby. Emotions and socializing are even bigger mysteries. He begs Tilly for help—can she cut her holiday short and bring the baby to Wirralong?

Tilly will do almost anything for her childhood best friend, but falling in love with him and his motherless baby is an emphatic no. Out of the question. Or is it?

About the Author

Biography

I started writing in 2007, with a Harlequin/Mills and Boon story called Wife For A Week. I liked it, readers liked it, and it’s still my mother’s favorite. With each new book I try to get my mother to change her mind. Awards? I have them (for other books). USA Today Bestseller status? I have that too (for other books). Romance Writers of America® RITA® Finalist? Yep (with other books).

At this point I’m pretty sure my mother is happily messing with *my* mind, but I promise you this–with every book I write I try to make it her new favorite story. Quality control!

Visit me at http://www.kellyhunter.net, find me on facebook or twitter, and follow me here on amazon to receive sale and new release info. There’s a button for that.

There’s a button for everything.

My Review

Matilda has dreamt of leaving the outback to pursue her dreams, but doesn’t have the heart to leave her family in the lurch. She does, however, leap at the chance to flat sit in London while her childhood friend returns to Australia to care for his ailing grandparents. She doesn’t expect London to be so… huge, though. Intimidating, really, and is grateful for Henry’s video calls to check up on her. He’s changed since he left home. Taller, broader, more confident. Interesting.

And then the baby arrives.

Henry is shocked by how much his grandparents have aged since he left for university and a career in the big city. He’s grateful to Tilly for watching out for them and making sure they had plenty of home-cooked meals in the freezer. His grandmother is even more acerbic than he remembers (and the reason he left in the first place) but his grandfather’s patient tenderness for his sick wife is humbling and makes Henry glad he’s there to help. And he rather enjoys his calls to London, though Tilly looks disturbingly attractive wearing his shirts (her clothes are missing from the airline). Then a frantic call from Tilly throws the logical-minded Henry’s head for a loop.

A baby.

This is a cute girl-meets-boy-and-falls-in-love-many-years-later, romance. Henry is socially inept, and Matilda is the sweetheart of the community- always willing to help those in need. These two belong together 🙂

It took a long time for the main characters to come together (almost half the book) and I think it was a missed opportunity to create more friction between them. Overall- an enjoyable read.