Title: And Manny Makes Seven
Series: Mannies Incorporated, #3
Author: Sean Michael
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (190 pages)
Publisher: Torquere Press (December 2nd, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: When Adam’s parents died three years ago, he kept his five younger siblings together, playing parent as best a twenty-one year old could under the circumstances.
Now his academic mentor Helena has passed away from cancer, and Adam doesn’t know what to do. He’s shocked, but grateful when a reading of the will determines that he’s not only inherited her beloved Shi Tzus, but also the house, a generous trust for everyone’s education, plus three million dollars, some of it earmarked for hiring a nanny.
Hutch has worked as a nanny since he was nineteen, when he took over the care of his neighbor’s children when both parents were killed in separate missions overseas. He’s worked with several families since and feels confident he can handle five children aged four through seventeen.
Hutch’s arrival is just what Adam needs and as Hutch begins to turn the big house from Helena’s place into their home, Adam and his siblings begin to see Hutch as more than just the nanny.
Can a path of tragedy and sorrow turn the corner to happiness and love?
ISBN: 978-1-61040-840-0
Product Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4322
Reviewer: Prime
Review: This is book 3 of the Mannies Incorporated series but is a standalone novel. I’ve not read the previous books but a simple search also showed me that there is no overlap between the characters of the previous books. Which is lucky, this is the first Mannies Incorporated book I’ve read.
For me, the emotion hit me straight away. Adam is not only a guy who has lost his parents and become the surrogate father to his younger brother and sisters. However, it’s not just the fact he lost his parents, but at the opening of the book, he has now lost his support system. But his mother’s best friend, Sara, has left him a final legacy to help him. This leads to Adam to hiring Hutch, a Manny who works with the agency Mannies Incorporated.
Hutch Sparks, but he prefers Mr. Hutch to Mr. Sparks, is a dedicated Manny. He is instantly enchanted by Adam and his siblings, willing take on the challenge with the little ones. As far as we know, Hutch lost his mother at a young age but his father isn’t very present. There’s only bare facts about him and that’s a bit disappointing.
It’s a shame we really don’t find out much more about beyond his job as the Manny to Adam’s siblings. Then there is a little point in his love life that is a bit odd, but I suppose not completely unbelievable and so that’s another thing I’ll let slide. Hutch is a big sweetheart and about as magical as Mary Poppins, as one of Adam’s sisters calls him when he first turns up at the house.
It’s a lot of very cute and very sweet family. If you’re looking for an average type of day in a not so average household, this should fit the bill nicely. Well, I lie. There is plenty of drama with much of the usual family and teenage dramas causing insanity to reign. This is where Hutch shines as a character. They have no big adventure, although the sex is steamy and the spark of attraction is hot.
There was a bit more sex than I’ve read in some of Sean Michael’s sugary-sweet feel good novels, but I think it all combines well. It’s also nice to see the older Hutch and the younger Adam become friends then lovers. One pleasant change of pace for multitudes of other books – neither man laments the age gap between them (which is approximately 10-12 years), after a number of books going that way, it’s really annoying.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *