Title: Single
Series: Single Dads 01
Author: R.J. Scott
Narrator: Sean Crisden
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 4 hrs, 35 mins
Publisher: Love Lane Books (9th August 2019)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Reeling from the painful rejection of a man he thought he loved, Asher is left holding the baby.
Ash wants a family, and is determined to continue with a surrogacy he’d begun with his ex. Bringing baby Mia home, he vows that he will be the best father he can be. Nothing in this world matters more to him than caring for his daughter, not even accidentally falling in lust with the doctor next door. Challenged by his growing attraction to Sean, and confronted by painful mem-ories of his family, Ash has to learn that love is all that matters.
When ER doctor Sean moves in with his friends next door to sexy, single-father Ash, he falls so quickly it takes his breath away. The sex they have is hot, but Ash is adamant his heart is too full with love for his daughter to let anyone else in. Why is Sean the only one who sees how scared Ash is, and how can he prove to his new lover that he desperately wants the three of them to become a family?
Purchase Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Review: Single is the first book in RJ Scott’s Single Dads series, which its pretty easy by the end of this book to see that this is following smoking hot first responders in their quest for love.
RJ Scott isn’t an unknown author to me, I’ve recently become reacquainted with her writing through hockey romances, so Single is a bit of a change of pace for me. I’ve read the book before, but I was keen to listen to the audio. I love that this is a super sweet romance that just me so many warm feelings with main characters that felt so real, so I wanted to get the audio experience too.
The narration of the story is performed by Sean Crisden. I’ve not heard of anything narrated by Crisden in what feels like a long time, so while I knew that I had enjoyed his performances in the past I couldn’t remember why. Crisden does an excellent job, and in fact his performance allowed me to enjoy Single in audio format more than I had by simply reading it. He a gentleness to his tone that suits the paternal side that comes out in Ash’s character, as well as the caring and compassionate side that comes from Sean (the character, not the narrator himself).
If you’re into hot men with babies, which is certainly a draw for many readers of romance, then this is the book (and audio book) for you.
The story is about Ash and Sean. Ash is the single dad of the story. He’s wanted children for so long and had started investigating surrogacy with his ex. When his ex leaves just as the surrogate got pregnant, Ash is left on his own. It was not a rosy picture to begin with. Ash had so much support from his twin sister after his daughter had been born, but he now he had to get back into his own home and start a routine for him and Mia. He’s stressed and sleep deprived, and so when one night he has his new, albeit drunken, neighbour banging on his front door one night when he finally got Mia to sleep, Ash is pissed off.
That drunken neighbour was one of the three very single men who moved next door, who Ash hasn’t met at all yet. His friends wrangle him after it was clear that the he stumbled to Ash’s place because the homes look so alike. This is how he meets the other two neighbours, but it’s Sean who is immediately captured by his new neighbour.
Sean is an ER doctor, not the most glamourous of first responders, but he is a doctor, and in romances where all us fickle people swoon over certain types, a doctor is certainly up there. Sean is instantly attracted to Ash, but is going to have a difficult time to make it through the man’s defences. First because of the awkward introduction to each other, and then later because Ash is completely stressed out trying to be the best dad in the world.
And while love isn’t instantaneous, these guys slowly get to know each other, which Mia in the mix. That is what I liked the most, this wasn’t an instant happy family. They had a simmering chemistry that complimented the overall tone of the book and the characters that I really liked. It is sweet and gentle, but there is depth to the characters and some depth to their emotions (although not as much as I would want of the latter).
This was a wonderful story and the ending hints to us about book 2, which I’m totally excited for.