A review by beckymmoe
Marine for Hire by Tawna Fenske

2.0

(2 1/2 stars)

Okay story, okay characters, but the whole story left me feeling mostly meh. Plus, those had to be the most convenient set of twin babies ever created--they were cute when they needed to be cute, pooped or passed gas when humorous effect was needed, present when they were required for a scene to play out right, and then magically taken care of when the adults didn't need them there anymore. They were sleeping when the adults needed grownup time and kept themselves amused at the beach for a whole day while Sam and Sheri took turns having fun while the other "watched the kids". Seriously, they were like cardboard cutout characters. Get them out when you need them, just set them aside when you don't.

Example: A scene would start out great--Sam and Sheri return to her house to find her brother Mac reading the seven-month-old boys a "bedtime story" involving tactical gear--obviously some sort of manual. Adorable, right? Though the setup isn't really described much--we're not sure how exactly the boys and their uncle are situated here except that Mac's sitting and has the book in his lap. Sheri manages to hug both the boys at the same time and thank her brother for watching them. Then the three adults engage in conversation, Sheri punches her brother in the shoulder, Sam gets between them, Sheri hugs Mac--the entire rest of the scene, the twins aren't mentioned once. Who has them? It seems everyone's arms are busy. Are they on the floor, silent and unmoving? Sitting on furniture? They're not crawling yet, but seven-month-olds can usually roll and scoot and often pull themselves up to standing, yet no one seems to be keeping an eye on them at all. They can't have been in seats or carriers, not if Sheri hugged them both--it's as if they both disappear into thin air as soon as they're no longer needed to make a scene cute.

Drove me crazy. Obviously. There was potential here--not just with the kids but with the whole story--but it never was fully realized. The setup for the next book--featuring Mac and Sheri's friend Kelli, apparently--sounds as if it could be amusing, but I'm just not sure.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.