Karen Rose Smith, The Supermom

The Supermom

Karen Rose Smith

Silhouette Special Edition, December 2006, $5.50

ISBN: 0373247974

Unable to depend on her former spouse Jerome to provide financial child support, let alone keep his dates with their three children (Olivia, Anthony and Michael), Angela "Supermom" Schumacher obtains a second job, which means even less time parenting. When Jerome lets down nine year old Anthony by skipping their last two dates, the child begins to misbehave. Her neighbors Jack and Zooey recommend she sign up with the community's Big Brother Program because Anthony needs some adult male nurturing and guidance. She reluctantly agrees.

Anthony is paired with businessman David Moore, who provides the lad with a stable caring role model, while the child's father continues to ditch dates with him and his siblings. Angela and David are attracted to one another, but he is cautious because he does not want to hurt her children, and besides, she has doubts that any man can be trusted not to cheat.

The changing relationships between the key players make for a deep "Talk of the Neighborhood Continuity" tale. Angela is a realist, as she knows she is failing her children because she cannot be dad and mom while providing food on the table. Though readers will feel for the distraught Anthony, like David, and detest Jerome, the storyline belongs to THE SUPERMOM trying her best for her kids; the romantic subplot is a bonus to a strong family drama.