Review: Give this one a chance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 9, 2012
Almost a Family is not a typical Bond book.  Don't get me wrong, it has great characters and the story is well-written.  However, it is not the sexy humorous read you tend to expect from Bond.  The storyline itself is far more serious.  The infant son of a young couple is tragically kidnapped from the local grocery store.  Despite endless searching he is never found.  The story begins ten years later.  The baby, a defiant ten year-old, has been found.  His "mother" just died of cancer and he is sent back to his birth parents, Virginia and Bailey.  The birth parents, now divorced, are forced to reconnect with each other and build a relationship with the little boy they've never known.Right off the bat this is not easy subject matter.  It takes a deft hand to weave humor and healing throughout a serious story.  Bond does it well.  You root for this couple to get back together now that they are older and more mature.  You hope that the son is able to let go the only mother he's ever known and move forward with this new family.  As in real life, none of this is easy.  There are considerable growing pains for everyone involved.Bailey is the perpetual kid.  He had to grow up quickly when his high-school girlfriend became pregnant.  That growing process became seriously stalled when his infant son is taken.  In the hubris of youth, he takes the kidnapping out on his young wife.  When we meet him he is stuck in a pattern of immaturity and lack of responsibility.  Virginia, on the other hand, is the quintessential grown up.  She's created a successful, if lonely, life for herself.  Neither are willing to let the other one in, but both realize they've never fallen out of love.  Their journey isn't easy, but they do eventually find their way back to each other.I enjoyed the journey that Bailey and Virginia took to find their way back to each other.  There is a delicate balance between the focus of them coming together and the backstory of their son.  I think Bond weaves in enough detail to make sure you understand what is going on, but never goes overboard into the minutia.  By the end of the book you want the almost family to become one.If you are looking for a typical Bond book this is probably not your best bet.  If you are willing to take on a more serious subject matter, but still a feel good read, with good characters, and a happily ever after this book is worth your time and energy.  If you've never read Stephanie Bond this is a good start.  If you have, give this one a chance.