February 9, 2015
Bylin (Until I Found You) returns with another contemporary romance, this one between an agnostic and a Christian. Carly Mason is a Kentucky preacher’s daughter pursuing postgraduate studies in California when she meets Dr. Ryan Tremaine, a single father of three. Ryan’s youngest, Penny, is the product of an affair Ryan had while married to the mother of his two older boys; both he and his lover drank heavily to fight their guilt, and as a result Penny suffers from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Hired as Penny’s nanny, Carly soon becomes part of the family. An agnostic who is himself the son of an agnostic father and a Christian mother, Ryan believes his and Carly’s shared values will override differences of faith, and he proposes marriage. Carly, while equally smitten, is not as confident. The plot is loaded with other, more peripheral issues: the death of a parent, a special-needs child, murder, adultery, troubled teens, guilt, and issues of faith. This complicated backdrop turns a simple love story into a complex, multifaceted read. Still, the romantic tension between Ryan and Carly takes up the lion’s share of the story, making this best suited for inspirational romance readers.
February 1, 2015
In a twist of fate, Carly Mason goes from toy store manager to nanny after she finds a child who was lost in the mall where Carly works. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes in the little Penny the signs of fetal alcohol syndrome, which arouses painful memories from Carly's past. However, there is something about the girl and her father, Dr. Ryan Tremaine, that touches Carly's heart. Ryan is trying to reconnect with his teenage sons and Penny, as they are living together while his ex-wife is on an extended honeymoon. Carly has her work cut out for her brokering the relationships between Ryan and his children as well as her own feelings toward the handsome physician. Although the attraction is mutual, Ryan is agnostic while Carly is a devout Christian. VERDICT In an emotionally charged novel, Bylin (Until I Found You) navigates a complex story line that embodies faith, love, and family dynamics with skill, grace, and compassion. This is bound to attract contemporary romance readers as well as fans of Karen Kingsbury, Debbie Macomber, and Francine Rivers.
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2015
After an affair ends his marriage, Dr. Ryan Tremaine faces a very long summer with his three kids, one of whom suffers from fetal alcohol effects. The kids feel like strangers to him until he hires the lovely Carly Jo Mason, a former social worker whose compassion brings the family closer together. Although sexy Californian Ryan sees sweet Kentuckian Carly's Christian faith as naivete, they soon realize that they are mutually attracted to each other. Conflicted over her desire, Carly must decide if she can, or will, compromise her beliefs to be with the man she loves. Together with You is a gripping story of forgiveness, love, and family relationships that will captivate readers from the opening chapter. Bylin (Until I Found You, 2014) humanizes the challenges of caring for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. More remarkably, she gives voice to a child suffering from that illness' effects in chapters written from the perspective of Ryan's daughter. This is a fascinating, complex read that will not only entertain but also challenge and inform.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)