The second in Bond’s Southern Roads series, BABY COME HOME, tells the story of Kendall Armstrong, the middle brother. Years ago, Kendall left behind Sweetness (and high school sweetheart Amy Bradshaw) to explore the world and become an Air Force engineer. Now he’s back home, working beside his brothers to rebuild their tornado-devastated town in the mountains of Georgia. The only thing missing now is Amy, but Kendall is too stubborn to contact her.

Amy, now an engineer, is surprised when Marcus Armstrong contacts her to help rebuild the bridge where she and Kendall used to rendezvous as teenagers. Against her better judgment, she returns to see what remains of her hometown. Kendall is almost too much for her to resist, but she has to. You see, she’s keeping a very important secret from Kendall- he has a son.

For a family-minded man like Kendall, getting to know his son, Tony, is the most important thing. But his attraction to the boy’s mother hasn’t dissipated in the years they’ve been apart. Kendall has until the bridge is finished to convince both Amy and Tony that they’re meant to be a real family, but years of resentment and unspoken feelings won’t make it easy.

Kendall is my favorite kind of hero, the strong, silent type who loves his family and tries to do what’s best for everyone. He struggles along the way, but it’s obvious he’s got a good heart. The connection between him and Amy was much more believable and palpable than the one Bond developed between Nikki and Porter in BABY DRIVE SOUTH. Amy, like Nikki, is a strong, independent female who is trying to find her place in the world.

The addition of Tony elevates this story a bit, adding depth to both Amy and Kendall. Their relationship is no longer just about them. The need to learn to co-parent in their unusual circumstances allows the characters to grow and develop a rapport that is interesting to watch unfold.

Like the previous book in the series, I enjoyed BABY COME HOME. It reminded me of a slightly lesser version of Rachel Gibson’s DAISY’S BACK IN TOWN. The family tension, combined with the quirks of living in a growing town like Sweetness provides a comfortable background for this typical contemporary romance. As a writer, I appreciated the groundwork that Bond laid for the next book in the series while still keeping the focus on the main characters of this book. I can’t wait to revisit Sweetness for Marcus’s story!

~ Taylor