Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue is a slow burn fauxmance between a mom trying to protect her child and a child averse acquaintance who offers to help them.
Andi Barron has never been loved and never been in love. She’s willing to try being in love, but children are a hard, hard no for her. She lives in a cozy single room apartment attached to the yard of her painting studio and sometimes visits the cute but unavailable – as far as she’s concerned – Sarah.
With a rotten boss and supportive ex-wife working in rural Africa, Sarah Santoro and her seven year old daughter Noa are living a peaceful, possibly mundane, life. There are play dates that allow Sarah the occasional adult indulgence of pizza and beer on the patio with friends Kristen and handsome Andi.
One day out of the blue the ex-wife’s mother shows up threatening to take Noa “for her own good”, prompting Andi to do the unheard of. She volunteers to be Sarah’s fake partner.
Writing
Every character’s motivations are clear and realistic, and the characters are all first rate. Noa is suitably adorable, though not above doing silly child stuff and sometimes pouting. Sarah is not a sleek rich woman but an everyday mom with a yucky boss, things most people can really relate to. Andi has been greatly harmed by life but is giving and courageous enough to do something she’s terrified of. Rosiland nearly belongs on a Great Lesfic Archenemies pedestal because she is written as a person doing terrible things for reasons she honestly believes are good.
There was a small scene that made me mist up a bit and I re-read it for fun. Small, but with some powerful tugs on the heartstrings. Andi’s profession is really interesting, and I wish there was a little more of that. The author uses her work to very good effect throughout as a way of establishing Andi’s character, and an efficient method of bonding her to Noa.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Like Hitchcock’s bomb under the table scenario a sense of impending danger for the small family permeates nearly the whole book, and I like the bit of continuing mystery of how everything could work out. The author also forced me to be super patient waiting through the slow burn romance. Sarah and Andi both understand early on she wants the other woman, and it left me frustrated in a good way.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons like great character work, a relatable and believable plot, and solid prose that never felt stilted. A couple of the very small characters, like Sarah’s office mate Tenielle gave me some fun moments, especially the butter knife versus copier. Every character has motivations that they think they understood but really don’t, and that realism enhances the fun of the book.
Heads Up
Depictions of childhood emotional abuse.
The Conclusion
In a more dire than normal fauxmance, Sarah’s ex-in-laws threaten to take their granddaughter Noa “for her own good”, until child averse Andi steps in and offers to be a fake partner. Sarah is torn on all sides, with a cruddy boss, powerful in-laws threatening to take her child, and asking Andi to do well more than she’s comfortable with. Both of them are reluctant to admit an attraction to the other, making the fauxmance a slow burn cliffhanger.
Several plot lines merge seamlessly into each other, every one of them threatening in some way to Sarah, Noa, and Andi, making the resolution unclear enough to make the book even more enjoyable. I was pleased at the ominous circumstance that creates the fauxmance. Noa and Andi are both made extremely vulnerable to emotional distress, making their growing relationship especially fun.
Excerpt from Not for a Moment by Cheyenne Blue
“Partner?” If Rosalind’s brow was in any way mobile, it would have lowered in a stormy frown. The woman must be welded together with Botox.
“Yes, partner.” Andi wrapped her arm around Sarah’s waist so they stood united and pressed a kiss to her forehead where the white streak fell in her otherwise brown hair. Sarah’s hand shook where it rested against her hip. No wonder. Rosalind would terrify anyone. Andi pressed her lips together. Except for her. It would take more than this woman to bring her down. “Maybe now you’d like to introduce yourselves.”
“Rosalind and Lionel Bancroft. Of the Oxford Bancrofts.”
Did she really think that was impressive? That a person’s ancestry was more worthy than who they were now? Still, two could play at that game. “Andi Barrons. Of the Polks Hill Barrons.”
Again that attempt at a wrinkled forehead. Let Rosalind try to work out that ancestry. Andi switched her gaze to Lionel. “Pleased to meet you, Lionel. Do you talk?”
“He does,” Rosalind snapped. “Sarah, you should have informed us you had a partner.”
“I don’t see why,” Sarah said. “Rosalind, I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re interrupting our evening. Why don’t we talk tomorrow?”
Rosalind took a step backward. “You’ll be hearing from us.”
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-3-96324-774-3
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
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