Day 19 — Baby Llama Drama by Kate Watson
★★★☆☆ — small town · single dad · grumpy sunshine
Daily Recommendation · No. 019
★★★☆☆ 3/5 stars
Closed door / No spice
small townsingle dadgrumpy sunshinesports romancefound familygrief
Sometimes a grumpy NFL star and a soft-hearted animal therapist need a meddlesome toddler to sort out their love lives, and honestly, same.
Duke is a bitter, guarded football star who has been raising his daughter alone ever since his ex walked out on them both. Millie is a child therapist who works with animals and has quietly made peace with the idea that motherhood probably is not in the cards for her. Then Duke's little girl decides Millie is exactly what their family is missing, and neither adult really gets a vote in the matter.
The premise here is genuinely sweet, and there is a lot working in this book's favour. The small town setting is cosy and well drawn, the banter between Duke and Millie has real spark to it, and the chemistry feels convincing without ever tipping into explicit territory. Kate Watson writes closed door romance with warmth and humour, and this one has both in generous supply.
That said, this one landed at a solid three stars for me personally, which means it was enjoyable but did not quite leave the mark I was hoping for. I found myself appreciating it more than I was swept away by it, if that makes sense. The content warnings are worth paying attention to going in, particularly around infertility and child loss, because those threads run deeper than the breezy premise might suggest.
If single dad grumpy sunshine is a trope combination you cannot resist, though, I would genuinely point you toward this one without hesitation. It does what it sets out to do with a lot of heart, and readers who love this corner of romance will almost certainly adore it.
Not a 5-star read for me, but a rating is just one reader's experience. If the tropes above are your thing, this could be exactly what you're looking for. I'd rather share it than gatekeep it.
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