A Double Dose of Happiness (Furever Yours #11) by Teri Wilson: Ian Parsons is a widowed 
man overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising his charming three-year-old twin daughters. His mother-in-law Elma, though she has good intentions and loves her granddaughters and son-in-law, doesn’t help at all with her “efforts”. But when one of the twins starts showing signs of developmental regression, he hires child behavior specialist Rachel Gray hoping his daughter could overcome her shyness, enough to have interactions with kids her age at preschool.
Soon, Rachel not only helps little Annie to come out of her shell, but she’s doing wonders with all the family: Ian ends up adopting a bonded dog and cat for the girls, Annie’s twin, the precocious and extrovert Abby starts to calm her hyperactive personality and even Elma changes. Most of all, Ian’s emotions start to wake up and lets Rachel into his heart. Rachel feels the same, but she needs this nanny job to be a temporary one. She doesn’t stay in the same place for too long, so falling in love with Ian and his precious family isn’t in the plan. Would she dare to overcome her fears, come clean with Ian and let the Parsons in? Would her love for Ian and his cute daughters be enough for her to stay?
If I would describe this book with one word, it would be…
A-do-ra-ble.
Since the beginning of the story, you could feel the struggles all the characters are facing. Ian still deals with his guilt because he feels his late wife wold be better for his daughters than him, yet he’s determined to fight for his twin toddlers. Rachel? She deals with a difficult past; afraid that past could come back to haunt her, she lives constantly moving from place to place, in a way to feel safe and at peace. Rachel’s arriving to the Parsons family is a game changer no one expected. And it all starts with Ian and Rachel themselves.
This is a slow burn romance, although everything happens in weeks. Their chemistry constantly grows as we turn the pages of the book, giving a rare balance that I liked. Also, the scenes between Rachel and Ian doesn’t have unnecessary drama. That said, their love is REAL and intense.
Since the plot has its strength in the different ways the whole family cope with their loss, the twins and Elma play a key role in the story. Annie’s shyness makes her hide behind her twin; that’s the reason Abby carries the weight of their interactions with other people most of the time. Something Abby does gladly, making her an overactive child. How the twins support each other, even as different as they are, is so cute it hurts. On the other hand, Elma could be seen as some kind of “monster-in-law”, but deep inside, she feels so lonely since her daughter died (she only had one daughter and her husband also died before her daughter) and the only thing she has in the world is her granddaughters. Rachel’s arrival makes her a bit jealous because she feels everybody’s moving on, except her.
Then there’s the pets. I’m not an animal lover, mostly dogs. But Salty (the cat) and Pepper (the dog)—especially Pepper, to be honest—made me say “awwww” the whole time. The fact that each pet reflects the twins’ personalities (Pepper is as shy as Annie and I fell in love with them together) is a plus I didn’t see coming and I loved it.
I loved this book. It’s the first one I read from Ms. Wilson and I trully enjoyed it. I finished it with a smile on my face. Ian and Rachel’s road to happily ever after was unadorned, beautiful, touching and pure. The twist in the end, though it wasn’t unexpected if you read carefully between the lines, brings a very serious topic to the story which was touched with deep sensibility.
I only wish this story has an epilogue. The whole family, Rachel in particular, deserves it.
Book Info:
Publication: June 28, 2022 | Harlequin Special Edition | Furever Yours #11
A home full of chaos…and comfort.
With three-year-old twins to raise, widower Ian Parsons temporarily hires Rachel Gray hoping she’ll solve all their problems. And soon the nanny is working wonders with his girls…and Ian. Rachel even has him agreeing to adopt a bonded dog and cat because the twins love them. He’s laughing, smiling and falling in love again. But will Ian need a double dose of courage to ask Rachel to stay…as his wife?
From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.
Furever Yours
Book 1: A New Leash on Love by Melissa Senate
Book 2: How to Rescue a Family by Teri Wilson
Book 3: Not Just the Girl Next Door by Stacy Connelly
Book 4: The Nanny Clause by Karen Rose Smith
Book 5: The City Girl’s Homecoming by Kathy Douglass
Book 6: It Started with a Pregnancy by Christy Jeffries
Book 7: Home is Where the Hound Is by Melissa Senate
Book 8: More Than a Temporary Family by Marie Ferrarella
Book 9: The Bookshop Rescue by Rochelle Alers
Book 10: Love off the Leash by Tara Taylor Quinn
Book 11: A Double Dose of Happiness by Teri Wilson
Book 12: It Started with a Puppy by Christy Jeffries
