In the Key of Family by Makenna Lee, Alexandra Roth goes to Oak Hollow, where her father’s family lived. Both 
her and her mother believe her father died before she was born, but she wants to meet his side of the family and learn about where she came from. She finds herself renting a room from Luke Walker, a police officer in town.
After the recent death of his sister, Luke finds himself raising his nephew, who has autism. Luke isn’t sure he wants a stranger around Cody, but he had agreed to rent her the room before his sister passed away. As much as he wants to get her to leave, Alex, a music therapist, bonds with Cody through music. Despite the fact that their bond makes him jealous, he can’t help but admit that Alex is doing what he hasn’t seemed to do, which is to break Cody out of his sadness. When family secrets come to light and Alex is offered her dream job, will she be willing to stay in the one place she never thought she would?
Readers will feel for both Luke and Alex. Luke lost his parents when he was young, leaving his sister to raise him. Now his sister is gone and he’s raising her son, who he’s having a hard time connecting with. Alex has been kept from her father’s side of her family for her whole life, as her mother had been afraid that they would have tried to take her away from her if they had known she existed. Both are left struggling to figure out their lives and what happens next. The last thing they expected was to find each other and find healing along the way.
I loved how Alex interacts with Cody from the time they first met. She finds ways to interact with him that make him feel comfortable and understood. It was nice to see the way he bloomed due to his interactions with her.
In the Key of Family is a sweet story about healing and finding oneself amongst heartache and lies. While it’s the second book in the Home to Oak Hollow series, it can be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the first book and didn’t feel like I was missing anything in regards to the characters or storyline. So, if you haven’t read the first book, A Sheriff’s Star, you can jump into the series with this book with no issues. If you’re looking for a heartwarming story that will draw you in and have you rooting for the characters to finally find happiness, look no further.
QOTD: Alex is on a quest to discover her family. She waits a bit before admitting who she is, but how do you think you would handle it? Would you admit who you are to them right away, or get to know them a little first before admitting that you’re related?
Book Info:
Publication: May 25, 2021 | Harlequin Special Edition | Home to Oak Hollow #2
A homestay in Oak Hollow is Alexandra Roth’s final excursion before settling in to her big-city career. Officer Luke Walker, her not-so-welcoming host, isn’t sure about the “crunchy” music therapist. Yet his recently orphaned nephew with autism instantly grooves to the beat of Alex’s drum. Together, this trio really strikes a chord. But is love enough to keep Alex from returning to her solo act?
