Member Reviews
I felt this book was kinda meh. The characters were ok, but the story was just a little unbelievable. The romance was also off to me. Still written well.
3.5 Stars
When Rowan becomes a single father to his young son, being the parent he never had becomes his sole focus. Unfortunately, those well-intentions quickly led to isolation and a fair amount of self-doubt. Luckily, the residents of Sugarbush Bay aren't the kind to leave a fellow neighbor behind. With the help of Delilah, a kind waitress and an individual who once benefited from the kindness of their small town herself, Rowan starts to feel the world beneath his feet again.
The biggest strength of this story was the cozy feelings that came along with this community supported and valued each other. While finding refuge in each other, Rowan and Delilah also allowed their friends to hold their hands as they navigated uncertain waters. In Single Dads Club, the idea of it taking a community to raise a child rang true here. Though I selfishly hoped that some elements had been developed further and there was more of an expanded conclusion, this quiet story made me happy.
Having never read one of Therese's books before, I really enjoyed her writing style. Not only did the narration have a nice flow to it but the witty dialogue made this book a quick read to breeze through. I will likely read other titles from her in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake and Therese Beharrie for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It was cute! I had to push through it in some places, but overall I feel in love with the characters and will pick up another Beharrie book in the future!
I read this as an Advance readers copy from NetGalley.
This was such a cute love story set in a small town in South Africa. It’s got all the elements of a small town romance that I love close community and nosy neighbors.
Rowan, has recently moved to this small town, and he is a new single dad trying to acclimate into the town, whilst trying to work on himself and his insecurities with his parents and parenthood.
Delilah also moved to this small town, almost a year + ago, she was the most recent addition to the town. She moved after her life in Cape Town imploded, and she was lost. She came into the town, wanting to prove to others and herself that she was a good person, and to find herself.
Their story was a slow burn full of so much mutual pining, it was cute. The story covers themes of parenthood (including including including the good and the bad), friendship and new found family. You can’t help but root for both of them, even when their insecurities are at the forefront and coming in between their happiness.
Overall, these two were both deserving of love and at the end of it, I’m so glad that they both realized it and lived happily ever after!
Thank you to NetGalley and Therese Beharrie for graciously giving me this eARC. I loved the sweetness between the two and it was different that most of the anxieties came from the MMC. The pace was good and the smut wasn’t too much. However, it really annoyed me how Rowan made such stupid decisions all the time because of his anxiety. Being doubtful about Delilah felt irrational and unrealistic, which dimmed the romance that they had for each other for me tbh. I’d definitely recommend this book though.
Single Dads Club by Therese Beharrie is a dual-perspective, non-toxic, slow-burn romance that I could not put down. Yes, this is a romance story, but it also talks about deeper topics like fatherhood, family issues, and a lack of parental influence in the formative years.
Meet Rowan. He becomes a single father to Declan, his young son, and uproots his life to move to the small coastal city of Sugarbush Bay in South Africa. There, with the help of his grandmother, Rowan hopes to give his son the childhood he never had. Meet Delilah. She is a former-heiress-turned-server, determined to make self-improvements and life-improvements. She introduces Rowan to her brother, Matt, and they form the Single Dads Club.
I adored the slow-burn romance between the couple. Beharrie beautifully illustrates the challenges and rewards of parenthood, especially for single parents, with her writing style thus producing captivating characters you cannot help but love. I found many similarities between the tight-knit community and my upbringing, making this story an authentic read from a BIPOC perspective.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
This is a really thought provoking book about the romance that emerges between a single father and a barista in a small, close knit town in South Africa. The author did a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters and showcasing their thoughts and fears.
Rowan is a single father with a healthy relationship with his child's mother, Mckenna. I enjoyed seeing them work together to raise Declan and how Mckenna was the one to return to work rather than Rowan. Rowan's fears about being a good father and taking care of a tiny human being seemed very real and relatable.
While Rowan was a lovable lead character, Delilah was a different story. Her issues and background story seemed lacking compared to the pressure that Rowan was under. Delilah presented younger than her age and the issue with her past seemed superficial.
The romance between the two leads, Rowan and Delilah was a but odd. Delilah forms a crush on Rowan from the moment she first saw him but then it took a very long time for more to develop so the pacing felt off. I didn't really believe the chemistry between Rowan and Delilah, though they were fully fleshed characters in their own right.
I loved the writing in this book, but something about the characters didn’t draw me in nor keep my attention. I think that the permise behind the book and the tropes were nice. But i felt as if the main characters were really unlikeable and you couldn’t relate or form a connection with them, Also, I wish there was more romance in the plot to be a balance with the self discovery aspect. All in all, it was a quick and fun read!
Firstly thank you to Montlake for gifting me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a In this a funny romance that kept me entertained the entire read. I love the single dad trope and this delivered in every possible way!
So I absolutely loved most of this book, but got so frustrated by Rowan at times. The cast of supporting characters was very clever.
This was such a good read! The angst between the characters, the slow burn, and the character growth throughout the book were exactly what I enjoy. Very well written, easy to read, and gripping from beginning to end. Can't wait to read other books by this author!
This was a sweet and fun read. I have first hand experience with how your past can shape how you function in a relationship and all of Delilah and Rowan’s fears were so relatable. I am so glad they found someone to see beyond their protective shields and show them how much more life could be when they let happiness in, and felt that they deserved it!
I LOVED THIS! The cover, the title, the characters, the story, it was all perfect to me. I really enjoy a single parent trope and this was done so well. Sometimes it can be difficult for me to have children in stories but I was fine with it! It also really made me want to visit beautiful South Africa!
Black love a it finest! I adored this story! It had wonderful character development and such a great connection between the characters. I can't wait to read more of Therese's Beharrie's work!
3.5 stars
The writing was good and the story quite simple (was glad for the minimal drama!), though for me, I had expected a more romance than self-discovery plot overall
<b>The Good</b>
Both Rowan and Delilah are interesting lead characters. We really get to see how their past leads their present actions and learn to understand them. Rowan was especially relatable to me as someone with social anxiety. I really enjoyed their separate growth and dealing with their personal trauma.
<b>The Bad</b>
The big issue with Delilah's past being an issue was hard for me to take seriously. Judging someone for being a socialite in the past and coming from money when you knew they were a nice person in the present was hard for me to take seriously. It just felt irrational. Though their characters had depth and real potential, their relationship itself lacked enough chemistry for me to root for them to be together. I think for the amount of issues they had it made it hard for me to believe in their love and root for their relationship. Especially since most progression was one step forward two steps back and usually required outside intervention for it to be resolved.
<b>The Rating</b>
I give this book a <b>3/5🌟 rating.</b> While lacking in the romance department, it pulled on my heart-strings with its amazing characters.
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Rowan becomes a single father to Declan, his young son, so he uproots his life to move to a small, coastal city in South Africa in hopes of giving his son the childhood he never had.
Delilah is a former heiress and now a server who is working in a café which is where she meets Rowan and Declan. She is determined to make improvements to herself and her life. Rowan is hesitant to get involved with anyone due to his past history, so it is up to Delilah to reach out. She does this by introducing Rowan to her brother, Matt, which sparks the Single Dads club. The more Delilah helps Rowan, the more he understands that family isn't necessarily dependent on blood ties.
What I loved most about this book apart from the slow burn between the couple is that the author is incredibly talented at illustrating the challenges and rewards of parenthood!!
My honest review is given in exchange for receiving a free ARC from Netgalley.
I enjoyed this book, I liked the way it was told from a different angle - single dad struggling to find his way rather than single mum. I loved the way a group of men formed a support group round him, I thought that part of the book was described really well. And the ending was lovely. I would definitely recommend this book, thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy x
I love Beharrie, I really do. But her constant tease getting steamy omg they’re about to… nope jk this book is actually a giant tease is upsetting after a while 😂 I loved the vulnerability of Rowan and how hard it is to be a new parent. And Delilah is lovely and I get her supreme desire to help after the pain her mother inflicted on so many. BUT ROWAN GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND DO THE LOVELY WOMAN!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
This one I requested randomly and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved the single dad trope, the location and the overall storyline! It was great!