Susan''s Review of Call Her Mine by Melissa Foster

If a woman can’t find love in the quaint town of Harmony Pointe, it’s sure to find them—whether they’re looking for it or not. Here, the remaining single Dalton siblings are about to discover that they’re next in line to get swept away by love. A sweet and sexy spin-off of Melissa’s beloved Sugar Lake series.
Ben Dalton has always been honest, except where his heart is concerned. He’s been in love with his best friend—saucy, smart-mouthed Aurelia Stark—forever. But Ben’s a planner, and timing has never been on his side. When he finally decides to make his move, Aurelia beats him to the punch with a move of her own—to a different town.
Aurelia loves her new life in the charming town of Harmony Pointe. She has a great apartment and her very own bookstore, and best of all, the sinfully hot, commitment-phobic friend she’s crushed on for years is no longer just around the corner. Maybe she’ll finally be able to leave her unrequited love behind and move on.
But when a baby is left on Ben’s front porch—a baby that is presumably his—Aurelia is there for him. Neither one knows the first thing about babies, but how hard can it be? Ben and Aurelia are catapulted into a world of love, laughter, and tracking down the baby mama, and it might even add up to a very happily ever after . . . just not one either of them expects.

Aurelia Stark has decided to make a few BIG changes in her life. She sells her family’s bookstore in Sweetwater, leaves her friends and her crush Ben Dalton behind as she starts over again in Harmony Pointe. Aurelia knows that she and Ben are just friends-too many missed opportunities and bad timing. She’s happy in her cute apartment and working on renovating Chapter One, her bookstore. So, why does she wake up with Ben snuggled against her in the first chapter?

Call Her Mine is a smart twist on the friends to lovers romance. When Aurelia finds a baby in a basket on Ben’s front porch the dynamic between the two characters changes. Melissa Foster does a great job balancing the learning curve of caring for an infant, concerns about the baby’s health and immunizations with romance and lots of humor from Ben’s family.

Loved this conversation between Ben and his father Dan Dalton:

”Son, life is full of surprises. This one is unexpected, unsettling for you and Aurelia, I’m sure, but it sounds like you’ve already realized the beauty of the situation. And thank God Aurelia was there to help. She’s a good friend Ben, and I know you appreciate her. Life throws a lot of crap at us, and I hope you take a moment to soak in the goodness of this little miracle.”

I enjoyed reading how caring for a newborn changed Ben and Aurelia’s relationship. Aurelia didn’t end her friendship with Ben because he had a child—she stayed and helped him care for Baby Bea. Both characters changed during the story; high powered businessman Ben learned to delegate at work and recognized his true feelings towards Aurelia while Aurelia learned to multi task at work and express her feelings to Ben. There are a few surprises in the storyline and the couple’s dancing scene was perfectly written—there was no doubt that Ben was head over heels in love with Aurelia.

Call Her Mine tackles several serious issues – but more importantly shows the values of friendship and family. The friends to lovers romance has honest conversations, great secondary characters who add humor to the story. Ben and Aurelia shine in this story as they learn to trust each other as they navigate their new relationship and care for Bea.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

ARC from the publisher

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Click HERE to Read Chapter One!