FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE

Author: Fran Shaff ISBN: 1587494809 12/2004 INSPIRATIONAL Publisher: AWE-STRUCK EBOOKS

Kayla Franklin is instantly attracted to Roth Simons, the man she hired to do some carpentry work on her farm. Roth feels the same way about Kayla, but when he meets Maggie, her five-year-old daughter who has Down's Syndrome, the carpenter is repulsed by the child's condition. How can Kayla care for a man who is put off by the child she loves so dearly? Roth has made a mess of things with Kayla. Can he repair the damage he did with his bad initial reaction to sweet Maggie? Love had never come easy for Roth, maybe it never would.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

An inspirational story of love and devotion, FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE goes above and beyond the realm of a typical romance, centering around Maggie, a Down Syndrome child whose loving ways capture the hearts of all those who come to meet her.

Single mom Kayla Franklin has just purchased a farm where she plans to raise Maggie in the hopes of exposing her to new experiences within a child-safe environment. She hires a local carpenter, Roth Simmons, to help build Maggie's new outdoor spaces, and the attraction for the two is immediate and electrifying for both. But when Roth catches his first sight of Maggie he is totally unprepared, and his initial response to her immediately turns off any chance of a relationship between he and Kayla. To further disrupt their relationship, along comes neighbor Vint Fillmore, who begins to romance Kayla with his own secret agenda in mind.

I needn't tell you that Maggie, of course, is the star of this book. Not only does Fran Shaff demonstrate an ample knowledge of children with Down Syndrome, she doesn't sugar coat it when it comes to describing Maggie's and Kayla's shared everyday life. While Kayla basks in her daughter's high points and loving ways, there are also many lows to be dealt with, and Shaff addresses this admirably. Roth's first reaction to Maggie is quickly dealt with and explained a short way into the story, though it takes some time for him to regain Kayla's trust and forgiveness, and prove to her he really does care for the child. Vint, on the other hand, takes immediately to Maggie and vice versa, and while Kayla has a romantic attraction to Roth, her head tells her that Vint's the man she needs. It's in the formation of this triangle—or better said, quadrangle—that the story becomes more complex and has some of its best moments.

FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE is filled with warmth, poignant moments, and a multitude of sweet smiles. A wonderful story of strength, understanding, and unconditional love, obviously written from the heart of a very talented writer.

Nancy Davis