And Suddenly You’re a Parent to a Baby
Book Review of Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
Published: February 15 2024 by Bedford Square Publishers
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (4.5 stars)
Genres: Romance, Contemporary Fiction
CW/TW: Alcohol use & abuse, drug use & abuse, mentions of overdose, sexual content, violence, abandonment, grief, death of a parent, mental health, pregnancy, child abuse, ableism, addiction and foster & adoption complications.
Suddenly Parents
When Chloe finds out that her birth mum has unexpectedly given birth, Chloe agrees to be the next of kin guardian for her sister. Unfortunately, she fails CPS’s financial evaluation and has to either put her sister in foster care or participate in CPS’s new initiative, TeamUp.
Enter Warren. He is trying to get custody of his 15-year-old Deaf brother after failing CPS’s housing evaluation. Chloe needs financial assistance and Warren needs adequate housing. What could go wrong?
Adjusting to living with strangers is difficult, especially with a 15-year-old and a newborn. But slowly, they all find their groove. Strangers turn to friends, and soon there’s heavy eye contact, faint touches, butterflies and steamy moments. But with so much going on in both their lives, will Chloe and Warren find happiness together? Or will the stress cause them to fall apart?
Complex & Layered Characters
Next of Kin is a fun, happy read that had me giggling and covering my face with second-hand embarrassment. I love romance books that have complex and layered character who have other things going on in life other than romance – and Chloe and Warren are exactly that.
Neither one of them got into this situation because they were looking for a relationship. They each are trying to do what’s best for their loved ones and this is what brings them together.
A Nod to Gilmore Girls
Did I originally pick up this book because of the dedication? Yes.
Did I absolutely fall in love with the book regardless of the dedication? Hell yes.
What dedication you ask?
This book is dedicated to those who think Jess was Rory’s best boyfriend. The rest are wrong.
Now, I could discuss my thoughts on Rory’s boyfriends and who was best for her. However, that’s not why we’re here, so back to Next of Kin.
Representation Galore
One of the biggest aspects of Next of Kin that I completely fell in love with was the representation: Multiple Deaf characters, several different foster care and adoption experiences, and mental health representation. None of these were throwaway characteristics of storylines; each form of representation intentionally added to the plot and the character development.
Final Thoughts
I cannot rave about this book enough, honestly, I wish there was more. I rated it 4.5 stars. It’s a lovely emotional and feel-good read that will leave you feeling happy and warm.
If you enjoy romance, great representation, forced proximity, found family and strong second-hand embarrassment that’ll have you hiding your face, then this is definitely that book for you!
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