Review: Mad Love by Willow Aster (The Single Dad Playbook #1)


Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author.

I've been rather eager for Willow Aster's new series, The Single Dad Playbook, ever since we got a sneak peek of the first chapter in the author's previous series. And now, Mad Love is in the hands of romance readers, and what a glorious beginning it is. If you're familiar with the Landmark Mountain series and you've read the series ender, Stay, then you may have taken note of Weston Shaw, the older brother of Felicity Shaw, female main character of the aforementioned novel. West's story kicks off all things The Single Dad Playbook, which is a series that focuses on a group of friends and teammates--Weston Shaw (26, quarterback, one son), Henley Ward (35, wide receiver, three daughters), Rhodes Archer (30, tight end, one son), Bowie Fox (28, linebacker, one daughter), and Penn Hudson (23, running back, no kids)--on the Colorado Mustangs. They're all part of the The Single Dads Players, although at the start of this story, neither West nor Penn had kids. But then one phone call letting West know his son was in the hospital changes that...

This surprise baby romance was as heartwarming as it was heartrending. West Shaw's world was upended when he found out that he had a two-month-old son named Caleb who was involved in a car accident that took the life of the baby boy's mother. He doesn't get much sympathy either from the baby's aunt, Sadie Chapman, a twenty-three (or four?)-year-old server at a restaurant and who shared an apartment with her younger sister, Sasha, and nephew, Caleb. There was a great deal of friction between West and Sadie, due in large part to the latter's preconceived notions regarding the former, but goodness, how these two put in the work when it came to co-parenting baby Caleb, forging an honest-to-goodness friendship in the process. Yes, they do fall in love as well, but it was the entire journey--the ups and downs--that made this such a wonderful read. Willow Aster didn't sugarcoat what they went through, and I so appreciated that. Theirs was a true partnership, and the happily-ever-after was well-deserved and -earned. I have nothing but mad love for Mad Love and can't wait for more single dad players. Five stars!

Release Date: 10 July 2024

Date Read: 27 June 2024

Learn more about Willow Aster.

Pre-order Mad Love on Amazon.

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