One single dad plus twin toddlers A formula for her new family? Since his wife left, fireman Shay Campbell has focused on work and his twin toddlers. But the lovely Natalie McDowell is making him rethink that decision. She’s great with his boys, and they adore her. But he can’t go through losing someone again. Will a dream job offer win Natalie’s heart, or does it belong to Shay and the twins?
The Firefighter’s Twins
By heidimccahan
The Firefighter’s Twins by Heidi McCahan is a very sweet Christian fiction novel that definitely left me smiling! The characters are well written and very realistic, the plot of the story is engaging, and the messages are timely.
I’m going to be honest here. I struggle to trust. Trust is one of the hardest things for me to do. I struggle to trust God and others. I am MAJOR Type-A. I love to control my surroundings as much as humanly possible. When life gets crazy and chaotic, I tend to clean because in my cleaning I can scrub out what is rotten and dirty, and organize everything the way I think they should be. I can create order out of disorder. There is a moment where Natalie, the heroine of this novel, thinks to herself, “If she was brutally honest, she had put a lot of faith in her own abilities, because God certainly hadn’t cooperated with her plans…So she stopped trusting Him.” WHOA! Was this moment a major mirror moment for me.
Those of you who know me, and those of you who have been reading my blog for some time now, know that my best friend is dealing with a scary, horrible, no good, rotten form of cancer that is so bad it only has a Stage IV. You know that I’ve been desperately praying. Lately, I have been struggling. It seems like my prayers for healing are not working, are not being heard. I’m terrified. The other day I was in my car driving back from a movie date with my best friend. I was struggling hard not to cry. I hate seeing her so frustrated and depressed. Wouldn’t you know it — at that very moment Lauren Daigle’s song Trust In You came on the radio! I burst into tears. I am failing at trusting in God. He isn’t moving this mountain called cancer. WHY?! So because He is not bending to my will, I am struggling. I feel so dumb even writing this. My head totally knows that God has this. God’s got control over my best friend and her situation. But, my heart is hurting and that hurting has put up a wall I MUST take down with God’s help. Natalie slowly comes to realize this too over the course of the novel. She is so focused on herself, what she thinks she finally deserves, and how her changes will positively effect everyone else (so they must be the right choices, right?!) that she becomes myopic. She leaves God out. Her praying becomes stunted. Natalie realizes she has to change her heart…and, I realize that too.
Another topic that comes to the forefront in this novel is that fear parents have in regards to their children. We want so desperately to protect our children from literally everything that we become a little crazy. We stop asking for help because only our way is the right way. We can’t possibly believe the notion that it takes a village to raise our children because the village is filled with crazy people who want to let our children play on a dirty swing set with stranger danger lurking around every corner. Are they insane!? We start to see enemies in everything and everyone. Wash your hands before you even think about looking at our kids, Grandma! Did our daughter just sniffle? Do we need to rush her to the ER? Was that kid mean to our precious child? Do we need to visit the principal and the superintendent? This is exactly how Shay, the hero of The Firefighter’s Twins, behaves in this novel. Watching Shay parent is sometimes hilarious, often annoying, and completely relatable! Again, the issue isn’t really one of fear, but of trust. Our children are created by GOD. He used His two competent hands to perfectly create our children. They aren’t technically ours. They are HIS. As parents, we need to trust in His will for our children. We need to learn to not see danger around every corner, but instead allow our kids to grow up into independent, strong, capable adults who love and trust in God themselves. When we let our fear get the better of us, we are really just hurting our kids. We aren’t actually being the parent they need. What a truly excellent reminder for me as a mother!
So, I guess this novel pulled a lot out of me. I kind of feel like I just spent an hour on God’s counseling couch writing this post. When it came time for me to read this novel, I never expected that I was going to get anything other than a sweet and satisfying story. I got that for sure, but I got so much more. God really spoke to me through Natalie’s and Shay’s struggles. He definitely showed me a few areas I still need to work on! If you are looking for a really fun story with depth that gets you to look inside yourself and see who you really are as a parent and as a child of God then The Firefighter’s Twins is definitely the novel for you.
I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the author and Just Read Tours. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Wonderful story line and great characters. I personally could relate to both Shay and Natalie; single parenting and juggling family business while working full time.
It was heartbreaking how both of their pasts interfered with the present and any relationship.
I haven’t dealt with the health issue that was addressed with one of the twins, but I appreciate the awareness the author brings to the situation and the seriousness of it.
Overall, The Firefighter’s Twins was a pleasure to read!
4 1/2 stars
A very sweet and clean romance. Shay is a firefighter wth soul custody of twin 18 month old boys. As he struggles as a single patent, he meets Natalie, a caring and kind woman who is drawn to this firefighter and his boys. There are challenges that each are facing and both are afraid of the attraction between them. What results is a sweet contemporary romance with a Christian background. An enjoyable read.
It’s difficult for Shay begin a new life, in new city, alone with 2 2-year-old twins sons.
there are many chooses to do : forget, begin to live again, forgive, trust again into people and into the future.
sweet story, I recomend it, enjoy!
The Firefighter’s Twins is a Love Inspired book by Heidi McCahan. This book is such a wonderful Christian romance read. Shay and Natalie are both strong willed people. Both are determined to have things there way. This story is full of love, faith, determination and so much more. I received a complementary copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion. 4 stars!
The Firefighter’s Twins was a sweet romance in a great setting. I really liked Shay and Natalie. They had both been through some rough things in the recent past.
It was interesting to watch these two begin to navigate their feelings for each other. Both characters had the inclination to try to control things, whether it was Shay worrying over his son’s food allergy or Natalie being unwilling to accept help from her sisters with the management of the family farm.
Both characters experienced a good bit of growth throughout this enjoyable story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
If you enjoy books with a lot going on, The Firefighter’s Twins will not disappoint. And let’s be realistic here, the first time Shay steps into the pages, a single parent of two adorable twin boys, your heart will melt a little for this man.
Heidi McCahan manages to pack the pages of this story full of problems, revelations, adorableness, and romance. From the issues with Natalie’s family, Shay’s job and overprotectiveness of his boys, and the unique settings of the farm, wedding venue, and Habitat-type home, there is plenty to immerse yourself in.
Yet Shay and Natalie do not get lost in all of it. They each have issues they are dealing with (family, work, their smoldering attraction to each other). The decisions (good or bad) they each make affect those around them, sometimes to the extent it almost paralyzes them.
McCahan examines the themes of family, the importance of communication, love, and forgiveness in The Firefighter’s Twins.
And I’m hoping to see some more of these characters in another read from the author.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The Firefighter’s Twins by Heidi McCahan
Natalie had already lost a boyfriend to the dangers of firefighting and was determined to never again risk her heart in that way. Yet, she was powerless against the charm of Shay and his adorable twins.
Shay was everything a handsome fireman hero should be. He was also very insecure, having a wife who had left him for her career, and guilt that he held on to from his childhood. His deep love for his boys was precious, but it also had him obsessing over them perhaps a little overmuch.
The twins, Aiden and Liam, were so cute and well written. I always appreciate it when authors do a good job in making the children say and do things that are appropriate for their ages like this. The relationship that developed between the boys and Natalie was realistic.
The Firefighter’s Twins is a fun read with some inspirational elements. It had conflict and soul searching and sweet moments of spark and romance as Shay and Natalie struggled with fighting the sparks between them that threatened to burst into flame.
This review was originally posted on AmongTheReads.net.
Be sure to read Heidi’s Guest Post and get a preview of The Firefighter’s Twins at AmongTheReads.net
I would like to thank Just Read Publicity Tours for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.