Time Out (Irving University #3)

Karen Miller has been let go from her job as a teacher, but gets a temporary job at Irvington University coaching the girls' basketball camp for the summer. Far from her original dream of becoming a basketball star herself, she is living with ulcerative colitis and learns to cope.  When she meets 11 year old Hanna Freeman, they begin to build a bond that seems to have been missing from both their lives. Hanna's father Terry is endeavoring to put his and Hanna's life back together after his wife left them and his thriving business fell apart. The fear of starting over is driving them both away; yet Hanna seems to bring them together and reminds them that perhaps taking a chance is just what they all need.

"Time Out" is a comforting and satisfyingly good story that builds the reader's admiration for the characters as they watch their love grow. Terry and Karen knock heads but learn to mutually respect each other. Although Terry is occasionally hot and cold (making him hard to completely like or dislike), his sense of honor shines through along with his love for both Hanna and Karen. This makes him hard to resist either way. Karen is caring and comes across as very honest while Hanna is the heart of the story - often stealing the show in a way that children do both in fiction and real life. The author has managed to get inside these characters heads, along with their hearts, and the reader gets wrapped up in it every scene.  A pleasurable and effortless read.

Margaret Faria