Next of Kin

Next of Kin (2022) Hannah Bonam-Young

Chloe is on her own with her college degree and the desire to prove she can make it as a self-employed graphic designer.

But all that is thrown into chaos when she receives a call from Child Protective Services.

“The baby was premature. The doctor who called us earlier said they will make a full recovery, probably after a two- or three-month NICU stay. The baby… will not be placed with your mother. We are looking into different care options.”

Chloe has choices, but the only one she can see is to adopt her new sister and give her stability and love.

Except that she is young and self-employed and has no proof she has a stable income and can provide for a new baby–especially one with such a rough start to her life. So Chloe agrees to try the CPS program “Partner Up” where she’ll cohabitate with another young adult trying to care for their sibling.

It doesn’t begin well.

I stop myself as Warren leans back to rest his arm along the back of the couch.
“I’ll stay out of your way; you stay out of mine. That’s all I ask.” He looks at me, and his blue eyes look more gray than they have before. Clouded by judgment, it would seem.

“Fine.” I look at him and match his stare, our eyes fusing a connection that grows steadier each time it occurs. “Get off my couch then.”

And, to his credit, he does.

This is single POV, which means we have absolutely no idea what Warren is thinking, and see him only through Chloe’s stressed–and soon overtired–lens.

Warren studies me for a brief moment, and then speaks only in sign language. “He is mostly excited to live with a hot older girl.”

I lean back in my seat and meet his stare. “Well, I hope he isn’t too disappointed,” I sign back.

…

“Rachel didn’t mention you could sign. I—”

“She didn’t ask,” I interrupt. His brows crease, waiting for an explanation. “My adoptive father is Deaf.”

It is initially very hard to like Warren. Except that he is obviously doing everything he can to get his brother out of foster care. And were slowly learn that Warren has grounds for not trusting anyone, after spending much of his youth in the foster care system.

And you can see Warren realizing his ideas about Chloe were wrong, and his tentatively reaching out to try and help.

Warren takes Willow from me, freeing my hands so I can lift the car seat and diaper bag onto the dining table. He boops her nose when he thinks I’m not looking.

One of the things I particularly liked was that–despite being overworked and underpaid–Odette and Rachel were doing everything they could for Chloe, to help her keep Willow, but Odette also just listens, giving Chloe space.

There was this passage which, for obvious reasons, brought me to tears:

“Good to see you, Panda.”

Panda has been my dad’s pet name for me since the day the CPS worker dropped me off at their home. They had put a stuffed panda on my pillow, and when I’d told them it was my favorite animal, they took it as a sign that we were meant to be a family.

In reality, I preferred rabbits. Still, I learned to love pandas. They were gifted to me by my father after every business trip.

Quickly, a collection began to grow.

It was a sweet story, and I enjoyed the single-POV, which I don’t often come across in MF romance.

Characters: Chloe, Willow Walden, Warren Davies, Luke Davies, Rachel Feroux, Odette, Constance Walden, Martina, Tom, Calvin, Joy, Dr. O’Leary, Bryce, Lane, Emily, Ram, Belle, Tyler, Giorgianna, Cassie, Caleb, Matt

Cover illustration: Leni Kauffman

Publisher: Dell

Rating: 7.5/10

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