Failure to Thrive by Katharine M Sweet is a tale of love against all odds. Russell Huston has come out of prison on parole and has a new job. All he wants is to start over. He didn’t plan on coming to the aid of a single mom in distress. But he did, and it would be the one act that would change his life again. Aster Reign has finally escaped an abusive marriage, and she really didn’t need to end up in the hospital, especially with her child in tow. When Russell offers her and her son a place to stay for the summer, she accepts, but she doesn’t expect to be living in a trailer park. But she makes it work, and Russell believes he can finally do something good with his life. Will this be the chance both of them have been looking for? The chance for a new start? Or will they both fail to see what’s staring them in the face?

Failure to Thrive by Katharine M Sweet is a wonderfully written story of love when and where you least expect it. This is about second chances, growth, and resilience, and one that many readers will relate to. The characters are real people with real flaws and are also incredibly relatable. This book is written in a way that allows you to feel every emotion. At the start of the book, you’ll find a list of potential triggers, including domestic violence, child abuse, and violence, all of which are mentioned throughout, but the author has dealt with them sensitively. There’s nothing too graphically described and no gratuitous violence, just real-life experiences. This is compelling reading, a book about healing that teaches us the power of love, and it will grip you from the first to the last page. Highly recommended for any reader – we can all learn something from this.

Failure to Thrive by Katharine M. Sweet is a sweet, gentle romance that will captivate readers. Just released from prison after a bar fight that went too far, Russell Hulston is on parole and wearing an ankle bracelet that effectively ties him to his trailer home when he is not working. His parole officer has managed to find Russell work in the cafeteria of the local hospital but, on his very first day at work, he encounters a sick woman, Aster, and her son in the hospital carpark. Little did he realize that in assisting them and getting the woman the medical care she so desperately needed his whole life would change, forever. 

Failure to Thrive is exactly what I want and expect from a contemporary romance. Author Katharine M. Sweet has created three wonderful characters in Russell, Aster, and her son Liam that readers will quickly identify with and relate to. Russell, in particular, despite his unfortunate prison experience, is a well-brought-up, respectful, and caring man looking to rebuild his life after it has gone off the rails. With Aster and Liam fleeing from an uncaring, manipulative man, they were seeking sanctuary and safety more than anything else; a sense of being in charge for the first time in Aster’s life. They find the security of Russell and his ever-loving and protective grandmother to be just the salve they need. I appreciated the gentleness and slowness of the relationship development, which was appropriate given the emotional baggage and doubts both parties had about the obvious feelings growing between them. The love, once it flared fully, though, was spectacular and steamy, which was excellent. Without over-analyzing a lovely romance, I did appreciate the underlying message that love is where you find it, in the moment you find it. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.