REVIEW by @_Shoe_Girl_ : The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain

A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there’s no going back. Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he’s never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe. But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he’s worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble….Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions. With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter’s sake. Even if it means he might lose her.

Oh. My. God. Get the tissues ready. I am warning you right now, I do not have the words to properly describe how wonderful this book was, but I’ll try my best. {VERY mild spoilers.}
So often fathers get the short end of the stick when it comes to reputation, even more so for teen fathers. The Good Father is the story of Travis Brown, who through unexpected events comes to be the sole parent of his baby girl, Bella. He is providing for and loving his daughter, and even if they aren’t rich, they have each other and are happy. When Travis is faced with a tragedy, his circumstances drastically change and he is faced with something he never thought he would even have to consider, but what other choice does he have? He HAS to have money to provide for/care for Bella.
The Good Father is also Robin, and Erin’s stories as well. Robin successfully put her baby girl out of her mind for the past four years, not too hard considering she had never even laid eyes on her. She is healthy, successfully running a B & B, and is engaged to be married to the {hopefully} future Mayor of Beufort. Life is good, or so she thinks. When a family member has a baby girl, it brings back thoughts of her own baby, and how/where she is today. She tries to push the thoughts away, but how long can she really do that?
Erin has suffered a loss that is every parents greatest fear. She isn’t coping well, an is in fact just going through the day to day motions of living. That is, until she meets Travis and Bella.
I could say SO MUCH about each character, what they go through, and how I felt while reading their stories, however, I won’t. This book was so amazing that you need to read it for yourself. Just do yourself a favor, and have the tissues handy. Oh, and clear a day on your calendar, because it is truly a “can’t-put-it-down” book. It took me a day and a half to read, and only because my Kindle Firedied & had to be recharged! 😉 This is going on my “Favorites” list, for sure!