Atlanta, Georgia – Present Day

Kate Rhodes, a nurse at a hospital, volunteers at the local shelter. She is caring for Dillon, a child who has been injured multiple times. After she reports the abuse to the police, the child’s father is not allowed to visit his son until the police find out if he is responsible. The father, Manny Digarro, a homeless refugee from Columbia, sends a lawyer, Stephen Creighton, to visit his son. Stephen is convinced that Manny is innocent of any wrong doing. The doctors discover that Dillon’s condition is Gaucher’s Disease, a serious medical problem that can kill him if he doesn’t get treatment. Before they can begin to help the boy, his father takes him away.

Kate’s brother, Martin, wounded in the line of duty as a police officer, has been estranged from his sister for several years, refusing to speak to her. Martin is depressed, and doesn’t even want to talk to his girlfriend, Lissa. But when Kate gets through to him how much she needs his help to find Dillon, he finally responds. When Kate and Stephen learn why the police and INS are backing away from finding Dillon, they are even more determined to help father and son. The attraction between Kate and Stephen sizzles as they hunt for the elusive Digarros, and when Lissa arrives unannounced, will she take no for an answer from Martin?

Kate is a dedicated nurse always ready to help the underdog, and Stephen, a first class lawyer, devotes much of his time helping the under-privileged. Martin is very unhappy about his medical situation, and although he loves Lissa, he tries to let her go, but Lissa has no intention of deserting the man she loves. Dillon continues to deteriorate, but his father loves him and wants more than anything for his son to have a good life. There is a lot of tension in the story as Kate and Stephen search, not wanting to make everything more difficult for the refugees. Secondary characters help the story move toward a satisfactory conclusion.

Good characters and an interesting story make BECAUSE OF A BOY well worth reading. It is a tale about overcoming problems from childhood and learning to trust, which has made Kate and Stephen more compassionate adults. BECAUSE OF A BOY is a heart warming romance, and a story that readers are sure to enjoy.

Marilyn Heyman