Darcy and the Single Dad - Stacy Connelly (HSE #2237 - Jan 2013)

Series: Pirelli Brothers (Book 1)

HOW COULD SOMETHING SO WRONG BE SO RIGHT?

Nick Pirelli's little girl was growing up way "too" fast. He knew she needed a mom-which meant he needed a wife. But finding the right woman in Clearville wasn't easy. The local dating pool was shallow, and the grapevine put Nick's every move under a microscope. Still, he was determined to find Ms. Right...until Darcy Dawson blew into town.

A city girl who'd never set down roots, Darcy wasn't the woman Nick needed. But no matter where he went, he couldn't escape her sexy red curls or her husky laugh-nor could he ignore the joy the beautiful stranger brought to his daughter. Yet he couldn't stop worrying about what "other" people might think. Could straitlaced Nick finally throw caution to the wind for the woman who'd captured his heart? 

Very good book.  Nick is very conscious of being a good father to his daughter.  He knows he should marry again, but wants to be very careful this time.  His first wife had not been happy living in a small town and he didn't want to risk making the same mistake.   He doesn't expect to be so attracted to Darcy especially since she's the opposite of what he's looking for.  He can't stay away from her and finds that he is happier when he is around her. He keeps trying to talk himself out of being with her. I loved the way that everyone else seems to recognize that they belong together before they admit it themselves.  Darcy has come to Clearville, where her mother grew up, to get away from the memory of a fiance who didn't appreciate her for who she was.  She didn't want to get involved with another judgmental man.  She soon realized that Nick wasn't so much judgmental as cautious after having been burned.  She melts at the obvious love he has for his daughter and envies the closeness of his large family.   I liked the way that she is so good at helping Nick with Maddie and how she can make him see things from a different angle.  I loved the small town setting and can't wait to read the other brothers' stories.