Amanda Brown, the author of LEGALLY BLONDE, has another success on
her hands with her second novel, FAMILY TRUST. This witty and
fast-paced book follows the relationship of two people, Becca
Reinhart and Edward Kirkland, who are thrown together after Becca's
best friend Amy and her significant other Arthur, Edward's best
friend, die in a plane crash.

Their wills name Becca and Edward as joint legal guardians of their
four-year-old daughter, Emily. Parenthood is the last thing on
either Becca's or Edward's mind. Becca is a hyper, high-strung
successful businesswoman whose every move is dictated by her palm
pilot and her jam-packed schedule. She has little time for dating,
let alone parenting. Edward is a rich guy whose social life takes
up more time than a nine-to-five workday would. His job seems to be
present at various functions at which his family donates
money.

However, both of them rise to the challenge of being parents to
Emily and strive to put her needs first. They begin a three-month
trial period. At the end of three months, the judge will determine
who will receive permanent custody. The judge tells them that if
one of the two marries, chances are that that party will be the one
to receive permanent custody. Becca takes a two-month paid leave
from her job, and Edward and Becca move in to the apartment that
Emily's parents bequeathed to her so Emily would not have to leave
the only home she has known. Becca and Edward both play a large
role in Emily's life, taking her to various lessons, playing with
her, and tucking her in at night.

But all is not idealistic in their world. A viper named Bunny
dwells there as well. Bunny, or Roberta Stirrup, is a nasty woman
whose main purpose in life is to marry Edward. Bunny was picked by
Edward's mother to marry Edward when they were young children,
based on her status. Bunny figures that when she and Edward marry,
she will send Emily off to boarding school to get her out of her
hair. Needless to say, the tide of maternal feelings does not flow
deeply in Bunny. Bunny bamboozles Edward into a wedding date, which
may seem slightly unbelievable, until readers learn how driven
Bunny truly is --- even though Edward realizes he has fallen in
love with Becca. Becca resigns herself to having lost Emily and
Edward. But the path of love is full of twists and turns, which
readers will enjoy negotiating while reading this book.

Both Edward and Becca are characters who readers will come to care
for, and Emily is a sweetheart. In addition, readers will love to
hate Bunny and will be waiting for her to receive her comeuppance.
Brown's writing style flows well, and she seems to have a good
sense of both the business and domestic worlds. FAMILY TRUST will
most likely appeal to female readers in their twenties and
thirties. Do I see movie rights to this book in Brown's future as
well? It's possible --- and it would be quite welcomed.

Becca Reinhart is a career-oriented woman who has no desire to
marry and raise a family. Edward Kirkland is a rich playboy with a
very busy social life. But when a little girl named Emily enters
their lives, these two individuals who have never met suddenly find
themselves immersed in the trials and tribulations of domestic
life.