After retiring at thirty-five, billionaire Matt Coolidge should have it made. Instead, he’s got chronic migraines and high blood pressure. Oh, and during his workaholic years, he completely forgot to have a love life. Now he’s just trying to relax in between arguing with his mother about the fate of the family farm, not to mention his lack of a family of his own. Then Matt’s childhood best friend, Dara Marley, rolls back into town. Ten years after a stupid argument ended a longtime friendship, they’ve both matured, and it’s time to let bygones be bygones. Especially since they’re having a baby together. Thanks to frozen embryos from years ago, Dara’s pregnant… and alone after her husband walked out. She wants her child to have a father, so she’s turning to the most logical place—the biological father, and the man she’s always regretted falling out with. But with two judgmental families who can’t stand each other, and both Matt and Dara just trying to find their footing, they agree to keep the pregnancy quiet for now. Because somehow, he doesn’t think this flavor of “having a family” will appease his mother… This 79,000 word novel was previously published.

ローレン・ギャラガーは本作で、富豪という記号的象徴の裏に潜む「喪失と再生」を情熱的に描き出しています。三十代半ばで健康と青春を失ったマットが、凍結受精卵という運命の糸でかつての親友ダラと再会する展開は、単なるロマンスの枠を超えています。これは成功の代償として切り捨てた「人間としての時間」を、痛みを伴いながらも奪還していく魂の巡礼なのです。 対立する家系や農場という背景が、伝統と個人の幸福の葛藤を浮き彫りにします。不器用な大人が過去の過ちを赦し、新たな家族像を模索する姿は、読者の心に「真の豊かさとは何か」を強烈に問いかけます。知的な洗練と泥臭い人間愛が同居する文体は、読後、深い感動とともにあなたの人生観をそっと揺さぶることでしょう。