Review: Baby of the Family

Baby of the Family by Maura Roosevelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roger Whitby dies and leaves what's left of his fortune to his youngest and "adopted" son Nick, much to the dismay of two of his half sisters who are living in family-owned homes. But Nick has disappeared and, as long as he doesn't know about his father's death and the change to the will, Brooke and Shelley are in no hurry to find him.

Nick's mother, Susan, would like to find him, though, because she wants a piece of the inheritance as payback for what Roger did to her (his fourth wife) and Nick. Shelley's mother, Elizabeth, also plays a role in the story as Brooke, not Shelley, is forced to deal with a medical emergency.

We get a look into Brooke's private life -- a break-up, an unexpected pregnancy, a turned-down wedding proposal, and the possibility that she'll have to find a new place to live if Nick finds out he owns her house.

Shelley, who is the closest to Nick, is also dealing with the uncertainty of the Nick-owning-her-house situation and, when he shows up on her doorstep, doesn't even tell him about their father's new will. He lives there with her for months before a traumatic event leads her tell him the truth.

During those months, Shelley is in a weird relationship with her strange boss and his family.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Astor or a Vanderbilt this is a bit of a look into that lifestyle, from the point of view of a couple of 20-somethings (back in 2003) their older sister and their mothers.

I found it very satisfying.


You can find my interview with Maura here: http://wesb.com/liveline-ondemand/

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