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Truly, Madly, Deeply
Rule number Don’t fall for one of the parents of a kid you coach. Rule number Don’t fall for a straight woman. Rhiannon O’Bryan finds herself breaking both those rules when she meets single-mom Sabrina Thompson on the first day of fourth-grade soccer practice. Sabrina Thompson has enough complications in her life. Her ex is a nightmare and her boss is a pervert, the last thing she needs is her budding friendship with fellow single-mom Rhia throwing her entire life into confusion. But as their ten-year-old daughters Teagan and Piper spend more and more time with each other, Rhia and Sabrina become close. Rhia thinks she’s deluding herself by lusting after a straight woman, and Sabrina has never considered herself to be anything but straight before.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2020
94 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Clare Dugmore
10 books47 followersFor Clare, storytelling has always been a sacred space — a place of wonder, connection, and escape. Now, as an author, they strive to offer readers that same refuge through stories infused with magic, romance, and quiet resistance.
A queer, neurodivergent creative, Clare writes with an open heart and a justice-driven lens, often centering marginalized voices and themes of chosen family, healing, and hope. Their work is rooted in a gentle faith — one that finds God in softness, starlight, and the radical act of compassion.
Clare lives in the West Midlands, UK, with their spouse and two children. When not building fantastical worlds or devouring books, they can be found gaming, binge-watching cozy series, or crafting handmade magic.
Looking ahead, Clare is focused on cultivating a vibrant, values-led creative community. Through their stories and the Kindred Book Club (https://claredugmore.com/kindred-book...) — a platform to uplift indie authors and support meaningful causes — they aim to spark joy, amplify diverse voices, and remind readers that they're never alone.
Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to my newsletter (https://claredugmore.com/letters-from...) for heartfelt updates, writing news, and bookish magic.
A queer, neurodivergent creative, Clare writes with an open heart and a justice-driven lens, often centering marginalized voices and themes of chosen family, healing, and hope. Their work is rooted in a gentle faith — one that finds God in softness, starlight, and the radical act of compassion.
Clare lives in the West Midlands, UK, with their spouse and two children. When not building fantastical worlds or devouring books, they can be found gaming, binge-watching cozy series, or crafting handmade magic.
Looking ahead, Clare is focused on cultivating a vibrant, values-led creative community. Through their stories and the Kindred Book Club (https://claredugmore.com/kindred-book...) — a platform to uplift indie authors and support meaningful causes — they aim to spark joy, amplify diverse voices, and remind readers that they're never alone.
Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to my newsletter (https://claredugmore.com/letters-from...) for heartfelt updates, writing news, and bookish magic.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 10, 2020
I really enjoyed my first read by Clare Dugmore.
Sabrina has never found a partner after her ex. She has a daughter and a job so finding love has taken aback seat. When she meets Rhiannon a coat, mum and a fellow singleton she has a new hope. Can Sabrina and Rhiannon find a new life together?
I really enjoyed this cute romance. It’s about family, support and friendship.
Kindle unlimited read.
Sabrina has never found a partner after her ex. She has a daughter and a job so finding love has taken aback seat. When she meets Rhiannon a coat, mum and a fellow singleton she has a new hope. Can Sabrina and Rhiannon find a new life together?
I really enjoyed this cute romance. It’s about family, support and friendship.
Kindle unlimited read.
July 12, 2020
This was such a sweet story! Everything was too simplistic, but sometimes naïve is good, isn't it?
August 20, 2020
It's available on Kindle Unlimited, which is great considering it wasn't a diamond in the rough. It was okay though.
January 28, 2021
Divorcee Sabrina Thompson has a nightmare ex-husband, a very supportive family (parents, brother, sister-in-law) and a ten-year old daughter, Piper, who is the centre of her life. Having got pregnant when she was just eighteen, Sabrina gave up her dreams of going to culinary school and got married instead, only to have her husband cheat on her when her baby was only eighteen months. Now, with a growing daughter and limited qualifications, Sabrina is stuck in a job she hates, working long hours for a lecherous boss and has no immediate for any life beyond work and Piper.
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...
July 10, 2020
Great storyline
Great storyline the main characters were perfectly balanced and chemistry was amazing I liked the twist and turns in story great book.
Great storyline the main characters were perfectly balanced and chemistry was amazing I liked the twist and turns in story great book.
October 21, 2020
I enjoyed this book but it was simply written and it needing a bit of spice. The story had it's baddie, the fairy God mother, the charming extended family and the gorgious children! Yea, feeling down? Read it.
August 8, 2020
Really solid plot, a bit rushed - spoilers
The plot, character development, and the personal growth aspects were great! Those things made it worth the read.
The writing felt a bit rushed, like, I'd be totally immersed in a scene, the suddenly I felt rushed through the rest of it and the following scenes until it slowed down again. The pacing could use some work.
There were a few things I noted that seemed off to me, not super important...but ten year olds don't use booster seats unless they are really tiny ten year olds. Also, booster seats should never be used on the front seat, and kids under 13 shouldn't be in the front seat if there are available back seats because of bone develop vs airbags. There were a couple things that made me wonder if the author was more comfortable with British English than American English; just phrasing. That worked well for the half of he book told from the British character's perspective but the code switch to American English was a little off on the vernacular. This might be a bit of what lent to the dialogue being a bit awkward at times, particularly when the kids talk, there was a formality between the girls at times that wouldn't exist between kids raised speaking American English.
The part about the custody hearing was very satisfying but total fantasy. At least in the American court system, you are definitely not getting a custody hearing in a week, and with the evidence brought forth, even with an outburst from the father, it would have been much longer and more involved, the father's lawyer would have been able to present his case, and the father would not have lost all rights under those circumstances. The very least he would have been given would be regular supervised visitation at a McDonald's with a social worker present, but likely he would have retained his rights, only he would have been given specific weekends, holidays, and time over the summer. If he didn't adhere to those times, the mom could then push for full custody with zero visitation, or after the kid was 12, only a year later, she'd be able to stand up on court and say she had no desire to see her dad and the judge would take that into account. Also there would have been steps before it ever landed in court, such as mediation.
That said....I like the version in the book better, so I'm not really complaining.
Honestly, my biggest complaint is how rushed it felt. All the ground work was solid. This novel could have been 10 - 30K words or so longer all over, with a little more showing and less telling, and it would have been much more engaging.
Oh, I really liked how they blending of the two families was handled, I would have liked to see some of that in practice instead of just hearing them say all the right things, but I thought it was well done.
Also, the timing of them moving in together vs sleeping together.... delightfully lesbianish! Sometimes tropes flow really well, and this was a good example of that UHaul trope being written in a very endearing and engaging way.
The plot, character development, and the personal growth aspects were great! Those things made it worth the read.
The writing felt a bit rushed, like, I'd be totally immersed in a scene, the suddenly I felt rushed through the rest of it and the following scenes until it slowed down again. The pacing could use some work.
There were a few things I noted that seemed off to me, not super important...but ten year olds don't use booster seats unless they are really tiny ten year olds. Also, booster seats should never be used on the front seat, and kids under 13 shouldn't be in the front seat if there are available back seats because of bone develop vs airbags. There were a couple things that made me wonder if the author was more comfortable with British English than American English; just phrasing. That worked well for the half of he book told from the British character's perspective but the code switch to American English was a little off on the vernacular. This might be a bit of what lent to the dialogue being a bit awkward at times, particularly when the kids talk, there was a formality between the girls at times that wouldn't exist between kids raised speaking American English.
The part about the custody hearing was very satisfying but total fantasy. At least in the American court system, you are definitely not getting a custody hearing in a week, and with the evidence brought forth, even with an outburst from the father, it would have been much longer and more involved, the father's lawyer would have been able to present his case, and the father would not have lost all rights under those circumstances. The very least he would have been given would be regular supervised visitation at a McDonald's with a social worker present, but likely he would have retained his rights, only he would have been given specific weekends, holidays, and time over the summer. If he didn't adhere to those times, the mom could then push for full custody with zero visitation, or after the kid was 12, only a year later, she'd be able to stand up on court and say she had no desire to see her dad and the judge would take that into account. Also there would have been steps before it ever landed in court, such as mediation.
That said....I like the version in the book better, so I'm not really complaining.
Honestly, my biggest complaint is how rushed it felt. All the ground work was solid. This novel could have been 10 - 30K words or so longer all over, with a little more showing and less telling, and it would have been much more engaging.
Oh, I really liked how they blending of the two families was handled, I would have liked to see some of that in practice instead of just hearing them say all the right things, but I thought it was well done.
Also, the timing of them moving in together vs sleeping together.... delightfully lesbianish! Sometimes tropes flow really well, and this was a good example of that UHaul trope being written in a very endearing and engaging way.
July 9, 2025
Okay, cute story, but where was your editor?? Hell, even a chapter was misspelled! I believe the end result was 'Chapter Twenrty-Four'. *cue eye roll*
I have so much I want to say - about the errors, about the immature writing, the bad segues - but I don't want to be cruel. I did take issue with the portrayal of CPS and family court, and I think that is important. I understand the author is from the UK, but that is no reason not to educate oneself on what you're writing about. And the American child protection services are terrible! They are not succinct, they do not always get it right, and when it leads to a court case, it can be drawn out for months or even years. In this story, the author wrote a clean case that CPS cleared up in a day - at school, no less! - and a custody petition that was decided in a single hearing with no proof of anything other than one party's bad attitude. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Sometimes, kids get taken when they shouldn't, and sometimes, they don't get returned. Sometimes, homophobia can be a deciding factor in a custody situation, or at least the old myth that a child needs one mom and one dad, and nothing else will do. Of course I want to see an HEA in my fiction, but it could still be written factually. And there was absolutely zero tension about any of it.
It ultimately felt like the author put in very little effort. Rhia wants her daughter to eat healthier, but questions if maple syrup on oatmeal is a healthy enough replacement for Lucky Charms. Like, what?? Sabrina conveniently goes to therapy on a whim - which she needed, don't get me wrong - when the whole book she was struggling to survive financially. Like, Clare, ma'am, this is the US. 90% of us cannot afford therapy when NOT single parents! And so on. Sadly, this leaves me with a 2 star rating for this one. I didn't hate reading it, and it wasn't a DNF, obviously, but it wasn't very good, either.
I have so much I want to say - about the errors, about the immature writing, the bad segues - but I don't want to be cruel. I did take issue with the portrayal of CPS and family court, and I think that is important. I understand the author is from the UK, but that is no reason not to educate oneself on what you're writing about. And the American child protection services are terrible! They are not succinct, they do not always get it right, and when it leads to a court case, it can be drawn out for months or even years. In this story, the author wrote a clean case that CPS cleared up in a day - at school, no less! - and a custody petition that was decided in a single hearing with no proof of anything other than one party's bad attitude. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Sometimes, kids get taken when they shouldn't, and sometimes, they don't get returned. Sometimes, homophobia can be a deciding factor in a custody situation, or at least the old myth that a child needs one mom and one dad, and nothing else will do. Of course I want to see an HEA in my fiction, but it could still be written factually. And there was absolutely zero tension about any of it.
It ultimately felt like the author put in very little effort. Rhia wants her daughter to eat healthier, but questions if maple syrup on oatmeal is a healthy enough replacement for Lucky Charms. Like, what?? Sabrina conveniently goes to therapy on a whim - which she needed, don't get me wrong - when the whole book she was struggling to survive financially. Like, Clare, ma'am, this is the US. 90% of us cannot afford therapy when NOT single parents! And so on. Sadly, this leaves me with a 2 star rating for this one. I didn't hate reading it, and it wasn't a DNF, obviously, but it wasn't very good, either.
July 22, 2020
Life as a single mom is hard for Sabrina Thompson. Her ex breaks promises and her boss is a jerk. When she meets Rhia O'Bryan while picking up her daughter from soccer practice, she doesn't expect to fall for this fellow single mom. Yet as their daughters become best friends, Sabrina and Rhia find they like spending more and more time together, and despite all their issues, being together might be exactly what they need to finally be happy.
What an amazing contemporary romance! It's sweet and fun, and yet it digs deep into the serious issues of being a single parent and all the problems that pile up on it. While both Rhia and Sabrina are single moms, they have distinct backgrounds, and I loved uncovering all their layers with them. I couldn't put down my Kindle as I kept clicking, cheering them on and hoping that everything works out. The kids were adorable, and I loved how each of the women had wonderfully supportive families. It's refreshing from the isolation a lot of protagonists are forced into.
What an amazing contemporary romance! It's sweet and fun, and yet it digs deep into the serious issues of being a single parent and all the problems that pile up on it. While both Rhia and Sabrina are single moms, they have distinct backgrounds, and I loved uncovering all their layers with them. I couldn't put down my Kindle as I kept clicking, cheering them on and hoping that everything works out. The kids were adorable, and I loved how each of the women had wonderfully supportive families. It's refreshing from the isolation a lot of protagonists are forced into.
September 30, 2020
This was enjoyable!
I like the story and the connection between Rhia and Sabrina. I always enjoy love stories that involve children. Just makes it more special. I like this writers style and will check out some other of her books. There were however a bunch of errors in the switch of dialogue and words left out of sentences. Just makes it tough to read straight through without rereading a sentence to realize the mistake. Still the story itself was good.
I like the story and the connection between Rhia and Sabrina. I always enjoy love stories that involve children. Just makes it more special. I like this writers style and will check out some other of her books. There were however a bunch of errors in the switch of dialogue and words left out of sentences. Just makes it tough to read straight through without rereading a sentence to realize the mistake. Still the story itself was good.
July 18, 2020
A new love
A wonderful and heartwarming story. The characters are great and the plant is very good. It is a story of one family made out of two. I highly recommend this book and the author
A wonderful and heartwarming story. The characters are great and the plant is very good. It is a story of one family made out of two. I highly recommend this book and the author
July 27, 2020
This was a good book, I was waiting for the angst-tense moment and it surprised me it was so light and with just a little bit of it.
I heard there's a sequel coming in december, so it'll be nice to see what has happened in the life of Sabrina and Rhiabna, specially now that they are spending the holidays in England with Rhianna's family.
This is a fun, good hearted and great book to read in one afternoon.
I heard there's a sequel coming in december, so it'll be nice to see what has happened in the life of Sabrina and Rhiabna, specially now that they are spending the holidays in England with Rhianna's family.
This is a fun, good hearted and great book to read in one afternoon.
August 9, 2020
Easy read
Nice story but could benefit from more editing. Numerous mistakes distract from the story. While set in the US, there are many Britishisms also that are somewhat confusing.
Nice story but could benefit from more editing. Numerous mistakes distract from the story. While set in the US, there are many Britishisms also that are somewhat confusing.
November 7, 2020
Lovely First Read
This is the first book I've read by Claire and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.The four main characters gel so well together,love the football references although I'm from Walsall I'm a Gunner at heart (sorry).Well worth a read
This is the first book I've read by Claire and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.The four main characters gel so well together,love the football references although I'm from Walsall I'm a Gunner at heart (sorry).Well worth a read
January 20, 2021
I feel like it ran longer than it should. It became repetitive around midway, you could practically guess where the plot was going beat by beat.
The beginning was engaging though. Rhia was a bit too good to be believable, I find.
The beginning was engaging though. Rhia was a bit too good to be believable, I find.
August 5, 2021
Something different
So in most of these types of books about two thirds of the way through some kind of drama drives the mains apart. So it was a great and pleasant surprise that when drama reared it's head the two characters faced it head on together. A brilliant change.
So in most of these types of books about two thirds of the way through some kind of drama drives the mains apart. So it was a great and pleasant surprise that when drama reared it's head the two characters faced it head on together. A brilliant change.
June 25, 2025
This story, about two single parents falling in love had lots of promise. However it felt like lesbians uhauling times two in some parts of the book.
I didn't mind the fast pace in which the relationship developed, but the writing felt rushed in some places which put me off a little.
In general, I liked the storyline and most of the background provided, I liked the characters and definitely the less than obvious pets the kids chose.
It just felt like the books had different paces that didn’t flow that well.
I didn't mind the fast pace in which the relationship developed, but the writing felt rushed in some places which put me off a little.
In general, I liked the storyline and most of the background provided, I liked the characters and definitely the less than obvious pets the kids chose.
It just felt like the books had different paces that didn’t flow that well.
June 22, 2025
Lovely story!
I enjoyed reading this story, and would recommend it to anyone interested in sweet characters with smart kids falling for each other, and trying to battle the evil ex.
I enjoyed reading this story, and would recommend it to anyone interested in sweet characters with smart kids falling for each other, and trying to battle the evil ex.
August 18, 2020
Good storyline but felt too rushed. Some plot points just worked out too simply and would be much more complicated in reality. I also found the sex scene underwhelming and glosses over.
September 14, 2020
eu amei!! esse livro tem casal sáfico e crianças ou seja tudo que eu amo
October 9, 2020
Standard romance. I did like both the characters and their daughters ( Tegan and Piper) was cute. Also, the kids named their pets after English football players was hilarious.
3 stars. Average.
3 stars. Average.
October 27, 2020
I enjoyed this book and looking forward to the follow up
December 1, 2020
A nice toaster oven book.
October 23, 2020
Life after divorce and Sabrina figuring out she was playing on the wrong side.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews