Wishes, a widowed dad struggles with the everyday struggles of a single dad at the same time as dealing with his grief for his deceased husband. Luckily he meets Ronan, a shockingly handsome single-dad, and friendship and understanding blossoms between the two.

A beautiful book which focuses on aspects that will matter to anyone. The topics that are most apparent is love for family, focus on mental health, and putting trust in the people around you.

The writing style is easy to read and brings you along in a pace that is perfect for the books characters and topics. It is engaging and it feels much like we’re thinking with our main character.

All of the characters are nicely written and they all are quite special. I don’t want to say to much about them, but the relationship which blossoms between both the adults and the children are so sweet and meaningful! They truly make the whole book.
I recommend this to anyone looking for an easy, good read, which at the same time carefully handles difficulties that many people face in life. A beautiful and heartwarming book for Christmas – pick it up!
 

Inga

Book reviewer on Goodreads

Dad Jokes and Pine Cones, by C.J. Banks, is a book everyone should put on their reading list. Themes of loss, grief, and past mistakes are softly braided around a budding romance between two gentle single parent men doing their best to survive the obstacles life sometimes throws in our paths. The story is well-paced and, with significant pieces of backstories revealed, the reader is given a front row seat as the protagonists confront fears, both old and new.

The author is spot on with their keen understanding of mental health issues including PTSD, domestic abuse, and addiction. I very much look forward to reading more of their work. Well done.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
 

Bob Jackson

Book reviewer on Goodreads

I love the single dad trope. I quickly bought this up after reading the summary and I was not disappointed.

Wishes is a red-headed widow with a sassy little girl. (who stole my heart from the first punch!)
Ronan is a sweet divorcee of a neurodivergent little boy. (who was so relatable)

The author did so amazing pulling me in from the very beginning and kept my attention to the very end. I wasn’t able to put the story down.

What I loved so much was the love story between these two single parents was real and so amazing. I cried and laughed, the puns were perfect to balance out the little angst.
This story was ( to me) very character-driven you follow along as these two work through their pain and insecurities.

I would have loved if there was more working for forgiveness in certain aspects but I also recognize that what was done was very on point for real life.
 

Alyscia N Northrup

Book reviewer on Amazon