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Making Ends Meet
From Anna Clifton comes a sweet, emotional, beautiful romance about a man whose life has been derailed and the unexpected woman who can help him get it back on track.'It's for other reasons that I won't need a nanny beyond a month.'Twenty–three year old nanny Somer Sullivan has never had a job quite like this one: fix the messed–up, out–of–control life of high–profile artist and thirty–something dad Harry Halligan. But Somer is organised, efficient and not afraid of a challenge. She will do everything Harry needs her to do, including bringing his ex–wife home for good.'One month, Harry, and I'll be out of here.'Harry Halligan doesn't want a nanny, but he needs one–he needs Somer. She's the only one who can reach his troubled daughter, who can bring some measure of peace to his home. But as Somer advances her mission to fix his life, a few things become clear: his ex–wife might not be the answer, and Somer just might be. But Somer is running like hell from something in her own life and hiding in his. Only one thing is for sure. Harry now has less than a month to make the hardest decision he'll ever have to make–a decision that will change all of their lives forever.
- GenresContemporary Romance
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
3 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Anna Clifton
7books45followersFirst of all, thanks for visiting!
If you’d like to get in touch please drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.
In order to write this bio I began to think back on how I came to be writing romance novels. I soon worked out that I've held down in excess of fifty jobs in my life so far. They've ranged from scooping ice-creams, to selling glow sticks, to stumbling around in a container ship on absurdly impractical 3-inch heels, trying to work out who's legally responsible for contaminating an entire cargo of Swiss chocolate. If nothing else, my ‘interesting� working life and the wonderful characters I've met along the way have been great 'copy'; it was probably inevitable they'd demand creative exposure in some shape or form eventually. �
My fascination with the romance novel itself first unfolded when I was staying on a friend’s outback cattle station; I just happened to pick one up from her big sister's bookshelf. As a fourteen-year-old reader, I instantly fell in love with its passion, its just-for-the-hell-of-it fun and its unbridled HEA optimism. Many years later, as a writer, I would come to love the scope that the genre offers for exploring the endless mystery around why we feel, think and behave as we do � a special focus in my stories about love, friendship and family.
In addition to writing, I also love reading and reviewing. But as I now know the sweat and tears that goes into creating any finished book I only review if I want to recommend.
I currently live in Sydney in an often too-small house with my husband and three children and our two spoilt-rotten cats. Our ‘adopted� pets, a shamelessly randy alpha-male Brush Turkey and several roof-dancing possums, share our bush gully backdrop.
Anna x
If you’d like to get in touch please drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.
In order to write this bio I began to think back on how I came to be writing romance novels. I soon worked out that I've held down in excess of fifty jobs in my life so far. They've ranged from scooping ice-creams, to selling glow sticks, to stumbling around in a container ship on absurdly impractical 3-inch heels, trying to work out who's legally responsible for contaminating an entire cargo of Swiss chocolate. If nothing else, my ‘interesting� working life and the wonderful characters I've met along the way have been great 'copy'; it was probably inevitable they'd demand creative exposure in some shape or form eventually. �
My fascination with the romance novel itself first unfolded when I was staying on a friend’s outback cattle station; I just happened to pick one up from her big sister's bookshelf. As a fourteen-year-old reader, I instantly fell in love with its passion, its just-for-the-hell-of-it fun and its unbridled HEA optimism. Many years later, as a writer, I would come to love the scope that the genre offers for exploring the endless mystery around why we feel, think and behave as we do � a special focus in my stories about love, friendship and family.
In addition to writing, I also love reading and reviewing. But as I now know the sweat and tears that goes into creating any finished book I only review if I want to recommend.
I currently live in Sydney in an often too-small house with my husband and three children and our two spoilt-rotten cats. Our ‘adopted� pets, a shamelessly randy alpha-male Brush Turkey and several roof-dancing possums, share our bush gully backdrop.
Anna x
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 19, 2015
Copy received from author for an honest review.
I have adored all the previous Anna Clifton books I have read, so the chance to read an advanced copy of Making Ends Meet was a no brainer.
The road to love is always going to be bumpy, but add in kids and an ex-wfie, and Somer and Harry's romance is all the more difficult.
I love the way Ms Clifton writes her characters. Somer and Harry are both flawed. The kids aren't perfect little specimens who do no bad. The kids react and feel like kids should.
Somer and Harry are both kind of broken, neither of them looking for a relationship, but they fall into one anyway
I love how they are perfect for each other - flaws, warts and all. There is the push/pull between them, and at times my heart broke for both of them.
Making Ends Meet is one of those stories that you know where the story is (hopefully) going to end up, but it is the ride you are taken an along the way that makes it so much better.
Ms Clifton draws you into the story right from the first chapter, and you won't want to stop reading until you get to the end.
It is a sweet romance, not to over the top with the sexy times (not that I mind that at all!!) and it will leave you with a smile on your face and in your heart.
I can't wait to read what she has for us next.
I have adored all the previous Anna Clifton books I have read, so the chance to read an advanced copy of Making Ends Meet was a no brainer.
The road to love is always going to be bumpy, but add in kids and an ex-wfie, and Somer and Harry's romance is all the more difficult.
I love the way Ms Clifton writes her characters. Somer and Harry are both flawed. The kids aren't perfect little specimens who do no bad. The kids react and feel like kids should.
Somer and Harry are both kind of broken, neither of them looking for a relationship, but they fall into one anyway
I love how they are perfect for each other - flaws, warts and all. There is the push/pull between them, and at times my heart broke for both of them.
Making Ends Meet is one of those stories that you know where the story is (hopefully) going to end up, but it is the ride you are taken an along the way that makes it so much better.
Ms Clifton draws you into the story right from the first chapter, and you won't want to stop reading until you get to the end.
It is a sweet romance, not to over the top with the sexy times (not that I mind that at all!!) and it will leave you with a smile on your face and in your heart.
I can't wait to read what she has for us next.
June 18, 2015
This book didn't take me long to read. I read this last night. Its cram packed with goodness.
Anna Clifton made an impression on me when I read and reviewed one of her books from Net Galley Titled Adams Boys.
Later the author approached me with another book she thought I would like, I agreed to read it. It was named Falling for the Lawyer.
As most of you know by what I read, I am not much into the sexually explicit scenes that are so modern today, not because I am a prude, they just get boring when its constant in every book, I think, just how many times can you write the sex scene for gods sake [that is just my opinion and I know its not shared by others.]
I am not into mushy reads either, but I do like a goodromance with a story. A deep meaningful story that is outsidethe bedroom more than in it.
I think Anna Clifton has a brilliant balance between the two.
I just love her work and I am happy to read/review/purchase her books at any time.
This story starts with Somer. She is twenty three and she needs to get herself a job, but she wasn't expecting to go for an interview as a Nanny. She even dresses up for the part.
On her way there are two children in a park, all alone, one of the neighbors is concerned because they have been there for quite a while, so Somer approaches them to see if they need help or lost their way or something.
I loved how this author portrayed the little children, really typical realistic reactions from kids that age.
By the way that Somer handled the situation I already knew she would get the job she was going for, she had a real talent relating to kids. However, would she ever get the job, she was late.
The person she was going to be interviewed by whose children she would be looking after for a month she didn't know much about him. But we as readers we get to know what happened before her and how he is left struggling with 2 children and his physical health.
You kinda know which way the story is going to go but what you don't know is what happens in between, what leads up to it and if all goes well without hiccups.
I read this within three hours on my Kindle and enjoyed and devoured every word.
Brilliantly written, easy to follow and a fantastic book to snuggle up with or sit outside in the sunshine.
My thanks to Anna Clifton for my copy.
June 18, 2015
'Making Ends Meet', Anna Clifton
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance,
I love romance, but when you read a lot inevitably many stories read so very similar, so finding something like this, so different is a real treat. I loved the characters, even Freya....I do like someone who isn’t “good�, though she wasn’t actually a bad person, just a bit selfish IMO.
Harry and Somer get off to a bad start � she didn’t want the job, but felt obligated to interview as her friend who she owed so many favours to had set it up. Harry doesn’t want a nanny either � he wants to get his wife back, but feels obligated to interview the girl as his friend ( the same friend) had set it up, and she’d done so much to help him. Things go awry, and their first meeting, instead of being the interview at his home, ends up being in a park, with his kids, in the pouring rain. He’s mad at Somer for the events that have placed them there, she’s equally furious with him for his part in it, and some sharp words are exchanged. Rosie though, his 7 year old daughter, has taken to Somer, and poor Rosie has been having a hard time since her mum left. Somehow despite their bad start Somer is soon living in their home and turning Harry’s life around. The kids are happy, Harry’s painting again, and somehow Somer has drawn this sad group together and found them some happiness.
Somer has decided that Harry’s first idea to get Freya back is a good one, she’s from a broken home and goes all out to stop Rosie and Nelson from suffering as she did. Harry’s not so sure now, Somer has shown him what life could be like. Then there’s Freya, who left a year ago and yet rings Harry daily, and still has contact with the kids even though she’s an unreliable flake about it. She doesn’t seem to know what she wants...
Its a backwards and forwards romance, interspersed with some laughter and sadness, confusion, dramas and a really fun story. Rosie is 7 going on 27 it seems. I loved her, she’s such a bright little girl and sees so much more than everyone thinks. Nelson at 4 is a typical little boy, so long as there’s love, food and toys he’s happy. Harry is adorable, and has tried so hard for his family, just wants what’s best for the kids, but when he spends time with Somer he realises that there’s more to life, and maybe trying to make Freya come back, when she’s clearly not cut out for the hands on mother role, isn’t the best solution, and perhaps they’d all be happier if he did something else. Its a great read, full of humour and pathos too and I so love the sad elements in a romance, it means when everything comes together I get a sense of satisfaction, that everything has worked for the best. Here it looks as though things are going to work out several times, and then things happen that throw it all up in the air once again. We see behind the characters too, to the events that have shaped them and make them think in certain ways. I always enjoy that, I like to try to understand people, to see what and why they act as they do. We’re all products of our upbringing, even though we deal in different ways. Its been fun reading something outside the often used a meets b, they have a couple of mishaps and live happily ever after format.
‘Stars: Four and a half, a fun read and one I really enjoyed. If the “down� had been a bit stronger I'd have gone a five.
ARC supplied by Author
June 24, 2015
A lovely, sweet read from Anna Clifton. Somer and Harry both have their issues and there's plenty of working through them on the road to HEA, however I enjoyed every step on that journey.
September 1, 2019
Reviewed by Colantha
Book provided by the author
was a satisfying and read about the Nanny and the employer troupe. The story was written from the viewpoint of bringing two broken people together in an environment that allows them to fall in love rather than just the hero to be broken, which was refreshing.
I enjoyed how the author wrote the story as it allows the reader to focus on the other characters, while sticking with the main love story- Somer and Harrys. We got the also see that Freya wasn’t a bad person just very flighty and that allowed me to really want Somer and Harry together.
I had one thought, is the author planning on making this a series as I would have liked to read about Sara and Guy’s relationship and how they came to meet as I had enjoyed the persistence of Sara in bringing Somer and Harry together. I found it was more Sara than Somer to pushed her to see her flaws and to fall in love, and so would love to see their love story.
This author has really gotten to know her characters inside and out and you can tell as you read each page. I found that by knowing the characters, she was able to make them alive.
Very well done, and I would like to read more books by this author, especially as a trilogy or a sequel.
Book provided by the author
was a satisfying and read about the Nanny and the employer troupe. The story was written from the viewpoint of bringing two broken people together in an environment that allows them to fall in love rather than just the hero to be broken, which was refreshing.
I enjoyed how the author wrote the story as it allows the reader to focus on the other characters, while sticking with the main love story- Somer and Harrys. We got the also see that Freya wasn’t a bad person just very flighty and that allowed me to really want Somer and Harry together.
I had one thought, is the author planning on making this a series as I would have liked to read about Sara and Guy’s relationship and how they came to meet as I had enjoyed the persistence of Sara in bringing Somer and Harry together. I found it was more Sara than Somer to pushed her to see her flaws and to fall in love, and so would love to see their love story.
This author has really gotten to know her characters inside and out and you can tell as you read each page. I found that by knowing the characters, she was able to make them alive.
Very well done, and I would like to read more books by this author, especially as a trilogy or a sequel.
August 12, 2015
first came to my attention at the beginning of this year when she contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing her third novel . By way of introduction to her novels, she explained that her sensuality ratings are mild, her characters around the thirty year old mark with her storylines providing good emotional impact.
It sounded like just my cup of tea - after all, I love a story that puts a touch of tightness in my chest. After reading that first one and now, having read , I believe that Anna is one of those Romance authors who you can always be assured will bring you a solid romance that is full of emotional conflict, completely rounded characters and great dialogue.
In Making Ends Meet the second in the series delving into the lives of the Halligan siblings, and the novel which follows New Year’s Promise, she brings to the frontline Harry Halligan, thirty-three, on the mend after his operation as he struggles to get back into his painting while looking after his two young children and the life-altering course his life has taken since his divorce from Freya. He’s a likeable character and, from a woman’s perspective, easy to empathise with given his situation.
Deciding he needs a nanny for just four weeks, he contacts a good friend of his who arranges for her step-cousin, Somer Sullivan, to attend an interview with him. Needless to say, they don’t exactly get off on the right footing and Harry has to do a bit of grovelling before she re-considers.
Somer is a sweet character who is fantastic with both the children as well as Harry. She is also the source of the emotional conflict between the adults, promising Harry that he will only need her for that month, which gives her enough time to aid in mending the broken relationship between him and Freya for the sake of their children. It is her own emotional baggage that sustains her as she asserts her opinions about broken marriages � after all, she herself is still emotionally stunted by her father’s abandonment of her and her mother when she was just fifteen.
What she didn’t count on was being on the receiving end of resistance from so many quarters!
With two separate threads also running through the main narrative, this makes for some interesting reading as Anna writes about the larger issues at play in contemporary relationships. This adds a sense of reality to the story which her effortless writing style weaves into a combination of romance and real life � where there are inevitably no easy answers.
She keeps her two main characters at the centre of the story, skilfully using their viewpoints and dialogue with the secondary characters to flesh them out and is careful not to over-dramatise them. Instead, she allows them all to take the reader by the hand as they come to grips with what has brought them to this point in their lives.
Her child characters are lovingly rendered and she gives them plenty of space, blending their dialogue well into the storyline and capturing the dynamics of young children caught between parents who are divorced and the trust they place in someone who gives them the attention they crave which offers them hope. Rosie in particular crept into my heart and some of the things she says are just beautiful.
Thoughtful, touching, warm and sentimental, those looking for something slightly deeper than fluffy romance shouldn’t pass Anna by.
I may still have her first two books ( and ) on my TBR, but I'm definitely looking forward to what she has in store next for the Halligans - could it be Guy?
It sounded like just my cup of tea - after all, I love a story that puts a touch of tightness in my chest. After reading that first one and now, having read , I believe that Anna is one of those Romance authors who you can always be assured will bring you a solid romance that is full of emotional conflict, completely rounded characters and great dialogue.
In Making Ends Meet the second in the series delving into the lives of the Halligan siblings, and the novel which follows New Year’s Promise, she brings to the frontline Harry Halligan, thirty-three, on the mend after his operation as he struggles to get back into his painting while looking after his two young children and the life-altering course his life has taken since his divorce from Freya. He’s a likeable character and, from a woman’s perspective, easy to empathise with given his situation.
Deciding he needs a nanny for just four weeks, he contacts a good friend of his who arranges for her step-cousin, Somer Sullivan, to attend an interview with him. Needless to say, they don’t exactly get off on the right footing and Harry has to do a bit of grovelling before she re-considers.
Somer is a sweet character who is fantastic with both the children as well as Harry. She is also the source of the emotional conflict between the adults, promising Harry that he will only need her for that month, which gives her enough time to aid in mending the broken relationship between him and Freya for the sake of their children. It is her own emotional baggage that sustains her as she asserts her opinions about broken marriages � after all, she herself is still emotionally stunted by her father’s abandonment of her and her mother when she was just fifteen.
What she didn’t count on was being on the receiving end of resistance from so many quarters!
With two separate threads also running through the main narrative, this makes for some interesting reading as Anna writes about the larger issues at play in contemporary relationships. This adds a sense of reality to the story which her effortless writing style weaves into a combination of romance and real life � where there are inevitably no easy answers.
She keeps her two main characters at the centre of the story, skilfully using their viewpoints and dialogue with the secondary characters to flesh them out and is careful not to over-dramatise them. Instead, she allows them all to take the reader by the hand as they come to grips with what has brought them to this point in their lives.
Her child characters are lovingly rendered and she gives them plenty of space, blending their dialogue well into the storyline and capturing the dynamics of young children caught between parents who are divorced and the trust they place in someone who gives them the attention they crave which offers them hope. Rosie in particular crept into my heart and some of the things she says are just beautiful.
Thoughtful, touching, warm and sentimental, those looking for something slightly deeper than fluffy romance shouldn’t pass Anna by.
I may still have her first two books ( and ) on my TBR, but I'm definitely looking forward to what she has in store next for the Halligans - could it be Guy?
July 28, 2015
Harry is a gentle and loving man. His children are his life, no doubt about it. Yet his life has been in flux since his divorce a year ago. Recent health problems have reminded him of his mortality and the necessity for his children's mother to once and for all step up to the job she has abandoned. So he is working to recuperate from his recent brain surgery so he can convince Freya to come back to him and the children.
Needing help while he recuperates, his friends help him find a nanny to help him with the children and the house. Raising a precocious 7 year old and a similar 4 year old is not an easy task. Add to that a rebellious Labrador and his crazy disorganized life is complete.
This is where Somer comes in to save the day. She is reluctant at first, but since the job is only for one month, and it pays well, she is willing to give it a go. Little did Somer and Harry realize their arrangement would become much more complicated.
This is an endearing, romantic and honest romance of the burdens we carry and the secrets we keep even from ourselves. Sometimes we are so scared of life, we run from happiness scared to face the insecurities that shape us. Like all of Anna Clifton books, this is a journey you will enjoy and hold close to your hearts.
Needing help while he recuperates, his friends help him find a nanny to help him with the children and the house. Raising a precocious 7 year old and a similar 4 year old is not an easy task. Add to that a rebellious Labrador and his crazy disorganized life is complete.
This is where Somer comes in to save the day. She is reluctant at first, but since the job is only for one month, and it pays well, she is willing to give it a go. Little did Somer and Harry realize their arrangement would become much more complicated.
This is an endearing, romantic and honest romance of the burdens we carry and the secrets we keep even from ourselves. Sometimes we are so scared of life, we run from happiness scared to face the insecurities that shape us. Like all of Anna Clifton books, this is a journey you will enjoy and hold close to your hearts.
June 28, 2015
This review was first published at M's Bookshelf: Reviews By Mom -
Making Ends Meet tells the beautiful story of Somer and Harry Halligan, brought together by intervention of friends and relatives, not knowing what all live-changing impact their encounter would bring.
They both have had their share in life when it comes to grief, loss, feelings of disappointment in love. And above all, they both share a strong feeling of guilt and responsibility for what happened tot hem and to the people they love.
This makes them very reluctant and hesitant when it comes to opening up to someone else and to love.
Anna Clifton describes perfectly and with such beautiful prose how the main characters feel. The dialogues between all the characters in the book are heartwarming and contain such a lot of wisdom. Even Harry’s 7 year old daughter is extremely clever when it comes to relationships, honesty� You immediately feel familiar and sympatising with Harry, his children and Somer.
It’s a moving story, romantic and not at all cheesy; I loved to read it. Once started it’s hard to put the book down.
Making Ends Meet tells the beautiful story of Somer and Harry Halligan, brought together by intervention of friends and relatives, not knowing what all live-changing impact their encounter would bring.
They both have had their share in life when it comes to grief, loss, feelings of disappointment in love. And above all, they both share a strong feeling of guilt and responsibility for what happened tot hem and to the people they love.
This makes them very reluctant and hesitant when it comes to opening up to someone else and to love.
Anna Clifton describes perfectly and with such beautiful prose how the main characters feel. The dialogues between all the characters in the book are heartwarming and contain such a lot of wisdom. Even Harry’s 7 year old daughter is extremely clever when it comes to relationships, honesty� You immediately feel familiar and sympatising with Harry, his children and Somer.
It’s a moving story, romantic and not at all cheesy; I loved to read it. Once started it’s hard to put the book down.
September 21, 2015
Sometimes there is a book that just sweeps you off your feet. For me, this was that kind of book. From the start, I was caught by the characters and their lives. Somer is a mature, calm young woman, who isn't looking to fall in love. Harry just wants to get his life back together. How they come to fall for each other is a sweet story and was the perfect afternoon read.
I was provided with a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
I was provided with a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.
November 5, 2015
This was an interesting read, with non-standard characters. While they fit a typical mold of nanny and single dad, there is a stubborn theme of not wanting to fall in love that persists for far longer than one would expect. This leads to an odd romance and an unusual pairing. Strange side characters built a stilted world of working together and finding love when you don't want to. There seem to be other stories connected to side characters that perhaps would have set the stage better. Overall a fine book, but not my version of a cuddle up and read romance.
June 28, 2015
I enjoyed this bok, but I did not feel the connection between these characters...
July 17, 2015
A nice story with some heartfelt moments within the story.
3.5 stars
*Review copy received from the Author for an honest review
3.5 stars
*Review copy received from the Author for an honest review
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