Sharon Sala brings us a new novel, I'll Stand By You

***Thank you Edelweiss for an Advanced copy of this title****
Description:

No one is alone
Dori Grant is no stranger to hardship. As a young single mother in the gossip-fueled town of Blessings, Georgia, she's weathered the storm of small-town disapproval most of her life. But when Dori loses everything within the span of an evening, she realizes she has no choice but to turn to her neighbors.

As long as there is love to give
Everyone says the Pine boys are no good, but Johnny Pine has been proving the gossips wrong ever since his mother died and he took over raising his brothers. His heart goes out to the young mother and child abandoned by the good people of Blessings. Maybe he can be the one to change all that...

So I think everyone knows that I adore Sharon Sala. She is an extremely talented author, and if you follow her on Facebook, shes is just an amazing person. Her romantic suspense trilogies have kept me occupied for the last several years.  This new novel, which I believe is the first in the new Blessings, Georgia series, is something different for Sala.

Because of the age of the characters, I would call it New Adult instead of the usual contemporary romance. The characters are barely out of high school, however they are much more mature for their age. Dori is a young single mother, not even eighteen yet. She lives with her father who helps take care of baby Luther. One day, though, she comes home and her house is on fire. Her father and the baby make it out, but her father has a heart attack and dies suddenly. Dori is completely lost without him and no idea what to do. Her neighbors turn their backs on her, and she has nowhere to go.

Johnny Pine fought for custody of his little brothers when their mother passed away and barely won. He works construction, and works hard, and takes care of his little brothers. They don't have much money, but they are getting along just fine. One night as they are out and about, they come upon the house fire and see Dori and her baby being shunned by their neighbors. Johnny has known Dori, not well, but knows her. He stops and picks her and the baby up and takes them to his house.

Dori has as support network she never even knew she had, starting with the amazing ladies at the beauty shop. After staying a few days with Johnny, and his help getting through the funeral, she makes an agreement with Johnny to help take care of the boys while he is at work. School is almost done for the summer and babysitters and daycares are expensive. Dori agrees to stay with Johnny and help out.  Dori didn't know what she would do with out Johnny.

But circumstances just can't leave them alone and a nosy DHS lady as well as Luther's father showing up will cause problems. 

Where as the age of the main characters kind of bothered me, the entire story came together well.