Marcus has security cameras and catch's a woman on his porch multiple times. Marcus and his brother own a janitor cleaning service.tabitha helps care for her aunt tweet who has Alzheimer's. Tabitha has sisters who each take turns caring for the aunt. A page Turner. I loved the characters and seeing what would happen next

Strong elements of faith and redemption rule in this charming title with wonderfully depicted leads - the family elements and often humourous situations will engage you on mulitple aspects. The heartbreaking challenges of caregiving and "losing" someone you love to dementia are handled with grace, honesty, and loving care. The romance is sweet and simple leaving your satisfied by the final chapter with the story at hand and eager to read more about the secondary characters.

Being a caregiver for someone with dementia or Alzheimer's is not an easy task.  I watched my mother care for my father and I know it took a lot of out her.  But much like Tabitha, Kym, and Rachel, they all cared for the person with dementia and wanted to do what they could to make that person's life the best it could be under the circumstances.

This story has so many facets that it appeals to many on so many levels.  There is caring for someone that is ill, finding love, rediscovering faith, some conflict, and a happily ever after ending.

Tabitha and Marcus don't start off on the right foot and he is very lucky that Tabitha didn't hold it against him.  It was obvious that he was jumping to conclusions and assumptions regarding Aunt Tweet and Tabitha, but something was blinding him to the truth.  I was glad they worked out their differences and discovered that they belonged together.  Marcus is a true gentleman and treated Tabitha right.

Tabitha has a tough time managing Aunt Tweet and her job.  I wanted to shake her and tell her to ask for help, more than the Adult Day Care that Aunt Tweet went to while she was at work.  Tabitha seemed to think she was giving up by asking for help but considering how Aunt Tweet declined no one would have expected her to do it all on her own.  There is some tension between Tabitha, Kym, and Rachel when they are discussing their aunt's care.  It is hard to know what someone is going through until you spend some time in their shoes.  There was a part of the book that I was angry at Kym and Rachel for their comments towards Tabitha.

I enjoyed watching the romance unfold between Tabitha and Marcus.  I also cheered as Marcus grew as a man and not everything was as black and white as he thought it should be in his mind.  I'm not fond of Marcus' brother, he is selfish and only looking out for himself.

There is one line in this book that really stood out:

"When it comes to forgiving others, we have to remember their walk, hardships, and mistakes in life may be different from our own.  They may do things you never would, but Jesus says to forgive them."

Overall this was a quick and fun read and we give it 4 paws up.

Being a caregiver to someone with any form of Dementia is no easy task. Same holds true for Tabitha Knicely. Tabitha, along with her sisters have the daunting task of taking care of Aunt Tweet, last living elderly relative, who was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's. While trying to juggle that balancing act , she meets neighbor Marcus, who at the beginning, unknowingly attempts to turn her world upside down, but comes to realize the struggles Tabitha is dealing with.

In True Pat Simmons form, we're given real life truths that will cause you to stop and reflect, as well as show you how God truly loves us and speaks to us, as long as we're willing to listen. Such an amazing job, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I wanted to like this book. It's a good concept but was a bit mawkish in the execution. I didn't emotionally connect to the characters too much.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Lean on Me was a mixed bag for me. Simmons does a fantastic job of creating a scenario where someone in the prime of their career is put in a position of being a caregiver for an older relative with memory issues. In her story, it's Tabitha, a pharmaceutical rep that agrees to split time with her two sisters taking care of their Aunt Tweet. And boy, does she make it clear how difficult it can be. On top of that, Tabitha meets Marcus during Aunt Tweet's not-so-lucid moments when she ends up on his patio and the pair end up falling for each other after getting off to a rocky start. In some regards, with an incredibly understanding boss and a man that's willing to help Tabitha care for herself, she gets luckier than many people may be when trying to care for a loved one.

The downside of this to me was that there are points where when it isn't about emotional connections it can feel very stilted and like a product pitch campaign - where Tabitha is reciting drugs it feels like a commercial for the product, and the author specifically mentions franchise restaurants like Chick-Fil-A and Bonefish Grill. I struggle with the lack of sympathy Marcus and Tabitha's siblings have for their relationship - Marcus' brother feels like he is a sucker that should be focused on running their company and Tabitha's sisters feel like she shouldn't be getting into a romantic relationship when she has their aunt to care for. I will also confess that I'm not an overly religious person, and wasn't aware when I received an ARC from NetGalley for review that Simmons was considered a Christian/Inspirational author, so the parts that focused heavily on church, faith and religion didn't do much for me - but that's purely a personal preference and not a criticism of that aspect of Simmons' writing style.

Marcus wasn’t expecting to see a woman on his surveillance camera , trespassing on his domain according to his security camera this wasn’t the first visit. What was going on? Marcus lived in Overdrive Court for four years. Clearly security had been breached. He didn’t have time for this. It was Monday morning and he had to get to the office. Whittington Janitorial Services, the company he started with his older brother Demitrius was twelve minutes from his house. Unlike his siblings, Marcus wasn’t a fan of city living. He made a mental note to check his video surveillance more often and start watching that woman. Tabitha strolled into her kitchen, her Aunt Tweet had settled into a routine since coming to live with her two weeks ago. Altzheimers was slowly attacking Aunt tweets brain cells. One minute her aunt was absent minded, repeating tasks- craving snacks, especially sweets, as if they hadn’t finished a meal not long ago. Than in the blink of an eye Aunt Tweet would turn into a game show junkie. Tabitha had been at a medical convention when she got a call from her older sister Kym and told Aunt tweet was in the custody of the Philly Police department. Their youngest sister Rachel was on the phone too, Kym told hert they suspected her aunt had Alzeimers. Tabitha left the concert early and got a nonstop flight to Philly, Kym was already on the road from Baltimore, and rachel had booked a flight from nashville. The sisters pulled together as they always did in a crisis. They had gone not only out of a sense of duty but Aunt tweet was important in their lives. She met everything to them, especially after the death of their parents. Once they met in Philly , they made it a point to share in the responsibility of their great aunt’s well being. Each taking care of her six months at a time. Tabitha had to refocus as she smiled at her aunt lovingly. Today Aunt Tweet would stay at an upscale adult day care while Tabitha began her first day at a new job. Tabitha hoped god would reveal a cure to eradicate or reverse this horrible disease before it was too late for her Aunt. Aunt Tweet had went for a walk while Tabitha had still been sleeping and she lost her vintage scarf on a porch but not on tabitha’s porch. Tabitha rushed to take her aunt to look for the scarf and she snuck to the porch as her aunt pointed it out but didn’t see the scarf. Tabitha went a second time and the scarf was in sight and just as she reached it an imposing man stood in the door. Judging from his snarl and piercing eyes Tabitha felt it better to run. Marcus took responsibility seriously, it had been drilled into his head. Marcus rtold “ Older people are jewels and I refuse to stand by and watch someone treat them carelessly.” She cast him an angry glare and said “The jewel of my family is in that car” “ Unless you’ve been a caregiver for a loved one don’t judge someone who is,” and stormed back to her car. Marcus fummed on his way to work , he wasn’t sure if it eas about Tabitha’s mistreatment of the elderly person or his losing his temper. That was so uncharacteristic of him. Tabitha considered herself a people’s person but today Marcus had pushed her buttons. She didn’t like him. Tabitha renamed Marcus “ The Jerk”.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was an easy, quick read, and sometimes an emotional book. I chuckled at times than choked up at others while reading this book. I loved the pace and ploit. I also liked learning more about Alzeihermers and Dementia. This showed the difficulties of caring for a sick loved one. I wasn’t too fond of marcus’s brother demetriu, it was like he was more for himself than anything. I got a little angry at Kym and Rachel and some of the things they said about Tabitha. I liked the growth we were shown in Marcus. I loved Marcus and tabitha together. He was so much into family. Especially elderly members. I loved Tabitha and how she loved her great Aunt Tweet and tried to do right by her great aunt as she and her sisters had discussed. I would have loved to rate this a 4.5. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this story and I recommend it.

My second new-to-me author of the new year, and another winner! In Lean on Me Pat Simmons uses the story of Tabitha Knicely's caregiving for her Aunt Tweet who suffers from dementia to demonstrate the blessings and challenges of being a caregiver. Marcus Whittington's role in the story prompts readers to be more aware of the support needed by those in caregiving situations. God places people in our lives who need our time and attention with no strings attached. Simmons tells this story against a backdrop of a love story: Tabitha's love for her aunt, Marcus' and Tabitha's love for one another, and God's gracious love for each of us. She also inserts enough humor into the telling that readers do not become bogged down in the heaviness of Tabitha's responsibilities and sacrifices, and so that they can appreciate the deep emotions that make one willing to bear those things.

I am grateful to have received a copy of Lean on Me from Sourcebooks via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

I thought that this was an incredibly beautiful and powerfully heartfelt read. I truly believe that this is a book that is really going to connect with many readers. So many of us will see ourselves in Tabitha. From personal experience I know how hard it is to be a caregiver to someone you love. It is such a complex situation, and honestly, I believe that it is just not possible to fully understand this situation until you find yourself smack dab in the middle of it. As if that is not enough to make this a remarkable read, the author also cleverly flips the coin and showcases how things can look from the outside looking in. Almost anyone can relate to making snap judgements, without having all the info. Overall, I felt that this was a really good book that featured a nice romance and dealt with some very meaningful and important subjects. I will say that there were a couple plot points that seemed off the mark and didn't make the most sense to me but for the most part I thought that this book was a very solid read.

This is a sweet story (100% sweet) about family, alz/caregiving, faith, and romance. An honest look at the terrible disease that alz is but, other than that, this book is so sweet. Maybe too sweet? The work place situation with Victor and his family was interesting and the way it was handled was well done. This book was Tabitha's story of her time with Aunt Tweet. At the end of the book, Aunt Tweet moves on to spend the next 6 months with Rachel who may or may not be on the cusp of a developing relationship with Demetrius, Marcus' brother.. and Tabither and Marcus get married (Spoiler alert). I am guessing that the next book will be the story of Rachel and her time with Aunt Tweet. I enjoyed it but never had that "I can't wait to get back to my book" feeling. If you are looking for a feel good, happy, no suspense kind of book, this is it :) 3 1/2 stars.

Tabitha is barely keeping her head above water = she's working and most of all she's caring for her Aunt Tweet, who is sinking further daily into dementia. It doesn't help when her neighbor Marcus gets judgey and accuses her of not taking good care of Tweet because that's for sure not the case. These two are fated, you know, to become a couple and while this is a romance, it's really about family, faith, and keeping promises. It's underpinned by a strong Christian bent. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Simmons has taken on serious issues- dementia and its effects on caregivers- and done it well. A good read.

Need a feel-good book? Try this one. As I read this lovely story, I could easily envision it as a Tyler Perry movie. “Lean on Me” is about family love and tackles the difficult topic of being a caregiver.

Never having been in the situation Tabitha is I felt overwhelmed just reading about what her life was like caring for her great-aunt. Marcus is the man every woman would love to have. After at first jumping to the conclusion that Tabitha was irresponsible in the care of her great-aunt he soon recognizes his error. How could you not love a man who steps up to be the caregiver to the caregiver!

Written with compassion my heart went out to Tabitha and her sisters as they watch their beloved Aunt Tweet ravished with dementia. Being a Christian romance, Tabitha and Marcus find strength through their faith. The characters were well developed and relatable, written with normal flaws that had to be tackled.

I really enjoyed the story as it elicited a variety of emotions – love, fear, happiness, sadness, pride, sweetness. A truly beautiful story. Thank you to Sourcebooks for the e-galley to review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Lean On Me (Family is Forever) Pat Simmons

Tabitha Knicely is overwhelming from taking care of her Aunt Tweet. Aunt Tweet has dementia and is getting worse. Tabitha's sisters and her made a pact to take turns caring for their great aunt. Tabitha is the second sister to get her aunt. The sisters refused to put their aunt in a nursing facility. Tabitha had to literally give up her life to care for her great aunt

Marcus Whittington is a neighbor that has accused Tabitha of elderly neglect. He threatened to call the police on her which adds to her frustrations. In the end, Marcus sees how Tabitha and Aunt Tweet relate up close and now understands those frustrations.

This book gave me a romantic flair that I enjoyed it. I loved the book cover. It is so beautiful. The title was on point because Tabitha needed Marcus to lean on. Family is forever and the characters in the story prove that point. The characters were relatable, funny, honest, and caring. The empowering love story has its twists and turns that you didn't really know what's coming. The dialogue was on point. The story line went smoothly and I could relate a lot. I like how the author, Pat Simmons, did her research on dementia and the different drugs and side effects Tabitha was trying to sell to doctors offices.
I really enjoyed the story. I cried, got mad, laughed, and got excited. I was on an emotional roller coaster throughout the story. Thanks for the wonderful ride.

Lean on Me by Pat SImmons is a contemporary romance that follows Tabitha Knicely during her turn to care for her Aunt Tweet who has Alzeihmer’s. The premise sounds sweet with a cute romance, and it is, but it’s also heartbreaking at the same time. Tabitha’s development and Aunt Tweet’s actions throughout the story gives the reader a look into the difficulties of being the sole caregiver for a family member. On the other end it doesn’t seem as if the same thought is put into the other characters; Marcus is described as someone who gives second chances to those who would otherwise not get them, but his thoughts at the beginning are the opposite. I could also not understand why Tabitha and her sisters would choose for their aunt to move between them every 6 months, it just does not seem to be a realistic option for some suffering from dementia. Overall it was a good read once you get past the hurdle that is the beginning.

Leon on Me is a beautifully written romance. A great plot that deals with a character caring for some with Alzheimer’s. The author tackles this difficult situation perfectly. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

An emotional read that brings a bit of reality and romance together. Tabitha and her sisters assume the role of caregivers to their ailing aunt, not fully aware of the toll that being a caregiver takes on your life. This book is well written and keeps you turning those pages. Great addition to my Pat Simmons collection.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Initially i was drawn to this book due to the story being based around a caregiver to her aunt who had Alzheimer's. I usually avoid books where faith and religion comes into a story, as i am far from a religious person. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read and one that i could relate to in many ways. I was a full time carer to my mother who had Alzheimer's. There were times when i felt i couldn't cope, but i did with the help of family support. Loved the romance aspect. Well worth a read.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

This is a really enjoyable feel good story. The characters are all very likeable, with real life challenges. They help each other and lift each other up. I loved seeing them lean on and love eachother.

A heartbreaking, heartwarming Christian story of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. The writer definitely able to make the reader understand the trials, tribulations, and unfortunate judgements made by others. The books holds your interest and makes you think long after the last page. I thank Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review..

Loved the premise; intro to characters wasn't bad but by Chapter 6 the horrible writing had turned me off to the book and I did not finish. No published review.