About:
Mark Herron has sworn off complicated relationships. After a brutal divorce and watching his wife walk away because she couldn't handle their son, five-year-old Gabe, Mark's priority is simple: give his non-verbal autistic son the best life possible.
Then he meets Tori.
Freshly separated after sacrificing her own education and career for a husband who betrayed her, Tori is determined to stay single and figure out what comes next. But when she casually mentions her experience working with children on the autism spectrum, Mark nearly chokes on his drink.
She's exactly what Gabe needs.
There's just one problem: Tori has already made it clear she's not interested in men—or anything resembling a relationship.
So Mark invents a fictional friend, Dr. Chris Herron, and offers Tori a job working with his son. He'll keep his distance, respect her boundaries, and absolutely won't hit on her.
At least, that's the plan.
Because the more time Mark and Tori spend together, the harder it becomes to keep their professional arrangement separate from the attraction neither of them can ignore. And when Tori discovers the “job opportunity” came from the man sitting across from her all along, Mark will have to convince her that the one thing he never lied about was how much he wants her in his life.
Hired by the Single Dad
By Whitley Cox
Genre: Romance
Format: Novel
Publication Status: Self-Published
Intended Audience: Adult, Ages 30 and older
Comparable Films / Books:
The Holiday — for its warm, funny, emotionally grounded romantic-comedy tone and characters recovering from painful relationships. Sweet Home Alabama — for its blend of romance, comedy, complicated relationships, and heartfelt family dynamics. The Proposal — for the romantic-comedy energy, strong chemistry, escalating complications, and characters whose original plans for keeping romance at arm's length quickly unravel.
Notable Achievements:
Picked up by Aufbau Verlag of Germany and translated for ebook, print and audio. Picked up by Quixote Edizioni in Italy and translated for ebook and print. Was voted the best new series on the serialized reading app Radish in 2023. Over 5000 5-star reviews on Amazon.
Content Considerations
Content Warnings:
- alcohol consumption depicted
Additional Notes:
- N/A
About the Author
A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when the kids are at school, and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.
Short Film Adaptation Idea
The opening scene takes place in a stylish Seattle bar, where Mark overhears a group of women loudly celebrating Tori's separation from her cheating husband. Recently divorced himself, Mark is drawn into the conversation and eventually joins the women for drinks. What begins as an unexpected, funny encounter quickly turns flirtatious when Tori catches Mark checking her out.
Tori makes it clear she's not looking for another man—she's trying to figure out her life and what comes next. Mark respects that boundary, until she casually reveals that she works with children on the autism spectrum as an intervention therapist.
Mark nearly chokes on his drink.
His five-year-old son, Gabe, is non-verbal and on the spectrum, and they've recently lost his therapist. Tori is exactly the person Mark has been hoping to find. But he doesn't want her to think he's using a job opportunity as an excuse to pursue her, so he invents a fictional friend, “Dr. Chris Herron,” and offers her a job working with his son.
She agrees.
Mark leaves believing he's pulled off the perfect deception. Tori watches him go, however, and realizes she's far more attracted to him than she'd like to admit.
The scene ends with Mark leaning close and telling her, “It does get better,” before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and walking away—leaving Tori wondering if she may have just met the man who could change everything.
