BOOK REVIEW- STAND-IN WIFE by Debbie Macomber

Tragedy had shattered Paul Manning’s whole world, leaving him a grieving widower with three small children. Reeling from shock and grief, Paul turns in desperation to the one person he knows he can count on: gentle, caring Leah Baker. Slowly, Leah eases his sorrow and fills his life with new meaning. Then Paul makes an amazing discovery: he needs Leah, and he wants more than a stand-in wife.
AMAZON 4 STARS

Originally published in 1992

I liked this book and found it pretty interesting when it came to the challenges that Paul and Leah faced.  They were both such loving, honorable  people caught up in grief at first.  The emotional struggles were really well done.  As was some of the guilt of their new feelings for each other.  And they don't know how to trust those new feelings either.  
Paul still loves his first wife, Diane but he cares for Leah.  It causes him to struggle with how can that be?  He finds him being attracted to her and confuses him even more.  
Leah had always been made to feel less than when she was compared to her sister Diane.  Diane was her mother's favorite child and she wasn't shy about treating her better than Leah.  Leah was shy, quieter, smart and considered herself plain. One great thing is that her sister Diane NEVER put her down.  She was in fact her best friend as well as her beloved sister. So she lost a lot when Diane died. 
I liked the Manning family, both the children and the in-laws.  They added flavor to the story.  And they gave Leah something she had never had before, more people who cared for her.  A new family since she had almost no one else left alive.   One of my favorites had to be Paul's brother Jason.  He was the only non-married sibling in the group but he was smart when it came to relationships.  He helped Paul sort things out.  He did it by listening and just speaking a few observations that helped Paul zoom into some truths.