Tag Archives: Pregnancy

Beacon (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 6)

By Michelle Irwin

Synopsis

Sometimes happily doesn’t last ever after.

Beau Miller believes the worst of the battles are behind him and Phoebe. They’ve found their way together despite the odds and have settled into their new normal. Only, an unexpected discovery will change everything.

Will Beau find the beacon he needs to guide him through the biggest certainty of life?

Review

BEACON is the final story in the Phoebe Reede series and, after all the twists and turns and everything Phoebe and Beau have been through, it was definitely hard to say goodbye.

I can’t say much about this book because of spoilers, but I will say this: I was disappointed with how this series ended. Though this story was very beautiful and put me through the wringer, this was definitely not the ending I wanted or was hoping for.

BEACON is a deeply emotional read that will rip your heart out. I was crying on almost every page, so before you start reading it, make sure you have a big supply of tissues at the ready and be prepared to read well into the night. You have been warned.

Beacon (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 6)

My Rating:

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Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story Series

I Knew You Were Trouble (Oxford # 4)

By Lauren Layne

Synopsis

Taylor Carr has it all—a sleek job in advertising, a stunning Manhattan apartment, and the perfect man to share it with: Bradley Calloway. Even after Bradley dumps her for a co-worker on move-in day, Taylor isn’t worried. She’ll get her man eventually. In the meantime, she needs a new roommate. Enter Nick Ballantine, career bartender, freelance writer—and longtime pain in Taylor’s ass. Sexy in a permanent five-o’clock-shadow kind of way, Nick knows how to push Taylor’s buttons, as if he could see right through to the real her.

Nick’s always trying to fix people, and nobody could use a good fixing more than Taylor. Sure, she’s gorgeous, with mesmerizing silver eyes, but it’s her vulnerability that kills him. Now that they’re shacking up together, the chemistry is out of control. Soon they’re putting every part of their two-bedroom apartment to good use. Then Taylor’s ex comes crawling back to her, and Nick figures she’ll jump at the chance to go back to her old life—unless he fights for the best thing that ever happened to him.

Review

I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE is the fourth book in the Oxford series, but it’s only the third one I’ve read. Since it’s been a while since I read the first two books in the series, and because I haven’t read the third, I’m not sure if Nick and Taylor have appeared in the series before, or if they’re new. The first several chapters are set in the past, ranging from one year to six months ago, before continuing on in the present. This really gave the beginning of the story a fast-paced feel, but it was a good way of providing us with this couple’s backstory.

Taylor could be a hard character to like, because she’s so defensive and very quick to attack. She was bitchy to Nick from the moment they met simply because of the way he made her feel. But because you get to see inside her head, you learn that underneath her cool and aloof exterior, she’s just a woman who wants someone to love her.

What can I say about Nick? Not much, because compared to Taylor, he doesn’t really shine. By that I mean I took a lot of notes about Taylor, but hardly any about Nick, which tells me that he didn’t really do anything noteworthy.

I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE is told in dual POVs, and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. There are mentions of the previous couples, but they weren’t done in a way that left you feeling like you were missing something. I’m not a fan of a couple never using a condom, or when the conflict happens right at the end and is then resolved very quickly. Unfortunately, both of those things happen here. However, it does come with a lovely HEA for Nick and Taylor that I really liked.

I Knew You Were Trouble (Oxford # 4)

My Rating:

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Oxford Series

Fighting For Love (Boston Love # 2)

By Kelly Elliott

Synopsis

Finn Ward has two passions: being a firefighter and being single. Although his parents are constantly nagging him to settle down, Finn just wants to enjoy himself while he’s young. Then, at a union meeting, he meets a gorgeous lawyer with a dazzling smile—and suddenly, settling down doesn’t sound so bad.

Rory Adams is fresh out of law school and looking to make a name for herself at her mother’s firm. She doesn’t have time for silly games anymore. But when she catches the eye of a dashing fireman who makes her body tingle from across the room, something instantly ignites between them. The only problem? Her father is Finn’s boss.

Their relationship turns both of their lives upside-down. Rory tames Finn’s wild ways, while he shows her that life can’t be all work and no play. But it’ll take some serious determination to keep their love secret—and real courage to admit the truth.

Review

After reading and loving SEARCHING FOR HARMONY last year, I jumped at the chance to read FIGHTING FOR LOVE, the next book in the Boston Love series.

I don’t remember any of the secondary characters from the last book, so I had no idea who Finn was. Turns out he’s the brother of Preston, the male lead from the previous book. He’s also a firefighter, one who has a playboy reputation. Or at least he did, until he saw Rory from across the room one day and became smitten with her immediately. I loved reading all the romantic gestures he pulled trying to win her affection, and in his spare time he reads to kids at the local library. Swoon.

“It’s our first date. I wanted it to be special for you, because you’re special to me.”

Rory was a lovely young woman, but too much of a people pleaser. She became a lawyer to please her mother. She stays away from firemen to please her father. She works harder than anyone else at her mother’s firm just to prove to her co-workers she’s not there just because of her mother. But in saying that, she’s not always a push-over. She had no problem putting her chauvinistic co-worker in his place several times, and she does finally stand up to her parents to find her own happiness.

There is one character in this story whose behaviour didn’t sit right with me, and that was Rory’s father. His insistence that she never date a firefighter was understandable, but only up to a certain point. When your daughter is twenty-six years old, you really need to let go. What was more disturbing was his over-the-top reaction to when Finn first declared his love for Rory. The way he treated Rory and Finn was disgusting, and I was disappointed that he wasn’t man enough to resolve things in the end.

FIGHTING FOR LOVE is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. It was an enjoyable read and I’d love to visit this series again if/when the next book comes out.

Fighting For Love (Boston Love # 2)

My Rating:

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Boston Love Series

Healing a Heart

By Amy Lillard

Synopsis

The author of Loving a Lawman invites you back to the ranch…

As cowboys, the Langston brothers of Cattle Creek, Texas, know it’s easy to mend a fence. Mending a broken heart, however, takes time…

Rancher Jake Langston prides himself on being the sensible type. But five years after the loss of his wife left him to raise their daughter alone, he indulges in a one-night stand with a sexy stranger. He thought he’d never see the woman again. Four months later, though, she’s standing in his drive with a big surprise.

Bryn Talbot wants nothing from the hunky cowboy who got her pregnant, but her Southern nature demands she at least tell him about it. When Jake’s family persuades her to stay for a while, she’s soon won over by their charms—and by Jake. But with the losses the two of them have suffered in the past, neither is sure if they’re ready to take the leap to forever…

Review

Firstly I love the cover of this book, I just want to sit in that chair on that Texas ranch.

My favourite character of this whole book was Wesley, that girl captured my heart and to me was the intricate character to bring Jake and Bryn together.

This story flowed beautifully and jumped ahead at parts and I did not feel as if I missed out on where their relationship strengthened.

Jake’s mother’s story must continue into the next book as it was not resolved by the end. I also have not read the first book of this series but we meet his brother and Jessie.

Now onto Jake, my only complaint is that we did not see him open up to Bryn about his hang ups until the 95% mark after she gives birth. I really wanted him to open up to Bryn and I felt a bit deflated after the custody chapter with the lawyer, it did not feel resolved to me.

Overall a lovely romantic story that kept me turning the pages and gave me wonderful moments of love, family and new beginnings.

Healing A Heart

My Rating:

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Coma Girl: Parts 1-6

By Stephanie Bond

Synopsis

In COMA GIRL, a victim of a tragic event lies in a hospital bed, at the mercy of friends and relatives who think she can’t hear them. But she SO can.

COMA GIRL, Part 1 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in July.
COMA GIRL, Part 2 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in August.
COMA GIRL, Part 3 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in September.
COMA GIRL, Part 4 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in October.
COMA GIRL, Part 5 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in November.
COMA GIRL, Part 6 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in December.

Review

I decided to review all six parts of COMA GIRL as one because I didn’t see the point of every review saying “She’s still in a coma” and “Another secret and/or confession was revealed”. All six parts take place between July 1st and December 31st and total about 600 pages. Apart from Part 6, every novella ended with a cliffhanger that I didn’t see coming.

Marigold was involved in a terrible car accident in June which left her in a coma, however she’s able to hear everything that is said around her. Throughout the months she has regular visits from her family, her best friend, a scary but hilarious nun, the detective investigating her accident, a mystery man who reads poetry, and a doctor who won’t give up that one day she will wake up. Almost every person who visited her confessed their secrets and personal problems, and it was evident very early on that her parents treated her differently from their other children and that her entire family is not involved in her life and know nothing about her. Which is scary because her family now have the right to make medical decisions on her behalf.

I’ll be honest, there’s not much of a romance element to this story, at least there isn’t until you reach the end of November. Assuming she would one day wake up, I kept trying to figure out who she was going to end up with as there were a couple of possibilities, even though she was pining for a man who was marrying someone else. Spoiler Alert: She does wake up. She tells a few people that she could hear everything, but when it came to her family she decided to keep their secrets and start fresh. Her quick forgiveness of her entire family for all they said and did was probably the only disappointing part of this entire series. No-one can heal and move on if everyone is still keeping secrets.

COMA GIRL is told only in Marigold’s POV and to get the most out of the series, it needs to be read in order. The author calls it a daily serial and it is written almost like a journal, with each new chapter being a new day and just a few pages long. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book laid out in such a way, and I found I didn’t mind it. There is no epilogue, which was disappointing as I would have loved to have seen a glimpse into Marigold’s future.

Coma Girl: Parts 1-6

My Rating:

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Coma Girl Series

Whatever It Takes (Try Again # 4)

By Stephanie Smith

Synopsis

Can a dream really become a reality?

Georgia Armstrong is on the hunt—on the hunt for a man. It’s not what you think, though. She’s not looking for love, friendship or companionship. Georgia wants a baby, and she’s on the hunt for a sperm donor. Except her plan is to have the sperm donated the good old-fashioned way. What could possibly go wrong?

Henry Marsh knows what he wants, and a wife and family are not it. He doesn’t know where the little blonde bombshell came from, and he doesn’t know what she was thinking when she came up with her plan. And he especially doesn’t know why he agreed to help her.

Business quickly turns into pleasure and the lines are blurred as Henry and Georgia begin to break all the rules.

How far will Georgia go to become a mother, and what will it cost her? And has Henry finally put his member some place he shouldn’t?

Review

WHATEVER IT TAKES is the story of one woman willing to do whatever it takes to have a baby. Georgia isn’t getting any younger and she knows her time is running out if she wants to have a baby. She can’t afford to go through IVF, so that leaves her with the only option of getting pregnant the old-fashioned way. But she’s a realist who knows that by the time she finds a man who she could settle down with, it might be too late. So she’s come up with a plan that even she thinks is crazy: find a man willing to knock her up, who will then walk away when it’s done. Henry ends up being that man. He has no desire for marriage or children, but he’s happy to try and make her dream come true.

Despite her crazy plan, I quite liked Georgia. She had a dream and she chased it with everything she had, because she was determined to make it come true. I can respect that. I liked Henry, that he was very upfront about what he did and didn’t want out of life. However, I didn’t like that after he acknowledged his feelings for Georgia, he expected her to give up her dream of having a baby to be with him, but not once did he consider doing the same for her and I was so happy when Georgia stood up to him about it. Luckily for Henry, he redeems himself in a huge way.

WHATEVER IT TAKES is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. I did find it hard to believe that Henry⎯a man in his thirties⎯didn’t know how a woman’s cycle worked, or that Georgia believed her ability to fall pregnant was gone after suffering a setback. Their lack of knowledge in regards to human reproduction was a little concerning. The story itself moves at a fairly quick pace and is overall a fun and lighthearted read that comes with a lovely HEA.

* Note: This story includes scenes about the joys of pregnancy, as well as its dangers and risks, which may be triggers for some readers.

Whatever It Takes (Try Again # 4)

My Rating:

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Try Again Series

The Millionaire’s Proposal

By Janelle Denison

Synopsis

New York Times Bestselling Author Janelle Denison brings you a classic marriage of convenience and secret baby trope that is fun, flirty, and filled with sensual romance.

Grace Holbrook believed she couldn’t have children, but now she was pregnant after just one night with sexy, bad boy Ford McCabe. She was delighted by the news, but not so thrilled when Ford insists they get married, especially when his recent return to Whitaker Falls after eleven years away is shrouded in secrets.

Ford has always wanted Grace. Even back when he was the town rebel and should have known better — until he was blamed for the death of her brother and was shunned by the community. Now a millionaire businessman, he’s back to claim what is rightfully his . . . including Grace and the baby they’d created together.

Review

Millionaire’s Proposal has all the ingredients for an easy to read light romantic escape story and it did not disappoint me at all. I love second chance romance stories with a surprise pregnancy and this one was great.

Ford is one Millionaire who is working many angles, one is his heart and the other proving himself to the small town he left. As a reader you immediately connected with him and wanted to see his life take a turn for the better with his one true love.

No real surprises as the Synopsis basically explains the whole story but you still get a few dramatic moments thrown in and it flows well.

There is also lots of tension between Grace and her dad after she accepts his proposal.

The ending is beautiful and you get a Happy Ever After with no unanswered questions.

The Millionaire’s Proposal

My Rating:

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Barely Yours

By Charlotte Eve

Synopsis

This is strictly professional … right?

William – I’m a serious businessman. A devoted father. And right now I’m at breaking point. I’m all my daughter has in the world, since her mother was so cruelly taken from us – just three years ago. I thought I didn’t want Tabitha raised by a nanny. But then I met Chrissie – young, passionate, and full of life. She captured Tabby’s heart in an instant, but now I must be on my guard. Because it seems like she’s melting mine, too …

Chrissie – Whoa! I did not expect the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen in my life to offer me a job looking after his daughter. My new boss is a real English gentleman: charming and handsome. But there’s something cold about him, too. What happened to make him so distant, so reserved? And how the hell do I stay professional, now that I’m starting to develop feelings for him?

Please note: this book ends on a cliffhanger.

Review

BARELY YOURS is the story of William, a thirty year old English single dad to his adorable daughter, and Chrissie, a twenty-two year old U.S. college student living in London on a twelve month work visa.

I liked William, who truly loves his daughter, but at times he was a bit hard to take. He would lead Chrissie on and then slam on the brakes, leaving her hurt and confused in the process. But when he finally realised what the problem was, he admitted it, he accepted it and he was ready to move on and give all he had to Chrissie. I liked Chrissie too, mostly because I thought she acted her age. She’s a young woman who’s smart and loving, and she has a good head on her shoulders. That being said, the ending is all her fault because she makes a rash decision without thinking. If she were a thirty year old woman behaving that way, this review would not be so kind. But because she’s only twenty-two and, in what I assume is her first real relationship, I can forgive her stupidity.

BARELY YOURS is told in dual POVs and is the first book in a trilogy about this couple. I must warn you, it does end in a cliffhanger, which I didn’t realise until the story ended on said cliffhanger at the 87% mark. Clearly I need to read the ENTIRE blurb before starting on a book, only so I know what I’m getting myself into. That being said, I enjoyed the story and I would read the next book, but I may wait until all three books have been released. The story will continue in NEARLY YOURS, but I don’t have a release date on that one at the time of this review.

Barely Yours

My Rating:

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Hunter (Campus Kings)

By Celia Loren

Synopsis

He’s the predator, I’m the prey.

Hunter Phillips
I’ve seen the look on this sweet innocent freshmen’s face before, I see it almost every night in my bedroom. But there’s something different about her, and not just her beauty or her tight little body, something incredibly intriguing…I can tell she’s going to be a challenge.

Turns out this chick is coach McKay’s daughter, and he’s a real ballbuster, hardass, bastard. He’s determined to make my life a living hell as much as he can without compromising our season.

But if I really wanted to piss him off I could f*ck his daughter.

Maybe I’ll do just that.

Britt McKay
He’s Vanover University’s panty-meltingly hot quarterback. He’s the king of the campus, a beast on and off the field.

And totally off-limits to me.

My father is Vanover football’s head coach–and Hunter is his star player. But my dad hears the locker room chatter and sees the jersey chasers lineup outside the showers begging for the chance to be taken by the #1 draft pick. And according to him, Hunter is the worst of the bunch–filthy, depraved, and rotten down to his core.

But I made a terrible mistake…I walked past the locker room and got a glimpse of more than I could handle. Hundreds of girls on campus whisper that Hunter’s packing a monster in his jock-strap…and they aren’t lying. I didn’t know men could look like him in real life.

But he saw me gawking, and now he wants to show me first-hand what it feels like to be underneath his 6’5” frame and 240lbs of pure muscle.

I told him I’m a virgin. I told him I want exclusivity. I told him I want love.

And he gave me a baby.
Hunter is a stand-alone, full-length, Contemporary New Adult Sports Romance novel. Readers beware, this book contains tons of steam and adult language, ages 18+!

Review

Having read three other books by Celia Loren, I am a happy reader, she has again delivered another great romance story that is fast paced, has some humour, friends, family and also the ultimate bad boy.

Hunter is your typical sports alpha guy who changes for the better for his girl Britt. I must say I really enjoyed seeing his character evolve for the good with guidance from his Coach and it was interesting that they leant on each other after Britt’s choice. At the start I did not like her dad but by the end I was all for the Coach.

I found this story was the perfect length as we jumped time at the right moments and it was great to see Hunter with his career at the end of the book. The supporting characters were relevant to their story and not just thrown in, to me they all played a part in Hunter and Britt’s romantic journey.

When Britt loses her Virginity, to me it felt honest yet romantic but also had passion – it was perfect.

I also have to say the cover is H.O.T.

Hunter (Campus Kings)

My Rating:

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Baby, You’re Mine

by Fiona Davenport

Synopsis

Guy Rule #1: Sisters Are Off Limits

Bailey Cross grew up as the only daughter of a single mom. When she finds out about a family she never knew she had, she travels half-way across the country to meet them. On the night Bailey hits town, her nerves get the better of her, making her act out of character when she meets Wyatt Kincaid in a bar and lets him take her home. After a night that rocks her world, she races out of his bed as quickly as she fell into it. But, there is one thing Bailey can’t run from, the baby she and Wyatt created.

Wyatt went out looking for a good time and found a hell of a lot more than he’d bargained for. He wants more than a one night stand with the woman in his bed; he wants a chance at forever. But when he wakes up the next morning, she’s gone. He searches for her, but Bailey is nowhere to be found… until he goes looking in his best friend’s home.

My Review

Well this series is going to be my guilty little secret – please don’t judge me – I needed a light hearted read with all the lovey dovey stuff!

This is a sweet, short but a surprising sassy story – do not grab it if you are after a heart wrenching dramatic romantic story – this is a fun read and ticks all the boxes for me.

It has all the insta-love ingredients to make it a great in between cleanse the mind read.

The alpha male Wyatt (OMG love the name) who gets knocked off his socks but one young lady hell bent on having some fun and losing her virginity.

Thank god I say finally a girl that is not all about saving it for “The One”, she is like I need to grab the bull by the horns and ride this man to punch in my V Card – you go Bailey!

This story is fast, has humour, lots of great sex scenes that actually fit with the characters profiles really well, is sweet where it needs to be and actually had a little heart in the mouth moment towards the end. Did not like her brother Jack but I did soften towards the end, to me a bit of a bully and judgemental of his friend. Also found her realising she is pregnant scene a bit weird but hey it was humorous in that she is having a vomit and the whole family are having a conversation around her.

Best bit of this is that we get an epilogue to show us where these two great characters end up and it has the “Oops” baby story that I unashamedly just love.