A review by lisaluvsliterature
Baby, One More Time by Camilla Isley

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book blew me away! It started with what would have to be one of the most mortifying moments, having your high school ex-boyfriend be the one who has to give you a pelvic exam as you are getting ready to do IVF. I mean, just wow. I’m so bad I prefer to go to women doctors for that anyway! But it was impossible when we got John’s side to not fall in love with him and his daughter. Especially since we didn’t know exactly how he’d broken up with her in high school on prom night and what made it so impossible for Marissa to forgive him or even be able to move on with any relationships.

I loved how John set about proving to her he was changed. And then something big happened, that I won’t say what, because it’s a major spoiler and major change in plans for Marissa and her IVF. But oh my gosh, it was so crazy! But perfect in a way too. I was left with so many parts that made me laugh out loud, as well as a lot of emotional parts. I loved the family interactions, as well as the banter between Mari and John.

The scene where Mari’s big secret comes out to her family, the being pregnant as well as what I alluded to in my last paragraph was hilarious and so so perfect. And then there was Marissa’s best friend Blake, who was the character in the first book in this series, which I haven’t read yet. But I am guessing from what happened that we kind of get this story slightly aligned time-wise for part of it. Blake and her significant other Gabriel made even more perfect characters for this whole story to piggy-back on or spin off of into its own directions. So much I really need to go back and read it, even if I’m not always a big billionaire romance reader.

In the end, even with the craziness and the whimsicality of some situations, I feel like the author made a lot of “real” choices for the characters in how they behaved and reacted to things when all the pieces finally started to settle into place. This may end up being one of my favorites of the year, and cements Camilla Isley as one of my favorite romance authors these days!