Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!
Today is a review of a book that I received free from Harlequin reader service. Since they gave me several copies, I’m giving them all away. That’s right! Cleaning off the shelves! The first 4 people who leave comments (from US or Can mailing addresses) will get one of the copies of this book!
The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry
Publisher: Harlequin Super Romance
Source : Received free from Harlequin Reader Service
Source: I received multiple copies of this book free from Harlequin reader service
Blurb:
Boundaries: the key to how corporate lawyer Alexandra Knight manages her busy life. However, lately all her precisely drawn lines are getting blurred. Blame it on her out-of-control biological clock, which is ignoring her single status…and on Ethan Stone.
Her sexy, no-strings colleague has posed an outrageous solution to her dilemma – he’ll be her baby daddy. this from the guy who avoids all commitment? Okay, so they’re attracted to each other. Really, really attracted. But crossing the line from coworker to co-parent with Ethan could ruin Alex for all other men. After all, when you’ve had the best….
The Best Laid Plans is a delightful story of what happens when so many boundaries are crossed for the desire to have a child. Alexandra is a successful attorney. She’s fairly recently out of a long term relationship with a man who adamantly did not want children. She is now approaching 40 and thinking about having a child. Trying to decide if she should sign up for a dating service or just decide to visit a sperm bank and be a single mom. She runs into her ex-boyfriend pushing a baby in a carriage and it throws her for a loop. She becomes even more unsettled when she finds out at a doctor’s appointment that the likelihood of getting pregnant decreases with every year. In this unsettled condition she shows up for their weekly racquetball game with her co-worker, the yummy Ethan Stone. Things come to a head when she loses her composure during the game. The next day Ethan accidentally finds out that Alexandra is researching sperm banks.
Ethan was stung by his ex-wife. He is determined never to marry again! Because of this, he won’t have the opportunity to be a father – something that wants. A logical conclusion to him is to offer to father Alexandra’s child. He could be a part-time father and not get married, and she could have a child before she is too old to be able to. The story progresses from this point.
The characters of this story are so likeable. Ethan is a strong character who has been hurt very badly. He compensates by substituting his career and spoiling his nephews. Alexandra is a strong woman who does everything right and is still without the child she craves at the age of 38. This story deals with so many touchy subjects with delicacy. We have a heroine who has a successful career, but is getting too old to get pregnant. We have a hero hurt by someone whom he loved, and determined never to get married again, yet wanting a child. We deal with sperm donation. We deal with co-parenting and the legalities involved. On top of all this we have two characters who gradually fall deeply in love.
I loved this book. I’ve read several books by Sarah Mayberry and enjoy her work. I highly recommend this book!
