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Remembrance, Indiana #3
The Baby Bargain
1991, Silhouette, paperback, 219 pp.
219 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
Dallas Schulze
89 books72 followersBorn and raised in Colorado, Dallas Schulze now lives in California. She sold her first book in October 1983. It was published under her pseudonym Dallas Hamlin in the Candlelight Ecstasy Romance line. She loves happy ending and wrote category romances, contemporaries and historicals for Harlequin, Silhouette, Dell and Mira. Her latest title was published in 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 21, 2009
This book will never leave my keeper shelf. It had so much poignancy. Kelly is severely abused by her fundamental zealot of a father. She finds some of her mom's old sixties clothes and makes herself up to go out for a night on New Years Eve, and meets Dan. Dan takes her home and has sex with her in a drunken haze. Kelly gets absolutely nothing out of it except an unwanted pregnancy. You can't really hate Dan, because of what he's lost and how he's suffered. He was badly injured and stranded after a plane accident. When he returns, his pregnant fiance has married his best friend. So he loses his fiance and his child in one blow. He's feeling sorry for himself and drinking when he picks up Kelly. She looks older than her eighteen years all made up, so he doesn't realize she is a very innocent virgin. He passes out and wakes up the next morning alone. Weeks later, a scruffy looking teen who looks like she's been beaten up comes to his auto shop and claims she's pregnant and he's the father and asks for money for an abortion. Yes, he probably should have been more responsible and wore a condom. But you will see that he is a man who lives up to his responsibilities. At the same time, you can't judge Kelly for choosing to have an abortion, considering the horrible life she has with zero chances of it improving in any way. It is a scary life to bring a child into.
He won't give the money to her, because he could not fathom losing another child. And this could be his chance to be a father after all. Instead he makes a bargain with her to take care of her until she has the baby. Thankfully, Dan saves Kelly from her abusive father, who really goes off the rails when he realizes his daughter has gotten pregnant out of marriage (aka sinned against God).
This was such a good book. It made me cry for how sad Kelly's life is. And how Dan comes to open his heart again to love after what he lost. He doesn't want to fall in love or feel anything deep for Kelly, but ends up falling deeply for her. He is so kind and loving to her, and she doesn't really know how to accept his care, because of how strict and cruel her father is. There is a twelve year age difference between them, but it didn't bother me because Kelly is very mature for her age because of what she suffered, and Dan is not too old to be a good husband to her.
This is one of my all time favorite contemporary romances, series or otherwise. It has the heart and the soul that I really look for in a good romance. Dan is the lost fiance of the heroine of The Vow (if you want to read that story first).
He won't give the money to her, because he could not fathom losing another child. And this could be his chance to be a father after all. Instead he makes a bargain with her to take care of her until she has the baby. Thankfully, Dan saves Kelly from her abusive father, who really goes off the rails when he realizes his daughter has gotten pregnant out of marriage (aka sinned against God).
This was such a good book. It made me cry for how sad Kelly's life is. And how Dan comes to open his heart again to love after what he lost. He doesn't want to fall in love or feel anything deep for Kelly, but ends up falling deeply for her. He is so kind and loving to her, and she doesn't really know how to accept his care, because of how strict and cruel her father is. There is a twelve year age difference between them, but it didn't bother me because Kelly is very mature for her age because of what she suffered, and Dan is not too old to be a good husband to her.
This is one of my all time favorite contemporary romances, series or otherwise. It has the heart and the soul that I really look for in a good romance. Dan is the lost fiance of the heroine of The Vow (if you want to read that story first).
December 28, 2020
“The Baby Bargain” is the story of Kelly and Dan.
Very underwhelming.
18 year old heroine living with her religious and brutally abusive father escapes for a night out. Gets drunk and has a one night stand with the hero. Finds herself pregnant and gets pounded by her dads fists. Seeks help from the hero for an abortion. He instead offers her sanctuary and that she give him the baby and go her away. She agrees. Drama ensues including with his ex and books ends in a HEA.
I didn’t have a problem with the heroine wanting to abort the child. She was young. She was getting horribly abused. She had no support. He helped her make the decision to keep it. I just found it odd she was so easily able to agree to basically give away her baby. She also played the push and pull game with the hero, where she’d rather confide in his ex than him. She also was very confused about what she wanted.
Could have been an angsty good read but I didn’t like it. I also didn’t enjoy the heros ex plot (which is the story of the last book). How was eveything hunky dory at the end? Heroine needed therapy. Also didn’t feel the romance.
Whatever.
Safe
2/5
Very underwhelming.
18 year old heroine living with her religious and brutally abusive father escapes for a night out. Gets drunk and has a one night stand with the hero. Finds herself pregnant and gets pounded by her dads fists. Seeks help from the hero for an abortion. He instead offers her sanctuary and that she give him the baby and go her away. She agrees. Drama ensues including with his ex and books ends in a HEA.
I didn’t have a problem with the heroine wanting to abort the child. She was young. She was getting horribly abused. She had no support. He helped her make the decision to keep it. I just found it odd she was so easily able to agree to basically give away her baby. She also played the push and pull game with the hero, where she’d rather confide in his ex than him. She also was very confused about what she wanted.
Could have been an angsty good read but I didn’t like it. I also didn’t enjoy the heros ex plot (which is the story of the last book). How was eveything hunky dory at the end? Heroine needed therapy. Also didn’t feel the romance.
Whatever.
Safe
2/5
July 30, 2011
Nice angsty read. The heroine, Kelly, had been abused by her religious zealot of a father for years. One night she sneaks out and ends up pregnant by the hero, Dan. When she realizes she's pregnant, she goes to Dan for money for an abortion but he wants the child instead and convinces her to have it. He already had one child that he had no contact with when his old girlfriend married another man, Dan's best friend. He really wants to be a dad. Kelly blooms under Dan's care and Dan realizes that he wants not only his baby but also a family with Kelly. Well written. The emotions seem believable. The story is not bogged down with too much recovery stuff. Mostly it's the developing feelings of the two main characters. This is a sequel to Vow which is the book where Dan's old girlfriend marries the other man.
Definitely a keeper for me.
Definitely a keeper for me.
January 20, 2021
Sad, angsty and sweet!
November 9, 2011
Weak 3 stars. Main conflict: she loves him but she doesn’t want to be hurt in the future so she lies to him and acts cold.
STORY BRIEF:
Kelly’s mother died when she was 11. Her father has been beating her ever since. One evening when he is out, she goes to a night club. Dan sees her, buys her drinks, dances with her, and takes her to his apartment. They both are close to drunk and have sex. She leaves during the night. Dan doesn’t know her name or how to contact her. Three months later her father guesses that she is pregnant due to her morning sickness. He beats her so terribly that she calls Dan for help. Dan takes her to his apartment to live during the pregnancy. He tells her he will take care of her and that he wants to keep the baby and raise it. He says he will give her money to go to college and get a start in life after the baby is born.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was written twenty years ago and feels very Harlequin-ish. Dan treats Kelly wonderfully, buying her clothes, teaching her to drive, buying her a car, encouraging and supporting her dreams. There are two main conflicts. Every time he does something or says something nice to Kelly, she immediately ponders “he’s doing that for the baby not for me. He doesn’t care about me.” Dan likes Kelly a lot. He wants to have sex with her, but she refuses. Later when she says yes, they have a wonderful night of sex. The next morning she adamantly tells him “no more sex.” Her reason is that she realizes she loves him and she doesn’t want to be hurt in the future. Sex would bring them closer together and she must protect her heart. I’m sorry but that just doesn’t interest me. Later she leaves him for the same reason. When he asks her what is wrong or what she wants, she won’t tell him. This kind of thing is so overdone in romance novels, I can’t take it. But many readers don’t mind this.
They are living together for four or more months before the happy ending. This gives them time to develop a relationship, but nothing engaging or special happens.
On balance, there is no good plot, no interesting character development, and nothing special about dialogue. It might be enjoyable for a reader in a wishful thinking way: poor girl gets pregnant, prince charming rescues her, and he takes care of her forever. 2 stars for me is “I wanted it to be over,” and that is not how I felt. I was willing to keep reading to see what would happen, which is why I gave it a weak 3 stars.
DATA:
Story length: 244 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 9. Setting: current day Remembrance, Indiana. Copyright: 1991. Genre: contemporary romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Kelly’s mother died when she was 11. Her father has been beating her ever since. One evening when he is out, she goes to a night club. Dan sees her, buys her drinks, dances with her, and takes her to his apartment. They both are close to drunk and have sex. She leaves during the night. Dan doesn’t know her name or how to contact her. Three months later her father guesses that she is pregnant due to her morning sickness. He beats her so terribly that she calls Dan for help. Dan takes her to his apartment to live during the pregnancy. He tells her he will take care of her and that he wants to keep the baby and raise it. He says he will give her money to go to college and get a start in life after the baby is born.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This was written twenty years ago and feels very Harlequin-ish. Dan treats Kelly wonderfully, buying her clothes, teaching her to drive, buying her a car, encouraging and supporting her dreams. There are two main conflicts. Every time he does something or says something nice to Kelly, she immediately ponders “he’s doing that for the baby not for me. He doesn’t care about me.” Dan likes Kelly a lot. He wants to have sex with her, but she refuses. Later when she says yes, they have a wonderful night of sex. The next morning she adamantly tells him “no more sex.” Her reason is that she realizes she loves him and she doesn’t want to be hurt in the future. Sex would bring them closer together and she must protect her heart. I’m sorry but that just doesn’t interest me. Later she leaves him for the same reason. When he asks her what is wrong or what she wants, she won’t tell him. This kind of thing is so overdone in romance novels, I can’t take it. But many readers don’t mind this.
They are living together for four or more months before the happy ending. This gives them time to develop a relationship, but nothing engaging or special happens.
On balance, there is no good plot, no interesting character development, and nothing special about dialogue. It might be enjoyable for a reader in a wishful thinking way: poor girl gets pregnant, prince charming rescues her, and he takes care of her forever. 2 stars for me is “I wanted it to be over,” and that is not how I felt. I was willing to keep reading to see what would happen, which is why I gave it a weak 3 stars.
DATA:
Story length: 244 pages. Swearing language: mild. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 9. Setting: current day Remembrance, Indiana. Copyright: 1991. Genre: contemporary romance.
November 16, 2014
This book has the hallmark of a harlequin read: young innocent heroine who desperately needed saving and a hero who is just waiting for that right cause to show his white horse and shinning armor.
But unlike the lots of hp main characters, these two has a lot of good things to recommend them as worth reading. The heroine for example, has a hidden inner backbone that will not bend to her lust or to the hero's hands. If any heroine needed saving, it's her. She does have a very hard life but she isn't wallowing on it to an angst feast, instead she's breaking out of her shell and coming out quite an impressive character. When she faced her 'demon' alone, I was proud of her unblinking and straight back stance. Her journey as a character was by no means smooth, it's bumpy and often those bumps hurts but she came out in the end with a great story to tell.
What I like most about her was, no means no. She might be seduced at other times but at times she said no, she'll stand for it. I think in part of that is because the hero is worth this title and respects her personal boundaries.
It's hard not to like the hero as well. Despite his many misstep to his HEA, he's really just a man trying to find his way towards the heroine and towards his softer feelings. Just like the heroine, he does have his own demons. In his case though, he has a very good beginning in life and so he has a bases for what's a family should. As opposed to the heroine's quest to be free, his was more to find that 'home' he remembered growing up. With all the things that he lost and gone through, I was cheering for his HEA. Yet, just like most macho men, their stubbornness just make me want to give them a head slap. This hero really is worth reading to see him just floating by life, then him snapping out of it when he found his 'cause' to fight, and then to see him chase tail and the heroine in his quest, and finally to win his heroine.
This really is a great read.
But unlike the lots of hp main characters, these two has a lot of good things to recommend them as worth reading. The heroine for example, has a hidden inner backbone that will not bend to her lust or to the hero's hands. If any heroine needed saving, it's her. She does have a very hard life but she isn't wallowing on it to an angst feast, instead she's breaking out of her shell and coming out quite an impressive character. When she faced her 'demon' alone, I was proud of her unblinking and straight back stance. Her journey as a character was by no means smooth, it's bumpy and often those bumps hurts but she came out in the end with a great story to tell.
What I like most about her was, no means no. She might be seduced at other times but at times she said no, she'll stand for it. I think in part of that is because the hero is worth this title and respects her personal boundaries.
It's hard not to like the hero as well. Despite his many misstep to his HEA, he's really just a man trying to find his way towards the heroine and towards his softer feelings. Just like the heroine, he does have his own demons. In his case though, he has a very good beginning in life and so he has a bases for what's a family should. As opposed to the heroine's quest to be free, his was more to find that 'home' he remembered growing up. With all the things that he lost and gone through, I was cheering for his HEA. Yet, just like most macho men, their stubbornness just make me want to give them a head slap. This hero really is worth reading to see him just floating by life, then him snapping out of it when he found his 'cause' to fight, and then to see him chase tail and the heroine in his quest, and finally to win his heroine.
This really is a great read.
September 24, 2014
This was a lot darker than I was expecting - Kelly has lived a miserable life with an abusive father, and Dan has his own heartache. Apparently there is a story before this one (The Vow?) in which he's the lost love of the heroine, presumed dead in a plane crash which killed his father. He actually ended up in a Central American prison for two years, so by the time he gets back his sweetheart has married his best friend. He has to live with that and the loss of a child he never knew was on the way (reason the best friend married his sweetheart). It's New Year's Eve, drink is involved, and Kelly ends up pregnant. This is basically the story of how two very wounded souls save each other.
February 15, 2009
Followup to The Vow. Very good and kinda heart tugging. Reminded me of some of Sharon Sala's work.
December 22, 2025
Brittany and Michael are horrible people. Ok, Danielle knows Michael as her dad, so she can’t get to know her BIODAD AT ALL?! It’s not like he abandoned her. He was in a plane crash and then held prisoner in a foreign prison due to NOTHING he did. They can’t let her know that Michael is her daddy, but Dan is her father? Ugh.
And picking up an abused 18 year old at a bar is so fucking sketchy
And picking up an abused 18 year old at a bar is so fucking sketchy
June 18, 2018
3.5 stars.
October 27, 2020
I just loved reading this book .. I loved the way it ended with a wedding with her brother coming home at the end .. I would love to read more from this author..
May 22, 2021
I haven't read the first two books but I got annoyed everytime Brittany appreared so yes, 3 stars for the annoyance.
May 12, 2025
More like 3.5 stars. Enjoyable.
January 21, 2012
I have to admit, this book surprised me. I guess I'm not used to romance novels delving into subjects like severe abuse, but this one did, and the author handled it well. I enjoyed the slight dark element that added to the story. Although there were times I wanted to slap the heroine, I found her much less annoying than most of the women in these books; she seemed a little more real, and a lot less selfish.
September 14, 2009
3 1/2 stars
September 25, 2009
Modern
September 11, 2016
Just like what I thought it would be.
September 23, 2013
Rating 3.25 stars
July 20, 2015
Great series
February 6, 2017
Cute light reading.
May 3, 2024
Wonderful
Love this story .Just read it and see if you too aren't hooked on Dallas Schulte characters and stories .Two lonely people meet and finally marry.
Love this story .Just read it and see if you too aren't hooked on Dallas Schulte characters and stories .Two lonely people meet and finally marry.
Read
January 3, 2019DNF
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews