To make her dreams come true, she must make a deal with the most off-limits man of all… You won’t be able to put down this dramatic pregnancy romance by Amanda Cinelli!
She’s totally forbidden… and scandalously pregnant!
This New Year, Izzy O’Sullivan has one to conceive her late husband’s baby. Her plans are derailed when Grayson Koh crashes her fertility appointment to tell her that won’t be possible…
If desiring Izzy from afar was torturous for former racing car driver Grayson, then having to reveal his best friend’s deception is unbearable. Yet having her this close again unlocks something primal in Grayson… And knowing Izzy feels it too compels the cynical billionaire to make a scandalous whisk her to Singapore and give her the family she wants!
From Harlequin Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Amanda was born into a large Irish-Italian family and raised in the leafy green suburbs of County Dublin, Ireland. After dabbling in a few different career paths, she finally found her calling as an author after winning an online writing competiton with her first finished novel. With three small daughters at home, her days are usually spent doing school runs, changing diapers and writing romance. She still considers herself unbelievably lucky to be able to call this her day-job.
Well now this was a good time to be had. Presents are full fledged over the top outrageous glittery dramatics and Amanda Cinelli has figured out the assignment and continues to deliver! This is Izzy & Grayson’s romance and honestly I feel Amanda frontloaded all the drama. The craziness is all delivered to us in the very beginning of the book and you keep turning the pages to see how these two, Izzy & the friend of her now deceased husband are going to work out this get pregnant agreement they’ve worked up. I mean Science, we all know what’s involved there but there are so many emotions and the world of Formula-1 (though given a different name) is all around them. This was a quick read once I actually sat down and spent time with it. Very much enjoyed!
Izzy is a widow and has no other family and desperately wants a baby, so she decides to go along with her late husband’s wishes and do IVF at a Swiss clinic. But who barges into her appointment but Grayson Koh, her husband’s best friend, race car driver, the guy who got her fired from her nanny job before her marriage….and who she shared a secret kiss with. He has big , secret news for Izzy. If she had gone through with three procedure, she would’ve had his child, not her husband’s.
As a storm descends and Izzy and Grayson are snowed in at his fabulous house, all the secrets come out and they must decide if Izzy will get a baby after all. 👀
This was a fun book and I enjoyed the way the author made the past and all these secrets collide into the perfect storm. The only downside IMO was that while the BUMP features prominently on the cover and blurb, it really only arrives in the epilogue, but I can see why the author did it so that their I Love Yous are motivated by each other and their feelings and not a baby.
Harlequin Presents knows the biz, and their titles continue to grab. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Is the premise of The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion a little outrageous? Of course, but I knew that going in, and I had a good time. The writing was solid, the steamy scenes were fun, and the story was compulsively readable. I may have a little bit of whiplash from how quickly the plot sped along, but I'm not mad about it.
Compared to other Formula 1-inspired romances I've checked out, this was definitely among the stronger ones. It's obvious Amanda Cinelli knows F1 (which, unfortunately, isn't the case for many motorsports-adjacent romance novels I've picked up...), so that's a big plus.
Good stuff!
Content warning: Death of a spouse (prior to book's events), mentions of drug addiction (prior to book's events)
Quick Summary: A never too late for love, pregnancy romance
My Review: The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion by Amanda Cinelli is a Harlequin Presents novel. It is associated with The Fast Track Billionaires' Club books.
About the Book: Retired racer Grayson Koh had a dark, delicious encounter with Izzy O'Sullivan that left him completely shaken. Before he had a chance to pursue her, she disappeared. Not only had she departed from his presence without a word, but she had also been linked to his best friend. Will he win the race for her heart?
My Final Say: I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this romance novel very much. Even though the initial scene in this story was peculiar, it set up the relationship and arrangement between this couple very well. The tension between Grayson and Izzy was palpable. From the minute they shared their first private moment until the final Elite One race, they sizzled.
Rating: 4/5 Recommend: Yes Audience: A Status/Level: 🌶
Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley. Thank you for for providing access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own thoughts and opinions and have not been influenced by the aforementioned in any way.
I am not certain, but I am pretty sure I read this book as having breeding kink and admittedly I have read quite a lot of fanfiction over the years, but unless I blinked and missed it, this is not breeding kink. (I also could be wrong about it being provided as an example of this in which case I apologize to the author.) But this was fine! I want a bit more fake F1 in a fake F1 romance, but I'm very happy we're starting to get them because yes please.
After her husband Julian dies, Isabel “Izzy” O’Sullivan still wants a baby, so she goes to the Swiss fertility clinic where they planned to do the procedure due to Julian being sterile. Enter Grayson Koh, F1’s recently retired billionaire superstar and Julian’s best friend to stop her plans. Why? Because the sample she’s about to use in the fertility process is his, not Julian’s! Instead, Grayson comes with an outrageous proposal: Izzy will have a baby—his baby—by doing it the traditional way.
Ms. Cinelli did a good, solid start for the The Fast Track Billionaires’ Club trilogy with this book. Izzy and Grayson’s romance is credible, and their chemistry is spectacular. Looking forward to the next installment of the trilogy. I have the feeling it will be great.
• ARC given by Amanda Cinelli & Harlequin Books via Netgalley. Thanks for your trust.
Thank you Netgalley and Amanda Cinelli for the opportunity to read the eARC of The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion!
This was one of the more unique pregnancy trope ideas I have read. A widow wanting to have a baby, but needing a clinic because her late Husband was sterile. She is stopped by her late Husbands best friend because it's HIS sample she almost used. So instead of stopping her plans completely, he offers her the chance to have a baby with him but the catch is doing it the conventional way. The progresses from there and the chemistry really takes off and the story was very easy to read!
I will post my review on Netgalley, Amazon and Goodreads
*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for gifting an eARC in exchange for review*
There were moments that I really loved in this book and some really beautiful pieces of dialogue between the two main characters, but ultimately the story kind of fell flat for me. And ultimately I ended up disliking it more than I liked it.
Isabel and Grayson are former acquaintances linked together by a tragedy involving Isabel's late husband and Grayson's childhood friend (see: frenemy). When Isabel decides she wants to have a family and get pregnant by her late husband, she is shocked when Grayson interrupts her fertility appointment with claims that something is wrong. And what follows is a story of two people fighting an attraction that becomes harder to ignore the longer they spend time together.
Off the premise alone, I was ready to fall head over heels for this couple and their story but the longer the book went on, the more frustrated I got with the back and forth of "I want you, but I know you could never want me like that" and "Its best if I keep myself at a distance less you discover how much I actually want you, its better for you-- even though I haven't been 100% honest with my feelings for you." And its possible that my dislike of the miscommunication trope and third-act breakups (although these two characters weren't really "together" so I'm not sure it counts as a breakup) clouded my ability to enjoy this book, but every time I thought the characters had finally had a breakthrough, there would be another moment of miscommunication or inner monologue insecurity that sabotaged the moment and when this was still going on 77% into the book, it felt like I was reading in circles. I'm just glad the characters got it together by the end-- even if it was in the final 10%.
Tropes: Racecar Driver Hero, Widow, Husband's Best Friend, Pregnancy Pact
The DRAMA in this one! Holy cow.
Okay, here's the deal. Izzy O'Sullivan is trying to get artificially inseminated with her dead husband's sperm, only to have his best friend, the hot, brooding Grayson Koh, burst in and say that isn't happening. Why? Because the sperm isn't her dead husband's, it's Grayson's. Oops! So clearly, the solution to this problem is for Izzy and Grayson to have a baby the more natural way and platonically co-parent. I can see no emotional problems coming from this plan. Surely not.
I really appreciated the representation in this one. Grayson's Singaporean heritage is not super discussed, but I am excited for more East Asian love interests to get some spotlight in the modern era. Izzy's struggles with dyslexia and her emotional baggage from growing up in the foster system were well described. I also enjoyed how much Grayson loved her curves. I feel like it's still pretty rare to see a plus-sized heroine who is relatively neutral about her body, and it was refreshing.
The middle part of this book gets a bit too montage-y for my tastes, but the climax (no pun intended) was really sweet. Speaking of climax, this book was pretty steamy for a Presents. And the sexy times were solid.
A fun Presents, overall, notable for how relatively normal the two leads are. The setup is far wackier than the characters, and sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.
Shoutout to K.C. Sheridan for excellent audio narration.
‘The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion’ by Amanda Cinelli is my first book from this author. I should also mention it is also part of the Harlequin Presents line so there is just a hint of the spice in it. The characters that Amanda brought into this story were so well done and you could feel the spark of the main characters right when they met.
Izzy and Grayson are a couple you just need to have together as they bring out the best of each other and they listen and take in every little detail about the person. ‘The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion’ does show that sometimes the plans we have don’t go as planned but if two people are meant to be they will be together. And when these two are together the sizzle is just unstoppable.
I liked the fact that this didn’t take place in the US and that they both came from different backgrounds. Amanda was able to paint a picture with her words and as you read this book you’ll be able to picture the story she is telling. ‘The Bump in Their Forbidden Reunion’ is a nice solid four stars and a level 2 on the spice. I have no doubt you will enjoy this book. You can get this book on January 23, 2024, wherever you get your books, and trust me when I say you will enjoy this book
This has a unique storyline with FI racing golden boy Grayson and Izzy the past family friend nanny- now BFFs widow, and their scandalous offer. We get Dublin and Singapore as settings. The high rolling lifestyle of a F1 driver and the past coming back to haunt him. These two have past and deep chemistry from the start. It was a fast, fun, and entertaining read with these two. I enjoy Cinelli’s writing and this was another winner- can’t wait to see where she goes with this series! F1 racing was a fun plot line.
This was a good book about two people who were attracted to each other but circumstances kept them apart. The h had married his best friend who later died of an overdose, he had tricked her into believing he loved her. The H wanted her from the first time he saw her but backed off. There was a mix up at a fertility clinic where she was going to get inseminated with her dead husband’s sperm not knowing it was the H’s. They decided to have a baby together and co parent platonically. Along the way they fell in love. Great epilogue.
I didn't like it. Not a fan of the miscommunication trope. Three years before after having first kiss with hero the heroine ran off and married hero's best friend the next day. She didn't talk to him about him being responsible for her losing her nanny job (he wanted to be free to pursue her, because for some reason he couldn't if she a nanny for his godson), instead she just ran away and married someone else. P.
Nice story that flowed really well and with immersive POV throughout. Premise is a tad over the top, but felt like a scandalous, juicy soap opera tidbit, so if that's your jam, you're going to love it! The heroine felt a little too perfect, to be honest, but that can be overlooked for this quick read. Really enjoyed Amanda Cinelli's writing style - she's definitely on my radar now
I reviewed an ARC for Amanda and I love the elements of the racing world that Amanda weaves in (e.g., special helmet designs!). I also enjoyed that Amanda doesn't shy away from making Grayson and Isabel's arrangement begin in a stilted and pragmatic way and they really have to navigate the difficulties of bringing their disparate lives together.
I usually enjoy harlequin for a quick read while on train. This book caught my eye and started off quite good. However, it did seem to stall somewhere in the middle which caused it to drag. I do like this author and it will not put me off reading her other works. I did rate a 3.
**I received this book from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Great setup and jet setting backdrop, but it felt like the backstory wasn’t clearly developed enough. I also needed more dialogue to help the relationship along. More racing would have been good too.
Sorry but Izzy was an utterly ridiculous character whose thought processes were so bizarre that they defied belief. I gave up on this one as I found her so unsympathetic.
The last half of the book was much better than the first. I know death and conception are tough topics but there was so much awkward angst in the first half I almost DNFed.
This book wasn't what I was expecting but was wonderful and thoroughly enjoyed. If you are a race car fan you will love this but it's also a beautiful romance.
If you’re looking for a spicy Formula 1 romance this book is for you!!! This was a super easy fast paced read filled with drama and spiciness.
From the beginning the tension between the two main characters was off the charts which made it extremely hard for me to put the book down. Throughout the book, especially in the beginning I did think there were some unrealistic things that occurred but as I read on it started to all make sense and turned into an extremely enjoyable read.
While reading this book I remember feeling all types of emotions; happiness, sadness, shock, sympathy and many more. For the author to be able to do this in less than 300 pages is extremely impressive and makes me wonder how maybe emotions I would be able to feel if I was to read a longer book by this author!
Overall, this book was a fast paced, tension filled Formula 1 romance with a wholesome ending and I would highly recommend if you like Formula 1, romance and the pregnancy trope⭐️💜
This book was alright, tbh. I thought he was a NASCAR driver, and she wanted to artificially inseminate herself with her dead husband's baby, only to find out that it wasn't her dead husband's sperm, but Grayson's sperm he donated or something like that? Which was completely fucked up, tbh. Then she left the hospital to go to the chalet her dead husband gave an address too, turns out it was owned by Grayson Koh himself, and the two of them spent time there, coming up with an arrangement: sleep with me, and I'll give you a baby.
O...Okay, bro? I guess....how are you gonna do that?
The spice was good in this book, nothing to run home and tell Mama about. Then there was a race in here that I thought was a NASCAR race, but sadly it wasn't-I think it was one of those Formula One races? I think? And the nickname 'The Golden Lion' was weird AF too, but honestly, I just enjoyed myself, it was a fun time, tbh. Not my favorite book, but it was okay.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance for the eARC. This is my honest review. 4⭐️
The emphasis on consent is a key highlight for me. 😍👌 These romances are my guilty pleasure—they bring to mind the charm of a Hallmark movie. The second half was definitely sweeter and right up my alley.
The story follows Izzy, a widow desperate for a baby, who discovers that if she had undergone IVF as planned, she would've had her late husband's best friend Grayson's child instead. As they are snowed in together, secrets unravel, and they must decide their future. Despite the delayed appearance of the baby, the book explores the deep connection between Izzy and Grayson as they navigate their past and present feelings. Ultimately, it highlights the unpredictability of life and the power of love to overcome obstacles.