The Buggy List

by Courtney Rice Gager

Drew and Libby Sullivan have spent the past six years building the perfect life together. They have a beautiful home, flourishing careers, and they’re finally ready to take the plunge into parenthood. Well, almost. Despite the endless prodding from family, friends, and even strangers, there still seems to be something holding the couple back from starting a family. Perhaps that’s why they decide to take the advice of Libby’s older sister and make a list of everything they want to do before they have a baby. Making their baby bucket list, or as they call it, “The Buggy List”, buys them just a little more time to be Drew and Libby, who sleep in until noon on Saturdays and eat Chinese takeout for dinner on the couch. Besides, it gives Libby the opportunity to pull straight-laced Drew out of his comfort zone and do something fun for once; like go undercover as singles to a speed dating event with their friend, Tom; or finally take the honeymoon they never had. Drew and Libby each write down five items that they must complete before having a baby. But what starts out as a little harmless fun quickly becomes more than this couple bargained for. When secrets, little white lies, and competing desires threaten to pull them apart for good, Libby and Drew must rediscover why they fell in love in the first place.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Amazon, Own, Book Club

292 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2013

About the author

Courtney Rice Gager first fell in love with reading as a child on summer vacations by the ocean. Today, she enjoys writing her own humorous and heartwarming stories that are best paired with plenty of sand and sunshine. Courtney is the author of The Buggy List. Her upcoming title, Tess in Boots, is contracted with Anaiah Press for release in December 2014. She lives in Southern New Jersey with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Meredith Schorr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, light read. Perfect for a rainy day. My only issue was the married couple accompanying their single friend to a speed dating event and pretending to be single. They did it to cross something off of their buggy list and thought it was "funny" but as a single girl who just had a date with a guy she met speed dating, I would have been really upset if I found out he was married and I'm sure any single girl or guy who attends a speed dating events goes under the assumption that all of the other participants are actually available. I didn't think that was cool at all and certainly hope it wasn't based on something that happened in real life :).

[Kay Defreese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually I would like to give this story a rating of 3 1/2 stars instead of 4. The reason being is the main character got a little carried away with lying. I have to give it 5 stars for being humorous. Her trying to cook Christmas dinner with the turkey incident was just too funny.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute & funny book. I was laughing out loud at so many parts & almost in tears by the end.

Looking back I wish my husband and I had taken more advantage of the yrs we were together before
kids...now 3 kids later I would kill for a honeymoon or adult nights out. The 2 main characters
were so good together....from their very first meeting as she ran him down with her car...and then later
When they finally met for real. I enjoyed this story so much....I realized as I was at 95% on my
Kindle I didn't want the book to end!

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m starting to see this – you and me - as a really good love story.”

LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK.
My face hurts because of the amont of time I've been grinning while reading this book.
Such a cute read filled with a ton of drama!!
They were prefect, She was the ying to his yang. I wish it was longer :(

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characters were relateable and I found myself laughing throughout the book. I love chick-lit and I love characters who are as real as me. However I didn't like the lying part. I know I know, it happens in real life. What can I say, I'm a romantic.

I would totally recommend this book and I can't wait to see more books by Courtney Rice Gager. :-)

[Amber Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick romance

This was a quick and easy read. It was fun and cute but I spent more time yelling at the situations the main character found herself in than rooting for her. Its not a deep read but it can be something fun to get your mind off a bad day.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was so cute and also clean which I liked. 😃

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Easy read.
The main character annoyed me a little - especially about 3/4 of the way through the book.
Otherwise, it was light entertainment that I found pleasant enough.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice quick read that was fairly entertaining. Not sure if her husband understood the difference between bucket list and a pre-baby list though.

[Jeni Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, quick, predictable read. Great book for when you just need something to kill time with and need a little chuckle.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny

Wow, that was funny I really enjoyed it I was not sure at the beginning but I by the end

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very quick read, cute story.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libby & Drew decide to embark on a bucket list before settling down to have a family. The concept of the storyline is good - though elements of the plot are somewhat unbelievable.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book to read. I like Libby Sullivan. She is fun, crazy, & imaginative.

She and Drew have been married for a few year. Before they start a family, they've drawn up a bucket list, or in their case a buggy list, of things they want to do first. Drew's list is practical such as change life insurance policy and make partner in the CPA firm. Libby's list, though, is totally different. She wants a honeymoon which she never had, do the "drink thing" where she throws a drink into a man's (Drew) face, take a friend of hers speed dating, cook for a crowd, and public display of affection.

Things go awry when the "drink thing" is taped and goes viral. Then, she mistakenly sends a confidential e-mail about her celebrity client to a newspaper reporter. Will she get out of this mess? Of course, it's a chick lit book.

Fun.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libby and Drew seemed to have it all. Great careers, great family, and a real great love for each other. They hadn't really thought about starting a family but when Libby's sister warned to do "the things you want to now, because there won't be an after", they decided to make a list. Drew's items were fun but practical, Libby's items were fun and silly. Half way through the list, thinks start to change and come apart.
This book is cute and predictable, but fun and maybe just a little thought provoking as Drew and Libby struggle to complete their lists and maintain their love for each other.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book today and read it in a couple of hours this evening! I enjoy all romances but usually read lengthy ones with multiple plots and story lines. This book was a light read that was simple to get through but I throughly enjoyed it, nonetheless. It was well written and a perfect read for the beach, a plane ride, or anytime wading through a long, complicated novel is not on the docket.

As someone who has three kids and now wishes she had a 'buggy list' before having them, I could relate with the premise of this book! It was funny and lighthearted and fit my mood tonight perfectly...

*Received free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Nickisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly fun

Don't go into this with any expectations. No really, don't. I looked at the cover and I really thought it was going to be humdrum, so much so I started reading it twice before and did not get past the first page... Silly rabbit! I loved it! When I finally got into it that is, could not put it down. And when I did, I told my husband how much I loved him. We are married without kids and making a life together, maybe kids will come, maybe they won't but it's the life you build together. This book more than being about having a baby, is about a couple having a life, making a life together. A great love or maybe life story!

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so this book literally had me Laughing out Loud.



It was hilarious.. Especially assaulting the police with a pregnancy test. I think it had me going for the whole book. It was too cute and I definitely liked it A LOT! I would recommend this book to those of you who have a sense of humor only. What I didn't like was all the little white lies but, it made the story sooo I guess I can say I would definitely recommend this book.

[Jen Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out pretty good. Real cutesy. The buggy list created a good storyline and this book did have some opportunity to be a light, easy, fun, great read. However the ending and the fallout that occurs because of the character's white lies was way too far fetched and eye rolling for my taste. I felt like it killed the story completely. The book was going at a good pace and then all of a sudden it felt like the author was rushed to make something exciting happen and got too carried away with it. The ending just ruined a perfectly good story, in my opinion.

[Colleen Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is certainly a quick read, taking only a couple hours to finish. It started as a pretty amusing story about a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants PR specialist, married to a super-organized Accountant. It had almost a Lucy Ricardo feel to it, where the lead character was spending most of her time trying to cover up one blunder after another.

The last quarter of the book took a sad turn, when all of the white lies and deception fell apart, and for me, the main character ended up being really unlikeable.

[Joanne Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great easy read with an interesting concept. The two main characters decide to compile a list of things they would like to do before having a baby. Drew's is very much career driven, whereas Libby's is much more frivolous and light-hearted and most of the book is taken up with them working their way through both lists.

There are plenty of laugh aloud moments throughout although it does start to become a bit farcical at times as the story progresses but overall, it's an enjoyable read.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drew and Libby decide to make a check list of things they want to do before having a baby. Most of the items ended up being easy, but boy can they turn their life upside down. Libby finds out her celebrity client is also a client of her husbands. One email addressed to the wrong person puts serious strain on their relationship. This is a cute story that made me laugh, but the ending was a little too predictable.

[Cathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book started out as a light and entertaining read. The idea of creating a "Buggy List" so Drew and Libby can do all the things they want prior to having a baby is a creative idea. Drew's list is serious and thoughtful whereas Libby comes off as being silly and immature for words. Then Libby's continuous "white lying" ruined the story for me. The drama at the end of the story and the way it went from a "laugh out loud" read to something I wish I hadn't bothered with was annoying to.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read. I liked that it was a clean, fluff book. And I got it free on kindle.

After I finished it, I realized that it felt like the author wrote this book with the intent for it to be made into a ROMCOM movie. It was a romance with so many twists and turns and unbelievable things that happened all at once all because of misunderstandings and then in the end they lived happily ever after.

[Valerie Hedges · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather different and unexpected take on the things people do in readiness for having a baby, Drew and Libby make a having a baby bucket list but discover that indeed things can take a very unexpected turn ...A good and often amusing read . Drew and Libby are somewhat scatty and irritating at times , very much a young want to have it all pair and Drew especially has an air of entitlement about him , but it is a sweet love story and a good lesson in the important things of life .

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute book. Original premise and interesting how everything spiraled out of control. The main character was really relateable and someone you'd like to be friends with. I love the relationship between the husband and wife. They are a sweet couple, but have real life stressors that, in the end, just make them closer.

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading on my Kindle. Instead of a bucket list, they made a buggy list. It was things to do before they had a baby. She had throw a drink in his face, have him kiss her in public, cook for a crowd and others like it. He's was make partner and other serious things. Just didn't get that exciting or interesting.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! These characters were very relatable. I felt like Libby could have been a number of my friends and faces a lot of events and lifestyle changes that many women in their late 20's go through. Perfect beach or plane read!

[Erin Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is thoroughly entertaining and well-written. As someone who myself comes up with crazy ideas that rarely turn out the way they're supposed to, I found the main character both quirky and charming. If you're in for an easy read that's a bit more than "fluff," check this out!

[Carole Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a new author for me and was a free e-reader book. What a delightful book! It was very well written, with lots of laughs and just a "feel good" story. Very creative. I would definitely read more by her.