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Conceiving Hope
Margo doesn't need Mr. Right. She only needs his sperm.
Margo Davis had it all: a successful career, a husband, and plans for a baby. But when her husband's alcoholism destroys their marriage, Margo is left alone and desperate for a new start. A serendipitous accident involving a peppermint mocha and ruined pants brings Rexford Montgomery into Margo's life. Kindred spirits, they confront the aftermath of their shattered marriages together, finding solace and support in each other's company.
Two years later, Margo is done with the empty promises of New York City's shallow dating scene. With her biological clock ticking and no suitable partner in sight, she takes matters into her own hands by seeking out a sperm donor. Contract in hand and with an offer of sex with no strings attached, she meets Lukas, a hot Austrian photographer with a dark past. Despite Rexford's disapproval, she and Lukas go forward with their arrangement. Margo tries to keep their relationship purely professional, but soon, she finds herself falling for Lukas and imagining a future where he could be more than just a sperm donor. Caught between her desire for Lukas and her bond with Rexford, Margo must confront her feelings for both men and decide what—and who—her heart really wants.
Conceiving Hope is a steamy second chance at love contemporary women's fiction novel about new beginnings and finding hope after divorce.
Margo Davis had it all: a successful career, a husband, and plans for a baby. But when her husband's alcoholism destroys their marriage, Margo is left alone and desperate for a new start. A serendipitous accident involving a peppermint mocha and ruined pants brings Rexford Montgomery into Margo's life. Kindred spirits, they confront the aftermath of their shattered marriages together, finding solace and support in each other's company.
Two years later, Margo is done with the empty promises of New York City's shallow dating scene. With her biological clock ticking and no suitable partner in sight, she takes matters into her own hands by seeking out a sperm donor. Contract in hand and with an offer of sex with no strings attached, she meets Lukas, a hot Austrian photographer with a dark past. Despite Rexford's disapproval, she and Lukas go forward with their arrangement. Margo tries to keep their relationship purely professional, but soon, she finds herself falling for Lukas and imagining a future where he could be more than just a sperm donor. Caught between her desire for Lukas and her bond with Rexford, Margo must confront her feelings for both men and decide what—and who—her heart really wants.
Conceiving Hope is a steamy second chance at love contemporary women's fiction novel about new beginnings and finding hope after divorce.
- GenresWomens Fiction
364 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2024
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 1, 2024
(3.75 stars) This was a cute, easy read! You follow Margo, a divorce attorney trying to pick up the pieces of her failed marriage. She stumbles upon Rex at a coffee shop and they immediately become fast friends. Margo has always wanted a child of her own and after countless failed relationships after her divorce, she realizes she barely needs a man to make that happen. I found myself angry at so many of Margo’s decisions (especially with her being an attorney)! There were plenty of predictable parts and the dialogue was super cringy at times. However, there were actually some twists with this story that I didn’t anticipate! It’s definitely a slow-burn, second chance romance vibe, but it was fast-paced and fun to follow Margo on her journey.
Thank you to Net Galley and Olive McMahon for this ARC!
Thank you to Net Galley and Olive McMahon for this ARC!
April 28, 2024
3.75/5 stars
This is a really hard book to review without giving away spoilers. It centers around Margo, a family lawyer who ends up getting divorced herself. At the same time, she really wants a baby given she’s approaching 40. I thought the yearning for a baby and how Margo handled that was very realistic and relatable.
We also see Margo meet and become best friends with Rexford. Seriously, what a cool name! What follows is a very slow burn romance with some VERY unexpected twists and turns along the way. Margo at times can be very frustrating too but I really loved Rexford.
A solid debut book from Olive and I hope there are more books to come! I really enjoyed Olive’s writing style. This is definitely much more than your typical romance novel. Thank you Olive and NetGalley for the ARC!
This is a really hard book to review without giving away spoilers. It centers around Margo, a family lawyer who ends up getting divorced herself. At the same time, she really wants a baby given she’s approaching 40. I thought the yearning for a baby and how Margo handled that was very realistic and relatable.
We also see Margo meet and become best friends with Rexford. Seriously, what a cool name! What follows is a very slow burn romance with some VERY unexpected twists and turns along the way. Margo at times can be very frustrating too but I really loved Rexford.
A solid debut book from Olive and I hope there are more books to come! I really enjoyed Olive’s writing style. This is definitely much more than your typical romance novel. Thank you Olive and NetGalley for the ARC!
May 2, 2024
I have to say, the blurb, cover, and labelled genres for this book make absolutely no sense whatsoever. It is NOT cute, light-hearted, or cozy, which is the impression I got from the cover. Nowhere was it mentioned that the book revolves around serious crimes, addiction, or gun violence.
I've read two other books where the FMC decides to have a baby on her own, and both were genuine romances. This one was just unhinged, and with Margo being a lawyer, I couldn't understand her impulsive choices. I somehow got myself through the entire book, but i don't recommend it one bit.
I've read two other books where the FMC decides to have a baby on her own, and both were genuine romances. This one was just unhinged, and with Margo being a lawyer, I couldn't understand her impulsive choices. I somehow got myself through the entire book, but i don't recommend it one bit.
March 22, 2024
Margo is a divorce lawyer recovering from her own destroyed marriage, which left her childless and starting over. Until she meets Rex, who becomes her best friend in the span of one night. After the arrival of Covid and two years of failed dating, she decides to take matters into her own hands in order to conceive a child with a stranger, to Rex’s disapproval. This book was such a fun, good read (especially the latter half) - with some great steamy bits. Margo makes some not very wise decisions, showing that no matter how educated or old you are, people will do all sorts of things when lust and love are involved. I would’ve loved to read about the pregnancy or her dating during the two years that were skipped, but I loved this book overall! I would definitely recommend.
cw // gun violence, death, divorce, addiction, issues surrounding immigration
Thank you NetGalley & Olive McMahon for my ARC!
cw // gun violence, death, divorce, addiction, issues surrounding immigration
Thank you NetGalley & Olive McMahon for my ARC!
March 6, 2024
I really enjoyed this second chance love story. I felt for Margo in her fertility and love journey. This was a great read.
March 8, 2024
In the words of Redford Montgomery ‘“Margo. how stupid are you?”
I mean no disrespect to the author or publishers when I say that I don’t think this book was right for me.
I found Margo to be absolutely infuriating at times.
I’m sure this just reflects the complexities of life and that the choices we make aren’t always good ones. But Jesus, Margo had me tearing my hair out!
Rex is a sweetie, I loved how they met and the friendship they formed. That did set a good foundation for a strong love story.
However, for a professional and presumably smart woman, Margo manages to make some really silly choices and manages to make the same mistakes over and over. How many red flags do you need to see before the penny drops?
As a lawyer I would like to think Margo would be capable of jumping to reasonable conclusions. Apparently not…
I understand that all she wants is to have a baby and experience being a mother after waiting and wishing for that ‘picket fence dream’ for so long but I was thrown by her tendency to flip-flop between ‘professional’ and ‘personal’ attitude towards her arrangement. It seemed like a strong start by pursuing a business agreement in order to conceive a child, and perfectly predictable for a lawyer to draw up contracts and the rest of it, especially with what we learn about her job in the beginning of the book.
What wasn’t expected was her readiness to abandon that approach and fall for the first red flag that was thrown her way. To be so easily distracted and get upset when the guy doesn’t want to answer personal questions (which by the way his avoidance of that was just screaming murderer from the get go), catch feelings and let said sperm donor live with you after him giving you plenty of reasons to run for this hills. I found it strange, for a lawyer of all people, to miss so many warning signs.
I totally appreciate the author fully fleshing out the complex journey Margo goes through in pursuit of wanting to become a mother, and perhaps she just wanted to be a mother so bad she was willing to ignore bad signs and to carry on making, what seemed like, the same mistakes with guys.
I was kind of expecting to go through Margo’s pregnancy journey with her as well, especially after listening to her wanting it for so long.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone who does like a second chance romance, it does have its cute moments, as well as its darker ones. I just don’t think it was for me.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read the book ahead of release
I mean no disrespect to the author or publishers when I say that I don’t think this book was right for me.
I found Margo to be absolutely infuriating at times.
I’m sure this just reflects the complexities of life and that the choices we make aren’t always good ones. But Jesus, Margo had me tearing my hair out!
Rex is a sweetie, I loved how they met and the friendship they formed. That did set a good foundation for a strong love story.
However, for a professional and presumably smart woman, Margo manages to make some really silly choices and manages to make the same mistakes over and over. How many red flags do you need to see before the penny drops?
As a lawyer I would like to think Margo would be capable of jumping to reasonable conclusions. Apparently not…
I understand that all she wants is to have a baby and experience being a mother after waiting and wishing for that ‘picket fence dream’ for so long but I was thrown by her tendency to flip-flop between ‘professional’ and ‘personal’ attitude towards her arrangement. It seemed like a strong start by pursuing a business agreement in order to conceive a child, and perfectly predictable for a lawyer to draw up contracts and the rest of it, especially with what we learn about her job in the beginning of the book.
What wasn’t expected was her readiness to abandon that approach and fall for the first red flag that was thrown her way. To be so easily distracted and get upset when the guy doesn’t want to answer personal questions (which by the way his avoidance of that was just screaming murderer from the get go), catch feelings and let said sperm donor live with you after him giving you plenty of reasons to run for this hills. I found it strange, for a lawyer of all people, to miss so many warning signs.
I totally appreciate the author fully fleshing out the complex journey Margo goes through in pursuit of wanting to become a mother, and perhaps she just wanted to be a mother so bad she was willing to ignore bad signs and to carry on making, what seemed like, the same mistakes with guys.
I was kind of expecting to go through Margo’s pregnancy journey with her as well, especially after listening to her wanting it for so long.
All in all I would recommend this book to anyone who does like a second chance romance, it does have its cute moments, as well as its darker ones. I just don’t think it was for me.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read the book ahead of release
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2024
oh boy where do i begin…
first of all i would like to thank olivia mcmahon for trusting me with the arc of this book…
secondly, i was expecting a story of a strong independent woman finding her own way into motherhood and finding herself in it but sadly, i got a whole bunch of nothing… starting from the writing that was just messy and boring to read to having every single trope possible in this book as if this was the only book the author was ever be able to write so they couldn’t take a chance at missing on having some extraordinary mind blowing plot twist… it was definitely way too over complicated with not even one truly likable character, especially fmc who was getting on my nerves during 3/4 of this read… once again i’ve sadly not enjoyed this book and i have contemplated dnfing it a few times but i’ve managed to push through so that is something!
first of all i would like to thank olivia mcmahon for trusting me with the arc of this book…
secondly, i was expecting a story of a strong independent woman finding her own way into motherhood and finding herself in it but sadly, i got a whole bunch of nothing… starting from the writing that was just messy and boring to read to having every single trope possible in this book as if this was the only book the author was ever be able to write so they couldn’t take a chance at missing on having some extraordinary mind blowing plot twist… it was definitely way too over complicated with not even one truly likable character, especially fmc who was getting on my nerves during 3/4 of this read… once again i’ve sadly not enjoyed this book and i have contemplated dnfing it a few times but i’ve managed to push through so that is something!
April 3, 2024
[4.5 stars]
I really enjoyed reading the book, ‘Conceiving Hope’ by Olive McMahon. The book is evocative, steamy, and even funny at times. It is an impassioned account of the life of divorce attorney, Margo Davis, who, after a failed marriage and several disappointing and short-lived relationships, decides to find a sperm donor to fulfill her long-standing desire of having a child.
Margo reminds me of a headstrong, sure-footed young woman who has it all going for her except in her love life, which is in a shambles. After her divorce from Jackson, a raging alcoholic and pathological liar, her life starts to take a turn for the better, when she serendipitously meets Rexford, a crime reporter for the New York Times. This chance encounter turns into a deep friendship, one which both comforts and confuses her.
Rex strongly opposes Margo’s decision to have a baby through a sperm donor. Margo rejects his advice, and for better or for worse, goes her own way. She eventually finds Lukas, a hot Austrian photographer, whose sexual charisma engulfs her completely, so much so, that she finds herself falling for him notwithstanding their ‘business arrangement’. Unbeknownst to Margo (at least at the start), Lukas has a dark past, leading Margo down a wandering path and dramatically altering her life.
What I liked most about this book was how easy it was to read. The book is well-written and has a nice flow. The first half of the book does feel rather long, but it sets a solid foundation for the rest of the book and helps the reader get a good sense of the main characters. The second half of the book has a much faster pace as the author dexterously takes you through a tumultuous set of events that rock Margo’s life.
There are many plot twists in the second half, and they unfold rather rapidly. I scarcely expected some of these twists. As such, the book became more and more enjoyable towards the end.
The book is also highly evocative. I found myself feeling several emotions as the author walked me through Margo’s life, her disappointments, the difficult choices she must make and her unshakeable resolve to have a baby. Margo is quite the complex character, and her different sides are depicted very well.
The book does feel slightly repetitive. Though the book is quite dialogic in style, a good chunk of the plot consists of Margo’s internal monologuing, which on occasion felt like a drag. For example, throughout the book ( except perhaps in the last 20% of the book), Margo reminisces about her relationship with Jackson, rather critically, making the book a tad bit onerous to read at times.
Overall, however, this was a great read, given that this is the author’s debut novel. There is so much creativity and the writing is of high quality. I’d highly recommend it!
I really enjoyed reading the book, ‘Conceiving Hope’ by Olive McMahon. The book is evocative, steamy, and even funny at times. It is an impassioned account of the life of divorce attorney, Margo Davis, who, after a failed marriage and several disappointing and short-lived relationships, decides to find a sperm donor to fulfill her long-standing desire of having a child.
Margo reminds me of a headstrong, sure-footed young woman who has it all going for her except in her love life, which is in a shambles. After her divorce from Jackson, a raging alcoholic and pathological liar, her life starts to take a turn for the better, when she serendipitously meets Rexford, a crime reporter for the New York Times. This chance encounter turns into a deep friendship, one which both comforts and confuses her.
Rex strongly opposes Margo’s decision to have a baby through a sperm donor. Margo rejects his advice, and for better or for worse, goes her own way. She eventually finds Lukas, a hot Austrian photographer, whose sexual charisma engulfs her completely, so much so, that she finds herself falling for him notwithstanding their ‘business arrangement’. Unbeknownst to Margo (at least at the start), Lukas has a dark past, leading Margo down a wandering path and dramatically altering her life.
What I liked most about this book was how easy it was to read. The book is well-written and has a nice flow. The first half of the book does feel rather long, but it sets a solid foundation for the rest of the book and helps the reader get a good sense of the main characters. The second half of the book has a much faster pace as the author dexterously takes you through a tumultuous set of events that rock Margo’s life.
There are many plot twists in the second half, and they unfold rather rapidly. I scarcely expected some of these twists. As such, the book became more and more enjoyable towards the end.
The book is also highly evocative. I found myself feeling several emotions as the author walked me through Margo’s life, her disappointments, the difficult choices she must make and her unshakeable resolve to have a baby. Margo is quite the complex character, and her different sides are depicted very well.
The book does feel slightly repetitive. Though the book is quite dialogic in style, a good chunk of the plot consists of Margo’s internal monologuing, which on occasion felt like a drag. For example, throughout the book ( except perhaps in the last 20% of the book), Margo reminisces about her relationship with Jackson, rather critically, making the book a tad bit onerous to read at times.
Overall, however, this was a great read, given that this is the author’s debut novel. There is so much creativity and the writing is of high quality. I’d highly recommend it!
June 3, 2024
3.5 rounded up! Honestly such a fun debut novel! I’m not an editor and my “job” as a reviewer isn’t to comment on write style too much. Better than anything I ever could do, and lots of wild plot twists and turns. There’s infidelity, a murder, sperm donor struggles, dating, emotional abuse, you name it — this book has it.
I’m sure that as this author continues to write, their writing style will change. “…” was used sooooo much. Though this book was really easy to read, the writing style was a bit distracting with a surplus of adjectives and additional descriptions. “I couldn’t believe my eyes, unable to process what I found, stunned by my discovery… my bewilderment” all in the same paragraph was like DANG we get it!! “I want to pull my hair out in frustration” — like yes that’s typically the only emotion that accompanies hair pulling.
Anyway, this was such a solid premise to have the main character be a divorce lawyer who wants to find love to start a family. The case she takes on becomes relevant for Margo’s personal storyline, but even if it wasn’t — it was good gossip!
The many plot twists in this book could be stories on their own. I could have done with one less so we could dwell on others longer. For example, someone dies and rather than being sad for a prolonged period of time, a character just moves on with the next plot twist!
Some of Olive’s wording could be politically better, she calls people who struggle with addiction “anchors around their neck” and has her characters say they’re going to “k*ll themselves” in an unserious way, among other things.
I did love that this book spanned over multiple years! My summary is that Margo’s dating life is brutal, but she also trusts people way too fast.
The logistics of the “sperm daddy” were so wild. That’s all I have to say. If you don’t have enough money for a sperm bank / IVF i would highly consider looking at the costs to raise a child for 18+ years! It was for the plot though so I get it.
Each chapter had a very page turning cliff hanger! So fun. Overall, this book kept me on my toes and it would definitely read another book by Olive McMahon. I don’t know what Olive looks like, and they don’t have any socials — I can only hope we get to know more about them as they feel comfortable. :)
I loved Rex. Though Margo annoyed me sometimes, I felt like I really got to know her and I was rooting for her big time. I honestly was so invested by the end. I liked the ending!
Content warning (there’s definitely more than this, so look it up): substance abuse, gun violence, domestic abuse
thank you NetGalley and Olive McMahon for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I’m sure that as this author continues to write, their writing style will change. “…” was used sooooo much. Though this book was really easy to read, the writing style was a bit distracting with a surplus of adjectives and additional descriptions. “I couldn’t believe my eyes, unable to process what I found, stunned by my discovery… my bewilderment” all in the same paragraph was like DANG we get it!! “I want to pull my hair out in frustration” — like yes that’s typically the only emotion that accompanies hair pulling.
Anyway, this was such a solid premise to have the main character be a divorce lawyer who wants to find love to start a family. The case she takes on becomes relevant for Margo’s personal storyline, but even if it wasn’t — it was good gossip!
The many plot twists in this book could be stories on their own. I could have done with one less so we could dwell on others longer. For example, someone dies and rather than being sad for a prolonged period of time, a character just moves on with the next plot twist!
Some of Olive’s wording could be politically better, she calls people who struggle with addiction “anchors around their neck” and has her characters say they’re going to “k*ll themselves” in an unserious way, among other things.
I did love that this book spanned over multiple years! My summary is that Margo’s dating life is brutal, but she also trusts people way too fast.
The logistics of the “sperm daddy” were so wild. That’s all I have to say. If you don’t have enough money for a sperm bank / IVF i would highly consider looking at the costs to raise a child for 18+ years! It was for the plot though so I get it.
Each chapter had a very page turning cliff hanger! So fun. Overall, this book kept me on my toes and it would definitely read another book by Olive McMahon. I don’t know what Olive looks like, and they don’t have any socials — I can only hope we get to know more about them as they feel comfortable. :)
I loved Rex. Though Margo annoyed me sometimes, I felt like I really got to know her and I was rooting for her big time. I honestly was so invested by the end. I liked the ending!
Content warning (there’s definitely more than this, so look it up): substance abuse, gun violence, domestic abuse
thank you NetGalley and Olive McMahon for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
May 3, 2024
I received this ARC from Netgalley and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
So this one was very interesting. I think it was well written. I liked the dialogue. The characters felt realistic...at least initially. It's probably more between a 3.5 - 4 stars for me.
What has me undecided on a rating is the turns the second half of the book took. I was really relating to Margo and her feelings of longing to be a mother and how when it's something you want in your soul you see babies everywhere. And how she felt life passed her by. I sympathized with all of this so much. She's lonely with few friends. (also relatable). And then she meets Rexford by chance and he's so great. They become very fast best friends. He has gone through similar heartache before. I think I just really liked Rexford as a character. He's too good of a person.
I understand her not wanting to ruin the relationship with Rex by thinking of him romantically, but I could tell he probably felt strongly for her since the beginning. This is where I feel like he deserved better and the other things I didn't love about the book:
Lukas was a bizarre character. It was so out of left field that I kind of was like 'is this really happening?' It definitely creates drama and intrigue. I just found his character to be strange. And I feel like she overlooks the blaring red flags because she wants a baby so bad and he's hot. It just seemed like for a highly intelligent person she was making strange decisions, but I can also see that she was just desperate for a baby.
It's definitely an interesting book. Not your typical romance. I was pretty enthralled throughout wanting to find out what happens. I felt it was a tad long for a romance, but she packs a lot in it. I do recommend it. I will probably think of it again. I'm not sure I'd read it again though.
So this one was very interesting. I think it was well written. I liked the dialogue. The characters felt realistic...at least initially. It's probably more between a 3.5 - 4 stars for me.
What has me undecided on a rating is the turns the second half of the book took. I was really relating to Margo and her feelings of longing to be a mother and how when it's something you want in your soul you see babies everywhere. And how she felt life passed her by. I sympathized with all of this so much. She's lonely with few friends. (also relatable). And then she meets Rexford by chance and he's so great. They become very fast best friends. He has gone through similar heartache before. I think I just really liked Rexford as a character. He's too good of a person.
I understand her not wanting to ruin the relationship with Rex by thinking of him romantically, but I could tell he probably felt strongly for her since the beginning. This is where I feel like he deserved better and the other things I didn't love about the book:
Lukas was a bizarre character. It was so out of left field that I kind of was like 'is this really happening?' It definitely creates drama and intrigue. I just found his character to be strange. And I feel like she overlooks the blaring red flags because she wants a baby so bad and he's hot. It just seemed like for a highly intelligent person she was making strange decisions, but I can also see that she was just desperate for a baby.
It's definitely an interesting book. Not your typical romance. I was pretty enthralled throughout wanting to find out what happens. I felt it was a tad long for a romance, but she packs a lot in it. I do recommend it. I will probably think of it again. I'm not sure I'd read it again though.
May 3, 2024
Margo doesn't need Mr. Right. She only needs his sperm.
Margo Davis had it all: a successful career, a husband, and plans for a baby. But when her husband's alcoholism destroys their marriage, Margo is left alone and desperate for a new start. A serendipitous accident involving a peppermint mocha and ruined pants brings Rexford Montgomery into Margo's life. Kindred spirits, they confront the aftermath of their shattered marriages together, finding solace and support in each other's company.
After two years of trying the New York dating scene Margot has had enough, She knows her biological clock is ticking and she's having no luck at finding a partner.. She takes matters into her own hands by using a dating app to find a sperm donor. After finding a possible match she creates a contract and meets up with Lukas. Over time she starts to see other possibilities with Lukas and needs to decide what she really wants.
- Single POV
- Second Chance At Romance
- Friends to Lovers
- Bits of Spice
I really enjoyed this book and when I requested this book I didn't fully read the blurb. I was sold on it from the first paragraph and I'm really glad I didn't. It gave the book more of a twist and turn and I felt it gave the story much more depth.
I really enjoyed the relationships between both Margot & Rex and Margot & Lukas. You could feel Margot starting to fall for Lukas no matter how many times she told herself it was just business.
I really liked the independence of Margot and felt this didn't change even as she decided that she was going to make a baby. She tried it 'the old fashioned way' and after no luck she found another way.
I'm giving this book 3.5/3.75 stars.
I was kindly gifted this book in return for an honest review via Netgalley.
Margo Davis had it all: a successful career, a husband, and plans for a baby. But when her husband's alcoholism destroys their marriage, Margo is left alone and desperate for a new start. A serendipitous accident involving a peppermint mocha and ruined pants brings Rexford Montgomery into Margo's life. Kindred spirits, they confront the aftermath of their shattered marriages together, finding solace and support in each other's company.
After two years of trying the New York dating scene Margot has had enough, She knows her biological clock is ticking and she's having no luck at finding a partner.. She takes matters into her own hands by using a dating app to find a sperm donor. After finding a possible match she creates a contract and meets up with Lukas. Over time she starts to see other possibilities with Lukas and needs to decide what she really wants.
- Single POV
- Second Chance At Romance
- Friends to Lovers
- Bits of Spice
I really enjoyed this book and when I requested this book I didn't fully read the blurb. I was sold on it from the first paragraph and I'm really glad I didn't. It gave the book more of a twist and turn and I felt it gave the story much more depth.
I really enjoyed the relationships between both Margot & Rex and Margot & Lukas. You could feel Margot starting to fall for Lukas no matter how many times she told herself it was just business.
I really liked the independence of Margot and felt this didn't change even as she decided that she was going to make a baby. She tried it 'the old fashioned way' and after no luck she found another way.
I'm giving this book 3.5/3.75 stars.
I was kindly gifted this book in return for an honest review via Netgalley.
April 22, 2024
This was a cute, quick and easy read.
Margo put her career first as a family law/divorce attorney, and hoped a home, marriage, and a baby would come next. After a failed, quick marriage to an unknowingly deadbeat alcoholic and pathologic liar, she now has to start over in the Covid pandemic era which is fraught with its dating challenges. During this time, she meets Rexford at a coffee shop, <> and they fast become great friends. Frustrated with the lack of success in her dating life and her strong yearning for motherhood, she decides to take matters into her own hands and find a sperm donor using a dating app.
This book made me laugh several times and was relatable with the challenges of dating in Covid and cringe worthy experiences of dating apps. The first half was somewhat slow and spent more time with the foundation of Margo and her marriage to Jackson and the complete dud of a husband that he is. I would have liked to see less detail on her failed marriage and more on the failed dates after him and sperm donor saga. Margo’s character resonated with me- career focused women are often older by the time the settle down for a family and that stress and anxiety about finding the one and having kids on that tight timeline is real! Lukas backstory was a very unexpected twist.
Enjoyable read overall! 3-3.5 / 5
TW: addiction, divorce, gun violence
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Olive McMahon- thank you!
Margo put her career first as a family law/divorce attorney, and hoped a home, marriage, and a baby would come next. After a failed, quick marriage to an unknowingly deadbeat alcoholic and pathologic liar, she now has to start over in the Covid pandemic era which is fraught with its dating challenges. During this time, she meets Rexford at a coffee shop, <> and they fast become great friends. Frustrated with the lack of success in her dating life and her strong yearning for motherhood, she decides to take matters into her own hands and find a sperm donor using a dating app.
This book made me laugh several times and was relatable with the challenges of dating in Covid and cringe worthy experiences of dating apps. The first half was somewhat slow and spent more time with the foundation of Margo and her marriage to Jackson and the complete dud of a husband that he is. I would have liked to see less detail on her failed marriage and more on the failed dates after him and sperm donor saga. Margo’s character resonated with me- career focused women are often older by the time the settle down for a family and that stress and anxiety about finding the one and having kids on that tight timeline is real! Lukas backstory was a very unexpected twist.
Enjoyable read overall! 3-3.5 / 5
TW: addiction, divorce, gun violence
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Olive McMahon- thank you!
April 2, 2024
Thank you to NetGally & Olive McMahon for this ARC!
Conceiving Hope follows Margot, a divorce attorney, who is going through a divorce herself. She's had her life planned out -- marriage, pregnancy, happy family -- but with her marriage falling through, she's going through the emotions of realizing her biological clock is running out.
Unfortunately, this wasn't my cup of tea. Although I enjoyed how detailed the writing was, this mainly consisted of a lot of internal monologue rather than dialogue between characters. We get a lot of flashbacks, going back and forth between past and present, reliving her experiences with her husband. This gave better insight of her past relationship, however the storytelling became a bit chaotic and choppy. In the description of the book, I was under the assumption that the main plot would be Margot on the hunt for a sperm donor and going through that journey, but we don't get to that point until 50% through and only meet Lukas at the 68% mark. There was just too much unnecessary fluff and build up in the beginning. The ending also felt too unrealistic and didn't match up with the first 80% of the book. I appreciate the plot twist, but felt like it was a bit out of place.
Given this is a debut novel, I think the creativity is there! Again, really grateful to have had the chance to read this before the publish date!
Conceiving Hope follows Margot, a divorce attorney, who is going through a divorce herself. She's had her life planned out -- marriage, pregnancy, happy family -- but with her marriage falling through, she's going through the emotions of realizing her biological clock is running out.
Unfortunately, this wasn't my cup of tea. Although I enjoyed how detailed the writing was, this mainly consisted of a lot of internal monologue rather than dialogue between characters. We get a lot of flashbacks, going back and forth between past and present, reliving her experiences with her husband. This gave better insight of her past relationship, however the storytelling became a bit chaotic and choppy. In the description of the book, I was under the assumption that the main plot would be Margot on the hunt for a sperm donor and going through that journey, but we don't get to that point until 50% through and only meet Lukas at the 68% mark. There was just too much unnecessary fluff and build up in the beginning. The ending also felt too unrealistic and didn't match up with the first 80% of the book. I appreciate the plot twist, but felt like it was a bit out of place.
Given this is a debut novel, I think the creativity is there! Again, really grateful to have had the chance to read this before the publish date!
May 6, 2024
I got this one as an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.
This was an interesting but odd book. It's not bad book but you can definitely tell that its a first book.
My biggest issue with the book is that SO MUCH happens. The book starts with Margot separating from her alcoholic husband. And then there's Covid, other break ups, trying to find a random guy to knock her up (she says she doesn't want to do IVF but they conveniently ignore that IUI is a more readily available option), and then so much more happens after that. It's a mix of romance, women's fiction, crime drama, and total chaos. It really felt like there were a few different plot options and the author decided to use all of them instead of deciding on one.
I have to say, it was a lot but it wasn't boring. The book was a page turner even if the contents seemed a little ridiculous.
I think if the author had focused on just a couple of the elements, the book would have hit much better. Also, the protagonist is a little annoying. While I feel for her in terms of her desire to have a baby, the way she constantly brings up how she's a lawyer is too much. She makes so many poor decisions, it was a little cringe.
Hopefully on future books, the author tightens up the plot because I think she has a lot of potential!
This was an interesting but odd book. It's not bad book but you can definitely tell that its a first book.
My biggest issue with the book is that SO MUCH happens. The book starts with Margot separating from her alcoholic husband. And then there's Covid, other break ups, trying to find a random guy to knock her up (she says she doesn't want to do IVF but they conveniently ignore that IUI is a more readily available option), and then so much more happens after that. It's a mix of romance, women's fiction, crime drama, and total chaos. It really felt like there were a few different plot options and the author decided to use all of them instead of deciding on one.
I have to say, it was a lot but it wasn't boring. The book was a page turner even if the contents seemed a little ridiculous.
I think if the author had focused on just a couple of the elements, the book would have hit much better. Also, the protagonist is a little annoying. While I feel for her in terms of her desire to have a baby, the way she constantly brings up how she's a lawyer is too much. She makes so many poor decisions, it was a little cringe.
Hopefully on future books, the author tightens up the plot because I think she has a lot of potential!
August 27, 2024
I think I need to say that I have a background in law – for decades, in fact – so knowing that our FMC was an attorney and then comparing her actions and decisions to my personal knowledge and assumed knowledge of the FMC, well…..I got a wee bit irritated by the ridiculousness.
Anyway, this read was cute, easy, I laughed in parts and related in parts, at other times I was irritated. I understand the breakdown of relationships, life being thrown in disarray, yearning for a child and the stress you feel trying to achieve all the things, but also given what we are told about the FMC in the beginning, the flags waving in the breeze should be shouting a warning, they should have drawn her attention and she should have seen what could/would happen. Despite being an ‘easy’ read it does have its moments, and some of those moments can be dark and little bit deeper that what you expect.
Overall I was entertained and I think if you don't have the 'law' background, or can let things go (something I am not great at), then you would enjoy this one on a level different to mine.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anyway, this read was cute, easy, I laughed in parts and related in parts, at other times I was irritated. I understand the breakdown of relationships, life being thrown in disarray, yearning for a child and the stress you feel trying to achieve all the things, but also given what we are told about the FMC in the beginning, the flags waving in the breeze should be shouting a warning, they should have drawn her attention and she should have seen what could/would happen. Despite being an ‘easy’ read it does have its moments, and some of those moments can be dark and little bit deeper that what you expect.
Overall I was entertained and I think if you don't have the 'law' background, or can let things go (something I am not great at), then you would enjoy this one on a level different to mine.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2024
Book Review 📚
Conceiving Hope By Olivia McMahon ☕️👩🏻💼📑🔫🤰🏻🗞️🍕🍻
Margo is family defense lawyer and has a high winning streak when it comes to divorce and custody agreements. She’s now facing her own divorce at age 35, it’s weighing heavy on her mind that her internal clock of having a baby is running out. Now that she has to start all over she has an idea of finding a sperm donor, conceiving the natural way and then said person would not have anything to do with her or their future child no strings attached. This seems simple but still ended up with consequences. I felt that this book had a slow start, it wasn’t until 67% in that things took a turn. Overall I loved how this story played out, it kept me wondering if Margo would ever get what she wanted!
If you like friends to lovers, mystery, and don’t mind guns, addiction and crimes you’ll like this one!!
Out now!!
Thank you @netgalley 🤍
#ConceivingHope #NetGalley
Conceiving Hope By Olivia McMahon ☕️👩🏻💼📑🔫🤰🏻🗞️🍕🍻
Margo is family defense lawyer and has a high winning streak when it comes to divorce and custody agreements. She’s now facing her own divorce at age 35, it’s weighing heavy on her mind that her internal clock of having a baby is running out. Now that she has to start all over she has an idea of finding a sperm donor, conceiving the natural way and then said person would not have anything to do with her or their future child no strings attached. This seems simple but still ended up with consequences. I felt that this book had a slow start, it wasn’t until 67% in that things took a turn. Overall I loved how this story played out, it kept me wondering if Margo would ever get what she wanted!
If you like friends to lovers, mystery, and don’t mind guns, addiction and crimes you’ll like this one!!
Out now!!
Thank you @netgalley 🤍
#ConceivingHope #NetGalley
April 26, 2024
Oh my god this woman is an idiot. The amount of red flags that Lukas has are insurmountable and she still chose to have sex with him. Rex is right there and is clearly in love with you. They work so much better and she is upsetting me. Letting Lukas stay at her apartment is crazy and I wish she would have acted her age and kicked that man out. As soon as he told me about his influencer ex girlfriend I would have looked her up to make sure that she's okay. The fact that she was shown the evidence and still didn't believe it is crazy. I don't feel bad at all that he died. The book should have focused more on her relationship with Rexford and I wish the baby was his.
I received an arc through netgalley.
I received an arc through netgalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2024
ARC via NetGallery [DNF]
"But today, it just filled me with sadness and regret. I had so many hopes. So many dreams. At that moment, all of them seemed so far away—so unachievable it made my entire body ache with my momentous failure."
I got through about a third of the book when I decided to DNF it. I just felt like the book wasn't exactly for me and I tried to strat reading it again many times. My main things where how hectic the book felt with the timeline, and by the third of the book I still felt like I was in prologue rather than ten chapters it. Despite that I still felt very intrigued by the blurbed and probably would have loved it if it had a bit faster pace.
"But today, it just filled me with sadness and regret. I had so many hopes. So many dreams. At that moment, all of them seemed so far away—so unachievable it made my entire body ache with my momentous failure."
I got through about a third of the book when I decided to DNF it. I just felt like the book wasn't exactly for me and I tried to strat reading it again many times. My main things where how hectic the book felt with the timeline, and by the third of the book I still felt like I was in prologue rather than ten chapters it. Despite that I still felt very intrigued by the blurbed and probably would have loved it if it had a bit faster pace.
April 17, 2024
potentially a 2.5⭐️ but ok I am so confused by this book. I don’t think it was for me, I think maybe I’m the wrong demographic for it or maybe because I couldn’t relate to the main character Margo at all I didn’t love it… I did not have any problems with the writing itself, only the storyline did not do it for me.
The last 15% of the book was wild, I almost didn’t believe what I was reading. Entertaining, but I don’t believe this book was for me.
With that being said, thank you to NetGalley & Olive McMahon for the opportunity to read this ARC.
The last 15% of the book was wild, I almost didn’t believe what I was reading. Entertaining, but I don’t believe this book was for me.
With that being said, thank you to NetGalley & Olive McMahon for the opportunity to read this ARC.
April 22, 2024
Thank you to Olive McMahon and Net galley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review. This was a super easy and enjoyable read. Margo is a divorce attorney is going through her own divorce when she meets Rexford in a coffee shop. They quickly become friends. The book had a good mix between slow and fast paced bits to keep you interested in the story. Within the story you are also following Margo’s clients stories which is a nice contrast.
Highly recommend this book if you are a fan of second chance romances.
Highly recommend this book if you are a fan of second chance romances.
May 25, 2024
It was good, cute, and a quick, easy read. This is a story that many women can resonate with when it comes to the trials and tribulations of relationships, self-love, and being on the journey to motherhood. The story did make me laugh several times, but I would have liked to see less detail of her failed marriage and more of her failed dates. I wanted to like this book, but it wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2024
This was a wonderful story of resilience, second chances, love and motherhood. I found the FMC so relatable with the breakdown of hear marriage, starting over, and her desire to be a mom. This was both funny and endearing.
September 3, 2024
This was a cute second chance love story. You could feel the emotion and frustration with how life was going with Margo and having a baby. All she wanted was a family and love and instead just finds empty promises. I can relate!
This was a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend.
This was a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend.
March 11, 2024
It was a good read. A story that many women can resonate with when it comes to the trials and tribulations of relationships, self-love, and being on the journey to motherhood.
May 4, 2024
Oke ik heb de eerste 23% en de laatste 25 procent gelezen. Jeetje totaal anders dan verwacht. Er speelt een hoop
May 30, 2024
I loved this story! I was very intrigued by the main characters way of deciding to tind a biological father for her baby...at times I was laughing put loud!
And the love story that develops is beautiful from start to finish...friends to lovers at its best!
I was equally, if not more so, involved with the story she was dealing with as a family lawyer...and that gets a little chaotic as well...a chapter could even say it took on a Thriller twist!
And the love story that develops is beautiful from start to finish...friends to lovers at its best!
I was equally, if not more so, involved with the story she was dealing with as a family lawyer...and that gets a little chaotic as well...a chapter could even say it took on a Thriller twist!
May 8, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Olive McMahon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Margo is dealing with her divorce but ultimately most upset about not being a mother yet and having to start over. She unexpectedly meets Rexford when she spills her coffee on him and they immediately become inseparable best friends. Fast forward a few years and several short failed relationships she finds out her ex husband is living the life she dreamed of - married, in a house and expecting a baby. That pushes her to search for a sperm donor through a dating site.
Enter Lukas, a hot Austrian who is only in the country for a few months, doesn’t want kids and claims to be really great in bed. Aka the perfect sperm donor.
I really expected this story to be very predictable and obvious. Parts of it were but other parts were wild and caught me off guard, almost seemed like it could be two different stories. I struggled with Margo. I understood her desire to be a mother but the way she went about it seemed completely out of the realm of possibility- especially for a family lawyer.
Overall, a quick and entertaining read.
Margo is dealing with her divorce but ultimately most upset about not being a mother yet and having to start over. She unexpectedly meets Rexford when she spills her coffee on him and they immediately become inseparable best friends. Fast forward a few years and several short failed relationships she finds out her ex husband is living the life she dreamed of - married, in a house and expecting a baby. That pushes her to search for a sperm donor through a dating site.
Enter Lukas, a hot Austrian who is only in the country for a few months, doesn’t want kids and claims to be really great in bed. Aka the perfect sperm donor.
I really expected this story to be very predictable and obvious. Parts of it were but other parts were wild and caught me off guard, almost seemed like it could be two different stories. I struggled with Margo. I understood her desire to be a mother but the way she went about it seemed completely out of the realm of possibility- especially for a family lawyer.
Overall, a quick and entertaining read.
December 30, 2024
I don’t know how to feel about this book. It was all over the place and a lot of the plot was unnecessary. Why was Covid in this book? It provided no importance to the story and made no sense. The book is set to release in 2024, yet takes place in 2020 and 2022. So the author can talk about Covid for a few paragraphs. Can we please all move on from the pandemic? At this point books need trigger warnings if they are going to try to force them into the plot because I’m so tired of it and need to know not to waste my time. And I’m gonna say it. Putting in a 2 year time jump before we even get 50 pages in is cheap writing. It’s an easy way to make the two love interest seem like they are more in love than they really are because the author doesn’t want to actually show us with plot. Don’t tell me “oh they’ve been slowly falling in love for two year here’s a kiss to convince you.” SHOW ME THEM FALLING IN LOVE. The plot twist was not well thought out. The romance was not good. Really this book was all over the place. It was 3 different stories smushed into one. It just didn’t work. And I don’t even want to get into all the problematic abuse in this book. I can’t.
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