A Baby for the Billionaire: A Grumpy Sunshine, Surprise Pregnancy Romance

by Penelope Ryan

She didn’t plan to fall into bed with a gruff, emotionally unavailable rancher. But now she’s pregnant—and he’s rethinking everything.

Levi Thatcher is thirty-seven, divorced, and definitely not looking for love. He spends his days running his family’s cattle ranch, baking sourdough bread, and mainly keeping to himself in the big house he’d once imagined would be filled with a wife and kids. But a lonely life is fine with him. It’s certainly better than having his heart broken again.

Anna Lee is a hopeless romantic waiting for the one. As an outgoing restaurant manager in the small town of Cedar Ridge, Montana, she’s friends with just about everyone—but hasn’t managed to find her perfect person just yet.

When she hooks up with a casual acquaintance at her best friend’s wild engagement party, all she expects from it is something casual. Very casual. After all, the man is about as closed off as one can get.

There are only two problems.

He happens to be her best friend’s future brother-in-law, this secret fling is getting harder and harder to hide ...

And she’s pregnant.

A sizzling high-heat romance, and the third in the Cedar Ridge Billionaires series, this book is as hot as they come.

billionaire, small town, grumpy sunshine, surprise pregnancy

Buy A Baby for the Billionaire now for the perfect spicy small town fix!

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2025

Reviews

[Vanessa Noorani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a free ARC. This book was a super fun, cute, palette cleansing, quick read about Anna and Levi from Penelope Ryan’s third book from the Cedar Ridge series. It contains the following tropes: sunshine/grumpy, age gap, bratty. 3 stars on spice level.

Anna is a younger hopeless romantic who is outgoing and runs a restaurant. Levi is an older cattle rancher that loves to bake bread, divorced and the grump of the family. These two hook up on a bachelor/bachelorette weekend trip and then decide to be friends with benefits, not realizing the consequences.

[Lexi.reads_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with Levi and Anna! Not normally one to read a pregnancy trope but I absolutely loved this one. Anna and Levi’s relationship throughout the entire book had me intrigued. Definitely recommend! Can’t wait for the next book🙈🫶🏻

[Kristen Abel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an arc. 3.75 ⭐️
When I saw the summary of the book, and then saw it was less than 200 pages, I was a little weary of what the pacing of this story might be, but I was pleasantly surprised. Some aspects were a little too “instant” for me, but for the most part, the character development was paced well, you had time to get to know the leads of the story separately and together.

[Teya - theteabooknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this fast-burn romance which includes the hottest broody man Liam and our adorable, funny, and hopeless romantic Anna. The contrast in personalities is what makes this book really good. You get to understand both characters on a deeper level and see them grow as a couple and individually simultaneously - they do bring the best out of each other.

I got this book as a gifted ARC copy got an honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, quick read with super likable characters.

Seeing as this is book 3 - I’m guessing that you are introduced to Levi’s other brothers in books 1&2. They are in committed relationships and it seems like their stories are explained before this one.

I really liked it and I’ll happily go back and read the others now that I’ve read this one. Since it’s like a little novella it’s not super deep and complicated. It’s just a fun read that you can finish and be pleased with really quick.

I look forward to reading more in this series. ♥️♥️

[Michelle Saucedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

A Baby for the Billionaire by Penelope Ryan
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Rating:🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

📚 My Thoughts:
Levi Thatcher, a reserved 37-year-old rancher still healing from a painful divorce, prefers solitude over romance. Meanwhile, Anna Lee, an outgoing restaurant manager and romantic at heart, is still searching for "the one." A one-night fling at her best friend’s engagement party with Levi—her best friend future brother-in-law—was meant to be casual. But as their secret relationship intensifies, complications arise—especially when Anna discovers she's pregnant.

This is the third book in the series. I enjoyed this fast paced story. I thought it was a good cute story. I loved the characters especially the other characters from the previous books. I loved how Anna brought some sunshine into Levi since he was grumpy most of the time. I did wish the book was a little longer and the groveling was longer but other than that I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read about the other brother.

Tropes:
🩷Small Town Romance
💰Billionaire
🤰Surprise Pregnancy
🩷Grumpy X Sunshine
❤️Shared Grief

[Patsy Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Montana ranchers but filthy rich
And that isn’t the only thing filthy about them 😜

I absolutely loved this quick read and have added the rest of this series to my TBR.

Levi is your typical heartbroken, jaded grump and I love him.
I always love a grump, especially a sexy one.
After his ex wife leaving because of him, (or so he believes) he feels he will never have the life he once dreamt about.
Little does he know that the little firecracker, Anna, is going to come in with a force and change everything for him.

Anna, being your typical hopeless romantic, she is holding out until she finds “the one”..
But surely that can’t be Levi, right?
Little does she know that this grump of a “old man”, as she teases, is about to give her the love she’s always dreamed of.

My favorite thing was how I was laughing so hard from the banter, while also feeling ALL of the feels with the emotional rollercoaster.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓:
↠ Small town romance
↠ Billionaire
↠ Surprise pregnancy
↠ Grumpy x Sunshine
↠ Bratty FMC
↠ Shared grief

[Nim_reads_a_lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for bookbuzzPR for the eARC for this book! I want to start off and say that contraception is not a bad word. Let’s remember it every time. Second, this was a fun quick read. I mean QUICK. I took an hour to finish it and it had everything one wants in a romance. Sunshine/grumpy romance with a rich cattle rancher. Yes, there is an accidental pregnancy as clearly stated by the title but it really isn’t bad. Give it a chance. I must admit that accidental pregnancy is my guilty pleasure. Nothing like the angst of a hormonal human. Levi is a grumpy divorced man who lives alone in his Montana mansion. Anna works in a restaurant. They meet up at a bachelor/bachelorette joint party and have some fun times. They then repeat those fun times quite a bit with no further expectations. Bam! We have a pregnancy and now decisions have to be made. I won’t spoil anything but you can read it quickly, be entertained and then perfectly palate cleansed. I almost wished for more pages but it was satisfying as it was.

[Jéssica Paes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levi and Anna are 🔥 their chemistry is undeniable. Levi hates feeling love, and Anna craves love; the opposites attract each other. The worst that could happen (in Levi's pov) happened, and they will have to deal with it the best way possible. They start on the wrong way and rapidly find a way to each other 💞 Their story is beautiful, and seeing Levi make peace with himself and love Anna the way she deserved made this story even more beautiful ❤️‍🩹

A lovely story 🫶

If you are looking for:

🤠 Grumpy man
💘 Hopeless romantic girl
✨️ Small Town Romance
🔥 Spicy scenes

And much more, this book is for you 🥰

Thank you, Penelope Ryan, for the opportunity to read this amazing book 🤍

Quote:

"I may be down for a fun night every once in a while, but that doesn't change the fact that deep down, I've got high standards when it comes to actual dating. It may sound stupid or unrealistic, but I want that fairytale type of love. Where you're just obsessed with each other, glowing in each other's presence. In love. Like, so in love."

[NicolBackBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a breezy, 123-page read that leaned more into spice than substance. If you’re looking for depth or emotional layers, you might not find them here—but if you’re in the mood for a steamy escapist detour, it delivers that in spades.

Anna, the eternal romantic, is chasing the dream: a family, a white picket fence, and a husband to match. Levi, on the other hand, is a gruff, sourdough-baking rancher (yes, really) who’s sworn off love after a tough divorce. Their worlds collide at a party, one thing leads to another, and suddenly… surprise pregnancy!

The story doesn’t stray far from the classic “grumpy/sunshine with a twist” formula, but I did find some amusing moments—especially Levi’s unexpected passion for baking. That detail was so random, it gave me a good laugh.

Overall, not quite my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal for fans of short, spicy romance with low stakes and familiar tropes.

[Laura Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a free arc.
A baby for the billionaire is a short story that follows Levi and Anna.
Anna is a restraunt manager longing for a long term relationship and happy family.
Levi lives and works on his family run cattle ranch, he had given up on any thought of having a family of his own after his divorce.
Levi is about to become the brother in law of Anna's best friend. They hook up at a weekend get together intending for it to be a one night stand which then becomes a friends with benefits agreement, until..... Anna discovers she is pregnant.
I loved he short chapters, the author's writing style, the dual pov and the 🌶 was well written, it wasn't cringe.
Being a short story I don't feel that you get to know the characters as well as I would have liked. However, I haven't read the previous books in this series so the characters may be introduced in those 🤷‍♀️.

[Rea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun. I had never read anything from this author before and it was so great. This was a short and spicy one and I ate it up so much . Levi was such a great character , I really liked him from the start. I think he was just trying to live a good life after his past. When he first meets Anna he isn’t sure how to feel about her but that soon changes . Anna is a woman who is going with the flow and I lived that. After an incredible night together, one thing is for sure, they will be in each other’s lives forever .I absolutely enjoyed this one so much and I can’t wait to read more from this author !!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5

I would recommend this to anyone who loves the accidental pregnancy trope , billionaires , one night stands and an age gap ❤️‍🔥

Make sure to get this one when it comes out on the 8th May

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Baby for the Billionaire by Penelope Ryan is an entertaining read from start to finish. This small-town, billionaire, grumpy sunshine, surprise pregnancy is a must read. Levi and Anna’s journey is well-written with wonderful characters and a few unexpected twists. Both main and secondary characters are well-rounded and grow throughout the story adding much to its depth. The connections of friends and family really add to this story and engaging read. I love Levi and Anna. Each are independent, determined, strong individuals but together they make a dynamic pair. They complement one another as they discover their love and support of one another, leading to their own HEA. A Baby for the Billionaire is Book 3 of the Cedar Ridge Billionaires series but can be read as a standalone. I recommend and plan to read the rest of the series.

[Crystal Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read of 123 pages. And since it was such a short book, there isn’t much plot to it. It’s a lot of spice and then a little bit of plot.

Anna believes in and dreams of the picture perfect love story. She wants it all: white picket fence, husband, and children. She is the manager at a restaurant in her small town.

Levi Thatcher is a divorced and grumpy 37 year old man. He is jaded after his married ended badly and he is not interested in finding love again. He is busy running his family’s cattle ranch and baking sourdough. The sourdough baking caught me off guard and had me cracking up.

Levi and Anna give into temptation after a night of drinking on a combined bachelor and bachelorette party. They decide to continue and be friends with benefits only. Welllll, when she finds out she is pregnant that puts a wrench into their agreement.

3⭐️
3🌶️

[Amy O · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

Penelope always gives you amazing fun, quick reads and this one is no different!!

After meeting Levi and Anna in the previous books, I was so excited to see where they went.

Levi living up in his big house, baking his sourdough bread and taking on the serious older brother role. Anna is fun and light, she enjoys her friends and her job but when it comes to relationships she is after the one. After a one night stand (that turns into a friends with benefits situation) each of them find that maybe they want more than that from each other. To throw a spanner in the works, Anna finds out she’s pregnant and has a lot of decisions to make about the future, if Levi wants to be alone for the ride.

I loved their dynamic, how Anna brought some fun into Levi’s life and he grounded her. I wish he grovelled a bit more towards the end because Anna was very understanding!!!

As always with Penelope’s books - I just want more book to read because her books are like chocolate. Sweet and so easy to consume!

[Amara F · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I was given this book as an eArc but my review is based solely on my own thoughts and opinions*

I rate it a 3.5

One of my fav tropes is a grumpy mmc who is also a romantic and just wants to hold hands, like awww, yes please. Doesn’t help that this one is also gorgeous and a billionaire. Check, check and check! It is a very short read, read it in like 2 hours. There’s not much character depth or development but it’s a great quickie read, has all the tropes one could want and it’s spicy! I actually enjoyed it, just wish it was longer and I could get a better feel for the story and characters. It is the 3rd book in a series but you don’t need to have read the others to understand this one which I appreciate.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the Thatcher brother's series (the baby, Reese, is next folks). All the characters are wonderfully developed, especially our main characters, Levi and Anna. They did not hit it off at first, but add in some liquid courage and you never know what will happen. Levi is carrying some Ghosts, so despite his status, money and priviledge,, somethings missing. Anna manages a local bar and is happy, though is she really fulfilled. These two get to know eachother over the course of the story, and I think you might be surprised. I've read all three books in this series and I recommend them all, each is different from the last.

I voluntarily reviewed a gift copy of this book. Happy Reading Y'all 📚

[Whitney Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Levi is the older brother of Anna’s best friend’s fiancé. They’re pushed together by the connection of the wedding but their chemistry takes off. After one night together, Levi knows it isn’t going to be enough. Not with the way he is attracted to Anna’s bratty smart mouth. When he runs into her at family dinner, he uses it as his opportunity to open up to the idea of friends with benefits. But what they least expect is that Anna is pregnant and that it is his. Levi believes the reasons for his marriage failure was due to his inability to have kids with his wife, now it’s years later and he’s with someone a decade younger than him and can it possibly be his? Will this end in marriage or love?

[Megan Colon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again billionaire romance I’m head over heels for. This was a nice quick read. Took me one day. This is book 3 in the series following the Thatcher brothers. I love reading about Levi and Anna. So a weekend getaway leads to friends with benefits that leads to pregnancy. This story gave me spice, banter, drama and of course HEA. I love seeing how close the brothers are and how Levi changes from grumpy to a less grumpy individual. I’m really happy no crazy exes came from the past. It was a good ole romance with dirty talking in between. Now I need to go read book 1-2 and get ready for next book in the series cuz it was that good.

[L Leaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick, sometimes spicy read with characters you just can't help but relate to!

This is book three, so reading books 1&2 does help but isn't necessarily needed. I found that it helped to build a basis for this book on who the other characters were.

It is important to note that this is more of a novella: it's a fun, uncomplicated read with a HEA. I loved the FMC and her witty nature and who doesn't love a grumpy MMC.
I have never read anything from this author, so it was a lovely introduction into her books.

I look forward to reading more in this series

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓:
❤️ Small town romance
💲 Billionaire
🤰 Surprise pregnancy
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🌶Bratty FMC
💙 Shared grief

[Praline 99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billionaire Romance.
Anna is a young restaurant manager. While attending her best friend's engagement party, she meets Levi, her best friend's future brother-in-law, a grumpy man she loves to provoke. But after a few drinks, they end up warming up. And while Anna dreams of romance and children, she ends up getting pregnant after a one-night stand.
Levi is a grumpy and lonely man after his ex-wife left him. But while he has given up on love, he meets the beautiful Anna who likes to get under his skin.
Will Levi and Anna live a beautiful story or will Levi go when he learns Anna's secret...

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I typically don’t like the pregnancy trope but since it was a quick read I decided to give it a try! I actually loved it! The banter between Anna and Levi! It was definitely a grumpy/sunshine romance and I absolutely ate it up! The way the pregnancy was thrown in there was perfectly timed and wasn’t super rushed! The build up of their friends to benefits turning into a more serious relationship was cute! When Levi proposed to Anna it literally couldn’t have been any more of a perfect timing! If you ever continue their story I would absolutely love to read more!! It had a perfect blend of spice and drama/suspense. Will definitely be checking more of Penelope Ryan’s books out!

[Kaya Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy and am sharing my honest review based on my personal experience. Thank you Penelope Ryan and Book Buzz PR for the ARC

I’m new to the accidental pregnancy trope, but A Baby for the Billionaire totally won me over! It’s fast-paced, well written, and packed with all the feels. Levi is the perfect grumpy billionaire cowboy, and Anna’s warmth and charm make their chemistry absolutely electric.

The plot moves quickly, keeping me hooked from the very first chapter, and the emotional depth balanced perfectly with the steamy moments. If you love smalltown romance with heart, heat, and a twist of surprise baby drama.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Caitlynn Gilles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Love love this book! This short, steamy romance with a surprise baby was oh so good! Love the relationship/banter between Levi & Anna, I loved how she just went for what she wanted. Levi is definitely the grumpy Billionaire who actually has a heart of gold underneath. 🖤 I actually love how fast paced it was, I felt it went perfectly with the story line, and personally if it feels right, go for it!!🫶 Which is exactly what Levi and Anna🫶 once they got their stubbornness out of the way!😅

[Aelin Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super quick read so if you're looking for some spice with surprise pregnancy and great banter, this is for you. Even though it's short, I would say spice and plot are split 50/50. I would have loved a longer story. Anna and Levi work well together. Levi is grumpy but also super caring. He likes to bake sourdough and cook! Levi has his own inner turmoils and I think he truly needed Anna to come in scramble up his life. The ending was super cute.

Thank you Penelope for allowing me to reach an ARC of this story.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. It had me hooked from page one and didn’t stop delivering on the perfection. The vibe between the two main characters felt so genuine I could have been observing a real life couple. It has the perfect amount of spice that doesn’t take away from the main story.If you love romance with some spice this book is for you. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you for letting me be an ARC reader for this amazing book

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Such a cute, quick read. I love a refreshing fast read. They always get right down to business and they progress with absolutely no hesitation.

I loved Levi and his grumpy self. He was such a jerk but boy does it come out in bed. I also loved the age-gap trope as well. The “old man” comments and the “I’m too old/immature for you” issues are always great transitions into a more powerful relationship and hopefully a happy ending.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short 'n sweet novella with a pinch of spice!
I'm a fan of a well done surprise pregnancy trope and this was a fun read, I liked the characters and although it's apart of a series I was able to follow along with no problems.
If you're a fan of grumpy x sunshine, billionaire small town romances with surprise pregnancy then this little novella will be right up your lane.

Thank you to Penelope Ryan and BookBuzzPR for this lovely little arc.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Man
A big family with 4 sons and now there are two new women taking up the ❤️’s of two of them. Levi is the oldest and has had his heart broken so badly that he’s become a Grump. Is there anything that can change his outlook? Work, work and family is all that matters until she comes into his life like a tornado! Anna only knows full tilt but she never expected the Grumpy Old Man to spin her world on its axis. Is happiness an option for Levi?

[Kez Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice quick read, with a grumpy sunshine pairing, accidental pregnancy, age gap, and unexpected romance.
Anna is a hopeless romantic looking for the one, Levi is divorced and grumpy but secretly caring, and at their mutual friends bachelor party they let their passion guide them.
It's a nice sweet read with minimal drama, no cheating, some spice, and a hea.