What do you think?
Rate this book
Whose Child?
Lexie swore she would protect the child she carried even though she wasn't really her mother To give her friend David the child he'd dreamed of, Lexie had agreed to be a surrogate mother, but that was before she learned the truth about his wife. Four years ago, when Lexie was pregnant and on the run, she found safety in the little town of Mill Creek, Montana. Since then she's had a good life, raising Sarah and immersing herself in the community, but never quite forgetting what she'd done. Then David finds them and announces he wants his daughter back .
Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2004
3 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Susan Gable
21 books82 followersBooks have always been my constant companions, all the way back to when I was reading Gus, The Friendly Ghost from the Weekly Reader Book Club. I grew up in a house of readers, and my mom bought me books like other parents bought their kids candy. I did well in school, finishing my work quickly - so I could read. I never went anywhere without a book. It was no surprise that in high school, I was voted Class Bookworm - and scored the Valedictorian slot. (Yes, I was slightly geeky. But only slightly. Never mind what my high school classmates say. )
In elementary school, I loved writing stories and keeping a journal. In high school, I wrote lots of poetry filled with the usual teen-age angst. I wrote the lyrics to my brand-new high school's alma mater. But did I ever consider a career as a writer back then? No, not at all.
I went to college and became an elementary teacher, spending ten years passing on my love for books and reading to children. I adored being a teacher. I will admit, the year I was pregnant with my son, I actually started a novel for young adults, and I outlined a concept for some children's series books. But, those things fell by the wayside.
Then I moved from New Jersey, the state where I'd been born and raised and worked for all those years. After a one year stint in West Virginia, I landed in Erie, Pennsylvania. I absolutely love Erie - though I love it most in June, July, and August. But I discovered that getting a teacher's certificate in PA is....well, not easy, to say the least. I taught in a private school here the first year, then I homeschooled my son for a year. At the end of that year, I needed SOMETHING to restore my sanity (let me just say that I admire those who can homeschool successfully - for me, I wanted to trade my son, whom I love very much, in for 25 kids that belonged to other people) - and I turned to writing fiction.
I started by dabbling in fanfiction, and wrote like a woman possessed. (After all, I did hear voices in my head. ) I learned a lot about the craft of writing from other fanfiction writers. Over and over again, romances surfaced in my fanfiction stories.
Then, in Dec. 1999, I decided that I was going to go for it. I made it my New Year's Resolution to learn all I could about writing romance, and to do it. I had a five-year goal - I wanted to sell a novel by the time I turned 40 - five years from then. I did reserve the right to modify that goal in the future. I signed up for an on-line writing romance class, joined Romance Writers of America and Pennwriters, and started writing my first romance novel.
Which had some serious failings. ;-) But I finished it. A whole novel. And sent off a query letter and received the rite-of-passage, a form rejection. I retitled the book, reworked it toward another publisher, sent off another query, received another rejection. Hey, no one ever said it was going to be easy.
Meanwhile, I'd started another book, and while the characters were a lot of fun, I wasn't totally sure where the story was going.
Somehow, the basic premise for The Baby Plan was born while I was playing with GMC's (Goal, Motivation, & Conflicts) for that other book. Then, Harley sprang to life, and that was it. The other book had to be abandoned, because Harley insisted I write her story. She wouldn't let me rest.
In February of 2002, I got THE CALL from Harlequin Superromance ®, saying they wanted to buy The Baby Plan. I did my best to act dignified on the phone, then yelled like a banshee when I hung up. To say I was thrilled is the understatement of the century.
I've now gone Indie with my books, and I'm loving being in complete control over the decisions I make with my books. I hope you enjoy them.
In elementary school, I loved writing stories and keeping a journal. In high school, I wrote lots of poetry filled with the usual teen-age angst. I wrote the lyrics to my brand-new high school's alma mater. But did I ever consider a career as a writer back then? No, not at all.
I went to college and became an elementary teacher, spending ten years passing on my love for books and reading to children. I adored being a teacher. I will admit, the year I was pregnant with my son, I actually started a novel for young adults, and I outlined a concept for some children's series books. But, those things fell by the wayside.
Then I moved from New Jersey, the state where I'd been born and raised and worked for all those years. After a one year stint in West Virginia, I landed in Erie, Pennsylvania. I absolutely love Erie - though I love it most in June, July, and August. But I discovered that getting a teacher's certificate in PA is....well, not easy, to say the least. I taught in a private school here the first year, then I homeschooled my son for a year. At the end of that year, I needed SOMETHING to restore my sanity (let me just say that I admire those who can homeschool successfully - for me, I wanted to trade my son, whom I love very much, in for 25 kids that belonged to other people) - and I turned to writing fiction.
I started by dabbling in fanfiction, and wrote like a woman possessed. (After all, I did hear voices in my head. ) I learned a lot about the craft of writing from other fanfiction writers. Over and over again, romances surfaced in my fanfiction stories.
Then, in Dec. 1999, I decided that I was going to go for it. I made it my New Year's Resolution to learn all I could about writing romance, and to do it. I had a five-year goal - I wanted to sell a novel by the time I turned 40 - five years from then. I did reserve the right to modify that goal in the future. I signed up for an on-line writing romance class, joined Romance Writers of America and Pennwriters, and started writing my first romance novel.
Which had some serious failings. ;-) But I finished it. A whole novel. And sent off a query letter and received the rite-of-passage, a form rejection. I retitled the book, reworked it toward another publisher, sent off another query, received another rejection. Hey, no one ever said it was going to be easy.
Meanwhile, I'd started another book, and while the characters were a lot of fun, I wasn't totally sure where the story was going.
Somehow, the basic premise for The Baby Plan was born while I was playing with GMC's (Goal, Motivation, & Conflicts) for that other book. Then, Harley sprang to life, and that was it. The other book had to be abandoned, because Harley insisted I write her story. She wouldn't let me rest.
In February of 2002, I got THE CALL from Harlequin Superromance ®, saying they wanted to buy The Baby Plan. I did my best to act dignified on the phone, then yelled like a banshee when I hung up. To say I was thrilled is the understatement of the century.
I've now gone Indie with my books, and I'm loving being in complete control over the decisions I make with my books. I hope you enjoy them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 8, 2011
The hero David has been searching for the heroine Lexie for four year and has finally found her. He goes to confront her and bring back the daughter he has never even met. Lexie is terrified to see David again, and knows that he is there to take her beloved Sarah away from her. Lexie had run away four years ago in desperation after David refused to believe her after she had found out some very worrying information about his wife. She managed to find a community that accepted her and stay hidden, and raised Sarah as her own. David is overwhelmed when he finally meets his daughter, and promises never to be away from her again. Although he has long since realised that Lexie was telling the truth all those years ago, he will never forgive her for depriving him of the first four years of his daughter's life. He and Lexie were once best friends and he can't help noticing the changes that the last four years have caused, and not all of it for the better. He also can't deny that she has been a wonderful mother to Sarah, and surprisingly that he finds the new Lexie very alluring. David asks Lexie to marry him, but even though she is desperate not to lose Sarah Lexie has always loved David and knows that he will never love her, so she says no.
I thought the author raised two very interesting and sensitive issues - the issues of surrogacy and whether it is DNA or love that really makes you a parent - and she did it brilliantly. The book manages to be sad and upbeat all at the same time, and is a very absorbing read. The hero and heroine are written with honesty, and feel three dimensional. There are also some great secondary characters that add depth to the story. I was really happy that the heroine decided to stay within the community that accepted her openly instead of giving it all up, that would have felt very shallow. The only thing I would change is taking away the random sections of POV from one of the secondary characters, I don't feel the book needed it.
This is a really touching book, that draws you in and has you really invested in the outcome, I know I was virtually holding my breath at times!
Very enjoyable.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I thought the author raised two very interesting and sensitive issues - the issues of surrogacy and whether it is DNA or love that really makes you a parent - and she did it brilliantly. The book manages to be sad and upbeat all at the same time, and is a very absorbing read. The hero and heroine are written with honesty, and feel three dimensional. There are also some great secondary characters that add depth to the story. I was really happy that the heroine decided to stay within the community that accepted her openly instead of giving it all up, that would have felt very shallow. The only thing I would change is taking away the random sections of POV from one of the secondary characters, I don't feel the book needed it.
This is a really touching book, that draws you in and has you really invested in the outcome, I know I was virtually holding my breath at times!
Very enjoyable.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
July 2, 2021
I felt the emotions, relationships build up in this book are realistic.
Like how Sarah (the young girl) took a very long time to warm up to her father.
June 24, 2015
Four years ago, Lexie promised old friend David that she would be a surrogate mother and bear a child for him and his infertile wife. Then she found out that the wife was suspected of having killed her first child, and when David refused to believe that the unborn baby was in danger, she fled across the country, leaving behind everything she knew and loved. Now David has finally tracked her down - and he wants his daughter.
I'm not quite sure why I didn't like this book much. I vaguely remember finding it somewhat enjoyable a few years back, but this time around it rubbed me the wrong way, and I don't know why.
For at least half of the book, I didn't like David. He's furious with Lexie for running and depriving him of the first four years with his baby girl, when I feel that he should have been thanking her from the bottom of his heart for keeping his baby safe. In the four years between Lexie's flight and the events of the book, David's wife murdered a SECOND baby (that belonged to her new husband's daughter) and was then herself killed in prison while awaiting trial, so Lexie almost certainly saved the life of Sarah, the baby she carried to term and has raised as her own ever since. While David claims to understand why she ran, he's still livid with her, which seems an odd contradiction to me. I didn't start liking David until at least halfway through the book, probably more like two thirds, when my allegiance suddenly transferred to him due to...
...his overly hostile reception from Sarah. Which is point two of the book that grated on me. Sarah is - oh, I don't want to call her a brat (okay, I DO want to, but that's just my grinchy too-small-hearted side talking), but she's boisterous. And precocious. And opinionated. And stubborn. Which can sometimes - when written right - add up to make a charming, vibrant personality, but in this case just seemed rude and - yes, bratty. Examples, since I'm sure you'll want a few: she kicks and screams when she doesn't want to do what she's told. She cries about seemingly everything. She bites people. Maybe I've just been lucky with the three- and four-year-olds I've known, but I've never had to deal with any kids who are nearly as obnoxious as Sarah. Lexie, despite frequently being referred to as a great mother, writes most of these off as part of the emotional trauma of meeting her father (the father that she was wishing for at the beginning of the book, and promptly decided she hated as soon as he showed up).
The scene with the dog infuriated me too. (David buys Sarah a puppy without clearing it with Lexie. Lexie says they can't have animals (they run, and live at, a B&B) as they're registered as an animal-free accommodation and guests may be allergic. David and Sarah talk her into letting the puppy stay. Sure enough, one guest has a dangerous allergic reaction, and it turns out to be a guest who was doing a review of the B&B for a magazine, who then writes a bad review. Nobody is really apologetic, either to the guest for putting him in danger, or to Lexie for ruining her business.) Even if you don't run a hotel, you just don't buy a pet on a whim without talking it over with the other parent.
There were a few charming scenes, such as the "trunk-or-treat" Halloween party, but overall this book felt sort of cold and depressing to me. Maybe it's partly the setting. I've never liked Montana, aside from one single-author series I read.
So not one I'll be keeping. A shame, since I thought I'd enjoy it. 2 stars.
I'm not quite sure why I didn't like this book much. I vaguely remember finding it somewhat enjoyable a few years back, but this time around it rubbed me the wrong way, and I don't know why.
For at least half of the book, I didn't like David. He's furious with Lexie for running and depriving him of the first four years with his baby girl, when I feel that he should have been thanking her from the bottom of his heart for keeping his baby safe. In the four years between Lexie's flight and the events of the book, David's wife murdered a SECOND baby (that belonged to her new husband's daughter) and was then herself killed in prison while awaiting trial, so Lexie almost certainly saved the life of Sarah, the baby she carried to term and has raised as her own ever since. While David claims to understand why she ran, he's still livid with her, which seems an odd contradiction to me. I didn't start liking David until at least halfway through the book, probably more like two thirds, when my allegiance suddenly transferred to him due to...
...his overly hostile reception from Sarah. Which is point two of the book that grated on me. Sarah is - oh, I don't want to call her a brat (okay, I DO want to, but that's just my grinchy too-small-hearted side talking), but she's boisterous. And precocious. And opinionated. And stubborn. Which can sometimes - when written right - add up to make a charming, vibrant personality, but in this case just seemed rude and - yes, bratty. Examples, since I'm sure you'll want a few: she kicks and screams when she doesn't want to do what she's told. She cries about seemingly everything. She bites people. Maybe I've just been lucky with the three- and four-year-olds I've known, but I've never had to deal with any kids who are nearly as obnoxious as Sarah. Lexie, despite frequently being referred to as a great mother, writes most of these off as part of the emotional trauma of meeting her father (the father that she was wishing for at the beginning of the book, and promptly decided she hated as soon as he showed up).
The scene with the dog infuriated me too. (David buys Sarah a puppy without clearing it with Lexie. Lexie says they can't have animals (they run, and live at, a B&B) as they're registered as an animal-free accommodation and guests may be allergic. David and Sarah talk her into letting the puppy stay. Sure enough, one guest has a dangerous allergic reaction, and it turns out to be a guest who was doing a review of the B&B for a magazine, who then writes a bad review. Nobody is really apologetic, either to the guest for putting him in danger, or to Lexie for ruining her business.) Even if you don't run a hotel, you just don't buy a pet on a whim without talking it over with the other parent.
There were a few charming scenes, such as the "trunk-or-treat" Halloween party, but overall this book felt sort of cold and depressing to me. Maybe it's partly the setting. I've never liked Montana, aside from one single-author series I read.
So not one I'll be keeping. A shame, since I thought I'd enjoy it. 2 stars.
January 24, 2013
4 Stars ~ David was Lexie's brother's best friend and while they were growing up David was like another member of her family. But he wasn't like her brothers who teased and sometimes made her cry, he didn't mind if she followed them around. When her date bailed on her for her prom, David stepped in and escorted her. So when they were all grown up and David's wife couldn't carry a child, Lexie offered to be their surrogate, the host womb. But it all went horribly wrong. Angela's first husband learnt that she was to be a mother again, and he warned first David and then Lexie that Angela had killed their newborn years before. Lexie believed him but David didn't, and she did what she had to do, she ran. It's been four years and David's hunt for Lexie and his child has come to an end in Montana.
Ms. Gable has penned an emotional story around the sensitive issues of surrogacy. Although I had trouble warming up to David, I did feel his pain for the lost years of his daughter's life. Lexie is a wonderful mother and little Sarah is adorable. With the wicked wife out of the picture, Lexie has to come to terms that Sarah doesn't belong to her. Ms. Gable shows us that the greatest gift of love is one of sacrifice.
Ms. Gable has penned an emotional story around the sensitive issues of surrogacy. Although I had trouble warming up to David, I did feel his pain for the lost years of his daughter's life. Lexie is a wonderful mother and little Sarah is adorable. With the wicked wife out of the picture, Lexie has to come to terms that Sarah doesn't belong to her. Ms. Gable shows us that the greatest gift of love is one of sacrifice.
September 6, 2011
This is a great book about a family...
Lexie Jacobs surely cares for the kid and that's why she something like kidnapped her. And one more reason is because she loves David Mitchell.
The kid is so cute!!!!!!!!!!
Lexie Jacobs surely cares for the kid and that's why she something like kidnapped her. And one more reason is because she loves David Mitchell.
The kid is so cute!!!!!!!!!!
January 18, 2013
Great start, good middle, excellent finish!
April 8, 2015
3.5 stars!!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews