Only the Beginning

by Susan Mallery, Tanya Eby (Narrator)

Revisit this uplifting summer romance from New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery. Previously published as Surprise Delivery.

Heather Fitzpatrick will become a single mother very soon and she has sworn off men for good, so meeting a handsome stranger in an elevator is definitely not part of her plan—neither is going into labor as the elevator gets stuck!
After pilot Jim Dyer jumps into action to help Heather deliver her baby, the chemistry and intimacy between them is undeniable, but heartsore Heather and women-wary Jim are both staunchly barricaded against marriage. Can one tiny newborn break down their defenses…and teach them to believe in love?

Revisit recently published titles by Susan
Secrets of Summer
The One Next Door
Hometown Hero

Audible Audio

Published July 14, 2026

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.

Reviews

[ayiruh]

2.5

this book feels like it’s written by a sweet old boomer white lady (spoiler: it is), and i honestly don’t mind that. you can see the slight (umm or more) misogyny at times.

my breaking point was when the MMC talks about an abortion his high school girlfriend had and the FMC is like she should have given you the child even if she didn’t want to raise that baby. i mean, that’s her body, she can do whatever. the guy wants a kid, good for him but that still doesn’t negate that it is her body and she’s going to have that child inside her for nine months. it’s going to change her mentally, physically and emotionally. i get why the MMC is sad but there’s absolutely no need for the ex to be made a villain. she got an abortion without telling him, but again her body so her choice. once the child comes out in the world, both parents can make decisions for that child but as long as it’s umbilical cord is attached, what mom says go.

my rating was not affected by the reasons in the last paragraph.

[Sandy]

This was a sweet read.

[Faith Detwiler]

I liked the storyline, but I couldn't tell if it was written poorly, or the voice artist was bad at reading. Also, lots of sex.