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Bar Down Baby!
For janitor Hannah Harvey, cleaning up messes is the family business. Literally. When she finds herself pregnant from a one night stand with a stranger, she decides that a baby is one mess she’ll take on alone.
Out of her depth, but determined, Hannah decides to save herself the drama of ever telling the father. This seemed easy enough when he was only Barry Wright, hockey all-star living across the country, but becomes impossible when he gets traded to her city and trains in the very facility she cleans.
After crossing paths with a very pregnant Hannah, Barry is eager to help. But how do you help someone hellbent on proving they can take care of everything alone?
Desperate to keep him at arms length—but failing more with each of his attempts to care for her—Hannah will have to decide if love is worth the mess.
Out of her depth, but determined, Hannah decides to save herself the drama of ever telling the father. This seemed easy enough when he was only Barry Wright, hockey all-star living across the country, but becomes impossible when he gets traded to her city and trains in the very facility she cleans.
After crossing paths with a very pregnant Hannah, Barry is eager to help. But how do you help someone hellbent on proving they can take care of everything alone?
Desperate to keep him at arms length—but failing more with each of his attempts to care for her—Hannah will have to decide if love is worth the mess.
324 pages, Paperback
Published June 18, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Author
thank you kath richards for the eARC—all thoughts are my own!
✦ publication date: june 18, 2026
GOT ME FEELING ROMANTICAL
hannah harvey works as a janitor, just like her family. after a one night stand with a stranger, she finds out she is pregnant. she decides to raise the baby on her own. she thinks it will be easy to keep it a secret because the man is barry wright, a famous hockey player who lives across the country. but then, barry gets traded to her city and starts practicing at the building where she works.
when barry sees that hannah is pregnant, he wants to help. but hannah is determined to do everything by herself, and she tries hard to push him away. as barry keeps trying to be there for her, hannah has to decide if she is ready to let him in and accept his love.
omg omg omg, i had so much fun reading this!! the relationship between hannah and barry is full of patience and genuine care. i really loved how the book gave hannah the space to work through her own struggles. barry is the perfect partner because he doesn’t try to fix her but he just meets her where she is. his kindness makes their connection feel safe and steady rather than overwhelming.
honestly, every woman needs a man who stays patient when she’s having a stressful moment or just needs some extra reassurance. ladies and gentlemen, lemme introduce you to barry wright. he’s a famous hockey player with great hair, an amazing body, and a love language based on acts of service. i am completely obsessed with him ahhhhh!
i also really related to hannah. it’s totally understandable that she felt insecure about starting a life with someone she met during a one night stand. i completely got why she kept pushing him away at first because trusting a stranger like that is incredibly hard.
while there was a lot to love, the book did have a few dull spots. i love kath richards’ writing style, but did we really need three whole pages about puzzles? hmmm no. i also would have loved to see a pov chapter from barry. knowing what he was thinking would have been so fun, and i really wanted to see how he viewed hannah. the couple could have used a bit more interaction, too. still, it was such a cute story, and i absolutely loved hannah’s family.
3.5 stars
⤿ surprise baby
⤿ hockey player x janitor
⤿ "i can do it myself" fmc
⤿ "let me help you" mmc
⤿ he falls first and harder
౨ৎ ⋮ more by kath richards
— morelli family series
— fangs with benefits (pub date: 09/04/2026)
✦ publication date: june 18, 2026
GOT ME FEELING ROMANTICAL
hannah harvey works as a janitor, just like her family. after a one night stand with a stranger, she finds out she is pregnant. she decides to raise the baby on her own. she thinks it will be easy to keep it a secret because the man is barry wright, a famous hockey player who lives across the country. but then, barry gets traded to her city and starts practicing at the building where she works.
when barry sees that hannah is pregnant, he wants to help. but hannah is determined to do everything by herself, and she tries hard to push him away. as barry keeps trying to be there for her, hannah has to decide if she is ready to let him in and accept his love.
omg omg omg, i had so much fun reading this!! the relationship between hannah and barry is full of patience and genuine care. i really loved how the book gave hannah the space to work through her own struggles. barry is the perfect partner because he doesn’t try to fix her but he just meets her where she is. his kindness makes their connection feel safe and steady rather than overwhelming.
honestly, every woman needs a man who stays patient when she’s having a stressful moment or just needs some extra reassurance. ladies and gentlemen, lemme introduce you to barry wright. he’s a famous hockey player with great hair, an amazing body, and a love language based on acts of service. i am completely obsessed with him ahhhhh!
i also really related to hannah. it’s totally understandable that she felt insecure about starting a life with someone she met during a one night stand. i completely got why she kept pushing him away at first because trusting a stranger like that is incredibly hard.
while there was a lot to love, the book did have a few dull spots. i love kath richards’ writing style, but did we really need three whole pages about puzzles? hmmm no. i also would have loved to see a pov chapter from barry. knowing what he was thinking would have been so fun, and i really wanted to see how he viewed hannah. the couple could have used a bit more interaction, too. still, it was such a cute story, and i absolutely loved hannah’s family.
3.5 stars
⤿ surprise baby
⤿ hockey player x janitor
⤿ "i can do it myself" fmc
⤿ "let me help you" mmc
⤿ he falls first and harder
౨ৎ ⋮ more by kath richards
— morelli family series
— fangs with benefits (pub date: 09/04/2026)
June 11, 2026
4.5/5
kath richards supremacy !!! surprise pregnancy supremacy !!!
the day this got announced, i actually screamed, i was just so excited about the prospect of a new surprise pregnancy book from an author i adore! i, unlike many other romance readers, am an avid fan of this trope. it definitely needs to be done well and not rushed but i just have so much fun reading about two characters building a family and falling in love, blame hannah bonam-young okay. win and bo are perfect and i want them to be friends with hannah and barry!!
hannah and barry have a wonderful night together in new york, chemistry off the charts, then she finds out she’s pregnant and finds out barry is a professional hockey player, and their connection is basically severed. when he gets traded to a team in utah, where hannah lives and works, the two collide again and this time it’s in a wonderful love story!
hannah, as stubborn as she may be, is my best friend. i love and adore her so much, i want to read so many more books about her being happy with barry and little frankie and junior! her struggles with accepting the love that was around her felt so real and even tho i wanted to shake her at times, i understood her feelings and i support her! barry is legitimately the perfect man. he stumbles in, finds hannah asleep and pregnant, and he’s down horrendously bad. that is the love of his life, that is the mother of his child, that is his child, so everyone just leave him and his money spending alone!
being able to see these two let their guards down and get together was so beautiful! kath richards such a good, and underrated, author. her ability to drag readers into a story from chapter one is amazing, i immediately connected to hannah and i can’t wait to see if there’s any potential further installments in this series 👀👀
other than the romance, i think the sibling dynamics were written so well! i love kate and jeremy, i loved chloe, i just loved the families so much! i desperately wish we got barry’s perspective but i’ll suck it up… read this!!
*thank you so much to kath richards’ team for the copy!*
kath richards supremacy !!! surprise pregnancy supremacy !!!
the day this got announced, i actually screamed, i was just so excited about the prospect of a new surprise pregnancy book from an author i adore! i, unlike many other romance readers, am an avid fan of this trope. it definitely needs to be done well and not rushed but i just have so much fun reading about two characters building a family and falling in love, blame hannah bonam-young okay. win and bo are perfect and i want them to be friends with hannah and barry!!
hannah and barry have a wonderful night together in new york, chemistry off the charts, then she finds out she’s pregnant and finds out barry is a professional hockey player, and their connection is basically severed. when he gets traded to a team in utah, where hannah lives and works, the two collide again and this time it’s in a wonderful love story!
hannah, as stubborn as she may be, is my best friend. i love and adore her so much, i want to read so many more books about her being happy with barry and little frankie and junior! her struggles with accepting the love that was around her felt so real and even tho i wanted to shake her at times, i understood her feelings and i support her! barry is legitimately the perfect man. he stumbles in, finds hannah asleep and pregnant, and he’s down horrendously bad. that is the love of his life, that is the mother of his child, that is his child, so everyone just leave him and his money spending alone!
being able to see these two let their guards down and get together was so beautiful! kath richards such a good, and underrated, author. her ability to drag readers into a story from chapter one is amazing, i immediately connected to hannah and i can’t wait to see if there’s any potential further installments in this series 👀👀
other than the romance, i think the sibling dynamics were written so well! i love kate and jeremy, i loved chloe, i just loved the families so much! i desperately wish we got barry’s perspective but i’ll suck it up… read this!!
*thank you so much to kath richards’ team for the copy!*
Read
June 19, 2026While I do love an independent FMC who prefers to do things on her own, I don't appreciate Hannah's (25) stubbornness and refusal to accept help for so damn loooong. Being wary in the beginning was understandable, but it got to a point it was no longer cutesy to read. And I really dislike that she's in denial about her feelings, and it has been dragged on for like forever. It wasn't until the 96% mark where she finally said it out loud. 🥴 She just became frustrating and had me wondering what Barry (32) even sees in her.
Aside from my issue with her, there's not much about the plot to write about. Nothing major really happened, as the story was more about the daily tasks and cohabitation for their soon-to-be-born baby. I thought with all that time they have I would grow to see more background or depth about the MCs, but at the end of the book I still feel like I haven't known them well. The single POV (her) didn't help either.
Anyway, I love their families, pets, and even Barry; can't say the same about Hannah. So yeah, idk what to rate this, because some of it isn't bad, but the frustration lingers, and I don't like feeling this way about a book.
Book info:
- Surprised pregnancy from ONS
- Second chance-ish (6 mos)
- No cheating, OM/OW, separation
- Implied both are celibate after their ONS
- No Vs ( no history given)
- Bisexual FMC
- Mini age gap (7 yrs)
- HFN (6 mos later, engaged)
Side note:
One of the things that irritated me in a surprised/accidental pregnancy is when the woman chooses not to inform the man about it, especially when she has a way to contact him and he seems like a decent guy. I think they have the right to know, but it's their choice whether to be in the child's life. And in this book, Hannah had no plans to tell Barry about it. If he hadn't been traded and fate didn't work its way, he would go about living his life without knowing he has a kid, which would be heartbreaking because he wanted to have a family of his own.
Aside from my issue with her, there's not much about the plot to write about. Nothing major really happened, as the story was more about the daily tasks and cohabitation for their soon-to-be-born baby. I thought with all that time they have I would grow to see more background or depth about the MCs, but at the end of the book I still feel like I haven't known them well. The single POV (her) didn't help either.
Anyway, I love their families, pets, and even Barry; can't say the same about Hannah. So yeah, idk what to rate this, because some of it isn't bad, but the frustration lingers, and I don't like feeling this way about a book.
Book info:
- Surprised pregnancy from ONS
- Second chance-ish (6 mos)
- No cheating, OM/OW, separation
- Implied both are celibate after their ONS
- No Vs ( no history given)
- Bisexual FMC
- Mini age gap (7 yrs)
- HFN (6 mos later, engaged)
Side note:
One of the things that irritated me in a surprised/accidental pregnancy is when the woman chooses not to inform the man about it, especially when she has a way to contact him and he seems like a decent guy. I think they have the right to know, but it's their choice whether to be in the child's life. And in this book, Hannah had no plans to tell Barry about it. If he hadn't been traded and fate didn't work its way, he would go about living his life without knowing he has a kid, which would be heartbreaking because he wanted to have a family of his own.
Read
June 20, 2026oh barry was DOWN bad.
so so good!!! live laugh love clingy (not)boyfriends
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
hockey romance by kath?!! sign me up!!! the cover is so cute & her family owning a janitorial company is so unique and interesting!!! halfway done and im obsessed!!
my 2nd kath read and safe to say ive found an auto read author!!!
↪ started june 17
↪ finished june 19
thank you kath richards for the digital arc
so so good!!! live laugh love clingy (not)boyfriends
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
hockey romance by kath?!! sign me up!!! the cover is so cute & her family owning a janitorial company is so unique and interesting!!! halfway done and im obsessed!!
my 2nd kath read and safe to say ive found an auto read author!!!
↪ started june 17
↪ finished june 19
thank you kath richards for the digital arc
June 12, 2026
A BILLION STARS. gonna agree with everyone else here & say i can’t believe kath made me fall in love with a man named BARRY. i can not stress enough how much i love this man. i am enamored. enchanted. like, you don’t understand, i’m enthralled. he is everything to me 😩 he has a few missions in life and they consist of the following: love hannah, take care of hannah, cook for hannah, worry about hannah, fix things for hannah, worship hannah.. the list goes on. when he left for hockey games he facetimed her so they could sleep together 🥲 i hate my life (but love this book)
hannah. my poor bbg. when i say i am her, she is me, i mean it. she is STUBBORN but like i relate so i cant be mad about it. it makes me love her even more. i LOVED being in her mind & seeing her finally understand how much he cared for her & let herself be loved the way she deserved. i could read 300000 more pages of this couple and NEVER get bored. (also i loved her family so much??? every character was amazing)
this book came to me right when i needed it!! feels like it was written just for me…. THATS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. i smiled the entire time. giggled & kicked my feet. twirled my hair. blushed. swooned. had to put the kindle down & come back down to real life. it’s such a soft, feel good book.
the writing in this book is so good! i feel like the only things that would have made it a tiny bit better would be a couple chapters in his pov, and HIM GETTING JEALOUS. anyway, I LOVEDDDD IT, and i need everyone to immediately read on june 18th. (it’s my favorite kath book!!!!)
thank you to kath & her team for the advanced copy. all opinions are my own <3
hannah. my poor bbg. when i say i am her, she is me, i mean it. she is STUBBORN but like i relate so i cant be mad about it. it makes me love her even more. i LOVED being in her mind & seeing her finally understand how much he cared for her & let herself be loved the way she deserved. i could read 300000 more pages of this couple and NEVER get bored. (also i loved her family so much??? every character was amazing)
this book came to me right when i needed it!! feels like it was written just for me…. THATS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. i smiled the entire time. giggled & kicked my feet. twirled my hair. blushed. swooned. had to put the kindle down & come back down to real life. it’s such a soft, feel good book.
the writing in this book is so good! i feel like the only things that would have made it a tiny bit better would be a couple chapters in his pov, and HIM GETTING JEALOUS. anyway, I LOVEDDDD IT, and i need everyone to immediately read on june 18th. (it’s my favorite kath book!!!!)
thank you to kath & her team for the advanced copy. all opinions are my own <3
Want to Read
June 9, 2026my next read!! im so excited for this arc. the tropes are PERFECT!!
June 20, 2026
I’m always a sucker for a surprise baby romance and I’ve been partial to hockey romances lately as well so this was pretty much going to be fun automatically for me… AND THEN BARRY USED THE PET NAME SWEETHEART!?
That’s my favorite pet name and as a chronic *self-inserter* as a reader - it was exactly what I needed for this sweet little romance.
- Hard working women will also always be a favorite! I love a character that asks for little and deserves the world? Hannah is most certainly one of those women and having a golden retriever like Barry is totally her style.
HOUSEKEEPING:
* Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
* Reader Age Suggestions: adult
* Content Warnings: —
* Kindle Unlimited: ✅
* Part of A Series: x / Can it be read alone?: Yes!
**Thank you Kath Richards for the book! I rec3ived this book for fr3e, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR🖤
Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤
That’s my favorite pet name and as a chronic *self-inserter* as a reader - it was exactly what I needed for this sweet little romance.
- Hard working women will also always be a favorite! I love a character that asks for little and deserves the world? Hannah is most certainly one of those women and having a golden retriever like Barry is totally her style.
HOUSEKEEPING:
* Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
* Reader Age Suggestions: adult
* Content Warnings: —
* Kindle Unlimited: ✅
* Part of A Series: x / Can it be read alone?: Yes!
**Thank you Kath Richards for the book! I rec3ived this book for fr3e, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR🖤
Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤
October 11, 2026
ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ Kath Richards NEVER N E V E R lets me down
Bar Down Baby! is an accidental pregnancy romance between a janitor FMC and a hockey player MMC. I adored this book so much oh my god. I knew I was going to absolutely be obsessed with this book. Kath Richards continues to create stories that I can't get enough of and I'm always, I fear, going to be a fan ✶ Hannah x Barry were so adorable and I couldn't stop giggling when I was reading thiiiis.
✶ Accidental pregnancy
✶ Down bad hero
✶ "Sweetheart" "baby" THESE TERMS OF ENDEARMENT????? OOOF CHEF KISS
✶ Roommates
✶ He follows her everywhere omg he's so clingy I love Barryyyyy
✶ Low on angst!
Bar Down Baby! is an accidental pregnancy romance between a janitor FMC and a hockey player MMC. I adored this book so much oh my god. I knew I was going to absolutely be obsessed with this book. Kath Richards continues to create stories that I can't get enough of and I'm always, I fear, going to be a fan ✶ Hannah x Barry were so adorable and I couldn't stop giggling when I was reading thiiiis.
✶ Accidental pregnancy
✶ Down bad hero
✶ "Sweetheart" "baby" THESE TERMS OF ENDEARMENT????? OOOF CHEF KISS
✶ Roommates
✶ He follows her everywhere omg he's so clingy I love Barryyyyy
✶ Low on angst!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I enjoy reading books with the “unexpected pregnancy” trope depending on my mood, and this one also has such a beautiful cover that I couldn’t resist.
From the very first pages, the FMC started to annoy me, and while the MMC is cute, he felt too perfect. I also didn’t get enough depth or conflict, as the whole book is very sweet.
Additionally, the MMC has OCD, but I didn’t see any actual depiction of this mental health condition. Yes, according to the MMC, he sees a therapist, and it really helps him, but I would have preferred to see it rather than just be told about it.
On the other hand, I didn’t feel like DNFing it, and I still wanted to keep reading until the end.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓accidental pregnancy
✓one night stand
✓hockey romance
✓found family
✓hockey player x janitor
Thank you to Kath Richards for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
From the very first pages, the FMC started to annoy me, and while the MMC is cute, he felt too perfect. I also didn’t get enough depth or conflict, as the whole book is very sweet.
Additionally, the MMC has OCD, but I didn’t see any actual depiction of this mental health condition. Yes, according to the MMC, he sees a therapist, and it really helps him, but I would have preferred to see it rather than just be told about it.
On the other hand, I didn’t feel like DNFing it, and I still wanted to keep reading until the end.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓accidental pregnancy
✓one night stand
✓hockey romance
✓found family
✓hockey player x janitor
Thank you to Kath Richards for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 12, 2026
Thank you Kath Richards for the eARC.
MISS KATH NEVER EVER DISAPPOINTS 👏
I have loved every book I’ve read from Kath so far and this one was just as amazing!!
I had the time of my life reading this! It was so romantic so fun and so good, Kaths’ writing style is genuinely unique and fun to read from! It’s one of those writing styles that sucks you immediately into the story🙂↕️
Hannah is my precious baby, I related so much to her, the way she felt about depending on others was extremely touching to me because I truly feel the same in many situations. I also loved how her distrust towards Barry was written throughout the book, it was quite realistic and understandable, because trusting a stranger that you have a one night stand with to start a whole life together is hard, her development throughout the book was one of my favorite aspects of the book!
Barry is legitimately the perfect man (still made he doesn’t exist in real life😞) his love language is quite literally acts of services and it was delicious to read about, and he was down DOWN bad for Hannah👏
Their romance was everything to me, it felt so special and so real that i genuinely wanted more once I was done with the book 🥹 + the family relationship and involvement throughout the book was so so special, it got me tearing up every time I read about the family dynamics because you can honestly tell how much love is between them!!
Ngl I would’ve loved a Barry POV and how he thought about Hannah throughout the book, that man had me going crazy 😩
MISS KATH NEVER EVER DISAPPOINTS 👏
I have loved every book I’ve read from Kath so far and this one was just as amazing!!
I had the time of my life reading this! It was so romantic so fun and so good, Kaths’ writing style is genuinely unique and fun to read from! It’s one of those writing styles that sucks you immediately into the story🙂↕️
Hannah is my precious baby, I related so much to her, the way she felt about depending on others was extremely touching to me because I truly feel the same in many situations. I also loved how her distrust towards Barry was written throughout the book, it was quite realistic and understandable, because trusting a stranger that you have a one night stand with to start a whole life together is hard, her development throughout the book was one of my favorite aspects of the book!
Barry is legitimately the perfect man (still made he doesn’t exist in real life😞) his love language is quite literally acts of services and it was delicious to read about, and he was down DOWN bad for Hannah👏
Their romance was everything to me, it felt so special and so real that i genuinely wanted more once I was done with the book 🥹 + the family relationship and involvement throughout the book was so so special, it got me tearing up every time I read about the family dynamics because you can honestly tell how much love is between them!!
Ngl I would’ve loved a Barry POV and how he thought about Hannah throughout the book, that man had me going crazy 😩
Did Not Finish
October 22, 2026dnf @ 11%
had to dnf the moment the heroine asks “why?” when the hero says they should exchange phone numbers after he finds out she’s pregnant (accidentally since she never planned on telling him). wdym WHY? idk maybe because you’re carrying this man’s child ?? ofc you guys have more to discuss!
it might seem petty but i could tell she wasn’t going to get any better. her stubbornness and insistence to make decisions for the hero was really irritating to read. my fave trope catching strays
had to dnf the moment the heroine asks “why?” when the hero says they should exchange phone numbers after he finds out she’s pregnant (accidentally since she never planned on telling him). wdym WHY? idk maybe because you’re carrying this man’s child ?? ofc you guys have more to discuss!
it might seem petty but i could tell she wasn’t going to get any better. her stubbornness and insistence to make decisions for the hero was really irritating to read. my fave trope catching strays
August 19, 2026
4⭐️
Kath Richards is on such a roll- this is her third book and so far they've all been bangers. Here we have Hannah Harvey, who went to NYC and had a one night stand up Barry and wound up pregnant! Unbeknownst to her, Barry is a super famous NHL star and gets traded to her city and OH now trains at the hockey rink her company is contracted to clean
I loved that our story stats when Hannah is already about 6 months pregnant. A lot of surprise pregnancy stories promote themselves as such but then our characters don't even find out until a third of the way through. So I appreciated the timeline!
I have to say I hated that Hannah wasn't going to tell Barry about the baby. It's just such a wrong thing to do in my opinion. Even if she didn't think that he would want to be involved, he still deserved to at least know? She also had NO reason whatsoever to think that he would walk away. And still, steadfast had zero plans to tell him. So she lost points for that
I loved Barry? He's 100% in right from the moment he saw Hannah asleep in the players lounge. I loved that he continually went out of his way to show up for Hannah- he grocery shopped and meal prepped for her, drove her to work and just hung out. This man slept on a couch and blow up mattress for WEEKS just to be close to her
I do wish Hannah had accepted Barry earlier. As I said, he was showing his commitment right from the get-go and at no point did he fault her. And yet even after weeks of him showing and telling her that he was in for the baby, but ALSO he was there for her, she still thought he was only doing it out of obligation. Like girl, he has straight up told that's not the case. And she she still near the end was like "he's only doing this because he think's he has to" and tbh it got a bit frustrating
Kath Richards is on such a roll- this is her third book and so far they've all been bangers. Here we have Hannah Harvey, who went to NYC and had a one night stand up Barry and wound up pregnant! Unbeknownst to her, Barry is a super famous NHL star and gets traded to her city and OH now trains at the hockey rink her company is contracted to clean
I loved that our story stats when Hannah is already about 6 months pregnant. A lot of surprise pregnancy stories promote themselves as such but then our characters don't even find out until a third of the way through. So I appreciated the timeline!
I have to say I hated that Hannah wasn't going to tell Barry about the baby. It's just such a wrong thing to do in my opinion. Even if she didn't think that he would want to be involved, he still deserved to at least know? She also had NO reason whatsoever to think that he would walk away. And still, steadfast had zero plans to tell him. So she lost points for that
I loved Barry? He's 100% in right from the moment he saw Hannah asleep in the players lounge. I loved that he continually went out of his way to show up for Hannah- he grocery shopped and meal prepped for her, drove her to work and just hung out. This man slept on a couch and blow up mattress for WEEKS just to be close to her
I do wish Hannah had accepted Barry earlier. As I said, he was showing his commitment right from the get-go and at no point did he fault her. And yet even after weeks of him showing and telling her that he was in for the baby, but ALSO he was there for her, she still thought he was only doing it out of obligation. Like girl, he has straight up told that's not the case. And she she still near the end was like "he's only doing this because he think's he has to" and tbh it got a bit frustrating
October 18, 2026
»He's staying in my basement.«
»You're making Barry Wright sleep in Grandma's murder basement?«
★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I liked her as a main character, even though she could be pretty stubborn at times.
❥ 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 ⋆✮
He was an absolute sweetheart and just too precious. I loved him so much!
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This was a fun and entertaining read.
It was my first book by the author and I had my problems with the writing style. I can’t put my finger down but something is putting me off. It’s not a bad written book but I don’t love the writing style either.
The plot itself was amusing but nothing too special or memorable. I also really liked that hockey was an actual part of the story and not just something mentioned in passing. The pregnancy trope was also well done and added to the story.
Hannah and Barry had great tension and their banter was funny. I liked them together and think they match perfectly. Bonus points for Hannah’s family, they were hilarious and definitely added to the fun.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read with some cute moments and fun characters. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but sometimes you just want a light and entertaining romance.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Maybe.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 3/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 4/5
world building: 4/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
protective hero, age gap, instant attraction, secret pregnancy, sports romance, hockey player x janitor, forced proximity, he falls first and harder, golden retriever mmc, second chance (kinda), accidental pregnancy
»You're making Barry Wright sleep in Grandma's murder basement?«
★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I liked her as a main character, even though she could be pretty stubborn at times.
❥ 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 ⋆✮
He was an absolute sweetheart and just too precious. I loved him so much!
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This was a fun and entertaining read.
It was my first book by the author and I had my problems with the writing style. I can’t put my finger down but something is putting me off. It’s not a bad written book but I don’t love the writing style either.
The plot itself was amusing but nothing too special or memorable. I also really liked that hockey was an actual part of the story and not just something mentioned in passing. The pregnancy trope was also well done and added to the story.
Hannah and Barry had great tension and their banter was funny. I liked them together and think they match perfectly. Bonus points for Hannah’s family, they were hilarious and definitely added to the fun.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read with some cute moments and fun characters. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but sometimes you just want a light and entertaining romance.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Maybe.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 3/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 4/5
world building: 4/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
protective hero, age gap, instant attraction, secret pregnancy, sports romance, hockey player x janitor, forced proximity, he falls first and harder, golden retriever mmc, second chance (kinda), accidental pregnancy
June 4, 2026
In recent years, I’ve become more of a fan of accidental pregnancy storylines-especially when the MMC is a simp like Barry. Like this man… Down Bad and EVERYONE knew it. Even the FMC did, but she was lying to herself (which was super drawn out & annoying btw). Overall, this book was fine. I liked her family’s dynamic and how he helped her renovate her house. There just wasn’t a lot of plot here. Which meant I thought the characters would be well fleshed out but… the FMC was so flat to me, guys. And that bums me out BIG TIME!!! I wanted to love her so much. Barry would say things about her character and I’d think, “Wow she sounds great! But when did I ever see that on the page?” There was a lot of jumping around and telling instead of showing. The ending was really strong though and I loved it. The book as a whole wasn’t balanced for me.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-arc for review.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an e-arc for review.
June 30, 2026
It was alittle hard for me to enjoy this book because the fmc Hannah annoyed me to no ends. I can understand the beginning and being hesitant but lorddddddd she did not wanna accept any help. I get it but come on. Barry wasn't even a jerk or anything he just wanted to make sure she was okay and comfortable she took anything he did the wrong way.
Ontop of that I hated that she didnt wanna inform him she was pregnant. He wasn't a playboy, he wasn't a jerk. She just assumed he didnt want a baby and such. Bitchhhhhh
I wanted to toss my kindle at her.
Barry I swear he kinda deserved abit better.
No ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, tiny drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶
Prologue
Slowburnish
Age gap
25FMC/32MMC
Push/pull from fmc
Praise kink
Unplanned pregnancy
Hea
Epilogue
Ontop of that I hated that she didnt wanna inform him she was pregnant. He wasn't a playboy, he wasn't a jerk. She just assumed he didnt want a baby and such. Bitchhhhhh
I wanted to toss my kindle at her.
Barry I swear he kinda deserved abit better.
No ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, tiny drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶
Prologue
Slowburnish
Age gap
25FMC/32MMC
Push/pull from fmc
Praise kink
Unplanned pregnancy
Hea
Epilogue
June 18, 2026
I absolutely loved Kath’s mafia series and this book theoretically has everything I adore.
All the tropes that are my favorites.
However, I couldn’t finish this book because the FMC was terrible. The whole book is her perspective and I couldn’t stand her.
It’s like she had one terrible job, and her parents got divorced so she decided to just do nothing fulfilling and to not be happy ever???
I could not understand her at all
She met a guy she was interested in, had sex with him, and just decided to not try at all.
One night stand because she didn’t want to be in a relationship with anyone.
Got pregnant
Then he finds her and she still just doesn’t want to try with him and wasn’t even going to tell him he was having a child.
That’s cruel but the excuse was she thought he would try to take the baby? wtf?
She barely even wants to try in the family job that she could inherit if she wanted.
She’s just coasting through life, dooming herself to be unhappy because she doesn’t seem to care about anything. I don’t even think she cared about being a mom. It just happened so she figured you might as well???
So frankly, it made me sad that such a lovely MMC and family was stuck with her.
She absolutely doesn’t deserve him or her family and needs about 5 years of therapy to figure out her own issues.
Her family is lovely and supportive, her three parents are friends and get along, her siblings love her and she has a guy who she likes and is interested but she decided she’s gonna be miserable. Therapy
Lots and lots
I fear for her child.
All the tropes that are my favorites.
However, I couldn’t finish this book because the FMC was terrible. The whole book is her perspective and I couldn’t stand her.
It’s like she had one terrible job, and her parents got divorced so she decided to just do nothing fulfilling and to not be happy ever???
I could not understand her at all
She met a guy she was interested in, had sex with him, and just decided to not try at all.
One night stand because she didn’t want to be in a relationship with anyone.
Got pregnant
Then he finds her and she still just doesn’t want to try with him and wasn’t even going to tell him he was having a child.
That’s cruel but the excuse was she thought he would try to take the baby? wtf?
She barely even wants to try in the family job that she could inherit if she wanted.
She’s just coasting through life, dooming herself to be unhappy because she doesn’t seem to care about anything. I don’t even think she cared about being a mom. It just happened so she figured you might as well???
So frankly, it made me sad that such a lovely MMC and family was stuck with her.
She absolutely doesn’t deserve him or her family and needs about 5 years of therapy to figure out her own issues.
Her family is lovely and supportive, her three parents are friends and get along, her siblings love her and she has a guy who she likes and is interested but she decided she’s gonna be miserable. Therapy
Lots and lots
I fear for her child.
September 23, 2026
4.5 stars
Nawwwww! This was a secret baby hockey romance, where the MMC was the sweetest green flag in existence. 100% wish fulfilment, yes, but I gobbled it up anyway. I hope this is released as an audiobook, because it would definitely be a comfort listen for me.
Nawwwww! This was a secret baby hockey romance, where the MMC was the sweetest green flag in existence. 100% wish fulfilment, yes, but I gobbled it up anyway. I hope this is released as an audiobook, because it would definitely be a comfort listen for me.
June 28, 2026
Kath Richards just knows how to write a book that is going to keep me engaged the entire time. Bar Down Baby was fun, tender, and full of so much sickening love. Barry was the most ernest, protective, patient, gentle, loving and pathetic (complimentary) yearner I have ever read and it was so hard not to fall for his charms. He is the golden retriever of all golden retrievers and I think that made him a perfect match for Hannah. I think she was valid in her hesitation and wanting to protect her heart, and the fact that Barry was so patient and respectful of her wishes was everything. They are so adorable and fun together and I ate up everything that was going on between them. Also, the family dynamics and sibling relationship in this book healed something in me. They were all so supportive and caring for Hannah and each other which is so rare to read about these days. They charmed the hell out of me and I was so happy they were shown consistently throughout the story. This was a great time and I can’t wait to reread it when we get an audiobook.
July 13, 2026
BARRY WRIGHT IS A SIMP!!!!!! AND I LOVE HIM FOR IT!!!!!
June 20, 2026
4.75! it's been a while since i had such a visceral need to marry a fictional man, but he was a rainforest of green flags so how could i not!!!! i love men written by women & this is a new favorite accidental pregnancy romance for sure :,)
June 8, 2026
kath richards knows how to write down bad men.
her ability to make the next mmcs more of a simp than the last one always impresses me.
her ability to make the next mmcs more of a simp than the last one always impresses me.
dnr
September 24, 2026Dnf 30%
I thought i could push through and finish the book even tho i was getting annoyed af but the last straw was the fmc’s sister coming to her house when the fmc Hannah told her NO DONT COME. If there’s anything i hate in books is nosy friends/siblings and the main characters not setting boundaries. Her nosy ass sister is spilling all of her private stuff, asking her about everything all the time and getting annoyed about smt Hannah didn’t tell her (smacking her arm) and dictating how she acts and what she eats/drinks and it seems like she was jealous about the fmc being the one pregnant and the dad being a hot rich guy and i wish she would’ve just told her to fuck off. But instead she just laughs it off or says ‘welp she just can’t help herself’ YES IDIOT SHE CAN she’s not a little kid you just keep enabling her.
I knew i should have listened to everyone that said the fmc is unbearably annoying. She spends the whole book pushing him away pretending she has these commitment issues but from the very first chapter she’s creating these fantasies in her head about a life with him (that ofc can never happen bcs she’s this deeply troubled gworl) and the mmc don’t even get me started. Kath Richards has a habit of writing passive mmc’s and im glad to see that tradition had continued in this book as well. So if youre in the mood for weird toxic family dynamics, beta heroes and a romance where they definitely wouldn’t be together if not for the baby tis the book for you
I thought i could push through and finish the book even tho i was getting annoyed af but the last straw was the fmc’s sister coming to her house when the fmc Hannah told her NO DONT COME. If there’s anything i hate in books is nosy friends/siblings and the main characters not setting boundaries. Her nosy ass sister is spilling all of her private stuff, asking her about everything all the time and getting annoyed about smt Hannah didn’t tell her (smacking her arm) and dictating how she acts and what she eats/drinks and it seems like she was jealous about the fmc being the one pregnant and the dad being a hot rich guy and i wish she would’ve just told her to fuck off. But instead she just laughs it off or says ‘welp she just can’t help herself’ YES IDIOT SHE CAN she’s not a little kid you just keep enabling her.
I knew i should have listened to everyone that said the fmc is unbearably annoying. She spends the whole book pushing him away pretending she has these commitment issues but from the very first chapter she’s creating these fantasies in her head about a life with him (that ofc can never happen bcs she’s this deeply troubled gworl) and the mmc don’t even get me started. Kath Richards has a habit of writing passive mmc’s and im glad to see that tradition had continued in this book as well. So if youre in the mood for weird toxic family dynamics, beta heroes and a romance where they definitely wouldn’t be together if not for the baby tis the book for you
dnf-2026
June 19, 2026DNF 20% the main character is a bit delusional. Kind of like an ostrich sticking her head in the sand. Which to be fair is true for many of us. My biggest issue though is something small but it is a part of a much more expansive issue that I have with books and life in general. And that is the interference and control of women’s bodies simply because they are pregnant or could become pregnant. It falls into prolife stances that lead to government regulation and ownership of women’s bodies. That might sound extreme but it is how I feel. Especially when you realize how small the things that were actually mentioned in the book are. Specifically the main characters sister forcing her to drink disgusting prenatal powders in her drinks. Like don’t. I’m an adult. And the fact I’m having a baby does not give anyone the right to infantilize me and make decisions for me. I feel that way about every book where the hero won’t let her drink coffee because she’s pregnant. Like I will kill you. Back off Jack. So anyways most of this has nothing to do with this book, it just grates on me and I can’t enjoy the book. And the main character living in denial just confirms that I’m not going to adore this one.
June 16, 2026
For her first Rom-Com, Kath really blew it out of the water!
Thank you to Kath and her team for the e-arc!!
The minute I heard Surprise Baby Rom-com, I knew I would be in for a treat. And truly Kath spoiled us all with this book.
Bar Down Baby! features Hannah who recently was fired from her job and works at her families janitorial company, and low and behold pregnancy has also become a part of her life from a one night stand she's not even in communication with. Hannah is noncommittal especially when all she's had in her life that's been consistent is herself.
Hannah is in an even more eventful life stage, when she accidentally bumps into her one-night stand, at the hockey rink she cleans for. And turns out Barry is committed to staying, and is ready to join her on this unexpected journey.
Barry SHOWS UP! He is someone who go through endless amount of loops to make you feel seen and heard. He is appreciative of the small things and goes above and beyond. He is a yearner and a pleaser. And lord almighty, I GET THE VISION.
I think Hannah's questions and concerns were all extremely valid, and found myself relating to her line of thinking. I also just love supporting Bisexual activities. Hannah truly despite not knowing what she's doing she's a great future parent. And her character development was well written!
I had such a sweet time reading, I picked this up and finished it in the day. IT WAS WORTH IT!
Hannah and Barry are imperfectly perfect, they are flawed but committed to growing. Love as a concept is scary but when it's the right person, you know the efforts are worth every ounce of energy. My pookies are precious and watching them get along and form a partnership through this book was beautiful.
I do wish this was written in a double POV because we see Barry have a different experience in the relationship and his perspective would've been so interesting and charming to read from. I would've loved seeing some of his thoughts throughout some of the moments with most tension and relationship forming.
Hannah and Barry's relationship isn't built on banter or sparks but it's built of bonding and partnership which I really admired reading about.
I hope everyone gets to enjoy this book!
Thank you to Kath and her team for the e-arc!!
The minute I heard Surprise Baby Rom-com, I knew I would be in for a treat. And truly Kath spoiled us all with this book.
Bar Down Baby! features Hannah who recently was fired from her job and works at her families janitorial company, and low and behold pregnancy has also become a part of her life from a one night stand she's not even in communication with. Hannah is noncommittal especially when all she's had in her life that's been consistent is herself.
Hannah is in an even more eventful life stage, when she accidentally bumps into her one-night stand, at the hockey rink she cleans for. And turns out Barry is committed to staying, and is ready to join her on this unexpected journey.
Barry SHOWS UP! He is someone who go through endless amount of loops to make you feel seen and heard. He is appreciative of the small things and goes above and beyond. He is a yearner and a pleaser. And lord almighty, I GET THE VISION.
I think Hannah's questions and concerns were all extremely valid, and found myself relating to her line of thinking. I also just love supporting Bisexual activities. Hannah truly despite not knowing what she's doing she's a great future parent. And her character development was well written!
I had such a sweet time reading, I picked this up and finished it in the day. IT WAS WORTH IT!
Hannah and Barry are imperfectly perfect, they are flawed but committed to growing. Love as a concept is scary but when it's the right person, you know the efforts are worth every ounce of energy. My pookies are precious and watching them get along and form a partnership through this book was beautiful.
I do wish this was written in a double POV because we see Barry have a different experience in the relationship and his perspective would've been so interesting and charming to read from. I would've loved seeing some of his thoughts throughout some of the moments with most tension and relationship forming.
Hannah and Barry's relationship isn't built on banter or sparks but it's built of bonding and partnership which I really admired reading about.
I hope everyone gets to enjoy this book!
June 15, 2026
Thank you to the author for this ARC!
Overall, this was an ok read. However, there are a few things that had me knocking down a couple of stars.
First, the FMC’s behavior and thought-process was SO irritating. Her lying to herself and everyone else about her feelings dragged on for way too long, so much so that the epilogue gave me whiplash. Second, I never thought I’d say such a thing, but the MMC was too perfect? Like unrealistically so? I just like the characters in the books I read to be a bit flawed and to have depth. To me it felt like these two characters were on two extreme ends of the spectrum with no balance, she’s like full of flaws and kind of terrible, and he’s just perfect. Lastly, the OCD rep with the MMC felt off to me. It was talked about, but not really shown almost as if it disappeared just because he goes to therapy now which is not really how OCD works, and also again was something told to us and not shown. I guess we didn’t get his POV, so accurately depicting his OCD from the FMC’s perspective may have been challenging, but not impossible. This story may have benefited from a dual POV format instead.
In summary, there was simply not as much depth as I would have liked. If you enjoy accidental pregnancy and hockey romance, I still recommend you give it a shot. Just because it wasn’t a perfect 5 star read for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.
Overall, this was an ok read. However, there are a few things that had me knocking down a couple of stars.
First, the FMC’s behavior and thought-process was SO irritating. Her lying to herself and everyone else about her feelings dragged on for way too long, so much so that the epilogue gave me whiplash. Second, I never thought I’d say such a thing, but the MMC was too perfect? Like unrealistically so? I just like the characters in the books I read to be a bit flawed and to have depth. To me it felt like these two characters were on two extreme ends of the spectrum with no balance, she’s like full of flaws and kind of terrible, and he’s just perfect. Lastly, the OCD rep with the MMC felt off to me. It was talked about, but not really shown almost as if it disappeared just because he goes to therapy now which is not really how OCD works, and also again was something told to us and not shown. I guess we didn’t get his POV, so accurately depicting his OCD from the FMC’s perspective may have been challenging, but not impossible. This story may have benefited from a dual POV format instead.
In summary, there was simply not as much depth as I would have liked. If you enjoy accidental pregnancy and hockey romance, I still recommend you give it a shot. Just because it wasn’t a perfect 5 star read for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.
July 13, 2026
Beautiful story with beautifil meaning!!
June 13, 2026
As a huge fan of ‘A Love Most Fatal’ and ‘A Love Most Brutal’, I was chomping at the bit for Kath’s next novel and ‘Bar Down Baby’ is now a new favorite of mine. Considering the book begins with an unplanned pregnancy, it’s rather a slow burn. Hannah is so used to being independent and wanting to prove her capability (something I relate to very well) that Barry has to work extremely hard to break down those thick walls around her. Kath’s characters are so grounded, relatable, and funny that I feel like I’m reading about people I could run into on the street. ‘Bar Down Baby’ is another lush book with quirky, supportive family members, a down-bad (and I mean DOWN BAD) mmc, and (thankfully, because I care so little for it) minimal talk of hockey. If you’re looking for hilarious writing and a story of two people who are meant for each other, you need to pick this one up. (ARC provided by Kath Richards)
September 29, 2026
okayish
June 16, 2026
[ARC review] 🧡🏒 16 Jun
This just in, Kath has officially became one of my favorite romcom authors and I’d read anything she writes.
Thank you so much for this opportunity to receive an arc of this I enjoyed it so so much !
The surprise pregnancy trope which is disliked by many is surprisingly— ONE OF MY FAVORITE TROPES IF DONE RIGHT! and as soon as I saw Kath announce this I knew I had to read it, I loved it. From the moment I got to know our fmc I was like yes, this is gonna be GOOD. Then Barry Wright came in and absolutely shocked me to my core from how perfect he is.
Hannah is written for the determined girls who want to depend on themselves and prove to others that they can do everything with as little help as possible, I seriously see myself in her sometimes in which she has a solid support system, family all around her who love and adore her and ready to drop everything for her— and yet she still doesn’t ask for help as much. That trait, I can relate to.
Then comes in Barry Wright. The literal embodiment of “I know you can do it, but let me help.” The SECOND he knew Hannah is pregnant he was willing to do everything he possibly could to help her. Not just out of obligation, but because he genuinely loves her and wants to be there for her. We see it in all the things, the little gestures, the affirmations, the small sacrifices he makes for her comfort. AND he doesn’t pressure her to accept his help at all, he goes with her pace, lets her decide when to let him in or not. He’s so patient with her, so supportive. I think we all deserve a Barry in our lives.
This just in, Kath has officially became one of my favorite romcom authors and I’d read anything she writes.
Thank you so much for this opportunity to receive an arc of this I enjoyed it so so much !
The surprise pregnancy trope which is disliked by many is surprisingly— ONE OF MY FAVORITE TROPES IF DONE RIGHT! and as soon as I saw Kath announce this I knew I had to read it, I loved it. From the moment I got to know our fmc I was like yes, this is gonna be GOOD. Then Barry Wright came in and absolutely shocked me to my core from how perfect he is.
Hannah is written for the determined girls who want to depend on themselves and prove to others that they can do everything with as little help as possible, I seriously see myself in her sometimes in which she has a solid support system, family all around her who love and adore her and ready to drop everything for her— and yet she still doesn’t ask for help as much. That trait, I can relate to.
Then comes in Barry Wright. The literal embodiment of “I know you can do it, but let me help.” The SECOND he knew Hannah is pregnant he was willing to do everything he possibly could to help her. Not just out of obligation, but because he genuinely loves her and wants to be there for her. We see it in all the things, the little gestures, the affirmations, the small sacrifices he makes for her comfort. AND he doesn’t pressure her to accept his help at all, he goes with her pace, lets her decide when to let him in or not. He’s so patient with her, so supportive. I think we all deserve a Barry in our lives.
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