In the Dark

by Pamela Burford

“Please let me get pregnant!” Cat Seabright’s biological clock is hollering at her to get on with it already. She has a profound desire for a baby, and a limited window of opportunity in which to make one. What she doesn’t have is a significant other. That’s where her pal’s cousin comes in. Agreeable guy that he is, he promises to fly to New York from Alaska, do the deed, then promptly fly back out of her life.

All goes according to plan... except for the part about the agreeable guy from Alaska. Oh, there’s a man in her bed, all right, a sexy, virile man who’s more than up to the task. The thing is, a full-fledged New York City blackout has plunged their baby-making date into darkness, obscuring her view of the energetic stud. The next day Cat finds out Mr. Alaska never made it to New York!

So who the heck did she have sex with?

When she discovers the man’s identity, and that she has to work closely with this particular bad boy for the next several weeks, all she can think is, “Please let me not be pregnant!”

A feel-good romantic comedy!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Amazon, Adult, Fiction, Novella

176 pages, ebook

Published August 22, 2016

About the author

Pamela Burford comes from a funny family. You may take that any way you want. She was raised in a household that valued laughter above all, so of course the first thing she looked for in a husband was a sense of humor. Is it any wonder their grown kids are into stand-up comedy and improv? Oh, and here's another fun family fact: Pamela's identical twin sister, Patricia Ryan, aka P.B. Ryan, is also a published novelist. Patricia is the Good Twin, and yeah, Pamela knows what that makes her. But hey, Evil Twins have more fun.

It should come as no surprise that everything Pamela writes is infused with her own quirky brand of humor, from her feel-good contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels to her popular Jane Delaney mystery series, featuring snarky “Death Diva” Jane, her canine sidekick Sexy Beast, and a fun love triangle. Pamela's own beloved poodle, Murray, wants you to know that any similarities between himself and neurotic, high-strung Sexy Beast are purely coincidental.

Pamela is the proud founder and past president of Long Island Romance Writers. Her books have won awards and sold millions of copies, but what excites her most is hearing from readers. So swing by her website and say hi. And while you're there, don't forget to sign up for her newsletter. Not only will you learn about new releases and other fun stuff, but you'll receive a free ebook as her special thank-you.

Reviews

[Mills · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I finally dipped my toe in Mills and Boon waters, only to find them tepid and full of sewage.

In the Dark was everything I hate in the romance genre.

It was a supposedly warm and nurturing heroine (nurturing is her career ffs), who was actually a stuck up prig who treated the hero's lovely, loyal, elderly dog as if he's an utter inconvenience, worthless. And I quote "He's got this old dog... a real creaker."; "I myself refuse to arrange my day around the bowel habits of a lower life form." Uh... YOU are a lower life-form you cold bitch. She's as sanctimonious and judgmental as fuck. ("His callous words saddened her. She realized she’d been trying to give Brody the benefit of the doubt. Despite her disapproval of what he did for a living, up until now she’d assumed his worst crimes were simply indifference and greed. She hadn’t wanted to think him capable of this cold calculation. Cat knew she’d let her innermost hopes and fears cloud her judgment. In truth, she didn’t want to think the father of her child capable of this cold calculation."; "Just when she thought Brody couldn’t go any lower, he sheds his skin and slithers under the doors of a new batch of bedrooms—and mausoleums.", this being in response to what a blind man could see as the hero's expression of extreme guilt, fear and self-loathing.) In case you couldn't tell, I hated her.

It was a hero who had a complete about-face, changed his personality, priorities, tastes, habits (and big ones, like smoking - and with no apparent difficulty), career plans and opinions on some pivotal decisions in a person's life practically overnight to become the heroine's "Mr. Perfect". I know this has been said and said again, but you love someone for who they are or you don't love them at all. You NEVER change yourself for a relationship. Plus, most men who found out a woman had tricked them into getting her pregnant (although he might have asked about contraception at the time - for STDs if nothing else) would be running screaming in the opposite direction and understandably so. There is not even a smidgeon of believability.

It was a pregnancy that happened implausibly easily for a thirty eight year old woman and progressed in symptoms very rapidly considering it has only been eight weeks since conception at the end of the book. I mean, seriously, morning sickness after a week? An obstetrician pronouncing a pregnancy "normal and free of complications" only a fortnight in? PLEASE. The timeline is a mess. The heroine declared that she'd missed two periods just after being hired by the hero for another month. This would put her at at least six weeks post-conception at that point. Then, seven chapters and said month later, the hero tells us that "it had all started two months ago"... at which point it must really have been at the very least ten weeks. I know this isn't wildly out of sync, but come on! This is a book with seven editions, why hasn't an editor picked up on it? And for that matter, why hasn't an editor noticed the mistakes dotted here and there? Case in point, chapter five: "She tire skid marks on his driveway." This isn't even a sentence.

And it was a wedding proposal when the couple had only known each other for two months, most of those two months being based on lies. I refuse to mark that as a spoiler - it's not a surprise in this type of book, but it does piss me off. Particularly when both individuals had their reasons to be reluctant to marry. It's a divorce waiting to happen and I hate that that is portrayed as romantic.

There were no redeeming qualities. I only finished it because I'm already behind on my 2017 Reading Challenge.

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a freebie download, but that was not an influence on my review. I've discovered some good novels that way. This one was fairly well-written - I found no obvious typos or grammatical errors (something that seems to be a plague affecting the free download) - and the story was a cute, mistaken identity romance. But I found myself frustrated with the heroine's gutless reaction to her pregnancy. Her biological clock is running out and she's determined to get pregnant and so sets up a date with a man she hasn't seen for many years...and then the lights go out. Yes, a blackout. And she ends up having a great time with another guy...who has just hired her services as a 'office mom' for a month. It's a humorous set-up and there are plenty of laughs. The author also manages to make us sympathize with the hero's foibles and, of course, there's a heart of gold in there. Okay, it's a little predictable, but still fun.

[Will Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I thought the premise of the story was intriguing, but Burford outdid herself in bringing it to fruition. The characters, both of which are slightly flawed due to challenging childhoods, discover each other in a bizarre twist of fate when the power goes out in the city. They resist what they both want and need until the very end. How they get there is both fun, entertaining, and suspenseful. The characters are well developed, the editing clean, and for a change, the story had a great ending. Did I say how much I enjoyed it?

[Keri · Rating 1 out of 5]

*shudder* I am going to have to give myself time to recover from this dumpster fire of a book. I have never disliked two characters as much as these two....ugh. I have got to pay more attention to the reviews on new authors. The hero (used loosely here) is slimy and the heroine (also ditto) is a Ms. Judgy mcjudgington just no. I could have let the whole premise slide if the people would have had personality transplants or something.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dumb

Sorry I read to chapter 5 wishing it would get better. It didn't. I felt the storyline lacked any type of substance and the whole premise was just dumb. Not worth my time or money

[Connie N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Cat sets up a I-want-to-get-pregnant date with a distant friend, things go wrong and an unexpected guy shows up. Since they didn't know each other, neither suspected until later, after the deed was done. Cat works for Office Mom, an unusual company that provides "comfort" and "warmth" to office people who are stressed, etc. Seems like a totally dumb idea, to me, but it worked for this story. She is hired to work for none other than the possible baby father. Typical romance as these opposites worked together for a couple of months, becoming closer and finding attraction and romance. Cat was annoying in that she was so secretive and painfully independent, despite Brody being sweet and kind and trying to romance her. Brody started out being a non-caring jerk, but he turned out to be much kinder than many of her previously hand-picked boyfriends. As expected with a Silhouette romance, they achieved their HEA even though they both seemed to fight the inevitable for longer than necessary. The whole strange premise kept my interest throughout, and I enjoyed this book.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat is 37 years old and she wants a baby. She has a plan. Because there is no man in her life, and no possibility of marriage in her future, she decides she will produce a baby for herself. Her best friend has arranged for her cousin, Greg, to stand in as the stud in the picture.

All the plans are made. Cat will use the company penthouse apartment. Greg will meet her there when his plane arrives in New York. Unfortunately, on the appointed night, New York has a blackout.

When Cat realizes it is not likely Greg will be able to make it, she goes to sleep. Then she is awakened by a man. The apartment is pitch black, so when it appears Greg is backing out of the arrangement, Cat becomes a seductress. She is unable to see him, but she can work on his ego to get him interested. And things proceed from there.

The next morning, Cat finds that Greg was unable to get into New York because of the blackout. Then who was the stranger in her bed?

Cat works as an Office Mom. The company provides temporary employees to go into work situations and provide emotional support when it is needed. Their chores can be anything from helping someone get organized to simply being a good listener.

When Cat arrives at work that morning she meets her new assignment, Brody. After a few minutes, she realizes this is the man who had been in the company apartment the night before. This man is the stranger in her bed.

Brody has received a gift of an Office Mom for one month. He instantly realizes this is the woman who was part of the surprise in the penthouse apartment.

After things are cleared up, Cat must work with Brody for one month. He finds everything very amusing and he has threatened Cat if she refuses to work with him.

The plot is an entertaining fantasy.

The characters are wonderful. Cat has no confidence in marriage because of her history. So, she has opted to produce a child with no plan for a father who will be in the picture. The only flaw I can see in her is she is unwilling to look at any perspective other than her own. She is a good and nurturing person and eventually she sees qualities in Brody which show him to be a better person than she first thought.

Brody is an author who writes sleazy books. He has made a great deal of money but the work has eaten into his soul. He does not think much of himself which is why he writes under a pen name. His childhood was a nightmare that he is unable to forget. Brody is a really heroic hero.

Both of these characters are bright and witty and humorous. Each of them are kind and honorable people. I enjoyed getting to know both of them.

This is a romance that is human and humorous. This is a romance that allows the reader to see that falling in love can be a wonderful ride.

I received this book from the author in the hope that I would write a fair and honest review.

All opinions are my own.

[Allyson Abu-Hajar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this eARC for an honest review. Cat Seabright, after 20 years of looking, just hasn't found the right guy. Cat decides to skip and go right to motherhood, but she needs someone to fill a role. She and her friend Brigit come up with the perfect male, Brigit's easy going cousin Greg Bannister.

Cat sneaks the key to her place of employment's apartment, reserved for clients. Greg, who lives in Alaska, is flying in and they agree to meet at the apartment. While waiting, New York has a power outage, so as the hours tick by, Cat falls asleep, and is awakened by Greg.

Next morning, Cat meets Brigit, who blurts out that Greg is sorry. Greg's flight was delayed and he never made it to New York. Cat now has a dilemma: She definitely spent the night with a man, but who? It wasn't Greg!

To find out the who, you need to read the book. I found it very entertaining, with some laugh out loud parts. I enjoyed the story so much, that I read it in one setting!

[Sandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance readers copy of this book for an honest review. I loved this book. Cat has been looking for Mr Perfect but she can't a man that checks all her boxes. She wants a baby before her biological clock runs out. She lays out a careful plan to get pregnant by Greg ( she briefly met 20 years ago) who is flying in from Alaska BUT there a power blackout no flights landing. So who is he man she had such great sex with? This was not the usual baby daddy story. I loved the hero he tries to be a bad boy but he a softie inside. The author did a ganyone looking for reat job of developing these characters so we know why they feel the way they do. This book had a great pace and kept my interest. I would recommend this book for a great story.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caitlin Seabright sets up a date to get pregnant with one of her friend's cousins. However, she mistakenly ends up sleeping with someone else, who just so happens to become her client for the next month.

Despite this improbable beginning, I really enjoyed the growth of the hero in this book. He goes from being a self-serving, attention-seeking, disorderly mess, to someone who can be counted on and admired. The heroine is not quite so likeable, but has less issues to overcome than the hero.

[Christine Woinich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fun read. I loved how it began, how Caitlin and Brody first meet. When Caitlin realized she would have to work with her mystery man, the fun began. Caitlin was quick on her feet, telling lies to cover up her situation. Brody was very forgiving as things began to unravel. He knew what was more important to him, even though his life plan changed. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Pamela.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is part of the BOC Star Review Team Selection.

[Denise Vasak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok if you can get past the initial "meet-cute" that in this day and age is cringe-worthy. Some things just shouldn't be encouraged and that type of behavior - the protagonists first meeting - is a big no no these days. Other than that, the main guy was kind of awful and mean and a bit of a bully in the beginning. He changes seemingly over night but ugh.. Then you have the main woman who is just self-absorbed and annoying with her strength/weakness at the same time. The end was cute, but yeah, don't know that I'll read anymore of these.

[Drucilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars. While it is odd that Brody would just go along with the fact that a women just happened to be in his room and Cat isn't worried at all that she has no idea who she slept with, I really liked the story. The main characters had good chemistry and I appreciated the fact that Brody knew before Cat that he was the father and worked to be someone Cat would love.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mistaken Identity!

Cat wants to be a mom and since she can’t find Mr. Right, she asks plans to hook up with her friend’s cousin for one night. Brody is a recluse, his work is his life but he really is a great guy, he just hasn’t opened up to show it. When the lights go out in NY, Cat gets herself in a pickle, (as a reader) her predicament is hilarious but this was the best “mistake” Cat & Brody ever made. Great read!!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Rollicking Good Romance

This novella is laugh out loud funny, with a loveable but very flawed Hero (think Gerard Butler in The Awful Truth), and a story so good you won’t be able to put it down. It’ll make some of you hum the theme music for “Where were you when the lights went out?”

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

too good to be true

a good supposition but the characters are not fully developed to the point where they can decide where they are going.

[~Mindy Lynn~]

AMAZON FREEBIE 8/7/17

[Deb Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what made me interested in this book, besides the fact that it was free on Amazon. A woman, near 40, decides she needs to get pregnant now because Mr. Perfect hasn't shown up yet and with her expectations, never will. She makes arrangements for a one-night stand with the cousin of a friend who lives about as far away as he can, meaning he won't want to be involved in raising this child and she can do it alone (read: do it right). Unfortunately for her there is a massive blackout and the guy who shows up is not the cousin. She is so focused on getting it done there is basically no conversation where the mistake can come to light. The next day she discovers the man who has potentially fathered her child is her boss's new client and she has to work with him for the next month. Throughout this book she is critical of basically everything in his life, including an elderly dog he cares for unconditionally.
I almost quit reading the book about 1/3 through figuring it would be one of the few books I would give only 1 star to. I stuck with it and although, in my opinion she did not improve as a character, lying, criticizing, etc., he did improve as a character. The change was a bit too quick, and the story came together in too convenient a manner, but at least I was able to finish it. I had to consider carefully if it deserved 1 star or 2. Personally, I would have liked to give it 1 and a half, but that wasn't an option, so I gifted this book 2 stars. In my opinion, even though it was free, it did cost me time to read it and I will steer clear of this type of book in the future.

[Rika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Pamela book to read and again I was surprised. The first book "I do but here's the catch is in my favs list now.
I almost exclusively read romance books. So it definitely took me by surprise to see such effortless style with a romance that's not too dramatic or feels boring to read. I am even more surprised that Pamela isn't really getting the reviews or the exposure that she probably deserves. It's also sad that her published work is so numbered with probably no recent ones. I am not sure why that combo but behind the tacky 90's Harlequin book cover there is more.
Other than the cringy "Ha ha ha" I have nothing to complain about.

[Stefanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

So in the first chapter our FMC is sitting in an apartment waiting for a friend of a friend to get her pregnant so she can be a single mom. I want to make it clear I'm completely fine with this, you get it girl.

BUT THEN WE FIND OUT IN CHAPTER TWO THAT THE MAN WHO SHOWED UP WAS A STRANGER AND EVEN WHEN SHE WAS CALLING HIM BY THE WRONG NAME HE SAID NOTHING. This is straight up rape and I am not sticking around for them to fall in love. That is the behavior of a psychopath.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat wants a child so she arranges to meet a man she met once twenty years ago in a corporate apartment. The blackout means when a man shows up she assumes he is Greg. Problem, blackout means his plane didn’t land in her city. So was the man she had sex with? Cute story. But she is so determined to get pregnant but now she hopes she’s not.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a nice story to escape reality. Not much humor, but entertaining.

[Deanna Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okayish but wasn’t into this one…

Really don’t know what to say about this one…

Definitely will read another book soonish…

[Sherrie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely delicious

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is of In the Dark by Pamela Buford.
Note: this review contains spoilers!
Cat Seabright wants a baby. Only she doesn't have a male to help her make one. She doesn't want a nameless, faceless father for her baby so she sets up a one night stand at the right time of the month with the cousin of a friend.
There's only one problem. There's a blackout and Cat never really sees the man she spends the night with. And Greg never made it to town. So who was it?
Enter Brody Mikhailov, the mystery man and new client of Office Mom, Inc. Where Cat works. Where Cat is now assigned to be his nurturer. For a month. At his home. Where Cat will be with him every day. How will she ever explain her behavior to him? And why does it matter so much? She doesn't even like him! He writes unauthorized biographies telling everyone's dirty little secrets. And he smokes and drinks too much.
But slowly, through lunches, everyday activities, and discovering that Cat really is pregnant, these two people find out so much about themselves and each other.
Cat doesn't need just a baby, she needs a family.
Brody doesn't need to be the number one sleaze ball of dirty secrets, he needs someone to love him for who he really is.
They need each other.
A funny, beautiful, touching story about love In the Dark is one book you don't want to miss!

[Birgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not a bad story as such, but for some reason it did not draw me in like others of the same genre did. I think for me, the characters and situations were not realistic enough - after all, this was not a fairytale, or a fantasy story. Secondly, I did not even like the characters very much initially.
Whereas I do not doubt that some women will go to extremes to conceive a baby - the protagonist here opts for a one-night stand with practically a stranger, risking being dismissed from her employment both by using an office appartment for the "deed", so to say, and furthermore by possibly becoming pregnant and not having a husband. Really? And what about artificial insemination?
I also do not doubt that sleeping with a comlete stranger could happen in circumstances like this, however, the storytelling here did not convince me for some reason.
The rest of the story developments were too coincidental, and although the characters became a bit more likeable, with a bit more background, again, this did not convince me as the reason for their behaviours, and even less for their oh-so-quick change in attitudes.
I did like the plot as such, and the potential it had.
I am still not quite sure if the author intended this to be a serious book, or more of a comedy with serious undertones.

[Lynn Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat Seabright has decided to take the bull by the horns in order to get what she wants. Greg Bannister was supposed to accomplish that but circumstances changed that. Brody Mikhailov gives Cat the shock of her life.

This author is very devious. She has created two characters that could not be more opposite. But she also had me turning pages because I wanted to know what was happening with Greg. Our author has also given Cat a job where she seems to be in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time. It’s at this point, which sets the tone for the rest of the story. This also shows that you can’t base your perceptions of someone by what they have for a job.

My only disappointment was how quickly I got to the end. Even though I took my time reading, I couldn’t put it down until I knew if Cat got her happy ending. This is one book that I can see myself reading more than once. It’s will only take you a couple of hours to finish. I also got in a couple of chuckles and that is never a bad thing. It’s not a part of a series but hopefully you will like this book enough to see what else this author has to offer.

I received this book for review from the author. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never read HQ Temptations. I read one once and I didn't like it and I never really tried another one. Plus the heroines were usually experienced and I didn't use to like that. I stumbled into this book in my library, I am still cleaning up my library(retirement is boring), but I ended up liking it. It's a case of a mistaken identity when their is a black out and the heroine is waiting for some guy to impregnate her and the hero accidentally shows up. He thinks she's a special prize waiting for him, but she wasnt. His friend bought him a 'Work Mom' to help him out for one month and that is her. I loved him. At first I was not sure about the book but omg it was so good. I adored the hero. He was a slob and I just loved how He treated the heroine. She lied to him about why she was in that room and that missed me off but she redeemed herself. So did he. He has this old dog named Spot and how he treats him is just so amazing. Cooks him veal cutlets and mashed potatoes and he is just a really awesome guy especially at the end. I just adored him. When he was on the carousel ride I totally fell in love.

[Chantal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was an "OK" read. Honestly, how could not one realize who they are having a night with? It wasn't realistic by any means and that was a bit of a disappointment.


Cat is determined to become a mother and if that means having a "baby making date" with her friends cousin... so be it! What isn't planned is the blackout that occurs that night. With candles lit and Cat hidden under the dark of night a man opens the door and finds a women determined to make sure he has a great night despite the blackout.


When Cat is assigned to care for the man she had the night with she is terrified! How could she mistake one man for another? And what will she do if her night got the results she was looking for?
Over the next few months Cat and Brody find themselves changing for the better but what happens when Brody finds out about the lies that Cat has told? Will Cat lose everything she has waited so long for?

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat Seabright wants to be a mother. But with no prospects looming her friend sets her up with her brother Greg, who is flying in from Alaska. Cat is staying at her company's rental apartment in the City. However, in the dark of the apartment, there's a blackout in the city, a man comes in and... . Well next morning the man is gone and Cat stops for coffee with Greg's sister and learns that Greg never got to New York, his plane was diverted to Boston. With a sinking feeling (OMG what have I done) she goes to her job. She works for a company called "Office Mom, Inc". She's introduced to Brody M, and after a handshake, she has this vague sense she knows this man. OMG its him, the stranger in the apartment. She tries to get out of the job of being his Mom for a month, but he also senses a recognition, and, he won't let her off the hook and insists she take the job he was offering (if not he'd tell the Agency Head she was using the apartment.) The story ends well as you might imagine.