Baby Girl

by C.M. Stunich

He died that night, alone, in the rain, in the dark, the boy that called me baby girl. I was only seventeen; we were going to be together forever. On his way to pick me up for prom, he swerved. I'll never know what made him do it, what killed the boy I'd loved my whole life. With roses clutched in his hand, he bled out in icy wetness all alone. His best friend is here though, and I'm pretty sure he loves me. But after the accident, I left for a year and didn't look back. Now I'm back in town and my heart is like shattered glass. Do I pick up the pieces and risk getting cut? And do I let another boy call me baby girl? Don't open unless you're prepared to ugly cry, but also ready to read a story of hope and new love, a love that was there all along but patient enough to wait. This is a book about grief, about loss, but also about fresh starts and new beginnings. The ride is sad, a tumultuous twist of feelings that gets ugly at times ... but the ending is a happy one. BABY GIRL is a full-length 300+ page new adult/contemporary romance novel. It's a stand-alone meaning this volume contains a complete story; there are no sequels and no cliff-hanger. This novel includes cursing, tears, loss, graphic sex scenes, and new hope.

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, College

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2018

About the author

C.M. Stunich is a self-admitted bibliophile with a love for exotic teas and a whole host of characters who live full time inside the strange, swirling vortex of her thoughts. Some folks might call this crazy, but Caitlin Morgan doesn't mind - especially considering she has to write biographies in the third person. Oh, and half the host of characters in her head are searing hot bad boys with dirty mouths and skillful hands (among other things). If being crazy means hanging out with them everyday, C.M. has decided to have herself committed.

She hates tapioca pudding, loves to binge on cheesy horror movies, and is a slave to many cats. When she's not vacuuming fur off of her couch, C.M. can be found with her nose buried in a book or her eyes glued to a computer screen. She's the author of over thirty novels - romance, new adult, fantasy, and young adult included. Please, come and join her inside her crazy. There's a heck of a lot to do there.

Oh, and Caitlin loves to chat (incessantly), so feel free to e-mail her, send her a Facebook message, or put up smoke signals. She's already looking forward to it.

Stalk me, please!
www.cmstunich.com
www.facebook.com/cmstunichauthor
www.twitter.com/CMStunich

I'm also on Goodreads, Spotify, Google +, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Reviews

[JG · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 "it was okay" Stars

An interesting story with loveable characters but it just didn't hit the mark with me for some reason. I struggled with Phoenix's cajun vernacular (I assume that's what it was) and as a result, I found myself skimming through parts of the story. That said, he was a sweet character and his bond with Embry had all the feels.

I did find all of the justifications for Embry and Pheonix to be together after Codrick's death a little difficult to fathom especially when you take into account the feelings all three had for each other growing up. Clearly, Embry was unknowingly destined to be with Phoenix but the many reasons listed as to why Codrick would be in support of their relationship from beyond the grave (they even went as far as vocalising his feelings for him) was, in fact, beyond me!

The MMA part of the story and the reasons behind it seemed to be more penned in the wings than part of the actual story at times and overall, the story felt a little rushed and underprepared, sadly.

I can see my feelings are in the minority, so far, but this story just didn't live up to my expectations, unfortunately.



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[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to CM Stunich's books, I always feel in two boats. I either love hers or I struggle with them. Baby Girl was one that I struggled my way through. I think it was first the fact that she was called "Baby Girl" as I hate that nickname, it is one of my pet hates. It's like is she going to call the guy she is with Daddy ??. The book though does give you a massive OMG moment and instant emotional wave as the main female character is waiting on prom night with her best friend Phoenix and her boyfriend is on his way to pick her up when a tragedy occurs. This tragedy makes Baby Girl aka Embry collapse with grief and her ups and leaves for a year. She returns home, and we read as she and Phoenix have an awkward reunion, but you have the hope that they will work out things and end together despite the sad history between the two of them. After reading the first chapter, you could see that Phoenix and Embry were meant to be together and that possibly Codrick is the third wheel in the romance. If you are in the mood for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and wanting an ugly cry, then CM Stunich's new January 2018 release " Baby Girl" is the book for you.

[Lynda Dickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the night of their senior prom, Embry’s fiancé Codrick dies in a car crash. But he’s not the only one who dies that day. Unable to cope with her grief, Embry runs away to college, vowing to never return, while best friend Phoenix buries himself in his memories, his work, and in cleaning up his father's mess. Just over a year later, Embry comes home to visit her father in hospital. She struggles with her growing feelings for Phoenix, while he tries to keep his love for her hidden. Can you have more than one soulmate?

The story is told in alternating chapters from the points of view of Embry and Phoenix. In the prologue dealing with Codrick’s death, I didn’t feel anything, as I had never “met” him. The story could be improved by introducing the reader to Codrick while he is still alive, seeing his interactions with Embry, and getting a feel for this love that is so strong it leads two teenagers to get engaged. I struggled with the characters’ names: why the name Codrick, when he’s also referred to as Rick?; Embry’s name is way too close to “embryo” to be sexy; and Phoenix’s name just doesn’t suit him. His Cajun accent is also annoying, and he lapses out of it, especially when he is narrating. Other issues: too many descriptions of eye and hair color, using a different simile each time; numerous editing errors including punctuation, missing words, extra words, use of incorrect homonyms, mixture of past and present tenses; any excuse to get naked, it gets a bit tiresome; the crude dialogue is not sexy; overuse of the phrase “nipples pebbling”. And does Phoenix seriously start taking about Codrick when he’s having sex with Embry?

On the plus side, the story gives us a realistic depiction of the seven stages of grief: shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression/loneliness, the upward turn, reconstruction and working through, and acceptance and hope. Embry’s been counting the days since Codrick died but, now that she’s back in town, and especially when she’s with Phoenix, she’s starting to lose count; this shows that she’s moving on. She also manages to cry for the first time since Codrick’s death.

Not what I was expecting from the description.

Warnings: extremely coarse language, graphic sex scenes, violence.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an alright read. I thought the story was good, but it was boring at times as well. Also, I thought that the characters were a bit boring. There was nothing quite significant about the romance and I thought the story was rushed at the end. I would have liked to see more of what Embry’s life was like when she left after the events in the prologue. Also, I would have liked more information into what happened to Phoenix during that time as well. I think that would have made me like the book more having more of the background story into their lives. The best part was the MMA parts of the story. I am interested in reading her other books. Overall, an okay read.

[Jamie Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reading...

It was a fast paced read. It had angst, hot sex and really good storyline. This is a lot different then her Rocker books for sure.
Thanks Jamie Nibarger Ellis

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking holy emotions Batman!!

I so totally cried!!
This freaking booked rocked my world.....
Bad*ss alpha Cajun hottie, misery, a runaway love, amazing female lead, and my oh my the sizzlin hotness.....
I couldn’t get enough and so didn’t want it to end!!!!
I absolutely LOVED this book!!!!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

She warned me. And it happened, like she said it would. Big fat ugly tears.

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogs...

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/15/2020)! 🎁

[The Smutbrarians · Rating 5 out of 5]

Panty Scorching - 4
Angst - 3
Tissues - 3
Storyline - 4.5
Value - 4.5
Overall - 4.5
Kindle eARC provided by Author
Reviewed by Ladyballs

Wow...what an emotional read this was for me. I honestly didn't think it would be, but I was a little emotionally drained for the first half but in a good way!

Codrick, Embry and Phoenix, the proverbial 3 peas in a pod. Best friends and even though Codrick and Embry are a couple its like the 3 of them are...that is how close and emotionally invested they all are in each other.

Embry turns into a shell of herself after the trio loses Codrick in a horrific accident. Instead of turning to her family and Phoenix, she runs and turns off all her feelings for over a year and has no contact with Phoenix until she returns home for a family emergency. Even though we never get to meet Codrick formally, the author makes you feel Embry and Codrick's love through her writing and you can feel the actual pain and sorrow Embry feels when he dies. My heart actually hurt. Not just for Embry but for Phoenix as well. Not only does he lose Codrick, but he loses Embry when she leaves and has no contact with him. He is just as broken as she is.

It's a heart wrenching charged story of healing and rebuilding a broken heart and friendship when one of the pieces is forever gone. I love, love, loved Phoenix. I have never read and was able to actually picture a character more than I did with Phoenix. He was an alpha but had such a softer side when it comes to Embry that you can literally feel the love he has for her. Embry has not even come close to dealing with her feelings of losing Codrick. Can she deal with what Phoenix is able to offer her?

This was such a great story...it started by ripping my heart out but slowly over the course of the book, I felt it start to heal. You could see and feel how Embry and Phoenix start to heal as individuals and as friends. And possibly more? Great read and I highly recommend it, you won't be disappointed!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of the story starts with Embry’s fiancé, Codrick, dying in a car crash coming home from buying her flowers before their prom. I had tears reading it. I felt her love for him and grief all at the same time within that first 15 minutes. Seriously heartbreaking. 💔

Phoenix has been Codrick and Embry’s best friend since they were kids. He was going to be their third wheel to prom and was there when Embry found Codrick’s car upside down, pulled him from the car, and found him dead. He wanted to be there for Embry but she couldn’t take it and left for NYU.

She returns a year and a half later because her dad had a heart attack. She tries to avoid Phoenix but keeps running into him or seeking him out for whatever reason. He’s caught up in some bad shit and she winds up wanting to help him out.

She feels guilty for having feelings for Phoenix, but he’s always been in love with her, though he’s always felt that her and Codrick were meant to be together. He never tried to swoop in and steal her. He even mentions in his POV that he’d give his own life for Codrick to be alive if he could.

She feels like she’s betraying Codrick for having feelings for Phoenix, but somehow the book makes it feel like the opposite. They were all super close. Phoenix doesn’t try to replace Codrick at all and even mentions being happy to be second place in Embry’s heart.

The only thing that I couldn’t handle was Phoenix’s accent. I mean, it’s fine to mention he had one but to read it.... no. It took away from the story for me. Other than that, I still enjoyed the story. 3.5⭐️

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Embry lost the love of her life at the age of just seventeen. Suddenly all the plans she made with him and their best friend Phoenix for their future don’t matter to her. Nothing matters anymore. She tumbled into a pit of darkness that she can’t escape so she does the only thing she can and runs. Moving to a different city should help glue the broken pieces of Embry together again but that’s not the case. Returning home a year later, she’s still the broken girl she was and there’s still no one like Phoenix when it comes to understanding what’s going on in her head and what she needs.

Phoenix is a sweetheart. I loved him from the start. Not only did he have to deal with one of his best friends dying and the other leaving, he’s also managed to get himself involved in some other stuff that places his life in danger.

This story has all the feels. It’s emotional and heart wrenching. You can feel Embrys sadness through the pages and it’s hard not to empathise with her. It’s very easy to get inside her head and feel what she’s feeling. The story itself was a bit of a surprise to me. I expected the emotional story but I didn’t expect the characters to come to life like they did. The connection they share and the chemistry between them, their shared past, their need to protect the other, their need to mend and the journey they take you on are all written brilliantly.

This is a story of love, loss and second chances and I loved every word of it.

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover]

Sadly this was a DNF for me, I got to just over halfway and couldn’t find the inclination to carry on. The synopsis promised so much but I just didn’t feel anything. I had zero character connection and once that happens the book is always destined for failure. I am probably in the minority but just couldn’t get into it.

[Veronica LaRoche · Rating 5 out of 5]

CM is one of my all time favorite author that no matter what she writes I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will absolutely devour it. Baby Girl will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride that you will not want to get off of. I think everyone will fall in love with Phoenix Benoit, the sexiest Cajun you will ever meet. Embry & Phoenix’s loss is heartbreaking and reading them struggle, you can feel every emotion that the characters are going through. Beautifully written story of loss, grieve, love and second chances that will have you glued to your kindle and not stop reading until the end.

I voluntarily reviewed this Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read with suspense and violence and set in the swamp of Louisiana.

[Kate Reyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved!

This book was great! I did have to get on Facebook and ask for an expanse of Phoenix’s speech. C.M. Stunich replied saying Renee from True Blood is the closest example. There is something magical to me about stories that take place in the swamps of Louisiana.... I loved it!

[Kerry Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book at all. The characters weren't very likeable and I absolutely loathed the written accent of Phoenix, it was hideous and made the story really hard to read.

[Lager Lefse Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

“WARNING: Don't open unless you're prepared to ugly cry, but also ready to read a story of hope and new love, a love that was there all along but patient enough to wait. This is a book about grief, about loss, but also about fresh starts and new beginnings. The ride is sad, a tumultuous twist of feelings that gets ugly at times ... but the ending is a happy one.”

So, yeah. This warning is what pulled me in, because I LOVE books with all the feels and I usually love her books. However, I can tell I’m in the minority here in my review. I didn’t feel all the feels, in fact I just kind of didn’t feel much of anything. I SO wanted to feel the heartache, grief and utter despair that was promised and written about, but I just didn’t get that with Embry and Phoenix’s characters.

Did they go through something tragic at a young age? Absolutely. Were they unprepared and unequipped to handle the fallout? Of course. I just didn’t feel the heartache that they were going through.

I enjoyed Phoenix’s character for the most part. His creole/French verbiage was distracting and internally I just skipped over those little sayings that were thrown in. I felt that out of the two he matured the most. Did he still have demons he needed to fight? Again, absolutely. He had many areas of loss in the timeframe of a year, while still stuck in the town he grew up in. I loved that he became such good friends with Embry’s dad and mom, allowing an outlet to get over some of the grief together.

Phoenix is a big old teddy bear and has loved Embry, not so quietly, that Codrick even knew and encouraged them to kiss in front of him. It felt like the author almost wanted to touch upon a taboo topic of a triad relationship, but it was never fully developed in writing. It was slightly weird. I’m not against taboo relationships, I enjoy them, but either write it as one or don’t mention these little scenarios that were just thrown out.

“You know I want you to be happy—whatever that means.”

There was one underlying storyline on Phoenix’s behalf that just didn’t fit in. It was almost like it was filler for the main characters to do something. It just left me slightly confused and unsure how it all fit in.

Embry. What to say about Embry. I wanted to like her and feel for her, but I just couldn’t. Post-accident she is portrayed as a tough, emotionless creature that hasn’t shed a tear since the incident happened. When she is asked to return home for a family crisis, she almost reminds me of a bratty, juvenile child. Yes, I know she is nineteen, but she doesn’t act like one. I don’t know, I just didn’t really like her character.

I LOVED the development of Phoenix and Embry’s relationship. The love that is shown through Phoenix is swoon-worthy. Embry does go through a lot to get to the realization that, maybe she had the wrong soulmate or the possibility that there could be more than one.

“I'm feeling something for Phoenix Benoit that I … shouldn't feel. Two things, actually. One is primal and feral and wild … and the other is deep and painful and sensual.”

 

[Viktória Tóth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new story by C.M. Stunich. It was different from her usual books, not just because it’s not reverse harem, what she writes mostly lately but think it’ different from her earlier stories as well.

Baby girl is a fast paced, emotional and mostly raw romance, not as much teetering on the edge of taboos but still representing quite a few unconventional relationship elements. I think the warning in the beginning of the book is phased in an especially brilliant way. It sums up the atmosphere of the story quickly, simply but really efficiently.
Thanks to the pace of the story I think the story didn’t leaves as much of an emotional impact as it could have. Don’t get me wrong there is still plenty of heart wrenching moments in it but I think it could have been stronger.

The plot is simple and straightforward but really exciting, dynamic and eventful. The whole storyline has a beautiful and really thought out arc. I particularly flew through it.
The plot mostly concentrates on grief and moving on. It paints a beautiful picture of different ways of grieving, and while personally I can’t really relate to the loss Phoenix and Embry experienced I had a bit of a problem how the girl acted.
Her reaction to her loss is locking down and pretending it never happened while expecting from others to let her handle her feelings as she likes. I can understand this but when she started to criticize and judge other for the way they grieved, she started to piss me off. And this one wasn’t the only thing in her personality and actions I didn’t like but somehow the plot and the other characters just faded out her negative traits.
I liked Phoenix even if he made a lot of bad decisions; he is kind of the victim of his circumstances. Yet I loved him in all his glory.

The phenomenal plot, with the interesting characters and a couple of small things that I love in books like the MMA element or the tattoo shop just created the perfect combination. I enjoyed it and while I don’t know if it’s a stand alone or we can except other books but either way I’m good with it.

[Jennifer G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Embry, Codrick, and Phoenix; all part of one soul, all sharing one heart. Shattered on senior prom night when a wet road and a car accident stole Codrick's life destroying all three. Embry runs, technically she took off for New York, to college but she went alone. They were all supposed to go together but only the shell of Embry made it to New York. For over a year she's lived a half-life trying to survive in the world without the boy she loved her whole life. Now she's back in town to visit her family and her sick father. Codrick's ghost haunts her. Phoenix is still there. He not only lost his best friend that night but also the only girl he's ever loved, his bumblebee, his other half. And now he's in trouble. Embry doesn't want to feel anything but seeing Phoenix forces her to. He's as much a part of her heart and soul as Codrick ever was. How could she have forgotten? How could she have been so cruel to leave him too? Can she save him? Can he save her?

This book comes with a label from the author: WARNING: Don't open unless you're prepared to ugly cry, but also ready to read a story of hope and new love, a love that was there all along but patient enough to wait. This is a book about grief, about loss, but also about fresh starts and new beginnings. The ride is sad, a tumultuous twist of feelings that gets ugly at times ... but the ending is a happy one. TAKE IT SERIOUSLY! It's a devastating read. The pain is palpable. It's a living entity that consumes Embry and Phoenix. Neither handles Codrick's death gracefully but loss isn't pretty. It hurts, it's real, it's raw. Embry was selfish in her grief, thoughtless. She forgot about anyone else as the pain consumed her. Phoenix was reckless, seeking an escape. Both did more damage to themselves while separated. This book is emotional, it's a struggle. It's worth the read! The suspense added to the heartache, the immediate love you have for Embry and Phoenix, and the hopes you have for them make this book impossible to put down.

[Bobo's Book Bank · Rating 5 out of 5]

BABY GIRL is a new adult, contemporary standalone and probably my most favorite story by author C.M. Stunich so far. This book had me in it's clutch with the prologue alone...I was crying ten minutes in! (Thanks for the warning, Ms. Stunich!!)

Phoenix, Embry and Codrick were best friends since childhood. And although they all loved each other deeply, it was always supposed to be Codrick and Embry together. (This is NOT a love triangle, there's no cheating or menage situations!) When tragedy strikes, their friendship falls apart. This is the story of Embry and Phoenix putting the pieces back together.

I absolutely ADORED the characters in this story! Phoenix...oh my GAWD...Phoenix had me swooning all over the place! Embry often described him as a "gentle giant" and he really was. He was charming, sweet, loving and incredibly patient with Embry and at the same time strong, passionate and protective. (Plus, I loved his Cajun accent!) Embry struggled so much with her grief, it was palpable and intense and left her a shell of her former self. But she also had a wealth of courage buried under her sorrow and it took some tough situations to bring it to the surface. My heart ached for these two! And even though the "ghost" of their best friend hung over them, it was also that powerful connection that drew Phoenix and Embry together.

This is a friends to lovers, new adult romance with C.M. Stunich's signature sexy scenes but this also has some suspenseful moments that keeps the story moving at a fast pace. I basically DEVOURED this book! It gave me all the feels, pulled at my heart strings and was beautifully written amongst all the ugliness of grief. I'll definitely be revisiting this story and will put it on my READ AGAIN E-SHELF! Told from dual POVs with a happy ever after. I received, read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Urban Fantasy Fanatic · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Baby Girl by CM Stunich

This book is a stand alone book. About a teenage girl Embry that loses the love of her life Codrick ‘Rick’ in a car accident. It about love, grief, and new beginnings. Embry unable to cope with her grief runs leaving the town she grew up in, leaving Phoenix, her and Codricks best friend. She returns to town; a year and a half later, discovering Phoenix has always been in love with her. Does she feel the same way, can she overcome her grief? I’m not spoiling the book, find out for yourself.......


Without giving too much away I can honestly say I enjoyed this story. My favourite character was Phoenix; in my minds eye he was absolutely yummy, especially with that accent. I liked Embry and really felt for her. Her family don’t understand her grief and that alone was heartbreaking. It’s a book that you will probably need some tissues handy as it’s quite emotional. The story even though it was a romance had a bit of action and drama thrown in, I’m pleased it had the side story/ plot of Phoenix and his troubles; I think without this the book would have lacked. We got to see how strong Embry actually is both physically and mentally.

The only thing I disliked about this book was the name Codrick, I don’t know why but it felt wrong, I preferred the shortened version of ‘Rick’.

I found the shower scene and the family breakfast after quite funny. It’s not a jokey book but there are a couple thrown in, when Embry is learning how to love, live and lighten up again.

All in all it’s a good book, a pleasant read although a little bit of a tear jerker. I would give a 4 out of 5.

[Kate A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a few C.M. Stunich books before and usually know what I’m getting myself into but after the last book I tried, Elements Of Mischief, I was kind of worried that this was also going to be a bit of a disappointment. Thankfully I really didn’t need to worry because Baby Girl was back to the standard that I was looking for.

At the beginning of this book, there is a warning that you may cry ugly tears and I kind of scoffed and then, of course, ended up sobbing uncontrollably. It gets right into the thick of the story straight away and keeps up this emotional rollercoaster the whole time.

It was a really fast-paced novel and I did get completely engrossed but I think at some points I would have liked it to slow down a little, have a little bit more time to explore Embry and Phoenix.

Because I really loved these two, they were in such a difficult situation but you could see they were meant to be together. It was great to see how far they were willing to go to protect each other and that Embry wasn’t the type of girl to cower in a corner. I would have loved to see how Codrick, Embry and Phoenix were as friends but then maybe I wouldn’t have rooted so much for Phoenix to win Embry over.

Baby Girl is a fast-paced and sexy read that will have you all over the place emotionally but it’s definitely worth it. I’m glad I gave it a chance and I’m looking forward to my next C.M. Stunich book.

Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere

[Tricia Bartley. #AuthorStalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was my first book by CM Stunich and what a great introduction to her books...Dayumm, Y'all get ready for some feels while reading Baby Girl. I went in blind but right when I open the book, there is a disclaimer:

"WARNING: Don't open unless you're prepared to ugly cry, but also ready to read a story of hope and new love, a love that was there all along but patient enough to wait. This is a book about grief, about loss, but also about fresh starts and new beginnings. The ride is sad, a tumultuous twist of feelings that gets ugly at times ... but the ending is a happy one."

Soooo yeahh..there's that..you have been warned..lol..but such a great story to come out of this loss and to make you feel all warm inside!!!

"He died in a car accident on the night of our senior prom."

She was his baby girl...she thought she would be with him forever. But after the accident she just shut down, she couldn't deal with his death so she left, left for a year. Now she is back and his best friend is there, always there, he tries to be her protector, she feels he loves her, but the pain is still too much!!

So hop on this roller coaster ride of emotion and find out if the best friend can win her heart and see if they both can help each other get through the tragedy they both went through.

I gave Baby Girl 5 Emotional iScream Cones!! Can't wait to read more by this author!!! : )

[Jennifer Shiels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby Girl was a really sweet but tragic story. This story's told through dueling points of view. Embry LeBlanc's life completely changes on the night of Prom. Her boyfriend Codrick dies in a car accident on the way to pick her up. Their best friend Phoenix is there with her. They are both heartbroken and destroyed. Embry can't handle anything and ends up running away to New York City to try to escape the pain. She returns home because her father had a minor heart attack.

Embry has always had Codrick and Phoenix in her life and she believed Codrick was her soul mate. She doesn't think she can ever move on without him. Phoenix reminds her too much of the past and everything. Coming back to town and being around Phoenix makes her feel again and it's hard. There was always something more than just friendship between Embry and Phoenix but they all loved each other too much to cause trouble.

Phoenix grew up in the bayou and Embry and Codrick were his best friends. He always loved Embry but Codrick was her love and he was like a brother and he would never split them up. His father was abusive and died a little while back, he was always getting into trouble. Codrick dying and Embry leaving him was life altering. He opened up a tattoo parlor and he's incredibly talented but he was left with his father's debt and troubles.

[Kayla Pipkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the feels!!

Embry and Phoenix face a horrible tragedy on the night of prom.
Driving into town, they find their best friend and Embry’s fiancé on the side of the road in an upside down vehicle.
Unable to face the pain being in their hometown causes, Embry packs her bags and heads to New York where she was accepted for college.
She doesn’t have plans to return, but her father is struck with a heart attack and she wants to be near him knowing how short life can be.
What she didn’t expect was to have all the emotions she has been pushing away to come rushing forward with one look at Phoenix.

I absolutely loved this book!!
It just got me right in the feels.

From the prologue my heart went out to these characters.
It seemed that everything that they exhibited went right to my heart, making me feel just as they did.

I loved the dual POV.
It was nice to see from both sides of the story.

There was one thing I didn’t care for and it was the repetitive mention of how many days it had been since Codrick passed, but I also felt like it was necessary.
As if it was a type of coping mechanism for Embry.

I highly recommend this story.
It’s a classic friends to lovers story, but with a slight twist.
I don’t think you will regret reading this one bit.
Just be prepared to cry.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embry and Pheonix

This book was an emotional ride through grief, loss, healing, and love.

Embry loses her fiance, her first love, on prom night to a tragic accident. It wasn't supposed to be this way. They were supposed to grow old together. Her future crumbles before her eyes, and she needs out. Out of her hometown that holds too many memories of a life she'll no longer have.

But once her dad gets sick, she makes the trip back home a year later... Life isn't the same anymore, especially for everyone she left behind.

Pheonix lost his best friend and brother on prom night. His world collapsed, and his best friend left him behind. He wouldn't hold it against her, though. In the year since his entire life changed, Pheonix hasn't been able to stop thinking of his first love, his dead best friend's fiance... What will he do when she comes back to town?


I enjoyed these characters and CM's writing. Sometimes it was hard to understand Pheonix's words because of the heavy cajun accent, but overall, it wasn't too difficult.

Embry might be viewed as selfish and bratty in the beginning after losing her boyfriend. Grief is weird and messy and difficult, so I can understand she had to do what she could to survive it.

[Jeanette Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great storyteller!

Really knows how to suck you in, and this one had such clarity about the power of grief. I appreciated the honesty of that deep dive into what is personal hell.

One of my favorite things about this book, and something this author does particularly well, is truly give each character a unique and individual voice, their own way of speaking to us. Each character uses catch phrases, and vocabulary all their own rather than everyone using the same slang and diction, the same odd turns of phrase with nothing setting them apart-- a blunder or trap many writers fall into so easily. I can't say enough how that attention to character development -- a character's manner of speech -- helps lift a story and gives it depth and believability. It's like the difference between sitting somewhere and overhearing one person tell a story about something that happened to a group of people from just that single storyteller's voice or their point of view, to being immersed in the events and hearing what happened to folks from each person who was there while experiencing it with them.

So bravo on another tale well told, another world shared. YES, I would recommend.

[Crissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my first book from this author and the books that I've read I've absolutely loved. Sometimes I forget to remind myself to not start a book with such high expectations after falling in love with others but unfortunately, I didn't remind myself before I started reading this one. So I expected this one to blow me away. This story was good but I didn't love it. I enjoyed Phoenix character a lot and Embry was an okay character. I disliked the way she treated Phoenix when she went back to her hometown. I understand grief makes you sad but that doesn't give you a right to be an ass to an old friend. Especially when he felt that loss as well. However, she came to her senses and things started going good. I wish the drama with Roch would have ended sooner so I could get more of Embry and Phoenix together. I needed to feel the chemistry between them. The sex was hot but it wasn't enough to make me believe in love. The ending was a touching and sweet moment but I wish I had more time with just Embry and Phoenix. This was good, but it's a one time read for me. There were also a few editing mistakes in the story.

[Behind Closed Doors Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amount of sex 2.5 / 5
How explicit 3 / 5
Story 5 / 5
Overall: 5 / 5

Baby Girl is a standalone emotional romance from author C.M. Stunich.  I was immediately drawn into this exciting and unique story, which is set in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Ms. Stunich’s writing is so well done, that I felt like I was there with Phoenix and Embry.  I must tell you that Phoenix is one hot man and I ultimately fell for him.  I love his Cajun accent, and Ms. Stunich did a fabulous job of immersing me in everything!  I even felt like the setting was a character and it played a part in this story as well.

As this story begins, the reader is immediately thrown into an emotional scene, which had me reaching for my box of tissues.  At that point, I was thoroughly engrossed, and not much could have pried my Kindle out of my hands!

A fabulous story and a definite add to your TBR list!!

*Voluntarily Reviewed an Advanced Copy*