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Match Made in Haven #1

The Sheriff's Nine-Month Surprise

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A shotgun wedding…or a match made in Haven?

Attorney Katelyn Gilmore has her entire life mapped out, well that’s until a spontaneous night of passion with the new sheriff in town – Reid Davidson. Now she’s going to have a baby! With Katelyn’s well-ordered universe upended, is true love on the cards?

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2018

66 people are currently reading
60 people want to read

About the author

Brenda Harlen

393 books83 followers
Brenda’s first love was reading.

According to her mother, she fell in love with books even before she could read and was always content when she had a book in her hands. It didn’t surprise anyone when she decided that she wanted to be a writer, but she was encouraged to pursue “a real job” first.

So she did—she became a lawyer. Two years of practicing law taught her a lot about the world—and reinforced her determination to become a writer. Because in fiction, she could promise a happy ending!

Thankfully, she had already met and married a wonderful man to inspire her fictional heroes. And when she was on maternity leave after the birth of their first son, he encouraged her to take a romance writing course at the local community college. It was while enrolled in this class that she completed her first (still unpublished) manuscript.

Three more manuscripts and another baby followed. And then, in June 2002, she finally got the call from Susan Litman—an editorial assistant and contest judge—offering to buy the manuscript she’d submitted to RWA’s Golden Heart® contest as “From This Moment.” This story was re-titled McIver’s Mission and released by Silhouette Intimate Moments in May 2003.

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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Marsha Keeper Bookshelf.
4,290 reviews88 followers
August 29, 2020
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

I’m the type of reader who likes, perhaps even needs to understand a series from the very beginning. I have difficulty jumping into a series mid-stream – I can and do, especially with ARCs, but given a preference I’ll pick up at least the first story in any long series and dive into that before hitting the more recent (or ARC) titles. This was the situation with the ‘Match Made in Haven‘ series. I’d picked up a few of the latest releases but wanted to go back to the foundation of the series for that first story – and I’m very glad that I did for ‘The Sheriff’s Nine-Month Surprise‘ not only introduced me to this small town and its quirky, interesting residents but laid that foundation for me as well. I don’t know if I’ll go back and read all the stories in between, but I also don’t get the sense that I “have” to do that either.

Katelyn and Reid meet at an out-of-town conference and an instant attraction allows them each to let caution fly in the wind and hook up for that weekend. Perhaps out of character for them each, the weekend together was life-altering in more ways than expected. Reid had a bit of information that Katelyn didn’t to start with though. He knew that he was applying for the sheriff’s position in the small town she lived in, and fully intended to get in touch with her and see where this attraction could go once he knew for certain that he’d gotten the job. That opportunity went out the window when Katelyn is called in as the lawyer for a juvenile that Reid had just arrested – which puts him at odds with her and some townsfolk as he doesn’t really ‘get’ how things are done in Haven.

Katelyn had always done the ‘right’ thing, so her weekend with Reid was very much out of character for her, but she couldn’t regret it for the pull toward this man is still strong. Perhaps even stronger as she finally accepts what several over-the-counter pregnancy tests keep showing her – she’s about to have Reid’s baby. Now comes the decision to do the right thing and track him down or… not. That decision is taken from her hands as she runs into her weekend lover on the job. The complications in their situation are about to set in, reality checks galore, and two people about to become a family have choices to make. Reid knows what he wants even if becoming a father wasn’t in his plans, Katelyn is on the fence for being wanted ‘for the baby’s sake’ has never been high on her priority list. Watching this couple work through this experience was a delightful roller-coaster ride.

I enjoyed ‘The Sheriff’s Nine-Month Surprise‘ yet Reid’s ex-wife, Trish, was so over-the-top in neediness, even though she had moved on, found the love of her life, married him, and now was pregnant. I accepted both of their sides of the affection between them and the true reasons they had married in the first place – but those reasons didn’t completely match-up. Personally, I would have had a very difficult time accepting Trish’s need to be so much up in my man’s business/life that it would have affected the relationship. That’s me. Yet I also think that readers put their own viewpoints on the characters/stories they’re reading as well. So, aside from Trish, I had a very good time with the opener to this series.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.
Profile Image for Paula (In & Out).
879 reviews12 followers
March 23, 2018
It could have been a 4 or 5 star read if not for the whole ex-wife thing.... Trish (the ex) had an unhealthy attachment & emotional hold on H that I didn't understand and it ruined it for me. She had gotten remarried to a man she was in love with and had a baby on the way but she constantly involved H in her drama and was all over his business - and he always allowed it! He said that she didn't have any "boundaries" and that he left town to put a bit distance between them but he also said that she was "family" and would always be in his life and could never say no to her!

Now I know there are plenty divorced couples who are on friendly terms, but she seemed over the top in her "neediness" for Hero. While they said they had a "sibling" type relationship, I didn't buy it because they had a sexual relationship for 2 1/2 years that they were married and even though H said that he had not been in love with her, he DID love her and Trish told h that she had been in love with him, so the whole sibling / platonic relationship didn't sit well with me. Especially since Trish said she was hurt when she found he was having a baby with someone else and didn't want one with her. If she was in love & happy in her new marriage, why would she be hurt that her ex was having a baby with someone else?

Anyhoo, it's this type of things that bug me in my romances when an author feels the need to insert other loves in a story that takes away the romance & interest for me of the couple I am suppose to be rooting for!

While I liked the romance and the relationship development of the two MCs, the interfering ex totally ruined it for me. At the end, I felt that had Trish not asked for a divorce, Reid would still be happily married to his first wife - with or without a baby and no matter what he said, I did feel that he loved her - and yes, more then just platonic love because there were instances that he expressed hurt with how she moved on to someone else. So his relationship with Kaitlyn seemed more a case of rebound for me and that just ruined it for me.
Profile Image for Jess Holden .
562 reviews10 followers
February 26, 2018
I adored the way that Reid knew from the moment he heard the news that he wanted to marry Katelynn he may have not thought everything through but he whole heartedly knew he wanted his child raised in a single family home.

I had issues with Trish. Even though her and Reid are more like brother and sister. I felt that she felt to entitled to Reid's personal life. That kinda hurt his book for me. I have been through divorce and one of them I grew up with his sister as a great friend. I don't feel entitled to want to know anything about their family anymore. So I just don't see that relationship. Sorry not sorry.

Katelynn's mindset I can agree with whole heartedly you have to know a person before you can want to marry them. I could agree with her the entire book except when she kept refusing to see her true feelings.
771 reviews8 followers
March 5, 2018
The Sheriff's Nine-Month Surprise was a good read.  Katelyn and Reid were amazing characters that had lust at first sight.  It seemed that their encounter was meant to be because even though their one-night stand was supposed to be that Reid ended up getting the job that he interviewed for.  Katelyn had no idea that the father of her baby would be living in the same town as her.  She still needed to tell Reid that she was pregnant and having his baby.  Reid didn't want to be a father especially since everyone that he ever loved left him.  Katelyn wasn't looking to settle down but now with a baby coming she knew that she could raise the baby by herself with no help from the father.  But Reid was a traditional man and he knew that the right thing to do was to marry the mother of his child.  Now as for Katelyn she didn't want to marry a man that didn't love her but in the end things change.  Will Reid see that he is in love with Katelyn?  Will they have a happily ever after. 
 
I totally recommend this read!! 
 
Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review
Profile Image for Beverly S.
223 reviews
March 13, 2018
Great read. Straight laced district attorney from a small town goes to a convention and meets up with cute sheriff of a small town in Texas ...... Can a convention hook up lead to more?

Katelyn Gilmore has her life planned out. Life in a small town doesn't give her many options so she decides to change things up a bit by hooking up with fellow convention attendee Reid Davidson.
Fast forward a few weeks and she comes face to face again with Reid in the sheriff office while handling a case of juvenile delinquency. To her surprise he is now the town sheriff.

How does Katelyn come to tell Reid he is about to become a dad? You will have to read the book...

Book generously provided by Brenda Harlen for an honest review.
2 reviews3 followers
January 15, 2018
Lust at first sight might have been what drew Katelyn and Reid together but what was meant to be a weekend fling turned into so much more and the lawyer and lawman learned fast that life doesn't always go the way you planned. Both a bit headstrong and more than resistant to changjng their status and focus. Neither were looking for love and settling down but circumstances brought them together and a gift neither expected opened their hearts and showed them what they feared was actually what they both needed. I enjoyed this book. Just the right blend of passion and resistance and toss in some family and western small-town antics and humor for an entertaining escape.
Profile Image for Karen Mcnicol.
701 reviews21 followers
February 16, 2018
I loved This!
I was given this book to review by the talented Brenda Harlen! Wow, wow, wow! This story grabs you as soon as you start reading it. When Katelyn and Reid first lock eyes you can actually feel the connection as you read, you feel Reid's frustration over Katelyn's refusal to his wanting to get married but you also understand. I loved reading this story as they both fell in love with each other. I also felt the need to clap my hand on the mouth of his ex-wife Trish a few times myself!

YES, I recommend this Book. I think a few of my friends will be getting a copy of there own to read!

Profile Image for Janie.
1,530 reviews15 followers
August 26, 2018
"The Sheriff's Nine-Month Surprise (Match Made in Haven #1)" by Brenda Harlen was a pleasant surprise read. I had gotten this book back in March and it ended up in my bookshelf and not read until recently. Katleyn Gilmore knew what she wanted to do with her life. She was the smart, good girl in High School and had limited experience with men. She meets Reid Davidson one weekend and throws caution to the wind to have an affair. Fast forward five weeks and Katelyn is not only pregnant but Reid moves into town as the new sheriff. How they deal with each other, her family, and the whole pregnancy makes for an enjoyable, classic romantic read.
Profile Image for Jessica.
2,211 reviews51 followers
March 7, 2018
Okay yea its about a pregnant women but the baby doesnt actually make an appearance in the book, so the cover doesnt exactly match the content. If anything if there was a cop with a pregnant women it would've made more sense. Just pointing that out, I can appreciate a cover that matches the content. Besides that I thought it was a sweet and contemporary book. Obviously rushed in many points but with a short amount of pages its pretty normal for that kinda thing, I was hoping for a bit more romance though between the two. Overall its a pretty good contemporary novel.
634 reviews
August 19, 2018
A shotgun wedding…or a Match Made in Haven? By-the-book (attorney) Katelyn Gilmore has her entire life mapped out. But a spontaneous weekend of passion with Reid Davidson at a law conference upends that well-ordered universe. She’s going to have a baby! And what’s more, her hunky fling’s now the new sheriff in town…literally. Reid’s taking his dad-to-be duties seriously and won’t rest until Katelyn has a ring on her finger. Sure, the baby’s the most important thing, but Kate wonders what about true love?
132 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2018
The Sheriff's Nine Month Surprise by Brenda Harlen.
Katelynn Gilmore is a lawyer and Reid Davidson is the sheriff and they are a match that is complex.
Their careers work against them, she finds out she is pregnant and he wants to get married and she doesn't. I thought it was very well thought out. I really enjoyed getting to know both of them. I thought this book was very well written.
I recommend to anyone looking for a good book to read.
Profile Image for Jhonatas Nilson.
43 reviews
April 19, 2019
"The Sheriff's Nine-Month Surprise" is a great book. If you are looking for a soft romance to spend a calm weekend, this must be a cool choice.
Reid is such a lovely hero and he is always sure that he wants to marry Katelyn, the heroine.
It was the first time I ever read a Special Edition book, I liked the experience. I just wish there were more conflicts and less scenes of Reid and Katelyn wondering if they would get married or not.
Profile Image for Penny.
36 reviews
March 10, 2018
I struggled a little with the conflict within this story to start as Reid seemed to have forgotten the reason he split with his ex wife and it appeared to not be a problem with Katelyn. The author could have really made that issue emotional and the conflict more intense but seemed to have backed away from it.

On saying that, it was a lighthearted read that I read in one sitting curled up in a cosy armchair on a rainy day and I would read it again.
Profile Image for Amanda.
87 reviews
October 14, 2019
I loved everything about this book. I loved the character development, I loved the small town of Haven and I loved the perfect pacing of this book! It was a perfect weekend read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one! 5 Stars!
Profile Image for Ranie.
901 reviews18 followers
December 14, 2025
This was literally a nurturing, intriguingly, and impressively sweet appealing story. I loved how supportive, unconditionally caring, and resilience Reid Davidson was to Katelyn Gilmore.

Highly recommended
Profile Image for Stephanie Gallagher.
8 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2018
It’s a light-hearted trashy romance novel. I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t say it was mine blowing book or anything special.
Profile Image for Emily.
78 reviews2 followers
March 1, 2018
Love reading this book and love the chactors,
Profile Image for Frankie.
449 reviews
March 22, 2018
The story in itself between H & h is good, but what ruined it for me is the meddlesome ex-wife & his feelings for her. I didn't understand that relationship at all. He claimed that he had never been in love with his ex-wife and that he only married her because he made a promise to her father who he owed for "rescuing" him, but he considered her family and they were very close "friends". He also said that she would "always" be in his life no matter what, but this ex had an unhealthy attachment to him that I couldn't understand because he seemed never to be able to say no to her and she seemed to want to get in his business all the time. I get that the author wanted to portray it as a friendly divorce, but the ex was just too needy for H and that made it somewhat icky for me because he had married this woman, slept with her for 2 1/2 years, divorced her and yet she constantly needs him in one form or another. I don't know how to explain it but it seemed an unhealthy relationship to me - not a close friendship. I don't know if others got the same vibe but for me it just ruined a nice romance because of that. But that is what happens in romances when authors insert OW/OM drama. It takes away from the main couple & story you are suppose to be reading about.

I wish I had known all that before I picked up this read as I could have avoided the aggravation.
Profile Image for Anna Swedenmom.
586 reviews2 followers
January 25, 2018
What a case of fate. When I was reading I smiled, and laughed, and then shook my head at times. Each of these characters define the name of stubborn. There are some wonderful elements of romance, and passion. The story line may be as old as time but the writing makes it new. I must say I enjoyed the way each part unfolded into the next. I even enjoyed the relationships that occurred and the strange reliance and connections. It is a book to just relax and let it take you away. It gives you passion as well as real life elements. So buy the book and enjoy. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Regards, Anna

Merged review:

The Sheriff's Nine-Month Surprise (Match Made in Haven)
by Brenda Harlen
Anna Swedenmom's review Jan 25, 2018 · edit
really liked it

What a case of fate. When I was reading I smiled, and laughed, and then shook my head at times. Each of these characters define the name of stubborn. There are some wonderful elements of romance, and passion. The story line may be as old as time but the writing makes it new. I must say I enjoyed the way each part unfolded into the next. I even enjoyed the relationships that occurred and the strange reliance and connections. It is a book to just relax and let it take you away. It gives you passion as well as real life elements. So buy the book and enjoy. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Regards, Anna
Profile Image for Lynn Brooks.
3,530 reviews46 followers
February 25, 2018
Can one night turn into forever? A sweet lovers to more story that brings us a couple of good-hearted characters who each dealt with painful pasts differently. She forged forward accomplishing her career with the hope of a family one day ... he jumped into his future with his heart closed off. They are different people and in different circumstances now, and no matter how much they try, they can't stay away from the other or the draw of forever that courses through them when in each other's arms. The plot kept our attention, and though there were a lot of supporting characters introduced, it didn't overshadow the story. An enjoyable read!

Attorney Katelyn Gilmore decides to throw caution to the wind and live it up for a change while attending an out of town conference. She's played it safe for way too long, and a weekend fling is just what she needs to liven up her staid life! Only she gets more than she bargained for ... a baby on the way ... and that one night-stand daddy-to-be is now the new sheriff in town!

Sheriff Reid Davidson hasn't been able to stop thinking about Katelyn since their weekend together, so when he's offered the job in the town she's from, he jumps at the chance of seeing her again. When he discovers she has more than just herself to offer up, he is determined to get her to agree to marry him so they can start their family off right. Both carry scars from the past ... will they be able to see past them to discover a brighter tomorrow?
Profile Image for Jennifer DeCuir.
Author 31 books37 followers
March 6, 2018
Harlen has a new hit on her hands. I am loving Haven, NV - the rivalry between the Gilmores and the Blakes - but choosing only to allude to it in the first book, not have both the hero and heroine from the warring families, was a brilliant move.
The chemistry between Reid and Katelyn is hot! The dialogue throughout is snappy. I am going to enjoy getting to know this town better.
Kudos to Harlen, and to all you readers out there... what are you waiting for? Take a trip to Haven.
Profile Image for Manda.
355 reviews18 followers
March 5, 2018
* I got this book as an arc from NetGalley for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending it to me *

This book was alright. It was exactly what I would have expected. It wasn’t anything spectacular but it wasn’t horrible. It was a quick read (even though it took me a while due to my constraints in time to read), which was great. There weren’t any huge issues I saw with it besides the fact it wasn’t really unique. But I did enjoy it either way.
91 reviews2 followers
March 13, 2018
Exciting new series by Brenda Harlen! Reid Davidson and Katelyn Gilmore met at a convention and it's instant attraction. After a couple of nights spent together, they go their separate ways. Fast forward several weeks and Reid has taken a new job as the Sheriff of Haven Nevada, the same town Katelyn is from. There was something else from that weekend, a baby! After the stock of seeing Reid again, Katelyn tells him right away about the baby and he wants to do the right thing and marry her right away! But Katelyn just wants to take it slow says they can co-parent! The journey they take is a wonderful one of two people finding their way through things from their past to get to their future. You will thoroughly enjoy this story, and I can't wait for the next one!
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