The (Secret) Baby

Truth & Secret #2

by Leddy Harper, Aiden Snow (Reading), C.J. Bloom (Reading)

A one-night stand becomes much, much more in this sexy, lighthearted romance. Maid of honor Kelsey Peterson is disappointed when the bride-to-be bails on her bachelorette party―especially since Kelsey’s already ordered the stripper. Desperate for a break from her romantic woes, Kelsey goes through with the party. After all, why let a good stripper go to waste? Dr. Aaron Baucus is definitely not a stripper. He’s a legit doctor with a PhD in neuropsychology. But when his friend calls him over to a bar to meet a bunch of tipsy, flirtatious bridesmaids, they assume otherwise. After all, their stripper was supposed to be dressed like a doctor. Aaron isn’t much for pretending, but with Kelsey, he’s willing to be whatever she wants him to be. At least for one night. But fate has a wicked sense of Aaron and Kelsey are the maid of honor and best man at the same wedding. And after their one-night stand, Kelsey’s pregnant, but she doesn’t know how to tell him. Aaron wants to start a relationship, but he doesn’t think Kelsey wants something long term. Can their fragile romance survive all the half truths and secrecy?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Rom Com, Audiobook, New Adult, Surprise Pregnancy

Audio CD

First published July 9, 2019

About the author

Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped.

She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.
The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.

Reviews

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very secret baby!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙🖤💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 😠😘🤓🥰
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The heroine: Kelsey - she owns her own company that stages homes for real estate companies. She is sort of a man hater, thinking that they all let you down or cheated on you, since her last boyfriend did her wrong. She is going to be the maid of honor in her best friends wedding and plans the bachelorette party including a stripper. She wants to go non-traditional and get a stripper dressed as a doctor instead of a police officer.

The Hero: Aaron - he has a doctorate in neuropsychology. He is good looking and a doctor so most of his friends think he does well with women, but he doesn’t do quite as well as they think since most women hear he is a doctor and expect him to be wealthy, which he isn’t. Though he does make a good living.

The Story: When Aaron’s friend who runs the club where the bachelorette party is being held, asks him for a favor, he gets his doctor coat on and acts as the stripper for the party. He is attracted to the bride to be and ends up hooking up with her, after finding out she is not the bride to be but the maid of honor, since the bride to be couldn’t make it to her own party.

They hook up anonymously and neither knows that they are destined to meet again at the wedding because Aaron is also best friends with the groom. Not to mention the fact that Kelsey agreed to let Aaron stay in her spare room for a few months while he looked for a house to buy, before knowing he was the man that knocked her up after the bachelorette party. I liked the characters and the story. I am a sucker for the secret baby trope, and there were some pretty funny scenes as well.

“Yes mother, she swallowed a fly.
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly,
but rumor has it that she might die.”

This book is told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Aiden Snow and C.J. Bloom. Aiden Snow has a terrific voice and is very pleasant to listen to. C.J. Bloom is a good narrator, though her voice can get a bit annoying at times, though overall I like her voice and her style.

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[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Assumptions Need to Go Stars
* * * Spoiler Free
This was my first read with Ms. Harper. She has an extensive catalog and many fans. It seems this particular book came out of a grouping of related books. Our gal's best friend and her brother are in The (Half) Truth which came out in February 2019. These characters play supporting roles to our main ones, Kelsey and Aaron. I was able to follow along without reading the first book without any issues.

The main theme of this book has to do with assumptions and trust. Both main characters have been hurt by others due to others either lying to them or having an assumption and then being disappointed when their concepts were not the case.

We have a very sharp-witted, strong businesswoman. She has been hurt by an ex so severely, she has sworn off men forever. No, she means forever. So when her bestie discovers she is pregnant before the planned bachelorette party, she convinces Kelsey to "be the Bride" in her place, enjoy the booze, fun, and stripper. After all, Kelsey knows this is the only time she will have a chance to experience it.

Aaron just received an emergency text from his friend Cheryl. She owns a club and said she needed him to come right away. When he arrives, Cheryl seems to be just fine so what is the big urgent need...Well, after some hemming, it turns out the stripper who was scheduled for the bachelorette party Cheryl had in the VIP wing didn't show and she needed Aaron to take his place...why... Because they requested a doctor. Aaron is a Ph.D. Dr. and although he did work at times at the hospital, he wasn't the type of Dr. everyone assumes him to be.

Cheryl at this point just wanted Aaron to get his cute buns upstairs in his white lab coat and start dancing. The incentive was all the woman up there he could finally break his dry spell. It seems Aaron has horrific luck in dating. With Cheryl asking him pretty please, Aaron agreed to do it. There was only a couple of problems...

Aaron couldn't dance to save his life...
And now that he has seen the Bride to Be...
He is really annoyed because she is the only one he would be interested in...
If she wasn't about to be married...

Aaron somehow gets crazy 90's music together, starts to give the woman a dance and when she really starts to take this lap dance a little too seriously...He steps away. He was turned on and wanted her...but was not about to do anything with someone who is meant for another.

When the night is over and Aaron is coming out of the club, he sees Kelsey all alone. He walks up to her and asks what is the matter. With all the drinking Kelsey did earlier and her emotions high, she shares the secret of her not being the bride at all and she will never have this experience. Never enjoy the feeling of having a honeymoon and her fella telling her she is everything to him...

Aaron felt the chemistry with Kelsey and he also felt her pain...He suggests they enjoy the moment and pretend...
Pretend they have just gotten married and are on their honeymoon...
Pretend to be together for just this night and Kelsey adds, no names, no looking for the other after, no anything more. This adds something very special to this one nightstand...

Total Freedom to be their Real Selves...

So as you can guess from the title of the book, Kelsey is pregnant from this one night stand with the "Stripper". The plot becomes complicated with Kelsey and Aaron as they are connected through friendship and relations. Kelsey's best friend is marrying Aaron's best friend. Which means they are both part of the wedding party which happens about 3 weeks after the hookup. And Kelsey has no clue who Aaron is until the rehearsal dinner when they both meet again.

This story has many missed exchanges, miss-communications, and assumptions. Both characters are burdened with them. Each has their reasons and when revealed we care about them. For me, this had many parts to the tale...and sometimes juggling and believing it all took a little effort.

Overall, the lesson is to not make snap judgments, trust in the other to share your fears, and Do Not Keep Secrets.


A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read other books by this author which I’ve absolutely loved (Kiss My Ash is one of my favourites), but unfortunately I didn’t love this one. There were certain elements that I just couldn’t connect with and I found myself struggling to continue, with my wandering off to different things. It certainly won’t put me off reading her books again, you can’t win them all, right?!

[Livros A Go-Go ~Joyci ~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

É um livro que possui bons ingredientes mas não senti conexão entre o casal, a interação entre eles foi bem superficial, fazendo com que me distanciasse desse drama.

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars / 4 Steam Fans

What happens when your one night stand is absolutely amazing and you can't stop thinking about the person but you both agreed to no names? This is that story! It is funny, sexy, sweet, and touching. I loved every second of this book. Kelsey and Aaron had great chemistry and even though it took me a second to remember how they fit together, I still really enjoyed the journey.

This specific video review will be included in the July 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

(Review may be edited at a later date)

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I'm back in my "surprise pregnancy" phase and what a great way to start with this story of Kelsey and Aaron. This was filled with laughs and was a light-hearted read. Yeah, there were stupid mistakes made along the way that frustrated me, but it all worked out in the end.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars.
One Night Stand with Consequences!!!

I have read several books now by this author which I’ve absolutely loved- including her prior release called "The Half Truth" which contains crossover characters with this book, but sadly I just didn’t either love or enjoy this one nearly as much.
It's hard to explain but there were some parts or aspects of this story and it's main characters that I simply couldn’t connect with and over time I found myself waging a losing battle to maintain interest with the story as a whole. Oh well!!

This is a talented author though and that's just my personal take on this particular book so I do recommend trying either "The Half Truth" first or my all time favorite by Leddy Harper- "Kiss My Ash" ( a beautiful read) .

my review for "The Half Truth".
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
my review for "Kiss My Ash".
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[what.rachel.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

*SPOILERS IN SUMMARY BELOW*
Tropes: misunderstandings, one night stand, unexpected pregnancy, someones best friend, roommates
Couple: Kelsey Peterson and Dr. Aaron Baucus
Spice: unfortunately.... fade to blacks
POV: Dual

Summary:
- Aaron and Kelsey are the maid of honor and bestman at the same wedding.
- At the bachelorette party, the bride is pregnant so she tells Kelsey to act as the bride and let off some steam.
- Aaron's friend tells him to come to the bar to see a bachelorette party, and the ladies assume he's the doctor stripper they ordered.
- After the party, Aaron sees Kelsey outside and she's drunk and sad about how she'll never be a bride. They decide to agree to pretend to be a couple getting married for the night and with no names or introductions.
NOT EVEN FADE TO BLACK - we just skip to the next day
- Aaron goes out for the bachelor party and learns that Kelsey (his friend's manhating cousin) has a room available he can rent while his house gets worked on. This means they'll be roommates.
- Kelsey finds out she's pregnant but doesn’t know how to tell Aaron.
- When they have sex again, they play the pretending game only this time he comforts her when she accidentally says her mom won't love her baby like she love's the bride's. He pretends with her that it's their baby (ironic because it is his). And again major fade to black after he kisses her stomach.
- She goes to see him at work and hears people having sex in his office (it turns out it was his receptionist Noel and her husband) but Kelsey gets upset and leaves.
- Noel comes over to help Aaron cook for Kelsey since she's been mad at him for a week (after hearing sex in his office) and when Kelsey walks in, Noel is on her knees cleaning up sauce off the floor and Aaron has sauce on his zipper.
- Aaron and Kelsey fight about it and Kelsey reminds him about how her ex was married and cheating on his wife with her. Kelsey thinks Aaron is also cheating.
- Aaron is confused and talks to Noel about it the next day at work and she's embarrassed to tell him Kelsey did hear people having sex in his office but it was her and her husband.
- He's upset she would believe he would do something like that and goes out to try and have a random one-night stand but he gets so drunk, she has to come to pick him up and he confesses it wasn't him she heard in his office.
- They continue to fight and he moves out (into his office waiting area on an air mattress) and when Kelsey goes to tell him about the baby, they end up having sex and she doesn't tell him yet.
- The next morning, he accidentally sees her phone with texts from her friend about telling him how he's the father of her baby. He freaks out and goes to talk to her and they fight about not being told earlier. Even though he was happy she was having his kid, he was still betrayed for how she went about not telling him for over 2 months.

- Grand gesture(s): She puts together a slideshow of ultrasounds and her journal entries from the length of her pregnancy (so he doesn't feel like he missed out on anything) and he set up a nursery for the baby in his new house and asks her to move in and marry him (eventually)

[Ally · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of the book was good. Then it all went down hill in a flaming trash bin.

First of all there's no steam it's all fade to black 😭😭😭 I can handle the drama if there's some good sex scenes but nope. So disappointed.

Now for the nonsense that was going on after the 50% mark.
The h and H are living together as roommates after having a one night stand, she's pregnant and he doesn't know. After awhile they grow closer and have sex again (FTB😑)
The next day the h goes to H's office to tell him she's pregnant. She walks in and hears people having sex thinking it's him cheating, she gets upset and leaves. She takes way too long to confront him but when she finally does the H doesn't even try to defend himself 🙃
Apparently he's so sick of people making assumptions about him that he doesn't think it's worth telling her it wasn't him 🤡
He is so upset with her that he goes to the club and tries to get women to go home with him. Literally any woman. The h has to come get his drunk ass and eventually he tells her it wasn't him cheating on her.
h goes to apologize to him for making assumptions🙄🙄, they have more fade to black sex, then the next morning he finds out she's pregnant and has been keeping it from him. H is mad at h AGAIN. After this I skimmed to the end.

Aaron was a complete joke of an H. His "what about me" attitude was completely ridiculous and immature. He doesn't think about the h's feelings at all throughout the book. Honestly the h deserved better.

[Sydni · Rating 2 out of 5]

one word: mess

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had so many ingredients that I enjoy while reading rom-com books. We have a sassy, swearing and smart heroine. Then there is a nice and funny hero. Surprise baby. One night stand. Bunch of misunderstanding, meddling family members and of course happy end. Despite all of that I still felt like something was missing for me to love this book more. I can't pinpoint what was it. Still, this is enjoyable, light and fun read. Perfect for summer or vacation read.
This was my first read by this author and I wouldn't be opposed to reading more.

3,5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

[✨ Just Another Bookwyrm ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the EMBODIMENT of a true rom-com. I laughed SO hard, SO consistently, that I started to get a stitch in my side 😂. I loved Kelsey; she had such a quippy personality and was so strong and funny (though sometimes TOO strong and stubborn). And Aaron was such a teddy bear 🥰.

Big warning for the miscommunication trope as a plot device 🙄 (Yeah, I hated that), and MANY assumptions were made (also hate that), then there was KINDA both a third AND fourth act breakup (make up you MIND people!), but at least they sorted it out and made up suitably heart meltingly .

Also, side note here, there were NO descriptive spicy scenes in this book (just brief, vague description or fade to black), which surprised and disappointed me, but it might be someone else’s jam, so yeah.

Overall, despite the tropes I hate, the rest of the book made up for it and I really enjoyed it!

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay read. It started off good but then it dragged on. Plus I really didn't like Kelsey at times. I really hated how long she waited to tell him too. Thankfully in the end after the drama they are able to get their happy ending.

[Kendall {Book Crazy} · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

I read an ARC of the prequel book to this one earlier this year and I liked it, but I didn't love it as much as I was expecting to! I was intrigued by this book though, so requested an ARC and started reading it as soon as I had come back from my holiday! After reading this book, I can say that I felt the same way about it as the prequel book and I can be honest and say that I actually enjoyed this book more than the prequel book! I felt like I was more invested in the plot and what was going to happen next for the characters! The plot of this book was easy to understand and I sort of knew what was going to happen because of the synopsis and the title of the book lol! The plot did develop at a nice pace and it was interesting and slightly different to what I was expecting! I enjoyed it though and felt like there was more to it than the plot to the prequel book! This book was left at the perfect ending for the characters too! The characters were also amazing and made the plot that bit better! Kelsey was the main female character, and in this book she went through a lot and had some tough decisions to make! I felt like Kelsey tried her best in this book to deal with her changing circumstances! I also felt for her because she did feel like she was picked on by her family and they didn't understand that it hurt Kelsey! I was also able to connect with Kelsey in this book and she did try and tell her love interest what was going on, but things kept getting in the way! Aaron was the main male character and love interest of Kelsey! Aaron worked hard in this book and he had a respectable job and had done well for himself! He also seemed like a nice guy! Aaron also had a reason for doing the things that he did and the choices that he made and he could always justify his reasons! It was also easy to see that Aaron had deep feelings for Kelsey, but he felt betrayed by her and it took a while for him to realise that she had her reasons for not telling him! I loved that this book was written from both Kelsey and Aaron's point of views! I was hoping that it was going to be because the prequel book written from dual point of view, so I'm really happy that this one was too! The synopsis also gives the impression that it's going to be written from dual point of view! It helped me connect and understand Kelsey and Aaron more and it allowed for more things to happen in the plot, especially as the main characters didn't spend every minute of the plot together and went through some situations on their own! I'm not sure if there's going to be another sort of prequel book to this one, but I would read it if one does release! I also still have quite a few of this author's other books to read, so I can't wait to check them out and see if there's some that sound interesting! I also love the cover for this book a lot! It suits the feel of the book and I love that this cover matches the cover for the prequel book! The cover image is very cute too and the models suit the characters of Kelsey and Aaron! Big thank you to Montlake Romance for an ARC of The (Secret) Baby!

[Three Chicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes

If you read the Half Truth then you have meat Kelsey before. She is sassy, sarcastic, fun and completely sworn off men. When her and her best friend Tatum are together, you just never know what will happen next. When Tatum isn’t feeling well and backs out of her bachelorette party, Kelsey decides that the party must still go on, complete with stripper and all.

When Kelsey meets the stripper there is no denying how hot he it, even if he is the world’s worst stripper. A couple of drinks and some flirting later, and she finds herself having on hot night with this stranger. They agreed no names. Just one night together and that is all. /until she an’t stop thinking about in and later finds out that she will have a part of him for the rest of her life.

As fate or chance will have it, Kelsey and her mystery stripper meet again. Only to find out that they are the maid of honor and best man at her best friend’s wedding. It turns out that the mystery man is her cousin’s best friend, Aaron. He is a doctor but not the doctor that most people think he is. His stripping days are over, well they never actually began. That’s a whole other story that you will soon find out. Over the years he has not had the best of luck when it comes to love and woman. People tend to judge him a little too quickly and not get to know the man behind the white coat. When he sees Kelsey again he wants to give it a shot with her, but he knows that she isn’t really into relationships and dating. But he won’t give up, he wants to see where things go with her. She’s been hurt in the past. Will she give it a shot?

Kelsey and Aaron together are fun and quirky. She has a dry sense of humor that not everyone gets, but Aaron gets her. She also sees past what every other woman has been hung up on when it comes to him. She likes him for who he is and I loved that about them. The banter between the two of them is so fun to watch. Aaron is just a really good guy, who most woman would look at as the nice guy. The one that they are better off having as a friend. Bur for Kelsey he was so much more. She was sassy to his nice….lol. They were perfect for each other.

The Secret Baby is a sweet, quick and fun read that I loved. I have never read a book of Ms. Harper’s that I did not love, this book included. I cannot wait to see what she as in store for us next.

[Michelle Claypot_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a cute, easy read rom com. Surprise baby with a funny meet cute with a fake bride to be and a fake stripper.

Kelsey is definitely out of luck in the love stakes and her one night with Aaron doesn't go as planned resulting in an oopsy daisy baby... Reconnecting at a wedding results in more laughs and also some emotions as they navigate a path to happiness together. I enjoyed this one.

I received an ARC of this book.

[Sofia Lazaridou · Rating 3 out of 5]

The (Secret) Baby is a stand-alone novel by Leddy Harper. The main characters are Kelsey a woman who recently discovered that her ex is married to another woman and he not planning on divorcing her (and I mention this info and not something else because it will have a role in the story) and Aaron, a doctor who is not a doctor like those on Grey's Anatomy, who is the good guy every girl friend-zones. They meet at a bachelorette party where Kelsey pretends to be the bride and Aaron substitutes for a stripper. And that's how our story begins.

Aaron's problem with people not taking seriously his doctor status because he is a neuropsychologist reminded me a lot of Ross from the show Friends. Αt least he was doctor enough to be a stripper doctor and spend a night with Kelsey. Both of them were happy to end this after one night until Kelsey found that she was pregnant and fate brought them together once again. I would have preferred for things to be a little smoother between Aaron and Kelsey. They have a lot of ups and downs and everything in between which was not to my liking. I felt like they were two people that would raise their child together, but not that they were in love. I got that impression from Noel and her husband (the later barely appeared) and not from the main couple. One bonus for the book was Kelsey's mother. If we didn't know better we would have thought that Kelsey was an only child from all the nagging she got because she didn't have children.

[Nancy❤The❤Bookaholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute and nice read. There were quite a few laugh out loud moment for me. The characters were well developed and there was little drama. This is your typical, boy meets girl, they fall for each other, and then there a misunderstanding that is not talked through which in returns cause problems.

[DeNae Sheree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

I love secret baby trope. Kelsey and Aaron are so cute and awkward together. They were match in oddball heaven. I definitely enjoyed their quirkinesses. This was a good story.

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where can I find a good suprise pregnancy trope. This one just okay... don't have the angst that I need.

[The Book Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and refreshing rom com with likeable characters, it definitely kept me entertained until the very end!

[Vikki Vaught · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Leddy Harper, but it will not be the last! I’m so glad I accepted the chance to read and review The Secret Baby when I received an invitation from the publisher, via Net-Galley. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

The Secret Baby grabbed my attention right away. The characters pulled me in, and the plot kept me engaged until the end. I always love happy endings, and this book has a fantastic one. I enjoyed Leddy Harper’s writing style. Her dialogue flows easily and is very realistic.

Kelsey Peterson’s character is funny with a delightfully quirky twist. Part of her is brazen, yet underneath, she has a vulnerable side. Her insecurities drew me in, and as the book progressed my admiration for her character grew.

Aaron Baucus is definitely a beta hero, and one that I enjoyed a great deal. Not every man can be an alpha. I loved his genuine, caring attitude, his child-like enthusiasm at the thought of being a parent. His easy acceptance of Kelsey, and his desire for her touched me. I felt his pain when he learns her secret.

The romance between Kelsey and Aaron is light-hearted and carefree. While the chemistry is undeniable, their bond as friends is as appealing. I truly wanted them to work through their issues and find their forever after.

If you enjoy romantic comedies with engaging characters, yet with real emotion under the laughter, then you will love The Secret Baby. I’ll admit, I laughed out loud on more than one occasion and shed a few tears during the emotionally-charged moments. I look forward to reading other books by the talented Ms. Harper. Happy reading!

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

**FULL REVIEW**

Wow.
This is the first book I’ve read by Harper, and will not be my last. Her style, the way she shows the reader the emotions of her characters, and how easily the story flows...it’s everything one could want in a book!

In this story, Kelsey and Aaron are a “just by chance” hook up, never to speak again...until we realize fate has other plans for them.

What happens next hits the entire spectrum of feels. ALL the feels!!

Having a best friend like Tatum is Kelsey’s saving grace, and the little moments of tenderness mixed with witty sarcasm and banter kept me turning pages and fully engaged from start to finish.

Aaron...what can I say about the nice guy? Do they really finish last or do they just have to get in where they fit in? All assumptions aside, I really liked him. And for the record, I married a nice guy...and won the husband lotto.

I look forward to more from Harper, the complexity of her stories are rich in feelings and real-life love and lessons.

Don’t miss the (Secret)—pick this book up!

**5 Baby Mama Drama, Stars**

[Kimberly / Love Notes Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The Secret Baby was an entertaining read, but I felt it had a few issues. This book is Aaron and Kelsey's story. Kelsey's best friend is getting married. She plans the bachelorette party at a local club for her friend, but when the friend gets sick and bails at the last minute, the party must go on. Kelsey steps in and pretends to be the bride to be as a joke. When the "doctor" stripper she ordered doesn't show up, the club owner calls her friend Aaron, a real doctor, to pretend to be the stripper. In a funny turn of events, Aaron and Kelsey end up having a wild one night stand, only for her to find out later that she is pregnant and she doesn't even know the father's name. Things get really awkward when Aaron turns out to be best friends (and best man) with the groom who is marrying her friend. To make things even more crazy, Kelsey has volunteered to rent out a room to Aaron, before she knows that he is her "stripper" baby daddy. Now, she has to figure out how to break it to him that he's going to be a father, and try not to fall for him along the way.

I love books with the secret baby trope. They are my catnip so I couldn't help reading this one, but I didn't totally love this book. I felt like it was trying a little too hard to be funny. The comedy of errors became a little ridiculous. Also, the characters were only okay for me. Kelsey's personality was a little abrasive. She was a well-known "manhater" because her ex boyfriend broke her heart. As for Aaron, he was very embarrassed about his job. He was a neurophsychologist, and apparently he was teased that it wasn't a "real doctor", but it sure sounds like a real doctor to me. So I did not get that at all. I also did not like that Aaron pretends to be a big player, bragging about getting all sorts of women, but it is not true. It is just an act. He came off as desperate and lacking confidence. So I didn't love either character at first. I also felt like the book had too much telling vs. showing. We are told that they have gotten to know each other and feel so comfortable it feels like they've known each other forever. But we don't get to experience that ourselves as readers, so it falls flat. I also felt like key moments were skipped over, like Kelsey first thinking she could be pregnant and how she felt or Aaron moving in. Those were missed opportunities to feel a connection to the characters, I felt.

As the book went on, though, I did enjoy it more and more. It became more serious and emotional along the way, as Kelsey and Aaron developed strong feelings for each other, while she is hiding her pregnancy from him. There were some silly miscommunications, but I found the last 20% of the book to be the best. Aaron and Kelsey turned out to be really sweet together and I did feel the love between them.

Overall, I am glad I read this book. It was entertaining and had some sweet moments. I enjoyed the way that Aaron and Kelsey's relationship developed. Even if I had a few reservations, I do think this book is worth reading. I will try this author's books again in the future.

*arc provided in exchange for an honest review*

[Ess · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Secret Baby follows one-night-stand and soon-to-be-future wedding buddies Kelsey Peterson and neuropsychologist Dr. Aaron Baucus (who’s name I found mildly amusing as it represents the God of Wine and Aaron is a fake player who fake parties on the regular). After pretending to be a costumed doctor-stripper to meet desperate bridesmaid singles, Aaron does the dirty with maid-of-honor (and man-hating) Kelsey and he unknowingly leaves her a parting gift from their brief time spent together. After this unwritten sex scene takes place, Kelsey and Aaron don’t even have a scene together for about 40% of the book! This made for a slow and passionless read. Also, do not discount the fact that this read as a continuation of a previous book, which was mentioned nowhere in the synopsis, nor the table of contents. Reading through the chapters felt as though prior information was left out and the reader is coming into an already developed story from another book.
For a man who is an alleged psychologist, Aaron comes off as deeply insecure and overly desperate for any woman, it doesn’t matter to him, so long as she’s willing. Aaron supplants his feelings of love to any willing woman, and only adds to his grossness. Most disappointing of all is that Aaron's character has little to no growth-- a known fact about books and life is that not every person is likable, however people can be admired and redeemed for growing-- which Aaron does not do. Who wants to read about a desperate, insecure ‘hero’ (using that term loosely here) who lies about his entire existence and does not practice what he preaches in the form of his therapy?! It seems as though Aaron could use some time in therapy to deal with his own issues before he deserves his own book and happily-ever-after.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure was a fun book! I had so many laugh-out-loud moments. The characters were quirky, amusing, witty and lovable.

When Kelsey hooks up with a "stripper" during her best friend's bachelorette party, the last thing she ever expected was to end up pregnant. And when the "stripper", Aaron, ends up being the best friend to her cousin...and he's not really a stripper but a real-life doctor, who happens to be the guy who is moving in with her as her new roommate. Things just got a lot awkward. The chemistry between Aaron and Kelsey was burning hot. And so she decides to keep the baby a secret for now. But how long will she be able to keep everything under wraps and how will Aaron react when he finally finds out?

I loved Aaron from the start. He was sweet and cute and I loved the first scene with Kelsey and him at the club. I was crying laughing.

Super entertaining book and loved every minute of it!

[Michelle Lindo-Rice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This is my first read by Leddy Harper. I loved the premise and the secret baby story line. There were many moments I laughed and enjoyed. I realized that this book was most likely part of a series. But elements of Aaron's character annoyed. It seemed as if he was desperate and contented to get with anyone. Who wants a 'hero' who makes advances and is rejected by so many others? And, a neuropsychologist unsure of himself? Really? Kelsey didn't come off as a man-hater to me and I enjoyed her scenes with her mother. Of course, there were ups and downs to their happy-ever-after but I still wondered if Aaron was in love with this woman or if he was doing the honorable thing.
Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is my first book with Leddy Harper. The book was cute. While this type of book is not typically my bag per se, I did enjoy it.

Ok, so let's get to it. I originally picked up the book due to the blurb. Maid of honor, Kelsey, after having a shake-up of a bad day ends up taking home "the stripper' Dr. Phil-Me-Up from her BFF's bachelorette party. Aaron an actual Ph.D. doctor, is mistaken for the 'stripper' goes home with bachelorette under the pretense of an agreed upon pretend night together and the promise of anonymity.

Kelsey is a known man-hater as a result of a past relationship gone very bad. Aaron is a pretend ladies man who is commonly the victim of assumptions made about his degree, title, and living arrangements and feels ambivalent about correcting them. An -ish type of rom-com happens as a result of Kelsey helping out her cousin's BFF, who she vaguely remembers from growing up, by renting him a room at her place while he is in transition in buying a house. She then realized the man she's agreed to help out and Best Man to her Maid of Honor is none other than the person she knows as her one-night stripper.

I could have loved the book more. For Arron being a neuropsychologist, he did NOT act or talk like it. There were many instances where the conversations felt wrong for the amount of education Aaron was supposed to have. I also felt a bit of duality to the type of person Aaron was supposed to be and some of the things he said (macho dude type talk vs the innately easy-going person he was). Psychologists go through a lot of training and it just felt out of place with the verbiage and actions of the character towards himself and in treating and speaking to others. That being said, I did not expect him to be a book worm or demure in speaking, I just didn't feel the character matched his titles. Along the same vein, Kelsey was a supposed 'man-hater' but she often 'warmed' by something Aaron did right off the bat rather than being combative as expected. I also hate books where continuous deception is a constant thread. I understand it was part of the premise, but I just personally don't like it.

The book is a fade to black when it came to romantic (bow-chicka-bow) times. And while I find it a bit of a letdown, it's ok with me. I did, however, have a problem with the references to things during the 'blackout' period with no further explanation that left me confused or inquisitive. I feel that certain 'flash-backs' could have tastefully cleared up this issue if the author felt reluctant to 'go there'.

All in all, the book was cute, had some funny parts, some pop-culture references, and ended with a HEA. I would recommend for those that like HEA baby books.

This was an ARC generously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher!

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. The (Secret) Baby is book 2 in the Truth & Secret series. Thankfully it reads as a standalone since I didn’t know that it was part of a series until I started my review. I took a look and book 1 is about the best friends of the main characters from this book. This is my first experience with this author. I would definitely try another by her sometime.

My favorite things about this book were the interaction and dialogue between the two main characters, Kelsey and Aaron, the humor – I laughed out loud a few times, and the nicknames that Kelsey called her best friend. The dialogue between the Kelsey and her best friend Tatum and between Arron and his best friend Jason felt forced and over the top at times. It didn’t feel as authentic as when the MCs were interacting with each other, so I preferred MC scenes together the most. I also liked the focus on assumptions and how wrong they can be. I hate assumptions as much as Aaron does and thought the way it was explained was spot on.

My least favorite thing was unnecessary angst and the length of time that Kelsey kept the secret from Aaron. It felt at times as if it was being done to extend the book and that a lot of stuff was just filler that could have easily been removed without compromising any of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. That was really cemented in with the HEA ending. I am a sucker for all that sweet, gushy, will never happen in my lifetime, type of ending.

The narration was really good. I enjoyed both narrators. The male narrator has a great voice.

[Jeriann Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leddy Harper's new romance reminds us that love doesn't always go smoothly.  Sometimes people say things with the best of intentions but end up hurting each other. True love always wins, however.

Aaron is a neuropsychologist who has a bit of a chip on the shoulder about his career. He's a little tired of being mistaken for a "real" doctor. Kelsey is a designer. They meet and have a one night stand without exchanging names. Oddly enough he's the best man at her friends' wedding and she's the maid of honor. Which is fortunate because Kelsey is pregnant and now doesn't have to search the city for her mysterious lover.

I like these characters even though Kelsey is prickly and a bit too quick to lump Aaron into the category of lying womanizer. Aaron is a nice guy but he doesn't trust his instincts where women are concerned and goes along with people's assumptions that he is a womanizer. Everyone deserves love, even women who have been burned so badly that they're convinced that they can live their lives without any man and make it incredibly hard on the hero whose happened to fall in love with them. I normally like my heroes a bit more alpha, but Aaron is a real gem and he has his moments.

Essentially this is a story about assumptions. People make assumptions all the time about others but acting on those assumptions isn't wise and can cause pain and regret. I felt that for a supposedly well-educated psychologist, Aaron was pretty insecure.

I appreciate a romance where the "crisis point" is more than just miscommunication.  Aaron and Kelsey really inflict hurt on one another. There are some moments of extreme angst.

Secondary characters are well-drawn.

The Secret Baby is almost perfect and there are moments that really shine. Its not a 5 star but it's worth the read.

Arc provided by Net Galley.