Gilded Spring

To Have and To Hold #5

by Jenny Bates

Kate Remington felt deeply fulfilled. She loved her home, her career, and most of all her husband, Adam. But when the doctor suggested she get pregnant, she began to recognize hidden longings...Suddenly, she yearned to have Adam's child, the ultimate expression of their abiding love.

Kate's pregnancy adds a special intimacy to their life together. Their lovemaking leaves a more exquisite glow. But soon impending parenthood unleashes fears and uncertainties that threaten to unravel the delicate fabric of their marriage. Instead of drawing them even closer together, will their child's birth tear them irretrievably apart?

Paperback

First published November 1, 1983

About the author

Pen name of author Maura Seger

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A golden 80's romance. When the h is told that she is on the verge of developing endometriosis, she and her husband advance their plans to start a family. She becomes pregnant immediately (!), and the rest of the book is about how she can reconcile her demanding advertising career with her approaching motherhood. But the H doesn't always see how she can do it. Getting pregnant instantly in the face of a fertility problem and an obstetrician who actually makes house calls, make this story a bit of a fantasy. But spring in New York city is beautifully described, and the story is still fun to read.

[ANGELIA · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reminds me of when people used to talk about the show "Seinfeld", and say it was about nothing. Because if you ask what this book was about, I'd have to say the same thing.

There was potential here, but it was wasted. The book's idea was to take a childless couple, both dedicated to their careers (as well as each other) and bring a pregnancy into the picture and watch it change. But the author went about it all wrong.

It started wrong when the h gets pregnant the first time that they make love after deciding to have a baby, a decision brought on by the h having the start of endometriosis, which could get worse and prevent conception later. So, in a sense they were kind of forced into the pregnancy, and more of an issue could have been made out of that, but the whole thing was ignored instead.

You get a lot of time wasted with buying baby books, morning sickness, "to work or not to work", constant reminders of how attracted to each other they are, by having them get naked every chance they get, and dull conversations with friends and co-workers, but little time spent on important issues, like the H feeling a little jealous and insecure about having to share the h with a baby, the h considering leaving her office career as an advertising copywriter and freelancing from home, and the argument they had when she had to work late because of a demanding client and didn't leave the office until after midnight. All of this was glossed over when a fall down some stairs gave them a scare that the baby might be in danger. Then, everything falls into place.

What fell into place? Were his concerns put at rest? Was her career issue solved? The story would have been better off it had jumped from pregnancy to parenthood (instead of ending right after the baby's birth) and how they coped and dealt with all the changes. That would have been an interesting story, instead of one that just fell flat.

BTW: when they had to call the doctor, the H didn't know the number and had to look in the phone book. WHAT??????? We're supposed to believe that her number wasn't in their address book???? COME ON!!!!!

One of those books that if you skip it, it's no loss.