When Lauren Seville unexpectedly finds herself pregnant, it's the end of life as she knows it...and the beginning of everything she's dreamed of.
But when she finds the perfect place for her soon-to-be family of two, she is blindsided by her anything-but-maternal attraction to her sexy new landlord.
From the minute Lauren moves into the cottage on his estate, she arouses Gavin O'Donnell's fiercest protective instincts. And as her delivery date nears, the independent mother-to-be awakens something else in the real-estate his yearning to be a daddy.
Jackie writes sweet, low-heat contemporary romances. She is a three-time RITA Award finalist and four-time National Readers' Choice Award finalist. RT Magazine named her Series Storyteller of the Year in 2005. She has written 35 traditionally published books, most of which are still in print somewhere in the world. Since surviving two-bone marrow transplants for blood cancer, she has turned her attention to self-publishing. She loves to hear from readers. Email her at authorjackiebraun@gmail.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
3½ Stars ~ I've always enjoyed a romance written by Jackie Braun, and this one is no exception. Her characters are the sort that you'd like to be friends with in real life, and you can easily become invested in their path to HEA.
The book cover synopsis does a pretty good job covering the general plot. Both Lauren and Gavin have come from disappointing marriages, but right from their first meeting they share a special connection. The obstacle is Lauren's still married, she's expecting, and Gavin has a history of jumping too fast into relationships. There are some moments with Lauren's ex that create some trouble, but the epilogue has a lovely comeuppance to settle that score.
There is no angsty conflict, evil other persons, or interfering controlling family members (at least not the in present sense of this story). This is a romance with lovely sweet moments of two people sharing the joy of building a new life together. This was an enjoyable read.
3.5 -4 stars I enjoyed this read a lot. It's a sweet romance about second chances at love and happiness. For Laura, after being told all her life she can't have children, discovering she is pregnant is a miracle. Unfortunately, her husband has always been clear about not wanting messy children in his orderly life. So Laura finds herself at a turning point in her life. But choosing a baby over a loveless marriage is not a difficult decision to make. Enter Gavin, a hot- shot tycoon who has been taking a year off to clear his head after his wife betrayal and a bitter divorce. Laura rents a tiny cottage and files for divorce. They become friends, fighting their growing attraction, knowing that they met at the wrong time. I like that they kept fighting their attraction till Laura gets her divorce ( near the end of the book ) Laura undergones a lots of character development. From quiet and reserved, eager to please and she learns to stand to herself and to be strong. Gavin !! What can I say. I just love him. He is the loving, protective kind of man. His panick when she is having her baby is sooo endearing. And his love for Laura and her baby is genuine. JB's characters have depth, her writing is very engaging with some intense emotions and some humor sprinkled all along.
When Lauren, and Holden got married, Holden made it clear he never wanted children. Lauren was always told by her doctors that she would never be able to get pregnant, so it didn’t really matter at the time. When Lauren found out she was pregnant, Holden asked her to terminate the pregnancy, or he would divorce her. She grabbed just her purse, and took off driving with no destination in mind. She felt sick, and pulled off to the side of the road. That is when she met Gavin. He came to see if she was ok, and asked if she needed anything. She ended up renting a cottage from him. From that point forward they would share walks, and sometimes meals together. I have to say I admire Gavin, and Lauren. They waited for Laurens divorce to be final before they did anything intimate. I for one, can’t stand a cheat. Her soon to be ex is scum, yes, but I was thankful she never did anything with Gavin while she was still married to Holden. I loved this story! There were times my eyes got all misty. I’m sure this is a story that I will re read later on!
This was not what I was expecting. I feel like a lot of the important thing were skipped and we were just told about them. We didn't actually get to "see" them
Esta historia tenía todos los ingredientes para conmoverme: una protagonista con cicatrices emocionales, un héroe con un gran corazón y un bebé adorable. Sin embargo, aunque disfruté la dulzura del romance, sentí que faltó profundidad en los conflictos.
La narración es ligera y la química entre los personajes es linda, pero algunos momentos se resolvieron demasiado rápido para mi gusto. Aun así, si buscas una lectura tierna y sin complicaciones, este libro puede ser un buen escape.
I'll admit that when I picked up this book I expected yet another "down on her luck girl meets rich man and then drama ensues" - well I was wrong. Lauren comes from a privileged background, successful but distant parents and a successful yet self-absorbed husband. Their marriage was one of convenience, Holden married her to help his career and Lauren married him because she didn't know that marriage wasn't a sterile business arrangement. Lauren had always thought she could never have children and when she discovers that she had miraculously gotten pregnant she was shattered to learn that her husband did not share her joy and instead asked her to make it disappear. Not willing to lose something so dear Lauren decided to leave Holden and rent out a cottage in the Connecticut countryside. Gavin never intended to rent out the cottage on the property he was renovating but something about Lauren triggered the protective instinct in him. Gavin and Lauren were immediately attracted to each other but instead of rushing headlong into a romantic relationship they maintained a distance under the guise of being friends. This slow romance was what really made the book for me. Even though they felt an attraction towards each other and clearly cared about each other they both decided to stay friends until the time was right. With Lauren going through a divorce and the birth of her child to add a new romantic relationship would have been too much to handle. They knew that they had mutual feelings but chose to take slower path and used that time to truly get to know each other. There was very little drama between the two of them and sometimes it was a little too perfect. One thing that bothered me was that there was very little interaction between the couple and (important) secondary characters (Gavin's brother and Lauren's childhood friend) and that was disappointing, hence the 4 star rating. With Gavin sharing such a close relationship with his brother and to only explore that through half a page of dialogue made Gavin seem even more one-dimensional. This was a nice fluffy read and I enjoyed the lust free romance and a male protagonist, who while reeking of masculinity was still a nice and loving guy.
Lauren Seville is expecting a child, even though her doctors had all told her it was impossible. Instead of rejoicing in her news, her controlling husband demands she get rid of it. Instead, she decides to get rid of him and raise her child with all the love she could. She had not received love from her parents growing up, with completely ignoring her if she did not do as them required. She wanted better for herself and her child.
Gavin O'Donnell was drawn to Lauren. Even knowing she was married, and pregnant, did not stiffle the strong lust he felt. Even remembering the mistakes of his own past, did not stop him from wanting Lauren. Waiting for the divorce to go thru, and spending time learning about her, showed him she was a wonderful woman, and would make a great mother.
Lauren is able to get past her disappointing marriage, and build a fulfilling future with Gavin.
I re-read this as part of my goal to review all of my old reads. I had like a pregnancy/baby phase in romance novels as a teen. This was a sweet read. I'd say that the focus was more on creating a connection between Lauren and Gavin over the spice. It's a single book, but it felt like a slow burn. They're both interested from the off, but the build up is more them creating a solid foundation and supporting each other. I laughed when she got him to shave her legs after her contractions started because she didn't want her doctors seeing her hairy legs. It was sweet, it was cute. I would have liked reading more of them being in a couple after the baby was born. Gavin helping her look after the baby felt a bit skipped over when there could have been some very nice moments. I'm normally a harsh with my ratings, especially reviewing my older reads. But this made me smile, so it's pretty solid.
This books was better than expected and not as obvious and trite as many Harlequins are. It is well-written, flows well, and the characters have some depth. Definitely an author I will try again.
Nice light story, I've always enjoyed Jackie Braun. My only plot concern was the heroine jumped pretty quickly from divorce to remarriage for my liking. Still enjoyable.