The Baby Contract

Strong Heroine Becomes Wishy-Washy Something about this book just didn't ring true for me. Yes, I know it's fiction. But I still think characters should remain true to themselves (even if they have a growth arc). That didn't happen in this story. The hero and heroine are best friends before the idea of the “baby contract” comes in. (By the way, I would have loved to see the hammering out of that contract; we were just told about it later.) The heroine is a very self-assured early 30s woman who has triumphed in her career in a male-dominated field (as a firefighter). What she hasn't been able to accomplish includes a long-term romantic relationship with a man and even basic care of herself. She is very career driven. Yet, her biological clock is ticking, and she desperately wants to be a mother. She's been researching sperm banks as her preferred alternative. When she tells her best male friend, who happens to be her deceased brother’s best friend, he goes ballistic for some reason that I still don't understand and instead offers himself as her baby's father so long as they marry and attempt a true relationship. One thing that seemed strange to me about this book is the way her friends and family reacted to the sperm donor possibility. They all thought it was so wrong and for the same reasons. They each questioned if she was currently in a relationship and could go that route instead. Given what they would have known of her track record, it seems like that would be a worse choice. Honestly, if any of these people wanted to have issues with her being a parent, they should have focused on her seeming inability to even care for herself, as we first meet her when she crashes and falls asleep on the floor after a hard night of firefighting and she has nothing to eat in the house when she wakes up (which we find out later is normal for her). Her father's reaction to each step of the process seemed far too melodramatic for a man of his age. But where I thought she did not remain true to herself was in her interactions with the hero. She comes across as such a strong lady, and they are good friends at the start of this. But as soon as they fall into this other kind of relationship, she becomes wishy-washy and emotional. It just didn't seem true to what she was before. And she seemed to keep circling the same arguments and issues; it got repetitive. I was looking forward to the story from its description, but it ended up disappointing me. I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

This was was my first foray into this series. I enjoyed how everyone from the previous books were involved but no explanation was truly necessary to understand the story. Tierney watched all her friends find their happiness and begin families, and she realized what she wanted. Her friendship with Brendan strengthened their connection as they moved to the next step. I loved her strong personality and his supportiveness. I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.

This latest installment of this much loved series about four brothers that are close, and are determined to make their family winery prosper, belongs to the last unattached Flaherty brother, Brendan/Bren Flaherty.. Bren works for the government and in his latest return home from overseas travels, is rethinking his life. He yearns to settle, find a wife and have a family. Tierney Ashton was the little sister of his deceased best friend and has always been close to Bren. She’s now the town’s assistant chief firefighter and a paramedic. She too is thinking of making some changes in her life. Above all, she wants to have a child and is considering a sperm bank. Imagine her surprise when Bren suggests he can help be the baby’s dad. It would fulfill both their desires. That leads to the “baby contract”. But what happens when feelings develop? Will it create problems if only one of them is in love? Will they end up splitting after the baby is conceived? And what about their families and their reactions? This was an engaging story . I specially appreciated the fact that they were both in their 30s, mature, with careers and willing to take a chance in live and love. I will miss the brothers and though this is a stand alone, I highly recommend reading the entire series. I am glad I did, since I got the chance to “meet” the four brothers. I was entrusted a copy of this book by Tule Publishing. The opinions expressed are solely my own.