Reviews by Saph: #BookReview ~ Don’t You Want Me Baby? by Rachel Dove ~ #GrumpySunshine #FriendsToLovers

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

#BookReview ~ Don’t You Want Me Baby? by Rachel Dove ~ #GrumpySunshine #FriendsToLovers

Don’t You Want Me Baby?

About the Book:

Amber Fitzpatrick is about to hit thirty and has achieved none of the things she hoped to have done by now. Her dreams of owning her own business seem out of reach. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and now her biological clock is clanging in her head.

But maybe Amber doesn’t need a man for the next stage of her life? Maybe as an independent woman she can have a baby all by herself?

There’s only one problem. Handsome but excruciatingly annoying best friend Tyler Williams. Tyler thinks Amber’s motherhood plans are plain crazy! She just needs to wait for Mr. Right to come along…and maybe he’s closer than she thinks?

But with Amber hellbent on doing it alone, Tyler sets out to prove to her that being her best friend could also come with excellent benefits…if only she's brave enough to take the chance.

A grumpy sunshine, best friends to lovers romance, perfect for fans of Portia MacIntosh, Laura Carter and Phoebe MacLeod.

My Review:

Don't You Want Me Baby? is a cute friends-to-lovers romance. It took our characters a minute to get there but once Amber and Tyler were on the same page, I sighed in relief. During the last half of the book when Amber continued to make excuses and push Tyler away, I questioned her decision-making skills. I wasn't sure we were going to get our HEA.

Amber is a strong character but only after she finally pulls her big girl panties up and kicks her boyfriend out. I didn't like him at all, and while the backstory about Brad had him seeming to be a good guy, his character in the present was anything but. I love that Amber has goals but I hated how she thought she could only do them alone, especially when there are people who want to go along with her on her journeys. We all need people in our lives in certain capacities. I don't think everyone wants or needs a partner, mate, or spouse, but pushing away friends sets you up for a lot of loneliness.

Amber's early mid-life crisis was concerning, as well. As someone who was with her first husband from the age of 19 - 27 (and childless) and found the love of her life at 31 (and is still childless after 17 years), I understand her want and obsession for having a child. However, Amber was newly single and her first thought was having a baby with or without a man. At this point, instead of bring another life into the mix, she really needed to figure herself out first, and get her life resettled.

Tyler is a wonderful character. Caring, gentle, but also broody and, during some part so the book, standoffish. He's wanted her pretty much since the day he met her but then Brad got in the way so he backed off. Now that Amber and Brad's relationship is over, Tyler finally has the opportunity to make Amber his. Except, she doesn't want to ruin what they have. There's a lot of miscommunication but that just makes their HEA a lot more satisfying.

I know this seems like a very critical review but I'm not dissing the book. These are just the feelings I developed while living Amber's life with her. Grief causes people to make some drastic decisions, good and bad, and I really felt bad for her. She gave Brad a year of her life and got nowhere. At least it was only a year, though I understand her frustration. I gave my first husband eight years but it never occurred to me to try and have a baby by myself. I was in absolutely no position to take care of another human being. I could barely take care of myself and was still figuring out my own life.

I enjoyed the author's writing style. The character development was done well and I enjoyed the world-building. Both Amber and Tyler are perfectly flawed, and I loved how the author brought them together. While I would have enjoyed seeing more of Amber and Tyler's romance and less of their angst, denial, and arguments, all of these events led to the HEA both characters deserved. This is the first book by Rachel Dove I've read and can't wait to dive into more of her work.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating: