When I requested this book I didn’t realize it was a Christian romance....I don’t usually like them but I tried this one anyway and I could not connect with the characters, and I felt like they were not connecting either.

There was a lot to like about this book and the plot had me interested automatically.

This is not the first book I’ve read by Christy Hayes, I previously read Maybe it’s You and loved it. Her writing style is the perfect mix of romance and still being clean for the Christian Romance genre. Formula for a Perfect Life shows all the ends and outs of a surprise pregnancy through the eyes of the expecting mother (Kayla) and the soon-to-be father Ben. They are in their final year of college and making plans, but after one night all those plans change.

I’ll be honest this book was hard for me to get into for a couple of reasons. The lack of likable characters was hard to get past for me. Kayla was perfect, she handled this pregnancy the best she knew how, and it made her character very likable. The people around her was the issue, everyone was kind of awful and mean. Ben became a true sweetheart but not till around 70% in this book, at the beginning you could have skipped his chapters and still understood the rest of the novel. Ben’s family was awful they were cruel to the point of me wanting to put the book down and walk away. I couldn’t get past how awful Darcy was and how Ben just let her walk all over him. Kayla’s family was better and more likable, but they still were not what you want them to be. Everyone was just leaving a bitter taste in my mouth and for a plot that I was instantly drawn to this book (for me) did not deliver.

My mother was in almost the exact situation Kayla was in, so maybe this book just hit to close to home for me. I really did enjoy every scene with Kayla and her roommates, it felt the most genuine and brought the glimmer of joy to this book. This was not a feel good book, it was more like facing the harsh reality a lot of women go through with unplanned pregnancy.

The concept of this book was very interesting to me and is why I picked it up in the first place. I'm a sucker for a down on her luck girl, so I couldn't wait to read this story of accidental pregnancy. The ending was satisfying and I like that Kayla and Ben ended up together.

That being said, overall I didn't really enjoy this book. The characters all felt very flat to me and I didn't really care about Kayla and Ben's relationship. I feel like it developed too quickly, despite there being a catalyst (the baby). I also had no idea this was a Christian book and I felt there were many contradictions between the preaching of God's word and the actions and behaviors of the characters - although on the flip side, this made it more realistic to real life.

My biggest complaint was Darcy. It's such a classic cliche, the mean ex-girlfriend. I'm tired of seeing it. The other big issue I had was the number of synonyms in this book. Sometimes, especially with contemporaries, simple language is better.

This book is centered around 2 college students and an one-night stand that turns into a lifelong commitment. Both Kayla and Ben come from religious backgrounds so being pregnant with essentially a stranger's child does not set well. I felt like the characters acted more mature than their age but they were also talked down to and deemed immature by their family. This book had the conflict of ex's, college and an unexpected addition to their lives but overall I felt like it fell short for me.

I didn't hate it, didn't love it. Probably would not remember enough about it to recommend in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

i've been reading a lot more "adult" books lately so i was really excited for this one. the synopsis sounded fascinating, and it was! i mainly just finished it because i was lowkey invested in how things would turn out.

i only have a few complaints and one of them is how unrealistic and rushed this was.

Picking up this book I was not sure what I really expected. I knew it would be a Christian novel and this not being the first Christian book, I expected something with less religion in it. However this book was heavily laden with God and other nuances. Not in any way am I against anything to do with religion. I do respect anyone’s faith. People should be free to follow any faith they want.

The only problem in this was that the fact it was a Christian novel it made it sound that everything will turn out fine at the end. Honestly, life is not always that easy and things don’t end up happily like a rose-field. It is not always so easy to handle. Other than that truly unrealistic turn of events in the story, nothing stood out more. The story itself managed to flow without any hiccups. Once again, let me remind you, it was slightly unrealistic.

Although the book was quite an easy read I would tell anyone who is not tolerant or has different views regarding religion stay away from this. Some parts might make you question the true realism in the story.

This books is great story for an unplanned pregnancy and how the university students decide to keep the baby. There were some point I didn't like in the book, but othere then that book was good.

A simple romcom that begins with an unplanned pregnancy from a one night stand and changes the lives of Kayla and Ben.

The plot has all the ingredients for a simple love story like un-approving parents, disgruntled gorgeous ex-girlfriend and supportive friends.

The story is an average read nothing of the sort that will surprise you but not exactly disappointing too just lukewarm.

The twist closer to the end was “weaker than dishwater” and felt like an unnecessary forced conflict even though the end is pretty much predictable.

I did not love it neither do I hate it, I just feel indifferent to it.

Thank you firstly to #Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC of Formula for a Perfect Life.

This was such a lovely, sweet, quick read in the young/new adult romance genre; it also has religious undertones (i.e. in a 'God has a plan for us all' type of way) but for me that didn't detract from the story, in that it wasn't overly 'in your face' and was more of an aside. It's nicely written by Christy Hayes and flows along well.

So the premise is that a young couple studying at the same university end up pregnant after a one night hook up, and this is the story of how they (and their families and friends!) deal with that reality, and the future. It's also a love story and deals with some sticky issues too (drugs, car accident, broken relationship, death of a family member, unplanned pregnancy).

A 3.5 ✨✨✨read for me 🥰

#FormulaforaPerfectLife #NetGalley

Christy Hayes does an amazing job of telling a story full of heartbreak and joy. Ben and Kayla's story is not an uncommon one, but the perspective of the characters and Hayes' storytelling makes it feel new and different.
I loved the drama in this book. I had no doubt it would be there, but it was done so artfully and it felt so genuine that it, at times, felt like a friend's story more than a book.
I highly encourage this book for a good romance that is both fun and delightful and full of heart and heartbreak.

I found the characters to be rather flat and the conflict between Ben and Kayla forced and easily resolved. I was not very interested and rather bored. Not for me. Full review on Goodreads.

This book. I'm not even sure where to start. I thought it was a Christian Romance about how to deal with unexpected things happening in your life. I was intrigued and thought it would be interesting to read about a non cookie cutter life is perfect story. But then I was thrown off guard when the male characters MEMBER was repeatedly brought into discussion in his mind and whatnot. The scene of them at the ObGYN for her first Dr visit was un necessary and honestly just kind of gross. Throwing in a few bible verses and God knows what he's doing, along with Jeremiah 29:11 does not make a Christian book. Very disappointed with this book.

Formula for a Perfect Life – Christy Hayes
Author Christy Hayes has a fresh and youthful voice in this novel that tackles a difficult and challenging topic. She pens an emotional and inspirational story of allowing God to take our bad mistakes and turn them into something beautiful. This happened for the main characters when they faced their mistakes honestly and made the hard but right choices. This story has a happy ending and I saw it as an encouragement and inspiration for young men and women who find themselves in this similar situation. The answers are not easy, there isn’t always a glorious romance at the end, nor can you expect support but the HEA is choosing life for the unborn.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

Kayla and Ben’s story is so heartbreaking. This is such optimism in Kayla’s our look.

It is nice to see a surprise baby romance that focuses on the real struggles the couple faces. I loved that Kayla and Ben focused on co-parenting first in their relationship.

Overall a cute wholesome story.

I absolutely loved this book. While I was a little caught off guard with the religious point of views, I found them to be appropriate and didn’t take over the entire story. Throughout the entire book I found myself rooting for Kayla and Ben. I loved the two different POVs and often found myself wanting to yell at the characters since we as the reader knew both of their true feelings before they shared them with each other. Overall I found this book difficult to put down and was constantly wondering what would happen next.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Formula for a Perfect Life was a sweet read. We follow along as both Kayla and Ben learn how they're going to handle a delicate life change. A situation that will affect all their loved ones and friends.

Christy did a great job at describing just how any college student would react to their situation along with the thoughts running through Kayla's mind. Their concerns were realistic, at times I found myself frustrated and eager to help solve some of their communication issues. But, what young couple wouldn't struggle with communication.

Kayla is such a sweet and thoughtful young woman who has her own ideal of a relationship and building a family/life. Ben, he's a great guy stuck with guilt and family obligations.

A beautiful book about making the best of a difficult and unexpected change.

I think for me, I had a hard time really getting into this book. I felt a disconnect as a reader to the characters. But, I do admit during the entire book I was rooting for Ben and Kayla. I wanted them to be together. In the end, I feel like their relationship progress was a little rushed. For me, it seemed like the author was rushing their relationship so it would fit into the timeline of the pregnancy.

I admit Ben and Kayla are pushed into a hard situation when they have an unexpected pregnancy come their way. But in my opinion, they were extremely lucky to be where they were at in their lives. They were both about to graduate college, with just a semester left. They were also from families that were fairly well off so even though they wanted to manage their finances themselves, the family was there. By the end, they do make the best of a situation that they thought would ruin their lives.

The developing relationship between Ben and Kayla is fun to read. This book is a sweet read, that deals with a few hard situations. But these situations are dealt with and you are able to see a loving relationship develop. So this book is for anyone, whos is a romantic at heart and wants an unexpected pregnancy thrown in the mix.