Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl is the debut novel of Hettie Bell. The main character is a girl named Poppy who finds herself in sort of a personal dilemma. She slept with her ex-boyfriend and now she’s pregnant. She decides to visit Planned Parenthood to discuss her options and while there she meets Rhiannon whom she feels an instant connection with. While at Planned Parenthood, she also sees an advertisement for a local knitting group and decides to join to make new friends who can help her on her journey to becoming a mother. Arriving at the first meeting, she finds out that Rhiannon is also a member, and there are definite sparks between them. But can the pregnant girl learn to knit and actually get the girl? Only time will tell…

I liked how open Knit, Purl, a Baby, and a Girl was about Planned Parenthood and the options which they can present to someone who finds themselves in Poppy’s situation – unexpectedly pregnant, single, and semi-estranged from her family. When Poppy meets Rhiannon, Rhiannon is her clinic escort to get through the protestors outside the building. Poppy is confused and scared about her potential pregnancy, and finds no pressure within the walls of the clinic, and is able to educate herself about her choices, and make her own decision which is to keep the baby.

I also liked the representation of Poppy’s character. She’s bisexual, overweight, and a college dropout. She’s quirky and she overthinks situations. Her family dynamics are strained because her mother thinks that she is a failure who will never amount to anything. Her ex-boyfriend is a loser and not dependable when it comes to her pregnancy or what will happen after her pregnancy. Because of her past with her family and her ex-boyfriend, she’s quick to react in regards to thinking the worst about people, and this influences her relationship with everyone in the knitting group, including Rhiannon. Knit, Purl, a Baby, and a Girl is told in Poppy’s point of view so as a reader you really get the feel of what she is thinking and experiencing.

Unfortunately because of the first person point of view, it feels like there are aspects missing from the story. Poppy and Rhiannon’s relationship moves really quickly and while there are sparks, there are also several assumptions made by Poppy regarding Rhiannon and the way that she feels about her and her baby. I felt like these assumptions were not fully addressed and that the romance between the two characters was rushed. Granted, they were under unique circumstances but, even so it felt like they came together really quickly and it become sort of a push-pull dynamic on rather or not they would stay together. As a reader, I was conflicted about this, and felt like there could have been more build up for them. I would have also enjoyed reading Rhiannon’s point of view. I know that this Poppy’s story but, it still would have been nice to understand what Rhiannon was thinking or feeling instead of just going based on Poppy’s assumptions.

Overall, I think Knit, Purl, a Baby, and a Girl was a solid debut novel. There were interesting characters within the knitting group who I enjoyed spending time with. And Poppy does go through some strong personal growth throughout the story which is something that I always enjoying reading. I just wish I had been able to become more invested in the “and a girl” part of the story. I think that if I had, it would pulled all of the components of the story together for me.

When a hookup with her ex-boyfriend leads to an unexpected pregnancy, Poppy isn’t sure what to do. She goes to Planned Parenthood, and after considering her options, decides to proceed with the pregnancy. Looking for something to do, she joins a “stitch n bitch” knitting group at a local coffee shop. That’s where she meets Rhiannon.

Well, technically, Poppy first met Rhiannon at Planned Parenthood, where Rhiannon works as a patient escort, but this second meeting provides them with the opportunity to get to know each other better. Poppy is bisexual and Rhiannon is a lesbian, and the chemistry is there, but Poppy is pregnant, and what are the implications of starting a new relationship at the beginning of the pregnancy?

Poppy is a sweet heroine; she doesn’t seem to have much of a friend group to lean on for emotional support, so the knitting club steps up to help her, without her even having to ask. The focus of the narrative is on Poppy and her pregnancy, and I love that the book doesn’t avoid the… less savory parts of pregnancy, like when the fluctuating hormones lead Poppy to say some unkind things to her friends. I also appreciated the way the book handled toxic family dynamics.

As for Rhiannon, she remains somewhat mysterious because the only perspective we receive is Poppy’s. A secondary character provides Poppy with some of Rhiannon’s backstory, but for the most part, everything else comes from Poppy’s interactions. I don’t think that the story is lacking without Rhiannon’s perspective, but I would have loved to hear her viewpoint on her thought process.

I would absolutely recommend Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl. This book has one of the most original setups that I’ve ever seen in a romance. I loved that both women were real people who made mistakes; despite their instant connection, their relationship wasn’t perfect, and they had issues to work through. I loved that Poppy’s bisexuality was validated, I loved that the father of her child was not vilified, and I loved the emphasis on found family. I am looking forward to reading more from Bell in the future.

Knit Purl A Baby And A Girl offers readers a sweet and very poignant 'oopsie' romance in general.
With the fact that Poppy that Poppy awkwards her way into a relationship with her Planned Parenthood escort turned girlfriend, Rhiannon. As well as the best group of friends that a young single expectant mother, who is trying to find herself, and make life make sense in the process can have.
A.K.A. Stitch And Bitch at the local coffee shop.
Also headed up by none other than Rhiannon.


Though it would be very easy to lose one's self in the fact that Poppy is just Poppy. And as such, is subject to have every obstacle known to man, woman, or beast.
Let's face it.
a. She is a flighty twenty-something
b. Has an over achieving helicopter mom. Who still hasn't come to terms with the fact that her younger daughter will never be a clone of her 'most perfect self'.
c. Has an older sister, who is a clone of afore mentioned over achieving mom. Minus the hovering tendencies.
d. Has just broken up with her under achieving, couch potato, pot smoker, boy friend/baby daddy.
e. Is trying to navigate her way through life with the unexpected addition of the pregnancy that she may or may not keep.

All in addition to her having to make the choice to come out as a lesbian. And work out whether or not her relationship with Rhiannon is one that she and or Rhiannon can and want to nurture. Given the game of musical chairs that is Poppy's life at present.

If this review makes the plot of this book seem like a lot.
It is!!!!
And believe it or not.
There are things that have been omitted here.

Just chalk it up to art imitating life.
It is!!!!

Because if you are a person who wants to believe that...
The underdog will one day win.
There is someone for everyone.
That families are made as well as born into.
This is the book for you!!!

3.75 Stars. This was an enjoyable read that I liked more than I expected too. It always feels weird to make the statement that I liked a book more than I expected, since I go into every book I read hoping to love it, but in this case it is true. While most of the early reviews are very positive, a few of the comments had me wondering if this book would be for me or not. I’m happy to say that I did like this cute read and it put a smile on my face which is always welcomed.

I really liked the feel of the book. While the book takes on a few more serious subjects like contemplating abortion, adoption, or keeping a baby, and a parent who is emotional abusive, the feel of this book is much lighter and at times almost hits rom-com territory but not quite. I had just read a serious book with quite a few deaths so the lighter feel of this was welcome and the happy feeling I was left when I finished the last page was a nice bonus.

I love first person books so I enjoyed connecting with the main character of Poppy. While I did wish that she would stick up for herself more, I understood why she didn’t so it didn’t bother me as much as it might have. I ended up liking Poppy for the most part and I enjoyed watching her journey. I did have some issues with her love interest. I had trouble understanding where she was coming from at times. But even if this was not first person and I could be in her head, I’m not sure if I would have been okay with how she treated Poppy (at times) anyway. Some of her decisions (especially as someone who worked part time at Planned Parenthood) just did not make sense to me. (view spoiler)

While I had some ups and downs with the love interest Rhiannon, I liked the potential of them as a couple. I thought parts of the romance were really sweet. It is a bit fast moving, I don’t mean insta love but the relationship was speeded up. Normally, this might bother me but I think if you are dating a pregnant woman, the relationship is bound to become more serious faster anyway.

I also can’t pass up this review without mentioning the first sex scene. While it was not what I would really call steamy, and in fact I might call it uncomfortable at times, it was different. I was taking this all in and I realize that in all the WLW books I have read, that I have read thousands and thousands of sapphic sex scenes. And what makes this worth talking about is that this sex scene was partially unique. It somehow felt different than all the thousands before it so I have to give Bell major props for writing a sex scene like that.

If you are looking for a sweet romance with just enough angst to keep the pages turning, this would be a good choice. In the end this book made me feel good and put a smile on my face. It did also confirm the fact that I cannot knit and that I probably should not try to again. This book did have a few bumps, but a lot of the issues I might have normally had ended up not bothering me and I was able to enjoy myself. This was a good WLW fiction debut and I would absolutely read Bell again.

I got an ARC of this book.

This book hit so many buttons for me. There was the fat MC, the butch love interest who was doting, fiber arts, and complicated relationships. The only way that this book could be more me is if there was a gay cowboy.

Poppy is unapologetically fat. This is something I need in my romance. Give me different body types. Give me characters that aren’t dieting. Give me characters that are mostly ok with their bodies, but when they are bullied they still have some issues. Give me real humans. Poppy was the best MC for this. She was flawed and she was learning to love herself. Poppy was also emotionally reactive in a very toxic way, which made me cringe more than once. She was not bringing healthy communication to the relationship at all, but was never really called out for it.

The love interest! She is butch, she feels like she has to take care of everyone (but not herself), she is queer with floral shirts and ties. She is one of those mostly perfect love interest where her only flaw is that she is emotionally stunted, she really could read as a gay cowboy without any real editing. I wish she was a bit more fleshed out, I needed to understand why she was doing what she was doing. I wanted to know her as well as I knew Poppy. Though to be fair, some of Poppy’s behaviors were also seemingly out of nowhere and didn’t fit her character.

Fiber arts are my thing. I cross stitch, weave, basket weave, loom knit, needle felt, loom knitting, and shuttle tatting. I am well aware of the issues within the yarn community. Bell must be a fiber arts person. There are so many details and layers to the drama in the knitting group that it felt so incredibly real. There was the yarn snobbery, the knitting over crochet, the praising of even the most basic of projects done by a man, and the lack of anyone who did anything except knit (and the one crochet person who is tolerated). This is so very much my experiences with fiber groups. It was a lot less toxic though, so it came across as funny and quirky instead of elitist and bullying. I have to say that the stitching details were my favorite by far.

The relationship was complicated by a backstory that was revealed over time (though I did not like how it was handled) and the pregnancy. It was a more complex relationship than I was expecting. It was far from perfect. There were issues with communication, but not miscommunications. It was more like two flawed people who aren’t used to being able to rely on someone else trying to relearn how to be in a relationship. I really liked the relationship dynamics and how the complications played out.

I really liked this book. It was unique, funny, and I could read it during this book slump. I just wish there was more character development and that jealousy was not seen as a sign of love. I needed a bit less toxic. One of the best F/F romances I have ever read though!

A character named Poppy, a romance, and a knitting group - what more is there to love about a book? I loved Poppy's strength and determination to learn to knit and complete a project, but also to have her unplanned baby and raise it.

This was such a perfect mix of quirky and angst! Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl is a sweet f/f romance about life changing decisions and what you do when you find your dream partner at the same time as you find out that you are pregnant…

The story follows twenty-two years old college drop-out, bisexual and overweight Poppy, who is faced with an unexpected pregnancy after a drunk booty call with her stoner ex-boyfriend. Already heavily criticized by her horrible mother for her far-from-perfect life, Poppy feels strongly that she should have an abortion, but eventually decides to keep the baby nevertheless. In search for encouragement, she decides to join a knitting group, where she not only finds a new hobby and new friends, but the love of her life, Rhiannon.

I loved the fun and witty way in which the story was told, with the amazing dynamics in the knitting club and their banter, positivity and friendship. Generally, all dialogues in the book were great; realistic as well as so fun that I laughed out loud at times! I really appreciated the open discussions about abortion and how any choice is right as long as it’s the woman’s own decision, and about being proud of yourself even though you don’t live up to the unfair expectations by other. There was also some very positive bisexual representation that warmed my heart, and I truly enjoyed the way Poppy was confident in her own body, and the overall feel-good vibes.

The love story felt a bit rushed though, and at times I didn’t love the main character Poppy quite as much as I’d wanted to. I enjoyed her inner monologues and her sarcasm and wit, and the way she grew character-wise throughout the story, but she still came across as a little too selfish and immature in certain situations.

But all in all, this was a really fun, heartwarming, quirky and fast-paced f/f romance story with a fresh and original plot line, and the important message to not accept other people’s expectations of you. So 3.5 stars rounding up to 4.

Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this cute book! A tour post will be published on my blog on the release day, March 30th. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The premise of this book instantly caught my attention. It’s enough of a snafu in life to have an unexpected pregnancy, but to also want nothing to do with the father and start falling for someone else? Throw in that the someone else is another woman and your family doesn’t even know you’re bisexual. Wow! There’s a lot to unpack here. And the author does a beautiful job with it all.

There’s no way around addressing the fact that the heroine’s love interest is named Rhiannon, which means I spent the entirety of this book with the song Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac going through my head. I don’t anticipate that particular earworm to leave any time soon, either. I just wanted to put that out there to give you a proper forewarning if you are apt to get songs stuck in your head like I am.

Back to the story. The author does an amazing job of keeping things real. At least when it comes to the issues women face when an unplanned pregnancy happens. She really took Poppy, and therefore the reader, through what Planned Parenthood is really about. Not what people speculate they do within their walls. It somehow didn’t come across as instructional or preachy either. It was women supporting women in any choice they felt was right. And that it’s okay not to instantly know what that choice may be.

Later, as Poppy’s pregnancy progresses, the author continues to really tap into those truthful feelings without going over the top. From ultrasounds and water intake to fears of screwing up your future child. Hettie Bell knows how to write women for women.

The flirtation that blossoms into more between Poppy and Rhiannon is very sweet. Rhiannon is so concerned for Poppy and is really quite chivalrous. Yet, she’s holding back in a big way and often sends mixed messages. The message the reader gets loud and clear, though, is that these two are really great for each other. They bring out the best in one another and really help keep each other grounded.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will most definitely read more from this new-to-me author in the future. Plus, I now want to learn how to knit!

I loved this! Such a heartwarming story about sapphic love, knitting, and self-worth. The stitch + bitch group was so delightful, and I loved how the friendships between Poppy and the group developed. Rhi and Poppy were a great couple in my opinion, and I sincerely appreciated the discussions about boundaries in relationships, both romantic and familial. I do think their relationship moved rather fast, but I guess that was the point. While other people's expectations of Poppy often get to her, she always stays true to herself, which was great to see. There were times when I felt that some of Poppy's reactions to things were over the top, and she certainly reads as older than 22, but those are small critiques. Ultimately, a super sweet story that I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes knitting and romance novels!

Trigger warnings for mentions of abortion, mentions of miscarriage, preeclampsia/difficult pregnancy, biphobia, fatphobia, mentions of death of a loved one (cancer), strained familial relationship (emotional abuse/gaslighting)

I really enjoyed this cute, funny book, which IMO was just as much a coming-of-age story as it was a romance. After unexpectedly becoming pregnant from a drunken one-night stand with her stoner ex-boyfriend, main character Poppy Adams, the lone college dropout in a family of overachievers, must learn to navigate the complexities of impending motherhood while also establishing some much-needed boundaries with her overbearing mother and developing a healthier relationship with her older sister. Along the way, she met Rhiannon, a Planned Parenthood volunteer who also ran the knitting group Poppy joined in an effort to make new friends. Poppy and Rhiannon were quickly smitten, but the prospect of a long-term relationship was complicated by Poppy's pregnancy.

Poppy and Rhiannon's relationship seemed to move very quickly to me, but I did enjoy their flirty banter. I also liked that Rhiannon was so willing to stick up for Poppy with her family, though she was often more blunt than strictly necessary in how she expressed herself to them. What I did not like was the way that Rhiannon seemed to ghost Poppy a few times over the course of the story. I think part of the problem was that the story was narrated entirely from Poppy's POV, so it was sometimes difficult to understand exactly what Rhiannon was thinking. It might have been nice to include at least a few chapters from Rhiannon's POV in order for readers to get a better understanding of her character.

Despite that small frustration, I would recommend "Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl" for all fans of contemporary FF romance. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Hettie Bell's next book.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars. This is a solid debut from Bell.

Poppy has just found she’s pregnant. Her circumstances tell her she isn’t ready for this to be a part of her life, so she visits her local Planned Parenthood. It’s here she meets Rhiannon, an interesting woman who helps her find her way to and from the clinic through the protestors. Poppy doesn’t think she’ll ever see her again until she decides to join her local knitting group.

Bell has written this in first-person point of view, so we spend the book in Poppy’s thoughts. The writing comes across as light-hearted, with a determination and humour in the prose, however, the narrative actually deals with some pretty complex topics, and for the most part, does this well.

The narrative is mainly about the romance, and it was here I really wanted the opportunity to get more of Rhiannon’s thoughts to understand the decisions she was making. I really liked the idea of her as a character, but as we only see her from Poppy’s point of view, I found it hard to connect with her.

However, at the same time, I enjoyed getting to read Poppy’s thoughts on her pregnancy, her family, and her life in general. I thought Bell did a good job of bringing all of the secondary characters together, both in the family situations and with the knitting group. I felt I could really picture them all, which is impressive for a book with a large number of secondary characters.

Like most debut books it has its bumps, but they soon even out. There were some moments I didn’t like personally, and I did nearly put this down after the sex scene, but I think they were more a question of personal taste, and suspect others would read this and not feel the same way.

Whilst the topics are relatively common in sapphic fiction, I thought Bell did a good job of keeping it fresh and I’m looking forward to seeing what Bell does next.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who loves knitting and romance, I'm always eager to see them paired! I am also glad for more f/f romances, especially ones that are not slow burns! And I've always wanted to read a Planned Parenthood meet cute, and here I got it! This book does a great job showing the community that can be build through knitting. Since it's a single POV, it does skew towards being a book about one person getting her life together that includes romance more than deeply focusing on the way the relationship builds.

The one thing I didn't love about the book is the way Poppy doesn't have anyone in her corner at the start of the book. Strained family, a loser boyfriend, and no real friends to speak of. When she gets involved with Rhiannon, it does feel like Rhiannon's boundaries are very justified! You don't want to be somebody's only person! It made it harder to root for the romance when I wanted Poppy to be in a bit of a healthier place, like one ride-or-die friend would have done it.

Knit, Purl, a Baby, and a Girl by Hettie Bell was a delight! I loved this romcom. It was funny and emotional, with characters I alternately wanted to shake and to give a big hug. I am recommending this book to everyone.

Romances with babies and pregnancies aren't usually my jam, but the combination of super cute cover model and knitting convinced me to give this a try.

Poppy is pregnant. Visits to Planned Parenthood helped her make the choice that was right for her - to keep the baby. When she decides to join a knitting group for support and baby knitting, she's surprised to find that Rhiannon, the PP escort who helped her on her first visit, is part of the group. And they click. Fast.

Poppy and Rhiannon hit it off right away, which is, I suppose, necessary for a shorter length book. But I guess I'm not fully sold on the genesis of their relationship.

Where this book really excels is with family relationships. Poppy has always felt like a disappointment to her mother - from dropping out of college, to being fat, to getting pregnant. And her mother is toxic in that super helpful, for your own good kind of way. Poppy's evolution into herself is what shines.

The knitting and the knitting group is also solid. Knitters with a community will recognize it.

Although it reaffirms that pregnancy/baby books are Not My Thing, it's a sweet story about a woman making her life her own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am always looking for more unique saphic books and this book definitely fit that bill. Having a fat, bi main character and a lesbain love interest was really great. I did like this book over all as well there were just a few little things I would change.
The romance just went to fast for me. I felt like Bell was trying to hard to make a romance fit into the frame of the pregnancy and thus everything felt just a little to rushed for me.
I also didn't really love the main character. I really thought I would connect with her as a fat queer woman but I just didn't. To be fair though that is more something to do with me and I am sure most readers will love her and connect with her in a way I just couldn't.
This is definitely an adorable saphic romance and I am definitely going to be recommending this to me friends. If you are in the market for a sweet saphic romance look no further as Hettie Bell has you covered.

I really enjoyed this romance. Fun, quirky and not so much drama that it overrides the overal romantic progression. I look forward to reading more from this author.

DNF. Did not enjoy the writing style/voice in the first three chapters and it would not be fair to continue with the book and negatively rate it at the end.

This book was a really fun and enjoyable read. The characters were relatable and had great depth. I definitely recommend it and will be ordering copies for my library.v

Poppy has recently found herself to be pregnant by her looser ex boyfriend. Deciding to do what she thinks she should do, she visits planned parenting to set about sorting this out…

While getting into the office she meets. A friendly and charismatic escort and inside she finds a supportive reception that enables her to make her own decision regarding the baby. She’s going to have and keep it.

But how can Poppy who never graduated college or really committed and completed anything actually commit to raising her baby??? With an obvious lack of emotional support from her family and her ex boyfriend, Poppy finds herself a surrogate family with a knitting group she decides to join and also a new girlfriend when one of the group members happens to be the friendly escort from the clinic!

With these supports set in place Poppy continues on her new adventure into adulting and motherhood.

This one sided narration by Poppy really delved into her thoughts and feelings as she goes through these changes and fights emotional battles with her family and struggles with boundaries in her relationship. I enjoyed hearing the story from her side, but would have been interested in hearing girlfriend, Rhiannon thoughts and feelings as they work to find a balance in their relationship.

This book is heavily based around the MC’s pregnancy and I was worried that it would take away fro the romantic aspects of the book. I was please to find that though the pregnancy is a big issue between Poppy and Rhiannon, the relationship grows organically within the circumstances.

As always, Carina Press delivers the happily ever after I crave! A cute read that I could not put down and totally recommend!

Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell is scheduled to release March 30th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin and the Harlequin Publicity Team. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#KnitPurlaBabyandaGirl #HettieBell #pinkcowlandreads

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed following Poppy’s journey through pregnancy and finding new love.