Short and fast: I enjoyed this book. I told other readers about it because there are a few things it does that I liked.

In this story, told in 1st person present tense, we have Poppy, who has decided to keep her surprise baby. She got pregnant after a drunken hook-up, and in resetting her life, she falls for a butch lesbian, Rhiannon. Poppy and Rhi navigate their new relationship from supportive friends, to girlfriends, etc, while dealing with lots of changes.

One of the things that immediately impressed me was Poppy's character voice. If it had not been so interesting, it wouldn't have made the journey of the book as lively. The entire story is told from her, though, and while it's nice to get into a different character's head from time to time, the author does have on-page conversations that help give insight into Rhiannon.

Poppy is an unapologetic fat girl who has worked on self-acceptance. The book cover is as adorably cute as Poppy herself is. Kudos to Carina Press for doing that.

Another thing in here that I appreciated is showing what Planned Parenthood does and what it means to be Pro-Choice. There are too many people who seem to think Pro-Life and Pro-Choice are diametric opposites. They are not. Sometimes the choice itself is life. So though Poppy goes to Planned Parenthood and protestors make her life hard because they assume she's there for an abortion, that's not what she does.

One of the other things in the beginning of the book is that whatever Poppy's decision is, she should choose for herself, not based on "should" or others' expectations. Learning autonomy is something a lot of people struggle to do, but this book put those ideas in a clear way. It was worth thinking about and discussing with a friend.

I wasn't always convinced of the chemistry between Poppy and Rhiannon, but theirs wasn't a love affair of raging passion. It involved give and take and respect. Those are good things, IMO.

I don't know how to knit. I'm more of a crocheter. But after reading this ARC, I feel the author must be a knitter or have close friends who are. the details that lend this authenticity are lovely.

To reiterate: I enjoyed this and do recommend it. It's a quick read that would be a good fit for those open to reading an FF romance, a story with a pregnant heroine, or those who like stories with knitting.

Twenty-two year old Poppy is used to not having her life together. Barista Rhiannon pretends she has it all together, but also does not. Together, Poppy and Rhiannon have to negotiate their lives, their feelings for each other, and Poppy’s pregnancy, while embarking on personal growth. Rhiannon was certainly bratty at some points, and the story is more focused on Poppy’s inner growth (which is appropriate, given that Poppy is the main character, and you can’t force others to grow for you). Poppy finally gets the strength and courage to stand up to her mother, make amends with her sister, cut her loser-ex loose, and greet her baby Oliver.

Poppy could use some friends at this moment in her life. She's pregnant and totally unsure about her life and capabilities as a single mother. The babies father is a deadbeat but she's made a decision and she's sticking with it. Rhiannon a has her own baggage to deal with but she's drawn to Poppy. The two try to figure out their feelings, changing circumstances and family dramas.

I love reading this journey unfold. Poppy and Rhiannon relationships is refreshing and not without bumps in the road but delightful nonetheless

Tropes can get boring and stale. Like really stale. But when you make them gay, they become a lot more interesting. Every turn in this book was very predictable, so I just let the story wash over me. It was honestly kind of refreshing in that aspect. I really felt for the characters in this book.

This book gives big Gilmore Girls vibes, but like if Lorelei had been into chicks and Christopher was even less likable. Set in Yonkers, Bell gives us a main character who comes from a wealthy and successful family; her father is hardly mentioned at all, but mom plays a role as the hyper-critical helicopter parent who still has a key to her 22 year old daughter’s apartment. A college drop-out who is overweight and pregnant with her stoner ex-boyfriend’s baby, Poppy is faced with the choice to have an abortion or raise the child; the latter of which she fears will cement her image as the family failure.

While I enjoyed the plot and characters, Bell's writing style left a lot to be desired. It felt kind of rushed in places where I think more time could have been spent digging into the characters. There are a lot of asides to the audience in the first person narrative that I could have done without and some internal monologues that weren't very clearly noted as such.

All told, the book was a quick read (I finished it in the course of two afternoons) and the story drew me in early on. It was a tad predictable, but it still kept me reading to know what happened next. As a bisexual millennial with a knitting habit and 2 kids, I definitely enjoyed the premise of the story and while I didn't love the writing style, I'm very glad to see positive bisexual representation in publishing and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cute f/f romance book with a happy ending.

Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell is available on March 30th, 2021 from Carina Adores Publishing.

Copy reviewed was an uncorrected galley proof from the publisher; opinions are my own.