Admittedly, this is the first "pregnancy trope" romance that I have ever read, but to be honest, it felt more like like a friends-to-lovers read. Either way, this was a fun read!

Josie Hale ends her marriage after she finds out that her husband has been cheating on her. As if that was not a big enough surprise, she soon realizes that she is pregnant with her ex-husband's child. Seeking comfort in greasy fair food in her home town, she runs into two of her old friends. Together, they share how their lives have messed up and come up with a plan to fix all three of their lives.

Overall, this was such a cute and easy read. Even the very serious issues didn't feel too heavy. This is very trivial and I almost hesitate to mention it, but my only problem was the cover. I get that cotton candy is an all time favorite fair food, but Josie is eating the corn dogs. I know it doesn't work as well with the pregnancy aesthetic, but it was just a minor inconsistency.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review: 3.5 stars
This books is very sweet. It features a slow burn second chance romance. There’s found family elements, an unplanned pregnancy and plenty of funny moments. The problem is it fell a little flat. I LOVE a slow burn but it has to actually build up to something…one kiss in the last couple minutes of the book doesn’t cut it. There wasn’t even an epilogue to tell us if they ended up together for good. It was a fun ride but for a romance book…it was lacking the romance.

The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding begins with a woman named Josie finding out that she is pregnant when the timing is not ideal. Josie was going through a divorce, without a job, and did not have a place to live. Because of all these negative feelings she had at once, she decided to go to a fair to eat a whole bunch of fair food as a way to cope. While at the fair, she runs into some former high school friends who suggest that the three of them make a pact and just move in all together. With this aspect of the story, it reminded me of the show New Girl where Josie was similar to the main character in the TV series, Jess. Josie, Ben, and Kevin all became super close while living together. Their friendship with one another became stronger throughout the story and they each became better individuals too. This novel was more of a story of friendship rather than a story of romance which I think was perfect given the circumstances of Josie’s unexpected pregnancy and her going through the struggles of her divorce and making sure she would have custody of her baby. I love how this story covered the time period of Josie’s entire pregnancy and a bit at the end where she brought her little baby home and he ended up making all of their lives even better. Josie was able to pick up some teaching jobs where she was a positive impact on some of her students and also became a very strong and independent woman. Not only did Josie better her relationship with her new roommates and her family, but she also was able to be a positive influence on Ben’s relationship with his daughter which in the end gave them an even stronger bond with one another. I appreciated how fast paced this book was with the short chapters and the chapter titles were also super fun! I greatly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to others, especially to other people who love the show New Girl. The ending of this story was very sweet, but I would love a sequel or even an epilogue to see how Josie and her baby are doing, as well as Kevin and Ben and his daughter.

Josie Hale has left her cheating husband and moved back in with her parents. Her summer job at the smoothee shop has ended a week early, her parents have decided to downsize,and she’s pregnant.. When she visits a local fair to get a corn dog she runs into two high school friends, Ben and Kevin, who have issues of the own. Eding has written a funny, cozy novel about the three friends forging a life as an untraditional family. The narration was solid. I found the story engaging and the characters very realistic and likable. There were poignant aspects to the tale but the humorous undercurrent was ever present. I really enjoyed this one. It would make a great beach read. I thank Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio version of this book. I absolutely loved this book. I had to keep listening to this book like it was the last book I would hear. It is a sweet book how a lady fnds herself going through a divorce then three months into the divorce she finds out shes pregnant. She has moved back in with her parents in her hometown. Then one day while craving a corndog she runs into two of her old guy friends from highschool. The two guys live together and offer Josie a place to stay and stability going forward. She had a crush on one of the guys and finds out he too had a crush on her back in highschool. They set up this pact and this pact actually helps all three of them. Josie ends up working things out amicallble for the baby sake with her ex husband. She and the roomate eventually admit they are in love with each other. I am hoping they make a sequel to this sweet book!!

4.25 corndog pact stars

Gah, this was the cutest! And the slowest slow burn I think I've ever read, but it didn't bother me at all.

Josie is going through a divorce when she learns she's pregnant. With hardly any money and no place to go she has to move back home to live with her parents.

Josie, Ben and Kevin were high school friends. Now it's 12 years later when they run into each other at the fair. Each of them aren't exactly where they expected to be at this point in their life at age 30. They have a nice chat and decide to move in together and make a pact to have their lives together within a year.

I really enjoyed watching their friendship regrow. And the boys were so cute helping Josie get ready for the baby and making sure she was taken care of ~ expect for all the junk food they ate. They just doted on the baby when he was born too.

I liked that each chapter had a fun title.

The Christmas gift that Kevin gave was super cute too.

Sophie Amoss did a nice job narrating.

I would not mind a sequel with more on Ben and Josie's relationship, as well as what happens next with Kevin.

That feeling when a craving for a fried, greasy corn dog at the county fair turns into a pact that changes you life - that’s the basis of The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale.

On one of the worst days of her life, Josie, newly pregnant and in the middle of a divorce, stumbles across her two high school best friends, Kevin and Ben, at the county fair - not knowing that their lives are in shambles too. They decide to move in together and create the infamous Corn Dog Pact™️ in order to turn their lives around. At its core, The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale is a funny and sweet romp about navigating the pitfalls of adulthood. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me in certain areas, specifically in the romance, but it was still an enjoyable and deeply relatable story!

The true highlight of this story are the characters, specifically Kevin and Ben. They are the PERFECT cast that make what could be a pretty depressing story, comedic and endearing. Kevin was a riot and Ben was extremely sweet; They all had their own issues but, together, they created a loving and supportive found family for each other. I also loved the addition of Ben’s daughter, Izzy - watching her and Ben’s relationship blossom throughout the story was extremely rewarding.

I thought the narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story and these characters to life! I would love to listen to more from Sophie Amoss.

While I really enjoyed this and would recommend, I think I wanted to like it more than I did? Nothing I can really pinpoint, just an overall perception of it not exactly working for me. One extremely minor issue, but I had a lot of problem with them not owning furniture and it just being “ok.” I couldn’t imagine anyone my age just living in bean bag chairs and ordering take out every single day…but I guess it happens? I don’t know. That small little element bugged me every time it was brought up and took me out of the story.

Solid 3.5/5 star read from me! Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy.

I have enjoyed this book so far. I have ordered it already so I can finish reading it in paperback. I found the intro funny.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding in exchange for my honest feedback. Divorced and pregnant Josie finds herself alone in adulthood until she runs into two old friends. Ben and Kevin invite Josie to move in with them and each create a pact for self improvement. Through the story they continue to grow into better people and they start to depend on each other. This was a life learning journey for the three of them but in the end they all find love.

The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale by Stephanie Eding
Contemporary chick lit / light romance.
Josie finds herself pregnant and recently divorced when her parents tell her she can’t move in with them because they are downsizing. Feeling the pressure, she heads to her favorite food addiction. There she finds her once best friend Kevin and former crush, Ben. They decide the best option is for the three of them to move in together as roommates. It’s the perfect financial solution for all of them.
The story follows the three roommates as they adjust to living together, and as Josie’s pregnancy progresses. Turns out Ben had a crush on Josie too so they become closer during the year.
Cute and charming. Especially the way Ben and Kevin really make their threesome a family. They even have a Family calendar that they coordinate. Adorable. And just fyi, there is nothing more than friendship between Josie and Kevin.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Sophie Amoss who did an amazing job with the voices differences for the three main characters. At one point after a short conversation between Josie, Kevin and Ben, I actually stopped the recording and verified that yes, it was only one narrator. The flow was clean and easy to follow with clear emotions and character traits. I listened to most of this at 1.3 for the best conversational speed.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

Josie Hale is going through a very rough patch. She is 30 yo, pregnant, separated from her husband, living with her parents but they are about to downsize, and she recently quit her job. Josie runs into two close friends from high school, Ben and Kevin. All three are having different issues so they make a pack to move in together and make some life improvements.

The story is a bit Three Men and a Baby. I enjoyed their friendship and how supportive they are all of each other.

There were a few things that I kept questioning. First, the house made no sense to me. One bedroom on main floor, the owner sleeps in the basement, and Josie shares the attic loft with Ben’s 11 yo daughter (the two had never met before they shared a bedroom). Also there is no furniture besides bean bags. Like it took months for pregnant Josie to get a mattress instead of an air mattress. Second, the food. Three grown ups eat nachos, cereal and take out. Lots and lots of take out. It is so much cheaper to cook instead of buying tons of take out.

A family is what you make it.

Josie Hale feels like life is just one dark cloud after another. With more trouble waiting just around the next corner. The latest shocker…she just found her husband cheating and left him. And wouldn’t you know, it would just be Josies’ luck. She just learned she’s pregnant. Her empty-nest parents are downsizing, so staying with them is out of the question.

If only she had somewhere to go.

A chance run-in with two of her former high school friends may give her the opportunity she’s looking for. One of them just happens to be an old crush of hers.

I listened to the audio and struggled to stay engaged. Not sure if it was the storyline or the narration. Maybe a bit of both.

I felt the characters were very immature for their age which irked me to no end! Perhaps just not a good fit for me.

Many five-star reviews here so hope your experience delivers all the stars for you too!

A buddy read/audio with Susanne that left us both a bit underwhelmed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media

Josie's 30 getting a divorce and pregnant. She makes a pact with two old friends, then moves in with them. I liked this audio, Josie was easily relatable and the characters were well written. This book made laugh but it also made me cry. I was so into this audio that the time flew by and I hated to see it end. I wanna know what happens now.

I really liked this audiobook! It was witty, and I liked the storyline and the characters. The internal monologue was funny.

A story of hope, working together and ensuring the best for the child. Josie finds out her husband is cheating on her and they separate heading for divorce. Meanwhile she is living with her parents who decide to downsize for empty nesters so she ironically runs into high school friends who happen to be men and they decide to commit to the "corn dog pact". Through this they find their best selves, strength in the friendship as well as a direction to resolve issues they have been ignoring. The story is relevant in today's society because many times people are overwhelmed and feel they are on their own. This type of connection that connects people with a support system that is not always traditional shows how people need people and the support that they can give. I enjoyed the characters the support as well as how family evolves through connections. Definitely worth a read you will enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the opportunity to discover a new author.

I am going to round up on this one ❤
This is a wonderful story about friends who are family, life's unexpected situations, and finding the beauty in life.
As I was listening, I kept thinking... this book would have been fabulous when I was in my childbearing years!! The characters and their situations were very easy to connect with, and the two male besties added a little extra fun!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the digital audio arc!

We follow Josie who has left her husband and is currently living with her parents. She is also pregnant. She runs into her two best friends from high school, and they invite her to move in with them. They make a pact to better themselves in the coming year. It was a great story of personal growth and found family. I enjoyed every minute of it. The three main characters were loveable and relatable, and I would love a sequel! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early look in exchange for an honest review.

This inspiring story about friendship and love being found in the most unexpected places. This was such a relatable read!

This is for all the:
Single and/or young moms,
Independent and strong women,
Positively amazing teachers,
Corn dog loving ladies, and
Supportive friends!

Josie navigates through some of the toughest challenges that life can throw at you. With many complicated questions and tough discussions, decisions need to be made in life, and there is no right or wrong answer. This story helps demonstrate how life can be tough on your own, but even better when you have a support system and someone there to lean on. Allowing those relationships can make life even a little more interesting! 💖

This had a very nice ending. You just don’t know who may need you as much as you need them. Old friends help each other through a rough time in their life. I loved it.

Josie Hale is back living with her parents and pregnant with her ex-husband’s baby. After a chance encounter with two of her best friends from highschool, they offer her a place to live until she can get back on her feet. Together the three of them make a pact to better themselves and move towards a more accomplished future.

I’m always hesitant to read books that revolve around the main character’s pregnancy but The Unplanned Life of Josie Hale really surprised me. While I was unsure about the premise, it is such a lovely story of personal growth and found family. The three main characters (Josie, Ben, and Kevin) are all so relatable in their flaws that you can’t help but hope for the best for each of them.

I do think the storyline had some pacing issues. The beginning is a little slow but definitely worth sticking it out. I switched from reading an e-book copy to listening to the audiobook and that helped me a lot. The last quarter of the book moves very quickly. Although this book is more of a “happy for now” rather than a “happily ever after” it still has a satisfying ending.

This is the first book that I have read from author Stephanie Eding but I look forward to reading more other work in the future.

I voluntarily read/listened and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and the audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media!