Unexpecting was an unexpected winner for me. It's not often you find books about teen-age boys willing to take on the trials of being a single father so this one definitely piqued my interest. You can't help but care and root for Ben, even while knowing he's biting off way more than he can chew. He's so young but so wants to do what he thinks is best for his unborn child. A lot of that has to do with the fact he's never had a true father figure in his life and he doesn't want his child to go through what he's gone through. It's very endearing, but you can just see how everything is weighing on him.

This was a heartwarming story that tackles a tough subject in a very realistic way. I loved how supportive Ben's mother and stepfather were, while also giving him some hard truths. Gio was also a really great support for Ben and helped him see things in a different light.

I loved how things worked out in the end. Ben definitely grew a lot over the course of the book and I think he's got a great future ahead of him!

If you enjoyed this story, I highly, highly recommend Kick, PushKick, Push and Coast by Jay McLean!

When I originally read the plot summary for Unexpecting, I was immediately intrigued. It sounded really sweet and cute.

And it WAS really sweet and cute. The overall story was good, it was about parenthood and relationships and love. I especially loved the relationship that developed between Ben and his stepdad Roger. This was easily my favorite part of the story.

But there were some parts that I really didn’t like. Being Ben’s best friends, it felt like Maxie and Mo were very underdeveloped for being such integral parts of the story, especially Maxie. It seemed like no one cared about her at all and that didn’t sit right with me. I found Ben to be a bit unlikable throughout some parts of the story.

I think I definitely would’ve enjoyed this story more if I was in the target audience though, I don’t think I related enough to the MC, Ben.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Sigh. The biggest issue I had with this book is I felt increasingly uncomfortable with a grown woman writing a book told by a gay male teen who gets someone pregnant. The more I read, the more I hated our main character and the more I wished I hadn't ever picked it up. It just was ick.

Stories about teen pregnancy can be heart wrenching, but this one is done beautifully. Told from the father’s POV, this novel gives an all too realistic portrayal of what it’s like to become a teen parent.

Ben is a STEM kid with a strong interest in robotics and a bright future. He’s had his educational goals planned for years. Sleeping with his best friend Maxie to make sure he’s gay comes with consequences – she’s pregnant. Now he’s known at school as the gay guy who got a girl pregnant, and his future looks very different.

Ben’s father died when he was a baby, and his mother is now married to Ben’s third stepfather. It’s understandable that he feels abandoned and wants to be there for his own child. His mother might be my favorite character. While she supports Ben’s decision to keep the baby, she also points out hard truths about what he’ll have to give up and how his life will change for him to become a responsible parent. She also reminds him that despite the pressure both families are under and the legal procedures going on, Ben and Maxie are still friends. He needs to communicate with her and take her feelings into consideration. I loved that she and her husband didn’t judge Ben or Maxie; instead, they offer love and support. On the flip side of that, Maxie’s parents never ask what she wants. They immediately steer her toward adoption and make decisions for her.

Even though it’s easy to predict, the ending is very well done (you may need a tissue). Characterization is strong, but I felt like pacing is bogged down in places with introspection and the robotics competition.

Unexpecting is a heartfelt story about love, friendship, sacrifice, and opening your heart to the family (blood or chosen) right in front of you. If you’re a fan of coming of age stories, I’d recommend adding this one to your TBR.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I can’t believe that this is a debut novel and I can’t believe the low ratings for this book (on Goodreads). I think it’s a wonderful, realistic, heartbreaking and uplifting story; it had my emotions on a roller coaster ride.

I’m married, never had any children (by choice) and I’m well over 60 years old and I loved this book. I think this is a book that all teens should read; it might help them understand the consequences of their actions better than anything that parents or teachers could tell them.

I love that Unexpecting was told by Ben. I’ve never read a book about teen pregnancy told from the father’s POV before. I was literally sobbing near the end of this book because it made me feel things so deeply. I really wish I had better words to describe how much I loved this book. I hope the author goes on to have a very successful writing career.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

I am not sure if this relates to Juno or Heartstopper, those are still on my tbr and tbw.
But it is about two friends who perform an experiment during camp to see if the one is really gay which results in a teen pregnancy. It puts stress on their friendship, the parents, their high school lives and shifts the way they have to think about living. They are still children in some ways so having to mature through each new stage is a struggle and some are a little slower to catch up.
I think this did represent a lot of protections women have when pregnant and also the experience of how powerless you can feel when you are in this kind of situation.
I was happy with how everything resolved itself at the end. And for teens who don’t want to be in a similar situation this can show you a lot of the struggles of starting a family that young. It is not always the right choice for everyone.

Check triggers since pregnancy is involved and she's not really advocating for herself cause no one is even checking in with her; they are just trying to handle the situation. His family was a bit more supportive but had some of their own triggers.

Thank you wednesdaybooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Perfect for fans of Saved! And Juno. What an eye opening story about what it means to be family, and what it means to be a good friend. This story encourages opening up and talking to people about your feelings. Honestly, I found myself saying “wow, this is a wonderful piece of therapy” many times while reading this. Roger and Gio have some lovely insightful things to say to Ben. The plot itself is a pretty unique one: Two high school robotics team best friends have sex for science! Oh, but Ben is gay and is now unexpectedly going to be a father. This book is a beautiful coming of age story. I received this eARC through Netgalley.

Well guys, I'll be honest. This was not my favorite. Unexpecting is a YA book about two teenagers who unexpectedly become pregnant. Plot twist? The father is gay. More plot twist? He wants to keep the baby and raise it on his own. This kid has no idea what he's in for.
I found it really hard to root for this kid who was not emotionally mature enough to deal with raising a child.

Thank you @netgalley for allowing me to read this.

Benjamin’s school year is not going according to plan. His best friend and robotics club teammate, Maxie, is pregnant, and he’s the father. And he’s gay. It’s complicated.

When Ben learns that Maxie’s pregnant, he’s immediately struck by the urge to take custody of the baby, providing the father figure that none of his three stepdads have been able or willing to be for him. When Ben’s mom and stepdad #3 learn about the baby, it’s all-hands-on-deck. His mom contacts stepdad #2, a lawyer, to get advice regarding Ben’s legal standing and path toward custody. She also reaches out to stepdad #3, a restauranteur, to arrange for Ben to get an after school job.

Soon, Ben is navigating a labyrinth of high school complications, juggling work, school, impending parenthood, and romance. He needs to find a path forward, and he’s going to have to learn the hard way which consequences he’s going to be able to live with. Everything that he’s done in his academic career hinges on his robotics team’s success, but Maxie’s pregnancy forces her to quit and leaves all of them grasping for understanding.

Unexpecting is a brilliant story. Jen Bailey does a fantastic job of presenting a realistic window into a high schooler’s life. It explores what family means (and the importance of different types of families), dives into the difficult choices that come with being a parent, and serves as a solid coming-of-age story for queer teens.

Unexpecting is available as of yesterday, 8/22/23. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/08/23/unexpecting-a-review/

Having come out to his mother a couple of months previously, Benjamin never imagined that he would be sitting her down and telling her that he got someone pregnant. Even more so, he never thought he would tell her that the girl was his best friend, Maxie, or that he slept with Maxie to ensure he was gay while away at science camp. Having grown up with a revolving door of stepfathers, Benjamin wants to ensure that his child never experiences that, so he decides to raise the baby as a single father. But Benjamin doesn’t expect how hard it is and the sacrifices he will have to make. As complications arise with the pregnancy, school, and friendships, Benjamin realizes that something has to give. Will Benjamin do the right thing?

When I read the blurb for Unexpecting, it got my attention. The more I thought about it, the more interested I got. Since Unexpecting was a Read Now from St. Martin’s Press, I downloaded it. I am glad that I read it because it was a good book. It’s not great because of things I will review, but it’s good.

Unexpecting is a medium to fast-paced book set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The pacing went well with the storyline. The author sped up or slowed down the speed when it needed it. I also did not have to go back and reread chapters/previous paragraphs, which was a big thing for me.

The main storyline in Unexpecting centers around Benjamin, the pregnancy, and its fallout. The storyline was well-written, and the characters were true to life. But, and I stress, there were some things that I wished were in it. As weird as this sounds, I wish it was a dual POV. I would have loved to have read Maxie’s perspective on the pregnancy and Ben’s demands. I also wish that the author was more explicit about Ben being neurodivergent. As the parent of two neurodivergent teenagers, I picked up on Ben’s mannerisms right from the beginning. But other people might not, which could lead to readers needing clarification about his actions and reactions.

The storyline with Ben, Maxie, and the pregnancy brought back some memories. Why? My best friend got pregnant at 16 and had the baby at 17. The ridicule and name-calling hinted at in the book were in full force with her. So, I sympathized with Maxie. I also sympathized with Ben. How the parents reacted were opposite ends of the spectrum (Maxie’s parents were extreme, and Ben’s wasn’t), but again, it was realistic. How this storyline ended up was very real, as well.

Ben was a hot mess for almost the whole book. As I stated above, he was neurodivergent (he shares many similarities with my high-functioning son). That was one of the reasons he was so focused on raising the baby alone and why he didn’t even think to ask how Maxie felt about it until halfway through the book. I did like how I could see the change in his thinking as the pregnancy progressed. I figured out what would happen during a specific scene in Grecos. But it was still heartwarming to read that scene and the ending scene.

I felt awful for Maxie. No one asked what she wanted. Instead, her parents shamed and punished her, and then she was forced to watch Ben battle her parents. I can’t even begin to understand the stress she was under. I do think it factored into her pre-eclampsia. I got teary-eyed at the end when she and Ben had that conversation.

The romance angle of the book was very subtle. While I say it coming from a mile away, I am glad the author didn’t go overboard. Instead, she made Gio more of a support person for Ben than a would-be boyfriend. I enjoyed that and watching their relationship morph into something more.

I want to complain about Ben’s mother and Maxie’s parents briefly. I firmly believe that Ben’s mother was cheating on her husband with her ex-husband, but she stopped when confronted. I also find it problematic that she didn’t know Ben’s emotional issues because of having no father. As a guidance counselor, she is trained for that. As for Maxie’s parents, they had every right to be angry with Ben. But I wouldn’t say I liked how they treated Maxie. All I could think of when reading how they treated her was the scene in GoT where Ceresi walked through the streets of Kings Landing with the nun in front of her yelling, “Shame, Shame.” It is a little extreme, but still. Also, I didn’t particularly appreciate how they did their best to keep Ben out of the loop. From her father having words with a sixteen-year-old (real man there) to her mother just being nasty to him, it was sad.

The end of Unexpecting was bittersweet. I liked that Ben did the right thing but wondered what could have happened.

I would recommend Unexpecting to anyone over 16. There are no sexual situations, mild violence, or language. There is bigotry and implied slut shaming at various points in the book.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Jen Bailey for allowing me to read and review Unexpecting. All opinions stated in this book are mine.

Not your typical coming of age story but one I enjoyed for it's differences. Trying to figure out who you are and what you will become is one of the most difficult parts of being a teenager. Throw in confusion about your sexuality and things definitely become murkier. Maxie and Ben have been friends forever and when curiosity rears it's ugly head, the two decide to experiment in order to come to each their own conclusions. Ben realizes he is, in fact, gay and Maxie rids herself of that pesky social construct. However, there are consequences that neither of them are ready to handle. Of all the teenage characters, I loved Gio the best because he is the one that finally shows Ben what he needs to do, what Maxie may be feeling (because let's face it, no one else seems to be putting her first) and how the most important thing is the love between a parent and child, even when you have to do the difficult things.
"Orientation. I hate that word. It makes me feel like a compass or map or something that can be twisted or turned to point in the right direction. Like I’m something that needs to be altered to follow the right path." - this quote really resonated with me.

Unexpecting is the unexpected little charmer of a book! A delightful beach read, Jen Bailey warmed my heart and soul with this coming of age story. She gives us a truly great guy in Ben Morrison and the wonderful way he handles the surprising result of an experiment with his best friend, Maxie, gone terribly wrong. The two science geeks are faced with impending parenthood after their one night together at camp and I was impressed with how mature Ben became, wanting to keep this baby and not allow he/she to be without a father like he was. There is a ton of history that unfolds as to the whys of Ben's determined stance and I really did feel for him as he changes his life practically overnight just to become his baby's caretaker.

Bailey doesn't diminish Ben's reasons nor does she sugarcoat all he'll have to give up as she uses his mother as the voice of reason and reality as to what his life will be like once the baby is born. I was wildly proud of Ben, as he juggles school, his future at the college of his choice and all that he planned on before he and Maxie set out to prove a theory about one's virginity. Ben never backed down especially in the face of Maxie's stubborn parents nor did he ever shirk his duties, including his new job at step-father number two's restaurant. That was a whole other intriguing tangent as Ben's longtime crush is also the guy who will be training Ben as a busboy. So basically, between all that Ben has to contend with as his life is clearly never going to be the same, he's still hopelessly in love with his former step-brother, a guy who becomes a really dear friend with the promise of oh, so much more.

I think the reason this book captivated me as I devoured every word poolside one lazy Sunday afternoon, is again, how Jen Bailey gave her characters that burgeoning maturity we all felt as we turned 17 and the world was still our oyster. She didn't minimize all that Ben had to endure, nor did she diminish any of the growing pains Ben, Maxie and the other member of this tight trio, Mo, had to come to grips with as their lives seemed to change on a dime with each passing day.

The entire storyline was well thoughtout and easy to read. The characters are engaging and you could sense that they really did care about one another even when they might not have always seen eye to eye on every aspect of this pregnancy. But they were there when it counted and a few, like Roger, really stepped up when necessary and the warmth that surrounded Ben was beautiful to witness. Ben may not have always had the quintessential family he thought he needed but what he ultimately had was his own kind of perfect.

Highly recommended for a great pick-me-up on a cloudy day, Unexpecting will most definitely make you smile and honestly, you can't get much better than that.

4 big stars!

Unexpecting was pretty much what I expected (see what I did there) it to be, but I still really enjoyed it. From very early on, I think you could tell what conclusion the story was headed towards, but it was still entertaining watching Ben stumble and struggle all the way too it. Ben was at times frustrating, achingly innocent, and absolutely in over his head, but he never gave up, always strived to do better, and, ultimately, made what he felt was the best decision for him and his child. I think there could be potential for more of the story. Such as Ben and Maxie working on their friendship, Ben and Gio's romance, Ben's mom and her husband Roger (I'd love to see more of them) and how all of them come out of the other end of all this.

All-in-all, Unexpecting was an enjoyable l, coming-of-age story. With a queer MC who, despite being practically a genius 'just wanted to be sure' and sleeps with his [female] best friend to prove it, and all the chaos that ensues due to it. I enjoyed all the characters and the story was fast passed. A great YA read for any fan of the genre!
*3.5 rounded up

I love the premise of the book but it began to really feel like a slog around the 60% mark- just repetitive narration about the protagonist's struggles without any real progress or communication in a way that I wanted to see. I got bored and ended up skimming the rest- just not for me in the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Jen Bailey and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ben is about to start his junior year of high school. He's excited for robotics club and being with his two best friends. That is until an experiment at science camp goes wrong.
Ben finds out he is going to be a father. This is shocking to his mom and stepdad after he came out as gay. What's even more shocking to them is that Ben wants parental rights and raise the baby on his own even though the birth mother does not want to.

With each passing moment, the decision ways heavier and heavier on Ben. Is it the absence of his father that's causing him to make this decision? What choice will Ben ultimately make?

A thought provoking YA read. It was interesting to read a teen pregnancy book from the view of the father and nothing like I've ever read before. I will recommend this book to others!

This book should be required reading for teenagers or anyone that doesn't really understand what it is like to have and raise a child. Benjamin goes through an important journey of growth throughout the course of the story that is portrayed quite believably. Maxie's journey as an expectant mother, although not as detailed as the story is mainly about Benjamin, is also portrayed quite believably.

There is a little bit of romance in the book, but not really that much so if you are looking for that, you may be disappointed. On the whole, it is mostly a book about family and what makes up a family and accordingly, there is lots of found family in the story so if you like that you will probably enjoy it. Although you can see where the story is heading fairly early on in the book, the ending still packs an emotional punch.

This book publishes tomorrow - thanks so much to Wednesday Books @stmartinspress for a gifted ARC as well as a digital version via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unexpecting was a different story than any I’ve previously read: an accidental teenage pregnancy from the perspective of the father. In addition, science nerd Ben (or Benny but preferably not Benji anymore) identifies as gay, and this pregnancy is the result of his best friend Maxie’s social experiment re: virginity. The story follows some of the financial, social, educational, and emotional parts of pregnancy.
I enjoyed the characters and I thought they were portrayed realistically - Maxie’s inability to deal and Ben’s strong desire to stick around, unlike his father (or past step-fathers). The plot was a bit predictable, but it was still enjoyable, reading about the importance of family and friendship throughout all the ups and downs of the emotional time. I will be recommending this to my high school students when school starts back up in a few weeks (ahhhhh I’m not ready).

4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thankyou to Netgalley for this eARC, for an honest review!

**""Look at what we did, Maxie. Look at their family." I nod toward Lisa and Monica. "It may have been the result of questionable decisions, and it was hard, but look at what we did. We created that life, Maxie, but that baby isn't ours. I don't think she ever has been. Look how happy they are, how perfect. That's thanks to you.""

Ugh 😭

What a GOOD book!

I am feeling all the feelings.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect going into this book .. I guess you could say I was "unexpecting" 😂 ... I know bad joke! BUT it's true, I had no idea how I was going to feel about this book. After reading it, I am so happy that I did.

This was truly a coming of age book. You have a sixteen year old boy who ends up losing his virginity to his bestfriend as a sort of experiment to understand for him, if he is truly gay and for her, a way to not make a big deal out of it with someone she trusts. Welp, now there's a baby on the way. Since the MMC struggled with father figures his whole life, he is set on raising this child, while the FMC is barely getting along with her parents and wanting to turn back time.

I had a feeling of who was going to end up adopting the baby ... but that changed NOTHING when it came to all of the emotions I was feeling about it.

I have now said enough. Please pick this book up. It's a must read!

Unexpecting is an earnest novel, following a gay boy’s unplanned journey into teenage fatherhood. Through Ben’s own estranged father, mother’s constant marriages and divorces, and having a baby with a friend—whose parents don’t support the situation—there’s complex familial feelings abound.
There’s a large gap in my TBR for books revolving around queer parenthood, so I was excited to see a young adult book tackling this subject, with further nuances about the complication of family.
Admittedly, this book took some time to get into. Though their parents are no longer married, and they share no DNA, I was put off by the love interest being the main character’s ex-step brother.

Unexpected?

Sometimes the fun of the story isn't the end but the journey. Author Jen Bailey pretty clearly telegraphs the ending of Unexpecting about mid-way through the novel. But that doesn't diminish the value of the book, as Ben's mental state is of far more import. Instead of waiting to be surprised, the reader waits for Ben to reach the inevitable conclusion. 

Ben is a lot. But, hey! He's about to be a teen dad. His fluctuations between grief, excitement and "Oh, sh*t!" feel excruciatingly honest. You totally root for him to figure it all out. (If I had any quibble about the plot, it'd be that the romance in this story was unnecessary, bloating it, perhaps shallowing Ben's motivations.)

Father Figure

What is a dad? That's one of the questions Jen Bailey asks in Unexpecting. I love that she dedicated the book to her stepfather. That love shines through this novel. Stepfamily can be rough, but reading an example of it working is excellent. Sure, there are plenty of bad stepparents in the world. But for every Evil Stepmother, there's at least one Roger (Ben's stepdad). 

Roger does a great job of being patient with Ben. He's there for the kid when he needs him. It clearly hurts Roger that Ben doesn't see him as someone to rely on, but he never pushes him too hard. That is A+ stepparenting. Prospective stepparents could definitely take some cues from this character. 

Should You Read It?

Unexpecting is a quirky little book. A gay kid impregnates his best friend, whom he had sex with "to make sure"? An absurd premise, but the book is sweeter than that. A novel such as this could have easily gone cynical or sappy, but Jen Bailey takes neither route. Unexpecting is unexpectedly poignant. 

Unexpecting is out on August 22, 2023. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚🫃