I enjoyed every minute of reading "Cry Baby." When searching for a new romance book to read, I tend to gravitate towards the books with deeper meanings embedded into the storyline, so this book piqued my interest while I was reading it. I also thoroughly enjoyed the tropes of this book, and I would recommend it to anyone searching for their next fun romance read.

I really disliked the cover, but this was a good forbidden romance that I would definitely read again. Looking forward to more by Belinda Williams.

Yay! It is time for the last of the Pierce brothers to bite the dust! And he does—- eventually.

Because I think that this story is the saddest one of them all. Noah becomes the guardian of the daughter of his best friend Beth. When she suddenly dies from covid and Beth’s mother turns out to have a brain tumor, Noah is literally stuck with Amelia.

Fortunately, his brother Seth, comes up with a solution: Amy; a dear friend of his wife Victoria. Amy is able to be a nanny for Amelia. In the story are a lot of sad elements: Beth dying, her mother being sick, Amy’s mother having died at a young age, same as with Noah. And the psycological issues Noah still has, from his mother’s illness and dying.

So, is it a good read? Although the topics are sometimes a bit ‘heavy’, the story flows nicely and it is an interesting read. But don’t expect the Disney happy ending. It will give you something to think about, especially if you have young children! Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I have not had the pleasure of reading anything by this author before and after reading this I realized I have really been missing out! Noah's life revolves around his job, and he has no plans to settle down anytime soon. But fate has other plans for him, as he finds himself becoming guardian to his best friend's daughter, Amelia, after his friend Beth's sudden death. Not having a clue as to how to care for the little one, with his brother's assistance, he enlists the help of Amy, who becomes Amelia's nanny. As Amy helps Noah navigate through newfound parenthood, she begins to fall for him. She sees that he has the potential to become a really great dad and she wants to make sure he sees it to.
This was a charming, slow burn, lighthearted read, but also a story with a lot of depth. Amy and Noah were both lovely, strong, and well-developed characters and I enjoyed getting to know them and watch their romance blossom and grow. The story was well-written and highly entertaining, and I hope to have the opportunity to go back and read the first three books of the series, as I very much enjoyed this one!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Cute story. A nice easy read. Loved the characters. I felt some of it was a little rushed but that may be personal opinion.
Deals with themes of loss, second chance and fertility issues.

Good for fans of grumpy/sunshine or forced proximity tropes.

Amy Highgate tends to view everything from a positive angle, and she’s determined to do the same with her new nannying job even if her boss is quiet and broody most of the time.

Noah Pierce is content with his bachelor lifestyle and long work hours, but after his closest friend passes away, his life is turned upside down with the guardianship of a baby girl. He has no clue how to be a parent or where to even begin.

Noah is determined to find out who baby Amelia’s father is while Amy is just as keen to convince Noah of his own potential. Unfortunately for Amy, that also means falling for her boss in the process, sending their relationship into dangerously unprofessional territory.

This book dealt with much heavier themes than I’d typically expect of a romcom, but I think they were well done. Grief especially, was handled very well and in a way that even I enjoyed, which has not been the case given that my life has been riddled with grief of late and I haven’t wanted to deal with that in my escapist reading as well. I didn’t even mind the inclusion of an infant as a main character. If anything, this gave Noah’s character added depth and was a catalyst for character development. I enjoyed the way Amy and Noah came together with her encouraging him to come out of his shell and start doing things for his own enjoyment again, to truly live. I loved all this fabulous progression up until about the 80% mark when suddenly Amy came up out of nowhere with all this baggage that she’d been carrying but hadn’t mentioned, which is fine, but it bothered me when she was pushing Noah to confide in her and not shut her out or run away and then that’s exactly what she did herself. I loathe the third act break-up, and this was a particularly crummy way for Amy to do it. Noah was also still feeling a bit down on himself and his parenting abilities and I wasn’t crazy about that either. Of course, everything worked out in a sweet and satisfactory way, but the ending felt rushed, and it did leave me feeling like I wanted a little more solidity for Amy and Noah. As it stood, their love didn’t feel stable, and I wasn’t completely convinced by their HEA. The writing was excellent, nonetheless, and I loved the Pierce brothers. I’ll definitely be reading more of this author.

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

funny & lighthearted
4.25⭐

Thank you NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the review copy!

This book is hilarious, soo cute, extremely fun to read & very enjoyable🤍

This is the 4th book in the series and the second of the series I’ve read. Noah’s best friend dies of covid and he’s left as the guardian of her baby. He’s out of his depth and asks his family for help. His brother introduces him to his wife’s best friend Amy, whom he hires as the baby’s nanny. Sparks fly, but they both have issues from the past that they bring into the relationship.

As much as I enjoyed book 3, this one didn’t tick the same boxes for me. A romantic comedy this was not! I liked Noah and Amy. They both had unresolved grief and loss from their pasts that came into play, and their grief was a major component of the story. In fact, the whole story was as much about Noah figuring out how to raise the baby as it was about how losing his mother had changed him. Amy’s grief was kept a mystery for most of the story, which I found ineffective. Even if she wasn’t going to reveal her past to Noah, the reader could have been informed. The omission of her past kept the reader (and Noah) from really getting to know or understand her. As a couple, they were ok. There was only a little sizzle in the chemistry department for me. Noah was so reserved he was almost cold, and even when he warmed up, he was quick to retreat back into himself. There was a little banter between the couple, but it wasn’t enough to bring balance to the heavy topics or overcome the awkwardness that came with Noah’s persona. I really didn’t like that he wanted to keep their relationship from their loved ones. I also didn’t like the climax and its resolution. It felt rushed and unresolved. (view spoiler)

***Thank you to NetGalley, BWrite and Belinda Williams. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

Thank you so much to Belinda Williams, Netgalley and bwrite for the ARC of Cry Baby! I rated the book 4 stars!

What drew me to request the book was it was a nanny romance novel. I myself am a nanny and haven't ever read a nanny themed book before. My friend who also got this arc recommended it to me. I enjoy the dynamic between the main characters. The playful banter back in forth is cute. This book was a sunshine x grump trope and it was fun to see how the main characters helped each other step out of their comfort zone. I love any books with kids in it so if you love adorable kids this is for you! This was the 4th and final book in the Pierce Brothers Universe (you can read it in any order as it is a standalone book) and I haven't read the first 3 books but plan to after reading this book!

Thank you again to Belinda Williams, Netgalley and bwrite for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I didn't know that Cry Baby was a part of a series when I started reading, but quickly realized it didn't matter. It was a cute romance novel that made me want to read the previous books.

Very fast read that leaves you feeling happy

Amy ends up as a nanny helping out Noah when he ends up looking after his late best friends baby. A great rwad, Looking forward to more books from this author.

After his best friend's sudden death, Noah finds himself guardian of an infant. Out-of-work Amy stumbles into a job as his nanny. As they try to track down the baby girl's father, can Noah and Amy fight the attraction growing between them?

Despite the sometimes serious subject matter, this is a warm and entertaining rom com. I love books about found families, and I enjoyed this one. It's touching and emotionally authentic. While it's part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

the writing felt a bit choppy, like the sentences didn’t flow well, so i struggled to get into this. noah didn’t have much to offer and his chemistry with amy was mediocre at best. the cover and the book being marketed as a “romantic comedy” did not match the content of the book at all, which dealt heavily with grief. loved amy and baby amelia though!!

A comfort read. I did like the mention of COVID disaster. Truly many babies lots their parents and this book was in way giving life to those babies. Amy is a sweetheart and for sure Noah is a charmer. I wish I got to read more about Amy relying on Noah and opening up her heart to him. I felt those parts vague.

In the end, I am glad to have received the ARC and I look forward to read the previous books in this series as I haven't read them.

Noah and Amy would be an amazing parent to Amelia.

I absolutely loved this book. It was fantastic.. I really liked how the author handled grief and self love in the book. She gave a mini lesson on how to love yourself before loving someone which is really important. It was escapism into Noah and Amy’s world. It was cute and cuddly. This book gives you a warm hug.

Cry Baby is a heartwarming, joyful book about growing, learning, and love. Both main characters, Noah and Amy, come to terms with their grief (Noah’s for his best friend, Amy’s is revealed later in the book) in the course of the story. This makes for an emotional read, but one that inspires hope.

The real strength of Cry Baby is its plot: the pacing was excellent and it really kept my interest. There is a good blend of events and ordinary moments, which makes the story feel real and engaging.

Noah’s adjustment to caring for a baby in the midst of an unexpected loss was a beautiful storyline. His emotional development, culminating in him opening his heart to both Amy and baby Amelia, was great to read.

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂
When Noah Pierce’s best friend since school, Beth, passes away unexpectedly, he is listed as one of her young daughter Amelia’s guardians. With her own parents unable to care for Amelia, Noah takes Amelia into his heart and home and his sister in law’s good friend Amy rescues him by becoming his live in nanny.

𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
This is book 4 in this series, and I am sad to know that’s the end of these divine Pierce brothers’ stories! These guys truly meet the “book boyfriend” criteria! I love the way that Amy is the extrovert sunshine to Noah’s quiet reticence. She feels like she is very different from him, but they both have a tendency to flee when the going gets tough. I did appreciate that there are several opportunities for the characters to struggle to communicate but they do the opposite, and are great at sharing their feelings. The story is filled with difficult emotions but it’s all handled beautifully ❤️

This book was a really nice surprise.
I've started it thinking I knew already where it was going, convinced it was going to be a nice light read but nothing more; instead I was happily surprised.
Don't get me wrong, it's still a nice light read, but the story is not so obvious as you can think, and it shows some aspects of life that in romances usually are too sugar coated.
I'm saying no more because I don't want to spoiler anything, I'll just say that for once I totally agreed with the decisions of the main characters.
I'm not giving 5 stars because I think some parts could still be improved, but in general I really enjoyed it.

Very grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC for ‘Cry Baby’. The book a as whole wasn’t entirely what I was expecting, despite reading the description. It was simply amazing.

The author did a particularly amazing job at presenting grief and the tough situation Noah found himself in. Normally with the books I find myself reading it’s romance first, but Belinda did a great job incorporating real world tough subjects into it. It definitely made me weep!

So glad I was introduced to Belinda’s work.

When Noah’s lifelong best friend Beth passes away, he becomes the guardian to her infant daughter. Of course, as a perpetual bachelor, Noah has no idea how to be a dad. He needs help NOW, and at the recommendation of his brother and sister-in-law, he finds Amy to be the nanny. Noah and Amy both expect their relationship to remain professional, but as time passes, they realize each other may be what they have been missing.

The first half of this novel read as a typical rom-com to me. I enjoyed it, but nothing was standing out or separating it from others in the genre. But boy, did the second half pull on my heart and break me! Seriously, I had tears streaming down my face towards the end.

The character development in this novel was exceptional! I love how Amy is always sunshine and positivity, but also bold and determined. She has a strength about her I admire and wish I possessed. I appreciate that the author never point blank tells us that Amy is a particular way; it is just obvious through her dialogue and actions. As the story unfolds, we learn about Amy’s trauma from her past. I won’t spoil anything for you, but I will say I connected and wish I could have reached through my kindle to give her a hug.

Noah took longer for me to love, but I believe that’s the way the author wanted the reader to feel about him. He is a workaholic that lets no one get close to him and doesn’t know how to have a romance or a relationship. Noah’s mother died when he was a teenager, and with the death of his best friend, he is opening up old wounds. Noah has lots of emotional barriers, but I promise you’ll connect with his heart by the end of the novel.

If I could ask for anything to change in Cry Baby, it would simply be for more of it. I wish there had been an epilogue for me to see more of Noah, Amy, and baby Amelia, as I wasn’t ready for them to go.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read this if you want:
💕Strong female main character
on👶🏻A refreshing spin on the nanny/single dad trope
💔 A storyline that will break your heart, but then put it back together
🦘Australian setting, mate