AMAZING...Loved this book and loved everything about it, I can't wait for more from this author.
4 star

I enjoyed the book the plot and character entertaining and it kept me interested the whole time would read this author again

Absolutely adored and loved this book! I love for books that keep my attention ALL THE WAY THROUGH, and this one did!

Eh....it was just okay. My major issue wasn't the story line itself, but as other reviewers mentioned there was a lack of connection between Adam and Megan. There history isn't exactly clear which I think complicates things for the reader. At one point I think they were friends who grew up together but then it seems as if they were college sweethearts. If that's the case how is it possible that they dated for so long with him still being so closed off?

If you're looking for a great second chance romance then this is your book. I loved it. It was a very emotional read. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

Megan is very stubborn. She tries so hard to exclude Adam from her life that she almost loses out on things that are good. She is a good person just stubborn.

Adam comes back to town for work. Not thinking he will stay but his world gets upside down when Megan comes into his world. He is still attracted but afraid due to his past. he doesn’t want her out of his world though. So he starts to reevaluate and sees things differently. As he is figuring things out, Megan is in trouble and he is the only one who can help. She resists at first because of her secret. A secret Adam doesn’t take well at first and than he embraces his new world.

We see the heat between Adam and Megan but also the animosity Megan has towards him. We see Adam change and realize what is important with the help of friends. Ad we see Megan find ot the truth about who really are her friends.

A fast paced entertaining tale of second chances, accepting the past and letting go while moving forward and finding where you belong.

The Baby Bargain is a wonderfully written story that truly made my heart sing. It's a great second chance/ secret baby story with great characters and a nice flow to the story.

Adam Waters never expected to return to Raven's Cove. All the bad memories have kept him away although he has to admit not all the memories are bad. Megan Young is the one bright spot in his Raven's Cove memories. The attraction between them is as strong as ever but Megan has a secret. A big one. One that will change Adam's life.

Definitely a book I recommend to everyone.

Funny thing with this author and this series is I read the third one first now dived into this one. It is that Marine that drew me in again sucker for military I am. Good storyline that gets you drawn in with Adam and Megan being in the center of this one. After the wham bam thank you mam then a little something is present from it. This is also a second chance romance with you being curious if they can get it together or not. Drama and danger soon seeps in with you now in for the count. Secrets had a way in this too that those things about them is they come to the surface. It is the writers style that keeps you in this one not so much the characters with the pull it has. Like how this wraps up too.

A solid romance that kept me interested until the end. GOOD!!

DNF at 22%.

This book is only about four years old but it reads as if it was written decades ago. Maybe it's because it's past 1 am on a school night and I'm tired and grouchy but puhleease!

Adam Waters and Megan Young had two one night stands a few years apart. Each time he walked away without a word and doormat that she was Megan just let him. The second time she was pregnant. Now he's back in town after leaving the Marines unexpectedly and Megan doesn't know whether to tell him he has a son - duh, YES.

Adam is so full of himself I'm surprised he can fit through a normal sized doorway. It's all about him, all the time. The guilt he bears about his platoon, his brother, his parents, the self-loathing, him wanting to hook up with Megan and then leave town AGAIN yadda yadda. I truly wanted to throat punch him.

And doormat Megan, she just takes it all and happily enters into a relationship with Adam, because that's not going to get the least bit awkward when he finds out they have a child, right?

There was a glimmer of hope when Adam asked to just be friends and took sex off the table. Apparently that just meant they wouldn't have sex ON the table because they had barely finished dinner before he was backtracking and weaselling out of it in a Bill Clinton fashion by deciding making her feel good didn't count as sex.

I'm a sucker for a secret baby second chance romance but I didn't like Adam and couldn't bear to read any further.

This was a mix of a secret-baby plot with a little bit of suspense thrown in. Megan Young is a vet in a small town. One night, she encounters the young man she had an affair with as a young woman but he went to join the Marines and then a one-night stand after he returned for his parents’ funeral. Adam Waters has left the Marines but he doesn’t think he’s worthy of a long-term relationship with anyone because of how his parents warped him when he was growing up. He’s out of the Marines now and has his own security firm. He’s returned to his home town to run security for a celebrity golf tournament.

He and Megan realize that they still are as attracted to each other as they ever were. Megan never told them that she got pregnant and now has a two-year old son. While they renew their sexual relationship, she still doesn’t know how to tell him.

Then a bit of a mystery inserts itself and, of course, she needs Adam’s help in figuring out who is setting her up and to protect her. I didn’t find the mystery all that suspenseful since it’s pretty clear who is behind it all and both of them seem to glide over some pretty obvious clues. But it was still a fun read and a good set up for stories about the other Marines in Adam’s security firm.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet, Sexy, Easy Reading
There are of course lots of books on the market where the birth of a child has been kept secret from the father. What makes this one a bit different is the back story of a tragedy in Adam’s past (which was so beautifully written about that it moved me to tears) and the mystery of Megan being framed for a crime.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

The Baby Bargain by Jennifer Apodaca was an enjoyable read. This is sort of a second chance story for Megan Young and Adam Waters. Veterinarian Megan never expected to see former boyfriend and ex-Marine Adam after he left her three years ago. Since then Megan has been keeping a secret that affects Adam from him. With Adam back in town Megan knows she has to tell him. It is not until a horrible smear attack against Megan that Adam learns he has a son. Adam will do anything to keep Megan and their son safe from the person out to get her, even if he doesn’t believe he is father material. Adam has to let go of his own demons and step up if he wants to make a relationship work with Megan.

I enjoyed reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. Ms. Apodaca is a great story teller drawing me into her books, making me forget the world around me and not let me go until I turned the last page. I definitely recommend this book to other readers

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

When Megan Young learns that her ex Adam is coming back to Raven's Coven she is nervous about facing him again, they have a painful past, and she has a little secret she isn't so interested in sharing with him. Her plan is to just avoid him at all costs... which proves to be a little hard in their small town!

The mere idea of returning to Ravens' Cove leave Adam Waters completely unsettled, that place holds lots of bad memories he'd rather not relive, but he knows the only way he can move on is to face them head on once and for all. And returning home also means facing his ex Megan, she was the stuff dreams were made of, and after all these years she is even more beautiful than he remembers, and he wants another shot with her... but still he still feel that way when he learns the secret she has been keeping from him?

The Baby Bargain was a sweet little tale that gave me the feels and left my heart happy!! This was my first time reading a book by Ms. Apodaca and I have to say with complete certainty that it won't be my last! I really enjoyed this book, it had a strong plot, well crafted characters, and very captivating story line! It is definitely one of those books that takes you on a little emotional roller coaster, so hold on and enjoy!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

A marine AND a veterinarian??? Sign me up!!! I’ve only read Jennifer Apodaca’s mysteries (and loved them) so when I saw she had a Romance, I jumped on it.

Megan is a vet with a 2-year old and a burgeoning vet practice. When Adam, her ex boyfriend and the unknowing father of her 2-year old son, walks in her door with a hurt dog, she’s surprised. Adam couldn’t get out of town fast enough when they were together about 3 years before.

Adam came home to sell his parents house and that’s it. Raven’s Cove never was “home” really, even with his ex that he can’t forget. When Meg needs help, Adam is there to help protect her and her/his son from the person/people trying to sabotage Meg and her practice.

A romance with a mystery. Perfect for me and I can’t wait to find more of the Once A Marine series!

The Baby Bargain, Jennifer Apocada

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: general Fiction (adult), Romance

Well, TBH this book is nothing like the title suggests, in fact after reading I came back to check that it was the correct title. Even the last suggestion of a blackmail bargain in the description is, IMO, way off....However it was a fun read despite all that :-)

I loved Megan. Should she have told Adam about Cole? Could she even?
Given he'd left no contact details, left her for the second time somewhat abruptly, stating he'd never return, and knowing how he felt about family I think her reasons for keeping quite were valid.
Of course her own experience of fathering coloured her views and she's doing what she honestly believes is best for Cole, not for her or Adam. Whether that's the right decision who knows, but its what loving parents do, make the decision they think best for their children, regardless of personal sacrifice.
She's worked hard at her fledgling veterinary practice, long hours, taking on extra jobs, and finally just as things are looking up there's a crisis. Someone with a grudge is setting her up.

Adam never expected to return, but once he sees Megan those old feelings he suppressed return.
I have to say I found him a bit of a jerk at first, talk about have your cake and eat it. He expected everything to be done his way. When I knew more about him I understood why, but it still made me angry at him.

Its a fun read despite what I feel is that oddness in the title and description.
It's a little predictable at times, but that got lifted by the suspense angle which added something extra, making it more than a sweet, bog standard romance.
There are so many good stories around that to get seen authors have to deliver something extra and IMO Jennifer succeeded here.


Stars: four, a fun read, lifted above so many of the standard romances available. Not a five star read, but a solid four for me.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

This is my first book by Jennifer Apodaca.

What I liked:
The writing style
Cole
Standalone
HEA

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Secrets have a way of tearing you up. So when they're shared with the ones you love, they loose the hold that they have on you. Both Adam and Megan had to learn that lesson the hard way. The Baby Bargain, is a great book that I would suggest to any of my friends.