"Baby, One More Time" was fine, but oh man, the ethics violations! I never quite know when to suspend my disbelief with these sorts of things, but many things that happened in "Baby, One More Time" took me out of the book a little, in addition to general issues with the plotting.

I will say, romance novels with pregnancy storylines get a bad rap because of the general dislike of the accidental pregnancy trope. However, I really do appreciate romance novels that have representation of single parents, pregnant people, people experiencing infertility, and people seeking alternative pathways to parenthood. I want to give this book props for that.

However, there were so many medical ethics violations in this book and also possible some insider trading? Even besides the whole donor mix up thing (which Marissa would have been well within her rights to sue the clinic for), there are several times that John uses his employment at the clinic to view Marissa's medical records which is definitely not kosher.

In addition, the plot of "Baby, One More Time" left much to be desired. I'm not sure I ever fully understood John's motivations for what happened when they were in high school nor do the two characters ever really talk about it. John and Marissa both have interesting things happening outside of their relationship (John's research, Marissa's work life), but neither of these things are really explored.

Did this book have potential? Sure. But I'm not sure it was quite where it needed to be.

2.5 stars.

Thank you Boldwood Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun, easy read where the characters really develop and grow and you end up really rooting for their happiness! I loved Nora, so outspoken, honest and kind. As always with this author I couldn’t put the book down until I’d finished it because her story’s make you feel so emotionally invested! I also liked that characters and storylines from other books overlap!

Camilla Isley is fast becoming my favourite 'enemies-to-lovers' rom com writer! I am pleased to confirm that Baby, One More Time does not disappoint!

Marissa Mayer is a hard working, successful career woman - you could say that she has it all. Except that she doesn't - yet. After having her heart broken by the boy next door she has little interest in being in relationship and falling in love, but she want a family of her own, and she is more than happy to tread that path alone.

Dr John Raikes is back in New York after years of living in LA. With a divorce behind him, and a young daughter in tow, he is ready to rebuild his life. What he doesn't expect is to bump into the girl next door who he abandoned all those years ago. He certainly doesn't expect to bump into her at work, and find her planning her future family.

This is a classic enemies-to-lovers novel. Marissa of course wants nothing to do with John after he broke her heart so badly. She has become such an independent woman, and incredibly successful in her career but she keeps her heart locked away so as never to hurt again as she did when John left her. Seeing him again brings back all the pain that she thought she had dismissed from her life. John however feels guilty for his treatment of Marissa and is keen to seek her forgiveness. Finding themselves thrown together in the most unexpected of ways, can they move beyond what happened to them in the past?

Marissa is such a great female character - the pain she feels after what John did to her is explicit, but her subsequent success is a positive force to read about. Whilst she has been keen to avoid relationships, it's good to read about a female character who has used that pain to create a successful life for herself. She hasn't spending the years moping, and for that I'm glad!

I am more than happy to recommend this novel to you - in fact I think you should grab a copy of this along with a couple from Camilla Isley's back catalogue to see how an enemies-to-lovers novel should be written! So tuck yourself away, grab a glass of wine and lose yourself in Baby, One More Time!

What a lovely surprise this was! Second chance romance, with a medical twist. What I loved about this one is that it touches on important topics like single parenthood which isn’t talked about usually in books. Not only was it the perfect length for a romance, it was kept simple and not over complicated which made for a lovely reading experience. It was cute, and it just worked! We follow Marissa, a workaholic who is trying to have a baby - and in the clinic she encounters her High-school sweetheart who did something bad. A decade and a half later - a visit to the fertility clinic leads the reader through an adventure!

As soon as you read this title, you sing the Britney song, right? No? It's just me

I love when books are named after pop songs.

Camilla Isley is definitely one of my must read romcom authors. I loved this enemies to lovers story, made even better with a single dad and his adorable daughter.

If you like LOL moments with a great cast of characters, don't miss out on this one

“We don’t do simple. Simple isn’t fun.”

Camilla Isley doesn’t not disappoint. She has a way with words and her books are the quintessential rom coms.

This was hilarious from start to finish. I finished it in less than 12 hours. It was fun, engaging and interesting.

This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the first, Not in a Billion Years, as it is equally enjoyable. It was nice catching up with Gabriel and Blake.

I love the dual narrative. It allowed for the main characters to tell their own experiences and gave an insight into what happened in the past.

I love how the author portrayed the intricacies of the IVF process, highlighting the plight that women face when trying to have a child.

The plot dragged in some places and the story would have benefited by being some fewer pages/chapters shorter.

You have to suspend belief when you read this as there are over the top things that happened in it which I don’t want to get into.

I’m looking forward to reading Thomas’ story and also I feel Amada might feature more in later books.

I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and the review is mine and voluntary.

Second chance romance tick, dishy doctor tick, single dad to cute kid tick, embarrassing meet cute tick and smart capable female character mega tick. This book has a returning character from previous book Not in a billion years but can be read as a standalone.

Camilla Isley has gone on to my list of must read authors as she writes her female characters exactly how I like them. No damsels in distress being saved by a man but instead smart women who run businesses, work hard and hold no prisoners. They don’t need a man but there is nothing wrong with wanting one, although after Dr John’s major mistake in the past he certainly has his work cut out to win her over.

Marissa is at a stage in her life where her biological clock isn’t ticking it’s booming like Big Ben so has decided to go it alone with the help of a donor. When her doctor is unavailable she finds herself face to face with a new one who just happens to be the boy next door who broke her heart, now all grown up.

With a rather large error happening at the clinic she’s not getting rid of him anytime soon either. With the help of his adorable daughter Nora, her family living next door and best friend Blake with her partner Gabriel, this had some funny moments, cuteness overload and two main characters you can’t help but love.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series (Not in a billion years) and was very excited to read this one - and it did not disappoint! The relationship with Marissa and John is a second chance romance but with a few twists that I really enjoyed. I appreciated that the big “problem” in their relationship wasn’t the ex-wife.. the road blocks to them getting back together were realistic even if why they got back together wasn’t.
I enjoyed the tie ins from the first book with Blake and Gabriel and that it was somewhat in the same time. But you don’t have to read the first one to read this one.

I cannot wait for the 3rd book - I have been waiting for more about Thomas since the first one!

The book opens when Marissa is brought home after Prom night and her boyfriend dumped her. Fast forward sixteen years and Marissa is a hardworking career woman who decides to have a baby on her own. She runs into her high school love at the doctors office and nothing can be more embarrassing or less than what Marissa wants. This book is an enemies to lovers combined with boy next door wins girl's heart. Some of the things in the book are a little far fetched but it makes for an enjoyable read.

A heartwarming story that was quite entertaining and full of humorous moments.
The story is a duel POV rom-com that has engaging characters.
A beautiful story about second chances.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This just wasn’t for me. It’s a shame as I was really amused by the concept and it had a lot of tropes I like. The execution just didn’t work, in my opinion. The writing style was quite nice and flowed well, but I found the characterisation a little off. Marissa was a little irritating; she’s meant to be in her mid-thirties, but for me she behaved really immaturely and her anger towards John – someone she dated 16 years before the story started, who had since gone on to marry and have a child of his own – felt very childish.

I also felt like the timeline was a bit off – the opening chapter, set 16 years ago, read like it was happening in the later 2000s, with references to apps and technology that I don’t recall being that common or popular in the early 2000s, when I presume it was meant to be set. This might be a small thing, but it really distracted me in the first few pages!

Ultimately, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I struggled to become invested in the plot or the characters. Still, I can see this working for a lot of people.

I love Camilla Isley, but this book? It’s really special!

Unique plot, extra special characters, loving families, and an impressive woman in STEM in a COO position with a doctor single father who are exes with a sad backstory and a really uncomfortable reintroduction.

I can’t say much about their background because you absolutely have to read this awesome book to get the details, but they were neighbors growing up and he broke her heart on prom night and fled town, only to return a dozen years later, showing up at the other end of the stirrups as her interim fertility doctor for her IVF treatment - the boy who broke her heart (irreparably) is now the one helping her to have a baby on her own…

There’s a huge twist that makes this book absolutely everything - and it’s not the circumstances of his being a single dad (but that’s great), nor that he re-bought his parent’s old house next door to her parents (which is also fantastic). Read to find out! It’s something that makes Christmas really awkward for both families! Mari (Marissa) and John are a riot! Connections back to book 1 characters, but reads as a standalone (Not in a Billion Years).

Definitely top of my favourite Camilla Isley titles - 4.5 stars!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Boldwood Books, and this is my honest feedback.

Baby, One More Time By Camilla Isley

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Driven and smart, Marissa Mayer has worked her way to COO at a major Fintech startup as well as launching her own successful app on the side. Now what she wants more than anything is a baby. And having given up on love after her heart was broken by the boy next door, she’s prepared to do it alone.

Recently returning to New York from LA, Dr John Raikes is an expert in his field of neonatal medicine. But when John introduces himself as Marissa’s doctor, sparks fly, and not in a good way. Because Dr John Raikes is no he’s her teenage sweetheart all grown up.

Marissa knows she should keep John at arm’s length, lest she have her heart broken again... But there’s something about a man in a white coat. And with John determined to show Marissa he’s changed, can she keep saying no when her heart is saying yes?

My Opinion

I have read (and enjoyed) so many books by Camilla Isley that I have stopped looking at what they are about before I agree to read them. This was a pleasant and entertaining surprise. Please note that whilst this book is part of a series, it is very much possible to read this as a standalone - however I would recommend reading the first one, just because I love the writing style.

In a contrast to what I normally read, this one features a single dad desperate to do the right thing. I had high expectations for this book and whilst it was slow in places in certainly lived up to my expectations.

Rating 4/5

I really liked the story of Marissa and John, I am a fan of second chances in books and the New York vibes of the story have also been to my liking. Thank you Camilla for writing about IVF, it is a topic that is rarely talked about and it has been beautiful to read it in a romance book. I also liked that Marissa is the CEO of an app and COO of a fintech and that she is a strong, leader woman. The reunion of Marissa and John was incredible and how her story developed and the fact that he is still in love with her made it one of my favorite MMC so far.

I’m really torn about this. I’m usually a major hater of single parents and pregnancy tropes but I’m a sucker for a doctor MC so wanted to give it a chance.

I actually enjoyed the premise of the story more than I expected but I think there was just one drama too many for me. One or even two of the obstacles our characters face could have been removed and the story would still have been compelling enough.

I also didn’t really buy into the relationship as much as I’d have liked. It had been a LONG time. I mean talk about holding a grudge and long lost love.

I’m glad I gave it a go and lovers of the tropes might really enjoy it but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks netgalley and the author for this ARC.

Baby, One More Time, is book 2 in the 'True Love' series. While I didn't love it as much as the first book, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Second chance romance is one of my all-time favourite tripes, so I think that was what really sold the story for me - Marissa and John definitely deserved another shot at love and I'm so glad their story turned out the way it did. Oh! and I absolutely adored seeing more of Blake and Gabriel!!

Note: This is book two in the True Love series.

After the cruelest of betrayals finds Marissa Mayer heartbroken, she vows to never give her heart away again. But when a one-in-a-million medical mistake leaves her pregnant and shaken, it's just her luck that Dr. John Raikes, the very man who broke her heart, has to attend to her needs.

Tropes: Second chance romance, "accidental" pregnancy, single dad, highschool sweethearts/neighbors

Marissa has real trust issues for fair reasons, which makes her a sympathetic if not relatable main character. John is devoted, groveling, and a walking green flag this time around. The maturing is obvious and refreshing. I liked them together as a couple, but it was still interesting to watch them get back to this place. The book is endearing, sweet and maddening. I laughed, I sighed, I banged my head into the wall. At the end of the day, I liked that the author showed growth as a continual action. Of note, this is a clean romance, no spice.

"Baby, One More Time" solidifies Camilla Isley's reign as the queen of romcom novels in my book. Her brilliant storytelling shines through in this engaging and light-hearted addition to her growing collection of romcoms.

Despite the complexity of the main characters' situations, Isley's narrative is remarkably easy to follow. Her storytelling prowess, a trademark of her works, makes it not only entertaining but also a delightful escape for those seeking fun and light reads. It's the perfect remedy for anyone looking to rediscover the joy of reading or break free from the clutches of a reading slump.

Marissa and John's story, with its twists and turns, is a captivating journey. Isley effortlessly brings out the charm of Blake and Gabriel, this time through Marissa's perspective. The novel also offers a sneak peek into what's to come in Thomas' story, adding to the anticipation.

Marissa and John, as a couple, are both heartwarming and, at times, painfully relatable. The author skillfully navigates the complexities of their past, creating a satisfying and believable rekindling of their romance. Other supporting characters, like Leslie and Nora, add depth to the narrative, bringing humor and sweetness in equal measure.

The Thanksgiving scene evoking Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" music video is a brilliant touch that had me laughing out loud. As "Baby, One More Time" grew on me, I found the combination of the storyline and the Swifty reference to be a perfect match.

If you're wondering whether to grab a copy when it's released on January 20th, wonder no more. This wholesome romantic comedy promises the kind of fluttery excitement reminiscent of a first crush. Its easy readability is an added bonus, making it a perfect choice for those stuck in a reading slump.

In summary, "Baby, One More Time" comes highly recommended. Mark January 20th on your calendar, get a copy, and while you're at it, grab the first one in the series, "Not in a Billion Years." You can thank me later.

Problematic....

We get the basics. Johnny left Marissa on prom night sixteen years ago. Ghosted her.
Fast forward. She's successful and wants to have a baby through IVF. She was far, far better off without John (see, he's all grown up, as he lost the "y").

There were so many things I had a huge problem with. Your ex boyfriend is your IVF doctor/sperm donor. What?!? The minute John is back in the picture, Marissa is no longer a smart, independent woman. Nope, she is weak, needs help with everything and John knows it all. No. Just no.
It was a miss for me.

I have two trains of thought when reviewing this book.

1) what a cute, second chance romance story. John and Marissa end up back in each others lives and its fate. He is set on making her know he wants her back and won’t mess things up this time, and she’s afraid he will leave her just like before. He as a little too persistent for my liking at the start, not taking her no for an answer, and being a true cocky man he’ll bent on getting what he wants regardless of what the girl wants. But he eventually grows on you, as he grows on Marissa.

2) what a mess! If anything like this happened at a clinic, there would be hell to pay. I also hated that Marissa makes this huge decision to be a parent on her own through IVF, but the second she finds out that the sperm donor may have been someone she knows she now wants a family and needs help with this child. She wanted to do this own her own, but now that the father isn’t some nameless sperm she changes her mind. I absolutely hated that.

Either way, I doubt Isley has ever met a 6 year old before, because the character reads like at least a preteen. She’s well beyond “wise beyond her years”, talks incredibly well and grown up, and seems educated beyond her years. Make the character older, or be able to write young children as young.

Overall it was fine, just better if I only focus on the second chance love and not the other stuff. Quick and easy chapters. Likeable enough characters.