Baby, One More Time is the anticipated sequel to Camilla Isley’s romantic comedy Not in a Billion Years. The two books have some overlapping timelines so it’s crucial for readers to finish Not in a Billion Years before starting Baby, One More Time in order for the stories to make sense.

34-year-old Marissa Mayer, introduced as the heroine best friend in Not in a Billion Years, is a successful businesswoman who is unlucky in love. In addition to being the COO at a major Fintech startup, she created a successful app and is the CEO of that 30-person firm. With her biological clock ticking and no boyfriend in the picture, she has started IVF treatments at a fertility clinic. She is wealthy enough to afford a full-time nanny, so she’s confident that she can raise a child on her own. Marissa realizes that she has sabotaged some romantic relationships due to her trust issues stemming from her high school boyfriend/next door neighbor abandoning her on prom night.

Dr. John Raikes has just relocated back to his Brooklyn neighborhood with his 6-year-old precocious daughter, Nora. He went off to college at Stanford University and then moved to LA with his wife, an aspiring actress. After she abandoned them to pursue fame, he came back home to be near his parents and sister. John is an expert in both neonatal medicine and fertility treatments, but his primary role at the Manhattan fertility clinic is research. John is stunned when he must perform a procedure on Marissa because all the other clinic physicians are at a conference that day. Afterwards he completes a form stating that he has a conflict and can’t treat Marissa.

Marissa freaks out when John, her long lost teen-age heartbreaker, must perform a pelvic exam. She wants nothing to do with him and lets him know it! However John is determined to win her back and keeps up with her scheduled appointments so that he can “run into her” in the waiting room. John enlists his daughter, Nora, to help him. Over a period of months he does everything in his power to prove to Marissa that he is trustworthy, reliable, and dependable.

Baby, One More Time is the best romantic comedy that I have read in months. There are so many hilarious scenes, and the banter between John and Marissa is expertly written. The characters from Not in a Billion Years make multiple appearances, and there’s a hint for Thomas Mercer’s story to come next. Baby, One More Time provides a lot of details into the IVF process and pregnancy symptoms. My only criticism of this story are two plot points: Nora seems more like an 8-year-old, and Marissa never asks her parents for help.

Again, I loved Baby, One More Time and now I can’t wait to read Thomas’ story! This entire series would make an entertaining and enjoyable movie; the author’s descriptions are so clear that it’s easy for the reader to visualize the scenes.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.6 stars ⭐️

✿ Received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest + free review. Thanks! ✿

🩺💌🩺

This was such a fun read. I really enjoyed it. All of the characters were well written from the MCs to the side ones. Speaking of side characters I really enjoyed Thomas and would have loved to see more of him or see him get his own book. He is a hoot lol. If he gets his own book you bet I'm gonna read it!

As for our MCs, such darlings especially Dr.John Raikes. That man was an amazing book boyfriend and baby daddy! He has my heart ❤️

I understood Marissa's apprehension when it came to being with John again and even though it made me sigh with her repeated rejections and fears I cannot fault her and she was also a cool fmc but kudos to the understanding John for repeatedly fighting for her and always still showing up.

Nora was such a cutie & together they all made an adorable little family. John was a good dad.

Throw in the many antics + comedic moments and it only elevated the story further!

I know many people aren't a fan of accidental pregnancy tropes but this was done right imo.
This was my second read from the author. I actually read her other second chance romance xmas novella (FMTAC) during December when I already had this ARC sitting on my shelf so when I popped in, Jan to read it I was surprised to see her name which I now recognized lol.

Overall, it made a lovely rom-com read and I had fun reading it & reading about John x Marissa with the other characters. So pick it up if these tropes and summary appeal to you coz it was very well written.
P.S. might read book¹ from the series (Gabriel x Blake) as they had my interests too.

I really enjoyed this book. I love a second chance romance and I loved the storyline of this one. Lots of tension and angst and I couldn’t get enough. I’d maybe of liked it to of been a bit spicier but that’s just my personal preference. Marissa and John are high school sweethearts but then he breaks her heart…..fast forward 16 years and he’s back in New York, he’s a gynaecologist and she is having IVF to have a baby…what could go wrong??

Highly recommend.

Oh my goodness!!!

Saying I loved this book would be an understatement! It was SO darn good! It was cute, funny, sweet, swoon worthy, adorable, beautiful, and every good adjective you can think of while also tackling important issues - like IVF treatments.

Following along Marissa and John's story was amazing. Childhood sweethearts turned enemies (well, she hates him), turned accidental parents, turned lovers again. Incredible!

Were some of the turns in the plot predictable and cliche worthy? Yes. But isn't that what we want when reading a rom com? It sure as heck is for me.

"Oh no, there was an accident in the lab and they used John's sample instead of the donor you chose."
Me: AH! HE'S YOUR BABY DADDY NOW THEY'LL BE FORCED TO BECOME CLOSE SHE CAN'T PUSH HIM AWAY ANYMORE!

I went feral. In the best way possible. I was screaming, crying, laughing, heart fluttering, butterflies flying in my belly. They are adorable!! And when you throw Nora Bora into the mix and remember yourself that John is already a single dad to the most precious 9 year old??? *passes out*

Seriously tho. This book had everything and then some. It promised 10, it gave 100. Read it. Swoon over our perfect ob-gyn. And then come here and let's rant about these babies together!!!

Thank you so much to neygalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. <3

A guilty pleasure I don’t feel guilty about. It’s not going to win any awards for literature but was exactly what I needed to read on a metaphorical rainy day.

Marissa is an incredibly successful 34 year old woman living in NYC, she’s so successful and independent that she’s decided to have a baby alone. Except in a twist of fate she bumps into her high school love at the clinic, a doctor there, and the heartbreak comes right back. He’s trying to win her back, she’s trying to move on - but should she forgive and forget or just forgive?

This is arguably the cheesiest book I’ve ever read but I was drawn in. I read it really quickly and found it charming and comforting. It’s basically a hallmark movie in a book but that was what I needed, especially in January.

I won’t say I had a huge amount of emotional investment in either the characters or the plot but I’m ok with that. I cared and was intrigued enough to keep reading and sometimes it’s nice to have that light escape.

Implausible, silly and also a bit lovely. If you like rom coms and want a pick me up then give it a go!

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my #arc review copy.

This is a sweet second chance romance featuring cautious and super impressive Marissa and a totally sweet doctor and single father John. The two leads have undeniable chemistry and the development of their relationship plus Marissa’s relationship with John’s daughter, Nora is swoony. This book is the sequel to Not in a Billion Years and while that’s not required reading it’s incredibly helpful as the two books timelines are interwoven. Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood for the advance reader copy!

I had my doubts about this book as I’m not the biggest fan of the pregnancy trope (I thought). I really liked the characters and although you kind of understand where it’s going there was things that took you by surprise anyway.

The chemistry between the characters was very good and it was a good feel good book that made me both blush and giggle at the same time 🫶🏼

John and Marisa have quite the history. High school sweethearts until John just walks away without an explanation. Honestly, I totally understand Marisa not wanting to forgive him and trust him again. The story follows Marisa's IVF journey and her reemerging romance with John. There's plenty of help from his precocious daughter, Nora. Little scene stealer that Nora. John was willing to go all in to get Marisa back. Hell, even I was mad at him for leaving her the way he did, but he did everything to win her back. The circumstances of the baby's parentage is a bit farfetched, but it's a work of fiction. Go with it. I honestly wouldn't have minded more of an interaction with Marisa and Sierra than what we got, but c'est la vie. It's still an enjoyable story with likeable characters.

I was provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise: A single woman undergoes IVF with a sperm donor and by accident, ends up pregnant with her ex-boyfriend’s sperm. That plot alone enticed me to read this book.

I had no idea that this book was the second book in a series. Though it can be read as a standalone, reading the first book would have helped me understand the side characters a bit more. However, I would rate this book 3.5 stars. I didn’t enjoy the first 40% of the book because it’s was a lot of anger towards this man who broke her heart sixteen years ago at 18 years old. The amount of anger and blame she placed on him and what he did got really tiresome to hear about. It continued on throughout the entire book. However, the ending acts of service to win her back was really sweet. I flew through this book because I really wanted to know what would happen- even if I knew it was going to be an HEA, I wanted to know how they’d get there. I also really loved the daughter in the story - she’s whip-smart and really sweet. If you’re looking for a cute, easy read, this book is for you. Just don’t go in expecting much depth to the characters and the plot.

Baby, One More Time is the first book I've read by Camilla Isley, and it won't be the last. I read this book in 7 hours. It was definitely a page turner that kept me hooked.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy.

I really did try with this one but there were too many plots holes that I simply could not get behind. First of all, the entire premise of the book is the fact that these our main character hates Josh because he dumped her on prom night SIXTEEN years ago, effectively ‘ruining’ all other men for her and her ability to love deeply. This is a pretty miserable message to be sending any young woman reading this book - if you get your heart broken, you’ll never love again!

He manages to get by, with a wife and child might I add, without giving her a second thought for all those years. Yet, the second they bump into each other he simply has to win her back. The back and forth between them is only fuelled by the fact that she is mistakenly given his sperm during IVF and embryo treatment. As. If.

After this I was left pretty uninvested with the plot - there is a major difference between stretching your imagination to things that simply would not (and probably should not) happen.

Thoughts:
We meet Marissa who is a businesswomen who feels like she wants to have a baby.
But after having her heartbroken she kind of giving up on love. But then she runs in to
John an old high school sweetheart who becomes her doctor.. What happens next just a sweet second chance romance
Thank You @netgalley

Has this book edited yet? Blake didn't have any alcohol in Chapter 8, yet Marissa tells her "No, I can't have any alcohol." Why did Marissa say that? There is zero alcohol mentioned. Somewhere between 8 and 18, Blake mentions that she had her own terrible ex when she was 20. (Indicating she is older than 20.) But then in Chapters 18 and 19, they're talking about Gabriel taking her to prom. With a limousine and everything. And she lives with her parents? Since when? This needs some serious editing. You cannot force a co-founder to become a teenager again just to bring Marissa back to the past. And if Blake is a teenager (somehow), why is she a 34 year old woman's best friend? I absolutely loved this book until the end of Chapter 18 when I suddenly had no concept of who Blake was as a person. Is she the main character? No. But did this completely ruin my interest in the book? Absolutely.

Listen - I absolutely love the story of Marissa and John. Love it. I cannot accept Blake's storyline. The facts don't line up with her, and I'm not even halfway through the book. I'm calling it, which is why it won't be on Goodreads. I DNF'd once I got to the part about Marissa waving goodbye to Blake's parents. PLEASE EDIT THIS BOOK. If I see that this has been edited to fix these plot issues, I will absolutely buy this book and properly rate it on Goodreads. Until then... I would never recommend this book.

And goodness, I just noticed that Blake does have her own book. And Blake is absolutely an adult. So what is with her being a teenager going to prom? Remove that entire sub-plot and please either add alcohol into the scene of Chapter 8 or remove Marissa's stupid comment when she's faced with seltzer water and an order from what sounds like Starbucks.

3.5⭐️

“But maybe, just maybe, I can let someone else into my heart who isn’t bound to love me by blood.”

This book was an absolute mashup of things I love in a romance, and things I really don’t like.

The story follows Marissa and John who were high school sweethearts where John broke Marissa’s heart. She’s now 34, and getting IVF to have a child on her own when John returns to her life via her fertility clinic.

I really liked Marissa and John. I thought they were great characters who had a nice arc through the story. I just… I just don’t like stories that are ridiculous where every bad thing happens, or there are just SO many coincidences. It just does my head in!

There were just a few times in the story where I was like “hmmm that’s a violation” or “where is the lawyer” or “that’s a problem” 😬

So the moral of the story is, I did enjoy this book, but I really had to focus on overlooking a lot of the ridiculousness and stuff that *really* wouldn’t happen in real life. I don’t need my romances to be totally real life, but I need to believe it could actually happen to someone…

This book will be published on 20 January 2024 if you’re interested in checking it out ☺️

Thanks NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for honest review.

"Baby, One More Time" is this author's second book in the True Love series. However, it can also be enjoyed as a standalone without reading the first book.

As a fan of the first book, I had high expectations for this new release. I was not disappointed, as it was a great, comical mood booster that had me laughing out loud at various parts. The plot flows well, and the author's work again absorbed me.

The focus on second chances and IVF was brilliantly conveyed, though some readers may find this topic sensitive. It was thoroughly entertaining for me, and I could read this within 24 hours!

The series will have a third book, and I eagerly await it.

If you enjoy romantic comedies that don’t take themselves too seriously, this book is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of this one. This is my second book by this author and over all I enjoyed it. It was a predictable romance. Being that I knew what I was reading, I think it was cute. That being said, I do the think the entire concept of the book was not believable and super outlandish. I still enjoyed the banter between the characters and their relationship in general. Thanks for the opportunity to review it.

I picked Baby, One More Time because I am a big fan of a romance involving a pregnancy or trying to get pregnant even though I know it's not everyone's favorite trope. In terms of romcom pregnancy shenanigans, this book delivered!

The situations Marissa got herself into were occasionally improbable but the comedy worked for me for the most part. I think if you don't mind suspending your disbelief a little like you might do for a comedy movie you'll enjoy that aspect of this book! I also enjoyed that Marissa had supportive friends and family and that we got to meet people who already had a book or are getting one later.

What didn't totally work for me was John and Marissa's relationship. He made a mistake but I felt like she overreacted. Particularly as the mistake happened when they were teenagers. I do know that wounds as a teen can cut really deep but I also recognize that people grow up and mature. In this case it felt a bit like there just needed to be some conflict and this was the best option.

Overall, I think this is a fun romcom and a nice light read. I loved John's daughter and there were parts that made me laugh. However, if you are picky about conflict or like very realistic romances this one might not be for you.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Honestly, I enjoyed this more than I expected. The second chance romance was sweet, especially with the addition of a little girl. I don't blame Marissa for hating John (who would have thought he would redeem himself from prom night!) and keeping up major walls. Somehow Dr. John became a perfect book boyfriend...

Yes, there was much of the plotline that was totally unbelievable, but still it was a fun, enjoyable read. This was apparently book two and I will have to check out Marissa's best friend Blake's book...

4 stars

This is a cute second chance story. Marissa is wary but John is all in. I love when the guy has to prove he's the one and John goes all out. The characters are interesting and I adored the storyline. Overall a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Baby, One More Time was an adorable second chance romance centered on Marissa Mayer, a successful businesswoman who's dearest wish is to have a baby. She's long since given up on love after having her heart broken and so decides to go ahead with this journey alone.

That is until her doctor turns out to be the very man who hurt her all those years ago. Sparks fly again in this heartwarming tale of second chances, family and forgiveness. This adorable story will have you feeling all the feels!