Rating: 4.5 stars

Wyatt Wallace and his partner, Biz Petterelli, have been together for years. The couple may be total opposites, but they just fit together. Along with their dog, Matilda, Wyatt and Biz enjoy their lives in NYC, along with frequent trips to Provincetown for vacation. But now, their lives are about to change in a big way. Two years after they started the process of surrogacy, Wyatt and Biz are about to welcome their new baby.

Both men are excited, but they are also both dealing with a lot of fear and self doubt about becoming fathers, which is unfortunately leading to a lot of tension between them. Rather than flying to California, where the baby is being born, the guys decide to take a road trip across the country. It will be a chance to rekindle their bond and hopefully work through some of the recent issues between them. They plan an itinerary full of gay meccas, hoping for a chance to have some fun and excitement along the way before the responsibilities of parenting kick in. So, along with Matilda, Wyatt and Biz head out in their aging convertible for their weeks-long babymoon.

Unfortunately, pretty much nothing about the trip goes as planned. Their relationship continues to be strained and neither man is willing to talk about their real feelings. They encounter family crises and unexpected detours, not to mention car troubles, terrifying storms, and scary convenience store owners. But Wyatt and Biz also have a chance to reflect on family and what kind of fathers they want to be. They also slowly begin to reconnect with one another, remembering what brought them together all those years ago and how much they truly love one another. With their lives about to change and the new baby coming any time, Wyatt and Biz may finally have found their way back to one another and be ready to take on the next stage in their lives together.

The Bump is a entertaining road trip story that has fun and humor, along with some nice depth, as Biz and Wyatt reconnect while traveling across the country. I am a big fan of forced proximity and road trip stories, so I was intrigued by this one from the blurb. This story has a bit of a twist on that trope, in that Wyatt and Biz are not meeting for the first time on their journey, but are an established couple who are hitting a rough patch in their relationship that they need to work through. We meet the men in the prologue when they are happily in love and making decisions about egg donors for their future child. Then we jump ahead to two years later with the baby soon to be born, and it is clear that things have become strained between them. Both Wyatt and Biz are having doubts about their ability to be a good father. In Wyatt’s case, his father walked out on his family when he was a child, and he has always been the support for his mom and brother in his dad’s absence. Wyatt can’t help but worry about being a good dad without that role model in his own life. For his part, Biz is just worried he won’t be good enough, that he will somehow be a failure as a dad. The two men are stressed and snapping at one another, and the conflict is exacerbated by their very different approaches to life — Wyatt steady, organized, and planning everything; Biz enjoying spontaneity and taking life as it comes. Especially as Wyatt feels Biz’s desire to cut loose before the baby comes as a sign he isn’t ready for the responsibility, and Biz wants Wyatt to relax and reconnect before their lives change.

Nothing quite goes to plan with their trip and those changes at first just add to the tension between them. But, over the course of the story, we see Biz and Wyatt finding their way back to each other. Even as the guys are stressed or annoyed with each other, there is never any doubt that they truly love one another and want to be together. The dual POVs really help give insight into their feelings, and I loved the little moments where we see one of them catch sight of his man and think how much he loves him, or how attractive he finds him. The story is also peppered with memories of their past and the joy they had in one another, and it is so rewarding as we see that happiness reappear along their trip. I also liked that we get some foundation for why these guys are slow to talk to one another. For Wyatt, in particular, we see clearly how he comes from a long line of conflict avoiders. The fact that the men are not communicating feels less like a plot device to keep them apart than a means of showcasing their characters. That said, there were a few too many “the phone rings at the critical moment just as they are about to talk” situations and I did wish to see them actually have some deeper conversations a little sooner.

This story is really rooted in family, both the one Wyatt and Biz hope to build with their new baby, and also each of their individual families. Wyatt has a small circle, just his mom and brother, and he has always been expected to be the caretaker. No one really talks to each other in his family and Wyatt has never been told just what exactly happened with his dad. In comparison, Biz is the baby of this giant, Italian family who adores one another and wants to be together all the time. We get to spend time with both families, and it would have been easy to set things up so it all looks perfect with Biz’s boisterous family in comparison to Wyatt’s more reserved one. But we see the good and the bad in both family dynamics and how their relationships with their parents/siblings shaped both men. In particular, their dynamics with their fathers, and how it is affecting each of them as they look toward their own fatherhood. This isn’t a heavy story, but Karger gives some nice weight to this exploration of family and fatherhood and how it affects Wyatt and Biz.

But along with the heavier topics, this one is also just a lot of fun. There are funny moments and wild events and unusual encounters that keep the tone light overall. This is a fairly long story, but I was just so caught up in it all that I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed following along as Biz and Wyatt find their way across the country and back into each other’s arms, and can definitely recommend this story.

P.S. Also, can we talk about this cover? Perfect tone, beautiful design, and it captures so many little details of the story, right down to the orange convertible with Matilda in the back.

A heartfelt, road trip, second chance romance between a gay couple who attempted to take one last vacation together before their new baby arrives only to have unexpected family drama come up that derails their plans and extends their road trip across the country.

I loved the dual POV, messy family drama, road trip shenanigans in this story and thought it was great on audio. Perfect for fans of Nicolas DiDomizio's Nearlywed. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: parental abandonment, MS rep, surrogacy

The Bump is a fun road-trip novel featuring a couple going across the country for the birth of their child via a surrogate.

Biz and Wyatt are happily coupled (although Biz would like it if they were married) and expecting their first child via surrogate. They decide to drive across the country (a babymoon) before he or she is born. While they love each other, things have been testy between them. Is it the stress of expecting a baby? Or are they falling apart? They hope this trip will get them back in rhythm. Both secretly fear they won't be a good father, but haven't shared that with each other (or other important facts about their lives).

This book was a 3.5 star book for me. There was plenty I enjoyed on their road trip, but the soon-to-be dads got on my nerves a bit, especially at the first of the novel. They almost seem like caricatures of "gay men odd couple from NYC" rather than more complex characters. I appreciated their growth throughout the novel, but I also will say there were times when I was skimming rather than reading whole passages.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

Biz and Wyatt are about to be dads. They live on the East Coast, and their surrogate lives on the West Coast, so they decide to take a meandering road trip across the country for the birth of their baby. The trip is full of lots of funny, sweet, and poignant moments, many unexpected, with each other, their families, and their found family. And the dog - can't forget the dog. This was a super cute, and I recommend it if you are in the mood for a feel-good novel. I loved Biz and Wyatt!

This was well written and the parents-to-be journey is surely relatable. I read this author’s previous book and enjoyed it so I requested this without fully reading the blurb, which was my mistake. With my infertility history, this just isn’t the type of story I enjoy reading so I ended up DNF’ing at the halfway point. That’s for personal reasons though, not the book so 4 stars.

✨ Review ✨ The Bump by Sidney Karger; Narrated by Ryan Spahn & Michael Urie

Thanks to Berkley, PRHAudio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I liked Karger's debut book Best Men but was hung up on a few pieces (e.g. why were the bff's in charge of planning the wedding?! lol), but I found this a solid follow up by Karger that mixed hilarious one liners, awkward moments, and soul searching emotions.

Wyatt and Biz are about to be dads but before their baby is born, they set off on a road trip to check out some of the best gay spots in the U.S. Due to some hiccups along the way, some of their plans change, and this results in the two characters reflecting on relationships of parenthood and family, their relationship with each other, etc.

I love a good road trip book and this has all the silly moments of a driving adventure, but also lots of conversation and discovery along the way. It had some romance elements (re-romance?) as the characters dealt with some miscommunication and issues in their relationship along the way, and this also felt really fulfilling.

The sense of humor reminded me of Steven Rowley and the Guncle, though the two characters are a little more down to earth than Patrick. Overall, this was a really fun and heartwarming road trip adventure book mixing all the feels with some laughs along the way.

🎧 I liked the audio narration and thought the two narrators represented the vibes of their characters well. They also were easy to distinguish from each other which helped me keep straight who was narrating.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: LGBTQIAP+ / contemporary fiction / romance
Setting: Road Trip across the U.S.
Length: 9 hours 19 minutes
Reminds me of: The Guncle, Karger's Best Men
Pub Date: May 21 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ road trips
⭕️ gay dads starting their parenthood journey (the word "journey" is also satirized throughout the book lol)
⭕️ messy family relationships
⭕️ in-your-thirties coming-of-age
⭕️ dog pawrents

I absolutely ADORED this book - so much so that as soon as I finished reading it, I bought the audiobook so I can listen in the future. This heartwarming and relatable tale follows Biz and Wyatt, a couple that is on the verge of a new chapter as they away the birth of their first child. They decide to take an epic roadtrip across the country to visit some of their favorite spots and - hopefully - to rekindle their relationship before the baby is born. Sidney Karger brought these two characters to life in such an endearing way - I was rooting for them, their relationship, and their new family the whole time. It deals with themes that many of us can relate to - relationship challenges, career issues, coming to terms with aging parents, reflecting on childhoods, and having doubts about parenthood. The overall tone of the book is fun and thoughtful, and I really loved reading it. I was sad to say goodbye to Wyatt and Biz at the end of the book, but I loved where their journey took them.

The Bump is heartwarming and heartfelt story of Biz and Wyatt’s journey to parenthood and the bumps they feel along the way.

Biz and Wyatt always wanted kids, in fact having their own family is one of the things that connected them. 8 months searching donor and then finding a surrogate mother, Flora, they are going to have a baby in a month in California where Flora lives. But this one thing that they wanted most also brought anxiety and strain in their relationship.

As differences surface between them, Biz and Wyatt realize the need to fortify their bond before the imminent changes parenthood will bring. Opting for a one-month road trip, with visits to various gay resorts, they hope to reconnect and address their concerns.

Yet, their journey takes unexpected turns. Detours, shocking revelations, familial discord, and a string of comical mishaps continually thwart their attempts at meaningful conversation. It was interesting to see whether this road trip will mend or fracture their relationship.

The portrayal of two gay men in their 30s embarking on a babymoon is refreshingly unique. I never read a story of gay partners’ journey to parenthood before. The storytelling is seamless, effortlessly drawing readers into the lives of Biz and Wyatt.

I felt like I know the characters. There is right amount of fun, lightheartedness, serious topics like abandonment and commitment issues, and flashbacks of their relationship that made me feel depth of their relationship. It’s not just Biz and Wyatt’s journey to parenthood but it’s journey of their relationship.

Wyatt Wallace is as serious, organized, and control freak who needs plan for everything. Biz Petterelli is fun loving, breezy and spontaneous. Their differences in nature caused lots of friction but it’s easy to see they make a perfect team.

It’s was amazing to see how going through many bumps on their journey, Wyatt learned to be spontaneous and go off the plan. Through learning about his father he could get past his fears and commitment issues and recognize the value of his relationship with Biz.

I loved Biz for understanding Wyatt and having patience to wait for him to realize how important marriage is for him. While I could understand Wyatt’s anxiety it took a time for me to get Biz’s fear and after knowing that I wanted to hug him and reassure him he had nothing to fear. While I loved development in Wyatt, Biz and his family were the highlight for me and also their first baby, their dog, Matilda.

My only issue with the book is I wanted a little more fun I was expecting with gay resorts mentioned in the beginning but that obviously never came with all the detours and deeper issues they needed to solve. Also, that required conversation didn’t happen until last 20% of the book.

Nevertheless, The Bump is filled with heartfelt emotions and genuine moments of connection. I loved that epilogue in the end. The whole journey and the end left huge smile on my face. This sure would make a perfect read for a vacation or road trip.

Overall, The Bump is a captivating and charming LGBT contemporary with unique plot, interesting characters and their heartfelt parenthood journey.

A heartwarming tale of a couple driving cross country to welcome their new baby to the family. On the way they make a few stops that bring up memories from the past and make them question the future. Wyatt and Biz are the definition of opposites attract but somehow it works. This cross country trip is a last hurrah before welcoming their baby and settling into family life. Of course no one can drive cross country without hiccups though. At times funny and at times emotional, The Bump takes you on the journey as well. I liked having both characters point of view, although the non communication piece frustrated me... but that usually is a pet peeve of mine anyway. Well written, at times the pacing slowed since we spent quite some time in their heads. I recommend The Bump to those that have ever struggled those moments before having a baby and panic tries to take hold.

TV commercial director Wyatt Wallace and childhood-actor-turned-magazine-writer Biz Petterelli head out on the road trip of road trips for the birth of their new baby via surrogate. As they worry about the ways in which parenting may change their relationship, they are also faced with new information that opens old wounds as they make a few detours along the way.

This book was all I envisioned it to be and so much more. Touching on themes of parenthood and the surrogacy experience, dysfunctional family dynamics, and the bumps along the way that make life…well life, this story will make you laugh of course, but also shed a tear or two. You cannot help but be all in with Wyatt, Biz, Matilda and their beautiful little family that’s about to become four.

As someone who struggled with fertility and contemplated surrogacy, I felt such a strong connection with their very real and raw emotion around not feeling as connected to their baby or the experience while in utero. And which couple hasn’t worried about how a child will change the dynamics of their relationship. The complex family dynamics, whether the same or vastly different, are something many of us can relate to. Taking this journey with Wyatt and Biz (and of course Matilda) was a joy and maybe even a bit cathartic as well.

Packed full of witty humor and charm, this book will transport you to the road trip of a lifetime and I think, one of the must reads of Summer.

Read if you like:
• road trips
• surrogacy rep
• dysfunctional families
• queer rep
• characters with heart
• Steven Rowley

Thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copy.

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book and PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Wyatt and Biz have been together for years and are awaiting the birth of their baby. But their relationship seems rocky, and they wonder if they'll make it. So they decide to turn their trip to California where their surrogate will give birth into a road trip that will allow them to reconnect.

And all sorts of things go wrong! This is a great road trip book with all the fun of detours that I would expect from the genre.

I was worried that the secrets and lies between Wyatt and Biz would make it hard for me to root for them. But instead, I found both so incredibly genuine and relatable. And I wanted the very best for them, as they got closer to welcoming their newest family member.

I found the road trip stops incredibly well chosen. And the humor and tone hit precisely the right note for me. It was balanced so well with tougher topics about their families and futures. I hadn't loved Best Men, so I was really glad I gave another book from Sidney Karger a chance.

You know genres are a funny thing. I’m not sure where to classify this one. It’s not a romance because the couple is already together and driving cross country to pick up their newborn from their surrogate. I might classify it as women’s fiction but it is a male couple.

Whatever it is, it is the perfect read for Pride month. It is this couple living the ups and downs of life. A little bit of issues in the relationship and definitely their own issues not caused by the relationship. Just an ordinary couple navigating life.

Don’t let the fun cover fool you. I did smile from time to time as I read, but this is really about life. And I don’t know about you, but I am not laughing all day long every day. Their journey is honest, tender and heartwarming as they prepare for their first child while navigating all the other little things life throws their way.

It’s told in alternating POVs so I was able to know their internal struggles that they didn’t always make known to each other. There are charming moments like calling their cross country trip to pick up their bundle of joy their babymoon. And Matilda their dog coming along for the ride. I liked and related to Wyatt and Biz even though I didn’t always agree with their choices. I was entertained by their slice of life.

Ryan Spahn and Michael Urie narrate Wyatt and Biz and do an excellent job of bringing their excitement and worry over their impending fatherhood to life. Having two narrators made it easy to follow the dual POVs.

Wyatt and Biz may be expecting a baby soon enough, but their relationship with each other isn’t going as well. There is a major fracture between them, and the road trip may be their saving grace. However, the road trip turns out to be the most chaotic and messy trip ever. Wyatt and Biz find themselves returning home with their families as they both deal with their issues with each other. 



I tend to find messy fiction so interesting. Why? It’s the most relatable to read because someone does go through this. No one's life is ever perfect in any situation. It’s a messy yet relatable subject. And the fracture between Wyatt and Biz is so chaotic that they both need to talk to each other. I know that everyone is going to say that they should split it out. However, they both have some insecurities that prevent them from communicating. It happens to the best of us, especially when you are making a big change, such as getting a baby from a surrogate. 



Wyatt and Biz miscommunication may be frustrating at times throughout the book, but I understood both of their parts. Each of them is facing something unknown to them that brings out their insecurities in their relationship. It’s a bit flawed, but realistic if you think about it. Thankfully, Wyatt and Biz were able to find themselves again in their relationship. It was a bit rocky and chaotic, but it was worth it. It made them realize that they needed to believe in themselves and each other. And communicate a bit more with each other as well.

This was an interesting one...at times it was really fun and engaging and others it was like the dinner party episode of The Office with full alarm bells ringing that these two people probably should not be together but you know based on the synopsis of the book they aren't going to break up so ok let's just go with it! Also, their dogs kept disappearing? Where were the dogs in Las Vegas? Anyways, it would be a fun pool read or if you're really into watching relationship drama because Biz & Wyatt fight a lot. LOL?

Many thanks to Berkley & Netgalley for the ARC.

**Many thanks to Berkley and Sidney Karger for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**

How do you know when you're REALLY ready for kids?

Biz and Wyatt aren't sure they know the answer, but after a long, dedicated surrogacy journey...they think they are ready to take the plunge and find out. The pair are a gay couple who have had their ups and downs romantically, but think that despite their frequent sniping at one another and the fact that they aren't married yet (much to Biz's dismay) that now is the PERFECT time to bring a baby into the mix. (Sigh. More on that later). In fact, they decide that they are in desperate need of a Babymoon and figure a cross country roadtrip from NY to CA prior to the birth of the baby is a way to check both boxes. They load up their dog Matilda into the back of their tiny VW Cabriolet and head for the open road, trying to leave all their cares behind.

But IS this match made in heaven a pair of soulmates...or are they simply too different? Biz is a magazine writer who used to be a child actor and although he writes about food for a living, he feels like there's something missing in his current day-to-day...and Wyatt hasn't exactly been helping him find it. His beau Wyatt, on the other hand, is more of your typical Type A personality, and thrives on the order and structure he finds in his work as a TV director...but does the loud and crazy side of Biz clash too harshly against his But as the journey takes from a supposedly relaxing trip to Provincetown (read: it isn't) to a spontaneous baby shower with Biz's vivacious Italian family to a bizarrely random Star Wars themed wedding, the miscommunications multiply and BOTH men in this relationship are hiding pretty substantial secrets from one another. With the days ticking down until delivery, can Biz find the maturity Wyatt feels he needs to take fatherhood seriously? And can Wyatt open his heart to the possibility of making their relationship a LOT more permanent? Or will this new baby deepen the cracks of an already fractured relationship...and splinter it for good?

I can't say that I've ever read a story about surrogacy with a gay couple as the parents before, OR a Sidney Karger book before...so needless to say, I had no idea what to expect from this story...except the HOPE that it would be both a) very romantic and b) very funny.

But instead of a smooth ride...all I kept hitting were speed bumps.

From the off, I could tell I was going to have trouble relating to both characters, Biz and Wyatt, and this gut feeling (like many gut feelings) was spot-on. Not only did I feel like I didn't really KNOW the characters, I also just found them both a bit insufferable in their own ways. The story opens with Biz and Wyatt lamenting the change they are about to face becoming new parents...but as surrogate parents (not to mention surrogates who live ACROSS THE COUNTRY from the birth mom) the part they ignore entirely is that the woman giving birth to their child has ALREADY given up so much autonomy and given so much of herself...and there's a reason why MOMS are the ones who need a babymoon. While I champion their passion in many ways, the naivete and sort of thoughtlessness they both demonstrate towards the woman who is ACTUALLY doing the hard work was a huge red flag for me. If you can't even appreciate how difficult and demanding pregnancy can be (even in theory) how on EARTH are you ready to raise an infant on any level?

Which brings me to the next issue with this plot, and frankly, an age old problem in general: having kids does NOT solve relationship problems. Almost ever. If both parties learn to work together or coexist better, I can understand that...but kids are not Band Aids. I was so annoyed with the fact that both of them had such misgivings about their future together, yet figured they should go ahead and bring an innocent child into the mix (not to mention a kid who isn't fully biologically theirs...they also have zero clue about how THAT challenge might pop up in later years) and honestly, it left me wanting to bop both of them upside the head. Talk about La La Land...I guess there's a reason both of them are in show biz! I honestly felt their conversations often lacked depth and just served to illustrate their 'problems' more than anything else...but there was a problem with that, too.

...I just didn't 'buy' their relationship strife.

I get that not every troubled relationship has slamming doors, yelling, prolonged segments of the silent treatment, etc....but these two had some slight miscommunications at best (or worst?) and that was basically it. The other problems (with their own families, the secrets they kept from one another, etc.) seemed to FAR outweigh any actual relationship trouble. By making their 'fighting' seem more along the lines of good-natured banter and ribbing each other about their idiosyncrasies, it didn't seem like there was much to resolve...moreso that they just needed to TALK to one another. (Go figure!) I thought there might be some third act drama that left me hanging or unsure how this one ended, but alas. It was just as predictable as you'd expect. I kept waiting for all of the big laughs I thought I'd been promised from the start...but unless you find the dog's antics funny, you're going to be be waiting a LOT longer than 9 months for that laugh (if you catch my drift!)

And while this story has merit on paper (as it were) in terms of desperately needed rep for LGBTQIA+ families of all shapes and sizes, I think it's safe to say...

The babymoon is OVER.

3.5 stars

Hm, I feel a bit torn here. There were so many pieces I liked, but I kept going back to the idea of these two people in a struggling relationship having a baby they might not be ready for. I loved the road trip to rekindle their relationship and maybe work through some things. But the trip itself brought up more challenges and was too quick to give time to the work they need to put into their relationship.

If this was simply a road trip to fix a broken relationship, this would have been so much better. The addition of the baby storyline just made me a little sad and worried for them. They might not really be good together long term as there were already so many problems.

This was a quick read for sure and maybe this one just wasn't for me.

Biz and Wyatt Road trip their way toward new fatherhood. They decide to stop at some of their favorite places on the way from NY to California to meet the surrogate who is soon to deliver their baby.
Both Wyatt and Biz have some personal struggles that they need to resolve. Lots of unexpected detours and eye opening revelations along the route help them heal and see the best of themselves and each other.
I adored this sweet, funny and emotional story!! All the stars!!
-5 Stars!-

This was a sweet road trip book that I really enjoyed. You'll like it if you're looking for predictable and heartwarming.

This is the perfect Pride month read. This book is about a roadtrip that two men, Wyatt and Biz, take a roadtrip as a babymoon before meeting their surrogate in California and welcoming their baby into the world. The trip is planned, but things are tense between Wyatt and Biz and traveling doesn’t make that any easier. Throw in some roadblocks and detours and you have a humorous and heartwarming tale. I will admit I thought the poor communication was a little too far, but overall I really enjoyed this story. The family drama was an excellent touch and an important part of Wyatt and Biz figuring how to be fathers. The writing was great and the characters were well developed (even if I didn’t always like them). I loved the dogs, they added some great humor and joy to the story (although let’s face it this is the role of animals on and off the page. I definitely hope to read more by this author in the future.

I was sold on reading The Bump as soon as I realized it was a road trip because I knew it would be a good time. What I didn’t realize at the time was that it would also be one of the most heartwarming, moving, feel good stories I’ve read all year!

The Bump follows two men, Biz and Wyatt, who have decided they’re ready to start a family. They are expecting their first child via surrogate and while they’re excited about finally becoming parents, they are also freaking out and doubting their ability to be good parents. Biz and Wyatt live in New York and the baby is being born in California, so they decide to take an epic cross country road trip, a “babymoon” as they call it. They’ve been going through some awkward times lately and hope this trip will not only be a last hurrah but will also give them time to make sure their relationship is in a good place before they become Dads.

I don’t want to spoil the details of this epic road trip but I’ll just say it’s both a wild and hilarious ride, but also a moving personal journey as both men really examine their lives and their relationship. I love a book that brings out all of my emotions and this one did exactly that. I laughed out loud so many times I lost count, but I also shed a few tears along the way too.

I tandem read the physical and the audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by Ryan Spahn and Michael Urie who do such an incredible job bringing these two wonderful characters and their wild road trip to life!

If you enjoy heartwarming books like The Guncle and The House in the Cerulean Sea, you should definitely check out The Bump. You won’t regret it!